e
been an advantage, forced him to still greater effort. He might have
got even farther than he had--who knows?

At that moment his reflections were interrupted by the sound of voices
in the distance. He heard some one running. One of the teamsters came
up hurriedly and exclaimed breathlessly:

"He's found some one, sir; he's got two men with him. They're coming
now."

Kenneth jumped up and, shading his eyes, looked out across the yellow
waste of stones and gravel. About a mile away he saw Francois,
accompanied by two strangers, who looked like miners. They were
tattered and miserable looking, as if down on their luck. One of them
was limping as if lame; the other, much taller, although ragged and
forlorn, had a soldierly bearing and the appearance of a gentleman.
The valet, who had been walking faster than his companions, came up at
that instant.

"Who have you got there?" demanded Kenneth.

"Two miners, monsieur. I found zem several miles away on ze _veldt_.
They have tramped for days without food; they are starving."

"Do they know the trail?"

"Yes, monsieur. Ze big man knows ze trail. He will show ze way--for a
consideration."

"Good! First give them some breakfast and then we'll go."

He waved his hand in the direction of the cook's mess, where the coffee
was already steaming on the fire, and, turning away, began to gather
his things together, preparatory to departure. There was no reason why
he should have anything to say to the strangers. In fact, it would be
better if they did not see him, or know who he was. It was possible
that they had been at the mines when he arrived, in which case they
would instantly recognize him as the American who had come to take the
big diamonds to New York. Besides, they were not particularly
attractive objects. What did their adventures and mishaps matter to
him? He had troubles of his own. Francois could look after their
wants. The main thing was to find the trail and get started back
toward Cape Town as soon as possible. When the strangers had been fed
they would set out, and, the trail once found, he would give them a
lift on their way and a few sovereigns into the bargain. That would
more than compensate them for all their trouble.

Meanwhile he thought he would take a quiet walk. His legs were stiff
from sitting so long. A little exercise would do him the world of
good. So, without a word to anybody, he slipped out of camp unobserved
and