CHAPTER V.
I must confess that the discovery I had made behind St.Martin's church, and which I described at the end of the previous chapter, had proved too much for me.

What possible reason could Mr.Bayley have for wanting to rid himself of me?
Only the morning before he had been anxious to secure my services in the interests of his Company, and now here he was hiring a couple of ruffians to prevent me from doing my work, if not to take my life.

When I reached my hotel again, and went to bed, I lay awake half the night endeavouring to arrive at an understanding of it; but, try how I would, I could not hit upon a satisfactory solution.

Upon one thing, however, I had quite made up my mind.

As soon as the City offices were open, I would call at that of the Santa Cruz Mining Company, and put a few questions to Mr.Bayley which I fancied that individual would find difficult and rather unpleasant to answer.