Old Gold Part 41

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

BRACE HAS SYMPTOMS.

Rollers were soon made by the carpenter, and the men, who were as eager as a pack of boys, worked hard over the necessary preparations, looking forward as they did to the trip as a kind of holiday excursion.

Consequently, when without mishap the two boats reached the side at the foot of the falls next day, the stores were landed and carried up the slope, the boats drawn ash.o.r.e and in an incredibly short s.p.a.ce of time dragged on to the rollers, so many men harnessing themselves like a team of horses to the rope attached to the boats' keels, and cheering loudly as difficulty after difficulty was surmounted, the rollers being changed time after time till the top was at length reached.

The lowering down into the water was easily accomplished: stores were re-embarked, and then, with a brisk breeze to fill their sails, the party started upon what was to prove an adventurous voyage along the upper waters of the great river, leaving the thunder of the falls far behind.

Fish and game proved to be abundant, wood for their fire plentiful, and they bivouacked that evening under one of the forest monarchs upon the bank, partaking of the result of their shooting, Dan revelling in his task of playing cook, and grinning with delight at the praises bestowed upon him by masters and men.

To Brace's satisfaction, his brother seemed all the better for the little exertion he had gone through, and when the boats were once more sought and the fire extinguished to save them from drawing upon themselves the attentions of any Indians who might be near, Sir Humphrey was one of the first to fall asleep under the tent-like sail, the boats swinging gently in the darkness at the end of the rope secured to a huge overhanging bough.

"It's a pity not to have kept the fire going, Mr Briscoe," said Brace, as the two sat together trying to pierce the darkness as they gazed towards the sh.o.r.e.

"Pity for some things," replied Briscoe; "but there's for and against.

It would keep the wild beasts away, but would bring the insects and reptiles to see what it means, besides rousing up the birds to come and singe their wings. I say: everybody seems to have gone to sleep."

"Except the two men of the watch in the boats' bows."

"I say!"

"Yes?" said Brace, for his companion stopped short.

"What did Sir Humphrey say to my ideas about the golden city?"

"Nothing whatever."

"Nothing?"

"Not a word, for he did not know."

"Didn't you tell him?"

"Of course not. Didn't you say that your words were in confidence?"

"Yes," said Briscoe, with a grunt, "but I didn't mean to include him.

He wouldn't try to argue the case again, would he, and want to have me set ash.o.r.e here?"

"Certainly not. He would say that you had a perfect right to indulge in such dreams. He would not interfere."

"Not if I was to begin prospecting?"

"Not unless you began to do anything to hinder our trip. But I say, look here: what's the meaning of this sudden interest in gold?"

Briscoe smiled.

"There's nothing sudden about it," he said. "It came on, as I told you, years ago, and I've been thinking about the golden city ever since."

"Golden clouds," said Brace derisively. "Give it up, man, and stick to the birds."

"I'll stick to them too," said Briscoe quietly. "I won't interfere with your plans."

Brace was silent for a few minutes, during which the darkness seemed to grow deeper, and the strange noises in the forest increased till it was possible for an active imagination to conjure up the approach of endless strange creatures bent upon attacking the invaders of their solitudes.

But the time glided on with the water gently lapping at the sides of the boat they were in, and one moment Brace was trying hard to say something to the American, the next he was gliding up the strange river towards the overgrown crumbling walls of a city standing high upon a rocky eminence a little back from the river bank. Then all at once the swift, easy, gliding motion of the boat ceased, and though the sail was well filled out they got no nearer to the city, whose gateway stood temptingly open, while in the glowing evening sunshine crumbling wall and tower appeared to be made of deadened gold.

For a few moments Brace sat gazing hard at the buildings, feeling certain that this was the golden city of which Briscoe had spoken. Then a strange feeling of irritation came over him, and he tried to turn and order the crew to lay out their oars and pull for their lives so as to reach the goal. But somehow he could not stir to rouse up the men to row, and the boat remained strangely balanced upon the swiftly-gliding water, just as if she were straining hard at an anchor which had been thrown out astern.

Then--how the young man could not have explained--the ruddy golden city grew fainter--darker--till it died away in a dense blackness; for it was all a building-up of the imagination, in the deep sleep which had overcome the young adventurer as he leaned against the side of the boat.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

A SUDDEN CHECK.

Days and days pa.s.sed of sailing on and on over waters which grew more and more shallow. Brilliantly-coloured birds were shot and skinned: and an ample supply of fine turkey-like fellows made the men's eyes sparkle as they thought of the rich roasts Dan would make at the evening's camping-place to supplement the toothsome fish that were hauled in, flashing gold, silver, blue, and scarlet from their scales, whenever a line was thrown out astern.

Sometimes a shot was obtained at some fierce animal or loathsome reptile, whose pursuit and capture lent excitement to the trip and fully repaid the men for their labour at the oars when the wind went down.

The change from the brig to the boat seemed to give Sir Humphrey new life, and at the end of a fortnight he was thoroughly himself again, and ready to take his turn at an oar so as to rest the men, to fish, or to land on one or the other bank of the river in search of game for the cook or specimens for their boxes of skins.

"It's glorious," cried Brace, more than once.

"Would be," said Briscoe, "if we could catch sight of the golden city."

"You'll only see it as I did," cried Brace--"in a dream; but you can read about it when we get back home, in some book of imaginary travels."

"Perhaps," said Briscoe drily; "but I have more faith than you have, my fine fellow. Just wait and see."

That afternoon a wide reach of the river was entered where the water shallowed so rapidly that all of a sudden a grating sound arose from under the foremost boat, and then came a shout from the captain to Lynton.

"Look out there," he roared. "Shove your helm down."

The second mate obeyed the order instantly; but the warning came too late, for there was a sudden check and Brace nearly went overboard, and in fact would have taken a header if Briscoe had not made a s.n.a.t.c.h at his arm.

Both boats were fast aground and refused obstinately to yield to the poling and punting toiled at by the men to get them over the sandy shoal in which they were fixed.

"Never mind, my lads," cried the captain at last: "it's getting late, and there's a capital camping-place ash.o.r.e. Wade, some of you, and lighten the boats so as to run 'em in. You, Dan, and a couple more see to your fire. There don't seem to be any of those flippers in the water here. Stream's too swift for them."

The men were over the sides of the boats and into the water directly, and, thus lightened, the vessels were run close up to the bank before they grounded side by side.

"We'll lighten your boat more still, gentlemen, in the morning," said the captain, "and pole her along to find a deeper channel. It's too late now, and we're all tired. My word!" he continued, as he stood on one of the after-thwarts and looked down through the crystal-clear water at the sandy gravel; "why, this looks just the sort of place where you might wash for gold."

"Hah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Brace: and then to himself: "He has done it now."

The captain's loudly-spoken words had been plainly heard by all, and seemed to send a magnetic thrill through every man.