King Solomon's Treasure

Chapter 4 Ambopa's Joining (1)
Cape Town to Durban takes about four to five days depending on boat speed and weather conditions.The East London port is not as good as it is made out to be and costs a lot of money.Sometimes, if it is not possible to dock at an east London port, the ship has to be delayed for a day, waiting for the cargo ship to unload.But this time we didn't have to wait, because there was no surf on the beach, and the tugboat came right away, with some ugly punts towed by ropes.Then there was a crackling noise, and the workers began to unload the goods.No matter what kind of cargo it is, whether it is porcelain or woolen goods, it is all thrown into the ship in one go.What a waste it was to see a case of four dozen champagne smashed to pieces, the sparkling champagne fizzing and flowing all over the cargo ship.Apparently the Xhosa on board thought so too, and finding two unbroken bottles of wine, they opened them and drank them down.But they did not let the champagne deflate before drinking it, and the champagne filled their stomachs so much that they rolled about in the boat, yelling that it was "magic wine."I stood in the boat and told them it was the worst poison a white man could drink, and he'd kill a man if he drank it.They were so frightened that they ran back to the shore, never daring to touch the champagne again.

On the way to Natal I kept thinking about Sir Henry's offer.Neither of us brought up the subject again, but anecdotes of hunting, all true and real.When it comes to hunting, there is really no need to lie.For hunters, this life will definitely encounter all kinds of bizarre things.

Finally, on a beautiful night in South Africa's hottest January, the boat sailed into the coast of Natal, and it was estimated that it would reach Durban by sunset.From East London to Durban, the coast along the way is very beautiful.The red sand dunes and bright green plants are dotted with Xhosa villages. The waves beat the reefs and splashed white waves, as if adding a white lace to the sea.When approaching Durban, the coastal scenery is even more charming.After hundreds of years of rainwater erosion, deep canyons have been formed in the mountains, and there are rivers under the canyons.The river is sparkling and the trees are lush and lush, as if God planted it himself.In the middle of the green corn field and sugarcane field, the white houses are patchwork, facing the calm sea, adding a bit of warmth to the beautiful scenery.Perhaps because I have lived in the wild for a long time, I especially cherish human civilization.I always feel that no matter how beautiful the scenery is, it is perfect if there are talents.There is no doubt that the Garden of Eden before God created man was beautiful.But I always think that the garden of Eden became more charming after Eve appeared.

We miscalculated and the boat didn't reach Durban until after the sun had set.Gunshots came from the shore, which informed the kind-hearted local residents that the British mail had arrived.If we had to cross the beach and go ashore that night, I'm afraid it would be too late.So after we watched the mail being carried away, we had a delicious dinner on the boat.

After dinner, when we returned to the deck again, the moon was already out.The bright moonlight sprinkled on the sea.In contrast, the light on the lighthouse seemed much dim.The scent from the shore makes people feel refreshed, the lights in the windows make people dazzled, and the singing of sailors can be heard from the brig not far away, and they are about to drop anchor.It all made for a fantastic evening, one that can only be enjoyed in South Africa.The silver moonlight shone on the earth, and it was quiet, which made people feel much calmer in their hearts.Even the bulldog brought by a passenger seemed to be infected by the quiet moonlit night, and no longer provoked the baboons in the cage on the deck, but lay quietly by the cabin door, snoring, and fell asleep soundly.

I, Sir Henry, and Colonel Good sat in the cab, and at first were silent.

"Mr. Quitman," said Sir Henry presently, "have you considered my proposal?"

"Yes," echoed Colonel Goode, "what do you think, Mr. Quitman. I hope we have the honor of joining you in the search for Solomon's Treasure, where Neville might go."

I stood up and tapped the pipe.I originally wanted to think about it again, but I didn't make a final decision.But when the soot fell on the surface of the sea, I suddenly made up my mind.When a person is indecisive and unable to make a decision for a long time, there is usually a result in a flash.That's it this time.

"Yes, gentlemen," I sat down again, "I have decided to go. I will tell you why, and on my terms."

"Let's talk about the conditions first. First, you have to pay all the expenses. The ivory and other valuables you get will be divided equally between Colonel Goode and me."

"Second, before departure, you have to pay me a reward of five hundred pounds. I will do my best to help you until you succeed. Unless you choose to give up, or we encounter some disaster."

"Thirdly, before you leave, you have to sign an agreement. If I unfortunately die, or become disabled, you will give my son Harry two hundred pounds a year for five years. Now he is studying at Guy's Hospital in London, After five years, I will be able to support myself. These are my conditions, you must think it is too much."

"No," replied Sir Henry, "I will accept it with pleasure. I am determined to go. You have a lot of experience in this field, and I will accept any price if you will help."

"Very good. Now we have negotiated the conditions. Now let me talk about the reasons why I am willing to go. First of all, I have been observing you two these days. To be honest, I like you very much. I believe that we will go together if we go together. Very enjoyable. That's important for a long journey."

"As for this journey, with all due respect, Sir Henry and Colonel Goode, even if we can cross Mount Sulimon, the chances of getting out alive are very small. What was the fate of Darth West 300 years ago? What about his descendants 20 years ago? And your brother? Let me put it bluntly, gentlemen, their yesterday is our tomorrow."

Having said that, I stopped to look at their expressions.Colonel Goode's face changed slightly, but Sir Henry's face remained unchanged.

"We have to seize this opportunity," he said.

"You may wonder," I went on, "that if it's so dangerous, why would a coward like me want to go with you? There are two reasons. First, I'm a fatalist. Regardless of my What to do, where to go, fate has already been decided. If it is destined that I will die in Sulimen Mountain, then I will go. Almighty God has his own arrangements, why should I trouble myself? Second, I am a poor man. 40 I have been subsisting on hunting for years. Gentlemen, I don't know if you have noticed that the average elephant hunter can only work for four or five years. So I have been in this business for seven times as long as others. My life is already There's not much left. If anything happens to me on the elephant hunt, after I pay off my debts, there's no money left for my son, Harry, he's on his own. Now, for five years, he'll be able to live and feed. Simply put , that’s why I’m willing to go.”

"Mr. Quitman," said Sir Henry, who had been listening attentively, "you have agreed to the journey, knowing that it will be a dangerous journey. Your motives show that you are a reliable person. Whether your predictions are correct or not, it is up to you." Time and facts will tell. But I want to tell you that whether it is right or wrong, whether the ending is good or bad, I will stick to it and never back down. If anything happens to me and it is inevitable, we will shoot it first Yourself, is it not, Good?"

"Yes, yes," said the colonel, "the three of us are accustomed to danger, and our fate is in our own hands. There is no turning back now. I suggest that we go to the restaurant and have a drink and good luck." So we went Restaurant, everyone had a drink.

We went ashore the next day.I housed Sir Henry and Colonel Good in the humble cottage which I called home.The hut is made of blue bricks, and the roof is covered with galvanized iron sheets.There are only three rooms in the house and a kitchen, but the garden outside is very beautiful, with the most beautiful loquat tree I have ever seen, and some small mango trees, which a gardener gave me.The garden is tended by an old hunter named Jack.While hunting in Sikukuli, he was badly bitten on the thigh by a bison and could no longer hunt.But being a Griqua, he was good at pottery and gardening.In contrast, Zulus have no interest in gardening.Because gardening is a quiet art, and that's not the Zulu's forte.

As there were not enough rooms, I was obliged to pitch a tent for Sir Henry and Colonel Good under the orange trees in the garden.Sleeping in a tent, smelling the flowers and looking at the green and yellow fruits is something you can only find in Durban.I dare say it is very comfortable to sleep in such a place.Also, except for the heavy rain, there are very few mosquitoes here.

(End of this chapter)