“Certainly; try and be in before dusk. Come, Jim, if you are ready.”
They stepped into the brook, and, walking on the hard, pebbly bed, soon emerged into the open, rocky country, about a mile distant from the lake.
“Now, Jim,” said Inwood, “we must be particularly cautious. There are other white men in this neighborhood, and I am sure if they knew we were here, they would as lief kill us as not, to get us out of the way.”
“’Spose so; but den what would we do all dat time?” was the surly demand of the African. “While dey was doing dat, we’d have de chance to try de gold trick. I would just as lieb see dem as not—a little lieber, I tink.”
“I would not; if we can get along without trouble, it is our duty to do so, and I particularly request you to be cautious in your movements. The man that I watched has already fired his gun at us, and if he can steal up within a hundred feet, it isn’t likely he’ll make such a miss as he did awhile ago.”
“Hang ’em! what do dey wish to shoot us for?”
“That’s the question which I wish to settle.”
“An’ what does he want to make hisself look like one ob dem darkeys for, ’stead ob being ’spectable?”
“It is all curious, Jim, but I have hopes that we may penetrate the mystery before long.”
All this time the two men were carefully making their way toward the lake, both of them constantly gazing about them to discover any signs of danger. Inwood saw nothing, and was about to congratulate himself upon the secrecy which had attended their entrance into this strange section, when Jim suddenly started.