n't anything there, and I
haven't cut myself to slip diamonds inside my hide, and there are none
in my ears or boots."

"It's my duty to have you searched all the same," said the
superintendent. "Here, two of you go carefully over Mr Anson, while
you three hitch up your horses there and make a close search throughout
the wagon."

Anson chuckled as the men began promptly to pass their hands over his
clothes, turn out his pockets, and haul off his boots, their chief,
after satisfying himself that the binocular case had no false bottom or
precious stones inside the instrument itself, looking searchingly on.

Satisfied at last that his captive had nothing concealed about him, and
frowning heavily at the malicious grin of contempt in which Anson
indulged, the superintendent turned to the men examining the oxen so as
to satisfy himself that none of the heavy dull brutes had been provided
with false horns riveted over their own and of greater length so as to
allow room for a few diamonds in each.

Then the dissel boom was examined to see if it had been bored out
somewhere and plugged to cover the illicitly-acquired diamonds thrust
in.

But no: the great pole of the wagon was perfectly solid; there were no
stones stuck in the grease used to anoint the wheels; there was no sign
anywhere outside the wagon of boring or plugging; and at last the
superintendent, after carefully avoiding Anson's supercilious grin,
turned to give a final look round before giving up the search.

Was there anywhere else likely?

Yes; there were the bags of mealies and the water-cask slung beneath the
wain, both nearly full, the cask to give forth a sound when it was
shaken, and the sacks ready to be emptied out upon a wagon sheet and
shed their deep buff-coloured grains, hard, clean, and sweet, in a great
heap, which was spread out more and more till they were about two deep,
but showed not a sign of a smuggled stone.

"Fill the bags again, my lads," said the police superintendent, "and
let's have a look at what's inside the wagon."

"We've searched everything there," said a sergeant gruffly.

"I have not," replied the superintendent sharply. "Let me see."

"But you haven't looked in the water-cask," said Anson mockingly; "turn
the water out on to the wagon sheet. It won't stay there, of course;
but we can easily get some more. Do you think diamonds would melt in
water?"

"Try one and see," cried the superintendent angrily, as he turn