“Capital!” he cried. “And you can get over there?”
“I know every part here for miles round,” said Mr Raydon, as I felt quite startled at his plan being exactly the same as the one I had thought of. “I will set over there somehow.”
“Then we shall have them between two fires, sir,” cried Barker—“good!”
We parted directly after this, it being understood that the miners were to move slowly, so as to give us ample time to make our arrangements, get round over the mountain-ridge, and go down to meet them so as to have the enemy safely between us, Mr Raydon being of opinion that the sides of the valley in which they were encamped would be too steep to give them a chance of escape.
We pressed on past the various little claims, with the place looking untidy and desolate, consequent upon the number of camping-places all along the beautiful stream; and whenever we came upon the more desolate places, with the traces of fire and burned trees, I saw Mr Raydon’s brow knit, and more than once he uttered an angry ejaculation.
Gunson’s claim was neared at last, just as I was beginning to feel exhausted with the difficulties of the climb up the rugged rock-strewn track, and Mr Raydon was looking more severe than ever, when all at once, from out of the trees there rang out a sharp “Halt!” and there was the clicking of a rifle-lock.
“Hah!” ejaculated Mr Raydon, brightening up at once at this display of watchfulness, which proved to him how trustworthy his men were. Then stepping to the front he shouted a few words, and the man who had spoken came from his post, which commanded an approach to the claim.
We were met with an eager welcome, and in spite of the risks they would have to encounter, the four men were overjoyed at hearing of the business in hand, clearly showing that they were tired of their monotonous inactive life.
A brief halt was made, during which our party lay about making a good meal; and then, at a word from Mr Raydon, they all sprang up together quite in military fashion, while he explained to the four men the plan.
“We must try and get over here at once,” he said, as he glanced up at the tremendous wall of rock, piled up quite a thousand feet above our heads, and dotted with patches of trees, wherever there was soil or crevice in which a pine could take root.