place where men can forget their earliest love. No, he was alone,
absolutely and utterly alone, a wanderer in wild lands, a sojourner with
rough unlettered men and savages.

And now, what should he do? This place was played out. There was
alluvial gold indeed, but Leonard knew to-day that it was not in the
earth, but in the veins of quartz which permeated the mountains, that
the real wealth must be sought for, and how could he extract it from the
quartz without machinery or capital? Besides, his Kaffir servants had
deserted him, worn out with hard work and fever, and there were
no others to be had at this season. Well, it was only one more
disappointment; he must go back to Natal and take his chance. At the
worst he could always earn his living as a transport-rider, and at the
best he wearied of this search for wealth which was to build up their
family afresh.

Then of a sudden Leonard remembered what he had promised--to go on
seeking till he died. Very good, he would keep the promise--till he
died. And he remembered also that curious prophecy to which Thomas had
given utterance on the previous night, that prophecy of wealth which
should come to him.

Of course it was nothing but the distraught fancy of a dying man. For
many years his brother had brooded over this possibility of gaining
riches, not for their own sake indeed, but that it might be the means
of restoring the ancient family, which their father had brought to shame
and ruin. It was not wonderful in a man of his excitable temperament
that at the hour of his death he should have grasped at some vision of
attainment of the object of his life, though by the hand of another.
And yet how strangely he had looked at him! With what conviction he had
spoken! But all this was beside the point; he, Leonard, had sworn an
oath many years ago, and only last night he had promised to continue to
observe that oath. Therefore, come good or ill, he must pursue it to the
end.

Thus he mused till he grew weary as he sat hour after hour by the side
of that rigid thing, which had been his playmate, his brother, and his
friend. From time to time he rose and walked about the cave. As the
afternoon waned the air grew hotter and stiller, while a great cloud
gathered on the horizon.

"There will be thunder at sundown," said Leonard aloud; "I wish that
Otter would come back, so that we might get the funeral over; otherwise
we shall have to wait till to-morrow."

At length, about