To The West Part 25

I agreed at once, but Esau looked disappointed.

"Well, what is it?" said Gunson.

"I did want to go back to that store and buy something else before we started."

"Money burning your pocket?"

"No, it aren't that," said Esau, turning a little red.

"Well, you are your own master, my lad. Go and buy what you want, and make haste back."

Esau brightened up, and I rose to go with him.

"No, no; I don't want you to come," said Esau. "You stop with Mr Gunson. I shan't be long."

It struck me that this was rather curious on my companion's part, but I said nothing, only sat and looked out at the lovely bay, while Gunson busied himself with writing a letter.

"There," he said, when he had done; "want to write too?"

I shook my head.

"Better," he said. "Mayn't have another chance to write home for mouths."

"I have no home," I said sadly, "and no one to whom I could write."

He clapped me on the shoulder, and looked down at me searchingly as I thought.

"Never mind, lad; you are going to make a home and friends too. Some day you may have more friends to write to than you want."

I walked away to the window, to stand looking out at the shipping, wondering how long Esau would be, and what the article was that had taken his fancy, till all of a sudden the idea came to me that it must be a revolver.

"Do you know what your young mate has gone to buy?" said Mr Gunson just then, but I avowed my ignorance. "I hope he will not be very long, because we may as well be getting on board and settling down. Our chests are all right. The captain told me that they were right down in the hold, and well above the chance of getting any bilge water upon them."

He went to the window I had just left.

"Looks like fine weather," he said, "with perhaps a little wind. You must try and be a better sailor this time."

The last look round was given, the bill paid, and as we waited, I congratulated myself upon the fact that we were going to escape without another encounter with the loafers, for I felt sure they had been watching for us, so as to pick a quarrel. But the time glided on, and Esau did not return.

Gunson got up and went to the door twice, coming back each time with a very severe look on his countenance, as I saw at a glance, for I avoided his eyes, feeling, as I did, unwilling to meet some angry outburst, and hoping every moment to have an end put to a very unpleasant state of affairs.

Over and over again I started at some impatient movement on the part of Gunson; but he did not speak, contenting himself with walking impatiently up and down like some animal in a cage.

"Have you no idea what Dean has gone to buy?" he said at last.

"Not the least, unless he has fancied that he would like a revolver."

"Absurd!" cried Gunson; and there was another pause, during which I listened to every pa.s.sing step, hoping against hope that it might be Esau.

My position was growing more and more painful, and at last I could bear it no longer.

"What is it? What are you going to do?" said Gunson, as I suddenly jumped up.

"Look for Esau," I said.

"Sit still, boy. What do you know about the place, and which way will you go?"

I was obliged to say that I didn't know, but I would hunt for him well.

"It is now close upon twelve o'clock," said Gunson, angrily, "and he has been gone nearly three hours. If he is coming back it must be directly, and then, with you gone, we shall miss the boat, and all our belongings will go on up north without us. Hang him, he must be mad!"

"But I would not go far without coming back," I said.

"I think, my lad, you may save yourself the trouble."

"What do you mean? He will be back here directly?"

"No. I'm afraid," said Gunson, bitterly, "that we have been talking too much for him lately."

"Mr Gunson?"

"We have scared him with our account of the troubles, and he has backed out."

"Backed out?" I faltered, quite horrified at the idea of being left alone.

"Yes, and gone into hiding until we have sailed."

"Oh, impossible!"

"No, my lad, quite possible. You saw how startled he was at the idea of a journey through a wild country."

"No, no, I think not," I said.

"I feel nearly sure of it. He had no real reason for going out this morning, and his excuses to get away were as slippery as could be.

Depend upon it we shall not see him again--at least, I shall not, for of course you will wait for him."

"If I thought he could play such a mean, deceitful trick I should go without him," I said hotly.

"Indeed? Well then, my lad, you had better come, for it is high time we were off."

I stared at him wildly, for what he had said seemed terribly likely.

Esau had been startled on hearing the real difficulties and dangers that we had to go through, and much as he seemed to like me, he might have been overcome by his thoughts, and at the last moment felt that he must turn tail.

"Well?" said Gunson, "what do you say? Will you come? I must be off almost directly."

"Yes," I said, "you must go, but I'm sure Esau is in some trouble. He could not be such a coward as that."

"Then you will not go with me?"