The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-11-30


With four other masculine FELLOWSHIP
ferers-one of whom was a small spec
tacled, Notwithstanding MANNED
Girard and myself were The suffering
inmates of a nondescript vehicle of the
stage-wagon pattern, drawn by six
small Cape horses, en- route from the
BlOemfontein 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
fifty miles of travel over sun-beat plain
and arid desert before us, with the mer-
curry at 1902 degrees, in such shade
alone as our tilted conveyance afforded
for, in truth, there was no other.
M Our eyes were blurred and blinded
by 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
lukewarm water along the route utterly
failed to Stake; and though continually
drowsy could neither sleep by day nor
by night, because of the intense heat,
the sand-tiies, swelled and burning feet,
and intense nervousness engendered by
the foregoing, with the other discom-
forts and suflerings incidental to a
stage journey of some hundreds of miles
through South Africa.
The most of us knew each other bv
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-passengers than our
dusty, unshorn selves were perhaps
neutrality-suspicious. together.
Ii Ned and myself were perhaps a
little more pronounced in general dis
agreeableness 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, as the case might be. In
nearly, If not quite, O year of unremit-
ting toll, we had barely succeeded in
washing out small stones" (the in
variable term for diamonds in South
Africa) with which to pay our running
expenses; and then one stroke of the
pick unearthed a rose-diamond of such
size and purity that for full sixty min
utes our good fortune was the talk of
BlOemfontein.
Wen, that night, after our frugal sup
per- Ned, without speaking, extended
the precious gem toward me in his open
palm, as 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 stones, my
self saw but one object--a sweet, visit
tul face framed in a wreath of dark
halr, within the depths of whose soft
eyes was q looh as of patient waiting
for the return of him who had GONE TO
seek his fortune in the PARKWAY dia-
moAd fields.
"HomeP" was Ned's interrogative
query, raising his own eyes, which had
bentupon the gem, with sort of far
away look, to meet my own suddenly
upturned gaze.
Home!" ! 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 a
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
lhaye occupied in telling it.
flf l.
quickly as we could regain our seat
tered ideas; but, though half the male
population OF Bloemfontein turned out,
1t was to no purpose
The robber and his booty had disap-
peared, without the slightest clew.
SO 1t was that being in local parlance
''down on our luck, I" Ned and myself.
disguised and discouraged, had sold our
claim to q couple of newcomers for
about f300, and with those composing
our present stage-eoach party, had
taken passage, as | have said, for We'll
lington, intending TO return home, even
though with heavy hearts and light
pockets.
Besides the small, specialized man,
who had represented himself as a sort
of colporteur for religious society at
Cape Town, our fellow-passengers COM
posed two diamond brokers, together
with q young and very boastlul 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 a
deserted claim, where, rs he informed
us with many profane asseverations, he
had struck a pocket, from which he
had taken stones, whose value he de-
clared was at least $4,000.
These he carried in 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 4 safeguard against
possible attack from road agents.
After a wretched supper in small,
barren-looking station in the Hoogboom
Bottom, the journey was resumed with
fresh relay of horses and slight
diminution of our ill-temper, the heat
being a degree or two less intense, BY
reason of the declining sun.
The conversation naturally turned
upon the subject of road-agents, some
recent depredations of these gentry hay
ing been graphically narrated by the
proprietor of the station we had just
left.
They wouldn't play any of their
games on me, replied Macarthur, touch
ing the butts of his revolvers ia i Sig
niticant manner rs .he spoke.
The pale-blue eyes Of the little man,
who bore the not uncommon name Of
Smith, twinkled never 90 slightly be-
hind his spectaeles at the remark, but