“You were, Captain Robinson, and thank you for last night.”
“Well, you have picked up my name somehow. Now just tell me how you picked up something else. How did you suspect us in this retired spot?”
“We were working just clear of the great digging by the side of the creek, and doing no good, when your cork came down.”
“My cork?”
“Cork out of your bottle.”
“I had no bottle. Oh, yes! my pal had a bottle of small beer.”
“Ay, he must have thrown it into the creek, for a cork came down to us. Then I looked at it, and I said, 'Here is a cork from Moore's store; there is a party working up stream by this cork.'”
Robinson gave a little groan. “We are never to be at the bottom of gold digging,” said he.
“So we came up the stream and tried several places as we came, but found nothing; at last we came to your pickax and signs of work, so my lads would stay and work there, and I let them an hour or two, and then I said, 'Come now, lads, the party we are after is higher up.'”
“Now how could you pretend to know that?” inquired Robinson, with curiosity.