‘I knew no mother,’ said Yacka. ‘She left me before I could speak. The tribe knew she was white, and her spirit lived in these caves. Now the spirit is gone, and the Enooma will seek a new country. It is good; we have lived here too long. We shall go north, and be near the sea; that will give strength to the Enooma, and make them strong big men.’
‘How are we to get out of this place,’ said Will.
‘Easy way out,’ said Yacka; ‘but hard way in.’
Edgar thought this strange, but waited to see what Yacka meant.
‘Come,’ said Yacka, limping along. ‘I will show you the riches of Enooma.’
He led them along a dark passage into another cave, and here the light streamed in from a cleft in the rock. Gold glittered in heaps on the floor. There were nuggets of gold almost solid, and some as large as a goose egg. They were scattered about in reckless profusion. There were diamonds of small size, uncut, and great rubies of pigeon-blood colour. It was a cave of riches, and Edgar and Will feasted their eyes on it in amazement. They held the rubies in their hands, and gloated over their wondrous colour. They handled the gold and felt its weight, and were bewildered with the nature of the discovery.
‘How did all this come here?’ said Edgar. ‘To whom does it belong?’
‘It is mine,’ said Yacka. ‘I am the son of Enooma, and the tribe collected it. None of them know its value. They do not wish for gold or stones. All they wish for is to live a savage life, and to have a country of their own. They cannot be taught what such things as these mean. Yacka has been in great cities and knows. He has seen the white man kill for love of gold; he has seen the women of the white men sell themselves for these,’ and he held up some rubies and diamonds. ‘It is better for the Enooma to remain as they are. Gold would make them fight amongst themselves, now they fight their enemies.’
‘You may be right,’ said Edgar. ‘All the same, I should like a few samples of your wealth, Yacka.’
‘Take what you will,’ said Yacka. ‘It is far to carry it. Do not take too much, or you will not reach Yanda again. Water is more precious than gold sometimes.’