“But we are not hungry yet.”
“Not hungry!” cried Esau. “Not hungry! Why, what a fellow you are!” and we trudged on in silence.
After a time Gunson turned round and let us overtake him, laughing the while at our tired and weary looks.
“Loads feel heavy, eh?” he said. “You are not used to them yet. I’ve been talking to Mr Quong, and he tells me that he is going to hunt about till he finds gold. Then I suppose he’ll leave us to ourselves.”
We were both too hot and tired to trouble about the Chinaman, and were very glad when, about midday, Gunson called a halt under the shade of a great tree, that grew beside a little brawling stream which came hurrying down from above.
Here we dropped our burdens with a sigh of relief, and partook of some cold bacon and bread, which seemed about the most delicious thing I had ever tasted.
Quong was given a lunch for himself, and he took it aside, ate it quickly, and then, in place of lying down as we did for a good two hours’ rest during the heat of the day, he produced a little tin plate and picked his way down to the stream’s edge, and then amongst the rocks, till he came upon a patch of gravelly sand over which a few inches of water danced merrily.
Gunson watched him curiously; I did the same, Esau having dropped off to sleep as soon as he had eaten his midday meal.
For it was interesting to see the busy little fellow. His first step was to roll up his sleeves to the elbow, stoop down, and scoop up as much gravel and sand as the tin plate would hold. This he shook about a little under water, brought it all up again, and picked out the stones. Then he held it down low again and worked it about, and picked out a second batch of much smaller stones. Again he placed the tin beneath the water, where it ran pretty swiftly, and kept up a regular circular motion, which caused the fine dirt and sand to be washed out and pass over the side, till only a small patch of sand of a coarse grain remained on the tin; and at last, as if satisfied with his task, he stepped out on to the dry bank, and held the plate sidewise for the water to drain off. This took some few minutes, the hot sun drying the sand as he turned it about with one finger.
Every movement was performed with the most patient deliberation, and in utter unconsciousness of the fact that we were watching him, both eager to learn the result of his search.