WANTED-A DIAMOND AND A THIEF.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 58, 5 September 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

WANTED-A DIAMOND AND A THIEF.

. With four other masculine follow-Bufferere-rono of whom was a small, spectacled, inoffensive-looking man —Ned Girard and myself were the suffering inmates of a nondescript vehiclo of the stage- waggon pattern, drawn by six small horses, en route from the Bloemf ontein diamond fields of^ South Africa for Wellington, thonce by rail to Capetown. Twothirds of the terrible journey had already been accomplished, yot thero ■were still some 250 miles of travel oyor the Bun-beaten plain and arid desert before ua, with the mercury at 102 in such shade alone as our tilted conveyance afforded — for in truth there was no other. Most of us knew each other by sight, having^iet daily ■ for some months in and about the mining field which we had left. But I will venture to state that six more surly, unsocial fellow-passengers than our dusty unshorn selves were perhaps never thrown together., If Ned and myself were a little more pronounced in general flisagreeableness than the others, we consider that we had ample provocation therefor. For 13 months we had been toiling and perspiring, taking turns in the "dump" or in our 24 foot mining claim, as the case might be. In nearly a yearof unremitting toil wo had barely, succeeded in washing out enough small "stones" — the African term for diamonds — with which to, meet our running expenses ; and then one stroke of the pick had unoarthed a real diamond of such size and purity that for fully 60 minutes our good fortune was the talk of Bloomfontein. Well, that night, after our frugal supper, Ned extended the -precious gem towards me in his open palm, as we sat at our rude table in our canvas-covered cabin. Ido not answer for the scope of my partner's vision, of course. But in the uncut brilliant, as in the magician's stones, I myself saw but one object — a sweet, wistful face framed in a wreath of dark hair, within the depths of whose soft eyes was a look as of patient waiting for the return of him who had gone to seek his fortune in the diamondfields. " Home ? " was Ned's interrogative query, raising his own eyes, which had bent upon the gem with a sort of far-away lotfk to meet my own suddenly unturned, gaze. " Home ! " I echood, with J joyous emphasis. But hardly had the word escaped my lips when a tall form dashed through the door, and, upsetting the candle by a sudden blow, seized the diamond from Ned's outstretchod hand, and was off kx the darkness, the whole event having taken place in far less time than I have occupied in telling it. Of course we gave the alarm as quickly as we could regain our scattered ideas; but though half the male population of the town turned out, it was to no purpose. The robber and his plunder had disappeared. So it was that being, in local, in local parlance,, " down on our luck," Ned and myself, disgusted and discouraged, had sold our claim to a couple of new comers for about £300, and with those composing our present stage-coach party had taken passage, as I have said, for Wellington, intending to return home, even though with heavy hearts and light pockets. Beside the small, spectacled man who had represented himself as a sort of colporteur for a religious society at Cape Town, our fellowpassengers composed two diamond brokers, together with a young and very boastful fellow, who called himself M'Arthur. The latter had been very successful, and it was with feelings of envy we heard him relate the result of two weeks' work in a 'deserted claim, where, asheinfomed us, with many profane aaservatiohs, he had struck a '{pocket," from which he had taken stones whose value he declared was at least four' thousand pounds. These he carried. in a belt about his waist, together with a considerable sum of money from the sale of his claim, as he said, while girded to either hip was a heavy revolver, as a safeguard against possible attack from roadagents. After a wretched supper at a small, barren-looking station in the Hoogboom Bottom, the journey was resumed with a fresh relay of horses, and a slight diminution of our illtemper — the heat being a degree or two less intense, by reason of the deolining sun. The conversation naturally turned upon the subject of road-agents, some recent depredations of these gentry having been •graphically narrated by the proprietor of the station we had just left. "They wouldn't play any of their games on me," replied M'Arthur, touching the butt of his revolver in a significant manner as he spoke. The pale blue eyes of the little man, who bore the not uncommon name of Smith, twinkled ever so slightly behind his spectacles at the remark, but he groaned dismally and shook his head. "My dear sir," he exclaimed in deprecating tones, "you surely would not commit the awful crime of murder, even to prevent the loss of the filthy lucre which you — hem— claim to have acquired through your own. honest efforts." Claim to have acquired?" What do you mean by that ? " blustered M Arthur, as Ned and myself glanced at the little man in some surprise, for it seemed to strike us simultaneously that there was a sort of- unconscious significance in Mr. Smith's tones. Yet it was, perhaps, a mistake, as well as the fancy that M' Arthur's bronzed face changed colour even as the other spoke. '* Mr. Smith shrank back into his corner as though terrified at the other's threatening manner. "Indeed, I meant nothing at all, my dear friend," he answered, in apparent alarm. "I—" But his protestation was cut short by the sudden and abrupt stoppage of the stage and a terrified yell from tho Krowboy who drove. Almost at the same moment a man sprang from either side of the road with a levelled rifle. " The first one that stirs gets a ball through bis head !" said the taller of the two, a heavily-bearded fellow, the very counterpart of a ruffian in a border play. My own revolver was in a sma'l valise which held Ned's, and my own worldly goods. Even if I had carried it 1 on my person it is more than likely that with the muzzle of a rifle staring me full in the face I should not have attempted to use it. Ned -was alarmed. So, as it then appeared, was the little colporteur. And the valiant M'Arthur dropped on the bottom of the coach with a cry of terror, which was feebly echoed by Mi 1 . Smith. In. obedience to a gruff command, M'Arthur handed his revolvers to the smaller of the two road agents, who, seeming to bo assured that no weapons were worn

by any othor of the patty, caused us to alight. Ned and myself submitted to bo searched with the calmness of despair. We had about one hundred and fifty sovereigns between us, and a bill of exchange on a bank in Capetown, which the taller- robber took from us, while his companion, with cocked hat and presented rifle, did the intimidating. M'Arthur alternately raved and stormed as he was relieved of his belt. The little man wrung his hands and raised his voice in meek supplication, while his spectaclod eyes were fixed, as though in a sort of fascination, upon the ruffian who held the presented rifle. "Now, then, gig-lamps, what have you got about you ?" was the iocose query. Littlo Mr. Smith piteously entreated that the muzzle of the loaded rifle be turned aside from his affrighted face. "It might go off," he said, in tremulous tones ; " and it makes me so nervous to have a deadly weapon pointed at me. Do please, take it away!" With a hoarse laugh the road-agent tossed his rifle into the hollow of his arm. " All right, my little man," he said carelessly. "Go ahead, Bill." This to his companion, who approached Smith for the purpose of searching him. Then was a transformation scene indeed. The small man straightened up like lightning, and with a quickness which seemed almost incredible, shoving his h£nds into the sidepockets of his coat, he drew them out, with a cocked revolver in each. Crack ! and the shorter raffian staggered and fell, shot through the heart. Crack! ,and his astounded companion, with a yell of mingled pain and rage, sprang for his rifle, which lay beside him on the ground ; but he was too late. Before his fingers closed upon itsshining barrel he stumbled forward to the earth with a ball through his brain. The whole affair was over in ten seconds. Mr. Smith re-pocketed his pistols, and taking off his spectacles regarded our astonished faces with a benevolent smile. " Deadly weapons come handy sometimes, after all, gentlemen," he remarked. I noticed a curious change in his voice and manner. So, too, did M'Arthur, who stood for a moment looking at him with soeming perplexity in the midst of his too evident stupefication. Meanwhile Ned,' who was of a practical turn, began taking from the capacious pockets of the taller of the two outlaws the valuables and money of which our little company had been despoiled, and returning them to tho owner's. At last he came to a bit of washleather in one of the pockets, froni which rolled a diamond of such peculiar shape, size, and colour— for it was one of those rare gems, a real rose diamond — that both Ned and myself uttered a simultaneous cry of astonishment and delight, as well we might, for it wasj our stolen diamond. "You are in luck, gentlemen," quietly remarked Mr. Smith, who had watched the whole procedure, while M'Arthur stood looking on with covetous eyes. "I see that this is the stone that you had stolen from you in the camp some days since. I had a glimpse of it the morning; Mr. Girard here — ' nodding at Ned — " was showing it to Jacobs, the broker, on the corner of Krall-Btreet. I should know it among a thousand." M'Arthur, who, with recovered revolvers, which he had buckled on, had assumed his usual air of braggadocio, was heard to express considerable dissatisfaction. " One diamond is like another," he growled., his idea was that, under the circumstances, the whole party had a common interest in this dne, to which the brokers gave ready assent. "I'd like to see anyone try to take it," said Ned, with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. ' Liltlo Mr. Smith, nodding approvingly, removed from the dead man's body the money belt of which Mr. M'Arthur had been deprived. But instead of handing it to that gentleman, he buckled it about his own waist, with an agreeable smile. " What does this mean ? " yelled M'Arthur, whose face was purplo with rage ; when, no less to his own than our astonishment, his arms were pinioned by the little colporteur, who seemed to have the strength of two ordinary men. And in another instant his wrists were adorned with a pair of shining steel handcuffs. "It's no use kicking, William," quietly remarked his captor, removing a faded flaxen wig from his own ( head, and exposing to view a short crop of stubby black hair. "I did'nt mean to have pulled you until we got to Wellington, but this little affair has precipitated matters a little." After we were all again en route, having left word at the next station as to the disposition of the outlaws' bodies, the psoudo Mr. Smith informed us that the scowling prisoner was one William Hardy, with a dozen aliasses, whom he — Dennieon Hunt, the then best known detective in England — had followed from Liverpool to the very heart of South Africa, a reward of a thousand pounds having been offered for his apprehension as principal in a great London bank robbery. ' ' But I never thought I should be the means of helping you two gents to your lost property," said, Mr. Smith, as we alighted in front of the Diggers' Eetreat atliVellington four days later. And, to his credit be it said, the detective would not accept a penny recompense from either of us. " Tho excitement of the little scrimmage was enough," he said, as we shook hands at parting.