arge or diverse. There were just sufficient spare parts
to replace a few breakages--enough, in fact, to keep the mine going in
its then primitive condition, and till it had shown whether it was
valuable or not. The various articles were dumped down in the centre of
the hut, while Dick busied himself with throwing there all the odds and
ends of clothing hanging to the walls, scraps of paper, and inflammable
articles.

"Now for the gold," he said. "We have it in bags already, and have
merely to divide it. Let me see. There are twelve miners, and they,
with our two selves, make fourteen. Subtract two, for the chief and
myself, who remain behind, and that leaves twelve. Twelve bags,
Johnnie, do you hear?"

The native grinned. He began to see a joke in all this hurry and
bustle. He darted towards the store of gold, which was kept in small
canvas bags, and helped Dick to divide it up. There was not a large
quantity, though the mine had done remarkably well. Still, so rich is
the ore in Ashanti that, thanks to the work of the miners and Dick's
care, the store was of great value.

"Me laugh, ha! ha! ha! You see de face ob dat half-white scum," cried
Johnnie. "He lob de gold. He say now to himself, `me soon wring de
neck ob all dem fellers, and special of de white man whom me hate like
pisin. Yes, me turn dem out, and den me set oder boys to work. Yes,
fine game me play. Get shaft dug, ground open, all de labour done. Den
walk in, find house, plenty gold, stockade, gun, eberyting.' Golly! he
make bit mistake dis time. He find nest clear, p'raps. All de eggs
cooked, de old birds flown 'way, and all velly hot. No gold, no food,
noding. Him cuss and swear. Him rabe. Him say, `hang dat Dick
Stapleton. Me kill um by little inches when me hab de feller.' How
Johnnie like to stay and see him go crazy."

"Thank you, I'd rather be far away," said Dick, with a laugh. "Mister
James Langdon is a gentleman who would kill me with less compunction
than he would tread on a beetle. No, thanks. No staying for me."

"No Johnnie, neider, tank you all same, massa. Me get to de steamer,
and yo see. When yo come, she fairly jumpin', so ready to go. Yes, me
break up de oder boats and hab all ready. Make no trouble. Johnnie
know what to do."

"Then let's place these bags in a row just inside the door of the
stockade," said Dick. "We'll put the lamp there, too, so that the light
cannot be seen outside, but so th