Bertram Mitford (1855-1914) could be said to have been the darker cousin to H. Rider Haggard (1856-1925). Both authors wrote adventure novels set in the perilous wilds of Africa, but Mitford seems to have used that setting, and his own experiences, to explore the darker side of human nature much more than Haggard.
To me, Mitford’s magnificent work The Sign of the Spider is a study of human desperation: the main character is an anti-hero whose attempts to earn his fortune lead him — both figuratively and literally — down an increasingly dark path. Mitford’s compact ghost story The Weird of Deadly Hollow looks at the motivations and consequences of revenge.
Mitford’s novel Renshaw Fanning’s Quest (1894), his eighth, is an African treasure hunt story reminiscent of King Solomon’s Mines, but more significantly is a story of human greed and betrayal. Valancourt Books still leads the charge on this fascinating author, and has reprinted ‘Quest with a facsimile of its original cover:
