The Washington times., 1912-08-21
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY
THE DIAMONDS"
Copyright. 1912. Frank A. Munssy Co.,
By J. S. FLETCHER
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well, but what you going to do with
'emf" reiterated Lloyd.
Hollins gave a long sigh and stretched
MS arms as Ii some muscular exertior
might suggest plan to him.
There's one thing certain" he said
"and that is that we shall have TO gel
away from yon place. l shall give my
notice In today"
And me-" said Lloyd "But-will II
look at ell queer IL we leave at tn,
same timer
I'VE shall have to chance that" an.
swered Hollins. II shall say I'm tired
of the life and going to start q public
foS owhand can make ,ss what excuse you please
II reckon London is the place" said
Hollins musingly. They say you car
do everything in London. We shall
nave to go there and try to sell EN-"
all the lot at once?" suggested Lloyd
we don't want any awkward cues.
tons asking, and they might want tc
know how we came to be In possession
OF a necklace like that"
Holiins got up and walked about with
MS hands behind his back and his
I'm tell you what. my lad" he said
at last. This is how it'll have to be
We shall have to take them stones out
OF the settings. cart 'em out to South
Africa, and come back with 'em; we
snail have to give out as we're diamond
merchants or some thing o. that sort
or whatever they call it,
brought their ir stun 6ome ap' in n"the the
rough said Lloyd. 1T believe / read
something to that effect somewhere"
Damn 1t! I believe they do said
Hollins. hadn't thought Of that. And.
rest of 1t. Well. we must think of
something. But now let's be handling
them. I think the coasts clear"
He climbed little way up the hill
side and gazed from under his hands
warders had gone forward with the
oody. and presently. returning to Lloyd,
said that they were quite out of sight.
and that there was no one near the
plateau of rocks where the diamonds
The two men picked up their rifles
and turned back. Coming to strip OF
gully on the hillside. Hollins paused
and drew out a clasp knife.
I'm going to cut a hook out Of one
OF these twigs.' he said. 1T so happens
that I've got line of string about me,
soon have the beauties up"
Lloyd made no reply. He watched
aoilins n eut stout twig into the desired
refiecting that II he had had the luck
to have a line of string in his pockets
and could have improvised a line he
could have secured the diamonds him
SELF & when he first discovered them. ~.
There 10 one thing that strikes me, I"
ne remarked as they set out again.
There's no doubt Vassalli had these
diamonds planted somewhere and got
hold of 'em again when he escaped. and
It's most likely he stole them: II must
have been some big burglary. Won't
their description be known?
We shan't offer them as they are"
said Hollins. I'VE snan't be such fools
as to put our necks into a moose like
that. They must be broken up and
sold In parcels. That trip to South
africa and back seems as II it would
have to come off,"
Lloyd.
IT. It's laying out capital" replied Hol-
en- reckon We we've BOTH fpena sot nGaey bie pa1 on
away that we can use II we see a good
return for our outlay"
"Oh, I've saved Bit" said Lloyd.
I'm not to a hundred pounds or so.
were back from South Africa without
really going there? We could pretend
we'd been"
And suppose they started asking us
Hollins, with a sneer at his compan-
ions lack of foresight.
"We should look a couple of fools in
that case. No, II you're doing busi-
ness, do 1t in businesslike fashion
that's what l say"
They had now come to the foot of
the rock which crowned the tor, and
they paused and looked carefully
about them. Not a living person was
In sight on that side of the hill, and
the silence was as oppressive as 1t
had felt to Lloyd at the moment when
he found himself alone with Vassalli's
dead body.
Neither Of the men spoke as they
climbed up to the top of the rocks;
Now, then" said Hollins, as they
came to the top. Let's see If there's
anybody about on the other side"
They crossed the little plateau and
looked over. The land was Just as
deserted on that side as on the other;
the only sign of human existence was
in the presence Of the little moorland
farmstead a mile away. from which
Hollins had fetched the pony and
borhood.
Nobody about" said Hollins
Now, then, let's to work"
He bent down and lifted the big
stone which Lloyd had placed over
the assure at the point where he had
hlled up the cavity about the dia-
monds with heather and bracken
Lloyd dropped on his knees, stretched
himself fiat along the rocks, and be-
the assure. His head rested on a
ledge of stone as he worked his arm
was plunged at full length into the
cavity below.
\ Continuation Of This Story VIII