d thought it was one of the passengers or sailors
who had gone mad, but when he felt a tug at his belt where the diamonds
were, he knew he had to do with a thief. He fought back with all his
strength, but he was unarmed, while the stranger had a black jack which
he used unmercifully, raining fearful blows on his head. The struggle
was too unequal to last. Weak from loss of blood, he relaxed his grip,
and the thief, dealing one fearful parting blow, tore away the belt and
disappeared. His life blood was flowing away, he felt sick and dizzy,
but just as the thief turned to run he managed to get a glimpse of his
face. Now he remembered that face--it was the face of his twin
brother--the man he had rescued from starvation on the _veldt_.

Yes, it all came back to him now, like a horrible nightmare. What had
happened since then? How could he tell, since all this time his mind
had been a blank? Helen, no doubt, believed him dead. Mr. Parker and
all the others thought he had gone down with the ship. But what of his
valet, Francois, and his cowardly, murderous brother--were they saved?
If so, the thief had the diamonds, and had probably disposed of them by
this time. Perhaps there might still be time to capture the would-be
assassin and save the gems for the Americo-African Company. Brother or
no brother, he would have no more pity on the unnatural, miserable
cutthroat. The first step was to let his friends know where he was.
He must telegraph at once to Helen.

Yet, on second thought, it would not be wise to do that. If Helen
really believed him dead and was now mourning his loss, it might be
almost a fatal shock if suddenly she were to receive a telegram saying
he was alive. Such shocks have been known to kill people. A better
plan would be to get well as soon as possible, leave the hospital, and
go to New York. Once there, he could go quietly to his office and
learn how matters were.

The days passed, the convalescent making speedy progress toward
recovery, and in a few weeks more he was able to leave the hospital.
Making himself known quietly to a San Francisco business acquaintance,
he was quickly supplied with funds and immediately he turned his face
homeward.

The long, overland journey was tedious and exhausting, especially in
his present weakened condition, and even those who knew him well would
hardly have recognized in the pale emaciated looking stranger with ill
fitting clothes and untrimmed ful