"Once more, are you quite sure that you have not made a mistake ?" "Quite! I am certain!" "But is it wise to be so certain ?" "Yes," replied Ingleborough quietly.

"Surely I can believe my own eyes!" "But might he not have been questioning the Kaffirs, as he said ?" "Certainly," replied Ingleborough, with a grim smile; "but I do not see why he should receive two diamonds from them and give them money in exchange, and lastly why he should flick the two diamonds away into the dust as soon as he caught sight of me.

Do you ?" "No," said West thoughtfully.

"Well, I am very sorry.

What will be the next proceeding ?" "The next thing in an ordinary way would be that the scoundrel would bolt; but, as he must have found out by this time that he is carefully watched, he will no doubt go straight to the principals and brave it out by telling them his own tale and trying to persuade them that I have hatched up a conspiracy against him." "And of course he will not be believed," replied West thoughtfully; "for it is next door to high treason for anyone to be found buying diamonds illicitly from the natives." "High treason ?" cried Ingleborough, laughing.