It was quite two hours later that, as she rose to go back to Mr
Raydon's quarters, Mrs John said--
"There, I believe in you, Mayne, and so does my husband. Be satisfied."
"I never shall be till Mr Raydon tells me he was wrong," I said.
"And he will as soon as he feels convinced, so be patient and wait. My
brother is rather strange in his ways, and always was. When he becomes
prejudiced through some idea he is very hard to move."
"But I cannot stay here," I said.
"You will not go and leave us now that we have come so far. We shall
want your help."
"But--"
"Come, Mayne, you will not object to suffering a little, I hope, for our
sake. I dare say my brother will keep on in his stern, hard way, for a
time; but when he is fully convinced, you will be glad that you bore
with him."
"I shall do exactly as you wish me to," I said quietly; and I again
looked wonderingly at her, she was so changed.
"We shall not lead you wrong, Mayne," she said, smiling; and, at her
wish, I walked back with her to Mr Raydon's place, where Mr John rose
to make room for us, but Mr Raydon hardly glanced at me, and his manner
was so strained during the next hour, as I sat listening to the
conversation about the adventures during the long journey across the
plain, that I was very glad to make an excuse so as to get away to where
Mrs Dean was seated in the strangers' quarters relating her story to
Esau.
"Ah," she cried, as I entered; "and what do you think of Mrs John?"
"I hardly knew her," I said. "She is indeed better."
"Yes," said Mrs Dean, drawing herself up proudly, "I think I did my
duty there."
"I am sure you did."
"Such a poor, thin, weak creature as she was till I began to nurse her."
"The change worked wonders," I said.
"Yes, of course, it did her good, sir; but no change is of any good
without plenty of nursing."
I saw that I was touching on tender ground, and was trying to think of a
fresh subject, when loud, blustering voices outside made both Esau and
me get up to see, for there was evidently an angry altercation going on
just inside the gate.
"I have told you plainly," Mr Raydon was saying as we drew near. "This
is neither an hotel nor a liquor-bar, and you cannot have it here."
"Well, you might be civil," said a voice which made me start and feel
puzzled as to where I had heard it before. "Not going to refuse
travellers a shelter or a glass of liquor, are you?"
Esau gave my arm a jerk, but I did not look at him, for my attention was
taken up by Mr Raydon, who was facing, with Grey and two more of the
men, a party of a dozen roughs.
"You do not want shelter on a fine night like this, and I have no
spirits except to use for medicine."
"That's right," said the familiar voice. "Medicine--physic--that's what
we want; drop o' spirits for medicine--eh, lads?"
There was a chorus of laughter at this, and the men began to press
forward.
"Then you will not get it here, my lads, so go back to the place from
whence you came," said Mr Raydon, firmly. "Bread and meat, and butter
or milk, you can have; nothing more."
"But we want a drink," said another man. "Here, we don't want you to
give it us. Look here," he cried, taking some gold from, his pocket.
"Now then, I'll give you all this for a bottle of whiskey."
"Ay, and I'll give you this for another bottle," cried a third man.
"Keep your stuff in your pockets, lads," cried the first speaker, and I
felt a kind of thrill run through me now, for I had recognised in him
the big, fierce fellow who had wrestled with Gunson on board the boat,
and threatened mischief next time they met. "Keep your stuff in your
pockets; the old 'un is going to give us a bottle or two of the liquor
he swaps with the Injuns for the bear-skins. Now then, old boy."
"I am going to give you nothing, neither food nor drink," said Mr
Raydon, firmly. "You have only come down from the camp yonder this
evening."
"Well, who said we hadn't? That's right enough. We've got claims up
there, and we've come to treat you all and have a drink with you."
"I have told you that you will get no drink here."
"Get out!" said the big fellow, whose voice I had first heard. "You
don't mean that. Come, get out the bottles. Come along, lads; we arn't
going to be served like this."
"No," came angrily in chorus; and the men pressed forward, but Mr
Raydon and his party stood their ground.
"We're going to take it, arn't we, if he don't fetch it out--eh, lads?"
"Ay."
"Stand back!" cried Mr Raydon, authoritatively. "Grey!"
The latter took half a dozen steps backward, and stood waiting for
orders.
"You, Gordon, and you, Dean, run to my house, and keep there in
shelter."
"Oh," said the big fellow, with a laugh. "Turning nasty, eh? Well
then, we'll take it. Show him your shooting-irons, lads, and let him
see that we can be nasty too."
Half a dozen of the men pulled out revolvers, and there were a few sharp
clicks heard.
"Did you hear me, Gordon?" said Mr Raydon, harshly. "Run."
"I can't run away, and leave you like this," I said. "Obey orders, boy.
Both of you back, quick!"
There was a something about him which enforced obedience, and I went
back towards the house wondering why the other men did not come to their
chiefs help, especially now that he was being backed slowly across the
enclosure by the gang of men, each of whom had a revolver in his hand.
"Yes," said Mr Raydon, sharply, and Grey and another man turned and ran
for one of the little block-houses in the corner of the enclosure.
"Hah! Yah! Hoo!" roared the fellows, derisively; and one of them fired
a shot, an example followed by two more, not aimed at the retreating
party, but evidently meant to scare them and hasten their retreat.
There was another roar of laughter at this, followed by more derisive
shouts, as Grey and his companions disappeared in the building before
named.
"It's all right, lads; that's where the landlord's cellar is: come on!"
Mr Raydon still backed toward the corner building, and Esau and I
continued our retreat to the chiefs quarters, where I saw Mr and Mrs
John at the door, alarmed by the firing.
"Tell them to keep in," cried Mr Raydon to me; and seeing that there
was danger, I ran to them, half forced them back, and without
instructions I snatched up Mr Raydon's double rifle and cartridge-belt.
"Good heavens, Gordon, what is the matter?" cried Mr John.
"Nothing serious, I hope," I said. "Orders: stay inside."
I darted out again with the rifle, and ran to where Mr Raydon was
standing his ground still, and he was saying something in a loud voice
to the men, but I only caught the words--"Fair warning."
"Hah! Good!" he exclaimed, as I ran up with the rifle; and he caught it
and the cartridge-belt, but he did not attempt to load.
"Back to them," said Mr Raydon to me; and I went unwillingly, for it
seemed cowardly to go.
"He's going to fight," said the leader of the gang. "There, don't
pepper him, mates."
There was another roar of laughter at this.
"I warn you once more, my good fellows. This is an outrage you are
committing, and if blood is shed the fault will be yours."
"Those bottles o' whiskey."
"You get nothing here. Go!"
"Rush them, lads."
The miners with their revolvers were about a dozen yards from the corner
block-house, and Mr Raydon and the man with him were half-way to the
door, their backs towards it, when the bully gave his order.
Like an echo of that order, and just as the men were in motion, came one
from Mr Raydon.
"Make ready--present!"
I shrank back startled as I heard the loud military commands, and the
effect was the same upon the gang of rough gold-diggers, who stopped
short, while half of them turned and began to run.
For, as the order rang out, Grey and another man sprang to the door with
presented pieces, and from the openings on the floor above half a dozen
more rifles were thrust out.
"Another step forward and I give the word--Fire!" cried Mr Raydon,
fiercely. "You see we are prepared for unpleasant visitors here,
whether they are white savages or red. Now then, have the goodness to
go, and don't trouble us with your presence here again."
"Oh, it was only a joke, mate," cried the big fellow. "Needn't make
such a fuss about it."
"A joke, to fire on my retiring men?" said Mr Raydon, fiercely. "Go,
or my men will perpetrate a similar joke on you, you miserable bully and
coward."
"Bully am I?--coward am I?" growled the fellow, menacingly cocking his
revolver.
"Cover this fellow, Grey," said Mr Raydon without turning, and I saw
Grey make a slight movement.
"That man is a dead shot, my good man," said Mr Raydon. "Once more,
go!"
"Right; we're going, eh, mates?"
"No," said another. "Let's--"
"Another word, and I order my men to fire," cried Mr Raydon, fiercely.
"We have driven off a hundred Indians before now, and I tell you that we
are well prepared."
"Oh, all right," growled the fellow. "Come on, mates. This is English
hospitality, this is. Well, every dog has his day, and perhaps ours 'll
come next."
They walked slowly toward the gate, and passed out muttering
threateningly; and as they passed out, in obedience to an order, Grey
and another man ran across to the opening with their rifles at the
trail, each seizing one of the swing-back gates which they were about to
close, when half a dozen of the gang reappeared and fired from their
revolvers. Before they could repeat the shots the gates were banged to
and barred, while Grey sprang up a few steps and applied his eye to a
loop-hole.
"Well?" said Mr Raydon, advancing quietly.
"Running back toward the river, sir. Shall we fire over their heads?"
"No. They have gone," said Mr Raydon.
Then turning to me, where I stood just outside the door of his house, he
said sternly--
"You see why I wished to keep this district free of all that is
connected with gold?"