The Winslow mail., 1924-01-18
Diamonds Of Malopo


pecting that MalOpo prices would be
considerably in advance of those in
TaungS, hurried into the first store he
saw which did not seem to have ma
tive clientele. There he threw himself
upon the mercy of the proprietor who
! equipped him with a sensible outfit con-
sisting of a small tin trunk-the white
ants would eat through his leather
suitcase in one night Winton was told
and a correct up-country costume.
Winton sent for his baggage, which the
| proprietor obIlgingly agreed to store
for him, and presently strolled in sensi-
| BILE khaki, with a wide-brimmed felt hat
rising into peak and high boots. He
took his seat among the miscellaneous
crowd of passengers, and, while the
mob outside cried fantastic offers for
seats through the window, the mules,
now ten in number, started.
| On the box sat the Hottentot driver,
cracking his twenty-foot whip of hip
popotamus hide, and ficking the slack
est mules with a dexterity that was
never at fault. On rolled the coach
| through the infested streets, into the
| clean desert, making in the direction
of ridge of pale-blue mountains west
ward.
1t swayed and creaked upon it's way,
the baggage humping In the boot, the
! mules dancing over the sand, the pas
sengers good-humoredly jostling one
another at every movement. 1t began
| to pass the travellers Of the morning
men riding thirsty Basuto ponies, carts
with thin donkeys, crawling at snail's
pace between heaven and sand; daring
and resolute pedestrians walking be-
side donkeys, their only friends, laden
| with baggage and water-bags.
Winton turned his attention to his
fellow passengers. Besides the old
man and the girl there were a number
of prospectors and mining men, eyi-
IDENTIFY old residents of the country, to
judge from their tanned faces and the
brick-red arms disclosed under the up
rolled shirt sleeves. There were two or
three clerks or storekeepers, and one
man seated in a corner, with his hat
over ms eyes, whose insOlent demeanor
and flashy clothes arrested Winton's
attention.
WintOn sat rather uncomfortably
against the strap that ran across the
width of the coach in the center, di-
viding it into two portions, and fur
nishing an inconvenient, swinging sup
port for two rows of passengers, back
to back. There was another row at
either end of the coach; thus there
We're four lines of seats, the occupants
of the first and second, and those of
! the third and fourth facing each other.
Opposite Winton sat the girl and her
| father The old man, who had taken
several pulls at flask in his pocket,
was lying back half asleep. AS Win
| ton watched him, he saw his eyes open,
| travel from face to face, and suddenly
| fix themselves upon some occupant of
| the farthest row with look of terror
and abasement.
Involuntarily Winton turned, to per-
| ceive that the man with his hat over
his eyes had pushed it up and was
|
amusement Winton thought his face
was one of the most sinister that he
had ever seen. He was about forty
years of age, and not Unlocking; but
| the smile on his countenance was a
wolfish snarl. There was greed there,
and cruelty, and utter heartlessness.
Yawning, the man rose, and, without
a word of apology, strode over the
strap, pushing between the seated pas
sengers. He went over to the girl. Be
side her was an inoffensive little clerk.
He jerked him by the arm.
"rll change places with you," he
said peremptorily.
The little clerk rose obediently and
made his way across the strap, the
other passengers, who had not dared to
resent the first disturbance, remon-
strating vehemently as they dislodged
themselves to allow him passage
"Well, Sheila, my dear" said the
newcomer, grinning into the girls face,
"glad to see you. I'd been wondering
how you could stay away from your old
friend De Witt so long"
He was referring evidently to him.
self Winton started at the name He
had an introduction to De Witt in his
pocket, but now he hardly felt like
presenting it.
De Witt sat down beside the girl
There was nothing in the mans words
that need be especially offensive in a
free-andeasy community, but the ia
miliarity Of the coarse tones, which
made the girl vince, stung Winton to
fury.
well, who'd have thought to see you
here, Daddy Seaton?" the man con-
tinued. Come to try your luck on the
fields? It's never too late to strike it
rich. You and have been old friends,
daddy, since those days down at Sand
River"