Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-12-06
CAPE DIAMONDS.
A Detective Story.

A Detective Story.
With four other masculine FELLOWSHIP
ferers-one of whom was small spec.
tacled, notwithstanding MANNED
tiirard and myself were the suffering
inmates of a nondcscript vehicle of the
stage-wagon pattern, drawn by siN
small Cape horses, en- route from the
BlOemfontcin diamond fields of South
Africa for Wellington, thence by rail to
Cape Town.
Two-thirds of the truly terrible Jour.
ney had already been accomplished, yet
there were still some two hundred and
ffty miles of travel over sun-beat plain
and arid desert before us, with the mer-
curry at l02 degrees, in such shade
alone as our tilted conveyance afforded
for, in truth, there was no other
Our eyes were blurred and blinded
10y the ceaseless glare of the sun, whose
rays beat down on the sandy desert
from the unclouded sky, which was as
brass before us. Our bodies were sore
and bruised by the unceasing jar and
jolt of our rudely-hung vehicle. We
were parched with thirst, which the
lukcwarm water along the route utterly
failed to slake; and though continually
drowsy could neither sleep by day nor
10y night, because of the intense heat,
the sand-f1ies, swelled and burning feet,
and intense nervousness engendered by
the foregoing, with the other discom-
forts and sufferings incidental to 4
stage journey of some hundreds of miles
through South Africa.
The most of us knew each other by
sight, through having met from day to
day for some months, in and about the
mining field which we had left. But
will venture to state that six more sur
ly, unsocial fellow-pa>sengers than our
dusty. unshorn selves were perhaps
never-lterally-th together.
If Ned and myself were perhaps 4
little more pronounced in general dis
agrceablcness than the others, we con-
sidered, indeed, that we had ample
provocation therefor. For thirteen
months we had been toiling and perspir-
ing, taking our several turns in the
dump, or in our twenty-four foot
mining claim, rs the case might be. In
nearly, If not quite, a year of unremit-
ting toll, we lad barely succeeded in
washing out small "stones' 1.-THE in
variable term for diamonds irfSouth
Africa) with which to pay our running
expenses; and then one stroke of the
pick unearthed rose diamond of such
size and purity that for full sixty min
utes our good fortune was the talk of
BlOemfOntein.
Well, that night, after our frugal sup
per, Ned, without speaking, extended
the precious gem toward ME in his open
palm, rs we sat at our rude table, in
our canvas-covered cabin. | do not
answer for the scope of my partners
vision, of course. But in the uncut bril-
liant, as in the magician's stones, N.Y.
self saw but one object-a sweet, visit
1ul face framed in wreath of dark
hair, within the depths of whose soft
eyes was a look as of patient waiting
for the return of him who had gone to
seek his fortune in the far-away dia-
mond fields.
"Home?' was Ned's interrogative
query, raising his own eyes, which had
bent upon the gem, with sort of far
away look, to meet nv own suddenly
upturned gaze.
'Home!" l echoed, with joyous en-
phaSis.
But hardly had the word escaped my
lips when a tall form dashed through
the door. and. upseting the candle by
sudden blow, seized the diamond from
Ned's still outstretched hand, and was
of in the darkness-the whole event
having taken place in far less time than
l have occupied in telling it.
OF course we gave the alarm as
quickly as we could regain our scat
tered ideas; but, though half the male
population of Bloemfontein turned out.
it was to no purpose.
The robber and his booty had disap-
peared. without the slightest clew.
So it was that being in local parlance
''down on our luck" Ned and myself.
disguised and discouraged. had sold our
claim to couple of newcomers for
about $500, and with those composing
our present stage-coach party. had
taken passage. as have said, for We'll
hngton. intending to return home, even
though with heavy hearts and light
pockets.
Besides the small. specialized man,
who had represented himself as sort
OF colporteur for religious society at
Cape Town, our fellow passengers COM
posed two diamond brokers. together
with young and very boastful fellow,
who called himself Macarthur. The lat
ter had been very successful, and it was
with feelings of envy we heard him re-
late the result of two weeks work in
deserted claim, where, as he informed
US with many profane asseverations, he
had struck pocket" from which he
had taken stones, whose value he de-
clared was at least $4,000.
These he carried in a belt about his
waist, together with considerable sum
of money from the sale of his claim, as
he said. while girded to either hip was
heavy revolver, as a safeguard against
possible attack from road agents.
After wretched supper in small,
6arren-looking station in the Hoogboom
Bottom, the journey was resumed with