he wrote that letter. He had met with
a great trouble, and also he had allowed this story to prey on his
imagination, and he was a very imaginative man. Anyway, I believe that
the whole thing is the most unmitigated rubbish. I know that there are
curious things and forces in nature which we rarely meet with, and, when
we do meet them, cannot understand. But until I see it with my own eyes,
which I am not likely to, I never will believe that there is any means
of avoiding death, even for a time, or that there is or was a white
sorceress living in the heart of an African swamp. It is bosh, my boy,
all bosh!--What do you say, Job?"

"I say, sir, that it is a lie, and, if it is true, I hope Mr. Leo won't
meddle with no such things, for no good can't come of it."

"Perhaps you are both right," said Leo, very quietly. "I express no
opinion. But I say this. I am going to set the matter at rest once and
for all, and if you won't come with me I will go by myself."

I looked at the young man, and saw that he meant what he said. When Leo
means what he says he always puts on a curious look about the mouth. It
has been a trick of his from a child. Now, as a matter of fact, I had no
intention of allowing Leo to go anywhere by himself, for my own sake, if
not for his. I was far too attached to him for that. I am not a man
of many ties or affections. Circumstances have been against me in this
respect, and men and women shrink from me, or at least, I fancy that
they do, which comes to the same thing, thinking, perhaps, that my
somewhat forbidding exterior is a key to my character. Rather than
endure this, I have, to a great extent, secluded myself from the world,
and cut myself off from those opportunities which with most men result
in the formation of relations more or less intimate. Therefore Leo was
all the world to me--brother, child, and friend--and until he wearied of
me, where he went there I should go too. But, of course, it would not do
to let him see how great a hold he had over me; so I cast about for some
means whereby I might let myself down easy.

"Yes, I shall go, Uncle; and if I don't find the 'rolling Pillar of
Life,' at any rate I shall get some first-class shooting."

Here was my opportunity, and I took it.

"Shooting?" I said. "Ah! yes; I never thought of that. It must be a very
wild stretch of country, and full of big game. I have always wanted to
kill a buffalo before I die. Do you know, my boy, I don't believ