The Forrest City times., 1896-03-20

An illicit diamond is one which has
been conveyed-good word that,
Shakespearean, isn't it?-from the
mine in other than legal fashion. And
there's deal of Legality, let me tell
you, in diamond digging. There's big
stall of officials to look after it. Illicit
diamonds are usually found and dis
posed of by the Kaffirs employed in
the emines-though by no means only by
them-and sold much below their value
neutrality-suspicious. like myself, who
take their chance in view of the big
profit"
"What?" l gasped. "Then you have
actually bought-stolen property"
"Well," he said, coolly refilling our
glasses, that's perhaps your way of
putting it here. It's not ours in South
Africa. Besides, think I've heard even
in this respectable city of money lend
ers buying reversions for mere sonp.
and speculators purchasing stocks and
shares from despondent holders, know
ing secretly that those stocks and
shares were going up in day or two
with bound. Also of houses and land
bought, from private knowledge of
speedy demand for them, for trifle, the
sellers being quite ignorant of it.
Haven't you heard of such things?"
did not reply. Twas too much upset.
Here was l, head clerk of many years
standing, dining and drinking cham
pagne at the cost of an illicit diamond
buyer.
However," he resumed, somewhat
tartly, II don't ask for your approval;
! simply wanted to amuse you with the
story of my adventures; SO you NAV
imagine I'm soliloquiz;ng.
"Why should the mining companies
have the monopoly of all the diamond
yielding districts?' he continued, in a
fierce tone land l thought it best to
drink my champagne since the bottle
was opened, and say nothing-these
adventurers sometimes carry revolvers,
l believe). There's big pl oft in these
things. The law is very stringent, and
there's great difficulty in passing the
stones from the finder to the l. d. B.
But the profit tempts people-and in all
classes, too. let me tell you--to engage
directly or indirectly in the traffic.
Il began very modestly, and as cap
ital increased | increased my specula-
tions. At last. suspicion was awakened.
and / was searched when leaving the
fields. But the searcher, though very
pertinacious and clever, had been seen
by me before l saw him. was smok-
ing big Dutch pipe, and this gave me
an idea. Sublime tobacco that from
the east to westl' You don't smoke
yet, l suppose? No! Oh, you've
missed good deal of life's pleasures
Well, l popped my four diamonds into
the big bowl, covered it with 'baccy, and
went on putting and chatting the search
er, who was burning to distinguish him
self. / knew that this defeat would
make him more pertinacious than ever.
And so it was. Now had bought of
kaffir some stones of great value, and
how to get them out safely puzzled me
circumstances had recently tried vari-
Gus lodges which had long been popu-
lar. false boot heels, hollow riding whips,
and so on, and in each case the dia-
monds had been discovered with very
unpleasant consequences. For years of
compulsory working at the breal<water,
for instance, may be the result, and
yet l was determined to chance it
rather than lose these stones, which /
shall never forget for the trouble they
cost me.
after perplexing myself day and
night-my enemy X always lowering
about near me-a sudden idea flashed
into my brain. | had a particularly
ugly bulldog who was of surly disposi-
ton, and was much laughed at on ac-
count Of my fondness for him. The dog
wore thick collar which was q neces-
sity, and that collar gave me the "tip.'
l removed it, cut slips IN the inside and
put the diamonds in them. AS l was
leaving the fields, Y, of course, pounced
on me, and affected a certain amount
of uneasiness, which produced on his
mind corresponding glee."
Here Downham paused and opened
his pocketbook, and from it he took the
photo of about as ugly, ferocious and
disreputable bulldog as was ever asso-
ciated with heroes of the Bill Sykes
class.
isn't ne beauty?" he said, fondly,
as he handed me the photo. Il shall al
ways love that poor dog; he died on the
voyage home from the absurd preju-
dices of some of the passengers who
didn't appreciate his playful nature-as
I'm pretty sure-and pushed him over
board; at any rate he disappeared Yes,
sir, that dog got my best haul through"
didn't Y search him" l timidly
queried.