We both faced round at once, and found that the man who had been haunting us for days was close behind us, and had heard every word. “Look here,” said Esau, shortly. “There, don’t you got rusty, stranger. That’s the worst of you Englishers, you think everybody wants tew hurt you.”
“Come along,” I whispered.
“Yew just let him alone. He’s all right. Now here’s yew tew have landed here days, yew may say, outer the Albytross, and yew goes to spensife hotel, wasting yew’re money, when we’ve got quite a home for strangers like yew for half what yew pay, and we’ll get yew a ship to Fraser, Skimalt, or wheer yew like.”
As he was speaking three more men sauntered slowly up and stood looking on—men whom I felt sure I had seen with him before, and it made me uneasy, especially as a couple more came out of a low-looking saloon close by, and we were some distance from the better part of the city.
“Look here,” I said sharply, “do you know of a ship going to sail to the Fraser River, or to Esquimalt?”
“Why, of course I do. Here, where’s your money? It’s twenty-five dollars a-piece. Splendid berths, best of living. Like gentlemen aboard. Hand over, and I’ll take you to where they give out the tickets.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I should like to see the ship, and an agent.”
“But don’t I tell yew everything’s first chip, and I’ll do it for yew as yew’re strangers.”
“Yes, it’s very kind of you,” I said; “but I won’t trouble you.”
“Trouble? Oh, come, we’re not like that here to strangers. Nonsense, lad. Hand over.”