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Old Gold; or, The Cruise of the "Jason" Brig, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 27. A Sudden Check |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. A SUDDEN CHECK Days and days passed of sailing on and on over waters which grew more and more shallow. Brilliantly-coloured birds were shot and skinned: and an ample supply of fine turkey-like fellows made the men's eyes sparkle as they thought of the rich roasts Dan would make at the evening's camping-place to supplement the toothsome fish that were hauled in, flashing gold, silver, blue, and scarlet from their scales, whenever a line was thrown out astern. Sometimes a shot was obtained at some fierce animal or loathsome reptile, whose pursuit and capture lent excitement to the trip and fully repaid the men for their labour at the oars when the wind went down. The change from the brig to the boat seemed to give Sir Humphrey new life, and at the end of a fortnight he was thoroughly himself again, and ready to take his turn at an oar so as to rest the men, to fish, or to land on one or the other bank of the river in search of game for the cook or specimens for their boxes of skins. "It's glorious," cried Brace, more than once. "Would be," said Briscoe, "if we could catch sight of the golden city." "You'll only see it as I did," cried Brace--"in a dream; but you can read about it when we get back home, in some book of imaginary travels." "Perhaps," said Briscoe drily; "but I have more faith than you have, my fine fellow. Just wait and see." That afternoon a wide reach of the river was entered where the water shallowed so rapidly that all of a sudden a grating sound arose from under the foremost boat, and then came a shout from the captain to Lynton. "Look out there," he roared. "Shove your helm down." The second mate obeyed the order instantly; but the warning came too late, for there was a sudden check and Brace nearly went overboard, and in fact would have taken a header if Briscoe had not made a snatch at his arm. Both boats were fast aground and refused obstinately to yield to the poling and punting toiled at by the men to get them over the sandy shoal in which they were fixed. "Never mind, my lads," cried the captain at last: "it's getting late, and there's a capital camping-place ashore. Wade, some of you, and lighten the boats so as to run 'em in. You, Dan, and a couple more see to your fire. There don't seem to be any of those flippers in the water here. Stream's too swift for them." The men were over the sides of the boats and into the water directly, and, thus lightened, the vessels were run close up to the bank before they grounded side by side. "We'll lighten your boat more still, gentlemen, in the morning," said the captain, "and pole her along to find a deeper channel. It's too late now, and we're all tired. My word!" he continued, as he stood on one of the after-thwarts and looked down through the crystal-clear water at the sandy gravel; "why, this looks just the sort of place where you might wash for gold." "Hah!" ejaculated Brace: and then to himself: "He has done it now." The captain's loudly-spoken words had been plainly heard by all, and seemed to send a magnetic thrill through every man. Without exception, at the word "gold" all stopped in what they were doing and stared down through the clear water at their feet with eager dilated eyes, while to Brace it appeared as if each hearer held his breath in the excitement which had chained him motionless there. Briscoe's eyes flashed a meaning look at Brace, who glanced at him, and then he cried: "Yes; that's what I was thinking, skipper. S'pose we have a try?" "All right, do," said the captain good-humouredly. "But never you mind, my lads: get the things ashore. You, Dellow, take a rifle and have a look-out for squalls--Injuns, I mean. Not that there's much likelihood, for there's no cover for the enemy here. Now, then; what are you all staring at? Are you struck comic? Never heard the word 'gold' before?" The men all started as if they had been rudely awakened from sleep, and began to carry the necessaries ashore, while Brace turned to the American, who was busy at the locker, from which he was getting out a couple of the shallow galvanised-iron wash-bowls they used. "Cast loose that shovel from under the thwart, Brace, my lad," he said. "I say, sure there are none of those little flippers about?" "Oh, yes, I'm sure," cried Brace, laughing. "We should have known if there were before now." "That's right," said Briscoe, stepping overboard, "for I don't feel as if I wanted bleeding." "Are you going to try for gold?" asked Sir Humphrey. "That was what I thought of doing," said the American, "for the place looks so likely. Gravelly sandy shallow in a great river which runs down from the mountains." "Oh, you won't find any gold here," said Lynton, smiling. "I don't know," said Sir Humphrey. "Try; the place looks very likely." _ |
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