lifted me out onto the bank, and the sailor then started to row back
to the barge; they carried me a few yards away, and then laid me face
downwards on some grass. Now, I thought to myself, it is all over; they
are going to stab me and make off. To my surprise I felt they were
doing something--I could not make out what--to the ropes; then there
was quiet. I lay there I should think for half an hour, wondering why
on earth they did not finish me. At last I made up my mind to move,
and turned round onto my back. As I lay there I could see no one, and,
raising my head, looked round. To my amazement I found that I was alone.
It was now almost light, and as I craned my head in all directions I
assured myself that they had gone; then I began to try again at the
ropes.

"To my surprise I found that they were much looser than they were
before, although still tight enough to give me nearly an hour's work
before I got my hands free. Then it took me almost as long to get
the ropes off my legs, for they had knotted them in such a fearfully
intricate way that it was a long time before I could even discover where
the ends were. At last I finished the job, stood up, and looked round. A
quarter of a mile off there was a good sized town, but not a soul could
I see.

"Till now I had hardly thought of the diamonds; I put my hands to my
waistband and found, as I expected, that they were gone. I think I felt
nothing but pleasure: the confounded things had given trouble enough,
and I was well rid of them. Why they should have spared my life I could
not imagine. If they had finished me, which they could have done without
any risk to themselves when they got me ashore, they could have gone off
with the diamonds without the slightest fear of pursuit, while now there
was, of course, a chance that I might follow and recognize them."

"Would you know them again?" the Lieutenant interrupted.

"Not in the slightest; it was light enough to see that they were dark,
but from the time the boat came along the blanket was over my head,
and except when they gave me the water I had no chance of seeing any
of their features. Still, if I had gone straight to the town I saw and
reported the matter to the authorities and sent mounted men to all the
ports to warn them not to let any colored men embark, I might have given
them a lot of trouble, but I don't suppose any of them would ever have
been caught. After the craft they had shown in the whole matter, it i