THE BEATING OF THE JACKS. H3 



" He must have bad a big coffin/' remarked 

 Tom. 



" No, it is not a coffin, but evidently a very 

 large hogshead, into which the body was thrown. 

 Don't come too near the edge, or you will all 

 fall in." 



;< I've been here over twenty years," said 

 Long John, who had landed to see what the ex- 

 citement was, "and never knew any one to be 

 buried here. It must have been one of the old 

 Spanish pirates ; they used to lie here years 

 ago." 



The boys had heard it whispered that Long 

 John had been a pirate himself once upon a 

 time, and thought he might perhaps explain the 

 strange grave, if so inclined ; but he said noth- 

 ing further. 



The doctor took the bones out carefully, but 

 most of them crumbled aw r ay. The skull was 

 found to be nearly perfect, but with a fracture 

 at the base, giving the impression that the 

 owner had come to a violent end. The remains 

 were placed together again, and covered with 

 the surrounding sand, probably for the last time. 



