"There, don't be hard on 'em, mates. They're going to be reasonable.
Now then, are you going to pay those twenty dollars each for your
passages?"
"No," I said, choking with rage.
"Yew don't mean to go in the _Pauliner_?"
"No, we don't," cried Esau.
"Very well, then, yew must each on yew pay the smart. I paid for yew--
ten dollars each, and tew fur my trouble. That's fair, ain't it,
mates?"
"Ay, ay. Make 'em pay three dollars," was chorussed.
"There, yew hear 'em, so out with the spots, and no more nonsents."
"You won't get no money out o' me," cried Esau, fiercely.
"Nor from me," I cried.
"We'll soon see that. Now quick!"
It was broad daylight, but we seemed to be quite alone, and I was being
forced back over a man's knee, when I was jerked up again, and the man
who was holding me went backwards, while a familiar voice said--
"Hullo, boys; seem to be enjoying yourselves."
"Mr Gunson, help!" I cried, as I recognised our shipboard companion;
"these men--"
"I see, my lad, steady. Ah, would you!" For a quick look had passed
among the men, and they were about to make a rush, when Gimson stepped
back and whipped out a revolver.
"Don't come too near, boys," he said. "I'm rather a good shot."
The men stopped short at the sight of the revolver barrel covering first
one and then another. But the first man said "Come on!" with quite a
snarl, drew a knife, and flung himself at Gunson.
I felt a horrible sensation run through me as I listened for the report;
but instead of firing, Gunson struck up with his revolver, and the man
went over sidewise, while our friend now fired over the heads of the
others of the gang.
This stopped them for the moment, but as they saw that no one fell, they
came on again, and one of them seized Gunson before he could fire, or
before he attempted to fire, for, as he told me afterwards, he did not
want to feel that he had killed a man.
In the struggle which followed I saw the pistol drop from our defender's
hand, and one of the men stooped to pick it up, but Esau was too quick
for him. Making quite a leap, as if playing leap-frog, he pitched with
his hands right on the man's shoulders, sending him over and over, but
falling himself, while I picked up the pistol and drew the trigger.
The sharp report made my ears ring, and I stood back now with the weapon
presented, expecting some of the others to rush at me. But the two
reports had spread the alarm, and a couple of the officials came running
up, whilst our assailants took to flight, giving Gunson an opportunity
to rise and shake himself.
"Hurt, my lads?" he said, as he took his pistol. "They were too many
for me; I got the worst of it."
"I'm not hurt, sir; are you?" I said.
"Only a bit bruised."
"I am," grumbled Esau. "Feel as if my wrist's out of joint."
By this time a crowd had assembled, and we were very glad to get away
with our protector, after a few words of explanation to the two
policemen, who told us we had better mind what company we got into,
nodded to one another and laughed, as if it was all a good joke, and
then went their way.
"Here, come to my diggings," said Gunson, rather gruffly. "I thought I
told you two to mind what you were about, and what sort of customers you
would meet with out here."
"Yes," I said; "but--"
"Wait till we get to my place, and we'll sit down and talk there. Some
one has been pretty foolish to let two boys like you come wandering
round the world by yourselves."
In about ten minutes he stopped at so shabby looking a hotel that I half
shrank from entering.
Gunson noticed it.
"Needn't be scared," he said. "Decent people. Germans;" and throwing
off my hesitation, I followed him with Esau to his room, where he
pointed to a chair and a stool, and seated himself upon a very
homely-looking bed, taking out his revolver, and putting in two fresh
cartridges.
"Nasty thing to carry," he said, "but it's as good as a big dog. It can
bark loudly as well as bite. Barking did this time. Now then," he
continued, as he replaced the pistol in his hip pocket, "I suppose you
two know that those fellows were regular blackguards, who would have
stripped you of every shilling you possessed--by fair means or foul.
How was it you were with them?"
I told him all that Esau would let me say, for he was very anxious to
relate the story himself.
"Oh, that was it, was it?" said Gunson. "Glad you were so sensible, but
you see what this place is. It will be all right by and by, but at
present it's a regular sink for all the ruffians in the States to drain
into. Why don't you get out of it?"
"That's what we are trying to do--hard," I said eagerly.
"Why you can't have tried much. There are plenty of ways out. Where do
you want to go?"
"To the Fraser River," I said, "and then away north to Fort Elk."
"Ah," he said, looking at us both curiously. "Fraser River, eh? That's
where I'm going."