asked, looking up with twinkling eyes, "do you want
to sell me a share in it?"

"Because I haven't a darned cent to bless myself with," Trent answered
curtly. "I've got to have ready money. I've never had my fist on five
thousand pounds before--no, nor five thousand pence, but, as I'm a
living man, let me have my start and I'll hold my own with you all."

Da Souza threw himself back in his chair with uplifted hands.

"But my dear friend," he cried, "my dear young friend, you were not
thinking--do not say that you were thinking of asking such a sum as five
thousand pounds for this little piece of paper!"

The amazement, half sorrowful, half reproachful, on the man's face was
perfectly done. But Trent only snorted.

"That piece of paper, as you call it, cost us the hard savings of years,
it cost us weeks and months in the bush and amongst the swamps--it cost
a man's life, not to mention the niggers we lost. Come, I'm not here to
play skittles. Are you on for a deal or not? If you're doubtful about it
I've another market. Say the word and we'll drink and part, but if
you want to do business, here are my terms. Five thousand for a sixth
share!"

"Sixth share," the Jew screamed, "sixth share?"

Trent nodded.

"The thing's worth a million at least," he said. "A sixth share is a
great fortune. Don't waste any time turning up the whites of your eyes
at me. I've named my terms and I shan't budge from them. You can lay
your bottom dollar on that."

Da Souza took up the document and glanced it through once more.

"The concession," he remarked, "is granted to Scarlett Trent and to one
Monty jointly. Who is this Monty, and what has he to say to it?"

Trent set his teeth hard, and he never blenched.

"He was my partner, but he died in the swamps, poor chap. We had
horrible weather coming back. It pretty near finished me."

Trent did not mention the fact that for four days and nights they were
hiding in holes and up trees from the natives whom the King of Bekwando
had sent after them, that their bearers had fled away, and that they had
been compelled to leave the track and make their way through an unknown
part of the bush.

"But your partner's share," the Jew asked. "What of that?"

"It belongs to me," Trent answered shortly. "We fixed it so before we
started. We neither of us took much stock in our relations. If I had
died, Monty would have taken the lot. It was a fair deal. You'll find it
there!"

The Jew nodde