“Ha! is that the name he goes by here?” cried Pepé, suddenly rousing himself from his apparent sleep.
“You know him, then?” said Tiburcio, interrogatively.
“Yes—yes,” replied Pepé; “he is an old acquaintance, with whom I have some back debts to settle—and that is why you see me in this part of the country. But if you desire to have the whole story—and from what has happened I fancy you will—I promise to tell it to you by-and-bye. I begin to fancy that our cause is a common one; and if so, I shall be able to lend you a hand. But there’s a time for everything; and now, the most important thing for me is to get some sleep, so as to be ready for whatever turns up.”
As Pepé said this, he made a movement to return to the horizontal position from which he had temporarily raised himself.
“Stay! Pepé!” interrupted the Canadian, with an air of good-humour; “one instant before you fall asleep, or I shall say that you deserved the name of Pepé the Sleeper. Hear me! This young man has made us an offer. He wishes us to accompany him to a placer he knows of, where you have only to stoop down and gather the gold in handfuls.”
“Carramba!” exclaimed Pepé; “you have accepted the offer, of course?”
“On the contrary, I have refused it.”
“Then you’ve done wrong, Bois-Rose! That’s a thing that deserves consideration; but we can talk it over by-and-bye—I must have some sleep first.” And as he uttered the last words he lay down again; and the instant after a loud snore announced that he was soundly asleep!