oss the plain of the dead.
Their eyes riveted on it. Paddy muttered a prayer; Bill eloquently
wondered what the white thing was; Sandy, remarkably cool, picked up
the bracelet, coins and other trinkets and placed them in his pocket.
He did this, as he explained afterwards, "in case the ghost wid get
them."

"It's mighty funny," muttered Claud, frequently adjusting his eyeglass
to see the dread apparition more clearly.

"It's a ghost, boys, I tell ye. My ould father has seen them when he
lived in Kerry. Heaven preserve us!" he ejaculated, crossing himself
for about the fiftieth time.

"Ghost or no ghost, Paddy Doolan, I'm going after it," Bill said.
Quietly picking up his tool, he walked forward to the weird, white
thing still advancing. He reached it, then turned with it towards the
crouching grave wreckers. Halting about ten yards from them, Bill
shouted, "Paddy Doolan."

"Yis, Bill," was the timorous reply.

"It's an Irish ghost--a Kerry one."

"What is it?" said Claud, rising and shaking off the supernatural fear
which had held him for a moment.

"It's a white donkey on the loose," answered Bill, bursting into
laughter. Paddy recovered instantly and joined with the others in the
admiration of the innocent ass which had strayed from its usual haunts.
After sniffing its new-found friends, the donkey let out a terrible
bray, flung up its heels and departed into the night.

They recommenced their digging operations; so engrossed were they with
their discoveries that they did not hear the approach of some
chattering natives. These dusky gents were within fifty yards of them
when Bill whispered, "Keep still--lie down." They obeyed, and lying
flat on the ground saw some Arabs go by. They could just see their
figures against the sky, and had time to note that they carried shovels.

"On the same game," whispered Bill.

"Yes," said Claud, "I believe they make a speciality of digging up
these dead folks. Glad they weren't Kerry ghosts, anyway."

"Be aisy, boys, you'll meet a ghost yet before ye die."

The work was resumed once more. About 2 A.M., when all thought they
had had enough of this body-snatching, they were startled with the cry
of, "Help, boys! Help! They're killing me."

"By Jove! That's the Queenslander. These niggers are at him. Come
on, boys," shouted Claud, lifting his entrenching tool and running
towards the place from whence came the cry for help.

"Help! Help!" rang out the