He dashed at the trench again, and Bart seized the head, both lifting together; and then, as the sand streamed away from the canvas cover in which the remains of poor Abel had been wrapped, they both uttered a hoarse cry of horror and stood holding up their ghastly burden as if in a nightmare, terror paralysing them. For they felt that the long wrapper was alive; and from out of holes eaten in it, and dimly-seen in the lantern's yellow light, dozens of the loathsome land-crabs scuffled quickly out, to keep falling with a heavy pat upon the sand and crawl away; while as their shells rattled and scratched and their claws clinked together, the burden grew rapidly lighter, the movement gradually ceased, and the two men stood at last, icily cold, but with the sweat streaming from them, holding up the old sail containing nothing but the skeleton of the poor fellow they sought. "Oh, murther!" gasped Dinny at last. "Bart, lad, think o' that!" Bart uttered a sound that was more like a groan than an ejaculation; but neither of them moved for some moments. "What'll we do now?" said Dinny at last. Bart did not speak, but he made a movement side wise, which his companion unconsciously imitated, and together they reverently laid the grisly remains in the case, which Bart covered, and then screwed down the lid, for he had come prepared. "What'll the captain say?" whispered Dinny, as he held the lantern up for Bart to see the holes made ready for the screws. Bart turned upon him fiercely. "Don't say a word of it to him," he said harshly. "Poor lad, it would break his heart." "Not tell him?" "Dinny, lad, you'll keep your tongue about this night's work?" "Not tell the boys?" "Not tell a soul," said Bart. "We're friends, and it's our secret, lad. You'll hold your tongue?" "Howlt my whisht? Yes," said Dinny, "I will. Bart, lad, d'ye feel freckened now?" "No." "Nor I, nayther. It was the thought that there was something else that freckened me. Phew, lad! it's very hot." He wiped the great drops of sweat from his brow, and then, as Bart ended his task-- "Ye were scared, though, Bart," he said. "Yes, I never felt so scared in my life." "I shake hands, thin, lad, on that. Thin I needn't fale ashamed o' running away. Faix, but it's an ugly job! Oh! the divils. Sure, and whin I die I won't be buried here." Dinny's observations were cut short by Bart placing the lantern on the deal case; and then together the two men bore their eerie load down to the boat and laid it across the bows, the lantern being hidden once more beneath the folds of the great cloak with which the rough coffin was solemnly draped. "You'll be silent, Dinny," said Bart. "Niver fear, my lad," said the Irishman. Then the boat was run out as far as they could wade, the sail hoisted, and long before dawn they reached the schooner, over whose side hung a signal light.