sowed sparkled like dewdrops in
the moonlight.

For he was sowing diamonds--salting!

CHAPTER III

Salting! there was no doubt about it.

The prospector to whom the syndicate owning the fields had entrusted
the important task of locating the most likely spots on which to
demonstrate their richness, had with admirable forethought forestalled
that notoriously fickle jade Fortune and brought the diamonds along
himself, before the remainder of the "testing" party arrived. To-morrow
the whole caboodle of unbiased individuals, representing both his own
party and the enormously wealthy Jo'burg financiers who were
negotiating for the fields with a view to a big flotation, would come
along as per schedule, and would doubtless be greatly impressed by this
fresh proof of the fields' richness!

Dick lay flat on his face on the warm and accommodating sand-dune, and
watched Grosman for some time: he was prodigal with the diamonds, and
this was undoubtedly destined to be an exceptionally rich field.

"The question is," reasoned Dick, "how many of these swabs are in this
swindle. Let's see now, it's no good letting my angry passions run away
with me, and jumping on this chap as I'd like to do. I must reason this
out. The other prospector sleeps in the same tent sometimes disagrees
with this chap as to the best place to test. In that case yes! they've
always tried and found in both places. And they sleep in the same tent.
They're both in it. Same with the experts, both in the same tent, and
they keep the diamonds. That's what this swab went to them to-night
for. And Zweiter and Spattboom, well, no one could be honest with faces
like theirs. Blazes! They're all in it, and all this elaborate business
is just to artistically fool the old professor--he's not part of the
swindle, anyway."

That was it undoubtedly. The old professor, who, simple as a child in
many things, had yet a name famous the world over; he it was that this
precious crowd of scoundrels were deceiving so elaborately he it was
whose word of the genuineness of the finds would carry weight with the
financiers and when the time became ripe would rope in the guileless
public.

Well, he, Dick, would have to take a hand in it, but it would require
caution; moreover, Solly to whom he owed his job had told him at
parting:

"We don't want no experience, just you watch all of these blighters and
find out what their game is, and lie low that's all!"

His diamo