Part 2 (1/2)

”Well, do you know,” said Anson, in a confidential way, ”I don't think I should make a bad one. I know I should like it better than the work I do now. But look what a big strong fellow this one is. I wonder whether he has any.”

”Half-a-dozen, I daresay,” said West, looking curiously at another stalwart black, who came forward slowly and unwillingly to take the place of the second man, set aside for punishment.

”N-n-no,” said Anson thoughtfully. ”I don't think this one has any.”

”Why?” asked West.

”I can't say,” replied Anson dreamily. ”I only know that I don't think he has any.” And, as it happened, the most rigid examination failed to discover any of the gems. But, all the same, the culprit was set aside for punishment, two of the watchers present at the examination declaring that they had seen him put his hand to his mouth and swallow something.

The next man, upon being summoned to the stool, came up boldly and displayed a child-like eagerness to prove his innocence, opening his mouth widely and pa.s.sing his fore-fingers round between gums and cheeks, thrusting his little fingers into his ears, and then bending down and going through the motion of one was.h.i.+ng his head.

But he did not wash any gems out of his shock of little nubbly curls.

”No got no dymons, boss,” he cried. ”Me go now, boss?”

”No,” said the chief searcher sharply. ”Clap that foot of yours upon the stool.”

The black stared at him hard and shook his head.

”Do you hear?” cried the searcher. ”Clap that right foot upon the stool.”

The black stared at him vacantly, shook his head again, and turned to the second searcher, who translated the order into the man's own tongue.

At this the black smiled and nodded. Then, turning to the chief searcher, he placed his bare left foot upon the stool.

”No, no: the other,” cried the stern official, pointing to the right foot, and the order was emphasised by his a.s.sistant.

Once more the black looked intelligent, placed both his feet upon the ground, changed them several times by shuffling them about, and once more placed his left foot upon the stool.

Anson chuckled with delight, and turned to West.

But this act on the part of the black was too much for the chief searcher's composure.

”Up with the black scoundrel's foot!” he roared, and his a.s.sistant seized the black's ankle, and gave it such a vigorous hoist that the man's equilibrium was upset, so that, though the foot was planted firmly on the stool, he fell over backwards, leaving his support upon the stool, where it was probed by the searchers, who were not at all surprised to find a large stone hidden between the little and the next toe.

”There's a blackguard!” cried Anson excitedly, turning to his companions. ”He ought to be well flogged, and no mistake. Well, I never!”

The last words were uttered in disgust at the man's behaviour, for he burst into a hearty laugh as if thoroughly enjoying the discovery, professing at the same time to be utterly astonished.

”How come there?” he cried. ”'Tick 'tween um toe--so.”

He ill.u.s.trated ”so” by stamping his foot down over and over again and raising it up, the last time cleverly picking an ordinary pebble from the ground with his toes, and holding it out as easily as if he had used his fingers and thumb.

But his action had no effect upon those around, who were well used to the Kaffirs' tricks, and received everything with the grimmest of looks as they pa.s.sed their prisoner along for punishment, and finally ordered forward the last man. This prisoner took West's attention from the first, for he was a well-built, keenly intelligent-looking fellow, who seemed quite awake to his position and behaved throughout with a calm air of conscious innocence.

It struck West, too, that the Kaffir kept on gazing very hard at Anson, as if attracted by his gently-smiling, innocent-looking face, and as if he were silently pleading to the most amiable-looking personage of the party to intercede for him and save him from punishment.

Anson, however, did not appear to notice the man's eager looks, being too much interested in the search for illicitly-acquired stones, and eagerly watching every phase of the proceedings, his eyes sparkling and cheeks flushed with pink at every fresh discovery, while he rubbed his hands and looked from one to the other with all the pleasure of some big, fat, stupid child.

”Now then,” cried the chief searcher roughly; ”come along.”