“Colesberg Kopje, did you say? Why, that’s the Kimberley mine. No, it’s not worked out and won’t be in our time,” answered Hardman.
“You mean they have abandoned it ’cause they have found a richer place?”
“Abandoned it! Not they; there is no place one third as rich as Kimberley mine!”
“Ain’t there though, mate; you mean they haven’t found one yet,” said the stranger. “Well, I’d have thought some one would have tumbled on to it by this time!” he added, more to himself than to the others, though Mr Timson heard him and pricked up his ears.
“I suppose they don’t go prospecting much now-a-days?” the stranger asked after a second or two.
“There is a bit of it being done just now,” replied Hardman; “but they haven’t come across a second Kimberley yet.”
“So they go out prospecting still. Well, I suppose men will always keep on at that game. I have done a good lot of it in my time. I’d have been a happy man with a home of my own instead of the miserable devil I am now if I had only let it alone.”
“So you broke yourself and lost your money prospecting! Well, others have done pretty much the same,” said Hardman.
“Lost my money! No, I found as rich a place as you want to come across and got plenty of diamonds, but they cost me dear.”
“You found as rich a place as one wants to come across, did you?” said Mr Timson, who was all attention. “Whereabouts was that, now?”