hip on his hands and walking the deck of the _Susan Jane_.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

THE WAR-WHOOP.

Having levelled the line for the watercourse, Ernest Wilton prepared for
his journey.

The news of the Indian raids made travelling very dangerous, and Mr
Rawlins's urged Ernest to let him go in his stead. But to this Ernest
strongly objected, advancing all sorts of reasons but the right one
against Mr Rawlings starting for Bismark, stating amongst other
arguments that if the worthy leader of the party went, the miners might
think he was running away from the Creek for fear of the Indians
attacking them.

"No, no, my boy!" laughed Mr Rawlings; "you cannot wheedle me by using
such an argument as that, Wilton! It is too absurd, for the miners know
me too well for that, and so do you; besides, it is far more perilous to
venture out into the open, as you are about to do, than to remain here,
where, united together as we are in a phalanx of stout, able-bodied men,
in an almost impregnable position, we could resist any formidable attack
in force. No, no, my boy; you may tell that to the marines. But do
inform me, Wilton, what is your real motive in wishing to go yourself?
I consent certainly to your going, as you press the matter; but I should
like to know your ulterior object, if only to satisfy my curiosity."

"Well," said Ernest, laughing too, "I didn't like to tell you at first
for fear of wounding your sensibilities. To tell you the truth, I think
I am more competent to get what I want than you are, as, if I do not see
any of the things I require exactly, I may be able to pick up makeshifts
that will answer my purpose as well, while you would be trying to
procure impossibilities, perhaps, just because I mentioned them in the
list of my requirements, and would be satisfied with nothing else."

"Very good, have your way," said Mr Rawlings, satisfied with the reason
advanced, and handing the young engineer at the same time a roll of
greenbacks that represented all his available capital. "But you must be
economical in your purchases, my boy. This is all the money I can spare
you for your expenses and everything. I think you had better take a few
rich specimens with you, and should your funds run short they may give
you credit if you tell them you have fifty tons of it ready for the
mill."

"All right," said Ernest cheerfully, pocketing the parcel, and making an
inward resolution the while to supply