head to foot, while a big solar topee covered his head.
His collar was thrown wide open, a light scarf being tied loosely round
the neck, while his whole appearance gave one the impression that he was
decidedly at ease. And yet he was not happy. A week had passed since
the robbery, and in that time he had given full particulars to an
apathetic police force. He had offered a reward for the recovery of the
treasure, and he had wondered how and where he was to live.

"There are the two houses," he had said over and over again to himself.
"One is the store, and has perhaps fifty pounds worth of goods in it.
The other, the living-house, is of greater value. But they are useless
to me, for without capital I cannot run the store, while without means I
cannot live in the house. And I haven't, so far, been able to come
across a tenant. I've five pounds in cash, and when that goes I'm
penniless."

He began to throw pebbles aimlessly, vaguely wondering what he could do
to lighten his difficulties.

"It is plain that there is no work for me here," he said at length.
"Practically every white man between this and Elmina is an official of
some sort, while the natives don't count. Of course there are the
merchants and the storekeepers, but then I am neither the one nor the
other now. Father even never made much more than a bare living, thanks,
perhaps, to that robber. Ah, if I had had the means to organise an
expedition I would have followed him; but then where should I have
obtained an escort? These Fantis, fine fellows though they look, are
really cowards, so I am told."

He watched one of the ebony natives lounging in the shade some little
distance away, and noted his tall and well-proportioned figure. Then he
turned to others, who sat with their toes dipping in the water, and
their knees submerged every now and again as a big wave thundered on the
sand. They were the kroomen, who were accustomed to play between shore
and ship, and bring off passengers and baggage.

"They will have work soon," thought Dick, as his eye lit upon a steamer
approaching. "But they know that it will be an hour yet before she is
at her moorings off the coast. She's a big vessel. One of the regular
callers."

For a little while he gazed at the ship, wondering who were aboard, and
which of the white officials who had gone away on leave some time
before, fagged and debilitated by the trying climate, would return, and
come ashore fresh an