To The West Part 76

"No, never a word. But I say, it do seem a pity not to get more of it, don't it?"

"I don't know," I replied. "I want strength, not gold. How long will it be before Mr and Mrs John get here?"

"Ah, that's what I want to know," cried Esau. "I was thinking about that this morning; leastwise I wasn't thinking about them, but about mother. Wonder what she'll say to me when she knows?"

"Knows what?"

"'Bout me shooting you. She will be wild, for she was a deal fonder of you than she was of me."

"Nonsense, Esau!" I cried. "Why, she used to talk to me about you for hours."

"Dessay she did. But, I say, do make haste and get well before the Indians come again. Grey says they'll be here soon with loads of skins that they've shot and trapped in the winter."

Our conversation was interrupted by the coming of Mr Raydon.

"Ah, Mayne," he said; "that's better. You must keep that up every day when it's fine. Fresh air and the scent of our pines form the finest strengthening medicine a sick man can have."

He stopped chatting to me for some time, and at last I ventured upon the topic which interested both Esau and myself.

"How long do I think it will be before the travellers get across to us?

Hah! that's a poser, my lad. So much depends upon my sister's health, and her ability to travel. Of course they have been resting during the worst time. However, I hope they will not be here till you are thoroughly on your legs again."

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

"DO I LOOK FORTUNATE?"

As the time glided on I used to be quite in despair.

"I don't get any stronger, Esau," I used to say, pettishly.

"What? Why, look at you!" he'd cry. "On'y t'other day you was walking with a stick and a crutch."

"I was not," I said, indignantly. "I never had a crutch."

"That you did, sir," he said, with a chuckle; "and now you've chucked 'em both away and goes alone."

"But my legs feel so weak, and ache so directly."

"Tchah! What o' that! Why, only t'other day they used to double up like an old two-foot rule, or a knife with the spring broke. You're coming all right enough. I say, I want to talk to you."

He gave a sharp look round as we stood beside the stream where it entered the river--the stream up which we had found the gold, and to whose bank we had come to catch trout with rods and lines of our own manufacture, and gra.s.shoppers for bait.

I had been fis.h.i.+ng, but after taking three decent trout, I had lain down wearied out, and now Esau squatted down by me, with his rod across his knees.

"I say," he whispered, "what about that gold up yonder?"

"Well, what about it?"

"Don't you never think about it a deal?"

"Sometimes. Do you?"

"Always. I can't get away from it. Seems as if something's always tempting me to go and get it."

"But you cannot," I said, sharply. "We gave our word to Mr Raydon."

"Yes, that's the worst of it. I can't think how a fellow can be so stupid."

"Let it go, and don't think about it."

"That's what I want to do, but I can't help myself, and I'm always wanting to get lots of it, and be rich."

"Rubbis.h.!.+" I cried, testily.

"Gold ain't rubbish," said Esau, gruffly. "Of course I should give you half."

"We promised Mr Raydon not to touch that gold any more," I said; "so don't talk or think about it. Promise me."

"I'll promise not to talk about it," he replied; "but it's no use to promise not to think about it, because it will come. Why, I dream about it every night."

"Then you must not," I said. "I was talking to Mr Raydon last night about what is to be done when Mr John comes."

"Well, what does he say? Anything about the gold?"

"No," I cried, fiercely. "Of course you think about it if you are always talking of it. He says that he thinks the best thing will be for Mr John to have some land lower down the river at a place we pa.s.sed; that there are twenty or thirty acres of good rich soil, and that as he will have us with him, we must learn to use axes and help him to clear the land, and plant it with fruit-trees, and build a house on the clearing."

"Yes; that's all right enough, only the trees take so long to bear."

"That he will help us with different things till we can manage alone; and that before many years are gone we can make ourselves quite a good home."

"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Esau. "But then that will take a long time, and you won't be able to work much, and I don't think Mr John Dempster will, not being strong, and all the time there's enough gold up--"

"Will you hold your tongue?" I cried, angrily. "Do you want me to hit you?"

"If you like," he said, grinning. "Don't think you could hurt me much."

"You coward!" I cried. "Wait till I get strong again."

"I shall be precious glad," said Esau, "for I'd a deal rather you gave me one or two cracks than kept on saying the things you do sometimes.

My! how you have given it me ever since you have been ill! It has made you raspy."

I winced a little at this, for I felt that I had been horribly irritable.

"I can't help thinking about the gold, but I won't say gold no more as long as I live."

I could not help laughing at this earnest delivery, and Esau showed his teeth.