Part 92 (2/2)

”Yes?” he said, for I had stopped.

”Have you--no, not now,” for just then Esau came up to us.

”Look here, my lad,” said Gunson, quickly, ”I sincerely hope that we may never have cause to use weapons against our fellow-men; but we must be prepared for emergencies. Do you know how to handle a revolver?”

Esau shook his head.

”Hit ever so much harder with my fists,” he said.

”But that will not do. The sight of our weapons may keep evil visitors off. Let me show you how to load and fire.”

”Will it kick?” said Esau.

”Not if you hold it tightly. Now, look here.”

And as I looked on, Mr Gunson showed Esau how to load and fire, and generally how to handle the weapon, the lesson acting as well for me.

”There,” said Mr Gunson at last, ”you ought to be a valuable help to me now; for the beauty of a weapon like this is, that the very sight of its barrel will keep most men at a distance; and if they come I hope it will these.”

”Did yesterday, didn't it?” said Esau, laughingly, to me.

”Now,” said Gunson, ”about your rifle, Mayne; can you manage it?”

”I think so,” I said; and I handled it in a way which satisfied my master.

”That's right,” he said. ”Never mind about hitting. To fire is the thing; the noise will, I hope, scare enemies. Now if Quong could be of some use, it would make a show of four defenders; but we know of old his strong point.”

”Getting up a tree,” I said, laughing.

”Exactly. Perhaps he could throw boiling water, but I shall not ask him to do that. There, we are all right; every force must have a commissariat department, and some general once said that an army fights upon its stomach. We'll have him to feed us, while we keep guard about the place.”

”And won't you wash for gold at all?” said Esau, in a disappointed tone of voice.

”No, nor yet mention it,” said Gunson, firmly. ”To all intents and purposes there is no gold here whatever. We are settlers, and we are going to hold this spot. You see, there is our brand on that tree.”

As he spoke he pointed to the mark we had cut on the great fir-tree hard by, and I could not help a shudder as I recollected the events of that day.

The morning pa.s.sed, and the afternoon came without our hearing a sound but those made by the birds and squirrels, and after partaking of a meal we began to look anxiously for the night as the time of danger; but we saw the ruddy blaze of light die out on snow-topped peaks, and then the pale stars begin to appear.

”This place is wonderfully like Switzerland in parts,” said Gunson, as we sat near the fire always on the _qui vive_ for danger; and in a low voice he chatted to us till it was quite night, and the sky was a blaze of stars.

”I think we may sleep in peace to-night,” said Gunson, and he was a true prophet, for, though I woke twice with a start of fear, the noise which had wakened me was only caused by Quong going to throw some wood upon the fire, which he never suffered to die out, but coaxed on so as to have a plentiful heap of hot ashes in which to bake.

Two days pa.s.sed in peace, and then a third, with the inaction telling upon us all. For we were constantly on the strain, and the slightest sound suggested the coming of an enemy.

”You see we cannot stir,” Gunson said to me. ”We must keep together.

If one of us played spy and reconnoitred, the chances are that the enemy would come while we were away.”

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