Henry Rider Haggard

Allan and the Holy Flower Henry Rider Haggard

What is more, he went, starting from his Essex home the next day without leaving any address. As it transpired afterwards, long afterwards, had he waited till the post came in he would have received a letter that might have changed his plans. But they were high- spirited young people, both of them, and played the fool after the fashion of those in love. Well, Charles Scroope turned up in Durban, which was but a poor place then, and there we met in the bar of the Royal Hotel. "If you want to kill big game," I heard some one say, who it was I really forget, "there's the man to show you how to do it-Hunter Quatermain; the best shot in Africa and one of the finest fellows, too." I sat still, smoking my pipe and pretending to hear nothing. It is awkward to listen to oneself being praised, and I was always a shy man. Then after a whispered colloquy Mr. Scroope was brought forward and introduced to me. I bowed as nicely as I could and ran my eye over him. He was a tall young man with dark eyes and a rather romantic aspect (that was due to his love affair), but I came to the conclusion that I liked the cut of his jib. When he spoke, that conclusion was affirmed.