concealed entrance of a cave, In a very Inaccessible place. Creeping Inside, he had found himself face to face with the skeleton of a man leaning against the cave wall. Rushing out rather faster than he went In, he made his way many miles down to the police H.Q., and gave his report. Police were guided to the cave, collected the skeleton, and brought It to the hospital, where the doctor was the district surgeon. So we laid the skeleton out on the dining room table, my youngest son meanwhile taking great delight In moving the jaw In Its socket, and twisting the head upon the spinal column. The teeth. Incidentally, while In perfect state, were loose, and kept falling out. We helped to take anumber of head measurements, and finally, by references to tables of figures In a book of anatomy, decided that It was the skeleton of a white man, probably 30-40 years of age. How old the skeleton was, we could not tell. The doctor told us that he had known a body cleaned to the bones by ants In three weeks. In this case, as there had been no sign of clothes, and the strings of"biltong" attached to the shoulders were black as leather, we had an Idea that this skeleton was pretty old. Next day It was taken to Durban for pathological study, and for the C.I.D. to check up on "missing persons". We heard nothing more for several weeks. Then, under the heading,"Skeleton at Ubombo"the newspapers presented a report. Pathologlsts had ascertained that this was a white man, aged about 35, and that the skeleton could have been up to 200 years old! For possibly 200 years he had been leaning against the cave wall. This certainly set up Interesting speculations. What white men were there In those parts 200 years ago? Was he perhaps a deserter from a ship? What on earth was he doing up at the top of that mountain range? Had he been overcome by fever, sought refuge in the cave, and died, sitting against the wall? No-one will ever be able to answer those questions. One thing occurred to me. I wonder whether some native or natives In past years came upori this cave, had a look Inside, saw the skeleton, and fled In terror,telling stories of ghosts and apparitions, so getting the mountain range Its name "Ghost Mountains". It might well be, J.F.R. 302
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