The three walked silently forward for a considerable distance, when
Gaylor paused, and, stepping in front, so as to face the two, he
spoke as a man speaks when in earnest.
“See here Jim and Ned, as I believe you call each other, I’ve got
a few words to say to you. I’m a pretty bad man, but when one does
me a kindness, I’m like an Indian, and don’t forget it. I want to
thank you Ned, again, for what you tried to do. This here darkey has
been the means of saving my life, when I’d given up. I spoke mean to
him awhile ago, I want to ask his pardon for that, and give him my
thanks.”
“Gorry, don’t say nuffin’ ’bout it,” said Jim, drawing his huge hand
across his eyes, “’tain’t worth spoken ’bout. It’s all right.”
“I’m glad to hear it. When you hear me speak again as I did of a
black man awhile ago, it will be when I hain’t got any senses left.
But see here, I’ve got something I’m going to do for you. You have
another man with you, haven’t you? One who is the leader.”
“Yes; my brother George.”
“Take me to him.”
“Hold on,” interrupted Jim, “I’d like to get dat gun ob mine. I know
where I left it up among de grass ’long de creek where dey lassoed
me.”
“Lead on then.”
The three deviated from their course, and soon afterward reached
the stream, where Jim had found his gold, and the Mohaves had found
him. A short search discovered his gun, and they started homeward.
The distance was considerable, and it was fully an hour before they
reached the wood, where George Inwood was overjoyed to see them.
A few minutes’ talk made everything plain to him.
“You see, George Gaylor ain’t the man to give a friend the go by,”
said that personage himself. “And I’ll prove to you that I mean what
I say. I s’pose you’re in these parts looking for _gold_?”
“That is what has drawn us hither,” replied George, with a smile.
“Have you found much?”
“Not a great deal; we have had middling good fortune.”
“I s’pose maybe now I hain’t got noffin’,” said Jim, as he drew his
two nuggets from his pocket, and displayed them to the wondering gaze
of his friends.
“You seem to be made of gold,” said George; “you know how you put
your hand in your pocket, and brought it out, when we bought our
horses; but where did you obtain it?”
“Maybe I was digging it out ob de sand when de Ingins slung dere
ropes ober my neck--maybe I didn’t got it dere.”
“Is there any more?”
“Don’t tink dere is.”
“Whether there is or not, don’t matter,” said Gaylor, “I’ll show you
more gold to-day than you ever seen before, and all that you will
ever care about seeing.”
All looked at him with a look which said they failed to take in his
meaning.
“Just come with me--you will see it is no humbug.”
And the whole party started toward the Enchanted Island, Gaylor
himself leading the way.
At first sight, George Inwood recognized Gaylor as the man whom
he had viewed through the telescope, and who had fired his gun at
their friends. He did not deem it best, however, to refer to these
circumstances, as he placed full faith in the honesty of the man’s
intentions.
Reaching the lake, he searched awhile along the shore for a canoe. He
had great difficulty in finding it, but succeeded at last, and then,
asking his friends to await his return, he paddled rapidly across
the lake, and, landing on the shore, entered the thick wood. He was
undoubtedly with his companions, and remained away a good while.
While they were watching for his return, Jim exclaimed in great
excitement:
“See dar! look at de island! I’s agwine to leabe when spooks comes
about.”
The island, which at first sight was lying along shore, could now
be seen slowly approaching the center of the lake, and at the same
moment, the form of Gaylor was distinguished, as he plied his pole.
This seemed to convince Jim that there was nothing supernatural about
it, and he consented to remain.
Reaching a point near the middle, the mass of shrubbery came to a
stand still, and Gaylor then put off in his canoe.
“Jump in,” said he, as it lightly touched the shingle, “it will hold
you all. I’ll show you something which you have never seen.”
They stepped carefully into the small canoe, and it sank to its
gunwales with the unusual weight. But Gaylor managed it skilfully,
and a few minutes later they all stepped upon the Enchanted Island.
“Now, let me tell you a little story,” said their friend. “Some
months ago a party of five of us came down through these parts
looking for gold. Reaching this lake we started across it in a boat,
and near the middle discovered several yellow nuggets lying on the
bottom. I dove down and brought them up, and found them to be gold.
We soon found there was any quantity lying around loose, and, of
course, we determined to get all we could. But while we had come
upon a fortune, there were several bad things in the way of bringing
it up. The country was full of Indians, and there were white men
wandering over the country. If any of them should get news of our
windfall, it would be all over with us. So, after thinking over it,
we hit upon a plan. We made a frame-work of logs, and then covered
it over with green sod, pebbles and trees, so as to make it look
just like an island. Then we sometimes kindled fires, so as to scare
any one who saw it. This we floated right over the spot where we
saw the gold, and began bringing it up. We had to dive for it after
we had managed to loosen a portion with our poles. We had so much
trouble in getting it, that one of our men started to San Francisco
for tools to answer our purpose. But we never heard of him again, and
we suppose the Mohaves got track of him. Howsumever, we worked away,
and the amount of it is, we have all made an independent fortune, and
there is enough left for you. We used to float this ashore at night,
as we had a good hiding place there. I have started my party north
to San Francisco, and I expect to join them in half an hour. No one
knows this secret but you. You can work here as long as you please.
You seem to have the good will of the Mohaves, but look out for white
men. Be very careful to let no one see you at work. Now, if you will
only take me ashore, I will leave you alone.”
George Inwood paddled their friend to land, where they bid farewell
to each other, and he returned to the Enchanted Island, and began
work.
Gaylor had not deceived him. They saw large quantities of gold
shining on the bottom of the lake. George observed that it lay
directly in the path of the canon, which has been referred to as
emptying into the lake. This made it seem as if it had been washed
down by the current, whose tremendous velocity was sufficient to
hurl boulders of a ton’s weight down its channel as if driven by a
columbiad.
It is not often that a fortune can be picked up from the bottom
of a lake, and, even when the inviting auriferous nuggets and the
glittering sand lay before their eyes, it was found no easy task to
bring it up to the surface. But what will man not do for gold? A
bountiful harvest awaited them, and they toiled and labored as they
never had done before.
Jim was the great machine for procuring the precious yellow
particles. Neither George nor Edwin could remain under water long
enough to secure much; but the African took to it as if he was
amphibious, and rather preferred it to the hard, dry earth, and pure
mountain air. His great rolling eyes, first located the rich mineral,
and, poising himself for an instant, down he went like an arrow
until he touched bottom, where he clawed around with a vigor and
persistency which were sure to show substantial results.
“When I gits down dar,” said Jim, as he sat on the edge of the
Enchanted Island resting himself, “I jes’ opens my eyes, an’ I can
see as well as you can. The water looks kinder yeller, but de gold
looks yellerer, an’ so I’m sure to see it.”
The negro always plunged in head first.
“Cause you see if I happen to strike de rocks, it’ll be my head, an’
den dar’s no danger ob gittin’ hurt.”
This was his philosophy.
Our friends had unmistakeably found a prize, and it only remained
for them to work it up. As Edwin was of comparatively little use, he
occasionally roamed in the woods in search of game. He was careful
not to stray far away, as there really was no necessity for doing so,
and even if he failed in obtaining his food in this manner, the lake
offered a good supply of fish, which were always at their disposal.
When the first night came, an inventory of their receipts was taken,
and George Inwood was sure that they were several thousand dollars
richer than at morning, and so expressed himself to his friends.
“Rather better earnings than we have yet made,” he remarked, with
some degree of complaisance, as the three sat in the cool of the
evening, chatting and discussing the matter.
“Yes, I think we ought to be satisfied with that,” replied Edwin.
“I isn’t,” was the sententious observation of Jim, as he quaffed his
black clay pipe.
“And why not?” inquired George.
“’Cause I ain’t, dat’s de reason. In de fust place, dat ain’t ’nough
gold, an’ in de next place, it’s too little, an’ den we orter git
more. Wait till I gits to work to-morrer, an’ I’ll show you sumfin.
Dar’s a sort ob gineral looseness dat I hab to git frough me, afore I
can do what I orter.”
“Well, I shall be satisfied if you only do as well as you have
to-day.”
“I must do better to-morrer, an’ I’s goin’ to.”
There was a fear--a continued apprehension, which made our friends
quite uneasy--that is, that some prowling band of hunters or miners
might discover their secret. If such a dreaded contingency should
occur it would make a fearful time. Unrestrained by any fear of the
law, and prompted by the great prompter of the majority of human
actions, such a company would hesitate at no crime to secure the
booty.
George Inwood’s experience had taught him the value of money in this
world’s affairs, and he was resolutely determined to resist to the
bitter end any encroachments upon their rights. There are some things
more valuable than gold, but they are few, and it cannot be wondered
that a man should feel some reluctance at parting with it.
Jim verified the boast that he made; for on the morrow he began work
so soon as it was bright, and toiled with scarcely any intermission
until nightfall, his net proceeds fully doubling those of the day
before. Inwood, by this time, had managed to arrange a contrivance
with the poles which materially assisted him. One of these being
sharp-pointed, he was enabled to wrench off goodly-sized nuggets,
while with another arrangement, he was able to grapple and bring
them to the surface. Still a third had a pan fastened to the end, by
means of which he scooped up a large mass of sand, all flecked with
gleaming points, and abounding with riches.
Edwin Inwood’s principal occupation, aside from attending to the
animals, was to wander through the surrounding woods on the lookout
for white men, who, as will be easily understood, were more dreaded
than anything else. On one occasion, he discovered a party of five
miners encamped within a mile. He instantly made all haste back, and
acquainted his friends with the startling fact.
Labor was suspended at once, the gold carefully concealed, and all
three set themselves on the watch. The miners were prospecting, and
were ignorant of the Enchanted Island and its history. They lingered
for several days in the vicinity, and then, to the great relief of
the Inwoods and Jim, they took their departure.
Week after week passed away, and still the little party toiled as
unceasingly as ever; but when a month had come and gone, they saw
that the supply was giving out. Still, as all of us would have done
under the circumstances, they kept to work as long as there was
anything like a reward to be obtained for their labor.
But the end finally came, and they stopped work, and took an account
of stock. As nearly as George Inwood could calculate, they were the
owners of something less than a hundred thousand dollars--all of it
in _gold coin_. They certainly had reason to be satisfied with this,
and all were, with the exception of Jim, who, of course, growled
about it, and proposed that they should hunt up some more “Enchanted
Islands” before going home; but then, had another proposed the same
thing, he would have vehemently opposed it.
All the gold they could conveniently carry was distributed about
their persons, and the rest was concealed among the saddles on the
backs of their animals. The old mule was not honored with a particle,
but carried the luggage and personal baggage.
All being ready the little party turned their faces toward San
Francisco, and on a bright summer morning started homeward.