g," was the
somewhat discouraging reply.

"Yes, of course," admitted Grosvenor, "it is true that we are both quite
inexperienced; but our youth is surely in our favour rather than against
us, for we are strong and healthy, and no doubt will soon become inured
to fatigue, hardship, and even privation. We both have splendid
constitutions; and, moreover, my friend Maitland here is a doctor and
surgeon of quite remarkable ability, which fact I regard as of the
utmost importance. Then, as to the matter of experience, I imagine that
we are bound to acquire that as we go on; we are not going to be
transported into the heart of the wilds in a few hours by express train,
you know."

"No," answered Mitchell, with a somewhat grim smile, "that is quite
true, as is also your contention that you will acquire some experience
as you go on. Then, of course, the fact that Mr Maitland is a doctor
and surgeon--of which I was unaware--is a great point in your favour.
But, when all is said, I still think that you will find the undertaking
too much for you. Why-- By the way, did you ever hear of a certain
Charles Menzies?"

"The explorer, you mean? Yes, I have heard of him; in fact I believe it
was an account of his travels that first put this idea into my head,"
answered Grosvenor.

"Ah!" remarked Mitchell cryptically; "I wonder just how much you have
heard respecting his travels?"

"Well, not very much, I must confess," acknowledged Grosvenor. "So far
as I can remember, it amounted simply to the statement that after one of
his long absences from civilisation he returned with the story that he
had actually discovered the site of ancient Ophir; and that he had
gathered reliable information concerning the existence of the mysterious
white race, which is to be one of the objects of my quest."

"Just so," commented Mitchell, relapsing into a pregnant silence. It
was evident that he was intently considering some difficult question.
Presently he looked up and said:

"I knew Menzies very well in my younger days. As a matter of fact I
saved his life; for had I not happened to have fallen in with him and
picked him up he must have inevitably perished; and in that case the
public would never have heard any of the extraordinary rumours
respecting his discoveries that afterwards leaked out. I was away up-
country elephant hunting at the time, and I found him, some seventy
miles this side of the Zambezi, in the last stages of exhaustion