"The British fleets in the East Indies——"
"And compete with Borneo," said the Doctor, quietly, "which contains more coal than ever India will burn, at one-tenth the distance from her that we are. If that is a specimen of your prophecies, Major, you are but a Micaiah after all."
"Well," said the Major, laughing, "I cannot reel it off quite so quick as you; but think we shall hardly have time for any more prophesying; the sun is getting very low."
We turned and looked to westward. The lofty rolling snow-downs had changed to dull lead colour, as the sun went down in a red haze behind them; only here and there some little elevated pinnacle would catch the light. Below the mountain lay vast black sheets of woodland, and nearer still was the river, marked distinctly by a dense and rapidly-rising line of fog.
"We are going to have a fog and a frost," said the Major. "We had better hurry home."
Behind all the others rode Alice, Sam, and myself. I was fearful of being "de trop," but when I tried to get forward to the laughing, chattering, crowd in front, these two young lovers raised such an outcry that I was fain to stay with them, which I was well pleased to do.
Behind us, however, rode three mounted servants, two of Captain Brentwood's, and my man Dick.
We were almost in sight of the river, nearly home in fact, when there arose a loud lamentation from Alice.
"Oh, my bracelet! my dear bracelet! I have lost it."
"Have you any idea where you dropped it?" I inquired.