A Dash from Diamond City Part 10

"Of course he'll never come back to us, and he knows it, or he'd never put on this defiant manner. Hark at him!"

For at that moment the object of their thoughts shouted loudly: "Here, you two spies, what are you waiting behind for? Come in and help search the place."

West frowned and hung back, but Ingleborough laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Come along," he said; "you must help me to see it through! It isn't pleasant, but it's part of one's duty."

The next minute they were in Anson's combined bed and sitting room, a very ordinary-looking place, with the simplest of furniture and plenty of suggestions all round of spots where an ingenious man might have hidden a little fortune in diamonds; for the mud walls were lined with matchboard, the ceiling was of the same material, and then there was the floor, where in any part a board could have been lifted and a receptacle made for the precious crystals, without counting the articles of furniture, including the bedding.

"I'm sorry I have no more chairs, gentlemen," said the tenant banteringly. "Sit on the table, and three of you can make a sofa of the bed. Never mind tumbling it! You'll do nothing compared to Mr Superintendent Norton when he begins. I say, though, you should have given me notice of all this, and then I'd have had a carpenter here to skin the walls and ceiling so as to have made everything nice and easy for you. I say, Mr Norton, you'll want a pickaxe and shovel directly, won't you?"

The directors had paid no heed to the speaker's bantering remarks, but the superintendent was getting hot, tired, and annoyed by the constant chatter of the man he was longing to arrest; and, though he had treated everything so far with calm indifference, his lack of success in his search for something incriminating in such places as experience had taught him were in favour with those who carried on diamond-smuggling began now to tell upon his temper, and he turned sharply upon the speaker: to snap out words which showed that his thoughts ran on all-fours with those of Ingleborough.

"Look here, young man!" he said; "I don't know whether you are aware of it, but you are hard at work building up a black case against yourself, and if you're not careful you'll find yourself before long working out your two years as a convict on the Cape Town breakwater."

"I shall!" cried Anson. "What for? Where's your evidence? You've got a jumped-up c.o.c.k-and-bull story made by a fellow-clerk who says one thing while I say another. You've only his word for it. You've found no diamonds on me, and you've found none in my lodgings."

"Not yet," said the superintendent meaningly.

"Oh, I see! Not yet! Go on, then, pray! I'm not paid by time, so I can afford to lose a few hours. Search away! Perhaps our clever friend Ingleborough can tell you where to look. Perhaps he wouldn't like to, though. It would hurt his feelings to accuse a brother-clerk of being an illicit trader. But don't mind me, Ingle. It's good sport for you.

Why don't you help, and think you're a good little boy playing at 'hot boiled beans and very good b.u.t.ter' again? Now then, Norton's going across to the other side. You should call out 'colder' when he's going away from the place, and 'warmer' when he gets nearer. Then 'hot,' and last of all 'burning.' Come, keep up the game!"

"I should just like to ram that pair of clean socks between your teeth, my fine fellow, and keep it there with a leather strap," muttered the officer; and, as if about to put his wish into practice, he stooped and picked up the closely rolled-up pair of socks lying with some other articles of attire placed freshly washed upon a shelf by Anson's landlady.

"Now then," cried Anson boisterously, "cry 'burning,' somebody: there must be some diamonds inside that!"

The directors frowned, and Ingleborough and West looked on angrily as the officer dashed the soft woollen ball back upon the heap and then went on with his search for nearly an hour.

By this time the lookers-on were as much disgusted as the superintendent.

"I'm very sorry, gentlemen," he cried; "but I can do no more. There is nothing else to be done unless we have my men in and regularly strip the wood-work down."

"Oh, pray have them in, then," cried Anson. "If I were you I'd--"

"Silence, sir!" cried the chief director fiercely, and Anson stared.

"We have not the slightest doubt of your guilt. Your conduct all through has proved it. That will do, Mr Norton."

"You think the evidence sufficient to justify an arrest, gentlemen?"

"We will consult together," replied the director who had just spoken, "and communicate our decision to you."

"What, aren't you satisfied yet?" cried Anson mockingly.

"Quite," replied his chief; "and of course, sir, your post is vacant.

For the present, Mr Norton, you will keep an eye upon this man, and see that he does not leave the town."

"Unless I'm very much mistaken, sir," said the superintendent, "neither our friend here nor anyone else will leave Kimberley for some time to come."

"Is it so bad as that?"

"Yes, sir. The Boers are gradually closing in, I am told. But I'll keep an eye on Mr Anson here all the same."

Five minutes later the party were on their way back to the mine buildings, where the first thing that West heard was that the Boers were gathering in great force, and, as far as could be judged, were making the Diamond City their objective.

Troubles were gathering fast, and news kept on coming hotter and hotter.

West and Ingleborough were back in their places at the office, talking over the war news and mingling with it the scenes they had just gone through.

"Norton promised me he'd call in here when he left the governors," said Ingleborough.

"Then he must have forgotten it," replied West, "for he has been with them quite an hour. I say, I didn't know that you were such a friend of the superintendent."

"Well, I'm not in the habit of talking much," said Ingleborough, smiling. "But I do like him; he's such a straightforward, manly fellow, and I take so much interest in the way he runs down criminals. I often wish I had joined the detectives who have this diamond-smuggling in hand."

"Pst! here he is!" said West quickly, for there were steps outside, and directly after a sharp rap at the door.

"May I come in, Ingleborough?"

"Yes. _Entrez_! West said you'd gone."

"Did he? You knew I was not?"

Ingleborough nodded.

"What have they decided?" he asked.

"To let the matter drift for the present: only I'm to keep an eye on the scoundrel. They say that we shall all have our hands full enough directly in strengthening the town, and they're right. I'm afraid we're going to have a warm time."

"Think they'll attack us?" asked West.

"Safe to. Now's the time for you volunteers to show what you're made of, for I believe that the enemy will make straight for Kimberley. Our getting the diamond-fields has always been a sore point with them, and we shall have our work cut out to save them."

"Yes," said Ingleborough thoughtfully, "and if I'm not mistaken, you'll have more cause to watch Anson than for smuggling. He has his knife into the company."

"Exactly," said Norton; "and if he can make friends with and help the enemy, he will."

"You mean he'll be a dangerous spy in the camp?" said West excitedly.

"That's it, Mr West; but if he plays that game and is caught his punishment will not be a couple of years on the breakwater."

"No," said Ingleborough: "the military will deal with him then."

"How?" asked West, whose veins began to tingle and a cold shuddering sensation to run down his spine.

"A couple of lines of infantry, a volley of musketry, and--"

"Finis," said the superintendent. "Good day. I don't wish him any harm; but I feel pretty sure he'll run straight into some trap. That sort of fellow always does."

The next minute the door had closed upon the superintendent, and the two young men sat thoughtfully looking in each other's eyes.