handsome salary by the way, paid in advance, you taking the risks of my
dying or becoming incapacitated before it is earned, I will say no more
of the matter. If not I must refuse to accept what is an unearned gift."

"I confess, Quatermain, that I did not regard it in that light, though I
might have been willing to call it a retaining fee. However, do not let
us wrangle about money any more. We can always settle our accounts when
the bill is added up, if ever we reach so far. Now let us come to more
important details."

So we fell to discussing the scheme, route and details of our proposed
journey. Expenditure being practically no object, there were several
plans open to us. We might sail up the coast and go by Kilwa, as I had
done on the search for the Holy Flower, or we might retrace the line of
our retreat from the Mazitu country which ran through Zululand. Again,
we might advance by whatever road we selected with a small army of
drilled and disciplined retainers, trusting to force to break a way
through to the Kendah. Or we might go practically unaccompanied, relying
on our native wit and good fortune to attain our ends. Each of these
alternatives had so much to recommend it and yet presented so many
difficulties, that after long hours of discussion, for this talk was
renewed again and again, I found it quite impossible to decide upon
any one of them, especially as in the end Lord Ragnall always left the
choice with its heavy responsibilities to me.

At length in despair I opened the window and whistled twice on a certain
low note. A minute later Hans shuffled in, shaking the wet off the new
corduroy clothes which he had bought upon the strength of his return to
affluence, for it was raining outside, and squatted himself down upon
the floor at a little distance. In the shadow of the table which cut off