oured, after
death; and that no shot shall be fired, and no interference made,
with those who come to carry away the dead."

There was silence for two or three minutes, and then a voice called
back:

"It is well; for two hours there shall be peace between us."

"I have no doubt the governor is as glad to do this as we are. It
is considered a disgrace, if the dead are not carried off the
ground to burial; and if he sends despatches to Ava, he will be
glad to be able to put in that the brave men who fell have all been
buried, with due honours. Besides, Meinik, it would not be
encouraging to his troops for them to have that pile of dead bodies
before them and, indeed, would be enough to cause a pestilence, in
a few days."

The men were formed up again, round the entrance. The Burmese did
their work silently. Occasionally a slight movement was heard, but
no one could have imagined that a hundred men were busy outside. A
number of them carried torches, and all worked steadily and in good
order, under the direction of two or three officers. One of the
posts of the stockade had been pulled up and through this the
bodies were carried. It was less than two hours before a horn
sounded, and there was a loud call of:

"The peace is over; all is done."

Beyond the stockade great fires blazed among the trees. The work of
chopping down the forest continued, and by the morning the ground
had been cleared for a distance of thirty or forty yards from the
paling. Then the Burmese raised another stockade forty feet behind
the first, so that, if by carelessness or treachery the besieged
should manage to pass through the first line, there would yet be
another in front of them.

"I expect, master," Meinik said as, standing well back, he watched
the men at work, "the general is building this second line, not
because he thinks that there is a chance of our getting through the
first, but to keep the men at work, so as to prevent them from
thinking anything about the spirits. Now that they have passed one
night there, they will have got somewhat over their fear and, of
course, every day that passes, without ill befalling them, they
will think less and less about the evil ones."

"Do you believe in them, Meinik?"

Meinik hesitated.

"Everyone knows, master, that evil spirits guard the treasures of
the people that lived in the land long, long ago. No one can doubt
that people who have rashly sought the treasures have been found
dead