“Come along!” came like an echo over the stones, and even that sound sent a few stones sliding down as I looked across and saw Gunson with his hands to his mouth, while just then I saw something which quite cheered me. For there was a faint curl of smoke rising up from among the trees, and I knew that it was Quong making a fire to get us some tea.
“There, Esau,” I said, “Quong’s getting ready to cook something. Come, you go, and let’s have a rest and a good meal.”
“Ready to cook indeed! Why the sun’s cooking one side of me now. There, look at that.”
“Yes,” I said, as I looked in the direction indicated; “some kind of eagle.”
“Yes; flying away as easily as he likes. Don’t it seem a shame that a stupid bird should be able to go along like that, and we have to climb and fall down?”
“Oh, I can’t argue about that,” I said, desperately, as, somewhat in doubt whether I could balance my pack on my head, I raised it there and stood perfectly still. “I’m going to take a long breath and then start.”
“Here, what yer going to do?” he cried. “I ain’t going to be left all alone here.”
“Well, then, go first.”
“But I can’t go first and leave you. S’pose you can’t get over after, or tumble down, what am I to say to that Mr John?”
“What an unreasonable fellow you are, Esau!” I cried angrily.