the ivory child-第13章

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ever　to　clap　eyes　on　them　again；　Mr。　Quatermain；　and　yet　somehow　I

don't　feel　so　sure　of　that。〃



〃Nor　do　I；〃　I　replied；　with　a　kind　of　inspiration；　after　which

followed　the　episode　of　the　rejected　tip。







CHAPTER　VI



THE　BONA　FIDE　GOLD　MINE



Fully　two　years　had　gone　by　since　I　bade　farewell　to　Lord　Ragnall　and

Miss　Holmes；　and　when　the　curtain　draws　up　again　behold　me　seated　on

the　stoep　of　my　little　house　at　Durban；　plunged　in　reflection　and　very

sad　indeed。　Why　I　was　sad　I　will　explain　presently。



In　that　interval　of　time　I　had　heard　once　or　twice　about　Lord　Ragnall。

Thus　I　received　from　Scroope　a　letter　telling　of　his　lordship's

marriage　with　Miss　Holmes；　which；　it　appeared；　had　been　a　very　fine

affair　indeed；　quite　one　of　the　events　of　the　London　season。　Two

Royalties　attended　the　ceremony；　a　duke　was　the　best　man；　and　the

presents　according　to　all　accounts　were　superb　and　of　great　value；

including　a　priceless　pearl　necklace　given　by　the　bridegroom　to　the

bride。　A　cutting　from　a　society　paper　which　Scroope　enclosed　dwelt　at

length　upon　the　splendid　appearance　of　the　bridegroom　and　the　sweet

loveliness　of　the　bride。　Also　it　described　her　dress　in　language　which

was　Greek　to　me。　One　sentence；　however；　interested　me　intensely。



It　ran：　〃The　bride　occasioned　some　comment　by　wearing　only　one

ornament；　although　the　Ragnall　family　diamonds；　which　have　not　seen

the　light　for　many　years；　are　known　to　be　some　of　the　finest　in　the

country。　It　was　a　necklace　of　what　appeared　to　be　large　but　rather

roughly　polished　rubies；　to　which　hung　a　small　effigy　of　an　Egyptian

god　also　fashioned　from　a　ruby。　It　must　be　added　that　although　of　an

unusual　nature　on　such　an　occasion　this　jewel　suited　her　dark　beauty

well。　Lady　Ragnall's　selection　of　it；　however；　from　the　many　she

possesses　was　the　cause　of　much　speculation。　When　asked　by　a　friend

why　she　had　chosen　it；　she　is　reported　to　have　said　that　it　was　to

bring　her　good　fortune。〃



Now　why　did　she　wear　the　barbaric　marriage　gift　of　Har？t　and　Mar？t　in

preference　to　all　the　other　gems　at　her　disposal；　I　wondered。　The

thing　was　so　strange　as　to　be　almost　uncanny。



The　second　piece　of　information　concerning　this　pair　reached　me

through　the　medium　of　an　old　/Times/　newspaper　which　I　received　over　a

year　later。　It　was　to　the　effect　that　a　son　and　heir　had　been　born　to

Lord　Ragnall　and　that　both　mother　and　child　were　doing　well。



So　there's　the　end　to　a　very　curious　little　story；　thought　I　to

myself。







Well；　during　those　two　years　many　things　befell　me。　First　of　all；　in

company　with　my　old　friend　Sir　Stephen　Somers；　I　made　the　expedition

to　Pongoland　in　search　of　the　wonderful　orchid　which　he　desired　to　add

to　his　collection。　I　have　already　written　of　that　journey　and　our

extraordinary　adventures；　and　need　therefore　allude　to　it　no　more

here；　except　to　say　that　during　the　course　of　it　I　was　sorely　tempted

to　travel　to　the　territory　north　of　the　lake　in　which　the　Pongos

dwelt。　Much　did　I　desire　to　see　whether　Messrs。　Har？t　and　Mar？t　would

in　truth　appear　to　conduct　me　to　the　land　where　the　wonderful　elephant

which　was　supposed　to　be　animated　by　an　evil　spirit　was　waiting　to　be

killed　by　my　rifle。　However；　I　resisted　the　impulse；　as　indeed　our

circumstances　obliged　me　to　do。　In　the　end　we　returned　safely　to

Durban；　and　here　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　never　again　would　I

risk　my　life　on　such　mad　expeditions。



Owing　to　circumstances　which　I　have　detailed　elsewhere　I　was　now　in

possession　of　a　considerable　sum　of　cash；　and　this　I　determined　to　lay

out　in　such　a　fashion　as　to　make　me　independent　of　hunting　and　trading

in　the　wilder　regions　of　Africa。　As　usual　when　money　is　forthcoming；

an　opportunity　soon　presented　itself　in　the　shape　of　a　gold　mine　which

had　been　discovered　on　the　borders　of　Zululand；　one　of　the　first　that

was　ever　found　in　those　districts。　A　Jew　trader　named　Jacob　brought　it

to　my　notice　and　offered　me　a　half　share　if　I　would　put　up　the　capital

necessary　to　work　the　mine。　I　made　a　journey　of　inspection　and

convinced　myself　that　it　was　indeed　a　wonderful　proposition。　I　need

not　enter　into　the　particulars　nor；　to　tell　the　truth；　have　I　any

desire　to　do　so；　for　the　subject　is　still　painful　to　me；　further　than

to　say　that　this　Jew　and　some　friends　of　his　panned　out　visible　gold

before　my　eyes　and　then　revealed　to　me　the　magnificent　quartz　reef

from　which；　as　they　demonstrated；　it　had　been　washed　in　the　bygone

ages　of　the　world。　The　news　of　our　discovery　spread　like　wildfire；　and

as；　whatever　else　I　might　be；　everyone　knew　that　I　was　honest；　in　the

end　a　small　company　was　formed　with　Allan　Quatermain；　Esq。；　as　the

chairman　of　the　Bona　Fide　Gold　Mine；　Limited。



Oh！　that　company！　Often　to　this　day　I　dream　of　it　when　I　have

indigestion。



Our　capital　was　small；　￡10；000；　of　which　the　Jew；　who　was　well　named

Jacob；　and　his　friends；　took　half　（for　nothing　of　course）　as　the

purchase　price　of　their　rights。　I　thought　the　proportion　large　and

said　so；　especially　after　I　had　ascertained　that　these　rights　had　cost

them　exactly　three　dozen　of　square…face　gin；　a　broken…down　wagon；　four

cows　past　the　bearing　age　and　￡5　in　cash。　However；　when　it　was　pointed

out　to　me　that　by　their　peculiar　knowledge　and　genius　they　had　located

and　provided　the　value　of　a　property　of　enormous　potential　worth；

moreover　that　this　sum　was　to　be　paid　to　them　in　scrip　which　would

only　be　realizable　when　success　was　assured　and　not　in　money；　after　a

night　of　anxious　consideration　I　gave　way。



Personally；　before　I　consented　to　accept　the　chairmanship；　which


carried　with　it　a　salary　of　￡100　a　year　（which　I　never　got）；　I　bought

and　paid　for　in　cash；　shares　to　the　value　of　￡1；000　sterling。　I

remember　that　Jacob　and　his　friends　seemed　surprised　at　this　act　of

mine；　as　they　had　offered　to　give　me　five　hundred　of　their　shares　for

nothing　〃in　consideration　of　the　guarantee　of　my　name。〃　These　I

refused；　saying　that　I　would　not　ask　others　to　invest　in　a　venture　in

which　I　had　no　actual　money　stake；　whereon　they　accepted　my　decision；

not　without　enthusiasm。　In　the　end　the　balance　of　￡4；000　was

subscribed　and　we　got　to　work。　Work　is　a　good　name　for　it　so　far　as　I

was　concerned；　for　never　in　all　my　days　have　I　gone　through　so

harrowing　a　time。



We　began　by　washing　a　certain　patch　of　gravel　and　obtained　results

which　seemed　really　astonishing。　So　remarkable　were　they　that　on

publication　the　shares　rose　to　10s。　premium。　Jacob　and　Co。　took

advantage　of　this　opportunity　to　sell　quite　half　of　their　bonus

holding　to　eager　applicants；　explaining　to　me　that　they　did　so　not　for

personal　profit；　which　they　scorned；　but　〃to　broaden　the　basis　of　the

undertaking　by　admitting　fresh　blood。〃



It　was　shortly　after　this　boom　that　the　gravel　surrounding　the　rich

patch　became　very　gravelly　indeed；　and　it　was　determined　that　we

should　buy　a　small　battery　and　begin　to　crush　the　quartz　from　which

the　gold　was　supposed　to　flow　in　a　Pactolian　stream。　We　negotiated　for

that　battery　through　a　Cape　Town　firm　of　engineersbut　why　follow　the

melancholy　business　in　all　its　details？　The　shares　began　to　decrease

in　value。　They　shrank　to　their　original　price　of　￡1；　then　to　15s。；

then　to　10s。　Jacob；　he　was　managing　director；　explained　to　me　that　it

was　necessary　to　〃support　the　market；〃　as　he　was　already　doing　to　an

enormous　extent；　and　that　I　as　chairman　ought　to　take　a　〃lead　in　this

good　work〃　in　order　to　show　my　faith　in　the　concern。



I　took　a　lead　to　the　extent　of　another　￡500；　which　was　all　that　I

could　afford。　I　admit　that　it　was　a　shock　to　such　trust　in　human

nature　as　remained　to　me　when　I　discovered　subsequently　that　the　1；000

shares　which　I　bought　for　my　￡500　had　really　been　the　property　of

Jacob；　although　they　appeared　to　be　sold　to　me　in　various　other　names。



The　crisis　came　at　last；　for　before　that　battery　was　delivered　our

available　funds　were　exhausted；　and　no　one　would　subscribe　another

halfpenny。　Debentures；　it　is　true；　had　been　issued　and　taken　up　to　the

extent　of　about　￡1；000　out　of　the　￡5；000　offered；　though　who　bought

them　remained　at　the　time　a　mystery　to　me。　Ultimately　a　meeting　was

called　to　consider　the　question　of　liquidating　the　company；　and　at

this　meeting；　after　three　sleepless　nights；　I　occupied　the　chair。



When　I　entered　the　room；　to　my　amazement　I　found　that　of　the　five

directors　only　one　was　present　besides　myself；　an　honest　old　retired

sea　captain　who　had　bought　and　paid　for　300　shares。　Jacob　and　the　two

friends　who　represented　his　interests　had；　it　appeared；　taken　ship

that　morning　for　Cape　Town；　whither　they　were　summoned　to　attend

various　relatives　who　had　been　seized　with　illness。



It　was　a　stormy　meeting　at　first。　I　explained　the　position　to　the　best

of　my　ability；　and　when　I　had　finished　was　assailed　with　a　number　of

questions　which　I　could　not　answer　to　the　satisfaction　of　myself　or　of

anybody　else。　Then　a　gentleman；　the　owner　of　ten　shares；　who　had

evidently　been　drinking；　suggested　in　plain　language　that　I　had

cheated　the　shareholders　by　issuing　false　reports。



I　jumped　up　in　a　fury　and；　although　he　was　twice　my　size；　asked　him　to

come　and　argue　the　question　outside；　whereon　he　promptly　went　away。

This　incident　excited　a　laugh；　and　then　the　whole　truth　came　out。　A

man　with　coloured　blood　in　him　stood　up　and　told　a　story　which　was

subsequently　proved　to　be　true。　Jacob　had　employed　him　to　〃salt〃　the

mine　by　mixing　a　heavy　sprinkling　of　gold　in　the　gravel　we　had　first

washed　（which　the　coloured　man　swore　he　did　in　innocence）；　and

subsequently　had　defrauded　him　of　his　wages。　That　was　all。　I　sank　back

in　my　chair　overcome。　Then　some　good　fellow　in　the　audience；　who　had

lost　money　himself　in　the　affair　and　whom　I　scarcely　knew；　got　up　and

made　a　noble　speech　which　went　far　to　restore　my　belief　in　human

nature。



He　said　in　effect　that　it　was　well　known　that　I；　Allan　Quatermain；

after　working　like　a　horse　in　the　interests　of　the　shareholders；　had

practically　ruined　myself　over　this　enterprise；　and　that　the　real

thief　was　Jacob；　who　had　made　tracks　for　the　Cape；　taking　with　him　a

large　cash　profit　resulting　from　the　sale　of　shares。　Finally　he

concluded　by　calling　for　〃three　cheers　for　our　honest　friend　and

fellow　sufferer；　Mr。　Allan　Quatermain。〃



Strange　to　say　the　audience　gave　them　very　heartily　indeed。　I　thanked

them　with　tears　in　my　eyes；　saying　that　I　was　glad　to　leave　the　room

as　poor　as　I　had　ever　been；　but　with　a　reputation　which　my　conscience

as　well　as　their　kindness　assured　me　was　quite　unblemished。



Thus　the　winding…up　resolution　was　passed　and　that　meeting　came　to　an

end。　After　shaking　hands　with　my　deliverer　from　a　most　unpleasant

situation；　I　walked　homewards　with　the　lightest　heart　in　the　world。　My

money　was　gone；　it　was　true；　also　my　over…confidence　in　others