The age-herald., 1901-12-08
I'm the Secret Service.

what you do''
 You're the man for me- said Mark ham warmly. 'ft isn't everybody I'd trust in such matter. What do you say to-robbipg the mail?"
 Godfrey recoiled. He had hardly meant his words to be taken so literally, and though his moral nature was too weak to thrive in the rather trying atmos- phere of the Diamond Fields he was not quite prepared to throw all his prin- ciples overheard.
 Markham saw the movement and has tened on. You've been robbed yourself, why shouldn't you rob somebody else and get 1t back?" he whispered eagerly. "Gluckstein and Levy are wealthy men and can afford to lose the money better than you. If we are careful there is very little risk. Besides, what else can you do? I don't think you'd be much good at hard work, and I suppose you don't want to starve."
 "Pll tell you how we can do it. he continued. without waiting for a reply ''The mail leaves here soon after dusk tonight, and we must stop 1t half dog en miles out, beyond Auret's Farm; it is quiet and lonely enough there. By that time it will be quite dark, and we are not likely to be disturbed by any chance travellers"
 But are you quite certain the dia- monds will be In the cart?" asked God frey in a hesitating manner He was beginning to think that he had a right to get his money. back from some one.
 q was in the postoffice this morning when Gluckstein came in, and I saw him hand over a little canvas bag to go by tonights mail. He didn't make any se- cret of it, and everybody knows they've been in luck's way lately. We might make haul of two or three thousand pounds, and come back here and make our fortunes"
 Godfreys eyes glistened. But the dangeri' he murmured.
 Markhams lip curled. If you'll listen to me you'll see there is very little" he said. We shall choose a narrow bit of road and stretch a string across 1t a few feet from the ground, fast ened to two stakes. It will be too dark to see the string, and the horses will catch | their feet in 1t and come to the ground There will be only two men in the cart, a Kaffir driver and white man in charge of the mails, and as they will al- | most certainly be thrown out and prob aoly stunned, we shall have little to fear from them. Even supposing they receive no harm, we shall be more than match for them, for we shall be pre- pared and they will not"
 Do you mean to commit-murder
 
 '1 do not think it will be necessary" coolly' "Of course we shall have our reVolvers handy, but a blow from the butt end to quiet a troublesome custo- mer will be all that will be required, I should imagine. Then we have only to open the post-bag abstract the dia- monds, and make good our escape be- fore they have time to come around If we are lucky and they are stunned by we lh can return here the same night-the quicker the better I konw an l. D. B. Qllicit Diamond Buyer) who will relieve us of the stones. If. on the contrary we are seen, we shall have to go into hid ing for a time"
 And if we are caught?"
 Tt will be the Breakwater in Cape fown and board and lodging provided at our country's expense But I don't mean to be caught.
 Very well.' Godfrey said at last, un- able to resist the bait. q am your man." and he held out his hand
 The other gripped it hard That's right, and now we had better part. Meet me in an hours time outside the camp. and don't take any more liquor; you've had quite enough already. I'll bring all that Is needful with me-" And he went away.
 When half an hour had elapsed God Trey rbse slowly up and stood hesitating a moment at the entrance to the bar then he went in. He must have some thing to put little heart into him: he felt nervous and unstrung Now the time to act was close at hand, he was assalled ty hundred fears and scruples and If he could have backed out of the bargain he would probably have done so but he was too much afraid of Mark ham, He emptied his glass and felt a lit- tle better, but he knew his courage would require constant support to keep It up to the mark, and he took a bottle of whisky away with him in his coat pocket, very slightly diluted with wa ter. When he met Markham outside the camp he was already in state of semi intoxication, but it passed unnoticed by his companion, who had plenty to think about.
 When they had gone some distance and there was no habitation or human crea- ture in sight, Markham suddenly stood still rough road had been worn in the veldt by the traffic to the Fields, and he pointed to little curve where the track had narrowed. That is just the place." he said. We can hide behind those thorn bushes.'
 Taking two strong stakes from a bag he had brought with him. he drove them well into the earth on either side of the4 road, and tied a thick string across se- curely in notches he had made in the wood, about two feet from the ground, where it would almost certainly trip up the feet of one or both of the two horses. By the time everything had been made ready 1t was quite dark. and the post cart might be expected in about half an hour.
 This was the most trying time of all Godfrey lay and shivered under the thorn bush a little way off the road, for tifying himself from time to time with liberal doses from his whiskey bottle while Markham, absorbed in his own restlessly up and down, stopping now and again to listen intently. Presently he caught the sound of the quick, rhyth- mic fall of horses hoofs coming from the direction of the Fields, and he turned to rouse his companion.
 They're coming!" he whispered ex- citedly. Get ready"
 But it was too late. The whiskey bot tie lay empty at Godfreys side, and Godfrey himself only looked up mo- ment, muttered indistinctly, and sank back again into his drunken stupor. Markham cursed him savagely but | neither blows nor entreaties were of any | avail; the man was too helplessly intox- | icated to be of any use.
 The sound of wheels could now be dis | tinctly heard. and Markham stood half | mad with rage and disappointment. won | dering what he should do. Such chance | might not occur again; was all his | trouble to be for nothing? He had plenty | .l a..&wS