racers, and that beautiful house in Park Lane. I tell you that
to part with half your fortune would ruin you, and the Bekwando Company
could never be floated."

"I don't anticipate parting with half," Trent said coolly. "Monty hasn't
long to live--and he ought not to be hard to make terms with."

Da Souza beat his hands upon the handles of his deck-chair.

"But why go near him at all? He thinks that you are dead. He has no idea
that you are in England. Why should he know? Why do you risk ruin like
this?"

"There are three reasons," Trent answered. "First, he may find his way
to England and upset the applecart; secondly, I've only the shreds of a
conscience, but I can't leave a man whom I'm robbing of a fortune in
a state of semi-slavery, as I daresay he is, and the third reason is
perhaps the strongest of all; but I'm not going to tell it you."

Da Souza blinked his little eyes and looked up with a cunning smile.

"Your first reason," he said, "is a poor sort of one. Do you suppose
I don't have him looked after a bit?--no chance of his getting hack to
England, I can tell you. As for the second, he's only half-witted, and
if he was better off he wouldn't know it."

"Even if I gave way to you in this," Trent answered, "the third reason
is strong enough."

Da Souza's face was gloomy. "I know it's no use trying to move you," he
said, "but you're on a silly, dangerous, wild goose-chase."

"And what about yourself?" Trent asked. "I imagine you have some other
purpose in taking this voyage than just to argue with me."

"I am going to see," Da Souza said, "that you do as little mischief as
possible."

Trent walked the length of the deck and back. "Da Souza," he said,
stopping in front of him, "you're a fool to take this voyage. You know
me well enough to be perfectly assured that nothing you could say would
ever influence me. There's more behind it. You've a game of your own to
play over there. Now listen! If I catch you interfering with me in
any way, we shall meet on more equal terms than when you laughed at my
revolver at Walton Lodge! I never was over-scrupulous in those old days,
Da Souza, you know that, and I have a fancy that when I find myself on
African soil again I may find something of the old man in me yet. So
look out, my friend, I've no mind to be trifled with, and, mark me--if
harm comes to that old man, it will be your life for his, as I'm a
living man. You were afraid of me once, Da Souza. I haven'