Alan Quartermain: The Search for Sir Henry Curtis

Disclaimer: Allan Quartermain, Elizabeth Curtis, Sir Henry Curtis, and Captain John Good from King Solomon’s Mines (1950) are the property of H. Rider Haggard. Baubbre (a Watusi), Marco, Greg, Jim, and Ron are the characters that I have created. I am not making any money, and it was written solely for my enjoyment and that of other fans.

Summary of King Solomon’s Mines (1950)

Rated PG-13

One year after they returned from King Solomon’s Mines, which was 1899, Baubbre, who is from the Watusi Tribe, gave Allan a message. The message was delivered to Allan, and the message said that Sir Henry Curtis had been kidnapped by another group of white men. The skeleton remains from the diamond mines were those of a hunter killed by that group. The group of white men took him somewhere beyond the unexplored region of Africa. It is believed that those white men are the survivors of the Atlantians.

Allan went to see Elizabeth and gave her the message. Elizabeth was stunned to read that message about her husband being captive. Elizabeth said, How about going back and searching for my husband.

Allan replied, Yes, we will go back and look for him. I’ll get Captain John and some others to come. This time you are going to stay home.

Elizabeth yelled, I am going! I have a right to be on your expedition! Just remember, I want to get back to my husband.

Allan then replied, OK, you come! Just remember I’m not responsible for whatever happens in the jungle.

They began their journey to search for Sir Henry Curtis. Elizabeth, Captain John, Baubbre, and several others were carrying packs. Greg and Ron also joined the expedition. Greg is an archaeologist, and Ron is the professor from London. Allan instructed them and said, We are going to the Watusi Tribe. I believe they know everything about the unexplored region of Africa. I have heard tales about a beast out there in the unexplored region. We’re probably going to have to stop at Kukuana Village.

Ron replied, There was another professor who had gone out to the unexplored region and claimed that there are live dinosaurs out there. Maybe those are the beasts that the Watusi were talking about

Greg also replied, I think it must be that the professor is crazy, or else he was drunk. The dinosaurs have been extinct for over a million years.

Several days later, they had stopped at Kukuana Village. The Kukuanas were dancing up and down as high as ten feet. They stayed just long enough to watch the ceremony. There was another white man who had been living with them since the other was shot. Ron said, That’s the professor who went to an unexplored region. His name is Jim

Jim replied with a warning, There are dinosaurs out there. One of my friends got eaten by them. You must turn back!

They left the village and continued to go to the Watusi Tribe. They had traveled through the desert and the mountains for several days until they reached the Watusi Tribe.

They had arrived at the Watusi Tribe. The Watusi Tribe was performing a ceremony at the front of the beetle-shaped hut. Baubbre joined their ceremony. After the ceremony ended, they discussed finding Henry Curtis. Allan said to Baubbre, “We need more of your people to help find Henry Curtis.” Baubbre translated their language to the rest of the Watusi Tribe since they don’t know English.

Baubbre translated their reply into English. Five of them will go with us. Several of them warned about the beasts. We must have plenty of spears to slay those beasts.

After they left the Watusi Village, they rowed on a canoe up the river for several miles into an unexplored region of Africa. This was a large canoe that could hold as many as 20 people. They came to a waterfall which was about 50 feet high. They had to get out of the canoe and start tying a rope to it to hoist it up the hill. They heard a strange sound up the hill. When Allan and Baubbre got to the top of the hill, they saw Jobaria, a long-necked, long-tailed dinosaur. Allan said, I couldn’t believe that dinosaurs still exist. It was supposed to be extinct millions of years ago.

Baubbre replied, At least, this one is a plant eater. I have an idea. This one could really hoist our canoe up the hill.

They went back down the hill to get the rope and brought that up the hill. They tied a rope to the dinosaur’s tail. They made a noise, and the dinosaur hoisted the canoe up the hill. After the canoe reached the top of the hill, they cut the rope and returned it to the river. Elizabeth said, Are you sure that we won’t be their meal?

Baubbre replied, This one is strictly a plant eater. This one is harmless.

They continued going up the river until evening. Triceratops were running toward them. Elizabeth was screaming. All six of the Watusis were throwing spears at them. One of them got nabbed from the horn and died instantly. After they had slain that dinosaur, they cooked it for a meal. Elizabeth said, I thought I wouldn’t eat that. It’s really delicious. It tastes just like chicken.

Allan said, This dinosaur meat should last for several days. Let’s put plenty of that in our packs.

The next morning, they ate more of the dinosaur meat. After that meal, they continued the expedition to search for Sir Henry Curtis.

Allan’s expedition was coming to another city, which wasn’t on the map. There was an active volcano near the city. A group of men was coming towards them. Marco, the leader of this group from the city, came to Allan and said, Hi, my name is Marco. Welcome to Atlantis.

Allan replied, Atlantis was destroyed over 10,000 years ago. Atlantis had sunk under the sea.

Marco replied, That was the original city of Atlantis. This is the new Atlantis. We are the descendants of survivors of the original city that was destroyed by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, causing it to sink into the sea. We came here to build a new city.

Allan asked, Have you seen a man named Henry Curtis?

Marco replied, Yes, we met him at the diamond mines. He decided to join us after we lost one of our scientists. Our man had died from a heart attack, and we left him at the mines.

Allan asked, Can we see Henry Curtis?

Marco replied, Sure, I’ll take you there.

They continued into the city. When they got there, they found the treasures from King Solomon’s Mines. Marco took them to Henry Curtis. Elizabeth ran toward him and kissed him and said, I thought you were dead. I’ve missed you for three years. Why did you join them?

Henry replied, I didn’t want to join them; they forced me to do that. This happened when an archaeologist died at the mines, and they wanted me because I happen to be an archaeologist. They wanted us to bring those diamonds to their city. I have studied those Atlantians. They are a very advanced civilization. They have been living here for over 10,000 years since the destruction of the original Atlantis. They continued their lifestyle, going through the generations.

Baubbre warned, We must return those diamonds to King Solomon’s Mines. That mountain is angry. Your city will be destroyed unless you return those diamonds.

Marco replied angrily, Those diamonds stay here.

An earthquake suddenly shook the ground. Baubbre warned them again: “This is the warning that you must return the diamonds.” If you don’t, your city will be destroyed.

Marco called the guard and threw them all into prison.

They had been in prison for two days. A big earthquake shook the area, and a prison wall collapsed. Quartermain escaped from prison. The city walls were collapsing, and the volcano erupted. The volcano was shooting steam and ash several thousand feet into the air. The lava was running down toward the city. Baubbre said to the Atlantians, If you want to be saved, please follow us and bring the diamonds. We must return those diamonds to the mines.

Marco spoke to the other Atlantians, Just follow me, we’ll find a safe place. Let them go their own way. Let them have their own share of the diamonds.

The Atlantians started to follow Marco. All of a sudden, a Tyrannosaurus Rex appeared. That dinosaur got Marco and ate him alive. Elizabeth was screaming in fear. Henry hugged and comforted her. After that dinosaur finished eating Marco, it took off away from them. Allan announced to the Atlantians, Please follow us. We’ll get you to safety. We must leave because the volcanic ash will be raining soon.

After several days, they reached the river and were getting ready to canoe down it. They were getting ready to camp there. The Triceratops appeared. The Watusi group speared that dinosaur for a meal. Some of the volcanic ash was reaching that camp. It was light ash, just enough to appear on the ground. Allan said, Please wet some kind of cloth or bandana and put it over your nose. That will filter out those ashes. We must leave as soon as possible.

The next morning, they put the diamonds into a canoe. Allan said, We can get out faster if all of you would swim down the river. Since that canoe has limited space, we’ll take those who cannot swim. On the way down, there will be a waterfall. Please stay behind me so we can get around it.

When they reached the waterfall, they climbed out of the river and over the cliff to reach the bottom of the falls. Allan and Baubbre tied the rope around the dinosaur’s tail, and Baubbre chased that dinosaur so it could lower the canoe back down to the bottom of the river. Allan explained to them, We will continue to follow down that river. We will return those diamonds to the mines. After that, we will head to the Watusi Tribe.

Captain John replied, Since it’s getting near the New Year and New Century, how about celebrating it at the Watusi Tribe?

Baubbre replied, We are going to have a special ceremony there.

They continued down the river and spent a night near King Solomon’s Mines.

The next morning, they were getting ready to return the diamonds to the mines. Allan said, The entrance has been blocked. There are two ways of dealing with that. We could either spend a couple of days reopening the entrance or swim in from the stream.

Greg replied, “Since we have some dynamite, why don’t we just blow it open?”

Baubbre said, We must remove those rocks to return those diamonds. Once we return those diamonds, then we will blow it shut.

They went up to the blocked entrance, and everyone helped to reopen it. After the entrance reopened, they brought the diamonds in. Elizabeth said to Henry, I thought that was your skeleton remains when we were there a couple of years ago.

Henry replied, That was an archeologist that died here when they kidnapped me.

After they put the diamond back into the mines, they were putting dynamite at both the entrance near the stream and the main entrance. Allan said to everyone, Please leave the mines. We are going to dynamite the entrances to block them.

After everyone got far enough away from the entrance, Allan blew it with the dynamite and blocked the entrances. Baubbre said, The mountain is now happy to have its diamonds back. We will now head back to the Watusi Tribe.

Elizabeth replied, I still think that is superstitious. I don’t believe that the mountain would be angry for taking the diamonds.

The ghostly apparition of King Solomon appeared with a smile. Baubbre said, Look, Elizabeth, this is what I am talking about. Everyone had witnessed the apparition, and it disappeared.

They all had returned to the Watusi Tribe. They stayed till New Year’s Day. There was a ceremony performed near the beetle-shaped hut, and the Watusi danced till midnight. The next day, the beginning of the new century, they had left the Watusi Tribe.

The Atlantians went to England with Henry and Elizabeth. The Atlantians settled in England and were happy there.

THE END