LUCKY HUNT.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue XV, 11 April 1896, Page 427

LUCKY HUNT.

Precious stones are still numerous in certain districts of India, but the rajahs who own the property are jealous of all strangers, and resent all trespassing. Occasionally a fine gem is found by a sportsman or traveller. A party of English officers was out one day shooting on the estate of a petty chief, but bagged little game. On the return from the hunt a young officer picked up a stone which lay in his path, and idly threw it against a rock. It broke into a dozen pieces, and out tumbled a beautiful, brilliant pebble. The Englishman picked it up, looked at it, and was about to throw it away, but changed his mind, and thrust it into his pocket, remarking as he did so : ‘ I’ll keep this thing as a memento of my hunt at this beastly place, where I didn’t shoot so much as a rat.’ Arrived at Bombay, the officer dropped into a jeweller’s store to have his watch repaired. While at the counter his hand came in contact with the pebble which he still carried in his pocket. He showed it to the jeweller, and said : ‘ Here’s a nice stone I found. What’ll you give me for it?’

The man looked at the stone, and after examining it carefully, answered, I’ll give you one hundred rupees for it. ’

Had the jeweller offered a shilling, he might have been told to take the stone and keep the shilling, as the officer had not up to that time thought his find of any value, but the offer of one hundred rupees, about fifty dollars, awoke his suspicions that he had a fine diamond, and he responded with a laugh : ‘ I dare say you would give me that and a trifle more, but I’m going to take it to England with me.’ He did so, and sold his pebble in London for over three thousand pounds.