The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-03-20
CAPE DIAMONDS.

With four other masculine fellow suf.
ferers-one Of whom was . small, spec
tacled, Notwithstanding man-Ned
Girard and myself, were the suffering
inmates Of q nondescript vehicle of the
stage wagon pattern, drawn by six small
'cape" horses, en- route from the Bloem-
fontein 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 two hundred and fifty
miles of travel over sun beat plain and
arid desert before us, with the mercury
at hundred and two degrees, in such
shade alone as our tilted conveyance af-
forded-for, in truth, there was no 9TH
er.
| Our eyes were blurred and blinded
by the ceaseless glare of the sun, whose
i! rays beat down on the sandy desert
from an unclouded sky, which was as
brass above 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 utter
ly failed to slack, and, though continu-
ally drowsy, could neither::sleep by day
nor by night, because of the intense
hear, the sand-fies, swelled and burn
ing feet, and intense nervousness en-
gendered by the foregoing, with the
other discomforts and sufferings Incl
dental to stage journey of some hum
dreds 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
surly, unsocial fellow-passengers than
our dusty, unshorn selves were perhaps
Observation-Disclosures together.
fined and myself were perhaps lit
tie more pronounced in general dis
agreeableness than the others, we con-
sidered, indeed, that we had ample prov
ocation therefor. For thirteen month S
we had been toiling and perspiring, tax
ing our several turns in the slump" or
in our twenty four foot mining claim,
as the case might be. Innearly-if not
quite-a year of unremitting toll, we
had barely succeeded in washing out
enough small "stones" (the invariable
term for diamonds in South Africa
with which to pay our running expen-
SEES; and then one stroke of the pick
had 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
supper, Ned without speaking, extend
ed the precious gem toward me in his
open palm, as we sat at our rude table
in our canvas-covered crbin. I do not
answer for the scope of my partners
vision, of course. But in the uncut
brilliant, as in the magician's stones,
myself saw but one object-sweet,
wistful face, framed in wreath of dark
hair, within the depths of whose soft
eyes was look as if of patient waiting
for the return of him who had gone to
seek his fortune in the far-away
diamond 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 my own suddenly
up-turned gaze.
"Home!" echoed, with joyous en-
phasis.
But hardly had the word escaped my
lips when q tall form was dashsd
through the door, and upsetting the
candle by a sudden blow, seized the
diamond from Ned's still outstretched
hand, and was off in the darkness the
whole event having taken place in far
less time than have occupied in tell
ing it.
OF course we gave the alarm as quick
~ as we could regain our scattered
ideas: but though half the male popu-
lation of Bloemfontein turned out, it
was it 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 9300, and with those composing
our present stage-coach party, had
taken passage, as have said. for Vel
lington, intending to return home, even
though with heavy hearts and light
pockets.
Beside the small specialized man, who
had represented himself as u sort OF
colporteur for areligious society at Cape
Town, our fellow passengers composed
two diamond brokers, together with q
young and very boastful fellow, who
called himself M'Arthur. The latter
had been very successful, and it was
with feelings of envy we heard him re-
late the result of two weeks work in q
deserted claim, where, as he informed
us with many profane assertions, he had
struck a pocket" from which he had
taken stones, whose value he declared
was $4,000.
These he carried in belt about his
waist, together with considerable sum
of money from the sale of his claims
he said-while girded to either hip was
a heavy revolver, as safeguard against
possible attack from road agents.
After wretched supper at small
barren-1ooking station in the Hoog-
boom Bottom, the journey was resumed
with fresh relay of horses, and slight
diminution of our i'll temper-the heat
being 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
having been graphically narrated by
the proprietor of the station we had
just left.
"They wouldn't play any of their
games on me, replied M'Arthur, touch
ing the butts of his revolvers in q signi-
ficant manner as he spoke.
The pale-blue eyes of the little man,
who bore the not uncommon name of
Smith, twinkled ever so slightly behind
his spectacles at the remark, but he