Part 47 (1/2)

”You mean to leave them behind?”

”That's about it, sir. They've gone. It isn't my doing. I didn't drive them away.”

”What, skipper?” cried Briscoe, laughing. ”It that wasn't driving, what was it?”

The captain's face puckered up into a peculiar grin in which the corners of his eyes partic.i.p.ated with those of his mouth.

”Well, it wasn't a bad charge, was it?” he said. ”But now then, business. Let's have all those cooking traps and things aboard again.

Eh? Oh, there's your chap hard at work over them, Mr Briscoe. I missed him, and thought he'd gone off with the gang.”

”What, my Dan?” cried Briscoe. ”I say, skipper, did you get a crack in the fight?”

”Nary crack, sir, as you'd say,” replied the captain. ”Why?”

”Because your head doesn't seem clear this morning.”

”I beg his pardon, then,” said the captain, in a gruff voice. ”Now then, all on board as soon as we can, and let's be off before we catch Mr Briscoe's complaint and want to stop and wash for gold.”

The American laughed at the captain's dry remark, and joined in with the rest, working away till all that had been landed was on board the larger boat, when Brace turned to the captain.

”This is all very well,” he said; ”but we were aground last night, and you were speaking about searching to-day for a channel along which we could pick our way.”

”That's right, sir,” said the captain grimly; ”but Nature's been on our side.”

”I don't know what you mean,” said Brace, staring at him.

”River's a foot deeper than it was last night. There's been a storm somewhere up there in the mountains.”

”I see no sign of it,” said Sir Humphrey. ”Oh, yes, I do. Look, Brace: the water is nothing like so clear.”

”That's right, sir,” said the captain. ”These rivers alter a deal sometimes in twenty-four hours. Have we got everything on board?”

”Ay, ay, sir,” cried Lynton.

”Except the rest of the crew, captain,” said Sir Humphrey.

”Oh, yes, of course, sir; but we shall ride lighter without them.”

”You never mean to leave them to starve in this wilderness, captain?”

”Aren't this a matter of navigation, Sir Humphrey?” asked the captain sternly, but with a twinkle in the eye.

”Certainly not,” said Sir Humphrey. ”It is a question of common humanity.”

”About six common men, sir,” said the captain. ”Well, we shall see.

Anyhow, I'm going on up the river to give them a lesson; and if we come back and find them all reduced to skins and skeletons down upon their marrow-bones asking to be took aboard, why, then, perhaps, we shall see, and--what in the name of wonder's up now?”

For all at once, as the boats pushed off and the sail of the foremost was being hoisted, the six men reappeared from where they had hidden in the woods and came running towards them, shouting and making signs.