ringen-spiel, I think I would pay you in full for that blow!"

"Nothing would suit me better," said Dick eagerly, for he regretted the
blow almost, but not quite, as much as the wachtmeister, and he was a
past master at wrestling. "Whenever you like, Herr Brandt; shall we try
a fall now?"

"Himmel, no!" said the big fellow, "I have had plenty for one day if
you have not. We must postpone the pleasure."

Dick set about the business of striking camp, and for a time was fully
occupied. Meanwhile his mind was in a whirl. That the professor had
invented a plausible lie on the spur of the instant to save him, was of
course obvious; but it was apparently not all lie, for he had certainly
drugged the wine the previous evening!

But the stones, who had got them? He could have sworn that Junes had
told the truth as he rode away murderer though he was! And Grosman,
would a dying man lie?

He was itching to get near the professor alone, to tell him his own
story, possibly the old man believed him to be the thief although he
had lied to save him.

Altogether the whole thing was a puzzle. Meanwhile he went on with his
work. Tents were struck, packs made up, and pack animals laden, and
soon all that remained of the camp was the trestle, on which, covered
with a sheet, lay the still form of Grosman. The wachtmeister sang out
a brief order, two of the Hottentots rapidly shoveled out a shallow
grave in the sand, barely covering the murdered man. Dick stood by with
his hat off he had barely escaped a bullet himself but an hour before!

"Poor beggar," he thought, "shot and buried like a dog, and all because
these bigger scoundrels tempted him to run crooked. And he was some
woman's son, someone will mourn him. Buried like a dog!"

But it was not so; for looking up he saw the professor, bareheaded,
standing beside the grave, prayer-book in hand; and he stood silent and
respectful whilst the old man read a short solemn prayer for the dead
in his native German.

Then mounting their horses they trotted after the already moving
cavalcade, leaving the forlorn little mound and the dead ashes of the
camp fire alone marking where their camp had stood.

The police officers rode ahead, the four conspirators, silent and
dejected, a short distance behind them, and Dick and the professor
brought up the rear. Gradually they fell farther behind, till well out
of earshot of the others, and Dick at last had the chance to tell the
story of how h