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