CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.
ANSON IN A HOLE--AND SOMETHING ELSE.
"Don't worry about the diamond charge!" said the Commandant; but OliverWest did, day after day, though he got better fast and was soon able togo and sit with Ingleborough, who slowly recovered, as a man does whohas had nearly all the life-blood drained from his body. West worried,and Ingle borough did too; for those were anxious days, those inKimberley, which brought strong men low, even near to despair, while thewounded, weak, and sick were often ready to think that relief wouldnever come.
West and Ingleborough recovered from their wounds only gradually, tosuffer with the rest, returning to duty when really unfit, while thedeadly work went on, the men braving the shell and shot with more spiritwhen they knew that the women and children were safe within the mines.
Then came the day of relief, and with it the feeling that a long nightof misery and despair had ended; and that night West and Ingleboroughgrasped hands, the former's pale sallow face lighting up with somethingof his old look, as he exclaimed: "Now, if the General would only marchin with his prisoners, and bring Anson before us face to face!"
Everything, the proverb says, comes to the man who waits, and certainlyit was so here, for the day did come when the General rode in at thehead of his dashing cavalry brigade, and, what was more, with theprisoners, and with them Anson, very much reduced in weight.
There was something more than mere eagerness to be freed from anaccusation which led the two young men down to the General's camp nextmorning to wait until they could see him in their turn.
On their way they sought out the sergeant who had had Anson under hischarge, and he grinned at them in recognition.
"You were about right, gentlemen," he said, "about that prisoner."
"What about him?" said West eagerly.
"About his being an Englishman. I've seen a lot of him along with theother prisoners, and he's as English as can be. Piet Retif! Why, he'sgot James Anson written on the tails of his shirts--that is, what he'sgot left."
"But look here, sergeant," said Ingleborough anxiously: "what about hiswagon?"
"Oh, that's all right, sir! Loaded up."
"Has he had the run of it?"
"Not he, sir. He wanted to, but I only let him get some under-toggery,shirts and such. I couldn't refuse him that!"
"Did he go alone?"
"Yes, sir."
"Quite?"
"Well, not quite, sir, because I was with him."
"Hah!" sighed Ingleborough, in a tone full of relief.
"I've stuck to him, by the General's orders, ever since. Like a leech,sir," said the sergeant, in conclusion--"like a leech."
The cavalry General welcomed the young men warmly, and, as it happened,the same four officers were with him, ready to join in the greeting.
"I never expected to see you two fellows again," said one of them,laughing. "I was out with my men when you were cut off. Why, you musthave had a very narrow escape!"
"Of course," said the General, laughing; "but that has been the fashion:we have all had narrow escapes. Well, you got safely in with yourdespatch?"
"We got in with our despatch, sir!" said West rather grimly, "but notsafely;" and he briefly told their adventures.
"Bravo! Well done!" was chorussed.
"Why, you two will have to join the regulars!" said the General. "Wecan't have men like you for volunteers! Think it over, and, if youdecide to join, come to me, and I'll see what I can do! Now then, don'twant to be rude; but I have no time for ordinary visitors. You sentword in that you wanted to see me on important business. What is it?"
"You speak," said Ingleborough, and West began.
"We want to know about the prisoner taken that day, sir--the man whosaid he was a Boer."
"I remember," cried the General. "I have him safe."
"When is he to be tried, sir?"
"Can't say; he will be handed over to the authorities who see to suchthings now. You said he was a renegade who had joined the Boers."
"Yes, sir, after being charged with illicit-diamond-dealing with theKaffirs working at the great Kimberley mines; and we want you to giveorders for the wagon he had with him to be searched."
"His wagon searched?" cried the General. "How am I to know which wagonhe had?"
"The sergeant knows where it is, sir," replied West; "and we couldrecognise it directly."
"But why do you want it searched--what for?"
"For diamonds, sir, that he brought away from Kimberley, and which youhave brought back."
"H'm! Diamonds, eh? This sounds interesting!" said the General. "Youthink he has some there?"
"We both believe he has, sir, and of great value."
"What do you say, gentlemen?"
"Oh, let's have the search made by all means!" cried one of theofficers, laughing. "It may mean salvage and loot, and all sorts ofgood things!"
"Very well! Take the matter up, and I'll see the search made! Let theprisoner be present, of course. I'll be ready in half-an-hour."
Punctually to the minute the General was ready, and he walked downthrough the temporary camp to where the wagon stood among scores ofothers, while the sergeant and four men stood by with Anson, who lookedshifty and uncomfortable, wincing suddenly as he caught sight of Westand Ingleborough, and then gazing sharply about at the mounted Lancerson duty as patrols, for the prisoners were many, and there had beenseveral attempts at escape.
The General looked at him sharply, and then at the wagon.
"Is that your wagon, prisoner?"
"It was till you took it!" replied the young man surlily.
"What do you say, sergeant?"
"Yes, sir," answered the sergeant, with military brevity. "I marked itwith my knife the day that it was taken."
As he spoke he laid a finger upon a couple of notches he had made in thewood-work.
"Now then," said the General, "before I have the wagon examined--"
Anson's eyes twitched.
"Repeat the charge you made against this man!" continued the General.
Ingleborough now firmly repeated almost word for word what he had beforesaid, and charged Anson with being an illicit-diamond-dealer.
"And upon what do you base this charge?" said the General sternly.
"The personal knowledge of myself and friend here," repliedIngleborough.
"All lies, General," cried Anson excitedly. "Those two are charging mewith what they did themselves. They were illicit-diamond-dealers, andwhen they were found out they tried to plant the crime on me. Alllies!"
"Crime? Yes," said the General thoughtfully. "Yes; I suppose it is oneof the greatest crimes that a man can commit in Kimberley. All lies,eh! Well, sir, not all, for it is evident from your speech that you arean Englishman and not a Boer. I judge too that you were in thecompany's office at Kimberley."
"Oh yes, General," said Anson; "that is true, and through the plottingof these two men I was turned out of my situation."
"And then deserted to the Boers?"
"No, General. I was obliged to do something for a living, so I bought awagon to go in for trade; but I was captured by the Boers and they havekept me a prisoner ever since. Then you fought the Boers and beat them,and took me prisoner again. That's why I'm here."
"An Englishman--prisoner to your own countrymen? Why did you notdeclare what you were? What did he say his name was, sergeant?"
"Said he was a Boer and his name was Piet Retif, sir," said thesergeant, with a look of disgust at Anson's fat face.
"Yes; that looks black against him!" said the General. "He is takenwith the Boers, while those who charge him are men of trust, beingchosen to bear despatches."
"Because they were not found out, sir!" cried Anson. "There never was aworse pair of cheats and tricksters."
"Perhaps not!" said the General. "So you were a prisoner with theBoers, my man?"
"Yes, General, and very glad to see the British troops come up and gainsuch
a success."
"You said that you was a dealer in mealies and corn," growled thesergeant.
"Well, a man must do something for his living."
"Of course," said the General. "Well, you look simple and innocentenough."
"I am, sir, really!" cried Anson.
"And never engaged in illicit-diamond-dealing?"
"Me, sir? Never," cried Anson virtuously. "I was only charged by thosetwo to save themselves! Then they got on, and I was trampled down."
"And joined the Boers out of revenge, eh?"
"No, sir: it was all fate and accident."
"Well, fate is very unkind to us sometimes, my man," said the General."That is your wagon and span of oxen, you say?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, you have prospered by your change. What did you say you tradedin?"
"Provender, sir--mealies and corn."
"And you?" cried the General, turning sharply to West. "What do youthink he deals in?"
"I believe he deals in diamonds, sir," replied West.
"Why?" said the General.
"For one reason, sir, because my friend, in whom I have perfect faith,caught him in the act."
"Yes: anything more?"
"I know him to be a cowardly liar, sir, and--"
"Oh!" groaned Anson. "I never heard anything like it."
"Go on," said the General.
"Lastly, sir, because he set it about that I had volunteered to carry adespatch to Mafeking so as to get away with the diamonds I hadsmuggled."
"And did you?" said the General.
"I got away to Mafeking with the despatch!" said West, smiling.
"And where are the diamonds in question?"
"My friend and I believe that they are in James Anson's wagon," saidWest bitterly, for he felt bitter then against the traitor, whoseproceedings he recalled when they were prisoners. Later on he felt alittle sorry for his words.
"Oh!" cried Anson, throwing up his hands and looking appealingly at theGeneral, who fixed him with his eyes.
"Well," he said; "what have you to say to this?"
"It's abominable, sir--it's atrocious--it's cruel!"
"Then you have no smuggled diamonds with you?"
"No, sir," cried Anson excitedly. "They charged me once before, and hadmy wagon searched by the police."
"And did the police find any?"
"No, sir, not one! It was a blind, sir, so that they might carry offtheirs by throwing the police off the scent. I'll be bound to say theyhave a lot with them now!"
"Well, I doubt that!" said the General, smiling. "Where would theycarry them?"
"Oh, sir, you don't know what artful tricks are played!" said Ansoneagerly.
"Oh, I've heard of a few since I came to South Africa; but I don't thinkit likely that a couple of despatch-riders would carry manyillicit-diamonds with them!"
"Have the butts of their revolvers examined, sir, and the stuffing oftheir saddles," cried Anson. "I have heard of the butts of rifles beingbored to hold a lot."
"So have I!" said the General; "but I fancy a wagon would be more likelyto supply hiding-places!"
"Oh yes, sir, but the police inspector searched my wagon, and did notfind any."
"You would have no objection, of course, being perfectly innocent," saidthe General, "to some of my men searching your wagon?"
"Of course, I shouldn't like it, sir, but--"
"But? Ah, you mean conquest gives me the right of search?"
"It's like casting a slur on a man's character, sir."
"But it makes it shine out the brighter when you are proved to beinnocent! Here, sergeant, this case begins to be interesting! Searchour friend's wagon."
Anson tried to master a wince, and merely shrugged his shoulders,standing with his hands in his pockets while the sergeant and his mencommenced their task, examining every part of the wagon while theofficers waited patiently, lighting up and smoking their cigars untilthe sergeant came back to make his report.
"Well, what have you found?"
"Nothing but these, sir," replied the sergeant stiffly. "Tucked awaybehind the doubled tilt they were, sir," and the man held out arevolver, Anson's sword-stick, and his little mahogany flute-case.
"Humph! No diamonds, sergeant?"
"Not so much as a pin or ring, sir," replied the man.
"Are these yours, Mr Piet Retif?" said the General.
"The walking-stick and the flute-case are mine," said Anson coolly."The pistol must be the driver's. I had a rifle; but your men took thataway."
"Nothing else?" said the General.
"Nothing else, sir. We looked everywhere," replied the sergeant, and heoffered his superior the objects he had brought; but the Generalshrugged his shoulders and looked at his officers, who each examined therevolver, stick, and flute-case, and passed them back to the sergeant.
"Well, gentlemen," said the General, turning to West and Ingleborough:"you hear. What have you to say now?"
"The prisoner owned to these things being his!" said Ingleborough.
"No, I didn't!" said Anson sharply. "Revolver isn't mine."
"Only lent to you, perhaps," said Ingleborough, taking the weapon fromthe sergeant's hands and cocking it, making Anson wince.
"I'm not going to fire," said Ingleborough, smiling contemptuously, ashe held the pistol in both hands with his thumb-nails together on thetop of the butt. Then, pressing the cock sidewise, the butt opened fromend to end upon a concealed hinge, showing that it was perfectlyhollowed out and that half-a-dozen large diamonds lay within, closelypacked in cotton wool.
Anson turned clay-coloured.
"'Tisn't mine!" he cried. "I know nothing about it!"
"Well, never mind," said the General; "it is ours now. An interestingbit of loot, gentlemen!"
There was a murmur of voices at this, and as soon as the pistol had beenhanded round the butt was closed with a sharp snap, and the Generalturned to Ingleborough again.
"Well, sir," he said: "is that all?"
"I am not sure," replied Ingleborough; "but I am suspicious about thatstick."
"You think it is hollowed out?"
"Yes, sir," said Ingleborough, and, taking it in his hands, he drew itapart, dragging into the light from its sheath a handsome Damascenedthree-edged blade, which he held against the cane, proving that theblade went right down to the ferrule at the end.
"What about the handle?" said one of the officers eagerly, asIngleborough thrust back the blade into its cane sheath.
"That is what I suspect!" said Ingleborough, and he carefully examinedthe silver-gilt tip, but twisted and turned it in vain, for there seemedto be no way of opening it, till all at once he tried to twist thesheath portion beneath the double ring which divided hilt from sheath,when the handle turned for about half-an-inch and was then drawn off,disclosing a hollow shell lining which held another deposit of diamondspacked in cotton wool.
"More loot, gentlemen!" said the General, smiling. "What comes next?"
"The flute," cried two voices together, and Ingleborough opened thecase, showing the three joints fitting tightly in the velvet-linedcompartments.
"A silent musical instrument!" said the General, smiling.
"Can anyone play the overture to the Crown Diamonds?" said one of the_aides-de-camp_ merrily.
"This is the overture!" said another, and Ingleborough took out twojoints in turn, perfectly empty, fitted them together, and then took outthe top joint, to put that in its proper position, before raising theinstrument to his lips and running up and down the gamut.
"Nothing there," said the General.
But Ingleborough lowered the flute, held it in both hands, and drew itapart at the tuning-slide, held it sidewise, and then unscrewed the topplug, showing an opening, out of which he shook a magnificent gem ofgreat size and perfect make.
"Bravo!" cried the General excitedly. And then: "I'm afraid, Mr Dealerin mealies and corn, the judgment will go dead against you. Have youdone?" h
e continued, turning to Ingleborough.
"Not quite, sir!" replied the latter. "Come, West, don't let me get allthe credit for unmasking the scoundrel."
"Look here," cried Anson viciously, "I protest against being called ascoundrel! Those are my private savings, invested in what were boughthonestly."
"I think, sir, you had better keep your tongue silent until we havequite done!" said the General.
Then, turning to the two young men, he bade them go on.
"Come, West," said Ingleborough, "you suspect where our friend who is noscoundrel has hidden more diamonds, do you not?"
"Well, yes," said West, rather unwillingly, for the whole businessdisgusted him.
"Speak out, then! I am sure it is in the same place as I think he hasmore plunder; but you shall have your turn now."
"No, no; go on," said West warmly.
"If you suspect that there is some place unsearched," said the Generalsternly, "speak out, sir."
"Then I believe, sir," said West, "that if the water-cask that is slungunder the wagon is opened you will find a number of diamonds hiddenthere!"
There was a burst of excitement at this, everyone present speaking savethe sergeant, who did a bit of pantomime which meant: "Of course!" forhe bent down and gave his leg a sounding slap.
"Yes," said Ingleborough; "that is where I meant."
"Why, I thought o' that once," cried the sergeant, "and then I says tomyself: `That's too stoopid a place; no one would hide diamonds wherethey're sure to be found'; but I crept underneath on my hands and kneesand gave it a swing so as to make the water wash about inside. Thatsatisfied me, and I came away."
"You have hit the mark, Mr West," said the General, smiling. "There isno doubt about it! Look at the prisoner's face!"
Anson tried hard to pull it back into its normal shape, for he had beengazing at West with a malignant look that meant anything from arifle-shot to a stab with a bayonet.
"Now, sergeant, see if you can do better this time!" cried the General,as Anson's mouth shut with a click.
Then he stood fast with his brow wrinkled and his hands clenched,waiting expectantly with the rest of those present until the cask wasset free from the raw-hide reins by which it was slung under the hindpart of the wagon, and then rolled out, giving forth the regular hollowsound of a barrel half-full of liquid.
"Only sounds like water!" muttered the sergeant, and he set it running,to soak into the dry ground, and draining out as much as he could,before giving an order to the nearest man to take hold of one end whilehe raised the other, both men looking stern and severe in the extreme.Then together they gave the cask a lusty shake, and the sound whichfollowed was that of some shovels full of pebbles rattling in theinside.
The next minute they had set the cask down on end with a grin ofdelight, which was taken up by their fellows, while a satisfied smiledawned upon the faces of the _aides-de-camp_.
"Here, stop that fellow!" shouted one of the officers, for, in spite ofhis heaviness, Anson proved that he could be active enough uponoccasion, and this was one; for, seizing his opportunity, he dived underthe wagon, and by the time the soldiers had run round to the other sidehe was off, dodging in and out among the wagons in the mad idea that hecould escape; but before he had gone a hundred yards he came outsuddenly upon a mounted man, and the next instant he went sprawling overa lance-shaft, and the steel-shod butt end was planted upon his back tokeep him from rising.
"Pity you should have taken all that trouble!" said the sergeant, as hecame panting up, followed by his men, "because we might want you to tellus all a bit about the value of them stones! Now then, up with you.Let him get up, Lancer! And see here, my lad, if you cut and runagain--being a prisoner caught in the act of trying to escape--my menhave orders to fire, and you're so broad and fat that they are sure tobring you down first shot."
Anson glared at the men's rifles and fixed bayonets, but he saidnothing, marching back between the men to the spot where he had left theGeneral and his old fellow-clerks; but the barrel had been carried to aplace of safety, and those who had witnessed his discomfiture had gone.
Half-an-hour later he had been marched out of the camp, and was underlock and key in the military prison, a sentry being posted at the door.
CHAPTER FORTY.
WINDING UP.
The adventures of Oliver West and his friend Ingleborough were prettywell at an end; and it was time, for between wounds and exposure theyhad been brought to a state which necessitated plenty of rest andcomforts to enable them to quite recover themselves. Of feasting,praising, and complimenting they had their fill--more than enough, Westsaid, for he declared that the hues of returning health which werecoming into his cheeks were only blushes caused by the way in whichpeople talked about his bravery, dash, "and all that stuff."
Ingleborough took it all more contentedly.
"I don't mind their praising us!" he said. "Frankly, I rather like it;and, without bragging, I think we did earn it all!"
"Well, we did run some risks!" said West; "and of course it's much nicerfor our friends to know that we escaped and are alive and well."
"And a jolly deal nicer for us too. But what do you say to joining thearmy? After what the General said I think we might both getcommissions."
"Perhaps," said West; "but it's doubtful now that everything is settlingdown. I feel disposed to invest my share of the loot and to stop onwith the company after the splendid offer they have made me. Hadn't youbetter do the same?"
"I'm nearly half disposed to, Noll," replied Ingleborough; "but morethan half inclined to go into the police altogether. I've had aninvitation, and I think the life would suit me better than settling downto a desk. Yes, this settles it! I shall go on to Norton and say`Yes.'"
"Well, I'm sorry," said West; "but at the same time I'm glad, for you'llmake a splendid officer!"
"Here, hold hard! I don't want to hear you begin puffing me. By theway, you heard the news about Fatty Anson?"
"No, not a word!" cried West excitedly.
"Promoted."
"Nonsense! What a shame!"
"It's a fact, my lad! He has just received his commission in MrsPartington's Brigade."
"What!" cried West. "Oh, this is some bit of chaff!"
"Oh no!" said Ingleborough, laughing. "It's a fact. The regimentemployed by the old lady to help her keep out the Atlantic with a mop."
"Bah! You mean that he has been sentenced with other convicts to helpto build the Cape breakwater?"
"Good boy! Quite right! For five years!" replied Ingleborough.
"Well," said West thoughtfully, "I suppose he deserves it, and I hope hewill become a better fellow when he has served his time."
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