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To The West, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 42. We Make Up Our Minds |
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_ CHAPTER FORTY TWO. WE MAKE UP OUR MINDS Mr John gave me a troubled look, for in his simple earnest way he was hurt at seeing the strained situation, and, as he told me afterwards, there was great excuse for his brother-in-law, as matters did look black against me, sufficient to make Mr Raydon feel that I had acted a very unworthy part. I stood there alone, and otherwise quite unnoticed for a few minutes, while Mr Raydon gave his people some quick, sharp orders, and then walked into his quarters with Mr John. "What shall I do?" I thought. "If I go and ask him to let me run and warn Mr Gunson, he will think I want to join him, and that this is only an excuse. I can't go down on my knees and vow and protest again that I kept my word. Some one told Gunson, of course. Could it have been Esau, and is he playing unfairly?" I did not like to think it of him, and I was just trying to drive the thoughts away, when he came out of the strangers' quarters, where I had seen him go with Mrs Dean. "Well, it's all over," he said. "I thought we was going to have some rare fun." "Esau!" I cried, aghast. "What, with men being shot!" "Yes; why not, if they tried to shoot us? But, I say, they'll come back again; see if they don't, to help themselves to all there is here." I shook my head. "No," I said; "they've been too much scared as it is." "Not they. Of course they run when they saw the rifles. I shouldn't wonder if we have a really big fight like you've read of in books." "You are talking nonsense," I said. "But look here, Esau. About that gold?" "Yes," he cried eagerly; "going to have a try for it?" "No." "Oh," said Esau, gloomily. "Thought you were coming to your senses. I don't see why other folks should get it all, and us left nowhere." "Esau!" I said, as I caught him by the sleeve, "you see how I am being suspected of all this. Mr Raydon still thinks I told Mr Gunson." "Well, so you did, didn't you?" he replied, with a curiously sly look. "No," I cried, fiercely; "and you know I did not. But did you?" Esau looked me full in the face for a few moments, before turning his eyes away, and beginning to whistle softly. "Do you hear what I say?" I cried, angrily. "Course I do," he replied, with a mocking laugh. "Then tell me--at once--the truth. Did you give Mr Gunson to understand where this gold was?" "Let's see: you asked me before, didn't you?" said Esau, coolly. "You know I did." "Well, then, don't ask no questions, and nobody won't tell you no lies." "Then it was you," I cried; "and it was a mean, cowardly, cruel trick to let me be suspected and treated as I have been here. I have always been fair and open with you." Esau whistled again in a low soft way, giving me a sidelong glance again, and then taking out his great knife and making a pretence of cutting his nails, for which task the knife was about as suitable as a billhook. "Are you going to own it?" No answer. "Are you going to own to it?" I said, more loudly. "No, I ain't," he cried, angrily, "and I don't want to be bothered about it no more. Wish I'd gone after the gold myself. I could ha' made mother rich and comfortable all her life. What business had he to interfere and keep it all from us? Meant to have the place to himself, and now somebody else has got it, and serve him right." I turned away from him angrily, but I was too much worried to be able to do without advice, and I walked back to where he was still chopping at his nails. "Esau," I said; "you saw that big fellow with the gang?" "Easy enough to see," he replied, sulkily. "You saw who it was?" "Yes. Chap Gunson pitched over that day aboard the steamer." "Yes. And you remember how he threatened Mr Gunson?" "Course I do." "Well, they're going up the little valley to where Mr Gunson is." "And if old Gunson meets him he'll send him back with a flea in his ear." "One man against a party of twelve all well armed, Esau?" I whispered. "I'm afraid about Mr Gunson. Suppose he is up there somewhere alone, and has found a great deal of gold?" "What!" cried Esau, excitedly, for my words had moved him now. "I say, suppose he has collected a lot of gold, and those rough fellows know of it?" "Why, they'd kill him, and take every scrap," cried Esau. "Here, let's go and tell Mr Raydon." "He would not stir to help, I am sure. Mr Raydon does not want Gunson there, and he would be glad if he was driven away." "Think old Gunson knows of those chaps coming?" "I don't know. I should think not." "Let's go and see." "Yes?" "And if he don't know, tell him." "Yes; that is what I should like to do," I said. "We ought to warn him." "Course we ought. He helped us." "But how can we manage it?" "Go. We know the way." I stood for a few moments thinking, and at last made up my mind. "You will go with me, Esau?" I said. "Yes; soon as it's dark." "They wouldn't let us go now?" I said, dubiously. "You try," said Esau, with a laugh. "Why, if old Raydon thought we were going to try and get out, he'd lock us up." "Don't let's stand here," I said, in a husky voice, for the excitement was increasing. "Let's go back to the quarters and talk there." "Can't. Mother's in there, and we shouldn't be able to say a word." "Then as soon as it's dark we'll climb over, and make straight for the mining camp." "That's so," said Esau; and we waited patiently for the coming on of night. As soon as it was decided, that which had seemed to me so very easy began to show itself in quite another light, and difficulties sprang up one after the other of which I had not taken thought before. First of all I learned that a strict watch was to be kept at night, and in consequence it would be next to impossible to get over the palisade without being heard or seen. Next, when we had escaped--I inadvertently used that word, for it was like running away, though I meant to return--there would be the difficulty of hitting the right valley in the darkness. Then, if we found the valley, how were we to find out the place where Gunson had made his camp? and above all, how were we to pass the camp or resting-place of the gang of men who had been to the Fort that day? It was pretty certain that one of their number would be on guard. "Yes, and pop at us," said Esau, when I told him of this difficulty. "Never mind; he couldn't hit us in the dark. See, too, if old Gunson doesn't shoot at us if we go disturbing him in the night." "He would not fire at us," I said, contemptuously. "Oh, we are clever!" cried Esau. "How's he going to know it's us?" "Well, we must risk it," I said. "Oh, yes, we'll risk it. Way is to crawl up; then if they fire, they're sure to miss." That starting-time seemed as if it would never come. I had my evening meal with Mr Raydon and Mr Dempster, Esau having his with his mother at the Greys', but I hardly ate anything, for in spite of Mrs John's pleasant smiles and words, the constraint seemed to have increased, and I felt, unjustly enough perhaps, as if my presence was only tolerated on account of my friends. I got away as soon as I could, and as I waited for Esau to come, I began now to think that I was not doing right. But I drove the thoughts away in a reckless fashion. Esau would laugh at me, I thought, and, full of determination now, I was glad when he came. "Well," he said; "mean to go?" "Mean to go? Of course!" "'Cause they're going to be on the look-out pretty sharp, so Grey says, and they've got orders to fire at any one strange." "To fire?" I said, feeling rather startled. "Yes; so if we get fired at when we go, and fired at when we get there, it's bound to be a lively sort of a time." I was silent. "Well, what do you think of it now?" said Esau, as I did not speak. "Going?" "Do you want to hang back, Esau?" I said, huskily. "No; I'll stick to you, o' course." "Then we'll go as soon as we can." "I thought you'd say so," he said. "You always was so fond of old Gunson." "Then you don't want to go?" "Course I don't, now I've got mother here, safe. But if you're going, I'm going, so how soon?" It was already dark, and feeling if I waited much longer the hesitation I suffered from might increase, I said excitedly-- "Now." "All right then; let's get a little way further from the corner, make straight for that look-out place, where Grey watched the chaps going, and get over there." "Yes," I said, thoughtfully; "we can get on the top of the big paling and drop down from there. But I say, Esau," I whispered, "how are we to climb back?" "Dunno. Let's do one job first," he whispered back, philosophically. "Now then, are you ready?" "Yes," I said, desperately. "Then down on your hands and knees, and let's creep like dogs. They will not see us then." It is impossible to describe the feeling of excitement which came over me as I followed Esau's example, and letting him lead, began to crawl pretty quickly across the enclosure. I looked back, and there were the lights in Mr Raydon's quarters, where my friends were seated, and wondered what they would think when they heard that I had gone, and what construction Mr Raydon would place upon my departure, for something seemed to tell me that we should be found out; and it was not likely that we should be credited with going for so innocent a reason. "No," I said to myself; "he will think I have gone to join Gunson to wash for gold, and--" "Don't! I say, mind where you are coming." For my head had come sharply in contact with my companion. "What's the matter? Why did you stop?" "Only to look back at that place where mother is. My! won't she be in a taking if they find out we are gone?" "Go on quickly, then," I whispered, "and let's get back before they know it." At that moment there was a loud growl toward one of the block-houses. "Rough's heard us," whispered Esau. "Come on." We crept forward, and then I felt a chill of dread, for there was a quick rustling sound, a loud bark, and though we could not see him, I knew that the great dog was coming at us full speed. My first idea was to get up and run, but before I could put my intention in force, the dog was upon us, barking furiously; but the next minute, after knocking me right over, he was whining and fawning upon me, and giving a share of his attentions to Esau. "Down! Quiet! Get out!" whispered Esau. "Why don't you wipe your nose?" "Here, Rough! What is it, lad? Hold him!" came from the direction of the block-house. "Oh, it's all up," I whispered, as the dog set up a loud volley of barking. "Seize him!" cried the voice, which I knew to be Grey's; but the dog barked again, as if in remonstrance, and seemed more disposed to play with us than to seize. "What is it then? What have you got?" There was another burst of barking. "Let's go back," whispered Esau. "No, no, go on. Never mind the dog." "Let's run for it then," whispered Esau, and catching hold of my hand, he led the way quickly toward the fence, with Rough leaping and bounding round us, and every now and then uttering one of the volleys of barking which sounded terribly loud in the utter silence of that dark night. We had nearly reached the place, when I heard a familiar voice say-- "What's the matter with that dog?" "Don't know, sir. Seems to have found something, or he wouldn't go on like that. Here! Hi! Rough, Rough, Rough!" But the dog would not leave us. We were only friends, and he kept on his excited bark. "Here, Rough!" cried Mr Raydon, angrily; and at that moment we reached the fence, fortunately for us just by the loophole. "Over with you first," cried Esau, and I climbed rapidly to the top, threw my legs over, lowered myself to the full extent of my arms, and dropped lightly. "Come across and see," came just then from the other side; and now while I heard the rustling and scrambling noise made by Esau in climbing, as I stood there listening with my heart beating heavily, the dog began to bark furiously, then to growl. There was a struggling noise, and then Esau's voice came through the crack of the paling. "He's got hold of me tight. Run, lad, run!" But I could not run then and leave my companion in the lurch, and I was about to climb back when the worrying, growling sound ceased, and Esau dropped beside me. "Come on!" he whispered. "This way. He's got half the leg of my trousers." Catching my hand again we trotted on. "Jumped at me, and held me so as I shouldn't get over," he whispered. "Here, this way. We're right, I know." The dog's barking was furious now, and I whispered to Esau-- "They're opening the gate." "Hist! Don't take no notice." For there was a shout from behind. "Halt, there, or we fire!" "Go on then," muttered Esau. "Sha'n't halt now. You couldn't hit us if you tried." "Do you hear? Halt!" It was Mr Raydon who shouted, but I was desperate now I had gone so far, and we kept up our trot, with Esau acting as guide. His eyes were better than mine in the darkness. "Fire!" came from behind now, and three flashes of light appeared for an instant, followed by the reports of the rifles. "Not killed me," muttered Esau, with a chuckle. But I did not laugh, for a thought had struck me. "Esau," I whispered; "they'll set the dog on our scent, and use him to run us down. There, do you hear?" For the barking of the dog began once more. "Can we cross the river?" I said. "No." "Then make for the first stream and let's wade along it a little way." "Never thought of that," muttered Esau. "Here, let's go along by the river." Five minutes later we were splashing along close to the edge, keeping our feet in the water for a time, with the dog's deep baying behind coming on so slowly that I knew he must be chained and some one holding him back. "He will not track us now," I said breathlessly. "They'll think we have crossed." "Then they'll think we're drowned, and go and tell mother," said Esau, stopping short. "Here, let's go back." "Not now we have gone so far," I said. "I could not face Mr Raydon now. Besides, they will know that we could take care of ourselves." "Course they would," said Esau. "Come on." But before we had gone a hundred yards he said, "Why they won't know it is us yet." We tramped on as quickly as we could go for the darkness, and by degrees the barking of the dog grew more faint in the distance, and finally ceased. "There," said Esau; "they'll be clever if they find us now." "And we shall be clever if we find our way." "Oh, I'll find my way. I shall never forget how to get to that place, after what happened that day." I shuddered, for his words brought up my long illness, and made me tramp on down alongside the stream with a curious sensation of awe. For the darkness was at times intense, and in the blackest parts the river seemed to dash and roar in a way that was startling, and as we had never heard it before. It was all fancy of course, and so it was that the pines rose up so black that it was hard work to make out the landmarks in the valley which had grown familiar during our many wanderings. Twice over we stopped to argue, for Esau was positive and obstinate to a degree, insisting that we had come to the right ravine, while I was as sure that we had not. He gave way sulkily, assuring me that I was going right on past it, and at last I began to think he must be correct. For I had lost all count of time in my excitement, and I stopped short. "I've taken you right by it, Esau," I said sadly. "We must go back." "No, you haven't," he replied, to my great surprise. "I've thought since that couldn't be it, because there was no open pool just below the fall. Don't you remember, where we saw so many trout?" "Of course," I cried; "I remember now. Then it is lower down, and we ought to hear the noise of falling water." We listened, but there was only the rumbling roar of the river down on our left. "I'm afraid we're wrong," I said despondently. "If it only were not so dark!" "Let's go on a bit further first," said Esau; and I followed him full of doubts, till we turned a corner where the river made a sudden bend, and Esau uttered a low cry. "There it is," he said. "Hark!" Sure enough there was the roar of a fall, and we knew that we had reached the entrance of the little side valley, where the pool lay below the falls. Another minute, and we were passing through a clump of little fir-trees, also familiar to us; and then Esau stopped short, for there was a bright light just in front--a light which puzzled us for a few moments, before we understood that it must be the reflection from a fire which we could not see, shining in the clear waters of the pool. _ |
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