Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-05-18
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A History Of Adventure.
By II. RIDER HACGARD. !
INTRODUCTION.


view only, is, | suppose. one of thu
most wonderful and mysterious adven-
lures ever experienced by mortal men.
feel it incumbent on me To explain
what my exact connection with 1t is.
And so may as well say ut once that
/ am not the narrator, out only the
editor, of this extraordinary history,
and then proceed to tell how it found
its way into my hands.
Some years ago, |, the editor, was
stopping with a brother at one of the
universities, which for the purposes OF
this history we will call Cambridge,
and was one day much struck with the
appearance of two people whom | saw
going arm in arm down the street
One of these gentlemen was, i think,
without exception, the handsomest
young fellow l have ever set eyes on.
He was very tall, very broad, and had
look of power and a grace of bearing
that seemed as native to him as il is To
s wild stag. In addition, his face was
almost without flaw-a good face as
Well as beautiful one; and when he
lifted his hat, which he did just then to
passing lady, | saw that his head was
covered with little golden curls grow
ing close TO the scalp.
Good gracious!" l said to my
brother; ''why, that fellow looks like at
statute of Appolo come TO life. What
splendid man he is"
YES" he answered; she is the
handsomest man in the university, and
one of the incest, too. They call him
'the Greek god But look at the other
one; he's Vincey's CHATS the gods
name) guardian, and suppt sed to be
full of every kind of information. They
call him 'Charon. F"
| looked, and found the other man
quite as interesting in his way as the
gloriied specimen of humanity at his
side. He appeared to be about forty
years of age, and was, think, as ugly
as his companion was handsome. To
begin with, he was shortish, rather
bow-legged, very deep-chested, and
with unusually long arms. He had
dark hair and small eyes, and the hair
grew right down on his forehead, and
his whiskers grew right up to his hair
so that there was uncommonly little of
his countenance to be seen. Altogether
he reminded me forcably of gorilla,
and vet there was something very pleas
ing and genial about the mans eye.
| remember saying that | should like TO
krow him.
"All right" answered my brother;
nothing easier. i know Vincey; I'll
l., Il i.
some minutes we stood chatting-about
the Zalu people, think, for had just
returned from the Cape at the time.
Presently, however, a stoutish lady.
whose name | do not remember, came
along the pavement, accompanied by a
pretty, fair-haired girl, and these two
Mr.. Vincey, who clearly knew them
well, at once joined, and walked off in
their company. | remember being
rather amused because of the change
in the expression of the elder man,
whose name / discovered was Holly.
He suddenly stopped short in his talk,
cast a reproachful look at his compan-
ion, aud, with an abrupt nod to my
self turned and marched off alone
across the street. | heard afteiward
that he was popularity supposed to be
as much afraid of q woman as most
people are of mad dog, which ac
counted for his precipitate retreat.
can not say, however, that young
Vincey showed much aversion to femi-
nine society on this occasion. Indeed,
/ remember laughing, and remarking
to my brother at the time, that he was
not the sort of a man whom one would
care to introduce to the lady one was
going to marry, since it is exceedingly
probable that the acquaintance would
end in transfer of her affections. He
was altogether too good looking, and,
what is more, he had none of that con-
sciousness and conceit about him which
usually afllicts handsome men and
makes them deservedly disliked by
their fellows.
That evening my visit came to an
end, and that was the last | saw or
heard of Charon and the Greek god for
many long day. Indeed, / have
never seen either of them from that day
to this, and do not suppose it likely
that / shall. But month ago | re-
ceived letter and two packets, one of
manuscript, and on opening the first.
found that it was signed by Horace
Holly" a name that at the moment was
not familiar to me. 1t was as follows:
- COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE,
1st May, IS
my DEAR sIR,-You will be sur
prised, considering the very slight
nature of our acquaintance. TO get
letter from me. Indeed, think | had
better begin by reminding you that we
once met, now some five years ago
when your brother introduced me and
my ward, Leo Vincy, to you IN the
street at Cambridge To be brief aud
come to my business: | have recently
read with much interest book OF
yours describing a Central African adj
venture. | take it that this book is
partly true, and partly an effort of the
Imagination. However this is, it has