a　sort　of　apology。　　Bulteel　smiled　quietly；　and　asked　what　harm
  they　could　do　him；　raking　that　rubbish。　　〃Rake　it　all　avay；　mine
  vriends；〃　said　he：　〃ve　shall　thank　you　moch。〃
  He　then　invited　them　languidly　to　his　house。　　They　went　with　him；
  and　as　he　volunteered　no　more　remarks；　they　questioned　him；　and
  learned　his　father　had　been　a　Hollander；　and　so　had　his　vrow's。
  This　accounted　for　the　size　and　comparative　cleanliness　of　his
  place。　　It　was　stuccoed　with　the　lime　of　the　country　outside；　and
  was　four　times　as　large　as　the　miserable　farmhouses　of　the
  degenerate　Boers。　　For　all　this；　the　street　door　opened　on　the
  principal　room；　and　that　room　was　kitchen　and　parlor；　only　very
  large　and　wholesome。　　〃But；　Lord；〃　as　poor　dear　Pepys　used　to　blurt
  out〃to　see　how　some　folk　understand　cleanliness！〃　　The　floor　was
  made　of　powdered　ants'　nests；　and　smeared　with　fresh　cow…dung　every
  day。　　Yet　these　people　were　the　cleanest　Boers　in　the　colony。
  The　vrow　met　them；　with　a　snow…white　collar　and　cuffs　of　Hamburgh
  linen；　and　the　brats　had　pasty　faces　round　as　pumpkins；　but　shone
  with　soap。　　The　vrow　was　also　pasty…faced；　but　gentle；　and　welcomed
  them　with　a　smile；　languid；　but　unequivocal。
  The　Hottentots　took　their　horses；　as　a　matter　of　course。　　Their
  guns　were　put　in　a　corner。　　A　clean　cloth　was　spread；　and　they　saw
  they　were　to　sup　and　sleep　there；　though　the　words　of　invitation
  were　never　spoken。
  At　supper；　sun…dried　flesh；　cabbage；　and　a　savory　dish　the
  travellers　returned　to　with　gusto。　　Staines　asked　what　it　was：　the
  vrow　told　himlocusts。　　They　had　stripped　her　garden；　and　filled
  her　very　rooms；　and　fallen　in　heaps　under　her　walls；　so　she　had
  pressed　them；　by　the　million；　into　cakes；　had　salted　them　lightly；
  and　stored　them；　and　they　were　excellent；　baked。
  After　supper；　the　accomplished　Reginald；　observing　a　wire　guitar；
  tuned　it　with　some　difficulty；　and　so　twanged　it；　and　sang　ditties
  to　it；　that　the　flabby　giant's　pasty　face　wore　a　look　of　dreamy
  content　over　his　everlasting　pipe；　and　in　the　morning；　after　a
  silent　breakfast；　he　said；　〃Mine　vriends；　stay　here　a　year　or　two；
  and　rake　in　mine　rubbish。　　Ven　you　are　tired；　here　are　springbok
  and　antelopes；　and　you　can　shoot　mit　your　rifles；　and　ve　vil　cook
  them；　and　you　shall　zing　us　zongs　of　Vaderland。〃
  They　thanked　him　heartily；　and　said　they　would　stay　a　few　days；　at
  all　events。
  The　placid　Boer　went　a…farming；　and　the　pair　shouldered　their　pick
  and　shovel；　and　worked　on　their　heap　all　day；　and　found　a　number　of
  pretty　stones；　but　no　diamond。
  〃Come；〃　said　Falcon；　〃we　must　go　to　the　river；〃　and　Staines
  acquiesced。　　〃I　bow　to　experience；〃　said　he。
  At　the　threshold　they　found　two　of　the　little　Bulteels；　playing
  with　pieces　of　quartz；　crystal；　etc。；　on　the　door…stone。　　One　of
  these　stones　caught　Staines's　eye　directly。　　It　sparkled　in　a
  different　way　from　the　others：　he　examined　it：　it　was　the　size　of　a
  white　haricot　bean；　and　one　side　of　it　polished　by　friction。　　He
  looked　at　it；　and　looked；　and　saw　that　it　refracted　the　light。　　He
  felt　convinced　it　was　a　diamond。
  〃Give　the　boy　a　penny　for　it；〃　said　the　ingenious　Falcon；　on
  receiving　the　information。
  〃Oh！〃　said　Staines。　　〃Take　advantage　of　a　child？〃
  He　borrowed　it　of　the　boy；　and　laid　it　on　the　table；　after　supper。
  〃Sir；〃　said　he；　〃this　is　what　we　were　raking　in　your　kopjes　for；
  and　could　not　find　it。　　It　belongs　to　little　Hans。　　Will　you　sell
  it　us？　　We　are　not　experts；　but　we　think　it　may　be　a　diamond。　　We
  will　risk　ten　pounds　on　it。〃
  〃Ten　pounds！〃　said　the　farmer。　　〃Nay；　we　rob　not　travellers；　mine
  vriend。〃
  〃But　if　it　is　a　diamond；　it　is　worth　a　hundred。　　See　how　it　gains
  fire　in　the　dusk。〃
  In　short；　they　forced　the　ten　pounds　on　him；　and　next　day　went　to
  work　on　another　kopje。
  But　the　simple　farmer's　conscience　smote　him。　　It　was　a　slack　time；
  so　he　sent　four　Hotteatots；　with　shovels；　to　help　these　friendly
  maniacs。　　These　worked　away　gayly；　and　the　white　men　set　up　a
  sorting　table；　and　sorted　the　stuff；　and　hammered　the　nodules；　and
  at　last　found　a　little　stone　as　big　as　a　pea　that　refracted　the
  light。　　Staines　showed　this　to　the　Hottentots；　and　their　quick　eyes
  discovered　two　more　that　day；　only　smaller。
  Next　day；　nothing　but　a　splinter　or　two。
  Then　Staines　determined　to　dig　deeper；　contrary　to　the　general
  impression。　　He　gave　his　reason：　〃Diamonds　don't　fall　from　the　sky。
  They　work　up　from　the　ground；　and　clearly　the　heat　must　be　greater
  farther　down。〃
  Acting　on　this；　they　tried　the　next　strata；　but　found　it　entirely
  barren。　　After　that；　however；　they　came　to　a　fresh　layer　of
  carbonate；　and　here；　Falcon　hammering　a　large　lump　of　conglomerate；
  out　leaped；　all　of　a　sudden；　a　diamond　big　as　a　nut；　that　ran　along
  the　earth；　gleaming　like　a　star。　　It　had　polished　angles　and
  natural　facets；　and　even　a　novice；　with　an　eye　in　his　head；　could
  see　it　was　a　diamond　of　the　purest　water。　　Staines　and　Falcon
  shouted　with　delight；　and　made　the　blacks　a　present　on　the　spot。
  They　showed　the　prize；　at　night；　and　begged　the　farmer　to　take　to
  digging。　　There　was　ten　times　more　money　beneath　his　soil　than　on
  it。
  Not　he。　　He　was　a　farmer：　did　not　believe　in　diamonds。　　Two　days
  afterwards；　another　great　find。　　Seven　small　diamonds。
  Next　day；　a　stone　as　large　as　a　cob…nut；　and　with　strange　and
  beautiful　streaks。　　They　carried　it　home　to　dinner；　and　set　it　on
  the　table；　and　told　the　family　it　was　worth　a　thousand　pounds。
  Bulteel　scarcely　looked　at　it；　but　the　vrow　trembled　and　all　the
  young　folk　glowered　at　it。
  In　the　middle　of　dinner；　it　exploded　like　a　cracker；　and　went
  literally　into　diamond…dust。
  〃Dere　goes　von　tousand　pounds；〃　said　Bulteel；　without　moving　a
  muscle。
  Falcon　swore。　　But　Staines　showed　fortitude。　　〃It　was　laminated；〃
  said　he；　〃and　exposure　to　the　air　was　fatal。〃
  Owing　to　the　invaluable　assistance　of　the　Hottentots；　they　had　in
  less　than　a　month　collected　four　large　stones　of　pure　water；　and　a
  wineglassful　of　small　stones；　when；　one　fine　day；　going　to　work
  calmly　after　breakfast；　they　found　some　tents　pitched；　and　at　least
  a　score　of　dirty　diggers；　bearded　like　the　pard；　at　work　on　the
  ground。　　Staines　sent　Falcon　back　to　tell　Bulteel；　and　suggest　that
  he　should　at　once　order　them　off；　or；　better　still；　make　terms　with
  them。　　The　phlegmatic　Boer　did　neither。
  In　twenty…four　hours　it　was　too　late。　　The　place　was　rushed。　　In
  other　words；　diggers　swarmed　to　the　spot；　with　no　idea　of　law　but
  digger's　law。
  A　thousand　tents　rose　like　mushrooms；　and　poor　Bulteel　stood
  smoking；　and　staring　amazed；　at　his　own　door；　and　saw　a　veritable
  procession　of　wagons；　Cape　carts；　and　powdered　travellers　file　past
  him　to　take　possession　of　his　hillocks。　　Him；　the　proprietor；　they
  simply　ignored；　they　had　a　committee　who　were　to　deal　with　all
  obstructions；　landlords　and　tenants　included。　　They　themselves
  measured　out　Bulteel's　farm　into　thirty…foot　claims；　and　went　to
  work　with　shovel　and　pick。　　They　held　Staines's　claim　sacredthat
  was　diggers'　law；　but　they　confined　it　strictly　to　thirty　feet
  square。
  Had　the　friends　resisted；　their　brains　would　have　been　knocked　out。
  However；　they　gained　this；　that　dealers　poured　in；　and　the　market
  not　being　yet　glutted；　the　price　was　good。　　Staines　sold　a　few　of
  the　small　stones　for　two　hundred　pounds。　　He　showed　one　of　the
  larger　stones。　　The　dealer's　eye　glittered；　but　he　offered　only
  three　hundred　pounds；　and　this　was　so　wide　of　the　ascending　scale；
  on　which　a　stone　of　that　importance　is　priced；　that　Staines
  reserved　it　for　sale　at　Cape　Town。
  Nevertheless；　he　afterwards　doubted　whether　he　had　not　better　have
  taken　it；　for　the　multitude　of　diggers　turned　out　such　a　prodigious
  number　of　diamonds　at　Bulteel's　pan；　that　a　sort　of　panic　fell　on
  the　market。
  These　dry　diggings　were　a　revelation　to　the　world。　　Men　began　to
  think　the　diamond　perhaps　was　a　commoner　stone　than　any　one　had
  dreamed　it　to　be。
  As　to　the　discovery　of　stones；　Staines　and　Falcon　lost　nothing　by
  being　confined　to　a　thirty…foot　claim。　　Compelled　to　dig　deeper；
  they　got　into　a　rich　strata；　where　they　found　garnets　by　the　pint；
  and　some　small　diamonds；　and　at　last；　one　lucky　day；　their　largest
  diamond。　　It　weighed　thirty…seven　carats；　and　was　a　rich　yellow。
  Now；　when　a　diamond　is　clouded　or　off　color；　it　is　terribly
  depreciated；　but　a　diamond　with　a　positive　color　is　called　a　fancy
  stone；　and　ranks　with　the　purest　stones。
  〃I　wish　I　had　this　in　Cape　Town；〃　said　Staines。
  〃Why；　I'll　take　it　to　Cape　Town；　if　you　like；〃　said　the　changeable
  Falcon。
  〃You　will？〃　said　Christopher；　surprised。
  〃Why　not？　　I'm　not　much　of　a　digger。　　I　can　serve　our　interest
  better　by　selling。　　I　could　get　a　thousand　pounds　for　this　at　Cape
  Town。〃
  〃We　will　talk　of　that　quietly；〃　said　Christopher。
  Now；　the　fact　is；　Falcon；　as　a　digger；　was　not　worth　a　pin。　　He
  could　not　sort。　　His　eyes　would　not　bear　the　blinding　glare　of　a
  tropical　sun　upon　lime　and　dazzling　bits　of　mica；　quartz；　crystal；
  white　topaz；　etc。；　in　the　midst　of　which　the　true　glint　of　the
  royal　stone　had　to　be　caught　in　a　moment。　　He　could　not　sort；　and
  he　had　not　the　heart　to　dig。　　The　only　way　to　make　him　earn　h