“No,” said Gunson, “I thank you; but I have finished one part of my task here. I am not going of course to make any secret of my mission. I am a prospector.”
“Yes.”
“It was my fortune to come out with these lads, and when I heard that they were journeying up the river, I determined to get up to the higher waters by the same route as they did for the sake of helping them.”
“Then you would not have come this way, Mr Gunson?” I said.
“No, my lad,” he replied, smiling. “I should have struck up one of the side rivers sooner.”
“Oh!” I ejaculated.
“For it seemed to me that it was utter madness for two boys like these to attempt the journey alone in perfect ignorance of what they had undertaken.”
“And you made up your mind to see them through?”
“I did, for they would never have done it alone.”
“Indeed we should,” I said, quickly.