Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-15
RANKEILOR'S DIAMOND.
Chambers Journal.

limb of one of the great trees in the COM
pound. was realizing, somewhat uncom-
fortably, the condition of my finances, and
forcing myself to look the situation squarely
in the face. l was slow to believe that
pleasure is a more costly thing than labor,
and its products far from. being as satlsfac-
tory. When l left England l assured my
father that 500 year and my pay would be
more than enough to cover all my reason
able wants and wishes, and now, after nine
or ten months in Bareilly, ! was SO strait
ened "for lack O. gear" that must either
overdrav, borrow or live an exceedingly
retired life for the next three months. The
privilege of playing guinea pool in Ashton's
rooms with much better players than my
self, and the not very heavy book on half-a-
dozen sporting events, had combined toward
this rapid result, as l could not help rue
fully acknowledging.
AS / unused, became suddenly aware of
q laughing face looking down into my ham
mock. Rankeilor, the captain of my COM
pany, had swung himself noiselessly into
the tree and p erched astride rough limb
that swayed alongside of mine. well,
Campbell, - was his gay. greeting, you are
enjoying the dolce far niente in the shade.
I am just released from duty"
"You are mistaken about the DOLCE"
replied. 81 am tasting the bitter, not the
sweet do-nothing,' and shall have to taste
it for some time to come.'
81 have been bit remorseful over you,
lad" said he, speaking more gravely than
was his wont, and without looking at me,
scraping down gray fragments of ichen
from the trunk of the old tree. Il have
not forgotten that it was | who first intro
duced YOU into Ashton's rooms and to his
fast set / have been foolish enough my
self; but ] had no right to drag you into a
like scrape."
Nonsense, Rankeilor l said hastily.
81 was just charging myself with moral su-
piness when you came upon me so suddenly
resolving to pull myself together and re-
sist even Sixpenny Nap in future''
He smiled his bright sunny smile. GAN
right, lad. I'll back you up-I am afraid l
need not say what l came to say-to ask
rather. You could not lend me a tenner for
two days?"
shook my head regretfully. 81 am COM
pletely cleaned out, Rankeilor-not rupee
left. And, what is worse, Ashton holds one
or two o US, which he must hold till next
pay"
ashton holds them?" he repeated,
quick, impatient frown crossing his feat
ures 'strhen you positively have not
4 single coin to throw at fellow, Camp
bell?n
Not one, Rankeilcr. 1 am awfully sorry,
''Oh, never mind" he interrupted, with
ready kindness. II shall have plenty in a
day or two, and may be able to give you a
lift-who knows2" He reached up to the
limb above to steady himself for an elastic
spring downward.
"Hallo! What's come of your big rose
diamond?'' | asked, looking at the empty
setting of the ring he always wore on the
little finger of his left hand.
He, too, looked at the empty ring, and
although he laughed, l saw that he had
changed color, and his laugh, to my ear,
who knew all his moods, bore an infection
of pain or veyation.
"I-shall have it reset in two days at the
furthest," he answered. "And l mean to
make the setting more secure" With a
nod he sprang down and vanished.
l wondered idly why he had shown some
little confusion or annoyance at my queS-
ton. The ring was {; lady's ring-a large,
exceedingly beautiful rose diamond, set be-
tween two opals. OF course he was BAN
tered unsparingly about it by his brother
officers, and equally, of course, he retained
his bright good humor, and replied with
ready wit, making none of them any the
wiser regarding the donor of the ring. l
alone knew it was his mothers old engage
ment ring, and that she had asked him to
''make it his talisman-his charm against
eyil'
at is time for your rope drill, sir, and the
men are turning out.' said Farrell's voice,
breaking in on my thoughts.
| Sprang down at once casting regretful
L
the cool shades of green boughs. l hated
rope drill and the men hated it even more
cordially than | did. 1t was an arrange
ment of ropes and knots whereby eight or
ten men could be made to represent fifty or
LOBBY dint of hard work and much run
ming about. However, the weather was
not yet hot enough to make active exercise
positively disagreeabe; SO we went at it
with Il will just inside the wall of the great
compound; in the center of which stood the
Ulcers bungalow
After we had finished and had dismissed
che men, who trotted away thankfully,
wiping their hot brows | threw myself
down on the ground, hot and painting.
Petersen, one of the men, had remained to
gather up the ropes and convey them to
their places. Suddenly he darted away
from the ropes and dashed his cap at some
object with all his force.
What is it!'' l asked raising myself on
my elbow with languid curiosity to watch
his movements.
Its rabbit, siri He's got into hole
here; but III have him for supper yet" He
began pulling away some light shrubs
around the mouth of the hole or ditch into
which the rabbit had disappeared. lay
down again heedlessly, to lounge away a
few OF the fifteen minutes that would inter-
vene before the bell sounded for tiffin
Suddenly l heard the man calling me by
name
MIR. Campbell, sir, won't you please
come here just for a moment2"
jumped up and went to the mouth of the
hole, into which man and rabbit had both
disappeared. Peterson was emerging from
it feet foremost, dragging something after
him. n
This is queer place, SIR he said; sit
goes in ever so far. It's regular tunnel,
it is; and l found them things insideln
He held up trowel and 4 pickaXe-a very
small one-both of which bore evidence of
having been very recently used for exca-
waiting purposes in the half-dried, freshly
turned earth adhering to them.
where do you suppose it leads tor" l
asked, taking the trowel in my hand
"Wen. sir, l didn't go in very far; but
1t goes off that way good Bit" He de-
scribed sweep with his arm, passing the
officers quarters to the left.
"And that leads?''-only for an instant
did stand with bent brows: then, as if a
"brain-wave" had flashed from one to the
other, we both exclaimed at once: "Good
gracious The fort 1.-THE fort, with all the
moneyr'
1T must be that" said, in consterna-
ton. Petersen, you go in again and pene-
trate to the very end. / shall walk above,
as your voice directs. Mind you must shout
well We must look into this ~
The man obeyed at once and crept back
into the hole.
As soon as he had completely vanished, I
threw down the trowel and prepared to fol-
low above ground. when a single dazzling
point of light glittered like star from amid
this displaced earth fallen from the trowel
where | had thrown il down With a