The Republican journal., 1881-06-23

darkness in it's place; but when | ad-
vanced again, there was the ruddy glare
glowing from the base of the cliff. "Tom,
Tom !" cried.
Gay, ay" heard him exclaim, as he
hurried over towards me.
"There it is-there, up against the cliff"
Tom was at nay elbow. 81 see nothing"
said he.
'Why, there, there, man !" in front of
YOU" stepped to the right as | spoke.
when the light instantly vanished from
my eyes.
But from Toms calculations of delight
it was clear that from my former position
it was visible to him also. "Jack," he
cried, as he turned and wrung my hand
-"Jack, you and | can never complain
Of our luck again. Now heap up few
stones where we are standing. That's
right. Now we must fix nay sign-post
firmly at the top. There it would take
a strong wind to blow that down; and
we only need it to hold out till morning.
q, Jack, my boy to think that only
yesterday we were talking of becoming
clerks, and you saying that no man knew
what was awaiting him too. By Jove,
Jack, it would make good story"
BY this time we had firmly fixed the
perpendicular stick in between two large
stones; and Tom bent down and peered
along the horizontal one. For fully a
quarter of an hour he was alternately
raising and depressing it, until at last,
with a sigh Of satisfaction, he fixed the
prop into the angle and stood up. ''Look
along, jack" he said. ''You have rs
straight an eye to take a sight as any
man know Of"
| looked along. There, beyond the
further sight was the ruldy, scintillating
speck; apparently at the end of the stick
itself, so accurately had it been adjusted.
"And now, my boy said Tom, "let's
have some supper and some sleep.
There's nothing more to be done to-
night; but We'll need all our wits and
strength tomorrow. Get some sticks
and kindle a fire here, and then We'll be
able to keep an eye on our signal post
and see that nothing happens to it during
the night.
Well, sir, we kindled fire, and had
supper with the Sasassa demons eye
rolling and glowing in front of us the
whole night through. Not always in the
same place, though; for after supper,
when | glanced along the sights to have
another look at it, it was nowhere to be
seen. The information did not, however,
seem to disturb Tom in any way. He
merely remarked, "It's the moon, not
the thing, that has shifted; and coling
himself up, went to sleep.
BY early dawn we were both up, and
90 vpU alone Dnr r,oiOtap Of tba cliff
but we could make out nothing save the
one dead, monotonous, slaty surface,
rougher perhaps at the part We were eX-
amining than elsewhere, but otherwise
presenting nothing remarkable.
"Now for your idea, jack said Tom
Donahue, unwinding a long thin cord
from round his waist. "Iou fasten it.
and guide me while | take the other
end" SO saying he walked off to the base
of the cliff, holding one end of the cord,
while drew the other taut, and wound
it round the middle of the horizontal
stick, passing it through the sight at the
end. BY this means | could direct Tom
to the right or left, until we had our
string stretching from the point of at
tachment, through the sight and onto the
rock, which it struck about eight feet
from the ground. Tom drew chalk
circle of about three feet diameter round
the spot, and then called to nae to come
and Join him. "We've managed this
business together, Jack" he said, ''and
We'll find what we are to find, together"
The circle he had drawn embraced a
part Of the rock smoother than the rest,
save that about the centre there were a
20 orI, ,ln Hnnl- n,,n
OF these Tom pointed to with a cry Of de-
light 1t was a roughish brownish mass
about the size of a mans closed fist, and
looking like bit of dirty glass let into
the wall Of the cliff. ''That's it :" he
cried; ''that's it.
'"Thats what p
"Why, man, diamond, and such a
one as there isn't monarch in Europe
but would envy Tom Donahue the pos
session OF. Up with your croWbar, and
We'll soon exercise the demon of Sasassa
Valley"
was so astounded that for moment
| stood speechless with surprise, gazing
at the treasure which had so unexpected
~ fallen into our hands.
"Here, hand me the crowbar," said
Tom. "Now, by using this little round
knob which projects from the cliff here as
fulcrum we may be able to lever it oft.
Yes; there it goes. | never thought it
could have come so easily. Now, Jack,
the sooner we get back to our hut and
then down to Cape Town the better"
We wrapped up our treasure, and made
our way across the hills towards home
On the way Tom told me how, while
law student in the Middle Temple, he
had come across dusty pamphlet in the
library, by one JAMS van Hounym, which
told of an experience very similar to
ours, which had befallen that worthy
Dutchman in the latter part Of the sew
enteenth century, and which resulted in
the discovery Of luminous diamond.
This tale it was which had come into
Toms head as he listened to honest Dick
Wharton's ghost story while the means
which he had adopted to verify his sup
position sprang from his own fertile Irish
brain.
"We'll take it down to Cape Town."
continued Tom, "and if we can't dispose
of it with advantage there it will be worth
our while to ship for London with it,
Let US go along to Madison's first, though;
he knows something of these things and
can perhaps give us some idea of what
we may consider a fair price for our
treasure"
We turned off from the track accord
ingly, before reaching our hut, and kept
along the narrow path leading to AIadi-
sons farm. He was at lunch when we
entered and in a minute we were seated
at each side of him, enjoying South Afri
can hospitality.
"Well," he said, after the servants
were gone. "What's in the wind now
| see you have something to say to me.
What is 2"
Tom produced his packet, and solemn
ly united the handkerchief which en-
veloped it. "There" he said, putting
his crystal on the table; what would you