Your old friend, the lunatic, you and I will together seek for and find this golden flower.

I say that's settled." On the morrow accordingly, it was settled with the help of a document, signed in duplicate by both of us.
Before these arrangements were finally concluded, however, I insisted that Mr.Somers should meet my late companion, Charlie Scroope, when I was not present, in order that the latter might give him a full and particular report concerning myself.

Apparently the interview was satisfactory, at least so I judged from the very cordial and even respectful manner in which young Somers met me after it was over.

Also I thought it my duty to explain to him with much clearness in the presence of Scroope as a witness, the great dangers of such an enterprise as that on which he proposed to embark.

I told him straight out that he must be prepared to find his death in it from starvation, fever, wild beasts or at the hands of savages, while success was quite problematical and very likely would not be attained.
"_You_ are taking these risks," he said.
"Yes," I answered, "but they are incident to the rough trade I follow, which is that of a hunter and explorer.