"I've told you what I meant to do, and you keep on insulting me."
"Don't talk stuff. What's the good of making all that fuss? You
couldn't help telling Mr Gunson, I know that, and I've told you I know
it. Of course Mr Raydon don't like it, but he can't help himself. Now
then. You're in disgrace here, but you won't be up at the camp; and
when his bit of temper's past, Mr Raydon will be sorry for what he
said, and ask us to come and look at the piece of land after all."
While he kept on speaking, my temper, which had always remained
irritable through my illness, kept on rising, and I stood there trying
to fight it down, but in vain, for it was very rapidly getting the
mastery. It was as if something hot was rising within me, ready to boil
over if it grew a little hotter, and it soon did.
"There, it's all right," cried Esau, catching me by the arm. "Never
mind our things; we'll fetch them another time. Let's be off at once."
"Let go of my arm," I said, hoarsely.
"Shan't. Don't be stupid. You ain't been yourself since you were hurt,
and I'm going to think for you, and do what's right. Come along."
"Let go of my arm!" I said again, in a low menacing tone.
"No, nor I shan't let go of your arm; and you ain't going to frighten
me, Mayne Gordon, because I'm ever so much the stronger now, so come
along."
"Let--go--of my arm!" I said, in quite a whisper, as Esau hauled me
towards the door.
"S-h-a-r-n-'t!" cried Esau. "You're going along with me up to those
gold-washings. Come along. It's of no use for you to struggle, I'm too
much for you--Oh!"
In my rage at my inability to reason with him, I suddenly doubled my
fist and struck him full in the face, and as he uttered a cry of pain,
he started back; but it was only for a moment, and then he flew at me
angrily, so that the next minute we two sworn friends, who had suffered
so much together, were fighting hard, giving and taking blows, now down,
now up, and each growing hotter and more vindictive as we fought--Esau
with determination, I with despair, for I felt myself growing weaker and
weaker, and knew that in a few minutes I should be hopelessly beaten.
But still in my blind fury I kept on, and I was just in the act of
delivering a furious blow when I heard voices, and some one uttered a
cry of horror.
The struggle was over, for we two started back from our contest, Esau
ashamed of his rage, and I feeling utterly crushed; for there before me,
as far as I could see them in my half-blinded state, giddy as I was with
weakness and blows, stood Mr Raydon, and with him the people I would
have given the world then not to have met in such a state--the three
travellers, who had ended their long weary journey that unfortunate
morning.
Mrs Dean ran to Esau, and flung her arms about his neck, as Mr Raydon
said angrily--
"What is the meaning of this?"
No one answered, and for a few moments the silence was to me terrible.
Then Mr Raydon spoke again.
"Come back to the house," he said; and I saw him take his sister's hand,
draw it through his arm, and lead her away.
But Mr John, who looked brown and wonderfully changed, hung back, and
held out his hand.
"Oh, Mayne," he said, sadly, "I did not expect to come and find you like
this. What is the meaning of it all?"
"Don't, mother; do be quiet," cried Esau just then. "He hit me first."
"Oh, but, Esau, my boy, my boy!"
"Well, what's the good o' crying? Don't; you're crying all down my
neck. Be quiet. How are you? There. Now do leave off hanging on me.
I want to go and have a wash."
"Oh, Mr Gordon," cried the poor little woman, as Esau ungraciously
shook himself free, "how could you hit Esau first--and you such
friends?"
"Because he was trying to make me out a blackguard," I cried.
"Well, I couldn't help it," cried Esau; "I thought it was true."
"But you'll shake hands with me, my dear, after I've come all these
hundreds and thousands of miles--shake hands and say you're sorry you
hit Esau first."
"Oh, do be quiet, mother," cried Esau angrily. "What's the good o'
making such a fuss? We fell out and had a bit of a fight, and it's all
over, and I'm very sorry, and if he'll shake hands, there's mine."
"Not till you tell me you don't believe I did that," I cried fiercely.
"Well, there then, I don't believe you told him. I can't now you've
knocked it all out of me. But I should have won."
"If I had not been so weak from my wound, you would not have won," I
cried.
"Well, no," said Esau thoughtfully, as we shook hands, "for you do hit
precious hard. There, mother, will that do?"
"Oh yes, my dear," cried Mrs Dean, clinging to my hands now; "and may I
kiss you, my dear?"
I bent down and kissed the little woman, whose face was full of sympathy
for me.
"And you've been dangerously ill and nearly dead, Mr Raydon told us.
Well, that excuses everything. Esau's temper was horrible after he had
been ill with measles. You remember, my dear?"
"I don't," said Esau, on being thus appealed to. "I know you were
always cross with me, and wouldn't let me go out."
"Ah well, ah well," said Mr John Dempster, "never mind about that now.
Mayne, my dear boy, do wash your face, and let's have a long talk. I am
sorry my dear wife saw you like this, for she has been talking so much
about you. I am very sorry."
"Sorry, sir!" I cried passionately; "it is horrible."
"Yes, it is unfortunate, but an accident," he said smilingly, as he laid
his hand upon my shoulder. "You have not fought much since I saw you
last?"
"Fought? No," I said, unable to keep back a smile at his question.
"Ah! you laugh, but I have one memory of your prowess in that way.
There, remove those marks."
"That's better," he said, a few minutes later. "Now I want to know all
about your adventures."
"And I about yours, sir," I said eagerly, for we were alone, Esau having
passed out of the strangers' quarters with his mother. "Tell me about
Mrs John. Is she better?"
"Ah, you did not see," he said, with a smile that was quite womanly
lighting up his face. "For a time she frightened me, but once we were
at sea she began to mend, and for months now the change has been
wonderful."
"I am glad," I cried.
"Yes, wonderful," he continued. "My brother Raydon was right; but had I
known, enthusiastic as I am, what a terribly long, slow, tedious journey
it was across those vast plains, I should never have dared to venture."
"But she has borne it well?"
"Borne it! My dear boy, she is no longer the same. The delightful air,
the freedom from all restraint, the grandeur of the scenery we have come
through, everything has seemed to be giving her back her lost strength,
and it is a new life she is beginning to live."
"I am thankful," I said.
"But tell me, Mayne," he said; "there is some coolness between you and
my brother. He did not tell me what it was. Have you not been happy
with him?"
"Yes," I said, "till now."
And then I told him everything, from the discovery of the gold to the
moment of his arrival. He stood looking thoughtful for a few moments,
and then said--
"And young Dean believes it too?"
"Yes," I said; "and that caused the struggle that you saw."
"Of course--of course. I see."
"But, Mr John, indeed, indeed I kept my word. I did not--I would not
tell a soul; and I have carefully avoided going to the place."
He stood with his brows knit in silence, looking straight away.
"You do not believe me?" I said, piteously.
"Believe you? Why not?" he said, rousing himself from his musing. "Of
course I believe you, Mayne, and so will my brother. He ought not to
have doubted you. Ah, here he comes back."
I felt a curious shrinking as I saw Mr Raydon coming across the
enclosure; and as he entered there was the stern severe look in his
countenance which he put on when he was angry.
"I came to fetch you back, John," he said quietly. Then turning to me,
"May I know the cause of the disgraceful scene that was taking place a
little while ago?"
"Yes," cried Mr John, instituting himself as my champion directly. "It
seems that you have had unjust suspicions of my young friend Mayne, and
that his companion shared them. Mayne could not turn and thrash you,
but he could young Dean, and he did."
Mr Raydon looked at me sharply.
"You may take his word for it," continued Mr John, "as I do. There has
been a mistake."
"You have not altered a bit, John," said Mr Raydon drily. "Come."
"Yes, I'll go back with you, for there is so much to say. Come, Mayne."