CHAPTER	O
I	O
I	O
MEET	O
SIR	O
HENRY	O
CURTIS	O
It	O
is	O
a	O
curious	O
thing	O
that	O
at	O
my	O
age	O
--	O
fifty-five	O
last	O
birthday	O
--	O
I	O
should	O
find	O
myself	O
taking	EVENT
up	O
a	O
pen	O
to	O
try	O
to	O
write	O
a	O
history	O
.	O

I	O
wonder	EVENT
what	O
sort	O
of	O
a	O
history	O
it	O
will	O
be	O
when	O
I	O
have	O
finished	O
it	O
,	O
if	O
ever	O
I	O
come	O
to	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
trip	O
!	O

I	O
have	O
done	O
a	O
good	O
many	O
things	O
in	O
my	O
life	O
,	O
which	O
seems	O
a	O
long	O
one	O
to	O
me	O
,	O
owing	O
to	O
my	O
having	O
begun	O
work	O
so	O
young	O
,	O
perhaps	O
.	O

At	O
an	O
age	O
when	O
other	O
boys	O
are	O
at	O
school	O
I	O
was	O
earning	O
my	O
living	O
as	O
a	O
trader	O
in	O
the	O
old	O
Colony	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
been	O
trading	O
,	O
hunting	O
,	O
fighting	O
,	O
or	O
mining	O
ever	O
since	O
.	O

And	O
yet	O
it	O
is	O
only	O
eight	O
months	O
ago	O
that	O
I	O
made	EVENT
my	O
pile	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
a	O
big	O
pile	O
now	O
that	O
I	O
have	O
got	O
it	O
--	O
I	O
do	O
n't	O
yet	O
know	O
how	O
big	O
--	O
but	O
I	O
do	O
not	O
think	O
I	O
would	O
go	O
through	O
the	O
last	O
fifteen	O
or	O
sixteen	O
months	O
again	O
for	O
it	O
;	O
no	O
,	O
not	O
if	O
I	O
knew	O
that	O
I	O
should	O
come	O
out	O
safe	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
,	O
pile	O
and	O
all	O
.	O

But	O
then	O
I	O
am	O
a	O
timid	O
man	O
,	O
and	O
dislike	O
violence	O
;	O
moreover	O
,	O
I	O
am	O
almost	O
sick	O
of	O
adventure	O
.	O

I	O
wonder	EVENT
why	O
I	O
am	O
going	O
to	O
write	O
this	O
book	O
:	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
in	O
my	O
line	O
.	O

I	O
am	O
not	O
a	O
literary	O
man	O
,	O
though	O
very	O
devoted	O
to	O
the	O
Old	O
Testament	O
and	O
also	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
Ingoldsby	O
Legends	O
.	O
"	O

Let	O
me	O
try	O
to	O
set	O
down	O
my	O
reasons	O
,	O
just	O
to	O
see	O
if	O
I	O
have	O
any	O
.	O

First	O
reason	O
:	O
Because	O
Sir	O
Henry	O
Curtis	O
and	O
Captain	O
John	O
Good	O
asked	EVENT
me	O
.	O

Second	O
reason	O
:	O
Because	O
I	O
am	O
laid	O
up	O
here	O
at	O
Durban	O
with	O
the	O
pain	O
in	O
my	O
left	O
leg	O
.	O

Ever	O
since	O
that	O
confounded	O
lion	O
got	O
hold	EVENT
of	O
me	O
I	O
have	O
been	O
liable	O
to	O
this	O
trouble	O
,	O
and	O
being	O
rather	O
bad	O
just	O
now	O
,	O
it	O
makes	O
me	O
limp	O
more	O
than	O
ever	O
.	O

There	O
must	O
be	O
some	O
poison	O
in	O
a	O
lion	O
's	O
teeth	O
,	O
otherwise	O
how	O
is	O
it	O
that	O
when	O
your	O
wounds	O
are	O
healed	O
they	O
break	O
out	O
again	O
,	O
generally	O
,	O
mark	O
you	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
of	O
year	O
that	O
you	O
got	O
your	O
mauling	EVENT
?	O

It	O
is	O
a	O
hard	O
thing	O
when	O
one	O
has	O
shot	O
sixty-five	O
lions	O
or	O
more	O
,	O
as	O
I	O
have	O
in	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
my	O
life	O
,	O
that	O
the	O
sixty-sixth	O
should	O
chew	O
your	O
leg	O
like	O
a	O
quid	O
of	O
tobacco	O
.	O

It	O
breaks	O
the	O
routine	O
of	O
the	O
thing	O
,	O
and	O
putting	O
other	O
considerations	O
aside	O
,	O
I	O
am	O
an	O
orderly	O
man	O
and	O
do	O
n't	O
like	O
that	O
.	O

This	O
is	O
by	O
the	O
way	O
.	O

Third	O
reason	O
:	O
Because	O
I	O
want	O
my	O
boy	O
Harry	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
over	O
there	O
at	O
the	O
hospital	O
in	O
London	O
studying	O
to	O
become	O
a	O
doctor	O
,	O
to	O
have	O
something	O
to	O
amuse	O
him	O
and	O
keep	O
him	O
out	O
of	O
mischief	O
for	O
a	O
week	O
or	O
so	O
.	O

Hospital	O
work	O
must	O
sometimes	O
pall	O
and	O
grow	O
rather	O
dull	O
,	O
for	O
even	O
of	O
cutting	O
up	O
dead	O
bodies	O
there	O
may	O
come	O
satiety	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
this	O
history	O
will	O
not	O
be	O
dull	O
,	O
whatever	O
else	O
it	O
may	O
be	O
,	O
it	O
will	O
put	O
a	O
little	O
life	O
into	O
things	O
for	O
a	O
day	O
or	O
two	O
while	O
Harry	O
is	O
reading	O
of	O
our	O
adventures	O
.	O

Fourth	O
reason	O
and	O
last	O
:	O
Because	O
I	O
am	O
going	O
to	O
tell	O
the	O
strangest	O
story	O
that	O
I	O
remember	O
.	O

It	O
may	O
seem	O
a	O
queer	O
thing	O
to	O
say	O
,	O
especially	O
considering	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
woman	O
in	O
it	O
--	O
except	O
Foulata	O
.	O

Stop	O
,	O
though	O
!	O

there	O
is	O
Gagaoola	O
,	O
if	O
she	O
was	O
a	O
woman	O
,	O
and	O
not	O
a	O
fiend	O
.	O

But	O
she	O
was	O
a	O
hundred	O
at	O
least	O
,	O
and	O
therefore	O
not	O
marriageable	O
,	O
so	O
I	O
do	O
n't	O
count	O
her	O
.	O

At	O
any	O
rate	O
,	O
I	O
can	O
safely	O
say	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
not	O
a	O
_	O
petticoat	O
_	O
in	O
the	O
whole	O
history	O
.	O

Well	O
,	O
I	O
had	O
better	O
come	O
to	O
the	O
yoke	O
.	O

It	O
is	O
a	O
stiff	O
place	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
feel	O
as	O
though	O
I	O
were	O
bogged	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
axle	O
.	O

But	O
,	O
"	O
_	O
sutjes	O
,	O
sutjes	O
_	O
,	O
"	O
as	O
the	O
Boers	O
say	O
--	O
I	O
am	O
sure	O
I	O
do	O
n't	O
know	O
how	O
they	O
spell	O
it	O
--	O
softly	O
does	O
it	O
.	O

A	O
strong	O
team	O
will	O
come	O
through	O
at	O
last	O
,	O
that	O
is	O
,	O
if	O
they	O
are	O
not	O
too	O
poor	O
.	O

You	O
can	O
never	O
do	O
anything	O
with	O
poor	O
oxen	O
.	O

Now	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
start	O
.	O

I	O
,	O
Allan	O
Quatermain	O
,	O
of	O
Durban	O
,	O
Natal	O
,	O
Gentleman	O
,	O
make	O
oath	EVENT
and	O
say	EVENT
--	O
That	O
's	O
how	O
I	O
headed	EVENT
my	O
deposition	EVENT
before	O
the	O
magistrate	O
about	O
poor	O
Khiva	O
's	O
and	O
Ventvögel	O
's	O
sad	O
deaths	O
;	O
but	O
somehow	O
it	O
does	O
n't	O
seem	O
quite	O
the	O
right	O
way	O
to	O
begin	O
a	O
book	O
.	O

And	O
,	O
besides	O
,	O
am	O
I	O
a	O
gentleman	O
?	O

What	O
is	O
a	O
gentleman	O
?	O

I	O
do	O
n't	O
quite	O
know	O
,	O
and	O
yet	O
I	O
have	O
had	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
niggers	O
--	O
no	O
,	O
I	O
will	O
scratch	O
out	O
that	O
word	O
"	O
niggers	O
,	O
"	O
for	O
I	O
do	O
not	O
like	O
it	O
.	O

I	O
've	O
known	O
natives	O
who	O
_	O
are	O
_	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
you	O
will	O
say	O
,	O
Harry	O
,	O
my	O
boy	O
,	O
before	O
you	O
have	O
done	O
with	O
this	O
tale	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
have	O
known	O
mean	O
whites	O
with	O
lots	O
of	O
money	O
and	O
fresh	O
out	O
from	O
home	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
who	O
_	O
are	O
not	O
_	O
.	O

At	O
any	O
rate	O
,	O
I	O
was	O
born	EVENT
a	O
gentleman	O
,	O
though	O
I	O
have	O
been	O
nothing	O
but	O
a	O
poor	O
travelling	O
trader	O
and	O
hunter	O
all	O
my	O
life	O
.	O

Whether	O
I	O
have	O
remained	O
so	O
I	O
known	O
not	O
,	O
you	O
must	O
judge	O
of	O
that	O
.	O

Heaven	O
knows	O
I	O
've	O
tried	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
killed	O
many	O
men	O
in	O
my	O
time	O
,	O
yet	O
I	O
have	O
never	O
slain	O
wantonly	O
or	O
stained	O
my	O
hand	O
in	O
innocent	O
blood	O
,	O
but	O
only	O
in	O
self-defence	O
.	O

The	O
Almighty	O
gave	O
us	O
our	O
lives	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
suppose	O
He	O
meant	O
us	O
to	O
defend	O
them	O
,	O
at	O
least	O
I	O
have	O
always	O
acted	O
on	O
that	O
,	O
and	O
I	O
hope	O
it	O
will	O
not	O
be	O
brought	O
up	O
against	O
me	O
when	O
my	O
clock	O
strikes	O
.	O

There	O
,	O
there	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
cruel	O
and	O
a	O
wicked	O
world	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
a	O
timid	O
man	O
I	O
have	O
been	O
mixed	O
up	O
in	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
of	O
fighting	O
.	O

I	O
can	O
not	O
tell	O
the	O
rights	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
but	O
at	O
any	O
rate	O
I	O
have	O
never	O
stolen	O
,	O
though	O
once	O
I	O
cheated	EVENT
a	O
Kafir	O
out	O
of	O
a	O
herd	O
of	O
cattle	O
.	O

But	O
then	O
he	O
had	O
done	O
me	O
a	O
dirty	O
turn	EVENT
,	O
and	O
it	O
has	O
troubled	O
me	O
ever	O
since	O
into	O
the	O
bargain	O
.	O

Well	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
eighteen	O
months	O
or	O
so	O
ago	O
since	O
first	O
I	O
met	EVENT
Sir	O
Henry	O
Curtis	O
and	O
Captain	O
Good	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
in	O
this	O
way	O
.	O

I	O
had	O
been	O
up	O
elephant	O
hunting	EVENT
beyond	O
Bamangwato	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
met	EVENT
with	O
bad	O
luck	O
.	O

Everything	O
went	O
wrong	O
that	O
trip	EVENT
,	O
and	O
to	O
top	O
up	O
with	O
I	O
got	O
the	O
fever	EVENT
badly	O
.	O

So	O
soon	O
as	O
I	O
was	O
well	O
enough	O
I	O
trekked	EVENT
down	O
to	O
the	O
Diamond	O
Fields	O
,	O
sold	EVENT
such	O
ivory	O
as	O
I	O
had	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
my	O
wagon	O
and	O
oxen	O
,	O
discharged	EVENT
my	O
hunters	O
,	O
and	O
took	EVENT
the	O
post-cart	O
to	O
the	O
Cape	O
.	O

After	O
spending	EVENT
a	O
week	O
in	O
Cape	O
Town	O
,	O
finding	EVENT
that	O
they	O
overcharged	EVENT
me	O
at	O
the	O
hotel	O
,	O
and	O
having	O
seen	EVENT
everything	O
there	O
was	O
to	O
see	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
botanical	O
gardens	O
,	O
which	O
seem	O
to	O
me	O
likely	O
to	O
confer	O
a	O
great	O
benefit	O
on	O
the	O
country	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
new	O
Houses	O
of	O
Parliament	O
,	O
which	O
I	O
expect	O
will	O
do	O
nothing	O
of	O
the	O
sort	O
,	O
I	O
determined	EVENT
to	O
go	O
back	O
to	O
Natal	O
by	O
the	O
_	O
Dunkeld	O
_	O
,	O
then	O
lying	O
at	O
the	O
docks	O
waiting	O
for	O
the	O
_	O
Edinburgh	O
Castle	O
_	O
due	O
in	O
from	O
England	O
.	O

I	O
took	EVENT
my	O
berth	O
and	O
went	EVENT
aboard	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
afternoon	O
the	O
Natal	O
passengers	O
from	O
the	O
_	O
Edinburgh	O
Castle	O
_	O
transhipped	EVENT
,	O
and	O
we	O
weighed	EVENT
and	O
put	EVENT
to	O
sea	O
.	O

Among	O
these	O
passengers	O
who	O
came	EVENT
on	O
board	O
were	O
two	O
who	O
excited	EVENT
my	O
curiosity	O
.	O

One	O
,	O
a	O
gentleman	O
of	O
about	O
thirty	O
,	O
was	O
perhaps	O
the	O
biggest-chested	O
and	O
longest-armed	O
man	O
I	O
ever	O
saw	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
yellow	O
hair	O
,	O
a	O
thick	O
yellow	O
beard	O
,	O
clear-cut	O
features	O
,	O
and	O
large	O
grey	O
eyes	O
set	O
deep	O
in	O
his	O
head	O
.	O

I	O
never	O
saw	O
a	O
finer-looking	O
man	O
,	O
and	O
somehow	O
he	O
reminded	EVENT
me	O
of	O
an	O
ancient	O
Dane	O
.	O

Not	O
that	O
I	O
know	O
much	O
of	O
ancient	O
Danes	O
,	O
though	O
I	O
knew	O
a	O
modern	O
Dane	O
who	O
did	O
me	O
out	O
of	O
ten	O
pounds	O
;	O
but	O
I	O
remember	EVENT
once	O
seeing	O
a	O
picture	O
of	O
some	O
of	O
those	O
gentry	O
,	O
who	O
,	O
I	O
take	O
it	O
,	O
were	O
a	O
kind	O
of	O
white	O
Zulus	O
.	O

They	O
were	O
drinking	EVENT
out	O
of	O
big	O
horns	O
,	O
and	O
their	O
long	O
hair	O
hung	O
down	O
their	O
backs	O
.	O

As	O
I	O
looked	EVENT
at	O
my	O
friend	O
standing	O
there	O
by	O
the	O
companion-ladder	O
,	O
I	O
thought	EVENT
that	O
if	O
he	O
only	O
let	O
his	O
grow	O
a	O
little	O
,	O
put	O
one	O
of	O
those	O
chain	O
shirts	O
on	O
to	O
his	O
great	O
shoulders	O
,	O
and	O
took	O
hold	O
of	O
a	O
battle-axe	O
and	O
a	O
horn	O
mug	O
,	O
he	O
might	O
have	O
sat	O
as	O
a	O
model	O
for	O
that	O
picture	O
.	O

And	O
by	O
the	O
way	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
curious	O
thing	O
,	O
and	O
just	O
shows	O
how	O
the	O
blood	O
will	O
out	O
,	O
I	O
discovered	EVENT
afterwards	O
that	O
Sir	O
Henry	O
Curtis	O
,	O
for	O
that	O
was	O
the	O
big	O
man	O
's	O
name	O
,	O
is	O
of	O
Danish	O
blood	O
.	O

[	O
1	O
]	O
He	O
also	O
reminded	EVENT
me	O
strongly	O
of	O
somebody	O
else	O
,	O
but	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
I	O
could	O
not	O
remember	O
who	O
it	O
was	O
.	O

The	O
other	O
man	O
,	O
who	O
stood	O
talking	EVENT
to	O
Sir	O
Henry	O
,	O
was	O
stout	O
and	O
dark	O
,	O
and	O
of	O
quite	O
a	O
different	O
cut	O
.	O

I	O
suspected	EVENT
at	O
once	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
a	O
naval	O
officer	O
;	O
I	O
do	O
n't	O
know	O
why	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
is	O
difficult	O
to	O
mistake	O
a	O
navy	O
man	O
.	O

I	O
have	O
gone	O
shooting	O
trips	O
with	O
several	O
of	O
them	O
in	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
my	O
life	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
have	O
always	O
proved	O
themselves	O
the	O
best	O
and	O
bravest	O
and	O
nicest	O
fellows	O
I	O
ever	O
met	O
,	O
though	O
sadly	O
given	O
,	O
some	O
of	O
them	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
profane	O
language	O
.	O

I	O
asked	EVENT
a	O
page	O
or	O
two	O
back	O
,	O
what	O
is	O
a	O
gentleman	O
?	O

I	O
'll	O
answer	O
the	O
question	O
now	O
:	O
A	O
Royal	O
Naval	O
officer	O
is	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
general	O
sort	O
of	O
way	O
,	O
though	O
of	O
course	O
there	O
may	O
be	O
a	O
black	O
sheep	O
among	O
them	O
here	O
and	O
there	O
.	O

I	O
fancy	O
it	O
is	O
just	O
the	O
wide	O
seas	O
and	O
the	O
breath	O
of	O
God	O
's	O
winds	O
that	O
wash	O
their	O
hearts	O
and	O
blow	O
the	O
bitterness	O
out	O
of	O
their	O
minds	O
and	O
make	O
them	O
what	O
men	O
ought	O
to	O
be	O
.	O

Well	O
,	O
to	O
return	O
,	O
I	O
proved	O
right	O
again	O
;	O
I	O
ascertained	EVENT
that	O
the	O
dark	O
man	O
_	O
was	O
_	O
a	O
naval	O
officer	O
,	O
a	O
lieutenant	O
of	O
thirty-one	O
,	O
who	O
,	O
after	O
seventeen	O
years	O
'	O
service	O
,	O
had	O
been	O
turned	EVENT
out	O
of	O
her	O
Majesty	O
's	O
employ	O
with	O
the	O
barren	O
honour	O
of	O
a	O
commander	O
's	O
rank	O
,	O
because	O
it	O
was	O
impossible	O
that	O
he	O
should	O
be	O
promoted	O
.	O

This	O
is	O
what	O
people	O
who	O
serve	O
the	O
Queen	O
have	O
to	O
expect	O
:	O
to	O
be	O
shot	O
out	O
into	O
the	O
cold	O
world	O
to	O
find	O
a	O
living	O
just	O
when	O
they	O
are	O
beginning	O
really	O
to	O
understand	O
their	O
work	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
reach	O
the	O
prime	O
of	O
life	O
.	O

I	O
suppose	O
they	O
do	O
n't	O
mind	O
it	O
,	O
but	O
for	O
my	O
own	O
part	O
I	O
had	O
rather	O
earn	O
my	O
bread	O
as	O
a	O
hunter	O
.	O

One	O
's	O
halfpence	O
are	O
as	O
scarce	O
perhaps	O
,	O
but	O
you	O
do	O
not	O
get	O
so	O
many	O
kicks	O
.	O

The	O
officer	O
's	O
name	O
I	O
found	EVENT
out	O
--	O
by	O
referring	EVENT
to	O
the	O
passengers	O
'	O
lists	O
--	O
was	O
Good	O
--	O
Captain	O
John	O
Good	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
broad	O
,	O
of	O
medium	O
height	O
,	O
dark	O
,	O
stout	O
,	O
and	O
rather	O
a	O
curious	O
man	O
to	O
look	O
at	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
so	O
very	O
neat	O
and	O
so	O
very	O
clean-shaved	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
always	O
wore	O
an	O
eye-glass	O
in	O
his	O
right	O
eye	O
.	O

It	O
seemed	O
to	O
grow	O
there	O
,	O
for	O
it	O
had	O
no	O
string	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
never	O
took	O
it	O
out	O
except	O
to	O
wipe	O
it	O
.	O

At	O
first	O
I	O
thought	EVENT
he	O
used	O
to	O
sleep	O
in	O
it	O
,	O
but	O
afterwards	O
I	O
found	EVENT
that	O
this	O
was	O
a	O
mistake	EVENT
.	O

He	O
put	O
it	O
in	O
his	O
trousers	O
pocket	O
when	O
he	O
went	O
to	O
bed	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
his	O
false	O
teeth	O
,	O
of	O
which	O
he	O
had	O
two	O
beautiful	O
sets	O
that	O
,	O
my	O
own	O
being	O
none	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
,	O
have	O
often	O
caused	O
me	O
to	O
break	O
the	O
tenth	O
commandment	O
.	O

But	O
I	O
am	O
anticipating	EVENT
.	O