A SECRET OF THE ORANGE RIVER. 207 



world again, even if I had brought him home, bought 

 him a country house, taken rooms in Piccadilly, 

 dressed him in the height of fashion, and launched 

 him upon society. 



"Therefore, I left him as I found him. Klaas I 

 have never ceased to mourn, from that day to this. 

 Part of the ^^22,000 I invested for some relatives, 

 the balance that I kept suffices, with what I already 

 possessed, for all possible wants of my own. Then 

 I came back to my dearly-loved South Africa for 

 the last time ; and a few years later, made the 

 journey to the Chobe River, from which you rescued 

 me in the thirst-land." 



Such was the story related to us by the transport 

 rider, in a clear and singularly graphic manner, to 

 which these pages do scant justice. Our narrator 

 wound up by telling us that Mowbray had further 

 imparted to him the exact locality of the diamond 

 valley, but, he added: " I have never yet been there, 

 nor do I think that, for the present, it is likely I 

 shall. Some day, ^before I leave the Cape, I may 

 have a try and trek down the Orange River ; but 

 I don't feel very keen about that secret passage, 

 after poor Mowbray's experiences." 



We had sat wrapt listeners, for some hours of 

 that soft, calm, African night. The glorious stars 

 looked out from above us in their deep blue dome ; 

 the Southern cross shone in serene effulgence, as 

 if too its sparkling gems claimed an interest in 

 the legend of the lost diamonds. It was now two 

 o'clock, and the camp fire of the transport riders 

 burned low ; just one more soupje we had with 

 our friendly entertainers, and then, with hearty 



