“Well, it wasn’t a bad charge, was it?” he said. “But now then, business. Let’s have all those cooking traps and things aboard again. Eh? Oh, there’s your chap hard at work over them, Mr Briscoe. I missed him, and thought he’d gone off with the gang.”
“What, my Dan?” cried Briscoe. “I say, skipper, did you get a crack in the fight?”
“Nary crack, sir, as you’d say,” replied the captain. “Why?”
“Because your head doesn’t seem clear this morning.”
“I beg his pardon, then,” said the captain, in a gruff voice. “Now then, all on board as soon as we can, and let’s be off before we catch Mr Briscoe’s complaint and want to stop and wash for gold.”
The American laughed at the captain’s dry remark, and joined in with the rest, working away till all that had been landed was on board the larger boat, when Brace turned to the captain.
“This is all very well,” he said; “but we were aground last night, and you were speaking about searching to-day for a channel along which we could pick our way.”
“That’s right, sir,” said the captain grimly; “but Nature’s been on our side.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” said Brace, staring at him.
“River’s a foot deeper than it was last night. There’s been a storm somewhere up there in the mountains.”