An exclamation interrupted him. It came from one of the relief party who had clambered into the cavern and was spading there in the loose soil.
"What is it?"
"A skeleton, sir!—stretched here as natural as life."
The General dismounted and clambered to the entrance, followed by his staff officer. As they reached it, the man stooped again and rose with something in his hand.
"Eh? A begging-bowl?"
"Not a doubt of it," said the staff officer, as his chief passed it to him. He examined it, turning it slowly over in his hands. "It's clear enough, though curious. We have struck the den of some old hermit of the hills, some holy man—"
"Who pitched his camp here for the sake of the water-spring, no doubt."
"Queer taste," said the staff officer sagely. "I wonder how the deuce he picked up his food."
"Oh, the hill-men hereabouts will travel leagues to visit and feed such a man."
"That doesn't explain why his bones lie unburied."