King Solomons Mines | Page 6

was perhaps the biggest-
chested and longest-armed man I ever saw. He had yellow hair, a thick
yellow beard, clear-cut features, and large grey eyes set deep in his

head. I never saw a finer-looking man, and somehow he reminded me
of an ancient Dane. Not that I know much of ancient Danes, though I
knew a modern Dane who did me out of ten pounds; but I remember
once seeing a picture of some of those gentry, who, I take it, were a
kind of white Zulus. They were drinking out of big horns, and their
long hair hung down their backs. As I looked at my friend standing
there by the companion-ladder, I thought that if he only let his grow a
little, put one of those chain shirts on to his great shoulders, and took
hold of a battle-axe and a horn mug, he might have sat as a model for
that picture. And by the way it is a curious thing, and just shows how
the blood will out, I discovered afterwards that Sir Henry Curtis, for
that was the big man's name, is of Danish blood.[*] He also reminded
me strongly of somebody else, but at the time I could not remember
who it was.
[*] Mr. Quatermain's ideas about ancient Danes seem to be rather
confused; we have always understood that they were dark-haired
people. Probably he was thinking of Saxons.--Editor.
The other man, who stood talking to Sir Henry, was stout and dark, and
of quite a different cut. I suspected at once that he was a naval officer; I
don't know why, but it is difficult to mistake a navy man. I have gone
shooting trips with several of them in the course of my life, and they
have always proved themselves the best and bravest and nicest fellows
I ever met, though sadly given, some of them, to the use of profane
language. I asked a page or two back, what is a gentleman? I'll answer
the question now: A Royal Naval officer is, in a general sort of way,
though of course there may be a black sheep among them here and
there. I fancy it is just the wide seas and the breath of God's winds that
wash their hearts and blow the bitterness out of their minds and make
them what men ought to be.
Well, to return, I proved right again; I ascertained that the dark man
/was/ a naval officer, a lieutenant of thirty-one, who, after seventeen
years' service, had been turned out of her Majesty's employ with the
barren honour of a commander's rank, because it was impossible that he
should be promoted. This is what people who serve the Queen have to

expect: to be shot out into the cold world to find a living just when they
are beginning really to understand their work, and to reach the prime of
life. I suppose they don't mind it, but for my own part I had rather earn
my bread as a hunter. One's halfpence are as scarce perhaps, but you do
not get so many kicks.
The officer's name I found out--by referring to the passengers' lists
--was Good--Captain John Good. He was broad, of medium height,
dark, stout, and rather a curious man to look at. He was so very neat
and so very clean-shaved, and he always wore an eye-glass in his right
eye. It seemed to grow there, for it had no string, and he never took it
out except to wipe it. At first I thought he used to sleep in it, but
afterwards I found that this was a mistake. He put it in his trousers
pocket when he went to bed, together with his false teeth, of which he
had two beautiful sets that, my own being none of the best, have often
caused me to break the tenth commandment. But I am anticipating.
Soon after we had got under way evening closed in, and brought with it
very dirty weather. A keen breeze sprung up off land, and a kind of
aggravated Scotch mist soon drove everybody from the deck. As for the
/Dunkeld/, she is a flat-bottomed punt, and going up light as she was,
she rolled very heavily. It almost seemed as though she would go right
over, but she never did. It was quite impossible to walk about, so I
stood near the engines where it was warm, and amused myself with
watching the pendulum, which was fixed opposite to me, swinging
slowly backwards and forwards as the vessel rolled, and marking the
angle she touched at each lurch.
"That pendulum's wrong; it is not properly weighted," suddenly said a
somewhat testy voice at my shoulder. Looking round I saw the naval
officer whom I had