The blood jumped out warm on my hand, and he rolled over so quick that I thought I had killed him.

But as I stooped over him he was up like a flash, staggering up the steep beach, his feet plopping and sucking in the water underneath.

Turold was on his feet by that time, breathing hard, getting back his breath.

'After him--quick!' he says to me, his face black with rage--'he's got the diamonds.' "I ran after him up the beach, but he heard me coming and had the start of me.

He had firm ground under him by then, and was tearing along the rocks towards the path I'd taken them that afternoon, turning round now and again to look back, the blood glistening in the moonlight on his white face.