In Search of the Okapi | Page 2

intended to
prepare me for a trip to the very same place."
"Compton, you don't mean it," said the other, jumping from his seat.
"I do, most decidedly."
"But what has Arabic got to do with the Central African Forest?"

"Quite as much as your short-nosed elephant or long-tailed
hippopotamus. I also wish to discover something that has been lost.
Don't open your mouth so wide."
"Is it an animal, Dick?"
"Good gracious, no! I don't care twopence about an animal, except it is
for the pot, or unless it wants me for dinner. No; mine is another search.
It is connected with my father."
"Yes," said Venning, quietly; for his friend had suddenly grown grave.
"When I was a little chap, about seventeen years ago, my mother
received a letter dated from the 'great forest.'"
"It contained only these words, 'Good-bye.' With it there was a letter in
Arabic, written by my father's headman. That letter was seven months
on its travels, and since then no other word have I heard."
Venning muttered something in sympathy.
"My mother," continued the other, "died five years ago, without having
learnt the meaning of the message in Arabic. She had a wish that no
one but I should read the letter, and often she told me that if it
contained any instructions or directions, I was to carry them out. Well,
I have interpreted the Arabic signs."
"Yes, Dick; and----"
"And I can't quite make out the meaning. There is a reference to the
journal my father kept, with the statement that it was safely hidden; but
then follows a reference to a Garden of Rest, to certain people who
protected him, and to a slave-trader who did him an injury. These
references to me are a mystery; but what is clear is his desire to have
his journal recovered from the Arab slave-dealer, described merely as
'The Wolf.'"
"And that is why you wish to go to Central Africa?"

"That is why, Venning. I must recover my father's journal if it exists; I
must, if it is not too late, find out how he died; I must find out who are
the wild people, and what is the Garden of Rest."
"The Garden of Rest! That sounds peaceful, but it is very vague, Dick,
as a direction. A garden in a forest hundreds of miles in length will take
some finding."
"I have a clue."
"So."
"There is mention of the 'gates' to the garden, whose summits 'are in the
clouds'--twin mountains, I take it."
"Even so, Dick, I think I should have more chance of finding my new
animal than you would have of hitting off your garden."
"Well, you know now why I have been studying Arabic. I have a little
money, and no ties."
"Like me. By Jove! why shouldn't we go out together?"
"Because we have some sense, I suppose," said Compton, coolly.
"Have you ever roughed it?"
"I have slept out in the New Forest--often."
"Oh, that's picnicking, with the bark of the fox in place of the lion's roar,
and good food in place of 'hard tack,' and perhaps the attentions of a
suspicious keeper instead of a surprise attack by wild men of the woods.
An explorer needs experience."
"Yes, and he must buy his own experience; but tell me how he can,
unless he makes a beginning."
"Now we come to the point, Venning. He should begin with some one
who already has experience."

"I see. And you will wait till some seasoned explorer kindly asks you to
join him? You'll have to wait a precious long time."
"I'm not so sure," said Dick Compton, with a knowing smile.
"Have you found your explorer, Dick?" shouted Venning, eagerly.
Compton produced a leather purse and extracted a slip of paper cut
from an advertisement column, and passed it to his friend.
"By Jove! eh, that's splendid!" spluttered Venning, in his excitement as
he glanced at the paper.
"Read it over."
Venning read the notice--
"A GENTLEMAN, who is an experienced traveler, being about to enter
upon an expedition into Central Africa, would like to make
arrangements with two young men of education and of means to bear a
share of the expenses to accompany him.--Apply, for further particulars,
to D. H., No. 109 Box, Office of this paper."
"Let us write at once to D. H.," he said eagerly.
"I have seen him."
Venning took a deep breath and stared at his friend.
"I saw him this very morning," said Compton, quietly.
"And----------"
"He said you were too young! Eh? Go on--go on!"
"And I told him I thought I could find a friend who would join me."
"You mean to say that he agreed to take you?" cried Venning, jumping
up.

Compton nodded.
"Oh, splendid! And you