Part 110 (2/2)

”Don't say there's anything very much the matter yet. But he's sick, ain't he?”

”Sick? No, except as we all are--sick o' the eternal glare.”

The Colonel was coming slowly down the hill. Of course, a man doesn't look his best if he hasn't slept. The Boy limped a little way back to meet him.

”Anything the matter with you, Colonel?”

”Well, my Bonanza headache ain't improved.”

”I suppose you wouldn' like me to take over the job for two or three days?”

”You? Crippled! Look here--” The Colonel flushed suddenly. ”Austin been sayin' anything?”

”Oh, I was just thinkin' about the sun.”

”Well, when I want to go in out of the sun, I'll say so.” And, walking more quickly than he had done for long, he left his companion, marched down to the creek, and took his place near the puddling-box.

By the time the Boy got to the little patch of shade, offered by the staging, Austin had turned his back on the gang, and was going to speak to the gateman at the locks. He had evidently left the Colonel very much enraged at some curt comment.

”He meant it for us all,” the Dublin gentleman was saying soothingly.

By-and-by, as they worked undisturbed, serenity returned. Oh, the Colonel was all right--even more chipper than usual. What a good-looking fella he was, with that clear skin and splendid colour!

A couple of hours later the Colonel set his long shovel against the nearest of the poles steadying the sluice, and went over to the staging for a drink. He lifted the can of weak tea to his lips and took a long draught, handed the can back to the Boy, and leant against the staging.

They talked a minute or two in undertones.

A curt voice behind said: ”Looks like you've got a deal to attend to to-day, beside your work.”

They looked round, and there was Austin. As the Colonel saw who it was had spoken, the clear colour in the tan deepened; he threw back his shoulders, hesitated, and then, without a word, went and took up his shovel.

Austin walked on. The Boy kept looking at his friend. What was the matter with the Colonel? It was not only that his eyes were queer--most of the men complained of their eyes, unless they slept in cabins. But whether through sun-blindness or shaken by anger, the Colonel was handling his shovel uncertainly, fumbling at the gravel, content with half a shovelful, and sometimes gauging the distance to the box so badly that some of the pay fell down again in the creek. As Austin came back on the other side of the line, he stopped opposite to where the Colonel worked, and suddenly called: ”Seymour!”

Like so many on Bonanza, the Superintendent could not always sleep when the time came. He was walking about ”showing things” to a stranger, ”a newspaper woman,” it was whispered--at all events, a lady who, armed with letters from the highest British officials, had come to ”write up the Klond.y.k.e.”

Seymour had left her at his employer's call. The lady, thin, neat, alert, with crisply curling iron-gray hair, and pleasant but unmistakably dignified expression, stood waiting for him a moment on the heap of tailings, then innocently followed her guide.

Although Austin lowered his voice, she drew nearer, prepared to take an intelligent interest in the ”new riffles up on Skook.u.m.”

When Austin had first called Seymour, the Colonel started, looked up, and watched the little scene with suspicion and growing anger. Seeing Seymour's eyes turn his way, the Kentuckian stopped shovelling, and, on a sudden impulse, called out:

”See here, Austin: if you've any complaints to make, sah, you'd better make them to my face, sah.”

The conversation about riffles thus further interrupted, a little silence fell. The Superintendent stood in evident fear of his employer, but he hastened to speak conciliatory words.

”No complaint at all--one of the best hands.”

”May be so when he ain't sick,” said Austin contemptuously.

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