Show DiamOnds of o B By Y VICTOR ROUSS ROUSSEAU AU Copyright bt by W. W G. G Chapman CHAPTER XI X- X XI Continued 15 15 Winton feeling decidedly subordinate lw nn note nate te suffered Ned to to give his Ills directions directions I to his boys Within n a few minutes the nr natives v s lined up In hi groups I were submitting to the most rigorous I Inspection devised Mouths were pried I Ioen open oen and tongues pulled up p clothing ripped open heels broken off f patent- patent leather dancing shoes It was was a n weird scene In th the light of the full African moon and one t that mt Impressed Itself on WInton's mind indelibly lie Ile began to understand Van Beers Beer's viewpoint better anti and lie he realized as before the volcano of never ne savagery that slumbered beneath the veneer of civilization cI In Africa When the search was at an nn end and the natives hail had been driven Into their sleeping quarters Josephs and Ned fame came up to Winton each holding out two handfuls of or pebbles Winton looked at ct them for some seconds before before be- be fore foie he realized that they were large diamonds lIe He stared at them and then at nt Ned and suddenly he shook the old man b by bythe bythe the shoulders Ned youve you've g got t your our speech back I he shouted Do you Qu know that Speak man Ned opened his mouth and from his throat Issued d I n succession of guttural clicks It was WInton Winton knew that but no more Speak English man I he he shouted But Ned only looked looked at WInton Winton mournfully The blow upon the skull had shattered all but that corner of Brocas Broca's convolution In which h the Hot Hot- speech-center speech had be been n created Ned could speak but that would be his sole tongue for the remainder remainder remainder re re- re- re of his hise years e rs He began talking rapidly to Josephs Jo Jow who listened and translated He sn says s 's Mr Garrett GaIrett announced the compound manager that he warned you at the hospital and thought you understood He s says s 's that he had hud suspected Seaton of buying stones from the bo boys s 's and selling them to De Witt through Van Vorst lIe He taxed him with It and Seaton broke down and con confessed essed That was on the night of the robbery Mr Burns meant to tell you at once but bu you had nd gone I to bed earl early Seaton must have got word to to Van an Vorst to to finish the the the Job that night and next day It was too late Too late 1 I The words echoed through Winton's bran brain It had been too late from the beginning for if he could have understood what Ned had tried to c convey to him hm In the hospital he lie could have kept control of the Big The double handful double handful of stones would stones would i have brought him more than Davis had bad paid him enough to have haye made the loan unnecessary Now he was in the grasp of the syndicate purser only through Daviss Davis's tolerance and that hat was doubtless extended for tor the present with some ulterior object In a view Winton stared at the dull baubles If It only he could lay his bands hands upon Seaton Seaton Sea Sea- ton the claim might still be his But how could he support a charge of fraud on the single evidence of Ned Burns given gh-en In Suddenly Winton started back starIng starIng staring star star- ing through the shadows as if f he had seen a ghost An old man was coming unsteadily through the gateway It was Seaton himself He groped his way across the compound bleary of eye ee unsteady of gait galt went vent up to Winton and laid a trembling hand upon his arm Ive come back he mumbled drunkenly My gals gal's gone and Ive I've done with wIth- this life of a dog Ill I'll be beDe beDe beDe De Witts Witt's tool no longer Ive I've come comeback comeback comeback back to take my iny medicine CHAPTER XII The Trial It was the general opinion o of the group upon the of the Continental tal that Judge Davis was going to get what had been coming to him for a along long time B Bets ts to that effect were treely freely offered and there were very few takers even en at long odds The forthcoming trial was wr's was the sole topic of ot conversation in Everything had combined to fa favor faor or WInton against the syndicate On the very day following Seatons Seaton's return a long-expected long proclamation had been made by the high commis commissioner stoner placing under the colony's colony's colony's col col- onys ony's jurisdiction and delegating Judge Crawford who was then hold bold holding lag lug ing sessions at nt burg Vry-burg to proceed thither for the purpose of organizing a civil government go and hearing bearing till all criminal and und civil cases The Independent regime had lead come comae cometo to an end to the relief leUe of ot the settlement settlement settle settle- ment and Judge Davis was relegated to till Ills position as magistrate thereby being belog eliminated from the I pending proceedings pro prow Public opinion In linking up Seaton's Seatons return and arrest with the theft of the big stone was decidedly hostile to the time syndicate ie was wu no fear o of a packed Jury The lIe syndicates syndicate's syndicates syndicate's syndi syndi- cates cate's Influence seemed to have shrunk to nothing Winton's lawyer was a young Scotchman named Brown who had recently re re- r arrived on the fields diamond he threw himself into the case with ardor knowing g that success would be his making Winton and he lIe held constant contant con con- stant tant conferences Winton had bad wished to use Seatons Seaton's evidence to prosecute DC De Witt but Seaton's Seatons anxiety to have bave everything brushed out was so 10 great and ond he a cared so little what happened to himself him him- himself self that it was decided to arrest the theold theold theole old ole man nn Instead This wo would ld enable him to tell his whole whole- story much of or which might otherwise e have been ruled out It was the general opinion that when he had finished t the e syndicate syndi cute cate would be In a n bad way Seaton had hud wandered into the desert desert desert des des- ert and und attempted to find a n domicile with one of the tile tribes s But he lie Timid hall been s set t upon and badly beaten This treatment seemed to have aroused his long dormant manhood As Asa a n culmination t to the suffering that he Mad bad endured In iii 1 the time past at Le De Witts Witt's hands it t seemed to have effe effected ted a u uh change h In the old ld mans man's nature A sort of ot moral strengthening had come over Seaton in n jail H lie le had refused the time prison doctors doctor's prescription of liquor and announced his intention of fighting De Witt to the bitter end As the da days s 's went by the time rumor began began be be- gan gln to spread that Davis had quarreled quarreled with De Witt and refused to stand b by him Brown was teas of that opinion De pe Witt Vitt has Ihas known all ull the s syndi syndicates syndicate's cates cate's secrets for years and done all Its dirty work he said But DavIs Davia DavIss Is s too shrewd to have compromised himself I believe he will be glad of the thc opportunity to break with De Witt Why Vh 1 When a rogue like Davis has used a n lesser rogue for fl years he hes he's s apt to get tired thed of him hits Davis Is 15 an old man and wa wants ts to fo keep l his name clean even at t a n pecuniary loss Winton thought over that aspect of ot the situation but It seemed to him more or or less les immaterial er nl If he lie could win ruin his hits fight and hold his claim he meant to o realize on it and return to his hs own country He felt that he could no longer exist Inthe In the land where Sheila lived dishonored and an out out- cast He He avoided visiting Seaton in Jail but Brown reported that the old man was holding firm in a surprising way He had been approached by emissaries of tl the e syndicate and had refused to see them A few nights before the trial opened Winton received a visit from the last person whom he had expected expected to se see It was De Witt himself who came to his cottage Just as h he was about to retire i I The man he man looked broken as he stood I In the doorway hat In hand As WInton Winton Winton Win- Win ton rose he lie came forward flung It upon the table and sat down In a chair breathing h heavily You think youve you've gOL got me he demanded de de- I hope so so See here De Witt bur burst t out what are you ou playing for J Is it th their the claim or Is It something else have to see my lawyer To the devil den with your lawyer Ive I've done with Davis Hes He's the rogue in 11 South Africa You know what I want Garrett and I know what you ou want Suppose I turn against Davis and get you ou back your claim chum will you OU prosecute My la lawyer lawyer- w tl er TJ The e devil I Ive I've come to you ou as asman asman asman man to man Ive I've had bad blows from you OU and Ive I've taken them That's something no other man cn can say Ill I'll help you out if It you'll h help Jp m me What do you OU want Sheila 1 I shouted De Witt with an nn expletive I want to know if you'll give glye her up Come Is It a bargain Youve You've got gat her and you dont don't want her bel Shed She'd come to me quick enough If it wasn't for you ou Ill I'll give evId evidence nce that will return you control of the claim clam If f you'll you'll- ou II- II Winton was upon his feet shaking with rage De Witt sprang up and I grabbed his lint hat Wont eh Well Ill I'll show you 1 he snarled backing toward the door He was outside before Winton could close with him Wh Winton ton hesitated and then went back into his room and closed the door His nerves were raw and quivering but he be was glad that he lie had not laid hands upon De Witt again agnIn The Incident aroused In him a stronger resolve to shake the dust of ot from his feet But for his resolution not to yield to Davis to seethe see seethe see seethe the thing through he could hardly have remained another four an OD twenty hours in the wretched town But on the m morrow he had put Sheila Shena out of ot hIs ills mind for the tune tIme being and was again busy with his lawyer erThe er The da day of ot the trial arrived ed All business in seemed to have ceased The courtroom was packed I to Its utmost capacity hours before beCore I Judge Crawford took his seat sent on un the bench while outside an Increasing crowd which choked the market square clamored In vain mn for sion The line of ot horses and vehicles several rows deep extended for blocks blockson on each side sloe of the courthouse Seaman In n court present presented d a n very Cry different appearance from the Je Seaton that had known Jl despised Three weeks of abstinence from from liquor had made a new man of ot him and braced him up so that he lie was hardly recognizable at first as he strode witha with a a- firm step Into the dock A new suit stilt and cl clean an linen had given him not merely u a respectable appearance but something g of the air that he lie had had In n his early da days s 's and as as Brown had surmised this was likely to have havi Its effect upon the Jury What seemed to interest the spectators spectators tors most was the time resolute manner in which he lie returned the look of ot De Witt who seated though he was among the witnesses was In reality as os all knew the defendant He lIe was represented by a lawyer nn and was the central central figure in the time courtroom except perhaps Judge Davis The multiplying ng an and shifting shirting rumors which fIlch hind had been flying through 1 0 had settled down to the belief that something dramatic and sensational was to be looked for Involving both both De Witt and Davis The Thc Judge was seated in t the e gallery where p places had been een reserved reser d. d for a. a few v Ce of the chief men of the town Ho He was iwas was a n noticeable figure among the theother theother other oilier occupants as he bent forward from his place In n the front row look look- lookIng looking Ing hig d wu on the spectators Ills 1 keen een Judicial face was as ns Impassive as ns a mask Opposite him Mini on the thc floor of the courtroom sat sot Judge Crawford In Da Davis Dads ls' ls accustomed tomed seat above the cl clerk erl erk Craw Crawford ord was a short sandy haired man a n Jurist of reputation with an uncompromising manner He looked like lII business and he meant It Seaton S aton was as formally charged and the time trial began with the reading rending of or his written confession In which contrary contrary con con- to the lie general expectation there was no no inculpation of De Witt It was wasa a n short and plain admission of having having hav hav- ing purchased diamonds from the boys boyson on the claim Then followed the first sensation In Inthe Inthe the time appearance of Ned Burns clicking and grunting In the box bos De Witt's Witts law lawyer er Intervening scored the first point against Winton after the ph physician had explained the time nature nature nature na na- na- na ture of ot Neds Ned's affliction Do you mean to sa say that ils ds manis manis man manIs Is in possession o of 01 his full senses and capable of giving ng evidence he asked I do undoubtedly You admit that there Is c a brain lesion 7 Yes But you are quite sure that It Is not of a n nature to impair his Judgment or tru truthfulness I III am absolutely sure How many cases like this have you ou trea treated ted In the course of your experience experience ence None but I have read rend rend-It Thank you sou ou said time the lawyer lookIng looking lookIng look- look Ing triumphantly at nt the jury It wa was becoming clear that De Witts Witt's lawyer meant to allege conspiracy on the part of Winton and Seaton against the s syndicate Winton followed with witha a brief account of the events that had occurred on the time night of the robbery and the time evidence of two or three subsidiary subsidiary sub sub- witnesses followed When Seat Seaton n was placed In the time wit wit- ness-box ness the excitement reached fever feyer pitch This Is your own confession written written written writ writ- ten and signed by you asked Brown Yes sir You make this of your own free freewill freewill freewill will without monetary or other inducement in- in Nol shouted Scalon Seaton urith redden energy l J tl I I II II I I l lt lv t v I lt sC a as s of any kind and knowing the consequences Yes consequences Yes It contains the whole truth nothIng nothing nothing noth noth- ing but the truth and nothing more than the truth Its lilts all nIl true answered Seaton Theres nothing that al aint t true in It t You Induced Mr Garretts Garrett's b boys s 's with small sums suras of ot money to bring you the time stones and you ou sold them to the time man Van Yan Vorst on a basis of one one- fourth of their carat value you ou say I did How much do you ou comp compute te that you ou paid to the bo boys s 's In the form forO of ot bribes One hundred and twelve pounds nine shillings and returned returned returned re re- re- re turned Seaton promptly Who supplied d you oU with this money Mr De Witt there The Time stir in the courtroom was ryas followed fol rol- followed lowed by Intense silence Your Tour motive w was s to make money No I 1 shouted Seaton with sudden I energy It was fear of oC that man manlio lio ti-ho has hounded me for twenty years curs He lie leaned forward mind and thrust out Iut his hs hand toward tm De Witt who ruse rose to his feet slowly stO ills His lawi lawyer er pull pulled cd him down and leaped to his Ills feet I 1 object object- he lie be began anNot an Not sustained snapped Crawford In what wn way and wh why has Mr De Witt hounded you ou Inquired Seaton's Seatons Seatons Seaton's Sea Sea- tons ton's law lawyer er Are you ou willing to waive privilege and make a full statement state stute- meat ment to this court 7 Yes Ill I'll tell you yuu cried Seaton what 1 come back for because Id I'd rather be a a dead dog on a |