?" our newly-found friend continued.

"Strings? no, we have something else to think about at the present
time," cried Mr. Brown.

"I'm sorry for that, 'cos a few rods of twine or tape, such as we use to
line coffins with, would be worth considerable just now."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I'll tell you in as few words as possible," the shepherd said, resting
from his work for a few seconds while speaking. "We three coveys ain't
no match for thirty coveys, is we?"

We acknowledged that there was a difference, and that it was favorable
to the side of the larger force.

"Very well; then it becomes necessary to deceive 'em, same as we use to
do when I was an apprentice in London, when master would put a body in a
pine coffin, all flourished off with paint and varnish, and then charge
it as cherry."

"What has that to do with the matter in hand?" I demanded impatiently.

"Much--I intend to make the bushrangers think, if we come in contact
with 'em, that they have got a ghost instead of a man to deal with, and
I needn't tell you how frightened they will be; you know that by your
own experience, don't you?"

There was no denying the assertion, however much disposed we might feel
to quarrel with such perfect frankness at the present time. At any rate,
we no longer manifested symptoms of impatience, but waited until Day had
secured the bones, which were somewhat loosened by the shot from my
pistol.

"I think that I've got strings enough arter all," he said, shaking the
head to see if it was firm and fit for use. "It 'pears all right, and I
think will answer."

He placed the huge mass of whitened bones upon his head, and then shook
it in a defiant manner, and I no longer wondered at our fright.

"There, I think that will do. Now let me first tie up my sheepskins, and
then we will start."

In a few minutes the sheepskins were secured in their proper places, and
Day stood before us a ghost of the first magnitude, and looking hideous
enough to frighten his Satanic Majesty himself had he been encountered
in the vicinity of Mount Tarrengower.

"I ain't got much beauty," Day said, while we were admiring him, "'cos I
trust to inside appearances. But don't I look lovely? as we use to say
at a first class funeral, when we had gone to some expense to get up the
body in pretty good style."

We assured the shepherd that his attractions were of the first order,
and that we appreciated his exertions in our behalf, and wit