I translated this speech to Lord Ragnall. It made him laugh, at which
I was glad for up till then I had not seen him even smile. I should
add that in addition to these sporting weapons there were no fewer than
fifty military rifles of the best make, they were large-bore Sniders
that had just then been put upon the market, and with them, packed in
tin cases, a great quantity of ammunition. Although the regulations
were not so strict then as they are now, I met with a great deal of
difficulty in getting all this armament through the Customs. Lord
Ragnall however had letters from the Colonial Office to such authorities
as ruled in Natal, and on our giving a joint undertaking that they were
for defensive purposes only in unexplored territory and not for sale,
they were allowed through. Fortunate did it prove for us in after days
that this matter was arranged.

That night before we went to bed I narrated to Lord Ragnall all the
history of our search for the Holy Flower, which he seemed to find very
entertaining. Also I told him of my adventures, to me far more terrible,
as chairman of the Bona Fide Gold Mine and of their melancholy end.

"The lesson of which is," he remarked when I had finished, "that because
a man is master of one trade, it does not follow that he is master of
another. You are, I should judge, one of the finest shots in the
world, you are also a great hunter and explorer. But when it comes to
companies, Quatermain----! Still," he went on, "I ought to be grateful
to that Bona Fide Gold Mine, since I gather that had it not been for
it and for your rascally friend, Mr. Jacob, I should not have found you
here."

"No," I answered, "it is probable that you would not, as by this time