“It brings back dear old Courtland,” went on Ancram, watching his host narrowly. “Now you don’t knock up against anyone who knows Courtland too, every day out here, Lamont?”
“No. I don’t know that that’s any loss, by the way.”
“Not? Now I should have thought—er—that for old acquaintance’ sake you’d—er—but then—er—I was forgetting. What a fool I am.”
He little suspected how cordially his listener was agreeing.
“You see, it’s this way, Lamont. I came out here to see what I could do in the gold digging or farming line, or something of that sort. What could I?”
“Do you want a candid opinion, Ancram?”
“Yes. What could I?”
“Nothing.”
The other stared, then laughed unpleasantly.
“You left your things at Pagadi,” went on Lamont. “My advice is get back to Fagadi, pick up your traps—thence, to England.”