"Yes," he said; "it will be best."
Half an hour after we were on our way back, with Esau limping painfully.
Two of the miners volunteered to help carry the litter, so as to
relieve the four we had, and the claim was left in charge of the two
others, for whom, as we came away, Quong was making, as he expressed it,
"plenty good flesh tea."
It was dark night again as we reached the gate of the Fort, and heard
the deep-toned baying of the great dog; and a few minutes later Mrs
John was holding my hands, and as she kissed me there was a tear left
upon my cheek.
"So glad, so very glad to see you back, Mayne," said Mr John, warmly.
"I hope all the trouble now is at an end."
I said nothing, only helped to get Mr Gunson in his old quarters, after
Esau had at last extricated himself from his mother's arms.
"Is it all real, Esau?" I said, after Mr Raydon had gone, telling us
not to be alarmed at Mr Gunson's insensibility, for it might be hours
before he came to.
"I shall come and see him twice in the course of the night," he said, as
he went out. "You, Esau, you must rest those feet."
"Yes, sir; all right," said Esau; and it was then that I said, "Is it
all real?"
"If your feet smarted like mine do, you wouldn't ask that," he replied,
sulkily. "I want to know why I wasn't carried back in a litter too?"
"It was impossible," I said.
"Wasn't impossible to have given a fellow a pig-a-back. Oh, my feet, my
feet! Oh, yes, it's precious real."
"I never expected to come back here like this," I said.
"Nor I neither," replied Esau. "I say, you'll keep watch by Mr Gunson,
won't you?"
"Yes, of course," I said.
"That's right. I'm going to do something for my trotters."
"What are you going to do?"
"Go off to sleep."
In a few minutes I was listening to his hard breathing, and asking
myself whether, after the past night, I could do duty in watching the
wounded man, when there were footsteps, and two of the men's Indian
wives came in.
"To nurse Mr Gunson," they said, in fair English, and a short time
after I too was fast asleep.