to rummage farther into the contents; but the whole
interior was filled with this rare and curious commodity. They could
hardly believe their eyes; and Dick, especially, shook his head, and
looked as though he knew or suspected more than he durst tell; a
common expedient with those whose mountain hath brought forth
something very like the product of this gigantic mystery.

Dick was the most dissatisfied with the result, feeling himself much
chagrined at so unlooked-for a termination to his wonderful story, and
he kept poking into and turning about the straw with great sullenness
and pertinacity. His labours were not altogether without success.

"Look! here's other guess stuff than my lady's bed straw," said he, at
the same time holding up a lock of it for the inspection of his
companions. They looked and there was evidently a clot of blood! This
was a sufficient confirmation of their surmises; and Dick, though
alarmed as well as the rest, felt his sagacity and adroitness
wonderfully confirmed amongst his fellows. They retired, firmly
convinced that some horrible mystery was attached thereto, which all
their guessing could not find out.

At night, as Dick was odding about, he felt fidgety and restless. He
peeped forth at times towards the outhouse where the box was lying,
and as he passed he could not refrain from casting a glance from the
corner of his eye through the half-closed door. The bloody clot he had
seen dwelt upon his imagination; it haunted him like a spectre. He
went to bed before the usual hour, but could not sleep; he tossed and
groaned, but the drowsy god would not be propitiated. The snoring of a
servant in the next bed, too, proved anything but anodyne or oblivion
to his cares. He could not sleep, do what he would. Having pinched his
unfortunate companion till he was tired, but with no other success
than a loud snort, and generally a louder snore than ever, in the end,
Dick, rendered desperate, jumped out of bed, and walked, or rather
staggered across the floor. He looked through the window. It was
light, but the sky was overcast, though objects below might readily be
distinguished. The outhouse where the box lay was in full view; and as
he was looking out listlessly for a few minutes he saw a female figure
bearing a light, who was gliding down stealthily, as he thought, in
the yard below. She entered the building, and Dick could hardly
breathe, he was so terrified. He watched until his eyes ached bef