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Show i DIAMONDS )1 FOR A DRINK H. M. EGBERT (Copyright, 1915, by W. G. Chapman.) Vanderhuizen, the big Dutchman, stepped aboard the downcountry train from Kimberley, South Africa, en route for Cape Town. He laid his suit case carelessly upon the rack, placed his hand upon his breast to make sure that the package for which he had risked many years of freedom, was there, and sat down in a seat, looking look-ing out at the desert landscape. At Boshof a stranger came into the train, looked keenly about him, and finally, spotting Vanderhuizen, seated himself opposite him. Vanderhuizen recognized him as a man named James, from Kimberley also; he had once been a mine guard, but had been dismissed for some dishonesty. He had contrived in some way to avoid the clutches of the law, always severe on buyers of diamonds from the native quarrymen. Vanderhuizen nodded surlily. James was the last person in the world that he wanted to see just then. . James smiled sardonically. "Come Into the smoker. Van," he said, "and j we can discuss business." Vanderhuizen uttered an oath and his hand stole in a betraying manner to the package Inside his coat. He saw James' eyes follow the movement and realized .that he was trapped. Sullenly Sul-lenly he arose and accompanied him. "Well?" he growled, as they took their places in the empty smoker. "Halves!" said James, laconically. "I'm fly." "Curse you!" said Vanderhuizen. "It's a lucky thing you met me," returned re-turned James, quietly. "Do you know Thompson of the Kimberley police?" "What of him?" "He's in the next compartment. He's nndoubtedly waiting to arrest you as "Hand Over the Bag!" soon as you step off the train. If he can get you to Cape Town without doing do-ing so, he will save himself a lot of trouble. That's why I came I got wind of the affair." The big Dutchman scowled fearfully. Seven years on the breakwater for Illicit diamond buying was the last thing in the world that he wanted. And the stones in his breast pocket were worth twelve thousand pounds anywhere. "What's the game?" he demanded. "Halves?" questioned James. "I suppose so." "I've telegraphed for two saddle horses to wait at Klipfontein station. We'll get there at dark. We can make a dash from the train, mount and be away before Thompson spots us. The saddle-bags are loaded with a week's food. In three days we can cross the desert to Khama's Land, where we can pick up an ox wagon and make our way tnto Johannesburg. Thompson will be clean of" the scent. It will take him a couple of hours to find a horse, and then he won't know for sure that we are going to Khama's Land." "I'm with you," replied Vanderhuizen, Vander-huizen, curtly. At Klipfontein the program was carried out. As the train drew, shrieking, shriek-ing, up to the station, the confederates leaped from the carriage. At the rear of the platform a native man was waiting with two saddle horses, tough little PSasuto ponies, of the kind that would carry their loads where no European horse could go. Two leaps into the saddles, two pulls at the reins, and the thieves were padding quickly through the single street .of the settlement settle-ment and out into the desert. They looked back when they reached the sand. In the distance they saw a crowd gathered about a tall man who was making futile efforts to strike a quick bargain for a horse. They rode till evening. When the moon came up they were alone upon the desert. They dismounted, made a fire from the scanty thorn scrub, and cooked some of the meat in James' saddle bags. On either side of the saddle sad-dle hung a large water bag, the moisture mois-ture from which, evaporating, kept the contents cold as spring water. They watered the horses scantily. They watched by turns and started out at dawn. It was ten miles to the nearest water pool, where the water bags were to be refilled. "I believe we've missed the pool," said James, toward noon. All around them was the shimmering desert, devoid de-void now even of thorn scrub. The horses panted from the heat. James gave them the last of the water. "We'll strike another water hole before dark," he said to his companion. compan-ion. But they did not strike the water hole, and by sunset the horses were unable to proceed farther. James' was down, and Vanderhuizen's stood trembling, and evidently on its last legs. "We had better press on afoot," said James. "I know there is a water hole at the foot of the mountains." And he pointed to where the blue outlines out-lines of a distant range rose against the cloudless sky. He removed his saddle bags and slung them across his shoulders, and the two men proceeded wearily. James lagged behind Vanderhuizen, who, tortured tor-tured by thirst, walked like a man in a nightmare. On they went, hour after aft-er hour, till suddenly the big Dutchman Dutch-man went down. "You'd best leave me; I'm done for," he murmured. James set down his saddle bags, opened them, and pulled out a bottle of water. He held it in the air. Vanderhuizen Van-derhuizen leaped to his feet, to find himself looking down the muzzle of a revolver. "Hand over the bag," said James, briefly. "You scoundrel!" shouted Vanderhuizen, Vander-huizen, through his swollen lips. "This bottle for your half," James pursued. "And I know where to find the water hole." Vanderhuizen glared at him; then, with a gesture of despair, he took the precious bag from his breast and tossed it to the other. For a man will give all that he has to save his life. Next moment Vanderhuizen had knocked the head off the bottle and was gulping down the life-giving fluid. James watched him sardonically. sardonic-ally. "You will find the water hole half a mile distant, at the foot of that elevation," eleva-tion," he said, indicating a hummock in the sand. And he watched Vanderhuizen Vander-huizen stagger away. He went back to the horses and, knocking the heads off the other bottles, bot-tles, poured the contents down their throats. The animals, revived, staggered stag-gered to their feet. His own horse was done for, but Vanderhuizen's seemed capable of carrying him to his destination another water hole along the wagon route' across the desert, which he knew like a boQk. At last he reached tho place. He shackled his horse to a torn tree and climbed the ascent toward the hollow crater in which lay the pond. But when he reached the summit he found himself him-self staring down into a dry mud hole. : The water had dried up under the influence of the hot sun and an unusually unus-ually long dry season. For a few minutes he could not believe be-lieve his eyes. Then he lost his self-control. self-control. He would have to go back to Vanderhuizen. And his bottles were empty. He was parched with thirst, and his animal was incapable of proceeding pro-ceeding farther. For hours he raved beside the water hole, clenching his fists and calling down curses upon his luck. He spread the diamonds in a little heap before him and looked at the dull pebbles, each one worth a little lake of wine. And for all these he could not get so much water as would wet his lips. "I'll go back then back to Vanderhuizen," Vander-huizen," he muttered, and flung himself him-self upon the rocks. "When 1 am rested. . . ." But nature, outraged, revenged herself her-self upon him by drawing down hia eyelids, and he slept profoundly. "Get up, James!" He started to his feet. The sun waa high in the sky. Before him stood Vanderhuizen and Inspector Thompson. Thomp-son. "I want you, James," said the in spector, fingering the bag of diamonds, which he had taken from beside the sleeping man. "I thought Vanderhuizen Vander-huizen was the man I was after, but-well, but-well, you understand. Your horse is dead, but you won't mind a little walk of twenty-five miles or so?; Yob see we've got plenty of water." |