“So,” thought I, “you have gone into the horse-stealing business now, have you, you unfortunate chap?”
All this time I had been on pins and needles lest our mules should bray and thus betray my presence, and in consequence it was with very sincere pleasure that I saw the party splash across the stream and make off in the direction of the rocky hilltops; the men pausing to look back toward the pass ere they plunged into the woods. In about half an hour I caught sight of them again, crossing an open space upon the hillside, and again I observed that they paused to look back. Evidently they were in fear of pursuit.
Our hunters presently returning to camp, I at once related to them the event of the afternoon.
“Well, that settles the question for us,” said Jack. “As they have gone off toward the left, we will go off toward the right,—up-stream. They won’t interfere any more with us, I expect, for it is pretty plain that they have given up looking for us, and have taken to horse-stealing as the next best thing to boy-stealing. All they are thinking of just now is to make their way to some place where they can dispose of the horses before they are overtaken. We might even follow in their tracks with safety, for if they saw us coming, they would probably run away from us. On the other hand, as we are only three, they might ambuscade us,—which would not be pleasant. And so, I think, the wisest thing we can do will be to give them as wide a berth as possible by going off in the opposite direction.”
“Decidedly,” said Percy. “The farther we keep away from them the better.”
“That is what I think,” I chimed in. “Let us give them all the start they like; I don’t want to catch up with them. Up-stream for me.”
“And me,” echoed Percy. “Do you suppose, Jack,” he went on, “that if they were caught they would be hung?”
“Undoubtedly,” replied Jack; “unless they were shot first.”
“Poor old Bates,” said Percy, reflectively. “To think that the trick he played upon us, which made us run away for fear of being hung, should have worked round so that now he is running away for the same reason. Upon my word I’m sorry for him.”
But however sorry we might be for Bates, we were none the less determined to avoid his company, at least as long as he should choose to consort with his present ally, and accordingly we set off next morning up the stream, following along its left bank until we arrived at the point where its feeders became small and rapid. Passing from one to the other of these little creeks, and working always towards the left, we tested each one as we came to it; always without success, but always hopeful for better fortune next time. Under Jack’s supervision we two novices had taken many lessons in the art of gold-washing,—or, rather, in the art of washing for gold,—and we were now fairly expert in manipulating the pan, but however expert we might be our labour produced nothing; either the country was barren of the precious metal, or we had not found the right places. It was very disappointing,—to Jack especially,—but the hopefulness of youth was on our side, and every failure only determined us the more to persevere.