"Sit fast," said Gunson, "both of you. Don't make any sign, and leave
me to speak. But mind, if I say `Tent,' run both of you to the tent,
and seize your weapons ready to do what I say."
I gave him a nod, and sat with beating heart watching the moving figure,
which directly after caught sight of us.
"Hullo!" he said; "some one here?" Then turning, "Look sharp, some of
you."
Both Gunson and I had recognised the man as Quong's principal assailant,
and I glanced sharply toward the Chinaman, to catch sight of the soles
of his shoes as he crept rapidly in amongst the trees, a pretty evident
sign that he too had recognised his enemy.
"Nice evening, mate," said the big fellow, advancing, as Gunson sat by
me, coolly filling his pipe. "Ah, I just want a light."
He came closer, looking sharply round, while we could hear the trampling
and breaking of the fir-boughs, as others were evidently close at hand.
Gunson drew a burning stick from the fire, and offered it to the man,
who took it, and said quietly, as he lit his own pipe--
"Camping here for the night, mate?"
"Yes: camping here."
"Going on in the morning?"
"No; this is my claim."
The man dropped the burning stick, and stared at Gunson.
"What?" he said. "Oh no, that won't do. Me and my mates have chosen
this patch, so you'll have to go higher up or lower down; haven't we,
lads?" he continued, as one by one the rest of the gang came up.
"Eh? all right, yes, whatever it is," said one of them, whom I
recognised as the second of Quong's assailants.
"There, you see," continued the first man; "it's all right, so you'll
have to budge."
"No," said Gunson, quietly; "this is my claim. I've been here some days
now, and here I stay."
"Oh, we'll see about that," said the fellow, in a bullying tone. "It's
the place for us, so no nonsense. Been here some days, have you?"
"Yes, some days now, my lad; and the law gives me a prior right."
"Ah, but there arn't no law up here yet. Look here," he cried, suddenly
seizing Gunson, and forcing him back. "What's the pay dirt worth? How
much gold have you got? How--Why, hallo! it's you, is it? Here, old
lad," he cried to the other speaker, "it's our wrastling friend. I told
you we should run up agen each other again, and--why of course--here's
the boy too. This is quite jolly."
"Keep your hands off," said Gunson, shaking himself free, and springing
up, an example we followed. "This part of the country's wide enough, so
go your way. I tell you again, this claim is mine. What I make is my
business, so go."
"Hear all this?" said the big fellow, quickly. "Hear this, mates? We
arn't inside a fence now, with a lot o' riflemen ready, so just speak
up, some of you. Isn't this the spot we mean to have--isn't this the
claim Tom Dunn come up and picked?"
"Yes, yes," came in chorus, as the men closed up round us in the
gathering gloom; while I felt sick with apprehension, and stood ready to
spring away as soon as Mr Gunson gave the order to go, while,
fortunately for us, the way was open, being beyond the fire.
"You hear, mate," cried the big fellow, fiercely, "so no more words.
You and your boys can go, and think yourselves lucky we don't slit your
ears. Do you hear?"
"Yes," said Gunson, smiling.
"There's plenty of other places, so be off. Where's your traps? Now
then, cut!"
He took a step forward, and his companions seemed about to rush at us,
when Mr Gunson's voice rang out--
"Tent!"
We sprang across the fire, whose thin smoke half hid us as we rushed in
among the trees, and seized our weapons.
"Scared 'em," roared the big fellow; and there was a chorus of laughter
from his companions, who gathered about the fire, kicking it together to
make a blaze, and get lights for their pipes.
We were in darkness, and they were in full light, the flames flashing
up, and giving a strangely picturesque aspect to the group.
"Soon jobbed that job," said the big fellow. "How they ran! wonder
whether they got any dust."
"You ought to have searched 'em," said the second. "I know they had, or
they wouldn't have run."
"_Cock_," whispered Gunson, as there was a momentary pause; and the men
all started, and their hands went to their hips for their pistols, as
the ominous clicking of our pieces was heard.
"Bail up!" roared Gunson, his voice pealing out of the darkness; "you
are covered by rifles, and the man who moves dies."
There was an angry growl, and the men threw up their hands, one of them
holding a pistol.
"Put that iron away," roared Gunson; and the man slowly replaced it, and
then raised his hands like his fellows.
"Now go back the way you came, or strike up further," said Gunson,
firmly. "Show your faces here again, and it is at your own risk, for I
shoot at sight. Off!"
There was a low muttering growl at this, and the men walked slowly away
in the direction by which they had come, while we sat listening till
there was not a sound.
"Gone," I said, with the painful beating of my heart calming down.
"Yes, my lad, gone," said Gunson; "and we shall have to follow their
example. It is a horrible shame, but till we have people sent up by the
governor, those scoundrels take the law in their own hands."
"But they will not dare to come back."
"I don't know. But I shall not dare to try and hold the place against
such a gang."
"But you weren't afraid of 'em?" said Esau.
"Indeed, but I was," said Gunson, with a bitter laugh, "horribly afraid.
I should have fought to the end though, all the same, and so would
you."
"Dunno," said Esau; "but I was going to try and hit one, for I thought
it a pity to waste a shot, and I can hit without killing; can't I, Mayne
Gordon?"
"Don't talk about it," I said, with a shudder.
"Why not? Wish we could wound all that lot like I wounded you, and that
they would be as bad for six months."
"Don't talk," said Mr Gunson. "We will not stir to-night, and the best
way will be not to show ourselves--only one at a time to make up the
fire. No sleep to-night, lads; or if there is, it must be in turns.
Here, Quong! What tree has he gone up?"
There was no reply, and we sat listening with the darkness closing in
all around, and the silence growing painful. It was a weary watch in
the gloom, though outside the fire lit up the valley, and from time to
time I went out and threw on a few sticks, just enough to keep it up.
I don't know what time it was, probably about midnight, when Mr Gunson
said softly.
"Two will be enough to watch. You, Dean, lie down and take your spell
till you are called."
There was no reply.
"Do you hear?"
Still no answer.
"What!" cried Mr Gunson, "has he forsaken us?"
"No, no," I whispered; "here he is, and fast asleep."
Mr Gunson uttered a low, half-contemptuous laugh.
"Nice fellow to trust with our lives," he said. "Shall I wake him to
watch while we sleep?"
"Don't be hard upon him," I said. "He was very tired, and it always was
his weak point--he would go to sleep anywhere."
"And your weak point to defend your friends, eh, Mayne? There, I will
not be hard upon him. Talk in whispers, and keep on the _qui vive_; we
must not be surprised. Are you very tired?"
"Not at all now," I said. "I don't want to go to sleep."
"Then we'll discuss the position, Mayne. Hist!"
We listened, but the faint crack we heard was evidently the snapping of
a stick in the fire, and Mr Gunson went on.
"Now, Mayne," he said, "after years of such toil as few men have lived
through, I have found wealth. No, no, don't you speak. Let me have the
rostrum for awhile."
He had noted that I was about to ask him a question, for it was on my
lips to say, "How did you get to know of this place?"
"I am not selfish or mad for wealth," he continued. "I am working for
others, and I have found what I want. In a few months, or less, I shall
be a rich man again, and you and your friends can take your share in my
prosperity. That is, if I can hold my own here till law and order are
established. If I cannot hold my own, I may never have another chance.
In other words, if those scoundrels oust me, long before I can get help
from the settlement they will have cleared out what is evidently a rich
hoard or pocket belonging to old Dame Nature, where the gold has been
swept. Now then, for myself I am ready to dare everything, but I have
you two boys with me, and I have no right to risk your injury, perhaps
your lives. What do you think I ought to do?"
"Stand your ground," I said, firmly. "I would."
I said this, for I had a lively recollection of the cowardice these men
had displayed, both at the Fort and here, as soon as they had been
brought face to face with the rifles.
Gunson grasped my hand and pressed it hard.
"Thank you, my lad," he said, in a low deep whisper. "I half expected
to hear you say this, but my conscience is hard at work with me as to
whether I am justified in tying your fate up with that of such an
unlucky adventurer as I am."
"I am only an adventurer too," I said; "and it is not such very bad luck
to have found all this gold."
He was silent for a few minutes, as if he were thinking deeply, but at
last he spoke.
"I've been weighing it all in the balance, Mayne," he said, "and God
forgive me if I am going wrong, for I cannot help myself. The gold is
very heavy in the scale, and bears down the beam. I cannot, gambler
though I may be, give up now. Look here, Mayne, my lad, here is my
decision. I am going to try and get a couple of good fellows from down
below to come in as partners. So as soon as it is light you had better
get back to the Fort, explain your position, and I know Mr Raydon to be
so straightforward and just a man, that he will forgive you."
"There is nothing to forgive," I said, firmly; "and I'd sooner die than
go back now."
"Nonsense! heroics, boy."
"It is not," I said. "Mr Gunson, would two strange men, about whom you
know nothing, be more true to you than Esau Dean and I would?"
"No; I am sure they would not," he cried eagerly. "Then I shall stay
with you, and whatever I do Esau will do. He will never leave me.
Besides, he is mad to get gold too. We are only boys, but those men are
afraid of the rifles, and even if they mastered us, they would not dare
to kill us."
"No, my lad, they would not," cried Mr Gunson. "Then you shall stay."
He turned toward me, and grasped my hand. "And look here, Mayne, I have
for years now been the rough-looking fellow you met in the steerage of
the ship; but I thank heaven there is still a little of the gentleman
left, and you shall not find me unworthy of the trust you place in--Ah!"
I started back, for there was the sound of a heavy blow, and Mr Gunson
fell forward upon his face, while two strong hands seized me from
behind, and I was thrown heavily, while some one lay across my chest.