detached from the rear of each rank, to place the body
on a litter with which they had provided themselves. He
and Johnstone also moved in the same direction in advance
of the men, prepared to render assistance if required.
The corpse lay on its face, and in no way despoiled of
any of its glittering habiliments; a circumstance that
too well confirmed the fact of De Haldimar's death having
been accomplished by the ball from Sir Everard Valletort's
rifle. It appeared, however, the ill-fated officer had
struggled much in the agonies of death; for the left leg
was drawn Up into an unnatural state of contraction, and
the right hand, closely compressed, grasped a quantity
of grass and soil, which had evidently been torn up in
a paroxysm of suffering and despair.

The men placed the litter at the side of the body, which
they now proceeded to raise. As they were in the act of
depositing it on this temporary bier, the plumed hat fell
from the head, and disclosed, to the astonishment of all,
the scalpless crown completely saturated in its own
clotted blood and oozing brains.

An exclamation of horror and disgust escaped at the same
moment from the lips of the two officers, and the men
started back from their charge as if a basilisk had
suddenly appeared before them. Captain Erskine pursued:--
"What the devil is the meaning of all this, Johnstone?"

"What, indeed!" rejoined his lieutenant, with a shrug of
the shoulders, that was intended to express his inability