"Would you, though?" demanded Day, with animation.
Mr. Brown reiterated his statement, although in a languid manner, for he did not exactly approve of the midnight depredation which our friend had been guilty of.
"Well, to tell the truth," continued Day, "I didn't drink all that I found, 'cos I thought it would be cruel, so I jist changed it into a bladder that I carried water in, and I have got it stowed away here somewhere."
Never did a confession sound more welcome, and we watched out friend eagerly until he returned from the place where the liquor was hid, and we found about a pint of the raw material saved from his rapacious stomach.
"Here is health and long life to all undertakers' apprentices," Mr. Brown said, pressing the bladder to his mouth in the most affectionate manner.
The words were hardly uttered when we heard the shrill calls of the bushrangers, as they rallied after their flight, and were returning to their encampment to recover what articles they had left behind them. Surprised to think that they should have ventured upon haunted ground the second time, I glanced towards the woods, and found, to my surprise, that daylight had stolen upon us almost unperceived, and that the bushrangers had gained fresh courage from the fact, and were still in a condition to annoy us.
CHAPTER LXXII.
FINDING THE BURIED TREASURE.
If we had once given the matter a thought, we might have known that the bushrangers would return to their camp by break of day, for the purpose of securing their effects which they had left behind, and to talk over the matter of the spiritual apparition. I almost regretted that we had not, during their absence, endeavored to gain some secure retreat, either at the station on our right, which our Day belonged to, and where it was thought the bushrangers would not have dared to follow us, or else having struck out boldly for Mount Tarrengower, endeavored to have discovered a path or trail that led over the mountain, where we might have found safety. In case no trail existed, we could have secreted ourselves in one of the dark glens on the side of the Mount, and remained there until Day had brought us word that the coast was clear.