"There, I think that will do. Now let me first tie up my sheepskins, and then we will start."
In a few minutes the sheepskins were secured in their proper places, and Day stood before us a ghost of the first magnitude, and looking hideous enough to frighten his Satanic Majesty himself had he been encountered in the vicinity of Mount Tarrengower.
"I ain't got much beauty," Day said, while we were admiring him, "'cos I trust to inside appearances. But don't I look lovely? as we use to say at a first class funeral, when we had gone to some expense to get up the body in pretty good style."
We assured the shepherd that his attractions were of the first order, and that we appreciated his exertions in our behalf, and with these few compliments we walked towards the bridge, the ghost leaving his long gun behind.
"Ghosts," he said, in explanation, "is supposed to do unheard-of things, but I doubt whether any regular one ever walked around the earth with a gun; and if we should encounter the bushrangers, I think I should have more influence unarmed, for to give the devils their due, they don't, care a rush for the smell of gunpowder, while they is firm believers in spirits, 'cos there is a sort of a tradition that a proprietor of a sheep farm, who was murdered some years since, wanders round nights, and makes himself generally disagreeable. I don't put any faith in the stories, 'cos I don't believe that there ever was a ghost, excepting one like me got up for the occasion."
The remark did not meet the approval of Mr. Brown, who was disposed to argue the matter, but I cut the discussion short by recommending silence, for fear of a party of scouts overhearing our conversation, when not even the spectral appearance of the shepherd could have saved us from a speedy death.
"You are right," replied the ghost, with a grave shake of his horny head; "we can't be too cautious now, for we don't know who is near us."
By the time we reached the main land, the ghost whispered that he would lead the way, and strike terror into the hearts of all who dared to look upon him; and I think that he was as good as his word, for no sooner did the horses got a glimpse of his white form than there was a desperate attempt at a stampede; had not our animals been securely fastened to palm trees by stout ropes we probably never should have seen or heard of them again.
"Keep back," cried Mr. Brown, who was endeavoring to restrain his gray horse from breaking away. "Don't come near the animals, or they will make more noise than a hundred bushrangers."
The shepherd obeyed the order with a chuckle of delight, looking upon the fright of the horses as the greatest compliment that could be paid him, on the ground that animals were far better judges of supernatural characters than men.