Allan Quatermain, a big game hunter, is invited to join Sir Henry Curtis on an expedition to find Sir Henrys estranged younger brother George in the remote jungles of Africa. George had left home 2 years earlier, in search of Solomons Mines, where legend had it that the great Biblical king had untold treasures. Quatermain agrees to accompany Sir Henry, in return for half the treasure and financial security for his son, and the men are joined by Captain John Good, who has medical training, and Umbopa, an enigmatic native who seems to know more than he lets on. King Solomons Mines - written by H. Rider Haggard after boasting that he could write a more exciting book than Treasure Island - is indeed a thrilling adventure, and its pulsating action, constant surprises, and dangerous adversaries influenced dozens of jungle epics, including the popular Indiana Jones trilogy.