Part 26 (1/2)

”Well, yes, my sons; we managed to sc.r.a.pe a good deal together, some here and some there, for we changed about and travelled over a good deal of ground.”

”And you have sent it home?”

”Nay-y-ay! I've got it here on the sledge.”

”Oh!” said Abel, looking at the shabby kit their visitor had left close to the door of the hut.

”I've got a bit in a bag; but, you see, it costs all you can sc.r.a.pe together to live wherever I've been; so I thought I'd look you two up, as my mates had gone, so as to be company for a poor little lonely chap.

Will you have me?”

”Of course.”

”Any chance of picking up a decent claim here?”

”Plenty, such as we have,” replied Dallas. ”You'll be able to do as well as we've done, and the others about here.”

”That means the lumps of gold are not too big to lift?”

”That's it,” said Dallas. ”I've been thinking that if we were here next summer, we ought to get a lot of ants and train them to carry the grains for us.”

”Ah, I see, my sons. I say, one might almost have made as much by stopping at home, eh?”

”Here, don't you come here to begin croaking,” cried Dallas. ”Abel here can do that enough for a dozen.”

”Can he?” cried Tregelly. ”Oh, you mustn't do that, my son. There's plenty of gold if we can only find it. I saw a chap with a gashly lump as big as a baby's fist. We'll do it yet. So you haven't done much good, then?”

”If we had we should have sent word for you to come.”

”And I should have sent or come for you, my sons. Look here, we'd better make a change, and explore higher up towards the mountains.”

”Too late this year,” said Dallas decisively.

”Oh, yes; too late this season, my sons. We mustn't get too far from the supplies. Means--you know what! famine and that sort o' thing.”

”Yes, we know,” said Abel bitterly.

”We'll do it when the days begin to lengthen again,” continued Tregelly.

”What we've got to do is to make as big a heap here as we can during the winter, wash it out in the spring, and if it's good enough, then stop here. If it aren't, go and find a better place.”

”Yes, that's right,” said Dallas. ”But about rations. There's nothing to be got here. Have you brought plenty?”

”Much as ever I could pull, my sons, and I'll take it kindly if you'll let me camp with you to-night, so that I can leave my swag with you while I hunt out a claim.”

”Of course,” cried Dallas; ”we'll help you all we can.”

”There's that pitch down yonder, Dal,” said Abel--”the one we said looked likely.”

”Of course; the place we tried, and which seemed fairly rich.”