After a whispered consultation we crept on again through the trees,
until we could see a good-sized fire blazing and sparkling close down by
the side of the pool, and about it--some asleep, some sitting resting,
and others talking--were a group of rough-looking men, whom we had not
much difficulty in making out to be our visitors at the Fort.
It was plain enough. They had come down after leaving us, and had
camped there for the night, perhaps found gold there; and this was their
station. If so, Gunson must be higher up and safe.
I whispered my ideas to Esau, who thought for a few minutes before
speaking.
"No," he said, "I don't believe they'd stop here. But p'r'aps they're
quite new-comers. What shall we do?"
"Get by them," I said resolutely. "We must hurry on to Mr Gunson now."
"But how?" he whispered. "Ain't they stopping up all the road?"
"Not all," I said. "Let's go down on our hands again, and creep by."
"All right, only you go first, and be careful. Mind, if they see us
they'll fire."
I don't know whether it was recklessness or desperation. I had felt
timid, and had shrunk from the task at first; but now that I felt I must
go on, the dread had pretty well passed away.
Going down on my hands and knees, I found to my great satisfaction that
the fire was invisible; and if so, of course we must be out of sight of
the men about it. I whispered this to Esau, who responded by a grunt,
which, added to his position, made him bear a strong resemblance to an
animal, and for the moment it amused me, and took my attention from the
difficulty of my task.
We had had to leave the track, and our way was amongst blocks of stone
covered with moss, between which short stiff patches of bush grew,
making our passage difficult, and not to be accomplished without noise.
But I kept on with the light on my left, knowing that if I kept it in
that position I must be going in the correct direction; and it was
necessary to keep this in mind, as every now and then a tree or a block
of stone forced me to diverge.
The men were talking loudly, and now and then there arose a rough burst
of laughter, while there was no doubt about who the party were, for I
heard an allusion made to the Fort.
Just then, as we were about level with the fire, a piece of a branch
upon which I pressed my knee gave a loud crack, and the conversation
ceased instantly.
We neither of us moved, but crouched there, listening to our beating
hearts, and expecting to have either a shot sent in our direction, or to
see part of the men come rushing toward us.