"And so,"he ended,"we have lived for nearly two years,like a second Robinson Crusoe and his man Friday,hoping against hope that some natives might come here and help us away,but none have come.Only last night we settled that Jim should leave me and try to reach Sitanda's Kraal and get assistance.He was to go to-morrow,but I had little hope of ever seeing him back again.And now you,of all the people in the world,you who I fancied had long ago forgotten all about me,and were living comfortably in old England,turn up in a promiscuous way and find me where you least expected.It is the most wonderful thing I ever heard of,and the most merciful,too."Then Sir Henry set to work and told him the main facts of our adventures,sitting till late into the night to do it.
"By Jove!"he said,when I showed him some of the diamonds;"well,at least you have got something for your pains,besides my worthless self."Sir Henry laughed."They belong to Quatermain and Good.It was part of the bargain that they should share any spoils there might be."This remark set me thinking,and,having spoken to Good,I told Sir Henry that it was our unanimous wish that he should take a third share of the diamonds,or,if he would not,that his share should be handed to his brother,who had suffered even more than ourselves on the chance of getting them.Finally,we prevailed upon him to consent to this arrangement,but George Curtis did not know of it till some time afterwards.
And here,at this point,I think I shall end this history.Our journey across the desert back to Sitanda's Kraal was most arduous,especially as we had to support George Curtis,whose right leg was very weak indeed,and continually throwing out splinters of bone;but we did accomplish it,somehow,and to give its details would only be to reproduce much of what happened to us on the former occasion.
Six months from the date of our rearrival at Sitanda's,where we found our guns and other goods quite safe,though the old scoundrel in charge was much disgusted at our surviving to claim them,saw us all once more safe and sound at my little place on the Berea,near Durban,where I am now writing,and whence I bid farewell to all who have accompanied me throughout the strangest trip I ever made in the course of a long and varied experience.
Just as I had written the last word a Kaffir came up my avenue of orange trees,with a letter in a cleft stick,which he had brought from the post.
It turned out to be from Sir Henry,and,as it speaks for itself,I give it in full.
"BRAYLEY HALL,YORKSHIRE."MY DEAR QUATERMAIN,-I sent you a line a few mails back to say that the three of us,George,Good,and myself,fetched up all right in England.We got off the boat at Southampton,and went up to town.You should have seen what a swell Good turned out the very next day,beautifully shaved,frock coat fitting like a glove,brand-new eyeglass,etc.,etc.I went and walked in the park with him,where I met some people I know,and at once told them the story of his `beautiful white legs.'
"He is furious,especially as some ill-natured person has printed it in a society paper.
"To come to business,Good and I took the diamonds to Streeter's to be valued,as we arranged,and I am really afraid to tell you what they put them at,it seems so enormous.They say that of course it is more or less guess-work,as such stones have never to their knowledge been put on the market in anything like such quantities.It appears that they are (with the exception of one or two of the largest)of the finest water,and equal in every way to the best Brazilian stones.I asked them if they would buy them,but they said that it was beyond their power to do so,and recommended us to sell by degrees,for fear we should flood the market.
They offer,however,a hundred and eighty thousand for a small portion of them.
"You must come home,Quatermain,and see about these things,especially if you insist upon making the magnificent present of the third share,which does not belong to me,to my brother George.As for Good,he is no good .His time is too much occupied in shaving,and other matters connected with the vain adorning of his body.But I think he is still down on his luck about Foulata.He told me that since he had been home he hadn't seen a woman to touch her,either as regards her figure or the sweetness of her expression.
"I want you to come home,my dear old comrade,and buy a place near here.You have done your day's work,and have lots of money now,and there is a place for sale quite close which would suit you admirably.Do come;the sooner the better;you can finish writing the story of our adventures on board ship.We have refused to tell the story till it is written by you,for fear that we shall not be believed.If you start on receipt of this you will reach here by Christmas,and I book you to stay with me for that.Good is coming,and George,and so,by the way,is your boy Harry (there's a bribe for you).I have had him down for a week's shooting and like him.He is a cool young hand;he shot me in the leg,cut out the pellets,and then remarked upon the advantage of having a medical student in every shooting-party.
"Good-bye,old boy;I can't say any more,but I know that you will come,if it is only to oblige your sincere friend,HENRY CURTIS."P.S.-The tusks of the great bull that killed poor Khiva have now been put up in the hall here,over the pair of buffalo-horns you gave me,and look magnificent;and the axe with which I chopped off Twala's head is stuck up over my writing-table.I wish we could have managed to bring away the coats of chain armor.H.C."To-day is Tuesday.There is a steamer going on Friday,and I really think I must take Curtis at his word,and sail by her for England,if it is only to see my boy Harry and see about the printing of this history,which is a task I do not like to trust to anybody else.
ALLAN QUATERMAIN