be captured red-handed, which would certainly have been his
fate had he missed. He accordingly remained in hiding until the
Englishman had passed round the bend of the hill and was safely on his
way back to the camp. Then he emerged, and, in his turn, retraced his
steps by the way he had come, in so doing passing within fifty yards of
the spot where Max lay concealed. When the latter reached the camp he
found the evening meal prepared, and the two men amicably seated, side
by side, near the fire, to all appearances better friends than they had
been for some time past. Max fancied that Moreas looked rather
apprehensively at him as he came into the firelight; but whatever he may
have thought, he said nothing to him, either then or on a subsequent
occasion, concerning that mysterious shot upon the hill. Bertram also
followed his example, and, though he had plenty of opportunity, he did
not once refer, either directly or indirectly, to the attempt that had
been made upon his life that afternoon.

Next day they resumed their march, and twenty-four hours later left the
mountains behind them, and once more entered a zone of fertile country.
This continued for upwards of three hundred miles, until Moreas informed
them that he felt sure they must be approaching the second range, that
it would be necessary for them to cross before they could reach the
country in which the old woman had declared that the diamonds existed.
This proved to be the case, for the next day a faint blue haze on the
northern horizon showed them that they were nearing what they might
consider the half-way house to their destination. It was true that they
had been warned that the road over these mountains would be likely to
prove a serious obstacle in their path, and also that the long stretches
of desert on the further side were good for neither man nor beast. They
did not give that much consideration, however. Great though the present
difficulties might be, the reward at the end would be much larger, if
all they had been told were true. When, however, they reached the foot
of the mountains they were able to realise something of what lay before
them. Unlike the other range through which they had passed a fortnight
before, this one consisted of high, rocky peaks, where even a goat could
scarcely retain his footing, and dark, gloomy canons, both almost
grassless and entirely destitute of water. What was worse, their animals
by this time were sadly out of cond