To The West Part 101

"Oh, Esau!" cried Mrs Dean.

"And mother shall nurse me when I'm wounded."

"Oh, my boy--my boy!"

"Silence, sir! Mrs Dean, he is only tormenting you. It is not likely that he will be hurt, but out here in the wilderness we do sometimes have to fight to protect the women and children. There, do not be uneasy; I see your son will do you credit."

Esau gave a gulp, and turned red in the face, while I suffered a twinge of jealousy on finding that the lad, whom I blamed as the cause of all the trouble, should be spoken to in this way while I was treated with a coldness that, in my sensitive state, seemed to freeze all the better nature within me.

"A pretty mess this, sir," said Barker, as we joined him out in the enclosure. "Those stupid donkeys have let loose a nice gang. They'll be as savage as possible against everybody, and be coming down upon us just when we don't expect it."

"But have they arms and ammunition?"

"Plenty, sir. They stripped our men, and if we don't look out they'll strip us. Why, the little valley will never be safe again while they are about."

"No," said Mr Raydon. "It's a bad look-out, but we must take every precaution. You may rely on my helping you, as I promised, and if I am the unlucky one attacked first, I look for help from you."

"And you shall have it, sir. I answer for the lads up the valley. What do you propose doing first?"

"Nothing," said Mr Raydon.

The man stared at him aghast, and Mr Raydon smiled.

"But--but hadn't we better get a party together, and hunt them down, sir?"

"An excellent plan," said Mr Raydon, "but impossible in this wild country. They would lead us a terrible dance, weary us out, and perhaps take advantage of our absence to plunder our places. The better way will be to keep a sharp look-out, and punish them if they attack us."

"But if they take us by surprise, sir?"

"They must not," said Mr Raydon, quietly. "My advice to you is, that you go back and make arrangements for mutual support, so that all can hurry at once to the place attacked. You will make it one man's duty to act as messenger, and come directly to give warning here, and another to give notice up the valley at Gunson's claim."

"And the two men there will come and help us? Yes: that's good."

"There will be four of my men stationed there," said Mr Raydon. "That is a very likely place for the first attack, if they can find their way over the mountains and through the dense forest. The trouble began by their trying to seize that claim."

"Why not let them go to it again, and attack them when they are settled down?" said Barker.

"No, my man, it is not our line to attack; let that come from the enemy.

Besides, I particularly wish Mr Gunson's claim to be reserved for him till he has recovered. So if the enemy find their way there you will go up to my men's help. If there is anything you want from the Fort here at your camp, you can send up, and I will supply you if I can."

"Thankye, sir, thankye. That's very neighbourly," said Barker. "I think the more of it because there's a report about that you were dead against the claims being taken up."

I stared at Mr Raydon wonderingly, for his behaviour was inexplicable to me; but I had no time given me for thought. As soon as Barker and the two men who came up with him had gone, Mr Raydon chose two of his little garrison, and sent them, well armed, and with as big loads of supplies as they could carry, by the near cut over the mountains, that is by the track taken when he and his men came to our help.

Directly after, in a sharp military way, he led us to his little armoury, and gave us each a rifle and pistol, with a few words of instruction as to where the weapons were to be kept in readiness for use; and, in addition, what we were to do in the places of the two men who had gone.

I was glad of this, for it took up my time, and gave me something else to think about. It was pleasant too--the duty of having to help in the defence of the Fort where my friends were gathered.

"Some day he'll be sorry for it all," I said to myself; and I was brooding over the past again, when Esau uttered a low chuckle, which made me turn to him wonderingly.

"Only think of it, Mayne Gordon," he said. "What a game!"

"What is a game?"

"You always being so dead on to me about going for a soldier, and here we are both of us good as soldiers after all. Why, if he'd let us tackle one of those guns," he continued, pointing to a little cannon mounted in the block-house, "it would be like joining the Ryle Artilleree."

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT.

LOST!

We were not kept in doubt long about the proceedings of the enemy. I was in the strangers' quarters next day, talking in a whisper to Mrs John, while taking her turn at nursing poor Gunson, who still lay perfectly insensible, and so still that I gazed at him with feelings akin to terror, when Mr Raydon came in and walked straight to the bedside. We watched him as he made a short examination, and then in answer to Mrs John's inquiring look--

"I can do nothing," he said. "He is no worse. There is no fracture; all this is the result of concussion of the brain, I should say, and we can only hope that nature is slowly and surely repairing the injury."

"But a doctor, Daniel?" said Mrs John.

"My dear sister, how are we to get a surgeon to come up here? It is a terrible journey up from the coast, and I believe I have done and am doing all that a regular medical man would do."

"But--"

"Yes," he said, smiling gravely, "I know you look upon me as being very ignorant, but you forget that I have had a good deal of experience since I have been out here. I learned all I could before I came, and I have studied a good deal from books since. Why, I have attended scores of cases amongst my own people--sickness, wounds, injuries from wild beasts, falls and fractures, bites from rattlesnakes, and I might say hundreds of cases among the Indians, who call me the great medicine man."

"I know how clever you are, dear," said Mrs John.

"Thank you," he said, kissing her affectionately. "I wish I were; but I am proud of one achievement."

"What was that, dear?"

"The prescription by which I cured you." Then, turning sharply on me, his face grew hard and stern again.

"Well, Mayne Gordon," he said, "you have heard the news, of course?"

"I have heard nothing, sir," I said, eagerly, for it was pleasant to find him make the slightest advance towards the old friendly feeling.

But my hopes were dashed the next moment, as I heard his words, and felt that they were intended as a reproach.

"Your friends made a raid on one of the little camps nearest the river last night, and carried off all the gold the party had washed."

"Was any one hurt?" said Mrs John, excitedly.

"Happily nothing beyond a few blows and bruises," replied Mr Raydon.

"It was a surprise, and the gold-diggers fled for help. When they returned in force the gang had gone. Taken to the forest, I suppose.

Get back to your duty, Mayne," he said; and I hurried away to find Esau deep in conversation with Grey about the last night's attack.

"Think they'll come up here?" said Esau.

"Like enough. If they do--"