Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-07-15

done. Last night we all supped at
Lord John Roxton's rooms. and, sitting
together afterward, we smoked In good
comradeship and talked our adventures
over. 1t was strange under these al.
tered surroundings to see the old, well
known faces and figures. There was
Challenger, with his smile Of conde-
scensi0n, his dropping eyelids, his intol-
Grant eyes, his aggressive beard, his
huge chest, swelling and putting as he
laid down the law to Summerlee. And
Summerlee, too-there he was with his
short brier between his thin mustache
and his gray goats beard, his worn
face pr0truded in eager debate as he
queried all Challenger's propositions.
Finally, there was our host. with his
rugged, eagle face and his cold, blue,
glacier eyes. with always a simmer Of
devilment and of humor down In the
depths OF them. Such is the last pic
ture of them that have carried away.
1t was after supper in his own sane
tum-the room Of the pink radiance
and the innumerable trophies-that
Lord John Roxton had something to
say to us. From cupboard he had
brought an old cigar box, and this he
laid before him on the table.
There's one thing" said he, "that
maybe should have spoken about be-
fore this, but I wanted to know little
more clearly where | was. No use to
raise hopes and let them down again.
But It's facts, not hopes, with us now.
You may remember the day We found
the pterodactyl rookery in the swamp
what? Well, somethin' in the lie Of
| the land took my notice. Perhaps 1t
has escaped you. so | will tell you. 1t
was volcanic vent full of blue clay"
The professors nodded.
"Well now. In the whole world I've
only had to do with one place that was
Il volcanic vent of blue clay. That was
the great De Beers diamond mine of
Klmberley-what? So you see got
diamonds into my head. rugged up
contraption to hold off those sinking
beasts, and spent happy day there
with spud. This is what got"
He opened his cigar box, and, tilt
ing it over, he poured about twenty or
thirty rough stones.
perhaps you think l should have
told you then. Well, so should, only
| know there are lot Of traps for the
unwary and that stones may be of any
size and yet of little value where color
and consistency are clean off. There
fore | brought them back, and on the
arst day at home l took one round to
Spink's and asked him to have 1t
roughly cut and valued"
| He took a pill box from his pocket
and spilled out of 1t a beautiful gilt
tering diamond, one of the finest stones
that / have ever seen.
"There's the result" said he. "He
prices the lot at minimum of f200,.
900. OF course it Is fair shares be
tween us. won't hear of anything
else. Well, Challenger what will you
do with your fifty thousand"
'If you really persist in your gen.
erous view," said the professor, II
should found private museum, which
has long been one Of my dreams"
"And you, Summerlee?"
81 would retire from teaching and so
find time for my final classification Of
the chalk fossils"
"Pll use my own" said Lord John
Roxton, 'in fitting a well formed ex-
pedltlon and having another look at the
dear old plateau. AS to you, young
fellah, you, of course, will spend yours
in gettln' married"
mot just yet said l., with a rueful
smile. 81 think If you viii have me,
that would rather go with you"
Lord Roxton said nothing, but a
brown hand was stretched out to me
across the table