The Washington times., 1895-04-21
"The Luck Of Clymsr's Pan. "
By JEnoME CouDE1.
Copyright, 1895, by Bachelor, johnson
& Rachellerl

Copyright, 1895, by Bachelor, johnson
& Bacheller.)
a sandy, indulatipg expanEe of country,
with the dry, parched appearance peculiar
TO the interior OF South Africa, and with a
Background of purplish green hills
A few miles from the base OF the highest
elevation is az iinmenGe pit, nearly 200 feet
deep, large enough to contain good-siz
opera house. Itnarrows toward the bottom,
which is honeycombed with partly filled
excavations and miniature tunnels.
For this is "Clymer's Pan" which only
two years before was swarming with black
and white diamond seekers
The hum or voices and continuous clatter
OF iron buckets rushing along small steel
cables TO the upper edge of the pit rose on
the dusty air from morning till night. But
the diamond bearing reef was unusually
shallow and soon exhausted. Then the little
colony left ClyIner's for fresh fields and
pastures comparatively new and the ''P an
lay silent and deserted until Musgrave, Bro
ply, Jim Vance and myself struck ii in a
sort of desperation.
We had exhausted our resources at Kim
berly in the purchase OF a claim which
proved to have been ''Saltcd" by q sharp
practitioner and yielGed no return what
ever. So, as fortunes are not unfrequently
made by sheer luck and Chance in working
over abandoned claims we had migrated to
Clymer's, zoo miles further inland, where
we had taken informal possession OF the
most hRbitable OF the few tumble down
shanties and gone to work
Hot is no name for it, even though the
western sun no longer pours it's scorching
rays over the edge OF the roof. Not
breath of air from above reaches us in
our wallcdin inclosure, aud the fine dust
from the pulverized blue clay on the sort
ing tables is sitting
Musgrave and Brophy who are separate
firm by Themselves, are at one side OF the
Pan-Jim Vance and /, who have been
partners since we left the bark Royal Prince
at Cape Town almost year before are staE
toned nearly opposite.
Each couple has d Kaffir, who stolidly
Yields pick and shovel The Africans are
under the inspection of myself on one side
and Brophy at the other For the Kaffir,
thanks TO his intercourse with civilization,
is an adept in shaft. Bumbo and BaIaam
have chosen to follow our little party for
what they hope 10 steaI-whether stray
gems or articles OF our personal outfit.
Time TO knock Off" says Jim, with
sigh of relief, as he lays down his sorting
knife on the table and Glsnces ruefully at
the half-dozen small bits OF Cleavage" or
fragments from imperfect diamonds which
represent the days find.
A glance of satisfaction Is apparent on
Gumbo's stolid face. He iS EtaIwart Kaf-
fir, naked, with the exception OF q waist
cloth, aud the look of child-l!ke innocence
with which he submits TO the usual exam
ination after the days work is finished
would do credit TO Bret Harte's Heather
Chinee.
1t is not agreeable to run ones fingers
through tho kinky wool OF a psrspiring
African in search of possible gems thorein
concealed, TO explore with ones finger his
cavemous mouth, or to ace that the waist
cloth is taken off and thoroughly shaken.
But all these are among the many uDpleas
sntnesaes in tho diamond fields. Indeed
in tho more productive mines, q far more
unplesssntly rigid search il made by men
employed for this special service, and yet,
despite all precautions, tho willy Kaffirs
manage TO steal annually Esms estimated
to be worth nearly half a million dollars
Gumbo spreads apart his fingers and toes
to show that there is only native soil be-
tween them, and to my relief tao eIanina-
ton IS over. A similar operation having
been gone through with Oh tbs other side
of tho Pan our little party strike work
for the day and Chamber up TO torra firma.
Lusgravo and Brophy pair off togsther to
their own shanty. Jim Vancs and enter
OURS, which il on the very verge overhans
ing the excavation, and proceed to get sup
per. That is to say, we bake an Aus
tralian 'dampeT," warm over the tough
mutton stew left from dinner, and make
tea at ths rough stens fireplace. Leaving
the remnants FROM Gumbo, who has Enya-
teriouSly disappeared, Jim and l light our
pipes and set ourselves just outside the
Ehanty door Brophy and his party kesp
to Themselves, rather to our relief We
know nothing of them further than our
casual meeting on the way to Clymer's,
but both feel a sort OF instructive distTust
OF the two msn whose personal appearance
il by no means in their faVSr. Meanwhile
the great white mosn is net only flooding
voidt and plain with silver, but is pouring
its light, with almost E0on-Gay rplendor,
down to the very bottom OF the great
shaft yawning beneath US Taking his
pipe from his mouth Jia suddenly points
downward with the stsN.
There's that rAEcally Kaffir OF ours try
ing hiH old trick OF use&rthiHE s. stone
that he's found and hid away while ho was
digging to-day he oIclaiHs wrathfully.
Looking down / plainly see the form of
the African in half STOPPING posture in the
middle OF the claim we have been working.
gomething else l see moment later, to
which / call Jim's attention.
A man stealing cautiously in the direc-
ton OF the uRcoDlcious Gumbo, under cover
OF the scattered clay heaps left by the
miners picks. Jim iHvoIuntarily glances
toward the distant shanty teDanted by
Brophy and his partner. No light shines