“Keep back, I tell you. ’Tain’t safe. They don’t know it’s us, and somebody may shoot.”
It was a foolish thing to do, but I wrested myself free and ran forward.
As I did so I heard the ominous click click of a gun-lock, and stopped short.
“Halt! Who’s that? Stand!” cried a deep voice; and the effect was so great upon me, that I felt like one in a nightmare trying to speak, but no words came.
Esau was not so impressed, however, for he shouted wildly—
“Hi! Don’t shoot. It’s only us. Mr Gunson there?”
The boughs were parted, and the familiar figure of the prospector came out into the light, rifle in hand.
“Why, Gordon!” he cried. “You? Glad to see you; you too, Dean. But that’s risky work, my lad. Don’t you know the old proverb—‘Let sleeping dogs lie’? I did not know you were friends, and these are dangerous times; I might have tried to bite.”
He shook hands with us both as he spoke, and Quong came cautiously out from among the trees.
“Ay, ay, ay!” he cried, beginning to caper about. “You come along? How de-do-di-do. Quong make hot flesh tea.”