lad he had left with the carriage.  Had the ruffians murdered him? was the horrible doubt that crossed his mind.  The agony of his attention grew yet keener, and while the villains pulled out and admired the different articles of his clothes and linen, he eagerly listened for some indication that might intimate the fate of the postilion.  But the ruffians were too much delighted with their prize, and too much busied in examining its contents, to enter into any detail concerning the manner in which they had acquired it.  The portmanteau contained various articles of apparel, a pair of pistols, a leathern case with a few papers, and some money, etc., etc.  At any other time it would have provoked Brown excessively to see the unceremonious manner in which the thieves shared his property, and made themselves merry at the expense of the owner.  But the moment was too perilous to admit any thoughts but what had immediate reference to self-preservation.

After a sufficient scrutiny into the portmanteau, and an equitable division of its contents, the ruffians applied themselves more closely to the serious occupation of drinking, in which they spent the greater part of the night.  Brown was for some time in great hopes that they would drink so deep as to render themselves insensible, when his escape would have been an easy matter.  But their dangerous trade required precautions inconsistent with such unlimited indulgence, and they stopped short on this side of absolute intoxication.  Three of them at length composed themselves to rest, while the fourth watched.  He was relieved in this duty by one of the others after a vigil of two hours.  When the second watch had elapsed, the sentinel awakened the whole, who, to Brown’s inexpressible relief, began to make some preparations as if for departure, bundling up the various articles which each had appropriated.  Still, however, there remained something to be done.  Two of them, after some rummaging which not a little alarmed Brown, produced a mattock and shovel; another took a pickaxe from behind the straw on which the dead body was extended.  With these implements two of them left the hut, and the remaining three, two of whom were the seamen, very strong men, still remained in garrison.

After the space of about half an hour, one of those who had departed again returned, and whispered the others.  They wrapped up the dead body in the sea cloak which had served as a pall, and went out, bearing it along with them.  The aged sibyl then arose from her real or feigned slumbers.  She first went to the door, as if for the purpose of watching the departure of her late inmates, then returned, and commanded Brown, in a low and stifled voice, to follow her instantly.  He obeyed; but, on leaving the hut, he would willingly have repossessed himself of his money, or papers at least, but this she prohibited in the most peremptory manner.  It immediately occurred to him that the suspicion of having removed