A Tale of Three Lions.docx

A Tale of Three Lions.docx

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ATaleofThreeLions

ATaleofThreeLionsbyH.RiderHaggard

CHAPTERI

THEINTERESTONTENSHILLINGS

MostofyouwillhaveheardthatAllanQuatermain,whowasoneofthepartythatdiscoveredKingSolomon'sminessomelittletimeago,andwhoafterwardscametoliveinEnglandnearhisfriendSirHenryCurtis.Hewentbacktothewildernessagain,astheseoldhuntersalmostinvariablydo,ononepretextoranother.[*]Theycannotendurecivilizationforverylong,itsnoiseandracketandtheomnipresenceofbroad-clothedhumanityprovingmoretryingtotheirnervesthanthedangersofthedesert.Ithinkthattheyfeellonelyhere,foritisafactthatistoolittleunderstood,thoughithasoftenbeenstated,thatthereisnolonelinesslikethelonelinessofcrowds,especiallytothosewhoareunaccustomedtothem."Whatisthereintheworld,"

oldQuatermainwouldsay,"sodesolateastostandinthestreetsofagreatcityandlistentothefootstepsfalling,falling,multitudinousastherain,andwatchthewhitelineoffacesastheyhurrypast,youknownotwhence,youknownotwhither?

Theycomeandgo,theireyesmeetyourswithacoldstare,foramomenttheirfeaturesarewrittenonyourmind,andthentheyaregoneforever.Youwillneverseethemagain;theywillneverseeyouagain;theycomeupoutoftheunknown,andpresentlytheyoncemorevanishintotheunknown,takingtheirsecretswiththem.Yes,thatislonelinesspureandundefiled;buttoonewhoknowsandlovesit,thewildernessisnotlonely,becausethespiritofnatureisevertheretokeepthewanderercompany.Hefindscompanionsinthewinds--thesunnystreamsbabblelikeNature'schildrenathisfeet;highabovethem,inthepurplesunset,aredomesandminaretsandpalaces,suchasnomortalmanhasbuilt,inandoutofwhoseflamingdoorstheangelsofthesunseemtomovecontinually.

Andthere,too,isthewildgame,followingitsfeeding-groundsingreatarmies,withthespringbuckthrownoutbeforeforskirmishers;

thenrankuponrankoflong-facedblesbuck,marchingandwheelinglikeinfantry;andlasttheshiningtroopsofquagga,andthefierce-eyedshaggyvilderbeestetotake,asitwere,theplaceofthecossackhostthathangsuponanarmy'sflanks.

[*]ThisofcoursewaswrittenbeforeMr.Quatermain'saccountoftheadventuresinthenewly-discoveredcountryofZu-Vendisofhimself,SirHenryCurtis,andCapt.JohnGoodhadbeenreceivedinEngland.--Editor.

"Oh,no,"hewouldsay,"thewildernessisnotlonely,for,myboy,rememberthatthefurtheryougetfromman,theneareryougrowtoGod,"andthoughthisisasayingthatmightwellbedisputed,itisoneIamsurethatanybodywilleasilyunderstandwhohaswatchedthesunriseandsetonthelimitlessdesertedplains,andseenthethunderchariotsofthecloudsrollinmajestyacrossthedepthsofunfathomablesky.

Well,atanyratewewentbackagain,andnowformanymonthsIhaveheardnothingatallofhim,andtobefrank,Igreatlydoubtifanybodywilleverhearofhimagain.Ifearthatthewilderness,thathasforsomanyyearsbeenamothertohim,willnowalsoprovehisgraveandthegraveofthosewhoaccompaniedhim,forthequestuponwhichheandtheyhavestartedisawildoneindeed.

ButwhilehewasinEnglandforthosethreeyearsorsobetweenhisreturnfromthesuccessfuldiscoveryofthewiseking'sburiedtreasures,andthedeathofhisonlyson,IsawagreatdealofoldAllanQuatermain.IhadknownhimyearsbeforeinAfrica,andafterhecamehome,wheneverIhadnothingbettertodo,IusedtorunuptoYorkshireandstaywithhim,andinthiswayIatonetimeandanotherheardmanyoftheincidentsofhispastlife,andmostcurioussomeofthemwere.Nomancanpassallthoseyearsfollowingtheroughexistenceofanelephant-hunterwithoutmeetingwithmanystrangeadventures,andinonewayandanotheroldQuatermainhascertainlyseenhisshare.Well,thestorythatIamgoingtotellyouinthefollowingpagesisoneofthelateroftheseadventures,thoughI

forgettheexactyearinwhichithappened.atanyrateIknowthatitwastheonlytripuponwhichhetookhissonHarry（whoissincedead）

withhim,andthatHarrywasthenaboutfourteen.Andnowforthestory,whichIwillrepeat,asnearlyasIcan,inthewordsinwhichHunterQuatermaintoldittomeonenightintheoldoak-panelledvestibuleofhishouseinYorkshire.Weweretalkingaboutgold-

mining--

"Gold-mining!

"hebrokein;"ah!

yes,Ioncewentgold-miningatPilgrims'RestintheTransvaal,anditwasafterthatthatwehadthebusinessaboutJim-Jimandthelions.DoyouknowPilgrim'sRest?

Well,itis,orwas,oneofthequeerestlittleplacesyoueversaw.

Thetownitselfwaspitchedinastonyvalley,withmountainsallaboutit,andinthemiddleofsuchsceneryasonedoesnotoftengetthechanceofseeing.ManyandmanyisthetimethatIhavethrowndownmypickandshovelindisgust,clamberedoutofmyclaim,andwalkedacoupleofmilesorsotothetopofsomehill.ThenIwouldliedowninthegrassandlookoutoverthegloriousstretchofcountry--thesmilingvalleys,thegreatmountainstouchedwithgold--

realgoldofthesunset,andclothedinsweepingrobesofbush,andstareintothedepthsoftheperfectskyabove;yes,andthankHeavenIhadgotawayfromthecursingandthecoarsejokesoftheminers,andthevoicesofthoseBasutuKaffirsastheytoiledinthesun,thememoryofwhichiswithmeyet.

"Well,forsomemonthsIdugawaypatientlyatmyclaim,tilltheverysightofapickorofawashing-troughbecamehatefultome.AhundredtimesadayIlamentedmyownfollyinhavinginvestedeighthundredpounds,whichwasaboutallthatIwasworthatthetime,inthisgold-mining.Butlikeotherbetterpeoplebeforeme,Ihadbeenbittenbythegoldbug,andnowwasforcedtotaketheconsequences.Iboughtaclaimoutofwhichamanhadmadeafortune--fiveorsixthousandpoundsatleast--asIthought,verycheap;thatis,Igavehimfivehundredpoundsdownforit.ItwasallthatIhadmadebyaveryroughyear'selephant-huntingbeyondtheZambesi,andIsigheddeeplyandpropheticallywhenIsawmysuccessfulfriend,whowasaYankee,sweepuptherollofStandardBanknoteswiththelordlyairofthemanwhohasmadehisfortune,andcramthemintohisbreechespockets.'Well,'

Isaidtohim--thehappyvendor--'itisamagnificentproperty,andI

onlyhopethatmyluckwillbeasgoodasyourshasbeen.'

"Hesmiled;tomyexcitednervesitseemedthathesmiledominously,asheansweredmeinapeculiarYankeedrawl:

'Iguess,stranger,asI

ain'ttheonetomakeamanquarrelwithhisfood,moreespecialwhenthereain'tnomoregoingoftherounds;andasforthatthereclaim,well,she'sbeenagoodniggertome;butbetweenyouandme,stranger,speakingmantoman,nowthatthereain'tanyfilthylucrebetweenustoobscurethefeaturesofthetruth,Iguessshe'saboutworkedout!

'

"Igasped;thefellow'seffronterytookthebreathoutofme.Onlyfiveminutesbeforehehadbeenswearingbyallhisgods--andtheyappearedtobenumerousandmixed--thattherewerehalfadozenfortunesleftintheclaim,andthathewasonlygivingitupbecausehewasdownrightwearyofshovellingthegoldout.

"'Don'tlooksovexed,stranger,'wentonmytormentor,'perhapsthereissomeshineintheoldgirlyet;anywayyouareadownrightgoodfellow,youare,thereforeyouwill,Iguess,havearealA1

opportunityofworkingonthefeelingsofFortune.Anywayitwillbringthemuscleupuponyourarm,forthestuffisuncommonstiff,and,whatismore,youwillinthecourseofayearearnasightmorethantwothousanddollarsinvalueofexperience.'

"Thenhewentjustintime,forinanothermomentIshouldhavegoneforhim,andIsawhisfacenomore.

"Well,IsettoworkontheoldclaimwithmyboyHarryandhalfadozenKaffirstohelpme,which,seeingthatIhadputnearlyallmyworldlywealthintoit,wastheleastthatIcoulddo.Andweworked,myword,wedidwork--earlyandlatewewentatit--butneverabitofgolddidwesee;no,notevenanuggetlargeenoughtomakeascarf-

pinoutof.TheAmericangentlemanhadsecureditallandleftusthesweepings.

"Forthreemonthsthiswenton,tillatlastIhadpaidawayall,orverynearall,thatwasleftofherlittlecapitalinwagesandfoodfortheKaffirsandourselves.WhenItellyouthatBoermealwassometimesashighasfourpoundsabag,youwillunderstandthatitdidnottakelongtorunthroughourbankingaccount.

"Atlastthecrisiscame.OneSaturdaynightIhadpaidthemenasusual,andboughtamuidofmealiemealatsixtyshillingsforthemtofillthemselveswith,andthenIwentwithmyboyHarryandsatontheedgeofthegreatholethatwehadduginthehill-side,andwhichwehadinbittermockerynamedEldorado.Therewesatinthemoonlightwithourfeetovertheedgeoftheclaim,andweremelancholyenoughforanything.PresentlyIpulledoutmypurseandemptieditscontentsintomyhand.Therewasahalf-sovereign,twoflorins,ninepenceinsilver,nocoppers--forcopperpracticallydoesnotcirculateinSouthAfrica,whichisoneofthethingsthatmakelivingsodearthere--inallexactlyfourteenandninepence.

"'There,Harry,myboy!

'Isaid,'thatisthesumtotalofourworldlywealth;thatholehasswallowedalltherest.'

"'ByGeorge!

'saidMasterHarry;'Isay,father,youandIshallhavetoletourselvesouttoworkwiththeKaffirsandliveonmealiepap,'

andhesniggeredathisunpleasantlittlejoke.

"ButIwasinnomoodforjoking,foritisnotamerrythingtodiglikeanythingformonthsandbecompletelyruinedintheprocess,especiallyifyouhappen