"Good! But a horizontal shaft carried into the base of this hill or hummock will, I think, do for the present. It is only for samples, you know."
And these samples had turned out so well that St. Clair, after claiming the whole hill, determined to send Jake on a special message to Pará to establish a company for working it.
He could take no more labour on his own head, for really he had more than enough to do with his estate.
No white men were allowed to work at the shaft. Only Indians, and these were housed on the spot. So that the secret was well kept.
And now the voyage down the river was to be undertaken, and a most romantic cruise it turned out to be.
St. Clair had ordered a steamer to be built for him in England and sent out in pieces. She was called The Peggy, after our heroine. Not very large--but little over the dimensions of a large steam-launch, in fact--but big enough for the purpose of towing along the immense raft with the aid of the current.
Jake was to go with his samples of golden sand and his nuggets; Burly Bill, also, who was captain of the Peggy; and Beeboo, to attend to the youngsters in their raft saloon. Brawn was not to be denied; and last, but not least, went wild Dick Temple.
The latter was to sleep on board the steamer, but he would spend most of his time by day on the raft.
All was ready at last. The great raft was floated and towed out far from the shore. All the plantation hands, both whites and Indians, were gathered on the banks, and gave many a lusty cheer as the steamer and raft got under way.
The last thing that those on shore heard was the sonorous barking of the great wolf-hound, Brawn.