them back again. It's much better than omnibuses or horse cars, I'd
say, sir--as I remember them."

"You take my breath away," said the other, lapsing into a stunned
silence.

The road had become so steep and laborious by this time that Bowles was
very glad to forego the pleasure of talking. He fell back, with Mr.
Saunders, and ultimately both of them climbed into the already
overloaded second cart, adding much to the brown man's burden. After
regaining his breath to some extent, the obliging Mr. Bowles, now being
among what he called the lower classes, surreptitiously removed the
tight-fitting red jacket, and proceeded to give the inquisitive lawyer's
clerk all the late news of the island.

The inhabitants of Japat, standing upon their rights as part owners of
the mines and as prospective heirs to the entire fortune of Messrs.
Skaggs and Wyckholme, had been prompt to protect themselves in a legal
sense. They had leagued themselves together as one interest and had
engaged the services of eminent solicitors in London, who were to
represent them in the final settlement of the estate. London was to be
the battle ground in the coming conflict. A committee of three had
journeyed to England to put the matter in the hands of these lawyers and
were now returning to the island with a representative of the firm, who
was coming out to stand guard, so to speak. Von Blitz, the German
superintendent, was the master mind in the native contingent. It was he
who planned and developed the course of action. The absent committee was
composed of Ben Adi, Abdallah Ben Sabbat and Rasula, the Aratat lawyer.
They were truly wise men from the East--old, shrewd, crafty and begotten
of Mahomet.

The mines continued to be operated as usual, pending the arrival of the
executors' representative, who, as we know, was now on the ground in the
person of Thomas Saunders. The fact that he also served as legal adviser
to Lady Deppingham was not of sufficient moment to disturb the
arrangements on either side. Every one realised that he could have no
opportunity to exercise a prejudice, if he dared to have one. Saunders
blinked his eyes nervously when Bowles made this pointed observation.

As for the American heir, Robert Browne, he had not yet arrived. He was
coming by steamer from the west, according to report, and was probably
on the _Boswell_, Sumatra to Madagascar, due off Aratat in two or three
days. Mr. Bowles jocosely inferred that it should be