eturned to the highway, and, after a brisk
walk, we reached the graveyard.

_CHAPTER V._

The resting places of the dead are localities which I do not much care
to visit in the night. In the day time it is different; there is a holy
calm about a cemetery then which impresses me with a feeling of rest,
and I can really enjoy an hour or two in quiet contemplation of the
monuments and humble head-stones of a large burial ground. But in the
night, even the least superstitious person in the world will be awed by
the solemnity pervading our cities of the dead, and will quicken his
pace as the wind rustles mournfully through the shrubbery. I never
should care to go into a grave-yard at night, as a matter of choice; but
business is business, and must be transacted, no matter how unpleasant
the surroundings may be.

The first difficulty I encountered on entering the Greenville cemetery,
was, that I did not know where Mrs. Pattmore's grave was located. We
therefore separated to the distance of about one hundred yards, and
advanced through the underbrush across the grounds. We arranged, before
starting, to meet at a certain tall tree, which stood up against the sky
in the dim starlight. Green had gone only a few rods when he came upon
three men. Their smoky lantern threw a ghastly light upon their work,
and they were so busily engaged in digging that they did not notice him.
He quickly withdrew and hurried after me. It was some time after he
overtook me before we could find Knox, but we finally met and returned
to the place where the body-snatchers were at work. It was evident that
they were professionals, for they had worked so rapidly as to have
nearly succeeded in getting the coffin out of the grave.

A thrill of horror even now goes through me as I think of that night;
the white tomb-stones stood forth among the foliage, by which they were
surrounded, like sheeted ghosts, and the waving leaves gave them the
appearance of weird shapes in fantastic motion. The light of the lantern
feebly glimmered in one direction, and the body-snatchers flitted about
like restless ghouls preparing for a horrible banquet. We approached as
quietly as possible, and, on emerging from the cover of a copse of hazel
bushes, we made a general rush forward. The ghouls were too quick for
us, however, and they ran away at a break-neck speed which we did not
dare to imitate. They had the great advantage of knowing every foot of
the ground, whil