had
a different plan in view.

"Gentlemens," said the old man when supper was finished, and they sat
smoking by the fire; "now that this so successful expedition arrives at
so near its conclusion, shall we not celebrate our good fortune? To-day
is not our find of diamonds more rich than of ever? Let us drink then
to our great good fortune, to the diamonds we have found, and to those
we hope again to find to-morrow! Come!" He led the way to his tent, and
diving under his bed he hauled out a case of wine. Strong, heady wine
Dick found it, and the warning glance the old man gave him as he filled
his glass the second time, made him sip but lightly of the potent
liquor.

Not so the two experts, or the prospectors, or the other members of the
little coterie of scoundrels; who, safe in the assumption that they had
hoodwinked the professor thoroughly, drank deep and made merry like men
without a care. Bottle after bottle was opened, and soon one of the
experts began to snore; and it was the professor himself who broke up
the merry party by saying: "Gentlemens; to-morrow have we a long day
and a long ride before us to test the other fields. And the Herr
Prospector Junes he must ride before us always, is it not? The test
places to locate together with his comrade. And this so good man see!
He sleeps already! Let us then to rest. But first fill again your
glasses and drink deep. To the diamonds we have found and to the
discovery you will make to-morrow!"

Surely the wine was very potent, for Dick, thanks to the warning
glances of the professor, had drank but little, yet he could scarcely
keep awake; whilst Junes and Grosman were snoring like pigs, and could
scarcely be awakened sufficiently to enable them to stagger to their
tent. Dick barely managed to get to his own before sleep overcame him
too, and his last hazy thought was: "That wine was drugged, the
professor must have got another plan!"

Once, in the night, he had a dim notion that some one was trying to
waken him; that some one was it the professor? was shaking him and
whispering fiercely in his ear, "Wake, man you must help me wake!" But
it all seemed like part of a dream, and he was too overpoweringly
sleepy to be able to rouse and the remembrance of this only came long
after.

But at last he did awake; his head was buzzing and Andreas the
Hottentot was shaking him. "Baas, baas; wake up," he was saying; "I
cannot wake the others! Allemachtag! How they sleep like