“It’s like madness,” Esau kept on saying. “You see if he don’t go off with our chests, and then where shall we be?”
“Grumbling because I was so weak as to trust him. Never mind; I’m hungry. Let’s have something to eat.”
We ordered it, and partook of a thoroughly hearty, English-looking meal; but Gunson did not come, and as soon as Esau had finished, he suggested that we should go and look after him.
“But he said we were to wait for him here.”
“Yes, but I’m going to look for my chest,” cried Esau. “I don’t see any fun in losing that.”
“Nonsense! Don’t be so suspicious,” I said; and we waited on a full hour, with Esau growing more and more fidgety, and by degrees infecting me with his doubts.
All at once we heard from the distance the ringing of a bell, and the Englishman who, as he called it, “ran the place,” came up to us.
“Didn’t I hear you two say that you were going by the steamer ’s afternoon?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Well then, look sharp, or you’ll lose the boat. She’s just off.”