The man’s face told Moss that he was in earnest, and a roar of laughter from the diggers confirmed him.
“Well, mate, how about the big diamond; is it fifty or a hundred thou, that it’s worth?” Jack Austin said, and the others gave vent to the suppressed merriment of the last few hours in a yell of laughter. It was too bad, Moss thought, to treat him like that, after they had got him to pay for their liquor. It was terrible for him to think of the money he had lost, if his purchase turned out to be worthless.
“Yes, that is one of Joe Aavons’ diamonds. I’ll bet little Dick Starks has been working ’em off for Joe, and they say they have made a lot of money out of them.”
“Look here, what is Dick Stark like?” Moss asked, rather eagerly.
“He is a little chap, with a cast in one eye, and red hair. He is a pretty sharp customer, is Dick.”
Moss recognised the description only too well as that of the man whom he had seen find the diamond. Without saying another word he left the canteen. The next day old Hawkins took possession again of his claim; for Mr Moss was never seen more at Jobling’s Sell.
The story, however, very soon followed him back to Kimberley, and the circumstances under which he was persuaded to pay a thousand pounds for the diamond became well-known; for Messrs Aavons and Stark, who were much elated at their success, told their particular friends, who repeated the story. Mr Moss never quite got over it; and though he never had any more transactions in diamonds he ceased to boast about his honesty, or even make any allusion to his knowledge of precious stones.