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To The West, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 31. An Awakening |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY ONE. AN AWAKENING After the first fit of startling I don't think I was much surprised, for something seemed to have suggested that this might be Mrs John's brother. He smiled at us, as if amused, and led the way to one of the wooden buildings, where wood was burning in a stone fire-place. "This is our travellers' hotel," he said, as we entered the bare-looking room, which was beautifully clean. "Don't trouble about cooking or preparing anything, for you are my guests. There is a sleeping-place here." He walked across to a door at one corner, and showed me another fair-sized place, bare as the first, but beautifully white and clean, and with some of the boards looking quite ornamental from the fine grain. There was a row of sleeping-bunks and plenty of water ready, and plain and rough as everything was, it seemed princely to the style of sleeping accommodation we had been accustomed to for so long. He nodded and left us, and we had to explain to Quong that he was not to cook and prepare our evening meal, an explanation which for the first time made the little yellow-faced fellow look discontented. "You all velly angly? What Quong been do?" "Nothing at all. Mr Raydon's people are going to send us our supper." "Don't like--don't like," he said, shaking his head. "All angly. Quong no make good blead?" "Yes; everything has been capital," I said. "Don't you understand?" "No; can't undlestan. Quong velly solly. Go now?" "No, no. Stop." He shook his head and went and sat doleful-looking and unhappy in one corner; out of which he had to be almost dragged at last to partake of the evening meal Mr Raydon sent in for us, absolutely refusing to join us, and waiting patiently till we had done. There was capital bread, plenty of tea with milk and sugar, cold ham, and hot slices of the deer-meat we had brought with us, and when we had finished and set Quong to his supper, Gunson went to the door to smoke his pipe, while Esau came to me smiling. "Rather lonely sort of place," he said, "but it will do, eh?" "Oh yes, if Mr Raydon is willing for us to stay." "Eh? Why, of course he will be, won't he? I say, though, what lovely ham!" "What's the matter with Quong?" I said, for the little fellow was muttering and grumbling as he sat on the wooden bench at the well-scrubbed table. I went to him, and asked what was wrong. "Allee dleadful," he said. "No cookee meat plopelly. No makee tea plopelly. Blead bad." "Why, I'm sure it isn't," I said, crumbling off a piece to taste. "Yes; allee bad. No bake blead to-day. Blead high." "High?" I said; "you mean stale?" "Yes; stale high. Keep blead too long. Not good to eat." "Why, Quong," I cried; "you're grumbling because somebody else cooked and baked," and I burst out laughing. The little fellow jumped up with his yellow forehead all wrinkles and his eyes flashing and twinkling comically with resentment. But as I still laughed at him, the creases began to disappear from his face, and the angry look to depart, till he too smiled up at me. "You velly funny," he said. "Laugh at me." "Well, you made me by grumbling for nothing." "Quong cook well--better allee this? Cookee ploply." "Yes; everything you have done has been delicious. Here, go on with your supper." "Quong cook bleakfast?" "Yes; I'll ask Mr Raydon to let you. Here, go on." This pacified the little fellow, and he finished his meal quickly. He was busy clearing up when Mr Raydon came in, and I saw him glance sharply at the busy little fellow, whose tail was whisking about in all directions as he bobbed here and there, just as if he not been walking all day. "Had a good supper?" said Mr Raydon. "That's right. Now then come to my office, and let us have a talk." I followed him with some trepidation, Esau coming on nervously behind; and as we went outside, and then along to another building, catching sight of men and women at different places about the enclosure, our host went on to where I now saw that Gunson was waiting for us by a wooden house that had some show of comfort. "Come in," said our host, and he pointed to roughly-made, strong chairs, while he seated himself behind a deal desk. The walls were covered with weapons, and heads and horns of the various animals that I presumed had fallen to his rifle were nailed up here and there, the white deal floor being nearly covered with skin rugs. These various objects of interest kept my eyes busy for a few moments, and then I was called back to my position by Mr Raydon's voice, as he addressed Gunson. "You are quite welcome," he was saying, "and I dare say I could give you a little shooting if you were disposed to stay." "No," said Gunson, "I thank you; but I have finished one part of my task here. I am not going of course to make any secret of my mission. I am a prospector." "Yes." "It was my fortune to come out with these lads, and when I heard that they were journeying up the river, I determined to get up to the higher waters by the same route as they did for the sake of helping them." "Then you would not have come this way, Mr Gunson?" I said. "No, my lad," he replied, smiling. "I should have struck up one of the side rivers sooner." "Oh!" I ejaculated. "For it seemed to me that it was utter madness for two boys like these to attempt the journey alone in perfect ignorance of what they had undertaken." "And you made up your mind to see them through?" "I did, for they would never have done it alone." "Indeed we should," I said, quickly. Gunson laughed, leaned forward, and patted me on the shoulder. "No, no, Mayne, my lad," he said kindly. "There's all the pluck--the English spirit in you; but there was more than you could have done by yourselves. You would have struggled on, but Master Dean here would have broken down long enough ago, and wanted to go back home to his mother." "How could I have wanted to go back home to mother when she ain't at home?" cried Esau, angrily. "Well, to have gone back," said Gunson. "There, I am in real earnest, my lads. It was more than you could have done." "But we should have persevered," I said, warmly. "And failed, as better men have done. Besides, there were the Indians, my lad. They always seemed very peaceable towards us, but you had a well-armed man with you; and it may have made some difference. There, I don't want to rob you of any credit you deserve, and I tell Mr Raydon here before you that I have derived no little assistance from you both, and enjoyed my journey all the better for your company. What do you say, Mr Raydon--would they have found their way up here alone?" "In time, perhaps," he replied; "if they had met with other people making the trip they might have got here. Certainly not alone, and it would have been madness to have attempted it. It has been a mad project altogether." Gunson looked at me and smiled. "But there, you have reached your goal safe and sound, and to-morrow morning we'll shake hands and say good-bye." "Please understand, Mr Gunson," said our host, quietly, "that you have no occasion to hurry." "I beg your pardon," replied Gunson; "you are wrong. Time is gliding on, sir. I have spent years already in my quest and have no time to spare." "The quest of wealth?" said Mr Raydon, rather sarcastically. "Yes, sir; the quest of wealth to redeem the past. You do not know my early life, and I'm not going to tell of it." "I only know enough to prove to me that Mr Gunson was educated as an English gentleman." "And is now the rough prospector you see," replied Gunson. "There, sir, one lives for the future, not the past. To-morrow morning, thanking you warmly for your hospitality, I start; and I ask you to give my young friends here what you have offered so generously to me." "Your Chinese servant going with you, of course. You said 'I start.'" "My Chinese servant!" said Gunson, laughing. "I keep no servants. The poor fellow attached himself to us, and has worked for us patiently ever since. He is one of the poor patient Celestials, hunting for gold, and if ever he scrapes together fifty pounds' worth he will account himself rich." "And you?" "Ah, my desires are far higher," said Gunson, laughing. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'll go outside and enjoy a pipe in this delicious evening air." "Let me offer you a cigar, Mr Gunson," said our host. "I have a few good ones for my visitors." "Thanks, no. I'll keep to my pipe till better times come. Now, my lads, it is your turn to have your chat with our host." He rose. "One moment, Mr Gunson," said Mr Raydon. "There is a powder magazine in the enclosure." "Yes; I caught sight of it," was the reply. "I shall not drop any matches near." I saw our host watch him very thoughtfully as he went out of the office. Then turning to us sharply he looked from one to the other, his clear eyes seeming to search us in a way that was far from encouraging. "Now, young fellows," he said, "I need not ask your names: Mayne Gordon and Esau Dean. I have been expecting you." "Expecting us, sir?" I said. "Of course. Because you have been six months coming; a letter would not be all this while. I have known of your proposed visit for some time, though I tell you frankly that when I read my thoughtless, inconsistent brother-in-law's letter, I never expected to see you here. You have been very lucky, that's all." "If you mean Mr John Dempster is thoughtless and inconsistent, sir," I said warmly, "I must speak. He is all that is kind, thoughtful, and gentlemanly, and he is the best--almost the only--friend I have in the world." "What, sir? Isn't it thoughtless and inconsistent of a man to send two raw boys nearly all round the world on such a mad journey as this? A thoughtful man would say the person who planned it was a fool." "No thoughtful man who knew Mr John Dempster would speak of him like that, sir," I said, angrily. "Why you might just as well say so of some one who set him and poor Mrs John to travel thousands of miles the other way here," cried Esau, coming to my help. "Means that I am a fool!" said our host, sharply, as he turned on Esau. "Here, you hold your tongue, sir, till your turn comes." I saw Esau shrink, and Mr Raydon went on-- "I sent for my sister to come, because I believed the journey would be her salvation, as to her health, and because I wanted to end her sad life of penury. Your best friend, Mr Gordon, has not behaved well to her." "Why they are as happy and affectionate as can be," I said. "You don't know." "I knew that for twenty years he has been a dreamer, growing poorer, and wearing out her life with anxiety, my lad, and I wanted to get them here, where I can start them in a new life. He is a good fellow in his way, but weak and helpless as to getting on in the world. If I lead him, I believe it will be different. But enough of that. Here is my complaint. As soon as, after long and careful thought, I decided to bring them here, and send them the funds for the purpose, my thoughtful brother-in-law writes me word that they are coming, and that he has sent me two lads, friends of his, to take under my charge, and do the best I can for them. Why, sir, it came upon me like a thunderclap." All the high spirits and hopefulness at our journey being successfully ended, oozed away, and a despairing sensation came over me that was horrible. Then my pride came to my help, and I spoke out. "I am very sorry, sir," I cried, "and I will not impose on your kindness. To-morrow morning Esau Dean and I will make a fresh start." "What start?" he said, harshly. "Perhaps go with Mr Gunson, prospecting." "Out of the question, sir. More madness." "Then we'll go to work." "What at?" "For some settler. We are both young, and willing." "I should just think we are," cried Esau, sharply. "Silence! Hold your tongue, please." Esau subsided. "Where are you going to find your settler? Those here have only enough work for themselves." "But other people have got on." "Where you two could not, sir. You two boys think it all easy enough, but you are not beasts of the field, to be able to pick up a living in this wild solitary land. Do you think you can join some tribe, and become young Indian chiefs? Rubbish. Find gold? What's the use of it hundreds of miles away from places where it can be sold. Play Robinson Crusoe in the woods? Bah! Where is your ship to go to for stores? Why, you pair of silly ignorant young donkeys, do you know what your projects would end in?" "Success, sir; fighting our own way in life," I cried, proudly. "For the carrion birds," he said, grimly; "good meals for them, and later on some hunter finding a couple of whitened skeletons, lying beneath a great sheltering pine." "Oh, I say!" cried Esau; "don't, don't talk like that." "I am compelled to, my lads, so as to get some common manly sense in your heads." "Here, I say, Mayne Gordon," cried Esau, rising; "let's go back at once." I rose too, slowly and thoughtfully, waiting to speak, but unable to find suitable words. I was cruelly hurt and surprised at the rough reception I had met with, for I had at least expected to be made welcome for Mrs John's sake. At the same time though, much as it pained me to hear Mr John spoken of so harshly, I began to see dimly that what Mr Raydon said was right, and that it had been a wild idea for us two lads to make such a journey in so speculative a manner. But before I had made up my mind what to say, and while I was standing there hesitating, Mr Raydon began again, in a sharp authoritative tone. "What have you lads been?" he said. "Writers--clerks in an office," said Esau, glumly. "Hah! yes: about the most unsuitable avocation for any one coming out here. You did not expect to find a post at a desk, I suppose?" "No," said Esau, gloomily, "I meant to build myself a house, and start a farm." "How?" said Mr Raydon, with a contemptuous laugh. "Dunno," said Esau. "Do you understand farming?" "No, sir, but I'm going to learn." "Where? at what farm? What do you know about crops? Why, I don't suppose you could grow a potato. Did you ever do any gardening?" "Only grown mustard and cress, sir, in a box." Mr Raydon laughed aloud. "And you, Mayne Gordon," he said; "do you understand stock-raising and sheep?" I shook my head sally. "Can you ride?" "Oh yes," I cried, as I recalled the days when I had about as wild a little Welsh pony as ever boy sat. "Come, that's something; but you can't ride without a horse." "No, sir." "And have you any capital to buy land, and stock it?" "Only a few pounds left, sir." "Oh, you have a few pounds. Well, yours seems a lively position, and I suppose you both see that you have very little chance of getting on." "Oh, I don't know, sir," said Esau. "We've seen lots of places where we could build a hut to begin with, and get on by degrees." "Your eyes want opening a little wider, my lad. Suppose you took up one of the beautiful patches of land you saw near the river." "Yes, sir, quite close, where we could catch salmon same as the Indians do, and dry them. I don't see if the Indians can live why we couldn't." "For the simple reason that you are not Indians--savages, my lad. Do you know that if you did as you propose, some night you would have to climb for your life, and cling in the branches of a huge pine, while the flooded river swept away your hut." "Don't sweep away your huts," said Esau, sulkily. "Because they are two hundred feet above the river. Well, what are you going to do?" "Start back again, sir, at once," I replied. "And then?" "Try to get work somewhere." "And what am I to say to my sister and her husband when they come?" "That we found out we had made a mistake, sir, and had set to work at once to try and remedy it." "You will sleep here to-night though, of course?" I looked at Esau, and his eyes flashed back my opinion. "No sir," I said. "We thank you for what you have done, but we shall start back directly, and sleep where we made our camp in the middle of the day." "Don't be hasty, my lad," said our host. "It's wise sometimes to sleep on a determination." "It can't be here, sir," I said bitterly, "so goodbye, and thank you. Come, Esau, we can get on for a couple of hours before it is quite dark." "All right," said Esau, sturdily; "and we can find our way back if we didn't know it coming." "Well, perhaps you are right," said Mr Raydon; "but of course you understand that you are going back alone. Mr Gunson will be on his way into the mountains, and I dare say that China boy will follow him." "I suppose he will, sir," I said. "Better sleep on it, my lad." "No, sir," I said, firmly. "I would rather not." "Too proud to accept the hospitality of the man who has told you such home-truths?" "Yes, sir; but more so to stay where I feel that we are not welcome." "But you are welcome, my lads, as visitors. Is not your friend and leader very unreasonable, young man?" he continued, turning suddenly to Esau; and I listened eagerly in dread, lest he should be won over to ask for shelter for the night. "Not a bit," said Esau, with a scowl. "He's all right, and knows what's best, and always did. If it hadn't been for him I should have been stupid enough to have gone for a soldier." "Indeed!" "Yes, indeed!" cried Esau; "and I tried all I could to get him to go too, only he knew better. Now then, Mr Gordon, I'm 'bout tired of talking. When you're ready, I am." He moved toward the door and I followed him, having no words to say for the moment; but as I reached the door they came, and I faced around to see Mr Raydon's clear eyes fixed upon me. "Good-bye, sir," I said, "and thank you. When Mr John and dear Mrs John come, don't scold them and talk to them as you have to me. It would only upset her, and she is sure to be still very delicate. Tell them I have gone to make a start for myself, and as soon as I am doing well I shall try and write to her. Good-bye." "Good-bye," said Esau, defiantly; and he put his hands in his pockets, began to whistle, and turned to me, to point to the head of a mountain sheep with enormous curled horns. "Pretty good load for a thing to carry," he said, as we reached the door. "Stop!" That word seemed to cut its way into our brains, it sounded so fierce and sharp, and its effect was to make us both face round wonderingly, and look inquiringly at the speaker. "I should have thought, sir, that it would have been more decent if you had offered to shake hands with your host before you went." "I beg your pardon, sir," I said, holding out my hand. "Good-night-- good-bye!" His large firm long fingers closed tightly on mine, and held my hand prisoned so hardly that he gave me a good deal of pain. "One minute, my lad," he said. "Your father and mother were both English, were they not?" The mention of them made me wince. "Both dead, I think my sister said?" "Yes," I said huskily, and I tried to drag my hand away, but he held it fast. "So you are true English?" he said; "and a pretty opinion you have of your fellow-countryman." "I--I don't understand you, sir." "To think after you have struggled up here so pluckily, and in so manly a way, he would be such an inhuman brute as to let you go." "Mr Raydon!" I cried, huskily. "And your friend, my lad, I hope, for my sister's sake and your own too, if you justify the impression you have made. There, you came to me quite a stranger, and I wanted to see whether you had the manliness and courage to refuse to stay, and I know that you have both, and would have gone back. Come," he said, pressing my hand warmly, "let what has passed during the past few minutes go. Sit here for a bit, both of you. To-morrow we'll have a chat over what is to be done." He smiled at me, gave Esau a nod, and went out. We neither of us spoke, but looked across at each other in the softening light, till suddenly Esau turned sharply round, and went and stood looking out of the window, while I sank down on a stool, turned my back to my companion, folded my arms on a desk, and laid my head thereon. _ |
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