its
receipt certain gentlemen vitally connected with diamonds and all
concerned in them knew that they had no reason to fear the great
"North-Eastern" diamond fields, as they had been salted.

Meanwhile the wachtmeister handed over Gilderman and Co. to the officer
in charge at the police station, where they were detained in common
with the diamonds--Dick's diamonds!

To the Herr Professor the officials were politeness itself, and thanks
to his good offices even Dick was treated with civility Englishman
though he was.

As they left the station they met the company's Luderitzbucht agent, a
most important gentleman, who was looking both flushed and perturbed.
It was evident that news travelled quickly in Luderitzbucht, for he had
already as his first words clearly proved heard of the arrests.

"Herr Professor," he blurted out, "what a calamity! Most unfortunate.
Gilderman and the others all arrested. Surely most tactless! Could it
not have been avoided? It might have been explained, but to arrest them
all! The company is as good as floated."

"Not all," said the professor grimly, looking the excited agent up and
down. "Not all, Herr Hauptmann, two are dead. We caught them Salting,
Herr Sydney here and myself, surely it was 'tactless' of them? A
calamity! Truly yes, for them! And, Herr Hauptmann, if the new
'company' has been floated without waiting for my report, so much the
worse for them."

The agent glared from the professor to Dick, as though he would have
liked to eat both of them, but he saw he had made a mistake, also saw
that the thousand shares Gilderman had promised him would never
materialize, and changed his tactics.

"My dear Herr Professor," he said, "of course you were right. I was so
upset for a moment that I did not quite know how to look at it, but of
course you are right. And the ground then is worthless, is it not so?"

"I would not go so far as to say that," said the professor, cautiously;
"there has been no real test these rascals started their salting at
once. I leave immediately for Johannesburg to-night. I hear there is a
steamer leaving then and there I shall report thoroughly on what has
happened. Possibly the company will send up a more carefully chosen
expedition again, they have the option for another three months. In
that case, and if they wish me to return, the Herr Sydney here will
take charge of the prospecting."

The agent looked sourly at Dick. "You know, professor, the compa