Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction, English; Quatermain, Allan (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
Indeed, although Ragnall still hung back a little, it had been arranged
that I should try to purchase camels in exchange for guns, unless I
could get them for nothing which might be less suspicious, and that we
should attempt such an escape under cover of an expedition to kill the
elephant Jana.
Supposing such a vision to be possible, then might it not have come, or
been sent to deter us from this plan? It would seem so.
Thus reflecting I went to sleep worn out with useless wonderment, and
did not wake again till breakfast time. That morning, when we were
alone together, Ragnall said to me:
“I have been thinking over what happened, or seemed to happen last
night. I am not at all a superstitious man, or one given to vain
imaginings, but I am sure that Savage and I really did see and hear the
spirit or the shadow of my wife. Her body it could not have been as you
will admit, though how she could utter, or seem to utter, audible
speech without one is more than I can tell. Also I am sure that she is
captive upon yonder mountain and came to call me to rescue her. Under
these circumstances I feel that it is my duty, as well as my desire, to
give up any idea of leaving the country and try to find out the truth.”
“And how will you do that,” I asked, “seeing that no one will tell us
anything?”
“By going to see for myself.”
“It is impossible, Ragnall. I am too lame at present to walk half a
mile, much less to climb precipices.”
“I know, and that is one of the reasons why I did not suggest that you
should accompany me. The other is that there is no object in all of us
risking our lives. I wished to face the thing alone, but that good
fellow Savage says that he will go where I go, leaving you and Hans
here to make further attempts if we do not return. Our plan is to slip
out of the town during the night, wearing white dresses like the
Kendah, of which I have bought some for tobacco, and make the best of
our way up the slope by starlight that is very bright now. When dawn
comes we will try to find the road through that precipice, or over it,
and for the rest trust to Providence.”
Dismayed at this intelligence, I did all I could to dissuade him from
such a mad venture, but quite without avail, for never did I know a
more determined or more fearless man than Lord Ragnall. He had made up
his mind and there was an end of the matter. Afterwards I talked with
Savage, pointing out to him all the perils involved in the attempt, but
likewise without avail. He was more depressed than usual, apparently on
the ground that “having seen the ghost of her ladyship” he was sure he
had not long to live. Still, he declared that where his master went he
would go, as he preferred to die with him rather than alone.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account