Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-10-31


Hmm" unused Dysart, drumming
on the dirty table. What was this
chum like, Plish?"
Tall an thin. sorter grizzly air
with wife 'ands and long fingers like a
voman's. But all this 'ere's strickIv
confidenshul an atween ourselves. Ris-
ter Dysart, like as vun gent to an
other"
"Oh, certainly" asserted Richard
quietly pocketing the invidiously i'm
pudent classification. 1T doesn't real
ly matter, you know. Thought might
know the beggar," and he rose to go.
'Ere's somethin' e left behind i'm
sir" said Plish, who had been rum
maging in drawer, displaying dirty
canvas bag.
Rick seized it and went to the open
door to examine it.
Sure enough, 1t was the canvas bag
of which he had been looted on the
bank of the Moot! Turning to the Jew.
he inquired as carelessly as possible:
You don't mean to tell me he had
this full Of stones?"
"Oh, no, Blister Dysart, not by no
manner o. means; l only saw abart
'andful," was the reply.
III keep this bag, Plish, IL you've
no objections" said Richard, slowing
1t away carefully.
Don't benton 1t, Blister Dysart, sir"
was the affable reply.
"One more question, Plish, and I'm
DONE" said Richard. Which way was
your friend travelling, DO you sup
10
lessly Ticking his boot with his riding
whip, yet much depended upon the re-
ply he should receive.
81 'appen to know g vent round to
Cape Town by the first steamer" said
Plish. But all this is strickly persnal
an privit, Blister Dysart, sir" he
whined, for something in Richards
manner told him he had been talking
too much.
Quite So" was the terse answer,
and with parting nod off he swung
down the wide and sunny street.
A week later he landed in Cape
Town, where, in the process of FORM
ing a company to work the new claim,
and arranging for the shipment to Lon
don and the insurance of the remainder
a
few cautious and casual inquiries
about the man of whom he was in
search. Not much could be cleaned.
yet enough to convince him that the
trail led in the direction he was him.
self most anxious to pursue-namely,
to England.
He left Cape Town nine months and
more behind the other. For clews he
possessed a rather hazy personal de-
scription which might or might not be
trustworthy, a dirty canvas bag and a
44-caliber bullet.
On board the steamer running
around from Durham to Cape Town
Richard Dysart still further added to
his stock of information.
He was accosted on deck one morn
ing by certain Sergt. Cupples, one of
the special force detailed to patrol in
plain clothes the various steamship
lines on the watch for contraband dia-
monds and smugglers thereof.
To his surprise, he learned that his
own movements since arriving at
Ladysmith were perfectly we'll known,
and this led to some confidential talk
concerning the devious ways of the I.
d. B., which proved especially inter-
esting to our friend.
What moonshining is to the south
ern states of America, what counter
feiting is at home and abroad. what
the slave trade was a few years ago,
so is the present day illicit trade in
diamonds in South Africa" said Cup
pies. 'In the estimation of legitimate
mine owners and traders it may be set
down as the sum of all villainies.'
Despite the utmost vigilance of the
Cape police and an army of secret
agents, stones are annually Struggled
out OF the country to the tune of thou
sands of pounds"
| How can the authorities manage to
cover such vast field with any de-
| gree of success?" inquired Rick.
| well, you see, the camps and pro-
ductive fields are all known, mapped
and located. These outlets are
watched and their output is pretty ae-
curately known from month to month.
So also with the towns inland and the
coastwise cities like Durham, Delagoa
Bay, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town it
self. The fences are also known and
kept under closer surveillance, and
there is one of our men on every out
| going steamer"
Dysart nodded; much of this was al
ready familiar to him.
| But suppose a new field is discov-
ered-a man might become legitimate
~ possessed Of stones in that way?"
he ventured.
| You are referring to your own
case," said the police agent with 6
smile; and then, in answer to the 9TH
er's mute query: I'VE know all about