were leaving Durban, and I had to turn out of my cabin for him.' Tam
described him accurately but vindictively, and added that 'he was sure
he was up to no good.'

Aitken shook his head. 'No, I don't know the man. You say he landed
here? Well, I'll keep a look-out for him. Big native parsons are not
so common.'

Then I asked about Henriques, of whom Tam knew nothing. I described his
face, his clothes, and his habits. Aitken laughed uproariously.

'Tut, my man, most of the subjects of his Majesty the King of Portugal
would answer to that description. If he's a rascal, as you think, you
may be certain he's in the I.D.B. business, and if I'm right about
Blaauwildebeestefontein you'll likely have news of him there some time
or other. Drop me a line if he comes, and I'll get on to his record.'

I saw Tam off in the boat with a fairly satisfied mind. I was going to
a place with a secret, and I meant to find it out. The natives round
Blaauwildebeestefontein were queer, and diamonds were suspected
somewhere in the neighbourhood.

Henriques had something to do with the place, and so had the Rev. John
Laputa, about whom I knew one strange thing. So did Tam by the way,
but he had not identified his former pursuer, and I had told him
nothing. I was leaving two men behind me, Colles at Durban and Aitken
at Lourenco Marques, who would help me if trouble came. Things were
shaping well for some kind of adventure.

The talk with Aitken had given Tam an inkling of my thoughts. His last
words to me were an appeal to let him know if there was any fun going.

'I can see you're in for a queer job. Promise to let me hear from you
if there's going to be a row, and I'll come up country, though I should
have to desert the service. Send us a letter to the agents at Durban
in case we should be in port. You haven't forgotten the Dyve Burn,
Davie?'

CHAPTER III

BLAAUWILDEBEESTEFONTEIN

The Pilgrim's Progress had been the Sabbath reading of my boyhood, and
as I came in sight of Blaauwildebeestefontein a passage ran in my head.
It was that which tells how Christian and Hopeful, after many perils of
the way, came to the Delectable Mountains, from which they had a
prospect of Canaan. After many dusty miles by rail, and a weariful
journey in a Cape-cart through arid plains and dry and stony gorges, I
had come suddenly into a haven of green. The Spring of the Blue
Wildebeeste was a clear rushing mountain torrent, whic