To The West Part 62

"Yes; stale high. Keep blead too long. Not good to eat."

"Why, Quong," I cried; "you're grumbling because somebody else cooked and baked," and I burst out laughing.

The little fellow jumped up with his yellow forehead all wrinkles and his eyes flas.h.i.+ng and twinkling comically with resentment. But as I still laughed at him, the creases began to disappear from his face, and the angry look to depart, till he too smiled up at me.

"You velly funny," he said. "Laugh at me."

"Well, you made me by grumbling for nothing."

"Quong cook well--better allee this? Cookee ploply."

"Yes; everything you have done has been delicious. Here, go on with your supper."

"Quong cook bleakfast?"

"Yes; I'll ask Mr Raydon to let you. Here, go on."

This pacified the little fellow, and he finished his meal quickly. He was busy clearing up when Mr Raydon came in, and I saw him glance sharply at the busy little fellow, whose tail was whisking about in all directions as he bobbed here and there, just as if he not been walking all day.

"Had a good supper?" said Mr Raydon. "That's right. Now then come to my office, and let us have a talk."

I followed him with some trepidation, Esau coming on nervously behind; and as we went outside, and then along to another building, catching sight of men and women at different places about the enclosure, our host went on to where I now saw that Gunson was waiting for us by a wooden house that had some show of comfort.

"Come in," said our host, and he pointed to roughly-made, strong chairs, while he seated himself behind a deal desk.

The walls were covered with weapons, and heads and horns of the various animals that I presumed had fallen to his rifle were nailed up here and there, the white deal floor being nearly covered with skin rugs. These various objects of interest kept my eyes busy for a few moments, and then I was called back to my position by Mr Raydon's voice, as he addressed Gunson.

"You are quite welcome," he was saying, "and I dare say I could give you a little shooting if you were disposed to stay."

"No," said Gunson, "I thank you; but I have finished one part of my task here. I am not going of course to make any secret of my mission. I am a prospector."

"Yes."

"It was my fortune to come out with these lads, and when I heard that they were journeying up the river, I determined to get up to the higher waters by the same route as they did for the sake of helping them."

"Then you would not have come this way, Mr Gunson?" I said.

"No, my lad," he replied, smiling. "I should have struck up one of the side rivers sooner."

"Oh!" I e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed.

"For it seemed to me that it was utter madness for two boys like these to attempt the journey alone in perfect ignorance of what they had undertaken."

"And you made up your mind to see them through?"

"I did, for they would never have done it alone."

"Indeed we should," I said, quickly.

Gunson laughed, leaned forward, and patted me on the shoulder.

"No, no, Mayne, my lad," he said kindly. "There's all the pluck--the English spirit in you; but there was more than you could have done by yourselves. You would have struggled on, but Master Dean here would have broken down long enough ago, and wanted to go back home to his mother."

"How could I have wanted to go back home to mother when she ain't at home?" cried Esau, angrily.

"Well, to have gone back," said Gunson. "There, I am in real earnest, my lads. It was more than you could have done."

"But we should have persevered," I said, warmly.

"And failed, as better men have done. Besides, there were the Indians, my lad. They always seemed very peaceable towards us, but you had a well-armed man with you; and it may have made some difference. There, I don't want to rob you of any credit you deserve, and I tell Mr Raydon here before you that I have derived no little a.s.sistance from you both, and enjoyed my journey all the better for your company. What do you say, Mr Raydon--would they have found their way up here alone?"

"In time, perhaps," he replied; "if they had met with other people making the trip they might have got here. Certainly not alone, and it would have been madness to have attempted it. It has been a mad project altogether."

Gunson looked at me and smiled.

"But there, you have reached your goal safe and sound, and to-morrow morning we'll shake hands and say good-bye."

"Please understand, Mr Gunson," said our host, quietly, "that you have no occasion to hurry."

"I beg your pardon," replied Gunson; "you are wrong. Time is gliding on, sir. I have spent years already in my quest and have no time to spare."

"The quest of wealth?" said Mr Raydon, rather sarcastically.

"Yes, sir; the quest of wealth to redeem the past. You do not know my early life, and I'm not going to tell of it."

"I only know enough to prove to me that Mr Gunson was educated as an English gentleman."

"And is now the rough prospector you see," replied Gunson. "There, sir, one lives for the future, not the past. To-morrow morning, thanking you warmly for your hospitality, I start; and I ask you to give my young friends here what you have offered so generously to me."

"Your Chinese servant going with you, of course. You said 'I start.'"

"My Chinese servant!" said Gunson, laughing. "I keep no servants. The poor fellow attached himself to us, and has worked for us patiently ever since. He is one of the poor patient Celestials, hunting for gold, and if ever he sc.r.a.pes together fifty pounds' worth he will account himself rich."

"And you?"

"Ah, my desires are far higher," said Gunson, laughing. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'll go outside and enjoy a pipe in this delicious evening air."

"Let me offer you a cigar, Mr Gunson," said our host. "I have a few good ones for my visitors."

"Thanks, no. I'll keep to my pipe till better times come. Now, my lads, it is your turn to have your chat with our host."

He rose.

"One moment, Mr Gunson," said Mr Raydon. "There is a powder magazine in the enclosure."

"Yes; I caught sight of it," was the reply. "I shall not drop any matches near."

I saw our host watch him very thoughtfully as he went out of the office.