“That’s it, quarrel with an old chum, I suppose. I ain’t good enough for you now you’ve got to know the old General. I don’t know what’s come over you: you can’t take a joke, you never go on the spree, and you put on no end of frills just because you know that poverty-stricken old dead-beat and his daughter,” Jeffson growled out as he got up, stretched himself, and lounged into the claim, while Charlie settled down at the sorting-table.
Several hours had passed without anything happening to vary the dull monotony of the work, when Charlie suddenly sprang up with an exclamation of surprise.
“Hullo! what’s up? Have you found one?” Jeffson called out.
“Found one! no. I heard some one cry out; there it is again. It’s from the General’s claim,” said Charlie, as he started to run, leaving his partner, who was never over much interested in other people’s affairs, to lounge after him.
After Charlie had gone a little way, he met Connie, who, with a white startled face, was running towards him, crying loudly for help.
“Go back and get picks and a crowbar. You have one. It’s father; he has had an accident; the ground has come down. I will go and bring some other men,” she gasped out; and then she ran past him towards the claims where Jim Heap and some other diggers were working.
The first glance Charlie got of the claim to which he ran, after he had shouted to his partner to bring the Kaffirs with their tools, told him what had happened.
Jim Heap’s prophecy turned out to be true! The drive had fallen, and it was blocked up by a mass of boulders and earth. Of the poor old General nothing could be seen; but it was not hard to guess where he was, and Charlie began to dig madly with his hands into the fallen earth and throw some of the loose stones on one side, a cold sweat running down his face as he realised the terrible fate that had come to his old friend. He had not been at his work long before better help arrived.
Jeffson with the Kaffirs set to work with their shovels; and Jim Heap, who at once took in the situation, and, giving the others directions, set to work at the fallen ground, looking up as he did so at Connie, who, having followed him back, stood watching them.
“Don’t take on, my dear. I have seen men come out all right from worse places than this, and be none the worse for it,” he said to her; but his tone was not quite as hopeful as his words.