CHAPTER	O
I	O
THE	O
CONSUL	O
’S	O
YARN	O
A	O
week	O
had	O
passed	O
since	O
the	O
funeral	EVENT
of	O
my	O
poor	O
boy	O
Harry	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
evening	O
I	O
was	O
in	O
my	O
room	O
walking	EVENT
up	O
and	O
down	O
and	O
thinking	EVENT
,	O
when	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
ring	EVENT
at	O
the	O
outer	O
door	O
.	O

Going	EVENT
down	O
the	O
steps	O
I	O
opened	EVENT
it	O
myself	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
came	EVENT
my	O
old	O
friends	O
Sir	O
Henry	O
Curtis	O
and	O
Captain	O
John	O
Good	O
,	O
RN	O
.	O

They	O
entered	EVENT
the	O
vestibule	O
and	O
sat	EVENT
themselves	O
down	O
before	O
the	O
wide	O
hearth	O
,	O
where	O
,	O
I	O
remember	EVENT
,	O
a	O
particularly	O
good	O
fire	EVENT
of	O
logs	O
was	O
burning	O
.	O

‘	O
It	O
is	O
very	O
kind	O
of	O
you	O
to	O
come	EVENT
round	O
,	O
’	O
I	O
said	EVENT
by	O
way	O
of	O
making	O
a	O
remark	O
;	O
‘	O
it	O
must	O
have	O
been	O
heavy	O
walking	O
in	O
the	O
snow	O
.	O
’	O

They	O
said	O
nothing	O
,	O
but	O
Sir	O
Henry	O
slowly	O
filled	EVENT
his	O
pipe	O
and	O
lit	EVENT
it	O
with	O
a	O
burning	O
ember	O
.	O

As	O
he	O
leant	EVENT
forward	O
to	O
do	O
so	O
the	O
fire	EVENT
got	O
hold	EVENT
of	O
a	O
gassy	O
bit	O
of	O
pine	O
and	O
flared	EVENT
up	O
brightly	O
,	O
throwing	EVENT
the	O
whole	O
scene	O
into	O
strong	O
relief	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
thought	EVENT
,	O
What	O
a	O
splendid-looking	O
man	O
he	O
is	O
!	O

Calm	O
,	O
powerful	O
face	O
,	O
clear-cut	O
features	O
,	O
large	O
grey	O
eyes	O
,	O
yellow	O
beard	O
and	O
hair	O
--	O
altogether	O
a	O
magnificent	O
specimen	O
of	O
the	O
higher	O
type	O
of	O
humanity	O
.	O

Nor	O
did	O
his	O
form	O
belie	O
his	O
face	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
never	O
seen	O
wider	O
shoulders	O
or	O
a	O
deeper	O
chest	O
.	O

Indeed	O
,	O
Sir	O
Henry	O
’s	O
girth	O
is	O
so	O
great	O
that	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
is	O
six	O
feet	O
two	O
high	O
,	O
he	O
does	O
not	O
strike	O
one	O
as	O
a	O
tall	O
man	O
.	O

As	O
I	O
looked	EVENT
at	O
him	O
I	O
could	O
not	O
help	O
thinking	EVENT
what	O
a	O
curious	O
contrast	O
my	O
little	O
dried-up	O
self	O
presented	O
to	O
his	O
grand	O
face	O
and	O
form	O
.	O

Imagine	O
to	O
yourself	O
a	O
small	O
,	O
withered	O
,	O
yellow-faced	O
man	O
of	O
sixty-three	O
,	O
with	O
thin	O
hands	O
,	O
large	O
brown	O
eyes	O
,	O
a	O
head	O
of	O
grizzled	O
hair	O
cut	O
short	O
and	O
standing	O
up	O
like	O
a	O
half-worn	O
scrubbing-brush	O
--	O
total	O
weight	O
in	O
my	O
clothes	O
,	O
nine	O
stone	O
six	O
--	O
and	O
you	O
will	O
get	O
a	O
very	O
fair	O
idea	O
of	O
Allan	O
Quatermain	O
,	O
commonly	O
called	O
Hunter	O
Quatermain	O
,	O
or	O
by	O
the	O
natives	O
‘	O
Macumazahn	O
’	O
--	O
Anglicè	O
,	O
he	O
who	O
keeps	O
a	O
bright	O
look-out	O
at	O
night	O
,	O
or	O
,	O
in	O
vulgar	O
English	O
,	O
a	O
sharp	O
fellow	O
who	O
is	O
not	O
to	O
be	O
taken	O
in	O
.	O

Then	O
there	O
was	O
Good	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
not	O
like	O
either	O
of	O
us	O
,	O
being	O
short	O
,	O
dark	O
,	O
stout	O
--	O
_	O
very	O
_	O
stout	O
--	O
with	O
twinkling	O
black	O
eyes	O
,	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
which	O
an	O
eyeglass	O
is	O
everlastingly	O
fixed	O
.	O

I	O
say	O
stout	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
mild	O
term	O
;	O
I	O
regret	O
to	O
state	O
that	O
of	O
late	O
years	O
Good	O
has	O
been	O
running	O
to	O
fat	O
in	O
a	O
most	O
disgraceful	O
way	O
.	O

Sir	O
Henry	O
tells	O
him	O
that	O
it	O
comes	O
from	O
idleness	O
and	O
over-feeding	O
,	O
and	O
Good	O
does	O
not	O
like	O
it	O
at	O
all	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
can	O
not	O
deny	O
it	O
.	O

We	O
sat	O
for	O
a	O
while	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
I	O
got	EVENT
a	O
match	O
and	O
lit	EVENT
the	O
lamp	O
that	O
stood	O
ready	O
on	O
the	O
table	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
half-light	O
began	O
to	O
grow	O
dreary	EVENT
,	O
as	O
it	O
is	O
apt	O
to	O
do	O
when	O
one	O
has	O
a	O
short	O
week	O
ago	O
buried	EVENT
the	O
hope	O
of	O
one	O
’s	O
life	O
.	O

Next	O
,	O
I	O
opened	EVENT
a	O
cupboard	O
in	O
the	O
wainscoting	O
and	O
got	EVENT
a	O
bottle	O
of	O
whisky	O
and	O
some	O
tumblers	O
and	O
water	O
.	O

I	O
always	O
like	O
to	O
do	O
these	O
things	O
for	O
myself	O
:	O
it	O
is	O
irritating	O
to	O
me	O
to	O
have	O
somebody	O
continually	O
at	O
my	O
elbow	O
,	O
as	O
though	O
I	O
were	O
an	O
eighteen-month-old	O
baby	O
.	O

All	O
this	O
while	O
Curtis	O
and	O
Good	O
had	O
been	O
silent	O
,	O
feeling	O
,	O
I	O
suppose	O
,	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
nothing	O
to	O
say	O
that	O
could	O
do	O
me	O
any	O
good	O
,	O
and	O
content	O
to	O
give	O
me	O
the	O
comfort	O
of	O
their	O
presence	O
and	O
unspoken	O
sympathy	O
;	O
for	O
it	O
was	O
only	O
their	O
second	O
visit	EVENT
since	O
the	O
funeral	EVENT
.	O

And	O
it	O
is	O
,	O
by	O
the	O
way	O
,	O
from	O
the	O
_	O
presence	O
_	O
of	O
others	O
that	O
we	O
really	O
derive	O
support	O
in	O
our	O
dark	O
hours	O
of	O
grief	O
,	O
and	O
not	O
from	O
their	O
talk	O
,	O
which	O
often	O
only	O
serves	O
to	O
irritate	O
us	O
.	O

Before	O
a	O
bad	O
storm	O
the	O
game	O
always	O
herd	O
together	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
cease	O
their	O
calling	O
.	O

They	O
sat	O
and	O
smoked	EVENT
and	O
drank	EVENT
whisky	O
and	O
water	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
stood	O
by	O
the	O
fire	EVENT
also	O
smoking	EVENT
and	O
looking	EVENT
at	O
them	O
.	O

At	O
last	O
I	O
spoke	EVENT
.	O

‘	O
Old	O
friends	O
,	O
’	O
I	O
said	EVENT
,	O
‘	O
how	O
long	O
is	O
it	O
since	O
we	O
got	EVENT
back	O
from	O
Kukuanaland	O
?	O
’	O

‘	O
Three	O
years	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
Good	O
.	O

‘	O
Why	O
do	O
you	O
ask	EVENT
?	O
’	O

‘	O
I	O
ask	EVENT
because	O
I	O
think	O
that	O
I	O
have	O
had	O
a	O
long	O
enough	O
spell	O
of	O
civilization	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
going	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
veldt	O
.	O
’	O

Sir	O
Henry	O
laid	EVENT
his	O
head	O
back	O
in	O
his	O
arm-chair	O
and	O
laughed	EVENT
one	O
of	O
his	O
deep	O
laughs	O
.	O

‘	O
How	O
very	O
odd	O
,	O
’	O
he	O
said	EVENT
,	O
‘	O
eh	O
,	O
Good	O
?	O
’	O

Good	O
beamed	EVENT
at	O
me	O
mysteriously	O
through	O
his	O
eyeglass	O
and	O
murmured	EVENT
,	O
‘	O
Yes	O
,	O
odd	O
--	O
very	O
odd	O
.	O
’	O

‘	O
I	O
do	O
n’t	O
quite	O
understand	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
I	O
,	O
looking	EVENT
from	O
one	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
,	O
for	O
I	O
dislike	O
mysteries	O
.	O

‘	O
Do	O
n’t	O
you	O
,	O
old	O
fellow	O
?	O
’	O

said	EVENT
Sir	O
Henry	O
;	O
‘	O
then	O
I	O
will	O
explain	O
.	O

As	O
Good	O
and	O
I	O
were	O
walking	EVENT
up	O
here	O
we	O
had	O
a	O
talk	EVENT
.	O
’	O

‘	O
If	O
Good	O
was	O
there	O
you	O
probably	O
did	O
,	O
’	O
I	O
put	EVENT
in	O
sarcastically	O
,	O
for	O
Good	O
is	O
a	O
great	O
hand	O
at	O
talking	O
.	O

‘	O
And	O
what	O
may	O
it	O
have	O
been	O
about	O
?	O
’	O

‘	O
What	O
do	O
you	O
think	O
?	O
’	O

asked	EVENT
Sir	O
Henry	O
.	O

I	O
shook	EVENT
my	O
head	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
not	O
likely	O
that	O
I	O
should	O
know	O
what	O
Good	O
might	O
be	O
talking	O
about	O
.	O

He	O
talks	O
about	O
so	O
many	O
things	O
.	O

‘	O
Well	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
about	O
a	O
little	O
plan	O
that	O
I	O
have	O
formed	O
--	O
namely	O
,	O
that	O
if	O
you	O
were	O
willing	O
we	O
should	O
pack	O
up	O
our	O
traps	O
and	O
go	O
off	O
to	O
Africa	O
on	O
another	O
expedition	O
.	O
’	O

I	O
fairly	O
jumped	O
at	O
his	O
words	O
.	O

‘	O
You	O
do	O
n’t	O
say	O
so	O
!	O
’	O

I	O
said	EVENT
.	O

‘	O
Yes	O
I	O
do	O
,	O
though	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
does	O
Good	O
;	O
do	O
n’t	O
you	O
,	O
Good	O
?	O
’	O

‘	O
Rather	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
that	O
gentleman	O
.	O

‘	O
Listen	O
,	O
old	O
fellow	O
,	O
’	O
went	EVENT
on	O
Sir	O
Henry	O
,	O
with	O
considerable	O
animation	O
of	O
manner	O
.	O

‘	O
I	O
’m	O
tired	O
of	O
it	O
too	O
,	O
dead-tired	O
of	O
doing	O
nothing	O
more	O
except	O
play	O
the	O
squire	O
in	O
a	O
country	O
that	O
is	O
sick	O
of	O
squires	O
.	O

For	O
a	O
year	O
or	O
more	O
I	O
have	O
been	O
getting	O
as	O
restless	O
as	O
an	O
old	O
elephant	O
who	O
scents	O
danger	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
always	O
dreaming	O
of	O
Kukuanaland	O
and	O
Gagool	O
and	O
King	O
Solomon	O
’s	O
Mines	O
.	O

I	O
can	O
assure	EVENT
you	O
I	O
have	O
become	O
the	O
victim	O
of	O
an	O
almost	O
unaccountable	O
craving	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
sick	O
of	O
shooting	O
pheasants	O
and	O
partridges	O
,	O
and	O
want	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
go	O
at	O
some	O
large	O
game	O
again	O
.	O

There	O
,	O
you	O
know	O
the	O
feeling	O
--	O
when	O
one	O
has	O
once	O
tasted	O
brandy	O
and	O
water	O
,	O
milk	O
becomes	O
insipid	O
to	O
the	O
palate	O
.	O

That	O
year	O
we	O
spent	O
together	O
up	O
in	O
Kukuanaland	O
seems	O
to	O
me	O
worth	O
all	O
the	O
other	O
years	O
of	O
my	O
life	O
put	O
together	O
.	O

I	O
dare	O
say	O
that	O
I	O
am	O
a	O
fool	O
for	O
my	O
pains	O
,	O
but	O
I	O
ca	O
n’t	O
help	O
it	O
;	O
I	O
long	O
to	O
go	O
,	O
and	O
,	O
what	O
is	O
more	O
,	O
I	O
mean	O
to	O
go	O
.	O
’	O

He	O
paused	EVENT
,	O
and	O
then	O
went	EVENT
on	O
again	O
.	O

‘	O
And	O
,	O
after	O
all	O
,	O
why	O
should	O
I	O
not	O
go	O
?	O

I	O
have	O
no	O
wife	O
or	O
parent	O
,	O
no	O
chick	O
or	O
child	O
to	O
keep	O
me	O
.	O

If	O
anything	O
happens	O
to	O
me	O
the	O
baronetcy	O
will	O
go	O
to	O
my	O
brother	O
George	O
and	O
his	O
boy	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
would	O
ultimately	O
do	O
in	O
any	O
case	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
of	O
no	O
importance	O
to	O
any	O
one	O
.	O
’	O

‘	O
Ah	O
!	O
’	O

I	O
said	EVENT
,	O
‘	O
I	O
thought	O
you	O
would	O
come	O
to	O
that	O
sooner	O
or	O
later	O
.	O

And	O
now	O
,	O
Good	O
,	O
what	O
is	O
your	O
reason	O
for	O
wanting	O
to	O
trek	O
;	O
have	O
you	O
got	O
one	O
?	O
’	O

‘	O
I	O
have	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
Good	O
,	O
solemnly	O
.	O

‘	O
I	O
never	O
do	O
anything	O
without	O
a	O
reason	O
;	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
n’t	O
a	O
lady	O
--	O
at	O
least	O
,	O
if	O
it	O
is	O
,	O
it	O
’s	O
several	O
.	O
’	O

I	O
looked	EVENT
at	O
him	O
again	O
.	O

Good	O
is	O
so	O
overpoweringly	O
frivolous	O
.	O

‘	O
What	O
is	O
it	O
?	O
’	O

I	O
said	EVENT
.	O

‘	O
Well	O
,	O
if	O
you	O
really	O
want	O
to	O
know	O
,	O
though	O
I	O
’d	O
rather	O
not	O
speak	O
of	O
a	O
delicate	O
and	O
strictly	O
personal	O
matter	O
,	O
I	O
’ll	O
tell	O
you	O
:	O
I	O
’m	O
getting	O
too	O
fat	O
.	O
’	O

‘	O
Shut	O
up	O
,	O
Good	O
!	O
’	O

said	O
Sir	O
Henry	O
.	O

‘	O
And	O
now	O
,	O
Quatermain	O
,	O
tell	O
us	O
,	O
where	O
do	O
you	O
propose	O
going	O
to	O
?	O
’	O

I	O
lit	EVENT
my	O
pipe	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
gone	EVENT
out	O
,	O
before	O
answering	EVENT
.	O

‘	O
Have	O
you	O
people	O
ever	O
heard	O
of	O
Mt	O
Kenia	O
?	O
’	O

I	O
asked	EVENT
.	O

‘	O
Do	O
n’t	O
know	O
the	O
place	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
Good	O
.	O

‘	O
Did	O
you	O
ever	O
hear	O
of	O
the	O
Island	O
of	O
Lamu	O
?	O
’	O

I	O
asked	EVENT
again	O
.	O

‘	O
No	O
.	O

Stop	O
,	O
though	O
--	O
is	O
n’t	O
it	O
a	O
place	O
about	O
300	O
miles	O
north	O
of	O
Zanzibar	O
?	O
’	O

‘	O
Yes	O
.	O

Now	O
listen	O
.	O

What	O
I	O
have	O
to	O
propose	O
is	O
this	O
.	O

That	O
we	O
go	O
to	O
Lamu	O
and	O
thence	O
make	O
our	O
way	O
about	O
250	O
miles	O
inland	O
to	O
Mt	O
Kenia	O
;	O
from	O
Mt	O
Kenia	O
on	O
inland	O
to	O
Mt	O
Lekakisera	O
,	O
another	O
200	O
miles	O
,	O
or	O
thereabouts	O
,	O
beyond	O
which	O
no	O
white	O
man	O
has	O
to	O
the	O
best	O
of	O
my	O
belief	O
ever	O
been	O
;	O
and	O
then	O
,	O
if	O
we	O
get	O
so	O
far	O
,	O
right	O
on	O
into	O
the	O
unknown	O
interior	O
.	O

What	O
do	O
you	O
say	O
to	O
that	O
,	O
my	O
hearties	O
?	O
’	O

‘	O
It	O
’s	O
a	O
big	O
order	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
Sir	O
Henry	O
,	O
reflectively	O
.	O

‘	O
You	O
are	O
right	O
,	O
’	O
I	O
answered	EVENT
,	O
‘	O
it	O
is	O
;	O
but	O
I	O
take	O
it	O
that	O
we	O
are	O
all	O
three	O
of	O
us	O
in	O
search	O
of	O
a	O
big	O
order	O
.	O

We	O
want	O
a	O
change	O
of	O
scene	O
,	O
and	O
we	O
are	O
likely	O
to	O
get	O
one	O
--	O
a	O
thorough	O
change	O
.	O

All	O
my	O
life	O
I	O
have	O
longed	O
to	O
visit	O
those	O
parts	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
mean	O
to	O
do	O
it	O
before	O
I	O
die	O
.	O

My	O
poor	O
boy	O
’s	O
death	EVENT
has	O
broken	EVENT
the	O
last	O
link	O
between	O
me	O
and	O
civilization	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
’m	O
off	O
to	O
my	O
native	O
wilds	O
.	O

And	O
now	O
I	O
’ll	O
tell	EVENT
you	O
another	O
thing	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
is	O
,	O
that	O
for	O
years	O
and	O
years	O
I	O
have	O
heard	O
rumours	O
of	O
a	O
great	O
white	O
race	O
which	O
is	O
supposed	O
to	O
have	O
its	O
home	O
somewhere	O
up	O
in	O
this	O
direction	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
have	O
a	O
mind	O
to	O
see	O
if	O
there	O
is	O
any	O
truth	O
in	O
them	O
.	O

If	O
you	O
fellows	O
like	O
to	O
come	O
,	O
well	O
and	O
good	O
;	O
if	O
not	O
,	O
I	O
’ll	O
go	O
alone	O
.	O
’	O

‘	O
I	O
’m	O
your	O
man	O
,	O
though	O
I	O
do	O
n’t	O
believe	O
in	O
your	O
white	O
race	O
,	O
’	O
said	EVENT
Sir	O
Henry	O
Curtis	O
,	O
rising	EVENT
and	O
placing	EVENT
his	O
arm	O
upon	O
my	O
shoulder	O
.	O

‘	O
Ditto	O
,	O
’	O
remarked	EVENT
Good	O
.	O

‘	O
I	O
’ll	O
go	O
into	O
training	O
at	O
once	O
.	O

By	O
all	O
means	O
let	O
’s	O
go	O
to	O
Mt	O
Kenia	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
place	O
with	O
an	O
unpronounceable	O
name	O
,	O
and	O
look	O
for	O
a	O
white	O
race	O
that	O
does	O
not	O
exist	O
.	O

It	O
’s	O
all	O
one	O
to	O
me	O
.	O
’	O

‘	O
When	O
do	O
you	O
propose	O
to	O
start	O
?	O
’	O

asked	EVENT
Sir	O
Henry	O
.	O

‘	O
This	O
day	O
month	O
,	O
’	O
I	O
answered	EVENT
,	O
‘	O
by	O
the	O
British	O
India	O
steamboat	O
;	O
and	O
do	O
n’t	O
you	O
be	O
so	O
certain	O
that	O
things	O
have	O
no	O
existence	O
because	O
you	O
do	O
not	O
happen	O
to	O
have	O
heard	O
of	O
them	O
.	O

Remember	O
King	O
Solomon	O
’s	O
mines	O
!	O
’	O

Some	O
fourteen	O
weeks	O
or	O
so	O
had	O
passed	O
since	O
the	O
date	O
of	O
this	O
conversation	O
,	O
and	O
this	O
history	O
goes	O
on	O
its	O
way	O
in	O
very	O
different	O
surroundings	O
.	O