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. A man 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