“The bones, instead of remaining quietly piled up in the corner, had joined themselves together—­the leg bones to the feet, the ribs to the back-bone—­and the skull had stuck itself on the top.  Where the flesh came from, Sam could not tell; but he strongly suspected that his own steaks and bacon had something to do with it.  But, be that as it may, there was not half enough of fat to cover the bones, and the figure was dreadfully thin.  Sam stared at first in astonishment, and began to doubt whether he saw aright.  When, however, he beheld the figure move, there could be no mistake, and he knew at once that it was a ghost.  Anybody else would have been frightened out of their senses, but Sam took the matter philososophically and went on with his supper.

“‘How d’ye do, old fellow?’ he said to the spectre.  ’Will you have a mouthful of grog to warm your inside?  Sit down, and be sociable.’

“The spectre did not make any reply, but continued making a sign for Sam to follow.

“’If you prefer to stand and keep beckoning there till to-morrow you may, but, if I were in your place, I would come nearer the fire,’ said Sam; ‘you may catch cold standing there without your shirt, you know.’

“The same silence and the same gesture continued on the part of the ghost, and Sam, seeing that his words produced no effect, recommenced eating.”

“There is one thing,” remarked Jack, “more astonishing about your friend Sam than his coolness, and that is his appetite.”

“The spectre did not appear satisfied with the state of affairs, for it assumed a threatening attitude and strode towards the fire-place.

“‘Avast heaving, old fellow,’ cried Sam, ’there is one thing I have got to say, which is this here:  you may stand and hoist signals there as long as ever you like; but if you touch me, then look out for squalls, that’s all.’

“The ‘old fellow,’ however, paid no attention to this caution.  He strode right up to the fire-place, and, whilst pointing to the door with one hand, grasped Sam’s arm with the other.  Sam started up, shook off the hand that held him, and pitched into the spectre right and left.  But, strange to say, his hands went right through its bones and all, just as if it had been made of the hydrogen gas you spoke of the other day.  Sam saw that it was no use laying about him in this fashion, for the spectre stood grinning at him all the time, so he gave it up.

“‘I wish,’ said he, ’you would be off, and go to bed, and not keep bothering there.’

“Still the spectre maintained the same posture, and kept pertinaciously pointing to the door.

“‘Well,’ said Sam, ’since you insist upon it, let us see what there is outside.  Go a-head, I will follow.’

“The spectre led him into what used to be the garden of the mill, but the enclosure was now overgrown with rank and poisonous weeds.  There was a path running through it paved with flagstones; the spectre pointed with its finder to one of them.  Sam stooped down, and, much to his astonishment, raised it with ease.  Beneath there was an iron chest, the lid of which he also opened, and saw that it was filled with old spade guineas and Spanish dollars.