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 white sorceress living in the heart of an African swamp. It is bosh, my boy, all bosh!—What do you say, Job?’

‘I say, sir, that it is a lie, and, if it is true, I hope Mr. Leo won’t meddle with no such things, for no good can’t come of it.’

‘Perhaps you are both right,’ said Leo, very quietly. ‘I express no opinion. But I say this. I am going to set the matter at rest once and for all, and if you won’t come with me I will go by myself.’

I looked at the young man, and saw that he meant what he said. When Leo means what he says he always puts on a curious look about the mouth. It has been a trick of his from a child. Now, as a matter of fact, I had no intention of allowing Leo to go anywhere by himself, for my own sake, if not for his. I was far too much attached to him for that. I am not a man of many ties or affections. Circumstances have been against me in this respect, and men and women shrink from me, or at least, I fancy that they do, which comes to the same thing, thinking, perhaps, that my somewhat forbidding exterior is a key to my character. Rather than endure this, I have, to a great extent, secluded myself from the world, and cut myself off from those opportunities which with most men result in the formation of relations more or less intimate. Therefore Leo was all the world to me—brother, child, and friend—and until he wearied of me, where he went there I should go too. But, of course, it would not do to let him see how great a hold he had over me; so I cast about for some means whereby I might let myself down easy.

‘Yes, I shall go, Uncle; and if I don’t find the “rolling Pillar of Life,” at any rate I shall get some first-class shooting.’

Here was my opportunity, and I took it.

‘Shooting?’ I said. ‘Ah! yes; I never thought of that. It must be a very wild stretch of country, and full of big game. I have always wanted to kill a buffalo before I die. Do you know, my boy, I don’t believe in the quest, but I do believe in big game, and really on the whole, if, after thinking it over, you make up your mind to go, I will take a holiday, and come with you.’

‘Ah,’ said Leo, ‘I thought that you would not lose such a chance. But how about money? We shall want a good lot.’