The Adventures of Dick Maitland Part 3

"Very well, sir, I will, and many thanks to you for the promotion,"

answered d.i.c.k. "But we cannot leave Tom here on the table, comfortable as he is. Therefore, with your permission, sir, I will call in a couple of hands, who, with Joe and myself, will be able to put him into the spare bunk, where he will be out of everybody's way, and where I can attend to him quite conveniently."

To this proposal the worthy skipper at once consented; and half an hour later d.i.c.k, having discarded his working clothes for a suit of blue serge, and otherwise made himself presentable, moved aft and established himself in the spare cabin which Captain Roberts placed at his disposal, the skipper having meanwhile ensured a cordial reception for him from the pa.s.sengers by telling them such particulars of d.i.c.k's history as he was acquainted with, and also describing, with much picturesque detail, the masterly manner in which the lad had patched up the injured seaman.

d.i.c.k had no reason to complain of the manner in which the pa.s.sengers received him among them; on the contrary, his reception was cordial in the extreme, especially by the women, to whose sense of romance the lad's story, as told by the skipper, appealed very strongly. The introduction took place just as the pa.s.sengers--or at least those of them who were not too ill--were about to sit down to tiffin, and d.i.c.k was a.s.signed a place at the long table halfway between the head and the foot, where Captain Roberts and Mr Sutcliffe respectively presided; but the young man declined to sit down until he had visited and relieved his new patients, consisting of five ladies and three men.

His method of dealing with these unfortunates was simplicity itself.

Relying wholly upon the wonderful power of hypnotism with which his friend Humphreys had endowed him, he prepared for each patient a draught consisting of sugar and water only, slightly flavoured with an aromatic bitter; and, as he presented this, he got the patient under his influence in the instantaneous manner which Humphreys had taught him, at the same time saying, in a quietly confident tone of voice:

"Now, I want you to drink this, please. It is an absolutely unfailing and instantaneous remedy for the distressing complaint from which you are suffering, and the moment that you have swallowed it every trace of discomfort will disappear, to return no more. You will feel so thoroughly well that very probably you will wish to rise and dress; but I do not advise that. On the contrary, I recommend you to remain where you are until you have had a few hours' refres.h.i.+ng sleep, after which you can get up to dinner. That is right,"--as the patient swallowed the draught. "Now you feel quite all right, don't you? Yes. You will feel very sleepy presently; just let yourself go; and when you awake you will find yourself as well as you ever were in your life."

And, incredible though it may appear, that is precisely what happened.

What was perhaps at least equally remarkable was that, although these good people had all suffered more or less from seasickness every day since leaving Gravesend, from that moment they were entirely free from it for the remainder of the voyage.

Among the pa.s.sengers who were thus suddenly and completely cured was a Mr Philip Grosvenor, who, having been crossed in love, and, moreover, possessing far more money than he knew what to do with, while he had no disposition to dissipate it on the racecourse or at the gambling tables, was going out to South Africa to shoot big game; and this young man--he was only a month or two over twenty-six years of age--at once struck up a warm friends.h.i.+p with d.i.c.k, originating, possibly, in a feeling of grat.i.tude for his prompt relief from those sufferings which had hitherto made his life a burden to him, from the moment when the South Foreland light had sunk beneath the horizon astern of the _Concordia_.

He made his first advances after dinner on the evening of the day which had witnessed his cure. As d.i.c.k had foretold, he fell asleep immediately after swallowing the draught which the young medico had administered, had awakened, feeling absolutely well, just in time to rise and dress for dinner, had partaken of a very hearty meal, and thereafter had made his way up on the p.o.o.p to gaze upon the stirring spectacle of the s.h.i.+p battling with and gallantly holding her own against the raging wind and sea--and possibly also to revel in his new- found immunity from the horrors of _mal de mer_. Here he had found d.i.c.k, a born sailor, walking the heaving and plunging deck and chatting animatedly with Mr Sutcliffe, who, honest man, felt somewhat at a loss to determine precisely the manner of his behaviour toward the youngster whom he had so recently patronised and ordered about, but who was now translated aft to the quarterdeck upon an equal footing with himself.

d.i.c.k had just about succeeded in putting to flight the worthy chief mate's feeling of awkwardness and embarra.s.sment when Grosvenor appeared and joined the pair, whereupon Sutcliffe, who was rather shy with the pa.s.sengers, sheered off, upon the pretence of attending to his duty, and left the two together.

"By Jove, Doctor, but this is a grand sight, isn't it?" exclaimed d.i.c.k's recent patient. "Never saw the like of it before, and shouldn't be in form to see it now, but for you. 'Pon my word, you know, you are a wonder--a perfect wonder! Give me your arm and let's walk about a bit, shall we? That's right. D'you know I don't think I ever felt more fit in my life than I do at this moment; and to reflect that only this morning I was--ugh! Tell you what it is, Doctor, you should patent that prescription of yours, have it made up, and sell it at five s.h.i.+llings the bottle. You would soon make your fortune. And I'll write a testimonial for you. 'Took one dose and never needed another!' eh? No, hang it all, that wouldn't do, either, rather too ambiguous, eh? sort of double meaning in that kind of statement--what? But, joking apart, old man, I'd very strongly advise you to patent the thing and advertise it extensively. I'm certain that there's money in it."

"Possibly," agreed d.i.c.k, who had no intention of taking this young man into his confidence to the extent of explaining the actual character of the draught. "Unfortunately, however, to do as you suggest needs the preliminary expenditure of a good deal of money, which is a singularly scarce commodity with me. No, I am afraid that plan of yours will scarcely do; it is true that I am particularly anxious to make my fortune, and that, too, without a moment's loss of time, but I am afraid I shall have to hit upon some other way of doing it."

"Ah! Well, what is your plan, if it is a fair question? Excuse me, old chap, I'm not asking out of mere vulgar, impertinent curiosity, but at the dinner table to-night somebody mentioned that you are working your pa.s.sage out to South Africa. What do you propose to do when you arrive there?"

"Heaven only knows; certainly I do not," answered d.i.c.k with a lugubrious smile. "When I step ash.o.r.e on the wharf at Port Natal I shall not know in what direction to turn my steps, or where to look for a meal or a night's lodging. Also the whole of my available capital will consist in the wages which I shall take up when Captain Roberts gives me my discharge, amounting, probably, to a couple of s.h.i.+llings."

"What?" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Grosvenor incredulously. "Oh, I say, my dear chap, you are not in earnest, surely?"

"Indeed I am, then, in deadly earnest," answered d.i.c.k. "But I am not worrying. I am strong and more than willing to work, and I mean to take the very first job that comes to hand, let it be what it will. I believe that if a chap is willing to work he can always get something to do, though it may not be precisely the kind of work that he would like.

And when once I have secured the means of providing myself with board and lodging I shall be able to look round for something better."

"Yes--yes, of course you will," responded Grosvenor, a little dubiously.

"I say, old chap," he continued admiringly, "you are a 'gritty' beggar, and no mistake! I wonder if you would mind telling me your story?"

"No, not at all," answered d.i.c.k; "there is nothing in it that I need be ashamed of." And forthwith he proceeded to give his new-found friend a brief yet clear account of the circ.u.mstances which had resulted in his being reduced to his present plight.

"By Jove, Maitland, I admire you!" exclaimed Grosvenor when d.i.c.k had come to the end of his story. "There is not one man in a hundred who, under similar circ.u.mstances, would have tackled the situation with the indomitable pluck and whole-hearted belief in himself that you have shown; and I feel sure that such courage will meet with its just reward.

You are the kind of fellow that always comes out on top, simply because you will not allow yourself to be kept down. Now, look here, I am going to make a proposition to you--and, understand me, it is on purely selfish grounds that I am going to make it. I am going out to South Africa because I want to forget a--well, a very bitter disappointment that I have recently sustained, and the particulars of which I will perhaps tell you some day if you fall in with my proposition, as I hope you will. The way in which I propose to conquer this disappointment of mine is to go in for a life of adventure--exploration of the interior, big-game shooting, and that sort of thing, you understand. I have heard some most thrilling stories of the wonderful things and people that are to be found in the interior of Africa, and, while many of them are doubtless lies, there is evidence enough of a perfectly reliable character to prove that there is at least a certain amount of truth in others; and it is my purpose to ascertain at firsthand the exact measure of that truth. Take, for example, the contention of certain antiquarians that the ruins of Ophir must exist somewhere upon the east coast. I have read pretty nearly everything that has been written upon that subject, and I am convinced of the soundness of the contention, as I am also of the contention that Zimbabwe is not ancient Ophir. Then, again, there is the statement of the existence of a mysterious white race in the far interior, which persistently crops up at intervals. It would be interesting in the extreme to be able to settle that matter beyond a doubt, wouldn't it? Very well, then; my idea is to attempt to find ancient Ophir, and also the mysterious white race, if possible.

"Of course I know that what I propose is scarcely in the nature of a picnic; it no doubt means a good deal of hards.h.i.+p, privation, and danger; in fact, my friends without exception p.r.o.nounced me a fool for thinking of engaging in such an undertaking, while at least half of them confidently prophesy that if I make the attempt I shall never return.

Well, that is as may be; plenty of better fellows than I have gone under in such excursions, but, on the other hand, as big duffers as I am have done great things and turned up again all right, so there is no particular reason that I can see why I should not do the same. And so far as money is concerned I have more than enough to enable me to equip the expedition in such a manner as to ensure the minimum of discomfort with the maximum of everything necessary to success. The only item that I have had any doubt as to my ability to obtain is--a suitable companion; for of course in my maddest moments I have never been a.s.s enough to contemplate going into so big a thing single-handed. But the precise kind of man that I want was not to be found either among my friends or elsewhere at home, so I came away without him, trusting that I should be lucky enough to pick him up somewhere on the way; and, by Jove, Maitland, the event has justified my trust; for I have found in you exactly the kind of man I have had in my mind all along--or, rather, somebody better, for in addition to your other qualifications you have very considerable skill as a physician and surgeon, which is what I never hoped to secure, even in my most sanguine moments."

"Do you wish me to infer, then, that you are proposing to take me as a hired a.s.sistant--or what?" demanded d.i.c.k.

"Well, yes--and no," answered Grosvenor, with a somewhat embarra.s.sed laugh. "As a hired a.s.sistant, certainly, because the services of a fellow like yourself would be of incalculable value to me, especially when the inevitable sickness comes along. But I want particularly to secure you because--well, to be perfectly plain and blunt, because I have taken a great fancy to you, and because I recognise in you exactly the qualities that would make of you not only an invaluable a.s.sistant but also a perfectly ideal partner, friend, and companion. Therefore, in your capacity as medical attendant to the expedition I propose to offer you a regular fixed salary of, let us say, two guineas a day, or, taking one month with another, sixty-five pounds a month--the first six months to be paid in advance--and, in your capacity of partner, all the ivory, skins, and other matters which we may acc.u.mulate during the progress of the expedition, except what I may desire to appropriate as trophies wherewith to adorn the ancestral halls."

d.i.c.k laughed. "Thank you very much," he said, "but I couldn't possibly accede to your terms; they are altogether too glaringly unfair. The salaried part I don't at all object to, because of course if you desire to include a medical man in your retinue you must pay him a fair salary, and two guineas a day is not too much, in my opinion. But when you come to talk about my share of the spoils, in my capacity of your partner, it becomes a different matter altogether, since I cannot contribute a farthing to the expenses of the expedition, therefore I cannot by any process of reasoning be ent.i.tled to any share of its possible profits.

No; if you care to engage me as doctor, at the salary that you have named, I will accept the post with pleasure and my most hearty thanks, because the pay will suffice to keep the dear old Mater going; and when we return to civilisation--if we ever do--I shall be able to set about the task in earnest of 'making my fortune.'"

"But, look here my dear fellow," remonstrated Grosvenor, "it is just nonsense in you--if you will excuse my saying so--to refuse the second part of my proposal, for this reason. I am not undertaking this expedition as a speculation, or with any idea of making it pay. I have already a much larger income than I know what to do with, and for that and other reasons money does not come into the question at all. Like other fellows who go hunting, I shall naturally desire to have a few trophies to exhibit as tokens of my prowess; but, beyond those, I shall have no use at all for ivory, skins, horns, and such other matters as we may acquire; therefore you may as well have them as anyone else, especially as you are avowedly out fortune-hunting. Besides, two guineas a day is an altogether inadequate rate of remuneration for a young fellow of your exceptional ability--why, before you had been practising a month you would be earning four or five times that amount, and you will be sacrificing that possibility for an indefinite period if you elect to join forces with me. Therefore I contend that if any profits of any kind accrue to the expedition, you are justly ent.i.tled to them, and I shall not be content unless you consent to take them; indeed if you refuse I shall be obliged to withdraw my offer altogether, much as I shall regret having to do so."

Under those circ.u.mstances there was of course nothing more to be said; and finally d.i.c.k agreed to Grosvenor's proposal in its entirety, the more readily that, after all, when he came to reflect upon it, there was much truth in what Grosvenor had said with regard to the possible loss which d.i.c.k might sustain by attaching himself to the expedition and burying himself in the wilds for a more or less indefinite period.

As time went on there could be no doubt as to the fact that Grosvenor was genuinely pleased with the arrangement by which he had secured d.i.c.k as his companion in the projected expedition, nor did he make any secret of the fact that he regarded the terms of the agreement as eminently satisfactory from his own point of view; while d.i.c.k, for his part, felt that he had done not at all badly in securing a post at a salary of sixty-five pounds a month, to be enjoyed the moment that he set foot on sh.o.r.e. Moreover, that salary was a sure thing for at least six months, and since Grosvenor insisted upon paying in advance for that period d.i.c.k would be in a position to remit quite a nice little sum home to his mother, immediately upon his arrival on South African soil. Both parties to the agreement were thus equally satisfied, and thenceforward devoted much of their time to elaborating their plans, in order that no time should be lost upon their arrival.

Grosvenor, with the confidence of the inexperienced, was quite prepared unhesitatingly to plunge into the very heart of darkest Africa with no other companions than d.i.c.k, and a few Kafir or Hottentot "boys" as servants; but d.i.c.k, although the younger of the two, had discretion enough to understand that this would be a very unwise thing to do, and that it would be altogether more prudent in every way to secure the services of some white man, well acquainted with the country, and the ways and language of the natives, to act as a sort of general overseer and factotum, and this view Grosvenor at length somewhat unwillingly accepted.

Meanwhile, Tom, the injured man, made the most extraordinarily rapid progress toward recovery, under d.i.c.k's skilled treatment, much to the enhancement of that young gentleman's reputation; and some appreciable time before the period that d.i.c.k had named he was out again and on duty, very little the worse for his accident save that his right cheek bore a scar which he would carry with him to his grave.

At length a day arrived when Captain Roberts, having worked out his observations for the determination of the s.h.i.+p's lat.i.tude and longitude, made the welcome announcement that, if the wind held and all went well, the pa.s.sengers, by this time thoroughly weary of the--to most of them-- changeless monotony of sea and sky, might hope to feast their eyes upon the glowing picture of a South African landscape within the ensuing twenty-four hours; and at once everybody became cheerfully busy upon the task of packing up in preparation for the joyous moment when they might exchange the eternal movement of the rocking deck for terra firma, and rejoice once more in the sight of trees and gra.s.s and flowers, of busy streets, and of the much-talked-of beauties of suburban Berea. d.i.c.k Maitland's possessions were so few that they needed very little packing to prepare them for transit from s.h.i.+p to sh.o.r.e, and when he had finished he adjourned to Grosvenor's cabin to a.s.sist that gentleman, who, since dispensing with the services of a valet, seemed quite incapable of replacing his possessions in the receptacles from which he had taken them upon the beginning of the voyage. The remainder of the day was pa.s.sed in the animated discussion of future plans and arrangements, while one effect of the imminent termination of the long ocean voyage was the sudden development of an amazing access of cordiality between people who had hitherto manifested but little interest in each other, accompanied by pressing invitations to "come and stay a few days at my place whenever you happen to be in the neighbourhood". Also a few of the more enthusiastic occupants of the cuddy remained on deck until midnight, in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Bluff light before turning in, only to retire to their cabins, discontented and grumbling, because at eight bells the gleam still obstinately refused to appear on the horizon over the port bow, where Mr Sutcliffe, the chief mate, had been anxiously watching for it.

But full compensation came to the disappointed ones when, awakened on the following morning about six o'clock by the voice of the mate issuing certain sharp orders from the p.o.o.p, followed by the flinging down of ropes upon the deck and the cheery "yo ho's" of the sailors, as they threw their weight upon various portions of the s.h.i.+p's running gear, the said disappointed ones leaped from their bunks and hastened out on deck clad only in pyjamas and overcoats; for they found the s.h.i.+p hove-to on the starboard tack with her head to the eastward, while stretching away astern of them, from the starboard to the port quarter, was the dominating eminence of the Bluff, bush-clad from base to crest, crowned with its lighthouse and signal staff--from the latter of which was fluttering the answering pennant, acknowledging the deciphering of the _Concordia's_ number--with the long breakwater jutting out into the sea from its foot, while, nearer at hand, there stretched across the scene the low outline of the Point, also bush-crowned, with the roofs of a few houses and a flagstaff or two showing above the verdure, the sandy beach, with the eternal surf thundering upon it in long lines of rainbow spray, reaching for mile after mile athwart the s.h.i.+p's stern, and for background the far-stretching ridge of the bush-clad, villa-studded range of the Berea, the windows of its houses already ablaze with the ardent beams of the newly risen sun. The prospect is a charming one at any time, but never more so perhaps than when it is suddenly presented, fresh, green, and beautiful, in the clear atmosphere and the light of early morning, to the vision of those whose eyes, after seventy days of gazing upon sky and sea, are yearning to behold once more the beauties of the solid earth.

For a full hour the s.h.i.+p remained hove-to with her head to seaward, during which an early breakfast was served to the occupants of the cuddy; then, upon the appearance of the tug coming out over the bar, the _Concordia_ wore round and headed insh.o.r.e, the light sails were rapidly clewed up or hauled down, the towline was got ready for pa.s.sing, and in a moment everything was bustle and apparent confusion upon the s.h.i.+p's decks, barefooted seamen rus.h.i.+ng hither and thither, flinging down coils of rope on deck, casting off halyards and sheets, and dragging vociferously upon clew-garnets, clewlines, downhauls, and the other complicated paraphernalia of a s.h.i.+p's furniture, with the captain shouting orders from the p.o.o.p, and the mate in charge of a gang of men on the forecastle getting the anchor a-c.o.c.kbill ready for letting go, and preparing for the arrival of the tug alongside. Then up came the little steamer, rolling and pitching heavily upon the long ground swell, sweeping round in a long curve that brought her all but alongside the wallowing s.h.i.+p; a brief interchange of hails between her bridge and the _Concordia's_ p.o.o.p, the sudden snaking out of a whirling heaving-line from the forecastle of the latter, followed by the thin but tremendously strong steel towing hawser; and as the few remaining sheets of the s.h.i.+p's canvas shrivelled in to the masts and yards the tug pa.s.sed ahead, the towrope rose dripping out of the water, tautened to the semblance of a metal rod, and away went the two craft, heading for the middle of the s.p.a.ce of water that divided the two breakwaters. Half an hour later the _Concordia_ came to an anchor in the s.p.a.cious but shallow inner harbour opposite the railway station, and the long voyage was at an end.

But the eager pa.s.sengers were not yet at liberty to go on sh.o.r.e.

Although the _Concordia_ carried a clean bill of health, certain formalities had yet to be gone through; the medical officer had still to satisfy himself that there was no sickness of any infectious kind on board before pratique was granted. And, as the medical officer happened to be a thoroughly conscientious man, the determination of this fact consumed a full hour. But at length the tedious examination came to an end, the s.h.i.+p was p.r.o.nounced perfectly healthy, and the boats which had been hovering round her were permitted to come alongside. Then ensued a few minutes of strenuous bargaining between pa.s.sengers and boatmen, at the end of which time d.i.c.k and Grosvenor, having said goodbye to the captain and officers--d.i.c.k also included the crew in his farewell--found themselves being pulled across the few yards of water which intervened between s.h.i.+p and sh.o.r.e, and presently they stood upon the sun-blistered wharf fighting their way through an odoriferous crowd of shouting, laughing, gesticulating, and more than half-naked Kafir rickshaw-men who clamoured for the honour of dragging them the mile or so that separated the Point from Durban. But the Custom House officers had first to be placated, and Grosvenor disgustedly found himself obliged to disburse a goodly sum as duty upon his firearms and ammunition before he was permitted to retain possession of them. At length, however, the Customs barrier was successfully negotiated; and then d.i.c.k in one rickshaw, Grosvenor in another, and their baggage in a third, the two friends proceeded in triumph along the bush-bordered road, over the level crossing of the railway, and so up Smith Street to the Royal Hotel, where they purposed to put up for a day or two, and where, upon their arrival, they joined their fellow pa.s.sengers at a hilarious second breakfast in accordance with an arrangement made at the cabin table a few hours earlier.

CHAPTER FIVE.

THE BEGINNING OF THE ADVENTURE.

The second breakfast over, farewells were spoken--with, in some cases, the promise to meet again speedily--and the voyagers separated, some to make their way home to their sugar or coffee estates in the neighbourhood, others to take train to more distant localities, some three or four being bound as far afield as Johannesburg or Pretoria--and d.i.c.k, with his friend Grosvenor, set out to wander about the town of Durban, inspect the shops, pa.s.s through the aristocratic quarter of the Berea, per tram, and finally, on a couple of horses hired from the hotel stable, to ride out to the River Umgeni, and thence to Sea Cow Lake, in the vain hope of getting a sight of a few of the hippopotami that were said to still haunt that piece of water; finally returning to the hotel in time for dinner, hot, tired, but supremely happy, and delighted with everything that they had seen.

During the progress of the meal they made the acquaintance of a Mr Gerald Muspratt, a coffee planter, whose estate was situate some twelve miles distant, in the adjoining county of Victoria; and, the acquaintance ripening over the after-dinner coffee, with that breathless celerity which is one of the most charming characteristics of the Colonies, before retiring for the night the two friends had accepted Muspratt's very pressing invitation to ride out with him to his place next morning, and spend a couple of days there with him to look round the estate and be introduced to Muspratt's two or three neighbours.

This they did in due course, the two days' visit lengthening itself into four, and ending by the acceptance of another invitation, this time from a sugar planter whose estate, Mount Pleasant, was situate some fourteen miles farther up the coast, on the other side of the Umhloti River.

This invitation d.i.c.k would fain have declined, for he was impatient to begin the real business that lay before them; but Grosvenor was so charmed with the country and everything that he saw in it, and especially with the spontaneous kindness, friendliness, and hospitality of its people, that he seemed in no hurry to rush away from it all and bury himself in the wilderness. As it happened, neither of the young men had any reason to regret the time thus spent, for their host, an old-time transport rider, named Mitch.e.l.l, had penetrated far beyond the Zambezi in his younger days, was an experienced hunter, knew the interior, its inhabitants, and their peculiarities as well as, if not better than, any other man living, and was brimful of information and hints absolutely invaluable to the new arrivals, which he freely imparted. When told of the nature and scope of the young men's projected adventure, however, he shook his head dubiously, and strongly urged them to abandon the idea of attempting more than just a few months' big-game shooting.

"Mind you," he said, "I strongly sympathise with you in your very ambitious aims, ridiculous as many men would p.r.o.nounce them, for I was animated by precisely the same desire myself when I was a youngster of about your age," turning to Grosvenor.

"By Jove! you don't say so?" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Grosvenor, surprised and delighted to meet a man of such wide experience as Mitch.e.l.l who did not p.r.o.nounce his plans chimerical; for it must be stated that thus far the enunciation of those plans had been almost invariably received with either covert or open ridicule. "Then," he continued, "do I understand that you believe in the possibility of finding the site of ancient Ophir?"

"Well--yes--you may understand me to mean that--in a general way," was Mitch.e.l.l's somewhat guarded admission. "But," he continued, "if you ask whether I think it probable that you will discover either Ophir or the mysterious white race which rumour has a.s.serted to exist somewhere in the far interior, I answer: Certainly not."

"The d.i.c.kens!" exclaimed Grosvenor. "But why, my dear sir, why?"

"Well--if you will not be offended by my exceeding candour--chiefly because I think you both much too young and too inexperienced to have any chance of succeeding in so very formidable an undertaking," was the somewhat discouraging reply.

"Yes, of course," admitted Grosvenor, "it is true that we are both quite inexperienced; but our youth is surely in our favour rather than against us, for we are strong and healthy, and no doubt will soon become inured to fatigue, hards.h.i.+p, and even privation. We both have splendid const.i.tutions; and, moreover, my friend Maitland here is a doctor and surgeon of quite remarkable ability, which fact I regard as of the utmost importance. Then, as to the matter of experience, I imagine that we are bound to acquire that as we go on; we are not going to be transported into the heart of the wilds in a few hours by express train, you know."

"No," answered Mitch.e.l.l, with a somewhat grim smile, "that is quite true, as is also your contention that you will acquire some experience as you go on. Then, of course, the fact that Mr Maitland is a doctor and surgeon--of which I was unaware--is a great point in your favour.

But, when all is said, I still think that you will find the undertaking too much for you. Why-- By the way, did you ever hear of a certain Charles Menzies?"

"The explorer, you mean? Yes, I have heard of him; in fact I believe it was an account of his travels that first put this idea into my head,"

answered Grosvenor.