Oscar.—"No, Jenny, we must cut him in pieces, and carry him out bit by bit into the sea."
Felix.—"Yes, here is his own saw, that I took away the last time we were at his house. He is only a pirate, Jenny, and quite dead; so, saw away!"
Jenny.—"Oh, Master Felix, I did not think you had the heart to be so cruel."
Oscar.—"Cruel! don't be absurd, Jenny. You don't care a bit for cutting off the heads of the chickens so why should you mind cutting up this great brute."
Jenny.—"Oh! Sir, you really must excuse me, I cannot do it, even to please you."
Our dilemma was really growing most painful. "Can one bury him here, as he is, without touching him?" said I. "Oh no, Mother," said Oscar. "We could never endure the place knowing this body was buried in it. Besides, see where he has fallen just where we dine. At all events, if you will none of you touch him, and he must be buried here, let us seek another cavern to live in, one nearer the waterfall."
"Shall we follow Otty's advice," said I to the others, "it seems the only thing we can do, but it is horrible."
"Cover up those unsightly remains, and let us begone," said Schillie, "the place is getting horrible even now."
We ran for every sort of thing we could find to shovel the sand over him, and though very soon out of sight, we worked harder and harder, as if the more sand we put over him, the more we drove from us the horrible sight. We then recollected the ladders, and Gatty and Serena ran up, and let them down, and then swung themselves down by a rope, which we fastened at the side of the cavern, in such a manner as to be hardly apparent, and certainly of no use.
For a full hour after we had done, the children were throwing more sand on the great Tumulus now before us, while we moved as many of our things as we could to another cavern, smaller, less convenient, and darker. We were so busy, that we forgot the pirates might come back, and were therefore electrified at the sound of their voices above. They called once or twice to the dead man, now buried many feet in sand, and of course receiving no answer, we found they were preparing to let a man down.