To The West Part 79

That visit seemed to do me good. It was as if I had had a fillip, and during the next few days I felt a return of my old vigour--a feeling which made me restless and eager to be out in the suns.h.i.+ne all day long.

I found myself eating, too, almost ravenously, and my sleep at nights, instead of being broken and feverish, grew to be long and restful. But somehow I did not feel happy, for Mr Raydon, though always pleasant and polite, was less warm, and he looked at me still in a suspicious way that made me feel uncomfortable.

In other respects everything went on as usual, till one day, about a fortnight after Gunson's departure, Mr Raydon said to me at breakfast--

"Do you feel strong enough to go for a week's journey?"

"Oh yes," I said eagerly, for I was beginning to long for something in the way of change.

"It means walking every step of the way," he said, smiling at my eagerness.

"Oh, I can walk again well now," I said. "Dean and I were climbing up the first west mountain yesterday--that one," I said, pointing out of the window. "I don't know how many hours we were, but it was dark when we came back."

"Well then, we'll try. I shall take Grey to try and lighten our loads a little, but we shall not go very far down the river."

"You are going down the river?" I said, as I saw Esau p.r.i.c.k up his ears.

"Yes; I have two or three spots in my mind's eye that would be suitable for a home for my sister, and I want to see if they will do. Perhaps you noticed them as you came--places that you would naturally pick out for camping as evening came on."

"I can remember several at the mouths of little streams, or below falls," I said excitedly. "One or two were quite like bits of parks, with great sweeping branched pine-trees growing near."

"Good memory, Mayne," he said, smiling. "Well, I have made my arrangements. Your Chinaman shall go with us to cook, and we will select three or four spots; and afterwards, when these travellers come, we can take them to see the selection, and they can choose which they like."

"How soon shall you start, sir?" I said.

"This morning. It is a leisure period for me. No Indians are likely to come for some time; and I can leave my people to take care of the place till we return. You feel that you can manage the walking?"

"Oh yes," I cried. "I am getting stronger every day."

"That's right. Dean, my lad, fetch Quong, and let's see what sort of a load of flour, tea, and sugar we can pack up for him. I can easily supply our little camp with meat."

"Then there will be some hunting and shooting too?" I said, as Esau hurried out to find Quong.

"Oh yes, for the larder," replied Mr Raydon, speaking more in his old fas.h.i.+on now. "Come, you are beginning to look quite yourself, my boy.

I was beginning to be afraid I should have nothing but a broken-down invalid to show my sister."

"I feel more like I did," I said, with my cheeks flus.h.i.+ng.

"Be thankful then, my boy, for you had a very narrow escape. Let me see; we must not overload ourselves, but I must have powder and bullets, as well as my rifle. A blanket each, of course, and our knives. That will be nearly all we need take, unless you lads bring a line or two and try for some trout."

He began chatting then about Mr John and his sister, and of how great a change it would be for her from a London life.

"But health is the first consideration," he said, smiling. "A palace is little more than an infirmary to a sick person, and out here a snug cottage such as we can soon run up will become a palace to one who recovers health. Isn't Master Dean a long time gone? Oh, here he is.

Well, where is Quong?"

"Can't find him anywhere, sir, nor his bundle neither."

"What? Absurd! He cannot have gone out. He cooked the breakfast. Did any one see him go?"

"I asked several of the men and women, sir, and they had not seen him."

"Asleep somewhere perhaps, as he feels that his work is done. Here, we must find him, or he will throw my arrangements all wrong, and we shall have to wait till another day. It's a pity I did not speak last night, but I was not sure then."

"I'll soon find him," I said.

"Yes, do, my lad, while I see to the rifle and ammunition."

"Come along, Esau," I said; and he followed me as I hurried out.

"Well, where are you going?" grumbled Esau. "I suppose you are very clever, but I should like to know how you are going to find him!"

"But you have not searched everywhere."

"I've searched everywhere that he was likely to be," replied Esau.

I stopped short, thinking as to which direction we had better take.

"Here, I know where he is," cried Esau excitedly.

"Yes? Where?"

"Gone up one of the streams to try for gold on the sly. You see if he don't find out our bit one of these days."

"Perhaps he has gone for that," I said thoughtfully.

"I feel sure of it. He has been away lots of times for a bit, and I shouldn't wonder if he is getting that little physic-bottle of his pretty full."

"He had better not let Mr Raydon know of it. He'd be in a towering rage," I said. "Here, let's hunt him out, and put a stop to it."

"All right," said Esau. "Here we are then. Which way shall we go?-- east, west, north, or south, or half-way between any two of 'em. I'm willing; don't make no difference to me."

I stood and stared at him, for now I saw first how absurd my proposal was, and how unlikely we were to find Quong if we had really gone off on such a mission. Esau grinned.

"I say, 'tain't so easy, is it?"

I made no reply, but stood thinking, and trying to find a solution to the difficulty.

"Seems to me," said Esau, "that about the best way of finding this little gentleman is to go and sit down by his fire till he comes, for he goes off so quietly, and he may be anywhere now."

"Let's look round again," I said, "and if we cannot find him we had better go and tell Mr Raydon."

It was humiliating, but the only thing to do; and after asking at every cottage in the enclosure without effect, I turned to go back to Mr Raydon's quarters, just as we saw the man Grey going in that direction.

"Why, he might know," I said, hurrying my pace so that we entered almost at the same time, but too late to question him.

"Well," said Mr Raydon, "have you found him?"

"No," I replied; and then turning quickly to Grey, who had not yet spoken--"Have you seen anything of Quong?"