nd sowing finished, Grosman sat down, took off his
veldtschoens and knocked out the sand, loaded up his pipe, and with a
sigh of contentment which the pipeless and tobacco-loving Dick heard
and appreciated, turned back towards the camp.

Luckily Dick old hand on the plains of countries where it is not
considered healthy to be found on the home trail of a man one watches
at night had taken the precaution to crawl aside sufficiently to give
this "Knave of diamonds" a wide berth; and he lay inert and silent as
the dead till Grosman was well on his homeward journey, before
following him to a well-earned spell of sleep.

Following the usual routine, the next morning the two prospectors rode
ahead to locate the best spot for proving this fresh field, the rest of
the expedition following more leisurely. Dick had to confess that they
were most artistic in their methods. On arriving near the high dune,
where he had seen Grosman giving Fortune a friendly lead in the small
hours of the morning, Dick found to his astonishment that they were
being guided to quite a different spot at some distance from the
carefully prepared "jeweller's shop." "What the devil does this mean?"
mused he, as he rode behind with the professor and the others. He could
not be mistaken about the spot, for the dune was too prominent a
landmark yet there were the two prospectors signaling to them from a
place at least half a mile away from the scene of his nocturnal
experience. Trotting across to them they found an argument in full
swing.

"Gentlemen," said the other prospector a tall slab-sided individual
whose English was of a pronounced American flavor. "I don't think this
kind of thing is fair! I'm here earning the company's dollars, and I'm
about tired of being yanked around to try spots that Grosman points
out. I guess I'm here to locate the pay-dirt as well as he is, that's
what the company pays me for, that's what I'm here for, to find out the
truth! No, sir not any I don't."

"Junes," cried Gilderman, "remember your position! I'm sure no one ever
expressed a doubt as to the syndicate's finds and I--"

"But look-ee here, Mr. Gilderman," interrupted the prospector; "you've
got to excuse me. I'm supposed to look into this thing myself, besides
it's for the blamed fool's own benefit. Any fool can see that the
deepest wash runs the other side of that dune, not this."

"Rot," jerked out Grosman; "well, if you want to go to your damned old
place, do