Exactly. Then I forbid it. You shall not go."

"You ain't got no right to keep us here if we want to go," said Esau,
who was now losing: his temper fast.

"Indeed!" said Mr Raydon.

"You won't believe in a fellow--I mean this fellow," continued Esau;
"and you don't believe Mr Gordon, so I'm going straight up to Mr
Gunson to see if he will, and I'll trouble you to hand over that gold we
found that day."

"Esau!" I cried, angrily.

"Well, you won't speak out, so I must. Come on. Much obliged for all
you've done in keeping us, sir, and good-bye."

"Grey," said Mr Raydon, sharply.

"Yes, sir."

"See that those lads do not leave the Fort till I give them permission.
When you go off duty Hanson is to take your post."

"What?" cried Esau, as I felt my cheeks burning with indignation, "ain't
we to be allowed to go out?"

"Am I to put them in the block-house, sir?" said Grey.

"No; they can occupy the strangers' quarters, but they are not to pass
the gates. That will do. Go!"

CHAPTER FORTY.

INOPPORTUNE ARRIVALS.

I hardly remember how I left Mr Raydon's office, but I do recollect
seeing the bear's head grinning at me, and that of the moose gazing at
me in its weak, sorrowful way. My head felt hot, and I was bitterly
angry; so that when Grey went from us without speaking, after leading us
to the strangers' quarters, it only wanted a few words from Esau to make
me turn upon him fiercely.

"Look here," he said, "this ain't England, and there's no police and
madgistrits about, so I'm not going to stand it. He ain't everybody.
I'm off."

"To the gold-washings?" I said. "Don't you think you've done mischief
enough by betraying it to Mr Gunson?"

"Oh, come, I like that," cried Esau.

"That's pleasant, that is. Say it was me, eh? Why, you know you told
him."

"I told him?"

"Well, he coaxed it out of you when he had you all by himself."

"Esau!"

"There, don't shout at me. I don't wonder. I've been sometimes so that
I couldn't hardly bear myself for wanting to tell somebody; and it was a
pity for all that gold to go begging, and us not get a share."

"Then you believe I told Mr Gunson?"

"Course I do. I didn't; and there was no one else knew where it was
except the captain, and of course he wouldn't."

"You are saying that to aggravate me. Esau, once more, do you believe I
told Mr Gunson?"

He looked at me and laughed.

"Why don't you answer?" I cried, angrily. "Do you belie