t the past. To-morrow morning, thanking you
warmly for your hospitality, I start; and I ask you to give my young
friends here what you have offered so generously to me."

"Your Chinese servant going with you, of course. You said `I start.'"

"My Chinese servant!" said Gunson, laughing. "I keep no servants. The
poor fellow attached himself to us, and has worked for us patiently ever
since. He is one of the poor patient Celestials, hunting for gold, and
if ever he scrapes together fifty pounds' worth he will account himself
rich."

"And you?"

"Ah, my desires are far higher," said Gunson, laughing. "Now, if you
will excuse me, I'll go outside and enjoy a pipe in this delicious
evening air."

"Let me offer you a cigar, Mr Gunson," said our host. "I have a few
good ones for my visitors."

"Thanks, no. I'll keep to my pipe till better times come. Now, my
lads, it is your turn to have your chat with our host."

He rose.

"One moment, Mr Gunson," said Mr Raydon. "There is a powder magazine
in the enclosure."

"Yes; I caught sight of it," was the reply. "I shall not drop any
matches near."

I saw our host watch him very thoughtfully as he went out of the office.
Then turning to us sharply he looked from one to the other, his clear
eyes seeming to search us in a way that was far from encouraging.

"Now, young fellows," he said, "I need not ask your names: Mayne Gordon
and Esau Dean. I have been expecting you."

"Expecting us, sir?" I said.

"Of course. Because you have been six months coming; a letter would not
be all this while. I have known of your proposed visit for some time,
though I tell you frankly that when I read my thoughtless, inconsistent
brother-in-law's letter, I never expected to see you here. You have
been very lucky, that's all."

"If you mean Mr John Dempster is thoughtless and inconsistent, sir," I
said warmly, "I must speak. He is all that is kind, thoughtful, and
gentlemanly, and he is the best--almost the only--friend I have in the
world."

"What, sir? Isn't it thoughtless and inconsistent of a man to send two
raw boys nearly all round the world on such a mad journey as this? A
thoughtful man would say the person who planned it was a fool."

"No thoughtful man who knew Mr John Dempster would speak of him like
that, sir," I said, angrily.

"Why you might just as well say so of some one who set him and poor Mrs
John to travel thousands of miles the other way here," cr