Part 5 (1/2)

”Where shall we dig a hole, Baas?” asked the dwarf

”One is dug,” answered Leonard; ”he who is dead dug it himself as the others did We will bury hiht of where the hut stood It is deep and ready”

”Yes, Baas, a good place--though perhaps Baas Toly had he known _Wow!_ Who knows to what end he labours?

But perchance it is a little near the donga Twice that hole has been flooded while Baas To in it Then he would jump out, but now----”

”I have settled it,” said Leonard shortly; ”go, and be back half an hour before sundown at latest Stop! Bring some of those rock-lilies if you can The Baas was fond of them”

The dwarf saluted and went ”Ah!” he said to hia--overmuch; yet, Otter, it is true that you are better here in the sun, though the sun is hot, than yonder in the cave Say, Otter, why does Baas Toentle while yet he lived? Cheat did not look awful, only uglier But then you killed Cheat, and the Heavens killed Baas Tom and set their own seal upon him And ill Baas Leonard do now that his brother is dead and the Basutos have run away? Go on digging for the yellow iron which is so hard to find, and of which, when it is found, no man can even make a spear? Nay, what is that to you, Otter? What the Baas does you do--and here be the spoor of an iht The day was fearfully hot It was summer in East Africa, or rather autumn, the season of fever, thunder and rain, a time that none who valued their lives would care to spend in those latitudes searching for gold with poor food and but little shelter Buttheir own lives of those of others They become fatalists, not avowedly perhaps, but unconsciously Those who are destined to die must die, they think, the others will live And, after all, it does not greatly matter which they do, for, as they knoell, the world will never miss them

When Leonard Outram, his brother, and two companions in adventure heard from the natives that at a particular spot on the uese territory near the lowest branch of the Za out like iron ore, and when, at the price of ter reyhound, they received a concession fro up and possess the gold without let or hindrance from any person whatsoever, they did not postpone their undertaking because the country was fever-stricken and the unhealthy season drew on In the first place, their resources were not great at the moment; and in the second, they feared lest so person with three Tower rey-hounds should persuade the chief to rescind their concession in his favour

So they journeyed laboriously to the place of hidden wealth, and with the help of such native labour as they could gather began their search

At first they werethey found ”colour,” and once or twice stuh, but presently one of the four--Askew by name--sickened and died of fever They buried hi luck Then a second ered for a month and died also

After this Leonard was for abandoning the enterprise, but, as fate would have it, on the day following Johnston's death they found gold in very pro quantities, and his brother, whose desire to win the wealth necessary was only increased by many disappointments, would not listen to such advice

So they rebuilt the hut on a higher and healthier spot and stayed But on one unfortunate day Tho his path in the bush was forced to spend a night in the fever-fog A week afterwards he complained of sickness and pains in the back and head--three weeks later he died as we have seen

All these events and h Leonard'shours seated by the side of his dead brother Never before had he felt so lonely, so utterly desolate, so bankrupt of all love and hope It was a fact that at this moment he had no friend in the orld, unless he could call the knob-nosed native Otter a friend He had been land, his few distant relations there troubled themselves no e lands, and his school and college cootten his existence

There was one indeed, Jane Beach But since that night of parting, seven years ago, he had heard nothing of her Twice he had written, but no answer ca, for Leonard was a proud uessed that she did not reply because she could not As he had said to his brother, Jane ht be dead by now, or more probably married to Mr Cohen And yet once they had loved each other, and to this hour he still loved her, or thought that he did At least, through all the weary years of exile, labour, and unceasing search after the unattainable, her ie and memory had been with him, a distant dream of sweetness, peace, and beauty, and they ith hi of her reift of her prayer-book and the lock of hair within it The wilderness is not a place where et their earliest love No, he was alone, absolutely and utterly alone, a wanderer in wild lands, a sojourner with rough unlettered es

And nohat should he do? This place was played out There was alluvial gold indeed, but Leonard knew to-day that it was not in the earth, but in the veins of quartz which perht for, and how could he extract it from the quartz without machinery or capital? Besides, his Kaffir servants had deserted him, worn out with hard work and fever, and there were no others to be had at this season Well, it was only one o back to Natal and take his chance At the worst he could always earn his living as a transport-rider, and at the best he wearied of this search for wealth which was to build up their family afresh

Then of a sudden Leonard re till he died Very good, he would keep the promise--till he died And he reiven utterance on the previous night, that prophecy of wealth which should coht fancy of a dying man For aining riches, not for their own sake indeed, but that itthe ancient faht to shame and ruin It was not wonderful in a man of his excitable terasped at soh by the hand of another

And yet how strangely he had looked at him! With what conviction he had spoken! But all this was beside the point; he, Leonard, had sworn an oath ht he had proood or ill, he reeary as he sat hour after hour by the side of that rigid thing, which had been his playmate, his brother, and his friend From time to time he rose and walked about the cave As the afternoon waned the air grew hotter and stiller, while a great cloud gathered on the horizon

”There will be thunder at sundown,” said Leonard aloud; ”I wish that Otter would coet the funeral over; othere shall have to wait till to-htfall, the dwarf appeared at the ainst the lurid background of the angry sky A buck was tied across his enore bunch of the fragrant mountain lilies

Then the two of therave which he hiully, and the roll of the thunder was his requie termination to his stormy and laborious life

CHAPTER V

OTTER GIVES COUNSEL

When the burial was finished and Thomas Outram slept his last sleep beneath six feet of earth and stones, his brother took out the prayer-book that Jane Beach had given him, which in truth forrave, ending it by the glare of the lightning flashes Then he and Otter went back to the cave and ate, speaking no word After they had done their meal Leonard called to the dwarf, who took his food at a little distance

”Otter,” he said, setting the lantern between them, ”you are a faithful man and clever in your way I would tell you a story and ask you solish, ”in such a ood as mine”