The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 1 — page 58: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

58 IN JEOPARDY FROM DIAMONDS, one, Solomon Jacobs, living openly and boldly in the Transvaal Hotel—and a real nice, good hearted old fellow he is, outside his trade—who, there is good reason to believe, gets thousands of pounds worth of diamonds across the border every year; yet, though he has been arrested a score of times, they never could hold him.”’ 3 Mr. Perkins, though he did not see fit to mention the fact, was one of the most valued detectives in the employ of the De Beers Company, and spoke with full knowledge when he told of the boldness, cunning and success of the Jew, whom he pointed out that evening to the young Hollander. Styne was frankly amazed. Mr. Jacobs was a small man, thin, gentle looking, with a fine, sensitive face and considerably past middle age. Could it be possible, he asked himself in wonder, that one apparently so weak and amiable had the daring to defy the fiends and fiends’ law of Kimberley ? The young couple retired early, for not until they were locked in their room did Styne feel himself safe, even for one moment, from some diabolical job to make him out an I. D. B. The night was abominably hot; those iron bedrooms were like ovens; Styne feared to leave the windows open ; no air seemed to enter through the transom over the door; and altogether, even without his anxieties, they were very uncomfortable for a newly wedded couple on their bridal tour. But by eleven o’clock weariness at last brought sleep. An hour later they were rudely awakened by the clamor of voices, tramp- ling of feet, and sounds as of a scuffle in an adjoining room. Styne believed he recognized one of the voices as that of Mr. Jacobs, and he was right. The company’s detectives had learned that Solomon was in possession of a lot of ‘‘illicit’’ diamonds, gathered by his secret agents in Kimberley. He ex- pected to run them across the border—only two miles distant—into the Free State. Hoping to catch him ‘‘dead to rights’’ before he got away in the morning, they had planned to surprise him in bed at midnight and search him when he would probably be least prepared for such a visitation. ‘It is an outrage !’’ the little man shrilly protested, while struggling in their hands. ‘‘I do not believe you are officers. Help! help! You are robbers ! Let me go! Let those clothes alone! Drop that valise ! Nothing in it concerns you—if you are not thieves. If you-are, my money and watch are under my pillow. You can take them without choking the life out of me’? 3 Surely it was the voice of Einathan Perkins they heard make reéply: ‘Come now, Solomon, clap the brake on that nimble tongue of yours. You know well enough who we are, and that we’re doing nothing but our duty. You know me, and you know Hodgson here, and Moss. ‘This isn’t the first time you’ve played leading man in the sensational drama, ‘ ‘Troubles of an I. je 3 nas ‘“ But you never found anything on me.”’ ‘“No. Up to date you have been too smart to be caught, and we admire - you for it. But that makes it all the more a matter of professional pride to gather you in, and we’ll keep on trying as long as you keep on buying.’’ 3 ‘‘Oh! well, if that is your game, merely perpetrating one of your 7 E a a *3 (€(0) 4 OKO) KS =) (E(0) PRE te NOE LT OP eee, Cee CLT eS Ree be