Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-06-05
CHE Sturp Teller.
CAPE DIAMONDS.

CAPE DIAMONDS.
With four other masculine fellow-sutfer-
ers-one of whom was small, specialized,
Notwithstanding manned Girard and
myself, were the suffering inmates of non
descript 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 journey
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
titled conveyance afforded-for, in truth,
there was no other. ...- . ....,.'
Our ewes were blurred and blinded by the
ceaseless glare of the sun, whose rays peat
down on the sandy desert from an uncloud-
ed sky, which was as brass above us. Our
bodies were sore and bruised by the unceas-
ing jar and jolt of our rudely hung venice.
lukewarm water along the route utterly
failed to slake, and, though continually
drowsy, could neither sleep by day nor by
night, because of the intense heat, the sand
flies, swelled and burning feet, and intense
nervousness engendered by the foregoing,
with the other discomforts and sufterlngs
incidental to stage journey of some hur-
dreds of miles through South Africa.
The most of us knew each other by sight,
through having met from day to day, 1or
some months, and in and about the mining
field which we had left. But will venture
to state that six more surly, unsoclal fellow
messengers than our dusty unshorn selves
were perhaps never-literally-thr TO-
If Ned and myself were perhaps little
more pronounced in general dlsagreeaole-
ness than the others, we considered, indeed,
that we had ample provocatlon thereior.
For thirteen months we had been tolllng
and perspiring, taking our several turns IN
the ''dump' or in our twenty-tour loot MIN
ing claim, as the case mightbe. In nearly
if not ouite-a year of unremitting toll, we
had barely succeeded in washing out enough
small 's'stones" (the invariable term for dia-
mond in South Africa) with which to pay
our running expenses and then one stroke
of the pick had unearthed a rose diamond
of such size and purity that for fully Sixty
minutes our good fortune was the talk OF
Bloemfontein.
Well, that night, after our frugal supper,
Ned, without speaking, extended the pre-
cious gem toward me in his open palm, as
we sat at our rude table in our canvas-cov-
cred cabin. l do not answer for the scope
of nv 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 a wreath of dark
hair, within the depths of whose soft eyes
was look as if of patient waiting Tor the
return of him who had gone to seek his Tor
tune in the far-away diamond fields
"Home ?" was Ned sinterrogative query,
raising his own eyes, which had bent upon
the gem, with a sort of far-aWay look, to
meet my own suddenly up-turned gaze.
"Home ~ I echoed, with joyous empha-
sis.
But hardly had the word escaped my lips
when q tall form was dashed through the
door, and upsetting the candle by sudden
blow, seized the diamond from Ned's still
Outstretched hand, and was off in the dark
ness-the whole event having taken place
in far less time than I have occupied in tell
ing it. ...,
Of course we gave the alarm as quickly
as we could regain our scattered ideas; Du'
though half the male population of Bloem'
fontein turned out, it was to no purpose.
The robber and his booty had disappeared
without the slightest clew. s. "
So it was that being in local parlance
"down on our luck" Ned and myself, dls.
gusted and discouraged, had sold our claim
to a couple of new comers for about $500
and with those composing our present stage
coach party, had taken passage, as l have
said, for Wellington, intending to return
home, even though with heavy hearts and
light pockets.
Beside the small spectacled man, who had
represented himself as sort OF c0lpOrteul
for a religious society at Cape Town, oul
fellow passengers composed two diamond
brokers, together with young and very
boastful fellow, who called himself MAT
thur. The latter had been very successful
him relate the result of two weeks's work in
a deserted claim, where as he informed US
with many profane assertions, he had
struck "pocket," from which he had taken
stones whose value he declared was Ga, 600
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 a heavy re-
volver, as safeguard against possible at
tack from road agents.
After a wretched supper at small, bar.
ren-looking station in the Hoogboom Bot.
tom, the journey was resumed with fresh
relay of horses, and slight diminution O1
our i'll temper-the heat being degree OF
two less intense, by reason Of the declin'
ing sun.
The conversation naturally turned upon
the subject of road agents some recent depre.
dations of these gentry having been graphi'
cally narrated by the proprietor of the sta
ton we had just left.
"They wouldn't play any of their games
on me-" replied MArthur, touching the
butts of his revolvers in significant man
ner as he spoke.
The pale blue eyes oi the little man, who
bore the not uncommon name Of Smith
twinkled ever so slightly behind his spec
tacles at the remark, but he groaned dismal
ly and shook his head,
"My dear sir" he exclaimed in depreca
ting tones, 'you surely would not commit
the awful crime of murder, even to prevent
the loss of the filthy lucre which you-hem-
claim to have acquired through your owr
honest efforts"
"Claim to have acquired? What the
deuce do you mean by that?" clustered
M'Arthur as Ned and myself glanced at the
little man in some surprise, for it seemed tt
ctriko us simultaneously that there was s