ow do I know
it is a diamond? These large stones are the most deceitful. Show it me,
this instant," said he imperiously.

"Iss, master," said the crushed Hottentot, with the voice of a mouse,
and put the stone into his hand with a child-like faith that almost
melted Staines; but he saw he must be firm. "Where did you find it?" he
bawled.

"Master," said poor Squat, in deprecating tones, "my little master at
the farm wanted plaster. He send to Bulteel's pan; dere was large lumps.
Squat say to miners, 'May we take de large lumps? Dey say, 'Yes; take de
cursed lumps we no can break.' We took de cursed lumps. We ride 'em in
de cart to farm twenty milses. I beat 'em with my hammer. Dey is very
hard. More dey break my heart dan I break their cursed heads. One day I
use strong words, like white man, and I hit one large lump too hard; he
break, and out come de white clear stone. Iss, him diamond. Long time we
know him in our kraal, because he hard. Long time before ever white man
know him, tousand years ago, we find him, and he make us lilly hole in
big stone for make wheat dust. Him a diamond, blank my eyes!"

This was intended as a solemn form of asseveration adapted to the white
man's habits.

Yes, reader, he told the truth; and strange to say, the miners knew
the largest stones were in these great lumps of carbonate, but then the
lumps were so cruelly hard, they lost all patience with them, and so,
finding it was no use to break some of them, and not all, they rejected
them all, with curses; and thus this great stone was carted away as
rubbish from the mine, and found, like a toad in a hole, by Squat.

"Well," said Christopher, "after all, you are an honest fellow, and I
think I will buy it; but first you must show me out of this wood; I am
not going to be eaten alive in it for want of the king of rifles."

Squat assented eagerly, and they started at once. They passed the
skeleton of the eland; its very bones were polished, and its head
carried into the wood; and looking back they saw vultures busy on the
lion. They soon cleared the wood.

Squat handed Staines the diamond--when it touched his hand, as his
own, a bolt of ice seemed to run down his back, and hot water to follow
it--and the money, horse, rifle, and skin were made over to Squat.

"Shake hands over it, Squat," said Staines; "you are hard, but you are
honest."

"Iss, master, I a good much hard and honest," said Squat.

"Good-by, old fellow."

"Good-