"A Tale of Three Lions"
This is narrated by an unnamed friend of Allan Quatermain, possible Rider Haggard (A similar device is used in "Hunter Quatermain's Story"). It is the only story which features Quatermain's son Harry (then aged 14) as a party - though he is mentioned in many stories.
The Quatermains are at Pilgrim’s Rest, Transvaal, working a claim in the gold fields. Allan Quatermain has bought this concession for £500 from an American – who made £5,000-£6,000 out of it. Another £300 of their money has gone on expenses, and there is almost no money left. The Yank admitted after the sale that the claim was worked out, but Quatermain has spent three months at it anyway, without finding any gold. He would have made £500 in a year hunting elephant beyond the Zambesi. But he wanted to give the claim a chance.
One Saturday evening Quatermain and Harry are sitting on the edge of the pit, which they have named "Eldorado" with deliberate irony, contemplating their future. Quatermain drops a half-sovereign into the hole, and scrambles down to recover it. He can’t find it, but discovers instead an apple-sized gold nugget. Harry starts shouting in excitement, which attracts the attention of Handspike Tom, from the Diamond Fields. This individual he allegedly got his name from having killed a man with a handspike, and is obviously not someone to be triffled with. Quatermain sits on the nugget to hide it, and they explain that the noise was him punishing Harry for misbehaving. Tom is suspicious, but leaves. The Quatermain's search further and find that there is a nest of gold nuggets (in size from a hazelnut to a hen’s egg), worth £1,250 in total. They pocket these as quickly and as secretly as possible.
Despite having found the nest of nuggets they decide that gold-mining is not for them, and instead go buffalo-hunting towards Delagoa Bay. They are accompanied on this trip by Pharaoh (a Swazi), and Jim-Jim (a Mapock Kaffir or Knobnose), and a team of six oxen and a Scotch cart. Unfortunately all does not go well. A lioness takes Jim-Jim, and eats most of him. One of the oxen gets redwater (Quatermain thinks this was mere spitefulness on the part of the animal – "a sheep is a very Solomon compared to oxen", "the ox is the most exasperating animal in the world, a negro excepted"). They use the sick ox as bait, and manage to shoot the lioness. But it doesn’t die immediately, and calls for help. This is answered by two lions, one of which is wounded by Harry – who shoots at it even though told not to do so. However, the lion thinks it has been attacked by its companion, and flies at it. There is a to-the-death struggle, and the victorious lion is then shot by Quatermain before it can turn on them. The lioness is finished by Pharaoh’s axe.
This is a simple little narrative, of what was daily life in Africa over one hundred and fifty years ago. There are no complex plot devices, no witchcraft or devilry. But the presence of Harry makes it a more accessible story than most.