The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-12-07


and Tom bent down and peered along tho
horizontal one. For full a quarter Of an hour
lie was alternately raising and depressing 1t.
until MT last. with Sigh 81 satisfaction. he
fixed the prop into the angle, and stood M
Look along Jack" he said. you have "a
straight an eye 70 take sight as any man
know Of
i looked along. There. beyond Tho further
slight was tho ruddv arintilnilng spec M
paIently nj the end of the stick Itself. So accu-
ra'ely had It been adjusted.
"hnd now, my boy" said Tom, "let's have
some supper and sleep, There's nothing 10
he done Tonight; but wei ne"d o''r wits and
strength tomorrow. Got some sticks and
klndle q fire hrre. and then we'll be able TO
keep M eye on oar signal post, and SEQ that
u thing happens to II during the night
well. cir We kinllnd u fire. and had sup
per with the sasasaa demons eye rolling and
glowing II front Of us tho whole night
through. Not always I'm the same place
though for after supper, when glanced
along tho sights to have another look at H.
II was nowhere To b. seen. The Information
did not, however. seem tn disturb Tom In
any way lie merely remarked otis tho
moon, not tho thing That has Shifted" and
collecting hmeef MP. went To sleep.
| by early dawn we were both UP and gazing
along our pointer at the cliff, but we could
| make out nothing save tho une dead monoto-
nous slaty surface rolgher perhaps mt tho
pntt we were examining than elsewhere, but
otherwise pres anting nothing remarkable.
| "Nnw for your Idea. Jack J. said Tom Don
ahue. nnwindng q long thin cord from round
his waist. 'fou fasten 1t. mud guide mo
| while ] take tho other end 80 saying he
walked 20 the hase If the cliff, holding one end
Of the cord. while drew the other taut. and
wound II round The horizontal stick, passing
II through the site ut the end by this NEAR
| could direct Tom tn tho rigbto or left. until
we had on string stretched from tho point OF
attachment. through the sight ami OH to the
rock. which II struck about eight feet from
the ground. Tom drew a chalk circle Of about
three feet diameter round the spot, and then
called to inc ~ come and join him "We've
| managed this business together, Jack, no
said. and wei find what We are TO find 10.
gether" Tho circle Ne had drawn embraced
| n part VI the rock smoother than the rest.
cave that there were a few rough pro'lber
ances or knobs. Ono ~ these Tom pointed
t. with cry Of delight. It was rullghish.
bruwnlah mass 1T abnnt tho si1a of a maus
closed flat, md looking Ike hit Of dirty
glass let Into the wall Of the cliff. That's
| It'll" he cried that's IT,
/ That's WHAT
| "Why. man, n diamond. and such n IA
there LIANT monarch In Europe but would
envy Tom Donahue tho possession Of. IIp
with crowhat. and vel exercise the demon
1 Of Sasassa valley
| | was 50 netntnicd that for n moment
stood apeech!esa with surprise, gazing ~ tho
treasure which had SO unexpectedly fallen
| into pnr hn0ta.
4 "Uere, hand no the orowhar." said Tom
Now by uslng this little round knob
which PROJECTS from the elf here. as II full
crum we may be able to lever Il of. Yes,
/ there IL goes. ] mayer thought II would have
1 como so easily. Now .Tncls the sooner we
| get back to our hut and iheu down to Cape
! Town, the better.
We wrapped up our treasure. and -ade our
way across the hills toward hor,e. On tho
way Tom told me how while a law student
III tho Middle Iemple. no had come upon u
! dusty pamphlet IN the library. by orc JAMS
won Hounym. which told of Nh experience
very similar to ours, which had hefalien That
worthy nutchman In the latter part OF the
seventeenth century which resulted In the
discovery " n luminous diamond This tale
! II was which had come into Tom q head as he
| listened tp honest Dick Wharton's ghost
| story. while the means which he hal adopted
to verify his suppositlou sprang from his own
fertile Irish brain
well take II down 10 Cape Town. oen-
tlnuad Tom and IT we can't dispose Of It
with advantage there, II will be worth our
along to Madlsons first. though; he knows
something OF these things aud can perhaps
give us some idea vi what we may consider y
fair price for our treasure.
We turned off from tho track accordingly.
before reaching our hut and kept along th"
narrow path leading to Madison farm. He
was nj lunch when we entered, aud in min
vito W. were saateh nj oarh sido ot him. nnz
Toying South African hospitality.
well. ne said. after tho servants were gone.
whats In the Wind now ! soo you hgge
something to say to me- What Is lt2'
Tom produced his packet. md solemnly
united tho handkerchief which envoloped It,,
"Thnrcl he said. putting his crystal on tho
tabe; whit would you say was fair price
| for that =.- @-.u=
Madison took Il mp and examined 1t critic
i ally "Weli, he said Laying It down again,
I'm Its Grade state about twolv" shilllngs por
ton"
"rwova shillingar crind Tom starting to
Ill fRet. Don't yen aHo whit 1t isl
"liucl salt
"lsoclS fiddle: q diamond" --==
Taste It ~ said Madison.
Tom ptrt 1t ~ ha lips dashed 1t down with
fearful exclamation. and rushed out of the
room.
! felt sal md disappointed enough myself
but presently remembering what Tom had
said about tho pistol, l. too, left tho holls"
and made for the hut leaving Madison open
mouthed with establishment, Whom got In.
| found Tom lying In his bunk. with his face
u the wall too hIspirited apparently to an-
swor my consultations. Anath"mattHlng Dick
and Madison, tho SasasBa demon and ever
thing else, ! strollnd out of the hut and no.
freshod myself with u pipe after our wfarl-
Rono adventure. | Was about ttIty yards
away from the hut when beard Issuing from
II the sound which of oil others | ieast OK
pected ~ hear. Had IL been n groan on an
oath. should have taken It M matter of
course. but the sound which caused me 10
stop aud take tho pipe out oF my mouth was
n hearty roar OF laughter Next moment
Tom himself emerged from tho door, his
whole face radiant with delight Game for
another ten-me walk old follow =
What, for another lump OF rock salt. Mt
twelve shilings a ton z
"No moro of that. Hal, as you love me, .
gIinned Tom. "Now hook here Jack. What
blessed fools we are to be so tloored bya trfie'
Just sit out on this stump for five minutes,
and | u make Ii as clear rs daylight You We
seen ll;any a lump of rock salt stuck In u
crag and ~ have | though we did nlaG0 such
a null of this one Now. Jack. did any OF the
pieces you have ever seen shine i'll the dark
ness brighter than any tre-t'yi
[ "Wtl. | can't say they ever DID.
'sI'd venture to prophesy that ii we waited
until night, which we won't do, we would see
that light still gIImmerng among the rocks,
Therefore, Jack. when we took away this
worthless sait, we took the wrong crystal. 1T
Is 40 very strange thing In these hills that u
piece Of roek-salt should be lying within n foot
" diamond. 1t caught our eyes aud We
were excited, and 81 we made fools OF our
selves and left the real stones behind. De
pend upon IT, Jack. the Sasassa gem Is lying
within the magic circle of chalk upon the face