The record-union., 1897-08-13
THE DIAMOND DOG.
A Tale of the kimberley Mines.


gapore, who were sitting together over
a bottle of brandy in a little back room
behind a tin coolie store in Old De
Beers road, Kimberley, late one night
In the early eighties Yet it was no
very uncommon thing here in this vor-
tex of cosmopolitan villainy into which
the magical glitter Of the diamond
more fatal in its fascination even than
the CLINT Of gold, had gathered together
men Of all cOlors and creeds from the
remOtest ends of the earth.
Something was evidently exercising
the mind OF the Jew very consideTa bly,,
for his prominent eyes kept wandering
restfessly about the little room, ms
f1eshy, pendant under lip trembling
every now and then with the movement
Of his heavy jaw, his fat, lavishly Jew
eled fingers kept alternately drumming
on the dirty table and wandering ann
leesly through his black and rather
greasy locks.
The Chinaman sat with his long
nailed fingers entwined on the zap OF
his ample blouse, and looked at nam
placidly out Of his bright inward slant
ing little eyes. Neither had said any
thing for some little time. Each was
pondering a very important problem
in his own way.
A shaggy. long haired, disreputable
looking mongrel, which seemed TO com
bine some half dozen varying strains
In his nondescript lineage, seemed to
be doing the same thing as he lay on a
frowzy sheepskin near the table, with
his wickedly clever face between his
paws. and every now and then blinked
up at his heather master as though
wondering whether he had found any
solution TO the problem yet.
..Itsh no good, Loo half whispered
the Jew, at legnth breaking the pause,
and bringing his fingers down from
his hair to the table for something like
the twentieth time, the old plants will
all be played out now that this Internal
new law ish passed. The goniva.hs Will
be harder to get at than ever. and look
at the rishk - fifteen years on that
blathted breakwater, just for being
found with a few little klips on you.
The game amt going to be worth the
candle any more, if We don't find some
new way of getting them out that the
tees won't tumble to. It would be
worth fortune to a man who could
hit On a real bran new fake, just now,
that il would, and if We can't get one
the industry's going to be ruined, and
that's all there ish to it,
The Chinaman looked at him stolidly
while he was speaking, and then, with
a broad, wooden smile, which crinkled
his eyes up into two little Sits he
nodded his head after the fashion of
one of his own idols, and said sem
tentiously and with the air of one who
knows what he is talking about:
AN light, NIissa Lonefelt, no need
uchee scratch head over dat. Kaffir
boy plenty clever yet, alice same
muchee searchee. no good. Plenty new
fake, too Dodge tecman easy all
same's before. You hab no got go
wOrkee yet, Missa Lonefelt."
If you've thought of a good new
fake, one thatn work, mind, and that
the tees aren't likely to get on to for a
bit, I'm the man to go shares with you
on it. and I'll make it pay you we'll, 1
VIII. s'welp we. You know me, Loo,
and we've done business together be-
fore now, and I've always treated you
fair and square. haven't I? If it's a
likely lay I'll make it twenty, no. I'll
into IT, and the usual terms afterwards.
That's good enough, amt it? [ can't
speak no fairer than that, can I, Loo,
old pal?"
The Jew spoke eagerly, almost ca
ressingly, to the yellow heather whom
he would have passed by without a
wink in Main street. There he was
Augustus Lowenfeldt. licensed diamond
broker, stock and share dealer, and all
the rest of it, q man with reputation
to lose, as regulations went then IN
Kimberley, and with a future before
him: but here in Loo Chais back sit
ting-room he was just what the heather
was, neither better nor worse, an I. 3.
D, a fence" as they would have
called him in his native Whiteehapel
and like him a potential felon, and so
there was no need of any overstrained
etiquette between them.
Added to this he knew that his boys
must by this time be getting a very
nice little collection of gems together
for him. and he felt very natural anx-
iety about them now that this detest-
able new law had about doubled both
the legal power of search and the pen
alties for being found out
Loo Chars almond eyes wandered
slowly from the dog to the Jew. and his
head began to wag again, but this time
the other way, and after a little pause
he said slowly and meditatively:
Fifty pound tlen per cent. not good
enough dis time. Missa Lonefelt, not by
big heap I hab got thought here
and he tapped his shaven skull gently
with one Of his long nails-"which
make velly big chop-tlen, twelve, may
be twenty thousand pound allie same
time, and no chance catchee. Him
worth pay for, eh, Missa LonefeIt?''
Ten thousand at a go-maybe
twenty, exclaimed the Jew, leaning for
ward with twitching lips and eyes all
aglitter. What's your price. Loo give
it a name, and if 1 can meet you I will.
s'welp me. You know I've always been
fair and honorable with you
Me sell you one piece doggie five
huddied pounds
AS Lo Chai impaired this apparently
Irrelevant piece Of information he slow
ly waved one hand toward the mangrel
on the sheepslIin. and smiled blandly as
he added, and vely good chop, too,
tfnk'
What five hundred pounds for a
bloomin tyke. and a precious ugly one
at that: what's the good of pulling my
leg like that when we're supposed to
be talking strict business; what the
bIathes do I want with your dog?"
Mr.. Lowenfeldt asked the question
with an air of disgusted indignation, of
which the placid heather took not the
slightest notice He simply picked the
cur up on his lap. and said in tone
of colin, s,7 ,IraoSt identified reoroof-