Gunson nodded, and we parted, Esau keeping very quiet for a few minutes
before speaking.
"I suppose it's all right," he said; "but if ever a chap looked like bad
company, he do."
"But he seems as friendly to us as can be."
"Yes," said Esau. "But what does he want here with a pistol? Some of
the people board ship was coming to keep shop, some to farm, and some to
be servants. I want to know what he wants here?"
"Perhaps the same as he would in New Zealand, and at the Cape of Good
Hope. I should say he's a traveller."
"What in? Yah! He don't look the sort of man people would trust with
goods to sell. Traveller? Why, you see dozens of 'em in the streets
off Cheapside--big, good-looking fellows, with great curly whiskers and
beards. He isn't a traveller. Nobody would buy of him."
"I mean a man who goes through foreign countries."
"What for?"
"To see them."
Esau shook his head.
"I don't think he's a traveller of that sort. I say, look out."
"What is it?" I said, expecting to see a dray come along.
"That chap."
Sure enough, there was the dark, yellow-looking scoundrel watching us,
and he followed at a distance till he had seen us enter the hotel where
we had been staying.
We stated that we were going away, and went and packed up our few things
at once, while from the corner of the window we had the satisfaction of
seeing two more of our assailants come up, and remain in conversation
with the first for a few minutes, after which they walked away.
"Now, if we could get off at once, Esau," I said, "they would not see us
go, and when they return they might come and watch here as long as they
liked."
Esau jumped at the idea, and went out to see if he could find a man to
help us carry our boxes, while I paid our bill.
Before I had done he was back with Gunson, whom he had met, and told
what he was after, with the result that they had returned together.
"I'm only a poor man," said our friend, with a laugh, "so I thought I
might as well come and earn half a dollar. I thought too," he added,
seriously, "that it would be better not to employ a stranger, who would
be able to point out where you are staying, in case your acquaintances
want to hunt you out to do you an ill turn."
We were only too glad of his offer, and in less than an hour we were
safely in the shelter of our new resting-place; while upon Esau's going
out to reconnoitre, taking a good round so as not to be seen, he
returned shortly in high glee, to tell us that the three men were seated
on a stack of timber, watching the hotel we had left.
"And ready for some mischief, I'll be bound," said Gunson. "These
fellows work in clans, and I shall be very glad if we can get away
without a crack on the head."
As we sat chatting with Gunson the rest of that day and evening, he
seemed to puzzle me, for sometimes he talked quite like a steerage
passenger, just as the rough-looking man he seemed should talk, while at
others, words and ideas kept slipping out which made me think he must be
one who had had a good education. He had travelled a great deal, as we
knew, but he seemed singularly reserved about his intentions. That he
was going to the Fraser River he made no secret; but though he kept us
in the dark, he somehow or another, now that he was more with us,
contrived to possess himself of all our projects.
He seemed at times quite changed, and his manner set me wondering why it
was that, though we had passed nearly five months together on board the
_Albatross_, seeing us every day, he had rarely spoken to us then, and
we parted almost as much strangers as on the first day when we
encountered each other in the dark cabin of the ship.
First one and then the other would think he had found a clue to our
companion's intentions; but when we parted for the night we felt far
from sure, but more curious than ever.
"So you are going hunting, are you?" he said, in the course of our
conversation.
"No," I said.
"What do you call it then, a chase--wild-goose chase?"
"I don't see that it's a wild-goose chase for two lads to come to a new
country to try and get on," I said.
"Not a bit, my lad, but a very worthy thing to do. I meant it was
rather a wild-goose chase for this friend of yours to send you in the
hope of his brother-in-law helping you. Isn't he rather an inconsistent
sort of a gentleman?"
"Mr John Dempster is one of the best of men," I said warmly.
"Perhaps so; but the best of men make mistakes sometimes, and it looks
like one to me for him to be taking a sick wife right across the country
to this new home. Tried it before, perhaps?"
"No," I said; "Mr John was never out of England. He told me so."
"Then he will have rather a startling experience, and I wish him well
through with it."
"I say, don't talk like that," said Esau, suddenly, "because my mother's
there."
"Then I wish her well out of it too."
"Have you ever made the journey?" I said eagerly.
"Yes, once," said Gunson, quietly. "Once was enough."
"But Mrs John's brother told them he thought it would do his sister
good."
"Well, it may. I'm not a doctor; but after what I went through I should
hesitate about taking a delicate woman such a route. And you too. When
you get to the Fraser, how do you mean to journey hundreds of miles up
to Fort Elk?"
I was silent, for it seemed to me as if we were for the first time
coming face to face with the difficulties of our task.
"Dunno," said Esau, thoughtfully. "S'pose there ain't no 'buses."
"No, nor yet cabs," said Gunson, laughing.
"Might be a stage-coach running now and then, p'r'aps."
"My good lad, there isn't even a road. Perhaps there is a trail. There
is sure to be that, of course, for the Indians would go to the Fort with
their pelting."
"With their what?" said Esau.
"Pelts--skins, to sell to the company's agent."
"Oh," said Esau.
"But the river," I said suddenly. "We could go up that by a boat,
couldn't we?"
Gunson laughed.
"Yes, there is a river," he said; "but, like all mountain streams, boats
cannot go up very far for the torrents and falls and rocks. Have you
any arms?"
"Of course," said Esau.
"I mean weapons."
"No," I said.
"Humph! Perhaps better without them--at your age."
"You have," I said, as I glanced toward his hip-pocket.
Gunson nodded.
"Got a gun too?" said Esau.
"A rifle or two," replied our companion, rather reluctantly; and he rose
then and left the room, as if to avoid being questioned.
"Hunting and shooting, that's what he's after," said Esau triumphantly,
as soon as we were alone.
And at that moment I could not help thinking that he was right, and that
we had hit upon a very satisfactory companion, for part of our journey
at least, if it did not turn out that Gunson had some designs of his
own.