Part 77 (1/2)
”There, I don't care,” he said. ”I'm happy enough here if you'll get well. But I do wish old Gunson knew about it.”
I looked sharply at Esau, for these words of his impressed me. I had often wished that Gunson knew of what we had found, for I thought that perhaps he was struggling on without a bit of good fortune. The thoughts pa.s.sed from my mind directly, as Esau began to make casts with his line here and there, as if fis.h.i.+ng in the gra.s.s.
”Well, I don't mind,” he said. ”Turn farmer, eh?--and plant trees, and cut trees down, and build a house. All right. It will be good enough, and you and me will go and shoot and fish. I shall like it. Shall we have old Quong?”
”I suppose so, if he'll stay. There, let's go on fis.h.i.+ng, and take back some trout for Mr Raydon's tea. I do feel so idle and helpless. Do you think he ever feels that we are staying too long?”
”Dunno,” said Esau. ”I should if I was him.”
These words made me feel very low-spirited, and that night I broached the subject to Mr Raydon, apologising for being there so helpless and weak, and ending by asking him if I had not better go down to the mouth of the river again.
He looked at me searchingly.
”Tired of this place?” he said.
”Oh no,” I replied. ”I have been very happy here.”
”Then why do you talk of going?”
”Because I feel as if I must be a burden to you.”
”Indeed! Well, suppose I say go, and you make your way back along the river very slowly, for you are in a miserably weak state?”
”Yes, sir; but I am getting better now.”
”Yes, I know; but suppose, as soon as you are gone, my sister and her husband appear, what am I to say to them?”
”I had not thought of that,” I replied.
”But you see I had. But come, Mayne, be frank with me. You have some other reason for wanting to go.”
He looked at me so searchingly that I coloured, for I could feel my cheeks burning.
”No, sir,” I said; ”no other reason.”
”Not gold-hunting?”
”No; indeed, no.”
”But you and Dean have been talking about your discovery a good deal.”
”I--I think not, sir,” I said, hesitatingly. ”We have talked about it.”
”And what a pity it is for a fortune to be lying there untouched?”
”Dean thought something of the kind, sir. I did not.”
”Ha!” he said, as he again fixed me with his eyes. ”No, Mayne, you must not think of going away. You have not exhausted my stock of hospitality yet.”
Perhaps it was fancy, I said to myself, but it certainly seemed to me during the next few days, whenever I went out for a good long stroll with Esau, some one seemed to be watching us.