To The West Part 34

"No," I said hurriedly; and he laughed a little, rather unpleasantly, I thought, and walked forward to stand with his elbows on the bulwark watching the distant sh.o.r.e.

"There!" whispered Esau. "Now would a fellow who was all right and square come and listen to all we said like that? Seems to be always creeping up behind you."

"I don't think he did that purposely."

"Well then, I do. You always take his part, no matter what I say; and it sometimes seems to me as if you were pitching me over, so as to take up with him."

"That's right, Esau," I replied. "That is why we sailed off together, and left you in the lurch."

Esau pressed his lips together, gave his foot a stamp, and then pushed close up to me.

"Here," he said, "punch my head, please. Do. I wish you would. My tongue's always saying something I don't mean."

I did not punch Esau's head, and the little incident was soon forgotten in the interest of the rest of our journey. For we sailed on now in bright sunshine, the uneasy motion of the schooner was at an end, and there was always something fresh to see. Now it was a whale, then a shoal of fish of some kind, and sea-birds floating here and there. Then some mountain peak came into view, with lovely valleys and vast forests of pines--scene after scene of beauty that kept us on deck till it was too dark to see anything, and tempted us on deck again the moment it was light.

By midday we were in the port of Victoria, where the skipper began at once to discharge his cargo, and hence we were not long before our chests were on the rough timber wharf, side by side with those of Gunson, who left us in charge of them while he went away.

"Wish he wouldn't order us about like that," cried Esau, angrily; "let's go away, and let some one else look after his traps."

"We can't now," I said.

"But we don't want him with us any more. I say, I don't think much of this place."

"It's very beautiful," I said, looking away over the sea at beautiful islands, and up at the wooded hills in view.

"But it looks just like being at home in England. I expected all kinds of wonderful things in a foreign country, and not to be sitting down on one's box, with sheds and stacks of timber and wooden houses all about you. We can get that at home."

I was obliged to own that everything did look rather home-like, even to some names we could see over the stores.

"And do you know where the skipper's going as soon as he has unloaded?"

"No," I said.

"Up to some place with a rum name here in this island, to get a load of coals to take back. They only had to call it Newcastle to make it right. What are you looking at over yonder?"

"Those beautiful mountains across the sea, rising up and up in the sunshine. That's British Columbia, I suppose, and it must be up among those mountains that our river runs, and where Fort Elk lies."

"All right, I'm ready. How are we to go?"

"We shall have to find out when some boat sails across I suppose. Let's go and find the captain, and ask him where we ought to go to get a night's lodging."

"Here he comes back," said Esau.

"The skipper?"

"No, Gunson. Now let's say good-bye to him, and part friends."

"There's a little steamer goes across to the settlement at the mouth of the river this afternoon," said Gunson; "so we'll have your chests carried down. Here, you two can get some kind of dinner in that place, where you see the red board up. You go on and get something ready; I'll join you as soon as I've seen your chests on board. The boat starts from close by here."

"No, no," whispered Esau; "we mustn't trust him, because--"

Esau stopped, for he had glanced at Gunson, and found his eye fixed upon him searchingly.

"I said I would see your chests safely on board, my lad," he said sternly. "I suppose you'll trust me, Gordon?"

"Of course I will," I cried, eagerly; for I was ashamed of Esau's suspicions.

"Go on then and order some dinner," he said; and Esau accompanied me unwillingly to the rough kind of tavern.

"It's like madness," Esau kept on saying. "You see if he don't go off with our chests, and then where shall we be?"

"Grumbling because I was so weak as to trust him. Never mind; I'm hungry. Let's have something to eat."

We ordered it, and partook of a thoroughly hearty, English-looking meal; but Gunson did not come, and as soon as Esau had finished, he suggested that we should go and look after him.

"But he said we were to wait for him here."

"Yes, but I'm going to look for my chest," cried Esau. "I don't see any fun in losing that."

"Nonsense! Don't be so suspicious," I said; and we waited on a full hour, with Esau growing more and more fidgety, and by degrees infecting me with his doubts.

All at once we heard from the distance the ringing of a bell, and the Englishman who, as he called it, "ran the place," came up to us.

"Didn't I hear you two say that you were going by the steamer 's afternoon?"

"Yes," I said.

"Well then, look sharp, or you'll lose the boat. She's just off."

I glanced at Esau, and as soon as he had paid we set off at a run, reaching the little steamer just as she was being cast off from the wharf.

"He ain't here," cried Esau, excitedly. "What shall we do--stop?"

"No," I said; "let's go on. We may find our chests on board."

"Yes," he said, sarcastically; "may. Well, we can come back again. Oh, what a set of thieves there are abroad."

We were by this time on deck, and after a quick glance round, I pitched upon a man who seemed to be either skipper or mate.

"Were two chests sent on board here belonging to us?"

"One-eyed man with 'em?" he said, looking at us curiously.

"Yes," I cried eagerly.

"All right. Down below."

"There, Esau," I cried, gripping him by the arm. "What do you deserve now?"