Welsh Newspapers

Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles

Hide Articles List

11 articles on this Page

'fAIX RIGHTS RESERVED.J LUCK…

News
Cite
Share

fAIX RIGHTS RESERVED. J LUCK AT THE DIAMOND FIELDS. BY DALRYMPLE J. BELGRAVB (BARRISTER-AT-LAW). A COMPACT. A fortnight afterwards found me still staying with Jim. The morning after I had arrived at his house I had found myself too ill to get up; and nothing could have been kinder than he was to me, nursing me very carefully and seeing that I had everything that I wanted. When I had become well enough to f, go out and look for work he did not show much sympathy with my endeavour to find something to do. He had, I found out, a deep-rooted conviction that any attempts to get on in life by what people called honest labour was a vanity and a delusion. To make a pile and clear out of the country ought to be the aim and objects of every one, and it was absurd being too particular as to how that pile was to be made, was the doctrine he was always preaching. Of all the more generally accepted modes of making a fortune he was most sceptical. Digging was a losing game, he considered. Even canteen keeping was hardly good enough. What one wanted," he would say with much candour, was to go in for one good swindle and then clear off." You bet what you and I want to do is to get hold of a few thousands, and then say good-bye to the country. Don't tell me we can't do it, there is lots of money in the camp, though times may be so bad," he said to me one evening as I was sitting in the verandah after a tiring day spent walking round the mines looking for work. "I was thinking of something in the New Mine line; there is a good deal to be done at that, but I hardly care to go in for the game; it's too much one of your respect- able man's swindles for me, taking some poor devil's last sov. or two, who thinks the new rush is going to turn up trumps: it's always your poor devils who are landed by that sort of swindle, -now I only want to catch the big fish." I made some iremark in answer to this, more or less commending him for indulging in his conscientious scruples. I am afraid in my then frame of mind Jim Dormer's peculiar code of morality was very taking. I began to agree with him that every one was more or less of a swindler, and that the more prosperous men were the adroiter scoundrels. Tramping about all day looking in vain for work put one in a suitable frame of mind for listening to my friend's notions of things in genaral and of the Diamond Field public In particular. "Yes, we must get hold of some money somehow. Bee there, look at that cart," he said, pointing to the mail-cart that was being driven along the road past the house, there is not less than thirty thousand pounds' worth of diamonds going across the veldt to-night, for that is a good bit less than the average amount they send home every week I Thirty thou- sand pounds, my boy that would be a good haul, eh ?" I watched the cart being driven along towards the op"n veldt, and, I thought of how it was going to travel across miles of desert veldt with only one policeman upon it to guard its precious contents. So far as I knew, that mail, which started on Thursday with the week's finds to catch the home steamer, bad never been robbed. My friend did not say anything more about the cart,, though I noticed he watched it till it was out of sight, and then he smoked in silence for some time. Then he returned to the sub- ject, and made some remark about how strange it was that the mail had never stuck up; and we began to discuss how easily it could be done. Nobody would lose one penny except the insurance com- panies and bants, for the diamonds are insured for more than they will sell for; yes, it's just the thing sticking out; sooner or later it will be done, and then Ihey will put on a stronger guard," he said, looking at me rather carefully as he spoke, as if he wished to lee how l took what he was saying. My evil genius led me to gumble out some sort of agreement with what he said. Believe me, I'd like to collar that pool, or take a blf or third share of it," he answered, "then I'd leave this cursed country. And it ain't so tough a job neither. One only has to wait with a string across the road to upset the horses, and as they go down jump on the cart, get the mail bags, tie up the driver and the guard, and get back to samp, and the next morning at breakfast look as mild as milk while everyone's jawing about one's work the night before. It would be a pretty little game to play, eh, my boy ? Better than going round to those managers and asking for a job as an over- ieer and being treated like a nigger, and being told to clear off and be d-d by 'em." "But there's the policeman; he is armed and would show fight, and I shouldn't like to hurt a shap who was only doing his duty," I answered. Well, nor would I; but I never see that mail sart pass without wondering who will take the pool; ,someone will, mind you," he said, and then turned the conversation to some other subject. A week or ao more passed and I got nothing to do. At one time I thought I ought not to go on staying with Dormer and living upon him, but he laughed away my scruples. What did it matter ? it wasn't as if I was always going to have bad luck. Was I ashamed of staying with him?" he would remark when I talked of going away. It always ended in my staying on. I was generally seen with him, I need to get money on for him when he played billiards or shot pigeons or made any other match, and to do some other little things for him; in fact, J began to be identified as Jim Dormer's pal. Very few visitors came to see us at the house. Dormer carried on his business down the town in billiard-rooms and canteens; he never asked mo to help him at faro or roulette or any of the games he played, nor did he impart to me any of the tricks of his trade. Nothing could be kinder than his manner to me; but nevertheless I felt that I was bound to repay him for his kindness and that I was under a great obligation to him. After some time he once or twice stayed at home of an evening and a man came in to see him. The visitor was not a pleasant- looking person. He had a shifty, half-ashamed ex- pression, and as he sat clumsily playing cards with Dormer he looked as if he knew he ought not to be trhere he was. « Who's that ? Don't like his looks, oan't look one An the face," I asked Jim one night when he had left. "That! oh, he's a most respectable man, a ser- geant in the police. We are thinking of going in for a little spec together, and you ought to be in it too. That's the chap who goes down with the ^iamond mail. Old Jacobus the driver is going to be made a little drunker than usual, the policeman is to make a desperate resistance, and to be overpowered by us two, and then the three of 111 divide the swag, do you see?" Though I had not been boarding very luxuriously, for some time, I had been drinking heavily. There was always drink to be had at Dormer's house and when I went about with him, and lately I had drunk to drown my anxiety. I don't intend to ape the canting cry of the criminal who, when he's convicted of jumping upon his wife, tells the judge that "it's all the drink wot's done it." Drink of itself doesn't often make a criminal of a man, but it often enough ,Cobs him of all that sense of prudence which men mistake for conscience. If my brain had been clear of alcohol I think I should have refused Dormer's suggestion at once as it was there was something in it that took my fancy. Instead of refusing, I began to question him as to how it could be done. His answer was that it would be easy enough. The mail- cart was to be stopped by a rope tied across the road; the guard and thn driver were to be tied up—the latter would not be likely to make a very determined resistance, while the former would be our confederate. When we had secured the diamonds we had nothing to do but to get back to Kimberley. Our confederate would take care not to be able to identify us, and there would be, so Jim urged, very little risk of our getting into trouble or failing to secure the rich booty. It's our last chance of making a good pile in the country every day I expect that some one else will try the trick, and then they will put on a strong guard. It's the one good thing left in the country," he said; and then he began to talk about the rich prize we should secure without any one except the banks and insurance people being one bit the worse I don't know whom to go to if you won't go in for this; there are plenty of men in the camp who would jump at the chance, but they ain't the sort I'd like to trust, but you're good grit and I'd trust you any day," he said "come, I know you will stick to a, pal." For a second or two I hesitated, and then I said I would go in for it, and we shook hands over the agreement. It was on a Monday that I had this conversation with him, and it was on the following Thursday that the cart was to be stopped. The next day the police sergeant came up to the house to finally arrange his plans. I didn't like the man's looks any better on that occasion. In his presence I began to feel ashamed of myself because I was going to become a thief. It seemed disgraceful to be mixed up in such a business with that shifty-looking scoundrel. Dormer's society, on the other hand, made me reck- less and in good spirits, while he took care that I had drink enough to prevent my thinking too much. The place we had chosen to make our attack upon the cart was about twenty miles from Kimberley, and the cart would pass there about ten o'clock in the evening. An hour before that time Jim Dormer and I were sitting behind some rocks near the road at that place where we had agreed to stop the cart. We had the rope ready to put across the road when it was time for the cart to pass, while we both had our revolvers, with which we intended to make a great display of a determined attack. "It's no good being too soon with the rope, the cart won't be before its time, and something else might pass," Dormer said as he lit a match to look at his watch. How long have we to wait ?" I asked, for I began to feel rather nervous and to wish the time for action had come. An hour or more before the cart is due here; take a drink," he said, handing me a whisky-flask. I half emptied the flask and lit a pipe, and listened to my companion, who, to cheer me up, I fancy, began to talk about the time we would have when we cleared out of the country with the nice little pile we would make by that evening's work. Dormer's conversa- tion and whisky had its intended effect, and I got back my careless, reckless spirits. It was not very pleasant work waiting, the night had clouded over an hour or so before, and the flashes of lightning seemed to be terribly near us, while soon afterHhe first flash fthe storm broke and the rain came down in torrents, as it does on the South African veldt in a summer's thunderstorm. All the better for us, my lad, just the night for the job," he said as we tried to huddle behind the boulders to get out of the rain. Dormer talked away about the delights of Paris and London and the time we would have at home, while we both took several more pulls at the whisky-bottle for all that the time went slowly, and we began to feel wretchedly uncom- fortable. As we sat there waiting for the time to arrive for us to begin our work and to stretch the rope across the road which was to stop the cart, it certainly seemed that my fate was sealed, and that I was destined to become a successful scoundrel or a skulking gaol-bird for the rest of my life. Looking back I cannot remember that I felt much shame or remorse. I was infected with Dormers ideas of things. What we were going to do would not hurt any individual very much; it seemed to me then that it was a much more harmless thing than the financial robberies which were carried out by men who were considered most respectable persons; and as for the danger of being found out, I didn't see where it came in, I thought, as I took a drink from the bottle. Easy with that bottle, old chap, or you will he hitting some one when you let off your revolver; keep yourself cool, and mind you go straight for old Jacob, and see that he don't pull the crape off your face," Dormer said to me. Then he walked some yards off to take a look at the spot in the road he had chosen for tying the rope across. As he left me a strange change seemed to come over me. The reckless devil-may-care spirits I had been in left me, and I felt a sense of awe as if I knew that something was going to happen. Then a feeling came over me that some one was present, and ali at once the rocks in frcnt of me seemed to fado away, and where they had been I saw an unearthly, lumi- nous mist, and through it I saw a figure dressed as an officer in a Highland regiment. I i—iH see that his arms were thrown back, V< zivord was falling from his hand. There was a rent in the breast of his coat, and in his face was the look of death. I knew him-, he was my brother Donald; he had grown from a lad into a man, and he was handsome and more soldierlike than when I had seen him last. I remembered our compact, and I knew that my brother was dead. There was the proud look of one who had earned the respect of his fellowmen in his high-bred face. For one instant our eyes seemed to meet, and then as I sprang for- ward calling to him by name the figure and the mist surrounding it seemed to fade away. Heaven help me," I thought, I am the last of our race." A flood of home memories, which for some time I had done my best to banish from my thoughts, came back to me. As I touched my face and felt the mask of crape I had on, I realised what I was going to do, and that I was about to become a cofnmon criminal. What on earth are you shouting for ? what's the matter with you, man ? we'd better be moving and fixing the rope," I heard Dormer say, as he came back to where I was. I did not answer, but stood irresolute for a second or two. I felt half ashamed to give up the adventure I had engaged in, but after what I had seen I was determined not to engage in it. Jim, I am going to cut it; I have had a warning not to go on with this-let's give it up." "Give it up by and Dormer gave vent to his surprise and disgust in very strong language. Well, I did think you were good grit; but you can't give it up now. What's come over you all at once ?" He was thoroughly disgusted with me; such faith in human nature as remained in him had evidently received a shock. Well, I'd have never thought it of you, you whom I always beleived in. Come, pull yourself together and do what you said you'd do; it's too late to turn tale now." And then looking into my face and seeing how agitated I was, he asked me what on earth had happened to me. 1 I think, like many a gambler and adventurer of his Jim had a trong vei n of superstition in his natoro. When I told him something of what I bad seen he was somewhat impressed by it, and on my again expressing my determination to turn back and have no more to do with it he did not attempt to persuade me. Nor did he think of doing the thing by himself. He growled out a few sentences of disgust, and sulkily walked after me as I turned and made the best of my way towards Kimberley. We kept some way from the road I hardly know why I did this, but I think it was because I did not wish to pass too close to the post-cart. After about half-an- hour we saw the post-cart driven along, and then Jim Dormer's feelings became too much for him again, and he burst out into a string of oaths and reproaches. I must say I quite saw how con- temptible my conduct must seem to him, and to a certain extent I sympathised with him. Suddenly he came to a stop and clutched my arm, motioning me to dodge behind some bushes. I did so, and in a few seconds three horsemen rode almost by where we were. We are well out of that little trap. Did you see who they were ? I will swear to two of them being Lamb and Steadman, the detectives. By George j but I will go back from all I've been saying that was a straight tip you got wherever it came from to give up this job," Dormer whispered to me when they had riden past. That hound of a policeman has rounded on us and given information," he added. It turned out afterwards that this idea of his was right. It was pretty clear that we had just been in time in leaving the place where we had agreed to wait for the cart. Our plot had been betrayed and a very warm reception had been arranged for us. Even as it was we felt that there was some chance of out being arrested, and we were both glad enough when we were got back to Kimberley and were safe in our beds. Tired though I was, I slept very little, but I lay awake and thought of my brother, whom I was convinced was no more, and of the old home days It bought more seriously of my degraded life and made more good resolutions than I had done for many a long day. I think I kept them fairly well, though I bad a hard time of it for some time to come- At last I got some work to do for a company on the Transvaal gold-fields, and since then I have made a living, though I don't know that I am likely to make the fortune I used to dream of. Dormer and I parted good friends. Your second-sight seems as if it had been a warning to you to keep straight, and I'd do it if I were you as for me, well, it's d i rferent,' he said as we shook hands. He left South Africa shortly after this, and I don't know what happened to him. The Kimberley newspaper a day or two after had a telegram in it telling of the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, and when I saw full particulars of it some weeks after I learnt that my brother had beta1 shot when leading his company in that engagement.

[No title]

MEZZOTINT ROMANCE. I

THE -SPEAKER'S DUTIES.- I

AN HEROIC LIE. I

UGANDA'S LITTLE KING. II

Advertising

HOME HINTS. )

THE WOMAN78 WORLD. I

[No title]

MARKET NE WS.