Part 30 (2/2)

Farther on it lay less heavy, and pausing for a few moments to take a look round beneath the starlit sky, he made his way along the border of the creek--carefully on the look-out for pine-stumps, the remains of the dense scrub which had been cut down by the gold-seekers--in the direction of one of the lights dotting the creek here and there, those nearest being lanterns, but farther on a couple of fires were burning.

”Morning, mate,” said a cheery voice, as he came upon two men busily shovelling snow from a pit beneath a rough shelter of poles, while a hut was close by. ”You've got plenty of this, I s'pose?”

”Nearly buried. I say, we're awfully short of meal and bacon. Can you sell us some?”

The two men leaned on their shovels.

”We're so desp'rate low ourselves, mate,” said the one who had not spoken. ”We don't like to say no. But look here, go and try round the camp and see what you can do. Some of them's a deal better off than we are. Get it of them. If you can't, come back here and we'll do what we can. Eh, mate?”

”Of course,” came in a growl; ”but no humbug, Mr Adams.”

”What do you mean?”

”Why, this. When it comes to eating we, as it says in the song, you must play fair and draw lots with the rest of us.”

”Never fear,” said Dallas merrily, joining in the laugh; ”but we've got the dogs to eat first if we can't get any moose. There ought to be some tracks seen after this.”

”So plaguy dark, mate, for hunting and shooting; but talk about dogs, did you hear that brute howling during the storm?”

”Oh, yes, I heard him,” said Dallas.

”He soon gave in, though. I believe some of the others hunted him down and didn't stop to draw lots. What hungry beggars they are!”

Dallas trudged on slowly, calling at claim after claim on his way down the creek, but always with the same result--friendly willingness, but want of means.

Then he reached the spot where one of the fires had been burning, but which had died out, nothing being left but wood, smoke, and steam, while two men were sc.r.a.ping away the snow from a heap while they waited till a shaft about six feet deep beneath a roofed shed was cool enough to descend.

”Morning, mate,” was his salutation. ”Nearly got our roof on fire.

Were you coming to help?”

”No, to ask for help,” said Dallas, and he made his request.

One of the men went to the edge of the pit and descended a roughly made ladder, prior to beginning to fill a bucket with the gravelly bottom which had been thawed by the fire, ready for his companion to haul up and empty on the heap ready for was.h.i.+ng when the spring time came.

”Tell him,” he said gruffly. ”Well, mate,” said the man at the top, ”it's like this. We've got about a couple of pound of strong s.h.a.g and a few ounces o' gold we can loan you. If that's any good, you're welcome; but grub's awful short. Try further down, and if you can't get what you want, come back.”

”All right, and thank you, mates,” said Dallas. ”Morning.”

”I say, we'll show you the flour-tub and the bare bone if you like.”

”No, no,” cried Dallas; ”I believe you.” And then to himself, ”I must fall back on Tregelly.”

He had the burning wood fire for guide to where the big miner was thawing the shaft in his claim, to make the frozen gravel workable, and in addition there were faint signs coming of the short-lived day.

”Morning, Tregelly.”

”What, you, Mr Adams! Glad to see you, my son. Come inside and have a mouthful of something and a pipe.”

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