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To The West, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 18. British Columbia |
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_ CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. BRITISH COLUMBIA When I awoke next morning it was blowing hard, and the timbers of the schooner were groaning and creaking so dismally, that when every now and then a wave struck the bows, Esau turned to me and shook his head, "Next big one as comes 'll knock her all to pieces." We did not care much for our breakfast, for more than one reason, and were glad to get on deck, where we found Gunson talking with the skipper, or I should say Gunson talking, and the old captain rolling an eye, or giving a short nod now and then. Away to our right lay the coast of California, with its pale-coloured bare-looking cliffs appearing anything but attractive; and as we tossed about in the little schooner, I could not help thinking how different it was to the great clipper-ship in which we had sailed round the Horn. We were soon glad to go below again, and there, as Esau could not get at his chest, which was down in the hold, he was glad to accept the loan of a blue jersey from one of the sailors, so as to set Gunson's jacket at liberty. It was almost a repetition of our experience in the _Albatross_ for some days, only in this case we could have gone on deck at any time; but there was no temptation to do so, for it meant holding on by the side, and being soaked by the spray which kept on flying aboard. During those days Esau passed the greater part of his time lying down, and about once an hour he got into the habit of lifting his head, and looking at me fixedly. "I say," he would begin. "Yes?" "Don't think I shall take to sailoring;" and I agreed with him that other lines would be pleasanter. It was not that we were so very cowardly, for the sailors we spoke to all agreed that it was one of the worst trips they had ever had along the coast; and we afterwards heard that the skipper had been very anxious more than once. But there is always an end to bad weather; and the morning came when I went on deck to find sky and sea of a lovely blue, and away to my right a glorious green land, with swelling hills, forests of pines, and beyond them, dazzlingly white in the bright sunshine, the tops of two snow-capped mountains. As I leaned aft, gazing at the beautiful land, my spirits began to grow brighter, and I was turning round to go down and fetch Esau to come and see the place, when I found that Gunson had come on deck too, and was looking at me in his peculiar manner which always repelled me. "Is that British Columbia?" I said, to break an awkward silence, for he stood perfectly silent, fixing me with that one piercing eye. "No, not yet--that's Yankee-land still. We've got to get into the Straits yet before we can see our country." "Straits--Gibraltar?" I said thoughtlessly; and then I felt red in the face at my stupidity. "Not exactly, my lad," he said, laughing. "Why, my geography is better than yours. The straits we go through are those of Juan de Fuca, the old sailor who discovered them. But from what I know of it, the country is very much the same as this. Think it will do for you?" "It is lovely," I cried, enthusiastically. "Yes," he said, thoughtfully, and speaking in a quiet soft way that seemed to be very different from his appearance; "a lovely land--a land of promise. I hope your people will all get up yonder safe and sound. It is a long, weary task they have before them." "Can't be worse than ours has been," I said. "Well, no, I suppose not; but very trying to those poor women. Look here, my lad," he said, after a pause, "how are you going to manage when you get ashore at Victoria?" "Start at once for Fort Elk." "How?" "Get somebody who knows the way to tell us, and then walk on a few miles every day. It can't be very difficult to find if we keep along the river bank." "Along the towing-path, eh?" "Yes, if there is one," I said, eagerly. "Towing-path! Why, you young innocent," he cried, angrily, "don't you know that it's a fierce wild mountain-torrent, running through canons, and in deep mountain valleys, with vast forests wherever trees can grow, all packed closely together--sometimes so close that you can hardly force your way through?" "I did not know it was like that," I said; "but we must make the best of it, I suppose. If we can't go twenty miles a day we must go fifteen." "Or ten, or five, or one," he cried, with a contemptuous laugh. "Why, Mayne, my lad, that last will often be the extent of your journey." I looked at him in dismay. "You have no friends then at Victoria--no introductions?" I shook my head. "And you do not even seem to know that Victoria is on an island, from which you will have to cross to the mouth of the Fraser." "I'm afraid I am very ignorant," I said, bitterly; "but I am going to try to learn. I suppose there are villages here and there up the country?" "Perhaps a few, not many yet; but you will find some settler's place now and then." "Well, they will be English people," I said, "and they will help us." "Of course." "Where are you going?" I asked suddenly. He gave a little start, and his face relaxed. "I?" he said quickly, and he looked as if he were going to take me into his confidence; but just then Esau came on deck to stand looking shoreward, and Gunson turned cold and stern directly. "Don't know for certain," he replied. "Morning, my lad," to Esau, and then walked forward to speak to the skipper. "There, Esau," I said eagerly; "that's something like a country to come to," for the fresh beauties which were unfolding in the morning sun made me forget all Gunson's suggestions of difficulties. "Yes, that's something like," said Esau. "What makes those big hills look so blue as that?" "They are mountains, and I suppose it's the morning mist." "Mountains!" said Esau, contemptuously, "not much o' mountains. Why, that one over yonder don't look much bigger than Primrose Hill." "Not much," said Gunson, who was walking back with the skipper. "Very much like it too, especially the snow on the top. How far is that mountain off?" he added, turning to the skipper. "Hunard miles," grunted the person addressed. "Look here," whispered Esau, as soon as we were alone, for the skipper and Gunson went below, "I don't say that he hasn't been very civil to us, and he helped us nicely about getting on here, but I don't like that chap. Do you?" "I really don't know," I said with a laugh. "Well, I do know. He looks at one with that eye of his, as if he was thinking about the money in your belt all the time." "He can't be thinking about yours," I said drily. "Oh dear! I forgot that," said Esau. "But all the same, I don't like a man with one eye." "But it isn't his fault, Esau." "No, not exactly his fault; but it sets you against him, and he's got so much pump in him." "Pump?" "Yes; always getting out of you everything you are going to do, and who you are, and where you come from." "Yes, he does question pretty well." "He just does. Very well, then; I want to know who he is, and where he comes from, and what he's going to be up to. Do you know?" "No, not in the least." "Same here. Well, I don't like a man who's so close, and the sooner we both shake hands with him, and say good-bye, the better I shall like it." "Well, Esau, I'm beginning to feel like that," I said, "myself." "That's right, then, and we shan't quarrel over that bit o' business. Soon be there now, I think, shan't we?" "To-morrow about this time," said a familiar voice; and we both started, for Gunson was standing close behind us. "Didn't you hear me come up?" "No," I said hurriedly; and he laughed a little, rather unpleasantly, I thought, and walked forward to stand with his elbows on the bulwark watching the distant shore. "There!" whispered Esau. "Now would a fellow who was all right and square come and listen to all we said like that? Seems to be always creeping up behind you." "I don't think he did that purposely." "Well then, I do. You always take his part, no matter what I say; and it sometimes seems to me as if you were pitching me over, so as to take up with him." "That's right, Esau," I replied. "That is why we sailed off together, and left you in the lurch." Esau pressed his lips together, gave his foot a stamp, and then pushed close up to me. "Here," he said, "punch my head, please. Do. I wish you would. My tongue's always saying something I don't mean." I did not punch Esau's head, and the little incident was soon forgotten in the interest of the rest of our journey. For we sailed on now in bright sunshine, the uneasy motion of the schooner was at an end, and there was always something fresh to see. Now it was a whale, then a shoal of fish of some kind, and sea-birds floating here and there. Then some mountain peak came into view, with lovely valleys and vast forests of pines--scene after scene of beauty that kept us on deck till it was too dark to see anything, and tempted us on deck again the moment it was light. By midday we were in the port of Victoria, where the skipper began at once to discharge his cargo, and hence we were not long before our chests were on the rough timber wharf, side by side with those of Gunson, who left us in charge of them while he went away. "Wish he wouldn't order us about like that," cried Esau, angrily; "let's go away, and let some one else look after his traps." "We can't now," I said. "But we don't want him with us any more. I say, I don't think much of this place." "It's very beautiful," I said, looking away over the sea at beautiful islands, and up at the wooded hills in view. "But it looks just like being at home in England. I expected all kinds of wonderful things in a foreign country, and not to be sitting down on one's box, with sheds and stacks of timber and wooden houses all about you. We can get that at home." I was obliged to own that everything did look rather home-like, even to some names we could see over the stores. "And do you know where the skipper's going as soon as he has unloaded?" "No," I said. "Up to some place with a rum name here in this island, to get a load of coals to take back. They only had to call it Newcastle to make it right. What are you looking at over yonder?" "Those beautiful mountains across the sea, rising up and up in the sunshine. That's British Columbia, I suppose, and it must be up among those mountains that our river runs, and where Fort Elk lies." "All right, I'm ready. How are we to go?" "We shall have to find out when some boat sails across I suppose. Let's go and find the captain, and ask him where we ought to go to get a night's lodging." "Here he comes back," said Esau. "The skipper?" "No, Gunson. Now let's say good-bye to him, and part friends." "There's a little steamer goes across to the settlement at the mouth of the river this afternoon," said Gunson; "so we'll have your chests carried down. Here, you two can get some kind of dinner in that place, where you see the red board up. You go on and get something ready; I'll join you as soon as I've seen your chests on board. The boat starts from close by here." "No, no," whispered Esau; "we mustn't trust him, because--" Esau stopped, for he had glanced at Gunson, and found his eye fixed upon him searchingly. "I said I would see your chests safely on board, my lad," he said sternly. "I suppose you'll trust me, Gordon?" "Of course I will," I cried, eagerly; for I was ashamed of Esau's suspicions. "Go on then and order some dinner," he said; and Esau accompanied me unwillingly to the rough kind of tavern. "It's like madness," Esau kept on saying. "You see if he don't go off with our chests, and then where shall we be?" "Grumbling because I was so weak as to trust him. Never mind; I'm hungry. Let's have something to eat." We ordered it, and partook of a thoroughly hearty, English-looking meal; but Gunson did not come, and as soon as Esau had finished, he suggested that we should go and look after him. "But he said we were to wait for him here." "Yes, but I'm going to look for my chest," cried Esau. "I don't see any fun in losing that." "Nonsense! Don't be so suspicious," I said; and we waited on a full hour, with Esau growing more and more fidgety, and by degrees infecting me with his doubts. All at once we heard from the distance the ringing of a bell, and the Englishman who, as he called it, "ran the place," came up to us. "Didn't I hear you two say that you were going by the steamer 's afternoon?" "Yes," I said. "Well then, look sharp, or you'll lose the boat. She's just off." I glanced at Esau, and as soon as he had paid we set off at a run, reaching the little steamer just as she was being cast off from the wharf. "He ain't here," cried Esau, excitedly. "What shall we do--stop?" "No," I said; "let's go on. We may find our chests on board." "Yes," he said, sarcastically; "may. Well, we can come back again. Oh, what a set of thieves there are abroad." We were by this time on deck, and after a quick glance round, I pitched upon a man who seemed to be either skipper or mate. "Were two chests sent on board here belonging to us?" "One-eyed man with 'em?" he said, looking at us curiously. "Yes," I cried eagerly. "All right. Down below." "There, Esau," I cried, gripping him by the arm. "What do you deserve now?" "Punch o' the head, I suppose. Well, hooroar! and I'm glad we've got rid of him at last." "I don't know," I said. "I should have liked to shake hands first." "Come, lads, what a while you've been," said Gunson, coming up out of the cabin. "I told that boy to say you were to make haste." "What boy?" I said. "The one I sent. Didn't he tell you?" I shook my head. "Went to the wrong place, perhaps. Boxes are all right below yonder." "But how are you going to get ashore?" I said, wonderingly. "Same as you do." "But--" "Oh, didn't I tell you? I thought I'd come across with you, and see you well on your way. Esau there wouldn't be comfortable without me. I don't know when I became such friends with any one before as I have with him. Well, did you get a good dinner?" He fixed Esau with his eye, and I saw the perspiration begin to stand in little drops on my companion's forehead, as he stammered out something about "good-dinner." "But what about yours?" I said. "Oh, I was afraid of some muddle being made with our luggage, so I stopped and got something to eat here." "Our luggage?" I said. "Oh yes," he replied with a curious laugh. "Mine is below too." _ |
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