otherwise I could not escape; and it was equally clear that
I must find the means of spoiling the Portugoose's game.

A shadow fell across the sunlight, and I looked up to see the man I was
thinking of standing before me. He had a cigarette in his mouth, and
his hands in the pockets of his riding-breeches. He stood eyeing me
with a curious smile on his face.

'Well, Mr Storekeeper,' he said, 'you and I have met before under
pleasanter circumstances.'

I said nothing, my mind being busy with what to do at the drift.

'We were shipmates, if I am not mistaken,' he said. 'I dare say you
found it nicer work smoking on the after-deck than lying here in the
sun.'

Still I said nothing. If the man had come to mock me, he would get no
change out of David Crawfurd.

'Tut, tut, don't be sulky. You have no quarrel with me. Between
ourselves,' and he dropped his voice, 'I tried to save you; but you had
seen rather too much to be safe. What devil prompted you to steal a
horse and go to the cave? I don't blame you for overhearing us; but if
you had had the sense of a louse you would have gone off to the Berg
with your news. By the way, how did you manage it? A cellar, I
suppose. Our friend Laputa was a fool not to take better precautions;
but I must say you acted the drunkard pretty well.'

The vanity of 19 is an incalculable thing. I rose to the fly.

'I know the kind of precaution you wanted to take,' I muttered.

'You heard that too? Well, I confess I am in favour of doing a job
thoroughly when I take it up.'

'In the Koodoo Flats, for example,' I said.

He sat down beside me, and laughed softly. 'You heard my little story?
You are clever, Mr Storekeeper, but not quite clever enough. What if I
can act a part as well as yourself?' And he thrust his yellow face
close to mine.

I saw his meaning, and did not for a second believe him; but I had the
sense to temporize.

'Do you mean to say that you did not kill the Dutchmen, and did not
mean to knife me?'

'I mean to say that I am not a fool,' he said, lighting another
cigarette.

'I am a white man, Mr Storekeeper, and I play the white man's game.
Why do you think I am here? Simply because I was the only man in
Africa who had the pluck to get to the heart of this business. I am
here to dish Laputa, and by God I am going to do it.'

I was scarcely prepared for such incredible bluff. I knew every word
was a lie, but I wanted to hear more, for the man