ing like Ailwin's cloak? Look at the long black hair hanging all
round the little flat brown face. And the dress: it is the skin of some
beast, with the hair left on--a rough-edged skin, fastened with a bit of
something like coal on the left shoulder. I dare say it was once a
wooden skewer. I wonder how long ago this body was alive. I wonder
what sort of a country this was to live in, at that day."

Roger's fear having now departed, his more habitual feelings again
prevailed.

"I say," said he, returning to the spot, and wrenching the tool from
Oliver's hand; "I say--don't you meddle any more. The curiosity is
mine, you know. I found it, and it's mine."

"What will you do with it?" asked Oliver, who saw that, even now, Roger
rather shrank from touching the limbs, and turned away from the open
eyes of the body.

"It will make a show. If I don't happen to see the earl, so as to get
gold for it, I'll make people give me a penny a piece to see it; and
that will be as good as gold presently."

"I wish you would bury it," earnestly exclaimed Oliver, as the thought
occurred to him that the time might come, though perhaps hundreds of
years hence, when dear little George's body might be found in like
manner. He could not endure the idea of that body being ever made a
show of.

Of course, Roger would not hear of giving up his treasure; and Oliver
was walking away, when Roger called after him--

"Don't go yet, Oliver. Wait a minute, and I will come with you."

Oliver proceeded, however, thinking that Roger would have to acquire
some courage yet before he could carry about his mummy for a show.

Oliver was only going for Mildred--to let her see, before it was quite
dark, what had been done, and what found. When they returned, Roger was
standing at some distance from the bank, apparently watching his mummy
as it lay in the cleft that he had cleared. He started when he heard
Mildred's gentle voice exclaiming at its being so small and so
dark-coloured. She next wondered how old it was.

After the boys had examined the ground again, and put together all they
had heard about the ancient condition of the Levels, they agreed that
this person must have been buried, or have died alone in the woods,
before the district became a marsh. Pastor Dendel had told Oliver about
the thick forest that covered these lands when the Romans invaded
Britain; and how the inhabitants fled to the woods, and so hid
themselves there th