To The West Part 77

"There, I don't care," he said. "I'm happy enough here if you'll get well. But I do wish old Gunson knew about it."

I looked sharply at Esau, for these words of his impressed me. I had often wished that Gunson knew of what we had found, for I thought that perhaps he was struggling on without a bit of good fortune. The thoughts pa.s.sed from my mind directly, as Esau began to make casts with his line here and there, as if fishing in the gra.s.s.

"Well, I don't mind," he said. "Turn farmer, eh?--and plant trees, and cut trees down, and build a house. All right. It will be good enough, and you and me will go and shoot and fish. I shall like it. Shall we have old Quong?"

"I suppose so, if he'll stay. There, let's go on fishing, and take back some trout for Mr Raydon's tea. I do feel so idle and helpless. Do you think he ever feels that we are staying too long?"

"Dunno," said Esau. "I should if I was him."

These words made me feel very low-spirited, and that night I broached the subject to Mr Raydon, apologising for being there so helpless and weak, and ending by asking him if I had not better go down to the mouth of the river again.

He looked at me searchingly.

"Tired of this place?" he said.

"Oh no," I replied. "I have been very happy here."

"Then why do you talk of going?"

"Because I feel as if I must be a burden to you."

"Indeed! Well, suppose I say go, and you make your way back along the river very slowly, for you are in a miserably weak state?"

"Yes, sir; but I am getting better now."

"Yes, I know; but suppose, as soon as you are gone, my sister and her husband appear, what am I to say to them?"

"I had not thought of that," I replied.

"But you see I had. But come, Mayne, be frank with me. You have some other reason for wanting to go."

He looked at me so searchingly that I coloured, for I could feel my cheeks burning.

"No, sir," I said; "no other reason."

"Not gold-hunting?"

"No; indeed, no."

"But you and Dean have been talking about your discovery a good deal."

"I--I think not, sir," I said, hesitatingly. "We have talked about it."

"And what a pity it is for a fortune to be lying there untouched?"

"Dean thought something of the kind, sir. I did not."

"Ha!" he said, as he again fixed me with his eyes. "No, Mayne, you must not think of going away. You have not exhausted my stock of hospitality yet."

Perhaps it was fancy, I said to myself, but it certainly seemed to me during the next few days, whenever I went out for a good long stroll with Esau, some one seemed to be watching us.

One day it was Grey who encountered us somewhere on the mountain-side; another day it was one of the men; and again, on another, Mr Raydon himself, whose presence was announced by the great dog, who came bounding up, to be followed in a few minutes by his master.

He did not stay long, but as soon as he was gone I found that my feelings were shared by Esau himself.

"I say," he growled, "are they afraid we are going to lose ourselves?"

"Why?" I asked.

"Because whenever we come right away into the woods, they send that dog to scent us out."

"Yes; they generally send somebody," I said, thoughtfully.

"Do you know why?" whispered Esau.

I glanced at him, but did not answer.

"It's because the chief's afraid we shall go up yonder trying for gold."

"And he does not trust us," I said to myself, as I felt that Esau must be right; and the uncomfortable feeling of being suspected seemed to increase.

I was thinking about this a good deal, and had made up my mind to ask Mr Raydon if he thought I could be so dishonourable, when we neared the Fort, and I was startled back from my musings which were carrying me on through the interior, when Esau uttered a cheery hail.

"What's the matter?" I said.

"Can't you see? Look!" he cried.

"Gunson!" I exclaimed; and sure enough there he was, coming slowly towards us, looking very old and careworn, and as if he had gone through a great deal of trouble since we parted in the autumn.

"Why, my lad," he cried, shaking hands with me warmly, "you look quite thin and white. Been ill?"

"Yes," I said, as I grasped his hand warmly.

"Fever?"

"No," I said, hesitatingly; "an accident."

"Why don't you tell him?" said Esau, st.u.r.dily. "I shot him."

"You shot him?"

"Yes," I said, quickly; "he let the rifle slip out of his hand somehow, and the ball hit me."

"I'm not surprised," cried Gunson, in a tone full of anger and contempt.

"Don't say any more about it," I cried. "It was an accident, and I'm getting better fast. Tell me about what you have been doing."

Gunson laughed.