Hunter Quatermains Story | Page 4

was just at this moment that the door was opened, and Mr. Allan
Quatermain announced, whereupon Good put the diamond into his
pocket, and sprang at a little man who limped shyly into the room,
convoyed by Sir Henry Curtis himself.
"Here he is, Good, safe and sound," said Sir Henry, gleefully. "Ladies
and gentlemen, let me introduce you to one of the oldest hunters and
the very best shot in Africa, who has killed more elephants and lions
than any other man alive."
Everybody turned and stared politely at the curious-looking little lame
man, and though his size was insignificant, he was quite worth staring
at. He had short grizzled hair, which stood about an inch above his head
like the bristles of a brush, gentle brown eyes, that seemed to notice
everything, and a withered face, tanned to the colour of mahogany from

exposure to the weather. He spoke, too, when he returned Good's
enthusiastic greeting, with a curious little accent, which made his
speech noticeable.
It so happened that I sat next to Mr. Allan Quatermain at dinner, and, of
course, did my best to draw him; but he was not to be drawn. He
admitted that he had recently been a long journey into the interior of
Africa with Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, and that they had
found treasure, and then politely turned the subject and began to ask me
questions about England, where he had never been before--that is, since
he came to years of discretion. Of course, I did not find this very
interesting, and so cast about for some means to bring the conversation
round again.
Now, we were dining in an oak-panelled vestibule, and on the wall
opposite to me were fixed two gigantic elephant tusks, and under them
a pair of buffalo horns, very rough and knotted, showing that they came
off an old bull, and having the tip of one horn split and chipped. I
noticed that Hunter Quatermain's eyes kept glancing at these trophies,
and took an occasion to ask him if he knew anything about them.
"I ought to," he answered, with a little laugh; "the elephant to which
those tusks belonged tore one of our party right in two about eighteen
months ago, and as for the buffalo horns, they were nearly my death,
and were the end of a servant of mine to whom I was much attached. I
gave them to Sir Henry when he left Natal some months ago;" and Mr.
Quatermain sighed and turned to answer a question from the lady
whom he had taken down to dinner, and who, needless to say, was also
employed in trying to pump him about the diamonds.
Indeed, all round the table there was a simmer of scarcely suppressed
excitement, which, when the servants had left the room, could no
longer be restrained.
"Now, Mr. Quatermain," said the lady next him, "we have been kept in
an agony of suspense by Sir Henry and Captain Good, who have
persistently refused to tell us a word of this story about the hidden
treasure till you came, and we simply can bear it no longer; so, please,

begin at once."
"Yes," said everybody, "go on, please."
Hunter Quatermain glanced round the table apprehensively; he did not
seem to appreciate finding himself the object of so much curiosity.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said at last, with a shake of his grizzled
head, "I am very sorry to disappoint you, but I cannot do it. It is this
way. At the request of Sir Henry and Captain Good I have written
down a true and plain account of King Solomon's Mines and how we
found them, so you will soon be able to learn all about that wonderful
adventure for yourselves; but until then I will say nothing about it, not
from any wish to disappoint your curiosity, or to make myself
important, but simply because the whole story partakes so much of the
marvellous, that I am afraid to tell it in a piecemeal, hasty fashion, for
fear I should be set down as one of those common fellows of whom
there are so many in my profession, who are not ashamed to narrate
things they have not seen, and even to tell wonderful stories about wild
animals they have never killed. And I think that my companions in
adventure, Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good, will bear me out in
what I say."
"Yes, Quatermain, I think you are quite right," said Sir Henry.
"Precisely the same considerations have forced Good and myself to
hold our tongues. We did not wish to be bracketed with--well, with
other famous travellers."
There was a murmur of disappointment at these announcements.
"I believe you are all hoaxing us," said the young