attempt at one. Wouldn't take much to knock out what little there is of
it."

Laurence felt a cold qualm. There had been an ominous drop the last day
or two. Still Rainsford and one or two others had recommended him to
hold on. This man spoke so quietly, yet withal so prophetically. What if
he, in his inscrutable way, were more than ordinarily in the know?

"Queer place this," pursued Hazon, the other having uttered a dubious
affirmative. "Taking it all round, it and its crowd, it's not far from
the queerest place I've ever seen in my life, and I've seen some queer
places and some queerish crowds."

"I expect you have. By the way, I suppose you've done a good deal of
up-country hunting?"

"A goodish deal. Are you fond of the gun? I notice you go out pretty
often, but there's nothing to shoot around here."

"I just am fond of it," replied Laurence. "If things turn out all right
I shall cut in with some fellow for an up-country trip if I can. Big
game this time."

The other smiled darkly, enigmatically.

"Yes. That's real--real," he said. "Try some of this," handing his
tobacco bag, as Laurence began to scratch out his empty pipe, "unless,
that is, you haven't got over the new-comer's prejudice against the best
tobacco in the world, the name whereof is Transvaal."

"Thanks. No, I have no prejudice against it. On the contrary, as to its
merits I am disposed to agree with you."

Throughout this conversation Laurence, who had a keen ear for that sort
of thing, could not help noticing the other's voice. It was a pleasing
voice, a cultured voice, and refined withal, nor could his fastidious
ear detect the faintest trace of provincialism or vulgarity about it.
The intonation was perfect. There is nothing so quick to betray to the
sensitive ear any strain of plebeian descent as the voice, and of this
no one was more thoroughly aware than Laurence Stanninghame. This man,
he decided, was of good birth.

The ice broken, they talked on, in the apparently careless, but in
reality guarded way which had become second nature to both of them. More
than one strange and very shady anecdote was Hazon able to narrate
concerning the place and its inhabitants, and especially concerning
certain among the latter who ranked high for morality, commercially or
otherwise. There were actions done in their midst every day, he
declared, which, for barefaced and unscrupulous rascality, would put to
the blush other actions for which the law w