not stay long, but as soon as he was gone I found that my
feelings were shared by Esau himself.

"I say," he growled, "are they afraid we are going to lose ourselves?"

"Why?" I asked.

"Because whenever we come right away into the woods, they send that dog
to scent us out."

"Yes; they generally send somebody," I said, thoughtfully.

"Do you know why?" whispered Esau.

I glanced at him, but did not answer.

"It's because the chief's afraid we shall go up yonder trying for gold."

"And he does not trust us," I said to myself, as I felt that Esau must
be right; and the uncomfortable feeling of being suspected seemed to
increase.

I was thinking about this a good deal, and had made up my mind to ask
Mr Raydon if he thought I could be so dishonourable, when we neared the
Fort, and I was startled back from my musings which were carrying me on
through the interior, when Esau uttered a cheery hail.

"What's the matter?" I said.

"Can't you see? Look!" he cried.

"Gunson!" I exclaimed; and sure enough there he was, coming slowly
towards us, looking very old and careworn, and as if he had gone through
a great deal of trouble since we parted in the autumn.

"Why, my lad," he cried, shaking hands with me warmly, "you look quite
thin and white. Been ill?"

"Yes," I said, as I grasped his hand warmly.

"Fever?"

"No," I said, hesitatingly; "an accident."

"Why don't you tell him?" said Esau, sturdily. "I shot him."

"You shot him?"

"Yes," I said, quickly; "he let the rifle slip out of his hand somehow,
and the ball hit me."

"I'm not surprised," cried Gunson, in a tone full of anger and contempt.

"Don't say any more about it," I cried. "It was an accident, and I'm
getting better fast. Tell me about what you have been doing."

Gunson laughed.

"Walking, wading in rivers, washing sand, climbing mountains, exposed to
all sorts of weather, half-starved, half-frozen, and all to get the
tempting gold."

"No luck then?" said Esau, eagerly.

"Not a bit, my lad."

"What, ain't you found gold at all?"

"Oh, yes, in scores of places, but always where it would cost thirty
shillings to earn a pound's worth. Not profitable work, eh?"

Esau glanced at me, and I at Esau, the same thought in both our minds--
that we could, in a couple of hours' walk from where we were, show him--
the wearied-out prospector--an ample supply.

"If I only could tell him," I thought, as I recalled how generous and
kind