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To The West, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 24. I See Footprints |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. I SEE FOOTPRINTS Esau was quite right; he had a terribly discoloured eye next morning, and it was the first thing I saw as we both sat up together in the soft light under the great pine, though I was half asleep still. But I had started up on hearing a shrill voice close to me say-- "Bleakfass all ready." "Come and bathe your face, Esau," I said; and I led the way down to the water's edge to have a good wash, Gunson and Esau following my example, while when we got back to the fire it was to find that Quong had been making himself quite at home with our stores. For not only had he cut up and cooked some bacon, and made the tea, but he had found the flour-bag; and there, upon a piece of sheet-iron, was a large bread-cake freshly baked in the embers. Gunson laughed as he saw these preparations, but he said no more till we had partaken of a hearty meal. Then the four Indians came up to be paid, readily taking the dollars promised for the trip, and going back directly to the boat to land the boxes; but Gunson followed them, and they agreed to take them to the front of the biggest shanty about half a mile higher up, waiting till we were ready. Quong was busy now making his breakfast, and Gunson turned to him. "Now, my Celestial friend," he said; "we're going to say good-bye to you. Where are you bound for?" "Up libber, washee gole." Gunson started. "What?" he cried. "Up libber, washee gole." "Who told you that there was gold there?" "Melican man come down, show bit gold to Melican man. Big man you chuckee chuckee down in boat." Gunson looked disturbed, but he made no remark then, and at last I said to him-- "I suppose we shall part company to-day, Mr Gunson?" "What for? Like your friend there, Esau--tired of me?" "No," I said; "but we are going on tramp now up to Fort Elk." "Yes," said Esau, "that's what we're going to do; but I don't quite see what we're to do with our boxes." "Leave them in charge, as I shall mine, at this settlement," said Gunson. "You'll have just to make a bundle in your blanket that you can carry easily. I shall do the same, and we may as well go on together, and protect one another as we did last night." He laughed and looked at Esau, who coloured up. "But we are going to Fort Elk," I said. "So am _I_," said Gunson, coolly; and I saw Esau give quite a start, and look at me with a countenance full of dismay. Gunson saw it, and went on quietly-- "I did not mean to go on there, only up this river for some distance, and then off here or there toward the sources of one or other of the streams that run into it from the mountains; but as I have run up against you two, why we may as well go on together; it will give me a chance to knock you both on the head, and then come back here, and get your chests, as well as the money you have in your belts under your clothes." I stared at him in a horrified way for a moment, and then, as I seemed to understand him, I burst out laughing. "Nonsense!" I said. "Oh no. That's the idea of me your companion here has taken." "Never said nothing of the sort," cried Esau, defiantly, and with his face scarlet. "Your face says you thought so, my lad." "Well, a chap can think what he likes, can't he?" "No, boy," said Gunson, and his one eye seemed to blaze; "not of a man who has done nothing but kindness for you ever since we met, even if it was in a rough way." "How was I to know you didn't mean artful, and it was all a trick?" said Esau sourly. "Ah, how indeed?" "Everybody out here's been trying to get the better of us, and rob us. I couldn't tell you wasn't one of 'em." "Why, you ill-conditioned cub!" cried Gunson, angrily, "you make me feel as if I should like to thrash you till you could not stand." "Better not try it," grumbled Esau; "you go your way, and let us go ours. We told you all about ourselves, and where we were going; but you've done nothing but shut yourself up, and look as if you were after no good." "Esau!" I cried angrily; "it isn't fair. Mr Gunson has always been the best of friends to us, and given us good advice." "Ah, you always did take his part. I ain't going to make friends with strangers." "Mr Gunson isn't a stranger. We've known him nearly six months. If you don't trust him, I do." I held out my hand to him as I spoke, and he brought his down in it heavily, giving me such a grip that I had hard work not to wince. "Thank you, my lad," he said, cheerily. "Then you're going to pitch me over?" said Esau, surlily. "I'm going to kick you if you go on in this stupid, suspicious way. Don't take any notice of him, Mr Gunson." "I do not intend to." "Oh, come, we can't go on like that," cried Esau quickly. "I don't want to be bad friends. I don't want to think you mean to rob us. I don't think--I don't--" Esau stopped short, shuffled about from one leg to the other, faltered again in his speech as he tried to say something which would not come, and then in a sharp, short, decisive manner, cried-- "Beg your pardon, Mr Gunson. Couldn't help thinking what I did." "That will do," said Gunson, holding out his hand, which was eagerly seized by Esau. "I know you couldn't help it, my lad. Mine is not a face to invite confidence. I'm an ill-looking dog, and I bite hard sometimes; but I never bite my friends, and they are very few. Look here, Mayne Gordon," he continued, after glancing in Quong's direction to see if he was within hearing, "I am going up this river on such a mission as needs silence, and you have to keep silence too. First of all, what do you suppose I am?" I shook my head. "Emigrant," said Esau. "No; I am a prospector." "I know," cried Esau, eagerly. "I've copied lots of 'em for prospectors--prospectuses. You get up companies?" "No," said Gunson, smiling. "The companies follow sometimes. I am a prospector--a searcher for mineral veins and deposits in the mountains. I was convinced that there was gold up here, and we have just had proof that I am right. That Chinaman you see is bound on a similar mission, for those fellows have a wonderful scent for gold. And you see that those big roughs that he calls Melican men, but who were undoubtedly English, have been up here, and found gold. That is a surprise and an encouragement, and a damping, all in one, for it may mean a regular rush of people up the river. Now do you see why I have kept my counsel so long?" "Yes," I cried. "Of course," said Esau; "but why didn't you say so before? You might have trusted us." "Why didn't you become friendly before, my lad? you might have trusted me." Esau looked at him comically, and gave one ear a rub. "Now then," said Gunson, "shall we travel on together in company?" "Of course," I cried. "Then the sooner the better. Your way will suit me as well as any, so let's make up our packs, leave the boxes in some one's charge here, and then the word is forward." Two hours later, under Gunson's directions, we had made a pack each, consisting principally of provisions, and Gunson in addition had brought out of his case a rifle and ammunition. "There, Dean," he said, "you may as well shoulder that, and you may as well carry this, Gordon," he continued, taking a small revolver with holster, strap, and cartridge-box. "You are not to use it except in a case of the most extreme urgency. Strap it on, my lad. It looks formidable, and the possession of such a weapon will often keep off danger." "What Quong cally?" said that gentleman when we were ready. "Nothing," said Gunson, shortly; "you don't go our way." "Yes, go allee same way 'long libber. No other way. Quong cally pack." "Humph!" ejaculated Gunson; "if we don't employ him, he'll follow us, so one may as well make him useful. We can easily pay him; it will not mean much. Here, make yourself up a pack." Quong smiled with pleasure, and taking the blanket Gunson threw him out of his chest, he had it soon full of stores and necessaries, a bag of flour being added to his load. "Want um fizzlum?" said Quong, suddenly. "Want what?" I said. "Fizzlum. Bakum powdum make blead." "Ah, I had forgotten," said Gunson; and he took a small tin from his box. An hour later the Indians were paddling slowly back along the river, and after a friendly good-bye from the settler who had taken charge of our boxes, we shouldered our packs, and began to trudge up the river-side, finding it easy going, for we were in quite an open part here, with a grassy margin for a short distance at the foot of the mountains on one side. But higher up the rocks began to close in the prospect, there was the faint roar of tumbling water, and dense black pine forests clothed the sides of the valley as far as we could see. Before we had gone very far along the forest track, the perspiration was oozing out fast on my forehead; and lightly as I was loaded, I began to think regretfully of the boat, and of how much easier it was to sit or kneel there, and watch the Indians paddle, while over and over again I had come to the conclusion that it was a very fortunate thing that we were not alone, but backed up by such a tower of strength as Gunson, whose counsels were called in question every few minutes to decide which way we were to go next. The direction was undoubted, for, so long as we kept to the valley in which the river ran, we could not be wrong, but the task was to keep along it by a way that was passable to people carrying loads. For a mile or so beyond the tiny settlement we had left behind, we found, as we had been told, some traces of a track; but it was wanting more often than present, and several times over we thought we had come to the end of it, only for it to begin again some fifty yards further on. At last though we had passed the final vestige of a trail, and there was the valley before us with the mountains rising up steeply on either side, and our way to make along the steep slope crowded with trees or covered with the _debris_ of great masses of rock which had broken from their hold hundreds upon hundreds of yards above us to come thundering down scattering smaller fragments, and forming a chaos of moss-covered pieces, over and in and out among which we had to make our way. "Rather rough," Gunson said, "but keep up your spirits: it will soon be much better, or much worse." "It's always like that--worse," Esau grumbled to me at last, as our companion went forward, while the patient little Chinaman plodded on with his load as steadily as if he had been a machine. "Never mind, Esau," I said. "I don't," he replied, sturdily; and he drew himself up, and tramped on with the rifle over his shoulder, evidently very proud of being trusted with it; but he had an unpleasant way of turning sharply round every now and then to look at something, with the result that, after being struck smartly by the barrel of the piece, I had to jump out of his way. "Beg your pardon," he would say, and a few minutes after forget all about it, and turn the barrel upon me again. "I say, Esau," I cried, at last, "do be careful with that gun." "'Tain't a gun--it's a rifle." "Call it what you like, but don't shoot me." "Ain't going to," he said, drily. "What's the good? We ain't cannibals. But I say, I wish something nice would come along. I know I could hit it. What would you like--a deer? Deer's very good to eat, isn't it?" "I suppose so." "Wonder which is the best place to aim at. His head, I suppose. I should like to bring one down." "I don't think you'll have a chance, Esau. Besides, we couldn't carry it. We've got as much as we can manage now." "Ah, but there's another way of carrying meat," said Esau, with a curious cock of the eye. "I mean after it's roasted." "But we are not hungry yet." "Not hungry!" cried Esau. "Not hungry! Why, what a fellow you are!" and we trudged on in silence. After a time Gunson turned round and let us overtake him, laughing the while at our tired and weary looks. "Loads feel heavy, eh?" he said. "You are not used to them yet. I've been talking to Mr Quong, and he tells me that he is going to hunt about till he finds gold. Then I suppose he'll leave us to ourselves." We were both too hot and tired to trouble about the Chinaman, and were very glad when, about midday, Gunson called a halt under the shade of a great tree, that grew beside a little brawling stream which came hurrying down from above. Here we dropped our burdens with a sigh of relief, and partook of some cold bacon and bread, which seemed about the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. Quong was given a lunch for himself, and he took it aside, ate it quickly, and then, in place of lying down as we did for a good two hours' rest during the heat of the day, he produced a little tin plate and picked his way down to the stream's edge, and then amongst the rocks, till he came upon a patch of gravelly sand over which a few inches of water danced merrily. Gunson watched him curiously; I did the same, Esau having dropped off to sleep as soon as he had eaten his midday meal. For it was interesting to see the busy little fellow. His first step was to roll up his sleeves to the elbow, stoop down, and scoop up as much gravel and sand as the tin plate would hold. This he shook about a little under water, brought it all up again, and picked out the stones. Then he held it down low again and worked it about, and picked out a second batch of much smaller stones. Again he placed the tin beneath the water, where it ran pretty swiftly, and kept up a regular circular motion, which caused the fine dirt and sand to be washed out and pass over the side, till only a small patch of sand of a coarse grain remained on the tin; and at last, as if satisfied with his task, he stepped out on to the dry bank, and held the plate sidewise for the water to drain off. This took some few minutes, the hot sun drying the sand as he turned it about with one finger. Every movement was performed with the most patient deliberation, and in utter unconsciousness of the fact that we were watching him, both eager to learn the result of his search. It was a long time before we knew, for Quong turned the sand about over and over again, and then inspected it with a peculiarly magpieish air, before he shook his head, tossed the sand away, and selected another spot in the stream, where he went through the same process, while we lay and watched him till the final examination. This time, just as I fully expected to see him toss out the sand, he rose up with a triumphant look on his yellow face, and caught sight of us. His jaw dropped, and he appeared frightened, but the dread seemed to pass away, and he came towards us with his tin. "Me washee gole," he said, excitedly. "Fine gole." "Where?" said Gunson, abruptly. "Let's look." He stretched out his hand for the tin, which was placed in it hesitatingly, Quong's face betokening that he did not expect to see it again. Gunson gave the half-dry sand a shake which spread part of it over the bottom of the tin, then another and another, while I looked on eagerly, and at last he uttered a contemptuous "pish!" "I thought you said you had found gold." "Yes. Quong fine gole. Washee gole." "Washee gole! Where is it then?" The Chinaman took back the tin, shook it, peered in among the grains of sand; shook it again and again; then shook his head instead, and looked up at Gunson. "Yes; washee gole," he said, in a tone of voice which seemed to mean, "but it's gone away now." "Fancy, my lad, fancy. There, lie down and rest. I'll have a try when we come to a likely place. We must work in the river." "No; too muchee water," said Quong. "Yes; here. We must go up higher." "Quong washee gole," said the little fellow again. "Well then, where is it?" Quong shook his head despondently once more. "Washee gole," he whined, and again his tone of voice seemed to say to me, "and there was some in that plate, but where it's gone to now I haven't the least idea." "Come along and have a rest." "Ah! ah! ah!" cried Quong, excitedly, after giving the pinch of sand a final shake. "Gole--gole!" He held out the tin once more to Gunson, pointing now with one thin yellow finger, and looking triumphantly at both in turn. "Where?" said Gunson, laughing, as he followed the direction of the pointing finger, and took the plate in his hand to hold it in different directions in the sun. "Ah, I see it. Here, Gordon, come and have a look. He has found the contents of Aladdin's cave all at once." "I don't see any gold," I said. "Not see it? Oh, there it is plain enough. My word, what patience these Chinese have! There it is, lad, just in the very centre of the plate. See it?" "No." "Now try," he cried, as he tilted the plate sidewise, and this time I saw a tiny glittering speck, about the twentieth part of a pin's-head in size, but, small as it was, giving a suggestion of the peculiar yellow colour of gold. "Is that all?" I cried, contemptuously. "Yes; that's all. There you are, heathen. Take it, and--no, you can't make much of it. That's no use, my man. We must find better places than this, or you'll never go back to China a rich man and become a Mandarin." "No good place?" "No; not worth washing." "Not good to washum," said Quong. "Wait till we get higher up." Quong nodded, took a little phial bottle from somewhere under his garments, and after a great deal of trying, contrived to get the tiny scale on the end of the cork, which he carefully inserted in the bottle once more. After this he settled himself down to rest till Gunson rose for us to continue our journey, which for the rest of that day was through pine forest, with the trees so closely packed that our progress was exceedingly slow; and evening was coming on fast as we reached a part where the trees opened out more like those in an English park, and there was soft grass beneath our feet. I was in advance with my eyes fixed upon the ground, which had suddenly become soft and marshy, the reason being plain, for on my left I could hear the hum of falling water, when I suddenly stopped short, and drew back so quickly that I came in contact with Esau. "What's the matter?" he cried, sharply. "Hush! Indians," I whispered. "Indians? Where?" cried Gunson, eagerly. "They have gone along here," I whispered. "Footmarks." "Well, don't look so tragic, lad. They will be friendly ones no doubt; and perhaps there is a settlement near, and we can get some fish. Oh, those are their footprints, are they?" he said; and he turned and caught the rifle from Esau. "That fellow had a fine broad foot of his own." "Yes, he must have been a big man," I said, as I gazed down at the plainly-marked sole and toes in the soft earth. "Bigger than the one made by Robinson Crusoe's savage," whispered Gunson. "There, get out the revolvers, and mind how you handle them. Be ready to hand me one if I ask after I have fired." "But you said the Indians were friendly." "This tribe never is," replied Gunson, cocking the rifle and looking sharply round. "They run away generally, but sometimes they show fight, and we must be ready." He looked carefully in every direction, and then signed to us to follow. "He's gone straight on, just in the track we want to follow." "Is there only one?" I whispered. "Only one, and it's very awkward, for I was just thinking of making camp for the night." "But we needn't be afraid of one Indian," said Esau, boldly. "No," replied Gunson; "but we need be of one bear." "Bear?" I said. "Those are a man's footsteps." "Those are the prints of a very large bear, my lad," said Gunson; "and judging from their appearance, I should say it's not very long since he passed. Now then, what had we better do?" I did not feel myself capable of advising, and I suppose Esau was no more of an expert in bear, for he too was silent. "Don't speak. Follow me; and as we go, hold your packs loosely so that you can drop them in a moment and take to a tree." "But bears climb trees," I whispered. "Not they," said Gunson. "Come along." And with the shades of evening closing in fast in that wild valley, we followed our companion as he went cautiously on, scanning every bush and rock, not knowing how soon the savage beast, whose prints continued right in the direction we seemed compelled to take, might rush out and dispute the way. _ |
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