ce to search my tent I should have told him then. As
it was, I let that fool Brietmann search, knowing that he would be
frightened when he opened the box. Ach, you brave men! And then, Dick,
Herr Sydney, if you wish? Well, Dick then, what would have happened to
you if they had found the diamonds you had? Just was I in time to make
up the tale I did when I saw you righting on the ground with the
wachtmeister's pistol at your head! Soh if you will, I stole them. Will
you not take them from me? They had yours in place of them; take them,
they are yours. And the one big director of the company in
Johannesburg, to whom I shall the truth tell, he will applaud what I
have done."

The professor's arguments were far from flawless, but Dick yielded; for
it had seemed more than hard to see the diamonds he had himself found
handed over to the police and after all, it did not seem right to let a
thousand carats of diamonds go begging for an owner!

And whatever qualms he had vanished at the delight of the old
professor, as he made up the parcel again and stowed it carefully away
in his pocket.

An hour later the professor went on board, and Dick beat up a few
friends, most of whom were dead broke, and proceeded to the Europatia
Hof, the leading hotel, where he ordered such a feast as made the
manager promptly ask for payment in advance.

Satisfied on that point, he proceeded to surpass himself, in so far as
the limited capabilities of Luderitzbucht were concerned, and that
night Dick and four other hungry men made up for lost time. The food
was good, and the champagne that washed it down excellent, and Dick, as
he bade the other men "Good-night," and turned away from the hotel
towards his old diggings, felt at peace with all mankind. He had still
twenty pounds in his pocket, he had the professor's promise of leading
another trip to the north-east; and above all, he had a thousand carats
of diamonds tied tightly in a bundle made fast inside his shirt.

Fortune was smiling again, and full of happy dreams for the future he
sauntered down the pitch dark street towards his room, whistling, and
without a care. And as he reached the door something struck him with a
dull, heavy thud at the back of the head, and he fell like a log on his
own door-step.

When he came to himself it was still dark, and for a moment he could
scarce remember what had happened. Then it all came back to him in a
flash; he had been sandbagged. His money was g