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