To The West Part 69

"And he's gone n.o.body knows where, and it's all our own," said Esau, looking cautiously round. "I say, think anybody has seen us?"

"What, up here?" I said, laughing.

"Ah, you don't know. I say, slip it into your pocket."

"Let's pick out the stones first."

"Never mind the stones," cried Esau; "slip it in. We may be watched all the time, and our finding it may turn out no good. I'll look round."

He looked up and ran back a little way, peering in amongst the tree-trunks and clumps of berries and fern. Then returning he went higher up the stream and searched about there before coming back.

"Don't see no one," he said, looking quite pale and excited at me. "I say, you're not playing any games are you?" he whispered, looking up.

"Games?"

"Yes; you didn't bring that and put it down there, and then pretend to find it?"

"Esau! As if I should!"

"No, of course you wouldn't. It is all real, ain't it?"

"Yes; all real."

"Then we shall have made our fortune just before they come out to us.

Oh, I say! but--"

"What is it?"

"Shall we find this place again?"

"Yes; we only have to follow up the stream here, and it doesn't matter about this one place: there must be gold all the way up this little river right away into the mountains."

"But it will be ours, won't it?"

"I don't know," I said.

"But we found it--leastwise you did. All this land ought to be yours, or ours. I say, how is it going to be?"

"I don't understand you," I said.

"I mean about that. I s'pose you consider you found it?"

"Well, there isn't much doubt about that," I said.

"Oh, I don't see nothing to laugh at in it. All right, then. I don't grumble, only you can't say as all the country up here is to be yours."

"Of course not. What do you mean?"

"Oh, only that I don't see no fun in your making a fortune and me being left nowhere. I want a fortune too. I'm going to hunt now for myself."

"Nonsense!" I cried; "what is the use of your going away? Isn't there enough here for both of us?"

"Dunno," said Esau, scratching his head. "That is what I want to know; you ain't got much yet."

"Why, Esau," I said, struck by his surly way, "we were the best of friends when we came out."

"Yes; but we hadn't found gold then--leastwise you hadn't."

"But what difference does that make?"

"Ever so much. You're going to be rich, and I ain't. Every one ain't so lucky as you."

"But, Esau," I cried, "of course you will share with me. We found it together."

"Say that again."

"I say that we will share together."

"What, go halves?"

"Of course."

"You mean it?"

"Why, of course I mean it. You've as good a right to the gold we find as I have."

"Here, shake hands on it."

I laughingly held out my hand, which he seized and pumped up and down.

"I always thought your father was a gentleman," he cried. "Now I feel sure as sure of it. Halves it is, and we won't tell a soul."

"But we must," I cried.

"What, and let some one come and get it all?"

"I should only tell some one who has a right to know: Mr Raydon."

"What right's he got to know?" cried Esau. "I say, don't go and throw it all away."

"I consider that Mr Raydon, who has welcomed us here and treated us as friends, has a perfect right to know."

"But it's like giving him a share in it."

"Well, why not?"

"But, don't you see, it will be thirds instead of halves, and he'll want to bring some one else in, and it 'll make it fourths."

"Well, and if he did? Sometimes a fourth is better than a half. I mean with the help of a clever man we should get more for our fourth than we should if we had half apiece."