r had himself declared. But at the moment of his terrible
discovery that consideration was not likely to count for much.

They were alone here together. Not a living soul had they seen during
all these weeks, except the family of Korannas, who officiated as
servants--both field and domestic--to the establishment. They were
alone together--cut off from the outside world as thoroughly as though
shut up on a desert island. What deadly, terrible penalty might not
Fanning exact from the man who had so deeply injured him? He was no
longer weak and tottering with illness; he had, in fact, nearly
recovered his normal vigour. The more Sellon looked at the situation
the less he liked it.

What a fool he had been to meddle with the thing! He would have given
worlds to be able to replace it. But it was gone irrevocably.

At one time his suspicions had rested on the Koranna servants. But the
narrow watch he had kept upon them, as also the immediate and careful
search he had made around the house at the time of the occurrence, had
forced him to abandon this idea. Dismissing the Satanic theory at first
formed, he had hit upon another--to a dweller in Southern Africa, almost
as wild and chimerical; but then it must be remembered that Sellon was
not a dweller in that country--only a "raw Englishman," in fact, as the
Boers define a recent importation. That black claw which had reft the
paper from his hand in the dead midnight must have belonged to some huge
baboon, who, attracted by the light, had approached the open window, and
having accomplished his mischievous and monkey-like manoeuvre, had
decamped forthwith to his native wilds. Anyhow, the precious clue had
disappeared, and in all human probability would never again be lighted
on by mortal eye.

Mingled with his apprehensions on the above counts, however, were the
misgivings of cupidity, and there were times when he suspected Renshaw
of regretting his offer. The latter, since first mentioning the subject
of the treasure, had hardly reverted to it, and this reticence struck
him (Sellon) in an unfavourable light, and the reason assigned for it as
a mere excuse.

"Take my word for it," Renshaw had said, one day, "we had better leave
the subject entirely for a little longer--till we get down country, say.
You see, the long and short is, it's an exciting one to me, and my head
is by no means clear yet. It'll be better to put it off, and there's
plenty of time."

And