Chapter 1 I Meet Sir Henry Curtis
It was a curious thing that at my age—fifty-five last
birthday—I shouldfind myself taking up a pen to try and write a
history. I wonder what sort ofa history it will be when I have
done a good many things in my life, whichseems a long one to me,
owing to my having begun so young, perhaps. At anage when other
boys are at school, I was earning my living as a trader in theold
Colony. I have been trading, hunting, fighting, or mining ever
since. Andyet it is only eight months ago that I made my pile. It
is a big pile now Ihave got it—I don't yet know how big—but I
don't think I would gothrough the last fifteen or sixteen months
again for it; no, not if I knew that Ishould come out safe at the
end, pile and all. But then I am a timid man, anddon't like
violence, and am pretty sick of adventure. I wonder why I amgoing
to write this book: it is not in my line. I am not a literary man,
thoughvery devoted to the Old Testament and also to the lngoldsby
Legends. Letme try and set down my reasons.
First reason: Because Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good
askedme to.
Second reason: Because I am laid up here at Durban with the
pain andtrouble in my left leg. Ever since that confounded lion
got hold of me I havebeen liable to it, and its being rather bad
just now makes me limp more thanever. There must be some poison in
a lion's teeth, otherwise how is it thatwhen your wounds are
healed they break out again. It is a hard thing thatwhen one has
shot sixty-five lions as I have in the course of my life, that
thesixty-sixth should chew your leg like a quid of tobacco. It
breaks the routineof the thing, and putting other considerations
aside, I am an orderly man anddon't like that.
**章 初会亨利-柯蒂斯
去年我已过了55岁生日，对我这个年龄的人来说，这是一件新奇事儿。
我发现自己应该拿起笔尝试着写一段历史。我不知道自己写完时它将是一段
什么样的历史，尽管我一生中做过很多很多的事儿。在我看来，一生似乎很

Chapter 1 I Meet Sir Henry Curtis
**章 初会亨利·柯蒂斯
Chapter 2 The L egend of Solomon's Mines
第二章 所罗门宝藏的传说
Chapter 3 Vmbopa Enters 0ur S ervice
第三章 厄姆宝帕为我们效劳
Chapter 4 A n Elephant Hunt
第四章 猎象
Chapter 5 Our M arch into the Desert
第五章 进军沙漠
Chapter 6 Water!Water!
第六章 水!水!
Chapter 7 Solomon'sRoad
第七章 所罗门大道
Chapter 8 We E nter Kukuanaland
第八章 我们进人库库安纳国
Chapter 9 Twala the Xing
第九章 图瓦拉国王
Chapter 10 The Witch—Hunt
第十章 女巫大搜捕
Chapter 11 We Give a Sign
第十一章 发出信号
Chapter 12 Before the Battle
第十二章 大战之前
Chapter 13 The Attack
第十三章 进攻
Chapter 14 The Last Stand of the G reys
第十四章 灰军的*后一战
Chapter 15 Good Falls S ick
第十五章 好事多磨
Chapter 16 The Place of Death
第十六章 死亡之地
Chapter 17 S olomon's Treasure Chamber
第十七章 所罗门宝室
Chapter 18 We A bandon Hope
第十八章 我们放弃希望
Chapter 19 Ignosi's F arewell
第十九章 告别伊格诺希
Chapter 20 Found
第二十章 找到乔治