“We shall have to find out when some boat sails across I suppose. Let’s go and find the captain, and ask him where we ought to go to get a night’s lodging.”
“Here he comes back,” said Esau.
“The skipper?”
“No, Gunson. Now let’s say good-bye to him, and part friends.”
“There’s a little steamer goes across to the settlement at the mouth of the river this afternoon,” said Gunson; “so we’ll have your chests carried down. Here, you two can get some kind of dinner in that place, where you see the red board up. You go on and get something ready; I’ll join you as soon as I’ve seen your chests on board. The boat starts from close by here.”
“No, no,” whispered Esau; “we mustn’t trust him, because—”
Esau stopped, for he had glanced at Gunson, and found his eye fixed upon him searchingly.
“I said I would see your chests safely on board, my lad,” he said sternly. “I suppose you’ll trust me, Gordon?”
“Of course I will,” I cried, eagerly; for I was ashamed of Esau’s suspicions.
“Go on then and order some dinner,” he said; and Esau accompanied me unwillingly to the rough kind of tavern.