," he said, drily. "What's the good? We ain't
cannibals. But I say, I wish something nice would come along. I know I
could hit it. What would you like--a deer? Deer's very good to eat,
isn't it?"

"I suppose so."

"Wonder which is the best place to aim at. His head, I suppose. I
should like to bring one down."

"I don't think you'll have a chance, Esau. Besides, we couldn't carry
it. We've got as much as we can manage now."

"Ah, but there's another way of carrying meat," said Esau, with a
curious cock of the eye. "I mean after it's roasted."

"But we are not hungry yet."

"Not hungry!" cried Esau. "Not hungry! Why, what a fellow you are!"
and we trudged on in silence.

After a time Gunson turned round and let us overtake him, laughing the
while at our tired and weary looks.

"Loads feel heavy, eh?" he said. "You are not used to them yet. I've
been talking to Mr Quong, and he tells me that he is going to hunt
about till he finds gold. Then I suppose he'll leave us to ourselves."

We were both too hot and tired to trouble about the Chinaman, and were
very glad when, about midday, Gunson called a halt under the shade of a
great tree, that grew beside a little brawling stream which came
hurrying down from above.

Here we dropped our burdens with a sigh of relief, and partook of some
cold bacon and bread, which seemed about the most delicious thing I had
ever tasted.

Quong was given a lunch for himself, and he took it aside, ate it
quickly, and then, in place of lying down as we did for a good two
hours' rest during the heat of the day, he produced a little tin plate
and picked his way down to the stream's edge, and then amongst the
rocks, till he came upon a patch of gravelly sand over which a few
inches of water danced merrily.

Gunson watched him curiously; I did the same, Esau having dropped off to
sleep as soon as he had eaten his midday meal.

For it was interesting to see the busy little fellow. His first step
was to roll up his sleeves to the elbow, stoop down, and scoop up as
much gravel and sand as the tin plate would hold. This he shook about a
little under water, brought it all up again, and picked out the stones.
Then he held it down low again and worked it about, and picked out a
second batch of much smaller stones. Again he placed the tin beneath
the water, where it ran pretty swiftly, and kept up a regular circular
motion, which caused the fine dirt and sand to be washed