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 engineers--but why follow the melancholy business in all its details？ The shares began to decrease in value. They shrank to their original price of ā1， 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 ā500， which was all that Icould afford. I admit that it was a shock to such trust in human nature as remained to me when I discovered subsequently that the 1，000shares which I bought for my ā500 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 ā1，000 out of the ā5，000 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. Aman 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 hundred yards away， much reminded me of a certain Hans.
This Hans， I must explain， was originally a servant of my father， who was a missionary in the Cape Colony， and had been my companion in many adventures. Thus in my youth he and I alone escaped when Dingaan murdered Retief and his party of Boers，[*] and he had been one of my party in our quest for the wonderful orchid， the record of which Ihave written down in "The Holy Flower."
[*] See the book called "Marie."--Editor.
