Part 105 (1/2)

Mr John shrugged his shoulders, and gave his wife and brother-in-law a half-sad, half-laughing look.

”I am not surprised,” he said, ”I always was the most unlucky of men.”

”Nothing of the kind, sir,” retorted Mr Raydon. ”You have had as much good fortune as other men--quite as much as I have. My dear John,” he added more gently, ”we men have a bad habit of forgetting the good in our lives, and remembering all the bad. My dear fellow, half your troubles have been caused by your want of energy.”

”Yes,” he said, smiling sadly, ”I suppose so. I have always been too ready to give up. But,” he added quickly, ”I never complain.”

Mr Raydon never looked so pleasant in my eyes before as he smiled at his sister, and then laid his hand on Mr John's shoulder.

”Never, John, never. You annoy me sometimes by being so easy and yielding.”

”Yes, yes,” said Mr John; ”but I'm going to turn over a new leaf, and be stern and energetic as you are.”

Mrs John crossed to him and took his hand.

”No,” she said quietly, ”you are going to turn over no new leaves, dear.

You are best as you always have been. Daniel is wrong; we cannot have all men of the same mould.”

”Do you hear all this, Mayne Gordon?” said Mr Raydon, laughingly; and before I could reply, he said quickly, ”Go on now, and take your turn as sentry; I want to think out my plans. Don't talk about it to the men, but something must be done. A combination must be made to capture these men again, for we shall have no peace or safety till they are cleared away.”

”What are you thinking of doing?” said Mrs John, taking alarm at his words.

”Trying to end the matter peaceably, and without bloodshed.”

Mrs John uttered a sigh of relief, and I went out wondering what would be done, and thinking that if I had my way, I should collect all the miners, join forces, and then send one party to the head of the little vale, and attempt to advance with the others from the bottom by the river, little thinking what difficulties there would be in such a plan.

As soon as I was outside Mr Raydon's office, I met Grey, who gave me a grim, dry look.

”Know how many men you shot last night?” he said.

I looked at him in horror.

”Don't--don't say--” I faltered.

”All right!” he replied; ”but if you're going to carry a rifle, and you use it, you must expect to knock some of the enemy over. There, I was only joking you, soldier. I don't think anybody was even scratched by a ball. If you're going to stop with us, I shall have to make a marksman of you, so that you can do as I do--give a man a lesson.”

”In shooting?” I said.

He laughed.

”Yes, but you don't understand me. I mean give him such a lesson as will make him behave better. 'Tisn't pleasant, when you have grown cool after a fight, to think you have dangerously wounded or killed a man; not even if he tried to kill you. I felt that years ago, and I practised up, so that I can hit a man with a rifle just where I like-- that is nearly always.”

”It was you who fired at those two wretches then?” I said eagerly.

”Of course it was, and I hit one in the leg, and the other in the hand.

Did nearly as well as killing 'em, eh?”

”Yes,” I said, laughing. ”I must practise too.”