e can't
dispose of it with advantage there, it will be worth our while to ship
for London with it. Let us go along to Madison's first, though; he knows
something of these things, and can perhaps give us some idea of what we
may consider a fair price for our treasure."

We turned off from the track accordingly, before reaching our hut, and
kept along the narrow path leading to Madison's farm. He was at lunch
when we entered; and in a minute we were seated at each side of him,
enjoying South African hospitality.

"Well," he said, after the servants were gone, "what's in the wind now?
I see you have something to say to me. What is it?"

Tom produced his packet, and solemnly untied the handkerchiefs which
enveloped it. "There!" he said, putting his crystal on the table; "what
would you say was a fair price for that?"

Madison took it up and examined it critically. "Well," he said, laying
it down again, "in its crude state about twelve shillings per ton."

"Twelve shillings!" cried Tom, starting to his feet. "Don't you see what
it is?"

"Rock-salt!"

"Rock-salt be d--d! a diamond."

"Taste it!" said Madison.

Tom put it to his lips, dashed it down with a dreadful exclamation, and
rushed out of the room.

I felt sad and disappointed enough myself; but presently, remembering
what Tom had said about the pistol, I, too left the house, and made for
the hut, leaving Madison open-mouthed with astonishment. When I got in,
I found Tom lying in his bunk with his face to the wall, too dispirited
apparently to answer my consolations. Anathematising Dick and Madison,
the Sasassa demon, and everything else, I strolled out of the hut, and
refreshed myself with a pipe after our wearisome adventure. I was about
fifty yards from the hut, when I heard issuing from it the sound which
of all others I least expected to hear. Had it been a groan or an oath,
I should have taken it as a matter of course; but the sound which
caused me to stop and take the pipe out of my mouth was a hearty roar of
laughter! Next moment Tom himself emerged from the door, his whole face
radiant with delight. "Game for another ten-mile walk, old fellow?"

"What! for another lump of rock-salt, at twelve shillings a ton?"

"'No more of that, Hal, an you love me,' " grinned Tom. "Now look here,
Jack. What blessed fools we are to be so floored by a trifle! Just sit
on this stump for five minutes, and I'll make it as clear as daylight.
You've seen many a lump o