ould be
only 1,260 feet horizontally from a point 500 feet below the open cut.
Jordan engaged the engineer to remain with all the men who would stay,
and begin that work if the indications on the hill would justify, and
also to build a rude stone house at the spring, large enough to
accommodate a dozen people.

Then they climbed the hill again and found the croppings of the ledge
uncovered in the cut. Being tested, these croppings were found richer
than the ore on the dump lower down, where the vein had been opened.

Next morning, with two saddle animals, one pack animal and one Boer to
ride another horse and lead the pack horse, the two Americans started
back for Port Natal. They followed over the route they had traced out two
days before to the ranch, then took a road traveled by the stockmen, and
on the second night from the mine came to a house on the main road to
Port Natal, which was six or seven miles nearer their destination than
the point where they had left the road and taken the trail for the mine.

They hired a Boer to go up and bring back their wagons. They came next
morning. The best rig was selected, and the two friends started for the
seashore. In eight days they were back at Port Natal, having made the
round trip in twenty-eight or twenty-nine days. On arriving at the
seashore they found that no steamer was in port bound North, but there
was a fine steamer in the roadstead that was to sail next day for
Melbourne, Australia.

Sedgwick's plan had been to go back to London, take his wife and go
thence, via New York, to San Francisco. But no ship was awaiting him, and
the agent of the Northern Line did not know when a ship would sail. It
would have to come first, and might return soon, or might lie in port
fifteen or twenty days. So, talking the matter over with Jordan, both
concluded that the best thing was to try the voyage via Australia. Again
Sedgwick begged Jordan to go, yet he kindly, but firmly refused, saying,
"I must hev my way this time, Jim."

Accordingly, Sedgwick engaged passage to Melbourne, then wrote his wife
what they had found; that he had decided it was best to go by Australia
to San Francisco; that, if prosperous, he hoped to reach that port in
forty-eight or fifty days; that he would be detained there probably sixty
days, and would then return to Africa via England, hoping to be with her
in one hundred and twenty days, and to be able to remain with her for a
month.

Jordan found