At first our hero could see little, but as his eyes became accustomed to the gloom, he made out two forms lying on couches of vines, smoking. The forms were those of the two Englishmen, Pardell and Rumney.
“Well, Geswick ought to be coming back,” Dave heard Rumney say. “He said he wouldn’t waste any time.”
“Maybe he had some trouble with that young fellow,” returned Pardell. “Say, do you know he’s a queer stick? Where did he get those diamonds he offered for his passage?”
“I don’t know, but I rather think he stole them.”
“Then perhaps he has more of the jewels.”
“Just what I was thinking—and Geswick thought the same.”
“If he has many of them——” The man paused suggestively.
“We might relieve him, eh?” returned the other.
“Why not? We cleaned out Borden. Two jobs of that sort are no worse than one.”
There was a period of silence, and Dave moved back as quietly as possible to where he had left his companions.