The Grave Diggers

They were playing cards when Anthony pushed the cart up to the hole. All three pulled the box off the cart and layed it on the ground.

"There'll be another one in about half-an-hour."

He turned the cart around and pushed it down the road.

"Baby-o-baby....da boom...."

Nolan was singing. He stuck the end of the shovel under the lid and forced it off.

"Blimy!"

"That's a rich one, all right."

Ed leaned over the body and sniffed.

"Don't smell too bad."

They searched the pockets.

"Getting worse every year."

"Let's finish the game."

They walked to the pile of dirt. In a few minutes, the game was over.

Nolan was staring at the body.

"Wonder how he died?" He rubbed his nose.

"Well... could have died natural," and he put his hand on his head. "But I think he got kilt."

"Yea?"

"Yea."

They walked to the body. They unbuttoned the coat and shirt.

"How about this?"

Ed looked at the red mark on the stomach.

"Hmmmm."

He rubbed his hand over the mark.

"Nawww! ...that's a birth or something."

Ed stuck his hand under the shirt and rubbed the torso. Nolan took off the pants and looked at the legs. He dropped the pants and walked to the head of the body. He knelt upon the ground and put his hand under the head.

"Feels like a hole."

They turned the box over, and the body fell out.

"Yea... looks like a bullet hole, all right."

Ed pulled out some of the hair around the hole and stuck his finger in. He pulled it out and rubbed it in the dirt.

"It's a bullet hole, all right."

Ed stood up.

"Wanna cut for the clothes?"

"High card."

"O. K."

Nolan took the cards from his pocket and shuffled. Ed drew high card and he walked around the body.

He touched the coat.

"Hummm."

He touched the pants.

"Ahummm."

He sat down. With his coat sleeve he rubbed the dirt off the back of the shoes.

"That's nice. That's REAL nice! I'll take these."

He untied one of the shoes and tried to pull it off.

"Damn feet!"

He bent the foot back until it cracked. He did the same for the other foot, too. He pulled the shoes off.

He pulled his shoes off and put on the new ones.

"Looks real sharp."

"Like a gentleman." He straightened.

"Walk around."

He walked around the hole and sat down.

"Cards."

Nolan drew high card.

"Hummm....baby-o-baby....da boom...." and he hummed to himself when he walked around the body.

"I'll take the coat."

He tried to get it off.

"Give me a hand, will you?"

They couldn't get the coat off.

"Hell! Give me the shovel!"

He bent the arm and layed it on the box.

"Eeeyyyaahhooo!" and he swung the shovel down upon the arm. He broke it at the elbow.

"That'll do."

They got the coat off. Nolan put it on.

"How's that!"

He rubbed the sleeve.

"Good stuff, real good stuff."

They cut for the rest of the clothes.

They rolled the body into the hole and dropped the box on it.

"Come on! Let's get ready before Anthony comes!"

Ed hid the clothes.

They were shoveling dirt in the hole when they heard the cart rattling.

"That'll do."

He pushed the cart up to the hole. All three pulled the box off the cart and layed it upon the ground.

"That's the last one."

He turned the cart around and pushed it down the road.

The lid was loose. Ed kicked it off.

"Damn! Close it! It stinks!"

They tipped the box into the hole. It fell apart. They could see the yellow arms.

"Boy! That was a rotten one!"

They filled the hole with dirt.

"Play a game?"