“Don’t seem to mind a bit,” grumbled Esau. “I believe he’d go anywhere. He don’t understand what danger is.”
“Ready?” said Gunson, coming back. “I can’t make anything out of the Indians, but I suppose there is a way all along here.”
“Those settlers said there was.”
“Then let’s try it if we can find our way. We can’t come upon a worse bit to go along than that yesterday, and if we can’t get along we must come back.”
We were on our way again directly after, Quong’s load made more heavy by the addition of two goodly fish, an addition which did not trouble him in the least, for he showed them to me smiling and patting their rounded silvery sides as if he had an affection for them.
Our way was very difficult, the traces of a trail being very few, and faintly marked. But in spite of the difficulties, we kept on steadily all through that day, and with no worse adventures than a few falls, with the accompaniments of bruises and scratches, we reached the patch of wood we selected for our resting-place that night.
It was Quong, when in advance, who suggested it, by stopping suddenly, lowering his patiently borne load, and pointing out its advantages of shelter, fire-wood and water, and here we stayed for the night.
The next day passed in a similar way, and the effect on me of our journey seemed precisely the same as on Esau and the others—for we reached our resting-place fagged, hungry, faint and low-spirited, with Esau grumbling horribly and wishing he was back on “old Dempster’s” stool. Then Quong would prepare his fire, make cakes, boil the kettle, cook bacon or salmon, make a good cup of tea, and we all ate a tremendous meal, after which the beds were made in shelter, probably under the tree which produced what Esau called the feathers, that is the soft boughs. Then our blankets were spread ready, and we lay about watching the last rays of the sunlight on the snowy peaks of the mountains, or the bright stars, and listened to Gunson while he smoked his pipe and told us tales about his adventures in the Malay Archipelago, where he went up the country in search of gold, or in Australia; and as we sat listening, the weary low-spirited feeling passed away, we grew deeply interested, and soon after lay down to sleep, to wake at sunrise full of high spirits, life, and vigour, eager to continue our journey up the river.
Then came days when we halted at settlers’ huts, where we were made very welcome for the sake of the news we brought; then at Indian camps to be regaled with fish, and finding these people so friendly that we soon forgot to feel any fear of them. Then again we went up a side stream here and there for a few miles, to enable Gunson to try and discover metals, and though he was always disappointed, Quong was in ecstasies.
“Why, he must have got enough gold in that bottle of his to make a wedding-ring as big as mother’s old thin one,” said Esau, with a chuckle. “I say, don’t take much to make him happy.”