hs," replied this cool young man. "That will suit
me very well. I will go on to India as I intended, then home for
a bit and will meet you on the 1st of October, 1878, after which
we will proceed to the Lydenburg district and shoot those
buffalo, or if they have departed, other buffalo. Is it a
bargain?"

I stared at him, thinking that the Administrator's champagne had
got into his head.

"Nonsense," I exclaimed. "Who knows where you will be in
eighteen months? Why, by that time you will have forgotten all
about me."

"If I am alive and well, on the 1st of October, 1878, I shall be
exactly where I am now, upon this very square in Pretoria, with a
wagon, or wagons, prepared for a hunting trip. But as not
unnaturally you have doubts upon that point, I am prepared to pay
forfeit if I fail, or even if circumstances cause you to fail."

Here he took a cheque-book from his letter-case and spread it out
on the little table in the tent, on which there were ink and a
pen, adding--

"Now, Mr. Quatermain, will it meet your views if I fill this up
for #250?"

"No," I answered; "taking everything into consideration the sum
is excessive. But if you do not mind facing the risks of my
non-appearance, to say nothing of your own, you may make it #50."

"You are very moderate in your demands," he said as he handed me
the cheque which I put in my pocket, reflecting that it would
just pay for my son's operation.

"And you are very foolish in your offers," I replied. "Tell me,
why do you make such crack-brained arrangements?"

"I don't quite know. Something in me seems to say that we
_shall_ make this expedition and that it will have a very
important effect upon my life. Mind you, it is to be to the
Lydenburg district and nowhere else. And now I am tired, so
let's turn in."

Next morning we parted and went our separate ways.

CHAPTER II

MR. MARNHAM

So much for preliminaries, now for the story.

The eighteen months had gone by, bringing with them to me their
share of adventure, weal and woe, with all of which at present I
have no concern. Behold me arriving very hot and tired in the
post-cart from Kimberley, whither I had gone to invest what I had
saved out of my Matabeleland contract in a very promising
speculation whereof, today, the promise remains and no more. I
had been obliged to leave Kimberly in a great hurry, before I
ought indeed, because of the silly bargain which I have just