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"It isn't every one who finds a payable rush," Peters remarked solemnly, as he stood by the fire after his share of the work was done. "Tony, my lad, you will observe that; and consequently the man who finds the payable rush don't do no cooking at the camp." "There's three for one man's work. What's the need of crowding?" Gleeson asked, as he came over to the fire to get a light for his pipe.
Gleeson, seeing the other two set out up the rise, hurried after them, his departure also being greeted with a burst of derisive cheers. He came up with them in time to interrupt Palmer Billy's sentence. Recognizing the leader of the recent attack on himself, Gleeson looked at him angrily. "Darned dirty I-talyans, I call 'em," Palmer Billy said, as his eyes met those of Gleeson.
"First you gave the whole show away, then you gave half the tucker, and now, here, you've given the horses and bridles. Why didn't you chuck in the saddles? What's the good of them now? Why didn't you ask them if they wouldn't be tired riding bare-backed all the way?" he grumbled to Gleeson. "It was all that smoke you gave them when they came up," Peters said, with a twinkle in his eye.
"There's a creek through the scrub, or I ain't no singer," he remarked. "And if there's a creek through the scrub, there's gold in the creek, and it's good enough to have a look at it before going on." "There's no gold in it," Gleeson exclaimed. "You say you've been there?" Peters asked. "No, I don't; but I say there's no gold in it. No more than there is in the creek way-back.
Scattered around lay the impedimenta of their swags, their billy-cans and mining tools, in the unconcerned confusion that showed how little each one suspected his neighbour's honesty. On a sapling near the creek hung the bridles which Gleeson and his companions had taken from their horses, and Barber pointed to them.
Gleeson was quite certain the Comanches would fulfil their part in spirit and letter, for they could not fail to know that any attempted trickery on their part would be followed by an attack so instant and fierce that they must suffer severely, even with the hill to serve them for refuge.
A rogue admires the rogue who can cheat him, and Gleeson fraternized with his old comrade and Barber at once.
Barber turned round again and fixed his eyes on Tap's face. "What about Gleeson's men?" he asked. "I didn't hear if they were there or not, but Gleeson can go in himself to-morrow. They won't know him now, after the night they're having." "If Walker's not there he's waiting for them somewhere," Gleeson said.
Avon Burnet, from his place on the crest of elevation, was watching the interview between Gleeson and the two red men, when he awoke to the fact that the ridge joined and formed a part of the hills among which the Comanches had taken refuge. That is to say, one had only to follow the former to reach the broken swell containing the warriors and their prisoner.
And he held up the thumb and fingers of his right hand. Wygwind with another grin shook his head. "Take so many" and he repeated the gestures by which he first indicated twenty. Gleeson now doubled his offer, which, it will be understood, was half the price demanded; but the wily Comanche felt that he was in a position to dictate terms, and remained inexorable.
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