Old Gold Part 45

"Of course."

"Then we ought to wake and warn the others before the men come back to camp."

"To be sure, and hear what your brother and the skipper say. I'll take a look round first to make sure there's no one within hearing, for it will be another point in our favour to give the scamps a surprise by being ready for them."

"It's all right," whispered Briscoe five minutes later. "They're all whispering and plotting together yonder. Now for it. You tackle the skipper, and I'll tell your brother. Be as quiet as you can."

Brace thought that the duty of warning his brother should be his, but he said nothing, and, creeping to the captain's side, he bent over in the dark, and laid a hand upon his shoulder.

In an instant two powerful hands had him by the throat, and he had hard work not to struggle.

"Who is it?" said the captain hoa.r.s.ely.

"I--Brace Leigh," said the young man, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper.

"You shouldn't rouse me like that, my lad. What is it--Indians?"

Brace told him, and the captain lay back, perfectly till, gazing up at the smoke.

"Bless 'em!" he said softly. "That's trouble to-morrow morning then-- not to-night. Well, have you told Dellow and Lynton?"

"No; but Mr Briscoe is telling my brother."

"Mr Briscoe, eh? Think he's siding with the men?"

"Oh, no: I'm sure he is not."

"I don't know," said the captain thoughtfully. "He jumped at that gold to-day like a baby at sugar. I've always been a bit suspicious about him, and now I see I've been right."

"What do you mean?" said Brace warmly.

"That chap's natural history has all been a cloak to screen him while he has been gold-hunting. I would bet that he came up this river with us in the hopes of finding that El Dorado place the Spaniards used to swear by."

"Quite right," said Brace drily.

"That's it, my lad; but he won't find it here. It's in quite another place."

"Indeed! Do you know?" said Brace eagerly.

"Oh, yes, I know. It's in the moon. Well, let's hear what Sir Humphrey thinks."

"Hist, captain," whispered the latter, almost at the same moment.

"Yes, sir. What do you think of it all?" asked the captain.

"It is horrible," whispered Sir Humphrey. "These men must be brought to reason."

"Don't you flurry yourself about that, sir," said the skipper grimly.

"I'm going to have a few words with my two bulldogs, just to put them up to what's going on, and then we shall just keep quiet and take no notice of anything till the lads begin. Then I shall let Dellow and Lynton loose at 'em, holding myself in reserve. That will settle 'em. But if we did seem to be getting the worst of it you three gentlemen might come and lend us a hand."

"And all be ready armed," said Sir Humphrey, "as you three will be."

The captain chuckled softly.

"Armed--guns and pistols?" he said at last. "Oh, no. I daresay you gents have had the gloves on and know how to use your fists?"

"Well, yes," said Sir Humphrey; "I must confess to that. Brace is particularly smart with his."

"I'll be bound to say he is," said the captain, chuckling. "Then we are likely to have some fun to-morrow."

"You don't apprehend danger, then, skipper?" said Briscoe: "no shooting?"

"Not a bit, sir," was the reply. "We Englishmen are not so fond of using shooting-irons as you Yankees are. As to danger? Well, yes, there will be a bit for the lads if they really do begin to play the tune called mu-ti-nee. For there'll be a few eyes closed up and swelled lips. Lynton's a very hard hitter, and when I do use my fists it generally hurts. Good three years, though, since I hit a man. He was a bit of a mutineer too: an ugly mulatto chap, full of fine airs, and given to telling me he wouldn't obey orders, and before the crew. I did hit him--hard."

"Right into the middle of next week, skipper?" said Briscoe, laughing.

"No, but right overboard," said the captain, "and one of the men threw a noose about his neck and pulled it tight, bringing him alongside. There he was between drowning and hanging when I looked over the bows at him.

'Now, young fellow,' I says, 'what's it to be: obey orders or no?' 'Oh, captain, captain,' he whines, 'take me aboard.' 'Climb up by the bobstay,' I said. He wasn't long coming aboard, and I kept an eye on him, half-expecting to see him come at me with his knife; but, bless you, no: he was showing his teeth at me an hour after in a real smile, and he seemed to feel a sort of respect for me all the rest of the voyage."

"Then I hope you will be as successful with these men, captain," said Brace.

"Oh, we'll try, Mr Brace: we'll try. Well, there's nothing to mind to-night, gentlemen, so we may as well have our sleep out."

"Sleep?" said Brace. "What! with the men in a state of mutiny?"

"Pah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the captain. "Hallo! who's here?"

"Me--Dellow," said the first mate, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper. "Lynton's here too. Is anything wrong?"

"Yes," said the captain, and the two mates were made acquainted with the trouble.

"Oh, that'll be all right, gentlemen," said the first mate quietly. "I was afraid it was Indians and poisoned arrows. You can't reason with them: you can with our lads. Lynton here is a wonderful arguer if there's any trouble there, eh?"

Lynton laughed softly, and in obedience to the captain's request all took their places again about the fire, to lie listening till the men returned, when, to Brace's great surprise, next morning at sunrise he found himself being shaken by his brother, and ready to ask whether the events of the night had been another dream.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

FRYING-PAN TO FIRE.

A good breakfast was eaten upon that eventful morning, Dan having plenty of materials for producing a capital meal, and, to judge from appearances, the men were quite ready to settle down to their tasks again, as they made no sign.

Brace had hard work to keep from casting uneasy glances at them, but he did pretty well, joining in the chat over the meal, and listening to a yarn from the captain about how he had traced out the deep channel years before in just such a shallow river as this, and how he was going to find one now.

"This'll be ten times as easy," he said, "for we only want water enough for these boats. I wanted water enough then for a big schooner, heavily laden.--What's the matter, sir?"

This was to Brace, who pa.s.sed the question off.