anyone to say him nay. David's remarks about ghosts
had not made him more at his ease. Ghosts were all very well when you
were safe at home, with well-known people and things all round you; but
here, on this lonely Common, no subject could have been worse chosen.
It was stupid of David. He sat beside his pickaxe feeling more creepy
and nervous and uncomfortable every moment, until David, who had been
carefully examining the inclosed space, struck his spade firmly on a
certain spot and exclaimed:

"Here's a good place to begin!"

"Why?" asked Ambrose moodily, without moving.

"It looks," said David, kneeling down to see more closely, "as if it had
been dug up before."

"Well, then," returned Ambrose, "it wouldn't be a good place, because
they'll have found all the things."

It was a bare spot in one side of the bank where there was no turf, and
the earth looked loose and crumbling. David rose and struck his spade
into it.

"You try somewhere else," he said, "I mean to dig here."

A little roused by this example Ambrose took up the heavy pickaxe again
and went over to David's side. He was making a good deep hole, but it
was very narrow because his spade was so small.

"Wait a minute," said Ambrose, "let me have a go at it."

He raised up the pickaxe with all his strength, down it came, and stuck
so fast that he and David together could hardly get it out again. But
when it was dislodged they found it had done good service, for it broke
up the earth all round the hole, so that they could now get both their
spades into it and work away together. For some minutes they went on in
silence, David with even steady strokes and Ambrose with feverishly
quick ones. Nothing came to light but little round stones and chalky
mould, not even a coin or a bone!

"I believe this isn't a good place," said Ambrose hopelessly, resting on
his spade, "let's try somewhere else."

Just as he spoke David's spade struck against something with a sharp
clinking sound.

"What's that?" exclaimed Ambrose.

All his excitement returning he threw himself on the ground and
scratched away the earth with his hands.

"Wait a moment!" he cried; "don't dig. I see something shining."

"What's it like?" asked David breathlessly. He could see nothing, for
Ambrose had thrust his head right into the hole. He presently withdrew
it, and looked up at David nearly choking and almost speechless with
eagerness.

"I don't know yet," he managed