CHAPTER XIII
THE CLEANING OF THE POT-HOLES
“NO, no,” said Jack. “I think you ought to go home. Besides, it’s too dangerous. I don’t like the responsibility of taking you back there.”
“But look here, Jack,” Percy persisted. “We are given leave to stay if there is a good reason for staying; and surely we have a good enough reason now. When we set out from Golconda our chief object was to help you to find gold, and here is not only the best, but the only real chance we have had. Then again, as to the danger, the only danger is from Squeaky, and in my opinion we run less risk from him now than we did in the beginning, for he is disarmed,—for the present, at any rate,—and, besides that, we know what to expect of him, and we will keep on the lookout accordingly. I don’t think he will catch us again.”
“There’s another thing,” said I. “It is a great deal more dangerous for you to go by yourself than it is for all three to go together. You can’t prospect by day and stand guard by night.”
“But——”
“Hold up!” exclaimed Percy, cutting in before Jack could get any farther. “I’ll tell you what we’ll do—if Tom will agree. As Tom says, you certainly can’t prospect by day and stand guard by night; you’d wear out in two days. Well, we may not be much to brag of as prospectors, but we can stand guard just as well as anybody; and here is what I propose to do: We’ll go back to the thieves’ den; we’ll carefully examine the whole valley to make sure that Squeaky hasn’t returned,—though as to that, we should see his tracks, because, you remember, it rained as we came out,—and if he is not there, which he won’t be, I’m pretty sure, Tom and I will take it in turn to stand guard in that little fortification, day and night, and night and day; we’ll just live there; and I’d like to see Squeaky or anybody else pass those bars while we are squinting at them through the loopholes with a rifle in our hands. There! What do you say, Tom?”
“I’m agreed,” said I, briefly.
“Then what do you say, Jack?”
“I say you’re a bully good pair of fellows, and I’m ever so much obliged to you, and I accept your offer. Back we go, all three of us.”
“Hurrah!” shouted Percy. “When?”