from
starvation. He was then returning from the journey that made him
famous, and had lost everything he possessed, even to his rifle; it is
therefore nothing short of marvellous that he had contrived to make his
way as far back as he did when I found him. He was too ill to talk much
when I first picked him up, but afterwards, when he grew stronger, he
told me the whole astounding story of his journey and his adventures.
He talked of publishing the narrative, but I very strongly dissuaded him
from doing so; for, as I pointed out to him, there were portions of that
narrative which were of so absolutely incredible a character that nobody
would believe them, and the story would lose all value from the fact
that it would be regarded as merely a fantastic fabrication, and he
would gain the reputation of an unblushing romancer. To tell you the
truth, I was firmly persuaded at the time that what he had gone through
had affected his brain, and that he was the victim of a series of the
most weird and horrible illusions. But I had reason to modify my
opinion in that respect a few years afterward, although I am still
unable to make up my mind definitely as to just how much of his story
was true and how much was due to an imagination that had become warped
and distorted by peril and suffering."

"By Jove!" exclaimed Grosvenor, with a sort of thrill in his voice. "I
say, you know, all this is intensely interesting. Eh, what? I wonder
if you would mind repeating to us a few of those statements that you
found it so difficult to believe at the time, and with regard to which
you were afterwards inclined to modify your opinion?"

"Well," answered Mitchell, "I am afraid I must ask you to excuse me from
doing that. You see, Menzies was my friend, and one of the finest
fellows that ever lived. He is dead now, poor chap, and I would not
willingly say a single word that might cause you or anyone else to think
lightly of him, or picture him in your mind as other than the very soul
of truth and honour. Yet if I were to repeat to you some of the
statements that I have in my mind, I know that you two hard-headed,
matter-of-fact Englishmen would at once set them down as the veriest
fairy tales, their author a second Munchausen, and myself a credulous
old fool for attaching the slightest weight to them. And yet, let me
tell you, Africa is a very queer country--as you will discover if you
persist in attempting to carry out your plan--an