THE I.D.B.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9289, 14 December 1895, Page 3

THE 1.D.8.

By John* Arthur Earrv.

Of nil places to hear a good story gi\*e mc the smoke-room of an ocean liner* Avhen all sorts and conditions of Avanderer.s are gathered together to open their hearts over the whisky and tobacco ; when " Elect ik- *' comes in at eleven to turn out the .lights, and is forcibly captured, and coats arc hung over the windows, and utter lawlessness prevails, and the barman smiles through hii half-closed window in anticipation of a Avet night. On this special evening, Aviln Cape Recife far astern, and the big ship Avulloaing through a lumpy sea in the Indian Ocean, the usual sort o; crowd was collected in the Urania's smoke-room. Miners, speculators, Anglo-Indians, Afrikanders, squatters, men naval, men military, irregulars, bad eggs and good ones, black sheep and white—the flotsam and jetsam of the world's seamy side minded with staid respectability which should have been in lied hours ago. A good ninny people were talking at once. But, insensibly, as bits of one man's talk came to surface in the babel, the rest gradually stayed their own and listened. j had"noticed him coming on board at Port Elizabeth— a grizzled, dried-up, small, active man, with an eye like a snake's, and a nose like a hawk's beak. I saw no jewellery about him as he clambered up tiie gangway and cursed tiie long African swell that made the line pitch and toss like a cork in the gutter. Now, after the first few days out, he fairly blazed Avith gold and gems. *Oneof the latter, in particular, a maenificent diamond that he wore set in a massive ring, was the admiration of everybody. Not that it was of unusual size, but the purity and radiance of the thing as it flashed and Sparkled, especially at nights under the electric light, seemed to eclipse that of all other stones around—and there were some very fint-3 ones—twenty fold. Its owner, in spite of his unprepossessing features, seemed determined on making a general bid for popularity. No one on board go lavish with his "shouts" to his fellows and tips to the stewards ; no one more willin" to get up sports, and give prizes to be competed for. In fact, he was like a man who, long ground down in a groove, had at last got a chance to take a big holiday, and ample means to enjoy it with after his own fashion. His face proclaimed the rogue. But faces lie. Still, no one would nave token him for a fool. " Never seen a diamond in the rough ?" he was saying to his neighbour as he caught the ear of the crowd. "Well, I'll show you some. Look here, old chap, Avhat d'ye think j of these?" and, pulling out a small steel case attached to one end of the great cable-link natch chain he wore, he opened it with a snap, and out on to tiie marble-topped table fell six objects that looked like six big drops af tho clearest spring water, with, in the centre of each one. a tiny flame burning and glowing by fits and starts. The men crowded round. " Mem Gott!" exclaimed a German Jew, "0, ze peauties ! Ach, but I never seen such shtones, und I dwendy year haf deal mit dem. Dey are berfection."

The man for whose edification they had been produced —a tall, simple-looking tenderfoot, with knickerbockers, eye-glass, hair parted middle and back, and general hawhaw globe-trotter outfit—turned them over languidly with the tips of his fingers. "" Vveally," he drawled at last, " it's most interesting. Thank 3, very many. But I thought they'd look pwettier than that." "Thought, I s'pose," returned the other, nettled, as he brought the one he wore full in the lamp-light, making it scintillate and flash in the speaker's eyes, " that they'd look like this one. However, little as you »eem to think of 'em, I Avouldn't take twelve thou., cash doAvn, for the half-dozen." "Und'shcep at dat," put in the Jew. "Himmel! I vos not barlicularly vant dem, nnd I gifs dirdeen." other shook his head, laughing as he replaced the stones. "My market's London," laid he. "When you've got a good thing ake it there and you'll get its cash value— 80 matter how tall that is." " Yaaa," drawled Jackson (the globetrotter), pointing to the ring, "but I can realise the potentiality of that. No fellah, »' know, except an expert, could enthuse mttch over those othahs. ...... "Yes; this isn't a bad stone," remarked its proprietor, Waving it to and fro comfilacently. "Tell you how I got it if you ike. Rum story. True as Gospel though. Steward, fill 'em up again, and bring some cigars. Hullo, 'Electric'; -whats the matter? Eleven o'clock? Oh, you be hanged ! Steward, a clean glass for the engineer. Call for anything you like gents. It's in v picnic." " Who is the brute, Robson ? " {I heard an o d navy man who sat near mc whisper to his neighbour, " A squatter on the Vaal.") " Don't knoAV," replied the other; Boland's the name on the list. Looked it up from curiosity. Either an 1.D.8. or a defaulter from one of the companies, I should "ay." " Well," began Boland, as soon as he had seen the engineer, Avhose duty it was to turn the lights off at eleven o'clock, safely deposited before a huge tumbler, whilst others drew the curtains, and placed hats and coats to screen the lights. "Well," he began, about two years ago I was trading around the Old Country Avhen, one night, there comes to my camp a nigger I'd knoAvn before. He Avanted a job. So as I wanted a leader, and I knew he was a good one, I gave him the billet. He used to be a spry, handy fellow when Avith mc as driver on pne long trip, but I noticed, noAV, that something ailed the beggar. He was always looking over his shoulder, seeming scared every minute that he'd see something that wouldn't agree Avith his health. I found out what it was presently. I was meaning to make a long trek out into the Unanimjie country, so far up as Lobanda's kraal, on the chance of good biz with old Lory. One day, travelling through some bush veldt, all at once up ran Sam to where I was riding ahead of the waggon. Sam was thenigger's name, you'll understand. * Baas,' ttyshe, Hake him, quick! here comes the police !' And with that he slips this very •tone I'm wearing now into my hand and treks for the scrub like a streak. * Oh, ho !' ttysl, 'that's it, is it?"' But Sam was a bit late. One of the three M.P.'s* saw him and took after him to head aim off, whilst the other two kept on for the waggon. Now, more than once, I'd been nearly caught when there really were stones •bout that hadn't ought to ha* been. Once I got away Avith three in a lump of soap that the police washed themselves with after they'd done searching.' That was a joke, if you like ! Hide this one I kneAV I couldn't, »nd for a minute I was puzzled, and almost on the point of flipping it into the scrub. Suddenly, when the troopers weren't more'n * ©ouple of hundred yards away, out of the •wan jumps a mob of blue bok. I had mv dfle in my hand, and before you could wink i slipped the stone down the barrel and tanged away at the bok, dropping the leader In his tracks just as the police came up. Well; ( they searched till they were sick, *nd to give 'em every chance, I outspanned. At dark iip rode the other fellow leading »m, who'd given him a long shot for it— knowing the country, as he did, like a book. "Pound anything on him?" says the Sergeant. ■•NQjthing at all," says the other, "But »c says he's been bit by a snake, and that w* going to peg out pretty soon." ''Gammon !" says old Carson. "True, Baas," boys Sam to mc in his own "ago, " Puff-adder bite strong ! Look !" Asking a firestick, I held it to his leg jnd, sure enough, it was swollen as big as a nacket, and all turned green and yellow. *nd I knew he might die any minute ; he Oiun't linger along for a week. You see, it lv . depends on the size of the snake. ■" Big fellow, Sam ?" I says. .Big one, Baas," he grnnts ; and then I *ne» his time was up about dawn. "Ma heevins!" here squeaked th«* jpgweer as the ship's bells struck ten o'clock « the auld mon comes arou' the noo •nerell be h—ll to pay and no petch hot. o "Bkfpper'B gone to his berth long ago. »*hiin,"saj'3 someone. " Don't interrupt. /Well," continued Boland, "the police f*y«d all night; and very glum they were, ,or their information about Sam had been '*} particular and very safe. His brother *«• working in the Drakedrift claim at the **«; bad found four big stones and passed 7*«ni on to Sam who slipped with em. ft-other Kaffir had seen the job and tried to Wackmail Sam's brother on the strength of it. s°. *t last, it all came out. Now.of course, * got the credit of the whole job." We saw the Kaffir run up to you as soon •Mounted Police.

as he spotted us. What did he do that tor ?_ asks the sergeant, sulkily. * ,il i r lmnd -" I. " he's no better 'n >!T nt T' X st * n to him groaning, an don't be so hard-hearted" " What's the odds," says he, "you know there am t anything to be done for him." w hich was true. I filled the poor beggar with rum, never-theless-about a gallon of it. 0.p.-and he never seemed to feel it. But near sunrise he jumped clean up in the air and- fell close to where I was watching him, stone dead. Carson d been thinking through the night, tor, presently going to where the buck hunton tne disselboom on the Avaggon, he cxammed it closely. No good. Thebigroer gullet—six to the lb.-had blown a hole dean through it. "Good-bye. diamond." 1 said to myself when I saw it. But, for all that, Carson out knife and cuts and quarters it to follow the track of the ball. Pretty ctite was Mr Carson, I tell you—a regular old bird. ° " "W hy don't you chop poor Sam up too ? " I says presently. "I'm going too as soon as I've had some breakfast," says he, cool as a.cucumnsr. " Post mortem, you know, all regular and in order."' And he did it, too. And what's more, he found inside him three bigger stones than tne one the beggar gave mc. Bolted em, you see, directly he tAvigged the police coming ; got three down, and jibbed at the last one. And now comes the curious part of the yarn. That night, after they'd gone, well content With what they'd made, I pops a lump of the buck into the pot to boil for supper. Later, throwing away the water, I heard something jingle on the stony ground. It was dark, gentlemen, but once you've heard a diamond rattle you Know the sound again. I got a light, and there, sure enougn, I presently found it. Aaronson and Sons, in Hatton Gardens, cut it for mc, and I had it set and Avore it off and on ever since." "Thaanks!" said Jackson, "but about those othahs now ?" "Nothing," replied Boland, curtly, "ordinary matter of business. What d'ye Ba y> gents, one more drink, and then—." " Gentlemen ! gentlemen '. Now this is too bad ! Four bells, and bar and smokeroom in full swing ! Where's that engineer ? If I can't have my rules obeyed I'll shut the whole thing up !" At this point in the irate skipper's speech darkness, and a rush down to the saloon and out on deck by opposite doors. At Colombo, where I broke mv journey, I stayed at the " Galle Face," and" had pretty well forgotten all about my late companions when, one night, at dinner, I was surprised to find Jackson sitting next to mc. But it didn't seem the same Jackson as the Urania's neAv chum. The eye-glass was gone, and bo was the drawl, along with numerous other little affectations ; and the man I stared at, clad in shining white from head to foot, looked as alert, smart and lively as a fellow who'd just successfully popped the question to £5000 a year with face and figure to fit. " I thought you went on," I said, as soon as I got over my surprise. "No, I'm going back by the next boat," he replied. Naturally, as men will, over the coffee, we began to discuss some of our Uranian acquaintances. ' "Curious customer, that diamond felloAy," I remarked. "And what a yarn he spun' us that night!" "A true bill, though," replied Jackson, i " Carson told mc all about it long ago, with, j of course, the exception of the sequel. That may be a fact, too—likely as not." •' I suppose he'll make a small fortune out j of those other stones !" I Avent on presently, j " I don't think so," replied my companion dryly, " Don't see how he can, because I've got them." " The devil," I exclaimed. " Not at all," said he, laughing, " There's my card, all square and shipshape." Looking at the pasteboard, I read "Mr Charles Norreys, with, in the corner, " Scotland Yard."

" By Jove 1" I said, "that's it, is it ?"

"That's it," replied he, "I've got our friend hard and fast in the caboose up yonder. Poison is his realname, out of a dozen aliases. For years he.wasanXD.B, (an illicit diamond buyer) on a big scale, made a regular profession of it, in fact, and was never caught. Lately, since the companies amalgamated, that sort of thing's nearly played out. At last he gave it best, and got a billet as bookkeeper with the Whitewater Associated. About twelve months ago those stones he showed us were missed out of a packet that reached home by the mail with their seals unbroken. I won't go into details ; but it became evident that the diamonds had been abstracted at the African end. Suspicion fell on Poison, but he cleared himself, proved an alibi there was no breaking through. One of our best men came out and took the case in hand. No use. Then I was sent, and, doubtless, should have had no better luck but for that incident in the smoke-room. You see, there was absolutely no proof. He left for a holiday and with a clean sheet.

" Impossible to credit that a man should make such a fool of himself, you say. Well, I don't know. I've noticed the same thing occur more than once. Besides, what did we learn at school — Quern deus vult perdereprius dementat, wasn'tit ?"— Australasian Pastoralitti Review.