d.

"And your partner?" he said. "You saw him die! There is no doubt about
that?"

Trent nodded.

"He is as dead," he said, "as Julius Caesar."

"If I offered you--" Da Souza began.

"If you offered me four thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine pounds,"
Trent interrupted roughly, "I would tell you to go to glory."

Da Souza sighed. It was a hard man to deal with--this.

"Very well," he said, "if I give way, if I agree to your terms, you will
be willing to make over this sixth share to me, both on your own account
and on account of your late partner?"

"You're right, mate," Trent assented. "Plank down the brass, and it's a
deal."

"I will give you four thousand pounds for a quarter share," Da Souza
said.

Trent knocked the ashes from his pipe and stood up.

"Here, don't waste any more of my time," he said. "Stand out of the way,
I'm off."

Da Souza kept his hands upon the concession.

"My dear friend," he said, "you are so violent. You are so abrupt. Now
listen. I will give you five thousand for a quarter share. It is half my
fortune."

"Give me the concession," Trent said. "I'm off."

"For a fifth," Da Souza cried.

Trent moved to the door without speech. Da Souza groaned.

"You will ruin me," he said, "I know it. Come then, five thousand for a
sixth share. It is throwing money away."

"If you think so, you'd better not part," Trent said, still lingering in
the doorway. "Just as you say. I don't care."

For a full minute Da Souza hesitated. He had an immense belief in the
richness of the country set out in the concession; he knew probably more
about it than Trent himself. But five thousand pounds was a great deal
of money and there was always the chance that the Government might not
back the concession holders in case of trouble. He hesitated so long
that Trent was actually disappearing before he had made up his mind.

"Come back, Mr. Trent," he called out. "I have decided. I accept. I join
with you."

Trent slowly returned. His manner showed no exultation.

"You have the money here?" he asked.

Da Souza laid down a heap of notes and gold upon the table. Trent
counted them carefully and thrust them into his pocket. Then he took up
a pen and wrote his name at the foot of the assignment which the Jew had
prepared.

"Have a drink?" he asked.

Da Souza shook his head.

"The less we drink in this country," he said, "the better. I guess out
here, spirits come next to poison. I'll smoke wit