excitedly. "What are you going to
do?"

"Get up."

"With your feet like that?"

"Well, they'll be just the same if I lie here, and I'm not going to be
ill."

"But you will be, dear, if you walk about."

"Then I shall be ill. I'm not going to lie here for you to feed me with
a spoon, and keep on laying your hand on my head."

"Now, Esau, when did I try to feed you with a spoon?"

"I mean mettyphorically," grumbled Esau. "You always seem to think I'm
a baby. Ah, if you begin to cry, I'll dance about and make my feet
worse."

Mrs Dean wiped her eyes furtively, and Esau put his arm round her and
gave her a hearty kiss, which made her beam again.

"Well," he said, turning to me with a very grim look, "not much fun in
getting gold, is there? I say, who'd have thought of our coming back
again like this? What 'll Mr Raydon say to us this morning?"

I felt half startled at the idea of meeting him again, but my attention
was taken up by a low muttering from Mr Gunson, and I went with Mrs
Dean to his side, and stood watching her bathe his head till he sighed
gently, and seemed to calm down.

"Poor old chap!" said Esau; "he got a nasty one, that he did. I say,
wonder how much gold him and old teapot had found?"

"Oh, never mind that now."

"But I do," said Esau; "and so would he mind if he could think and talk.
Wonder where he hid it all? Let's ask Quong, because it oughtn't to be
lost."

I made no answer, but stood watching the injured man, while Esau
preferred sitting down and nursing first one foot and then the other,
but always obstinately refusing to lot his mother touch them. "I say,"
he said, after a pause. "Well."

"What's old Raydon going to say to us? It was very jolly of him to come
and help us as he did, but he looked pickled thunder at me and you here.
He won't let us stay. We shall have to start off again."

"I suppose so," I said drearily, with my old troubles coming back; and
we relapsed into silence, till there was a soft light step at the door,
and Quong entered and looked sharply at the plain rough bed-place where
Mr Gunson lay.

"Come over see how d'ye do," he said quickly. "Cap Gunson no go long
die self?"

"No, no," I cried; "he will get well."

"Yes; get well, ploper quite well, and go wash gole. Makee flesh
blead--flesh tea?"

"No, not yet," said Mrs Dean, who looked askant at the fresh-comer, and
as if she did not approve of him.

"Allee light. Wait. Good fi' ma