the ivory child-第18章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　had　led

me　to　make　a　fool　of　myself　by　accepting　as　fact；　on　what　I　believed

to　be　the　evidence　of　my　eyes；　that　which　I　had　not　sufficient　expert

knowledge　to　verify。　But　my　honour　was　saved；　and　as　I　have　again　and

again　seen　in　the　course　of　life；　money　is　nothing　when　compared　with

honour；　a　remark　which　Shakespeare　made　long　ago；　though　like　many

other　truths　this　is　one　of　which　a　full　appreciation　can　only　be

gained　by　personal　experience。



Not　very　far　from　the　place　where　our　meeting　had　been　held　I　passed　a

side　street　then　in　embryo；　for　it　had　only　one　or　two　houses　situated

in　their　gardens　and　a　rather　large　and　muddy　sluit　of　water　running

down　one　side　at　the　edge　of　the　footpath。　Save　for　two　people　this

street　was　empty；　but　that　pair　attracted　my　attention。　They　were　a

white　man；　in　whom　I　recognized　the　stout　and　half…intoxicated

individual　who　had　accused　me　of　cheating　the　company　and　then

departed；　and　a　withered　old　Hottentot　who　at　that　distance；　nearly　a

hu