The Marshall republican., 1908-10-09
THE RED
DWARF
Copyright. by shortstory Pub. Coz
BY J. o. PAGAN

o6Vi iOhS 'ihSS VA R"uHh 1AoiihO, Az
full war dress, were making their
way homeward up the Crocodile val
ley, which is in the Leydenburg dis
trict Of the Transvaal. 81
They we're returning from a sue
cessful expedition against their
hereditary enemies, the Maccatees,
and were driving their booty before
them.
This consisted Of cattle and wom-
en-. Indeed, the only male creature
among the prisoners was a little red
dwarf, who had been captured in one
of the caves, together with the
wives of the chief whose stronghold
they had been storming. The little
fellow had probably been brought
down country as d present from
some kalTir king in the far interior.
The dwarf was a trife under four
feet in height, but his body was
thickset and muscular, and his we'll
shaped head betokened considerable
intelligence and sagacity. )
About this time, white men and
kafirs all over the continent were
being electrified by the magic word
Diamonds. Its significance to
everybody was very much the same.
To this white mar it meant a chance
for independence and luxury, while
to the kaffir it held up a vision Of
marvellous blankets, tons of beads,
and numerous wives. 4,
One day a party of Swat 'boys,%
as they were termed, set out for the
diamond fields, and the dwarf was
persuaded to accompany them. After
a long and tedious tramp they ar
rived at Kimberley, where the party
disbanded, each individual getting
work where he could. The dwarf
I was something of a curiosity, even
in Kimberley, and he quickly se-
cured employment on n Of the
claims. At that time and place dia-
mond stealing was a profession, and
/. d. B-ism-illicit diamond buying
was almost unrestrained. But DO
tween the miners and the l. ID. 10.
there was war to the knife, and the
unlucky kafiT who was caught with
a diamond in his possession was fire.
quently given a "short shrift" or an
unmerciful fogging, on the quiet. .
On account of the dwarf's clever
ness he was soon promoted to q po-
sition in one of the searching
rooms. Under the eye of an overseer,
it became his business to search the
clothing of the natives, and to ex'
anime and tap their nabed bodies
for concealed diamonds. In this de-
partment there was an enormou.
Zulu policeman named Dingsan
The management had implicit faith
in his honesty, and so Dingaan tool
advantage Of his position to trsat
the natives with uncalled-for 20
verify. Even the little dwarf at
tracted his oficious attention, ant
one day he accused him of stealing ,
diamond. 4
The dwarf was forthwith dragged
the presence Of the search COM
mittee, where his mouth, his hair
his toes and his armpits were sub
jected to a rigid examination.
However, the search from begin
ming to end having proved fruitless
the dwarf was about to regain hi
liberty, when Dingaan insisted tia
the sneezing test should be applies
to him. Accordingly a fine, pepper.
compound was injected into tn
dwarf's nostrils, causing a violen
at of sneezing and coughing. DurinI
the operation, the Zulu managed, b.
slsight of hand, to produce a smal
diamond, which he insisted had bsel
coughed up by his victim. This svi
dence was considered sufficient, an
so the dwarf was Immediately treat
ed to an unmerciful aogging AM
driven off the premises.
For several weeks he remained a
outcast even from the company o
the kaffirs on account Of Che position
~ had held in the searching room
4 He took his punishment very mucI
! to heart and presented a very for
lorn appearance, wandering aroun'
IRON one claim to another, begin.
for assistance and sympathy.
Finally, a Mr.. Meyer, a diamon'