Part 72 (1/2)

It did not take long to arrange what I should do for Mrs John Dempster.

I know I had determined upon a carriage and pair, with a very careful coachman, expressly for her use; though how it was to be got out to that wilderness, or used there, I did not stop to think. I only meant her to grow well and strong, and have every luxury, while Mr John could be a perfect country gentleman, and study, and be my friend. That gold was to be regular Arabian Nights wealth, and I felt already quite a prince.

These ideas floated rapidly through my brain, while Mr Raydon made a low was.h.i.+ng noise with the tiny basket, and discoloured the flowing water as he let the fine sand pa.s.s away.

All at once he stopped, held the dripping basket--every drop which ran from it turned to ruddy gold by the sinking sun--tightly between his knees, and again rapidly picked out the larger stones, sending them flying about, to fall with a splash in the water.

”Can I help you, sir?”

”No, my boy, no,” he said. ”I have done this thing before. One can manage it best.”

Just then I heard a sigh from Esau, who could not refrain in his anxiety from coming nearer the river.

This made Mr Raydon look up sharply, and he smiled.

”Hullo, sentry,” he said, ”you're not keeping a good look out. Mind what you are about with that rifle.”

”Yes, sir, I'll be very careful,” said Esau, ”and I am looking out well.”

”For the gold,” said Mr Raydon, in an undertone, which words I caught, as he went on picking and throwing out smaller stones, then was.h.i.+ng the basket round again and again, and the more he worked, the more his countenance seemed to change, till it looked older and more careworn than I had ever seen it before.

I knew that there were a few scales and beads of gold, for I had seen them glisten in the suns.h.i.+ne as he rapidly moved the basket but directly after I felt horribly disappointed, for he set it right down in the water, the weight of stones within it keeping it at the bottom, and splashed toward me.

”Here,” he said roughly, ”give me the shovel.”

I gave it into his hand, and he waded half across to where there was an eddy behind a huge ma.s.s of rock, and bending down here, he sc.r.a.ped away the stones and sand, as if trying to make a hole, discolouring the water right along the stream. Then, forcing the shovel down as far as he could drive it, he brought up a dripping quant.i.ty of sand and small gravel, placed it in the basket, returned for another shovelful, and placed it with the other before handing the shovel to me.

”If there is much gold,” he said, ”it would lie at the bottom of that eddy, where it would be swept when the stream is in flood. Now, then, we shall see.”

For another ten minutes he went on was.h.i.+ng again, while I could see Esau, as he crept nearer and nearer, perspiring with impatience, and glancing up and down what in the setting sun now seemed to be a golden valley, for water, rocks, and the ferns seemed to be tinted of a ruddy yellow, and the tall fir-trees stood up like spires of gold.

At last I caught a glimpse of something bright again, but I could not be sure that there was more gold in the basket; it might only be the stones glistening in the wonderful ruddy light that filled the ravine.

”Hah!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mr Raydon, and he once more set down the basket beneath the water. ”Hard work. What trouble men take to get gold!”

”There is some in the basket, isn't there, sir?” I said anxiously, and in no wise prepared for the result.

”We'll see directly,” he said. ”Let's get out of this. The water is bitterly cold.”

He waded out now with the basket, from which the golden water dripped as if the contents were melting.

”Why, there is some,” cried Dean, excitedly.

”Some?” cried Mr Raydon, bitterly. ”Unfortunately, yes. Look!” and he held the basket sidewise in the full blaze of the glowing sun, giving it a shake, so that we could see scales, beads, and tiny nuggets dotted about among the flas.h.i.+ng stones, and all looking of that beautiful pure yellow colour which is possessed alone by native gold.

”Why, there must be pounds,” cried Esau, excitedly.

”Pis.h.!.+” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mr Raydon, contemptuously. ”How you boys let your imagination go wild! There must be, however, a full ounce--a wonderful was.h.i.+ng for the trial.”

”Then you are not disappointed, sir?” I said, eagerly.

”Yes,” he cried, turning upon me fiercely; ”horribly.”