■n SUSPENSE. 



the advent of the expected visitor, and 

 getting tu'ed of my cramped position, whilst 

 the night grew still darker, and a few drops 

 of rain portended a shower, I was thinkmg of 

 going home, when, without the least sound 

 of a footstej), crash went the bones. You 

 may guess with what anxiety I tiied to gaze 

 through the impenetrable blackness, but 

 nothing could be seen ; whilst for a full 

 quarter of an hour we could hear plainly 

 enough the cracking and munching of the 

 bones. What would I not have given for 

 a moment's moonlight ? Once or twice I 

 fancied I could distinguish some object, and 

 was half inclined to risk a random shot ; but 

 then there was a probability of its remaining 

 until the moon rose, when I should be able 

 to see clearly. 



" This state of annoying suspense was at 

 length broken by the carcase being lifted up 

 and carried bodily away. It was however, 

 dropped a little way off, and the cracking 

 and munching of the bones again resumed. 

 This continued for some time, when all 



