Old Gold Part 40

"We'd no right to go sailing up so close to where the water comes over the rocks. That's where we were wrong in the first place," remarked the second mate.

"Yes," said Briscoe; "but it was a wonderfully interesting experience."

"That's what you call it, sir," said Lynton rather gruffly, "and I suppose you're right; but it's rather too expensive a game for me. It was experience though, and like a lesson, for I feel now as if I could navigate these waters without getting into trouble again. How do you feel about going right across now and landing?"

"I think we ought to," said Briscoe. "Why can't we go close in and then sail up as near as it seems safe before landing? After that we might shoulder our guns and see if we can climb up level with the top of the falls."

"Yes, let's try that," said Brace. "It would be most interesting."

Lynton steered the boat close in to the sh.o.r.e and kept her sailing along at only a few yards' distance until they arrived at a spot which looked favourable for landing.

Brace and Briscoe gave a sharp look round and then the little party landed, and, after leaving the boat-keepers with orders to fire by way of alarm if they saw any sign of Indians, Brace led off to climb a long rocky slope, which proved to be perfectly practicable for a boat to be drawn up on rollers, and soon after they were standing gazing to their right at the top of the falls, while away to their left in a smooth gliding reach there were the upper waters of the river winding away through beautiful park-like woodlands as far as the eye could see.

"Splendid!" cried Lynton. "I should just like a mile of this to rig up my house and retire from business. I say, what's he looking for?"

This was to draw Brace's attention to Briscoe, who had gone forward to descend to a little sandy nook by the water-side, where he was raking about with a stick.

"Looking for something, I suppose--to see if he can find precious stones among the pebbles perhaps. Maybe he's finding fresh-water sh.e.l.ls. Any oysters there, Mr Briscoe?"

"Haven't found any yet," shouted Briscoe, laughing.

But Brace noticed that he stooped down once or twice and scooped up a handful of sand, to wash it about in the water and examine it very carefully before tossing it away, and then, shouldering his gun, he returned to Brace's side.

"What a lovely place this is!" he said. "Hadn't we better get back and report progress to your brother?"

"Yes, I think so," said Brace; "but what did you find?"

"Pst! Keep quiet. I don't want the men to know."

"What was it--footprints in the sand belonging to the men of your golden city?"

Briscoe looked at him sharply.

"No," he said, in a low tone so that no one else could hear, "but signs of gold itself, and we may be on the way to the legendary city after all."

"What?" cried Brace, smiling. "You don't mean to say that you are still thinking about that! I thought you had entirely forgotten it."

"To be frank, I always do think about it, for I believe in it most firmly: otherwise I should not be here."

"Nonsense! It's nothing but a myth--a legend," said Brace.

"I think not," said Briscoe gravely. "I believe it's as much a fact as the golden cities of the Mexicans and Peruvians that the Spaniards proved to be no myths."

"No: that was true enough," replied Brace thoughtfully.

"So's this. I've dreamed about it for years, and I mean to find it yet."

"Why, you surprise me. I thought it was the temple of natural history which you used as your place of wors.h.i.+p."

"So I do, but I've got the golden city behind all that."

"Nonsense! It is, as you said just now, merely a dream."

"Perhaps."

"Where is it to be found? You did not fancy it was up the Orinoco, did you, when you planned to go up there?"

"Yes, either there or up here," said Briscoe. "Don't you understand that it must be on the banks of some river out of the bed of which the Indians could wash gold?"

"No. I should have thought it would be close to some mountain out of which the old people could dig gold."

"Then I shouldn't," said Briscoe. "The first gold-finders found it in the beds of the streams down which it had been washed. That's what I think, and I determined to come up and examine the South American rivers till I found the right one. I meant to go up the Orinoco; but the Amazons did just as well. It might be there, but it's just as likely to be here, and--"

"Let's go back and have some lunch in the boat first," said Brace, smiling at his companion's earnestness. "We can then hoist the sail and run back to the brig and tell my brother that you've broken out with the gold fever, and that there is to be no more collecting of specimens."

"No, we won't," said Briscoe drily; "for I've said what I did to you in confidence, and you won't say a word. I'm going to collect and do as you do; but there's nothing to hinder me from making a grand discovery besides, is there?"

"Oh, no," said Brace merrily; "but I don't see any reason why we should keep it a secret from my brother and the rest."

"Perhaps not, but I do. We don't want the brig's crew to go mad, do we?"

"Certainly not."

"Then don't you say a word about there being gold in this river for them to hear or the consequences might be serious."

"I shall not speak about it, for I don't think there is any."

"Perhaps not," said Briscoe drily; "but I do. For there is, and plenty of it."

"What?" cried Brace.

"That's right. Don't be surprised. By-and-by I'll show you, and open your eyes."

No more was said, and, the order being given, the men trudged back to the boat; the wind was fair, and soon after they ran back alongside of the brig and reported the possibility of getting the boat up the portage.

"That's good," said the captain. "Then I tell you what: as soon as Sir Humphrey is well enough I'll have the brig safely moored, and we'll man two boats and go right up the river."

"Then we'll go at once," said Sir Humphrey. "I shall get better much more quickly lying back in the stern-sheets of a boat than sitting about here on the deck of the brig."

"I think so too," said the captain. "What do you say then to starting to-morrow?"

"Do you think we can manage that?" asked Sir Humphrey.

"Yes; I have everything ready," said the captain.

"But suppose the brig is attacked by Indians while we are away?"

"We won't suppose anything of the kind, if you please," said the captain, "for it seems to me that we're quite out of their reach. If there had been Indians about here we should have seen some sign.

Anyhow, the brig's mine, and I can do as I like with her. What I would like is to come with you on this first trip, so we'll chance leaving the brig well moored, and to-morrow off we go. I rather like a bit of shooting when there's a chance."