d where we were going; but
you've done nothing but shut yourself up, and look as if you were after
no good."

"Esau!" I cried angrily; "it isn't fair. Mr Gunson has always been
the best of friends to us, and given us good advice."

"Ah, you always did take his part. I ain't going to make friends with
strangers."

"Mr Gunson isn't a stranger. We've known him nearly six months. If
you don't trust him, I do."

I held out my hand to him as I spoke, and he brought his down in it
heavily, giving me such a grip that I had hard work not to wince.
"Thank you, my lad," he said, cheerily. "Then you're going to pitch me
over?" said Esau, surlily.

"I'm going to kick you if you go on in this stupid, suspicious way.
Don't take any notice of him, Mr Gunson."

"I do not intend to."

"Oh, come, we can't go on like that," cried Esau quickly. "I don't want
to be bad friends. I don't want to think you mean to rob us. I don't
think--I don't--"

Esau stopped short, shuffled about from one leg to the other, faltered
again in his speech as he tried to say something which would not come,
and then in a sharp, short, decisive manner, cried--

"Beg your pardon, Mr Gunson. Couldn't help thinking what I did."

"That will do," said Gunson, holding out his hand, which was eagerly
seized by Esau. "I know you couldn't help it, my lad. Mine is not a
face to invite confidence. I'm an ill-looking dog, and I bite hard
sometimes; but I never bite my friends, and they are very few. Look
here, Mayne Gordon," he continued, after glancing in Quong's direction
to see if he was within hearing, "I am going up this river on such a
mission as needs silence, and you have to keep silence too. First of
all, what do you suppose I am?"

I shook my head.

"Emigrant," said Esau.

"No; I am a prospector."

"I know," cried Esau, eagerly. "I've copied lots of 'em for
prospectors--prospectuses. You get up companies?"

"No," said Gunson, smiling. "The companies follow sometimes. I am a
prospector--a searcher for mineral veins and deposits in the mountains.
I was convinced that there was gold up here, and we have just had proof
that I am right. That Chinaman you see is bound on a similar mission,
for those fellows have a wonderful scent for gold. And you see that
those big roughs that he calls Melican men, but who were undoubtedly
English, have been up here, and found gold. That is a surprise and an
encouragement, and a damping, all in o