In Search of an Unknown Race — page 257: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

VAN. 243 around at his astonished guests, ‘‘ but this gentleman and I have private business——” The hint was acted upon. One by one the company murmured ‘‘ good-night,” and filed out. Asthe last one disappeared, Van locked the door behind him. Indignant as he felt, Van was not without a feeling akin to pity for the discomfited young man before him, who, with a trembling hand, drained a glass of the strong compound still remaining in the bowl, as though to give him a fictitious courage for the coming interview. ‘¢We—I—thought you were dead, Van,” hoarsely began Flores, breaking the silence as he sat down the empty glass. ‘©So I supposed,” was the deliberate reply, ‘‘ when after you had paid the Indian for killing me—as you thought—with a poisoned arrow, you robbed me of my money belt containing my diamonds.” This was coming to the point with a vengeance. Pro- testation, pretended anger, excuses and lies died away on the young Brazilian’s guilty lips. ‘‘You—you can prove nothing,” he hoarsely whis- pered. ‘©T do not wish to,” coolly replied Van, who had never removed his eyes from the blanched face before him. ‘‘That is,” he went on in a significant tone, ‘unless you refuse to do what is right.” ‘“« Repent and make restitution while yet there ts one more opportunity.” Was the warning actually whispered in his ear? Or was it but the echo of a guilty conscience, repeating the words he had heard in his dreaming? Flores glanced fearfully about him, and Van felt an Gomichbooks (E(@) im