b."

"Oh, I don't know," said Anson; "it sets me thinking, and it's
interesting. Hah! I was right."

He stood rubbing his hands together in his childish enjoyment, while one
of the searchers carefully passed his hands all over the black's head,
but found no small diamonds tangled up amongst the curly little knots of
hair.

"Well, I did think he'd got some there," continued Anson.--"Oh, of
course! One might have guessed it before."

This was upon the black's head being forced back a trifle, while a pinch
of snuff was blown through a pea-shooter right into the prisoner's nose,
making him sneeze violently.

But still no diamonds made their appearance, and after a little further
search the man was set at liberty, giving place to another supposed
culprit.

This man came up smiling and confident, opening his mouth wide, to
display its state of innocency and a magnificent set of teeth at the
same time.

"Take care! he bites," said Ingleborough banteringly; and Anson, who had
pressed to the front, started back in horror, to be greeted with a burst
of laughter.

"How fond you are of a joke!" he cried, smoothing his face.

At the same moment one of the searchers sent a puff of snuff in the
black's face, with the result that he was seized with a violent burst of
coughing and sneezing.

"Two--three--four!" cried Anson excitedly, and, springing forward, he
picked up three of the diamonds ejected by the black, who, after a
little further search, yielded up a couple of very small stones from one
ear, and was marched off for punishment.

"I do like this!" said Anson, rubbing his hands together. "What brutes
of thieves they are!"

"Yes, you ought to take to searching," said West, smiling. "You'd make
a capital detective."

"Think so?" said the young man, growing serious directly. "You're not
chaffing me, are you?"

"Chaffing? Not at all! I mean it," replied West.

"Well, do you know," said Anson, in a confidential way, "I don't think I
should make a bad one. I know I should like it better than the work I
do now. But look what a big strong fellow this one is. I wonder
whether he has any."

"Half-a-dozen, I daresay," said West, looking curiously at another
stalwart black, who came forward slowly and unwillingly to take the
place of the second man, set aside for punishment.

"N-n-no," said Anson thoughtfully. "I don't think this one has any."

"Why?" asked West.

"I can't say," replied Anson dreamily.