“Wait here, driver,” said he, curtly.  “I will return for Pandu Singe in a few minutes.”

Dalton instantly became suspicious.

“What’s that for?” he abruptly demanded.  “Why doesn’t his nibs go in with you now?”

“It is for me to obey the great Pandu Singe, not question his commands,” replied Nick, with an air of offended dignity.  “I shall return for him when I have followed his instructions.”

“Hold on a bit!  I want to know—­”

But Nick had already turned, and was striding up the long gravel walk leading to the front door of the house.

Dalton then swung round and began to address Chick, who quickly signified that he could not understand; whereupon the puzzled scoundrel remained doubtfully on the box, growling under his breath, and quite at a loss just what he should do.

Chick was now counting the seconds and minutes, until he should arrive at ten.

Venner, who was waiting with the gang in the house, heard Nick’s step on the wooden veranda, and he hastened to admit him.

“What’s this!” he at once exclaimed, starting.  “Where is your master?  You did not come here alone!”

“No, not alone,” replied Nick, entering the hall.  “Pandu Singe waits in the carriage.”

“Waits in the carriage!  For what?”

“He fears the storm may break.”

“Fears the storm!” exclaimed Venner, with a blaze of suspicion leaping up in his dark eyes.  “Surely, then, he will not remain out there.”

“You don’t understand,” coolly answered Nick, quickly sizing up everything in view.

“Don’t understand?”

“Pandu Singe thinks of returning home before the storm shall break.  He has first sent me in to see the diamonds, as I know just what he wants.  If I think well of them, I am to return to the carriage and bring him in to see them.”

“Oh, that’s it, eh?” cried Venner, with unabated misgivings.

“Am I to see the stones?” demanded Nick.  “Pandu Singe will not care to wait long.”

“Yes, yes,” replied Venner, as perplexed as Dalton by Nick’s unexpected move.  “Come out this way, where I have them ready to show you.”

Nick bowed and followed him through the hall, and a glance into the two front rooms, both of which were well lighted, told him they were vacant.

Nick knew that he was entering a trap, however, and possibly carried his life in his hand.  Yet he had several shrewd designs in the plan of operations adopted.

He aimed to prevent both Chick and himself being cornered, and possibly caught at the same time.  Not wishing to evade this gang, and thus reveal his own knowledge and suspicions, he designed to leave Chick free to act in case of his own downfall.

Nick knew that he alone could force Venner and the gang to show their hands, even if it resulted in his own capture.  He rather invited the latter, in fact, for he knew that the gang would see the need of instantly removing him from Venner’s house, at least until they could lay hands upon Chick.  In this case Nick believed that they might be compelled to confine him at their diamond plant, the location of which he thus hoped to discover.