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, L10,000, 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 L5 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 L100 a year (which I never got), I bought and paid
for in cash, shares to the value of L1,000 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 L4,000 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 v