the three walked silently forward for a considerable distance, when gaylor paused, and, stepping in front, so as to face the two, he spoke as a man speaks when in earnest.
“see here jim and ned, as i believe you call each other, i’ve got a few words to say to you. i’m a pretty bad man, but when one does me a kindness, i’m like an indian, and don’t forget it. i want to thank you ned, again, for what you tried to do. this here darkey has been the means of saving my life, when i’d given up. i spoke mean to him awhile ago, i want to ask his pardon for that, and give him my thanks.”
“gorry, don’t say nuffin’ ’bout it,” said jim, drawing his huge hand across his eyes, “’tain’t worth spoken ’bout. it’s all right.”
“i’m glad to hear it. when you hear me speak again as i did of a black man awhile ago, it will be when i hain’t got any senses left. but see here, i’ve got something i’m going to do for you. you have another man with you, haven’t you? one who is the leader.”
“yes; my brother george.”
“take me to him.”
“hold on,” interrupted jim, “i’d like to get dat gun ob mine. i know where i left it up among de grass ’long de creek where dey lassoed me.”
“lead on then.”
the three deviated from their course, and soon afterward reached the stream, where jim had found his gold, and the mohaves had found him. a short search discovered his gun, and they started homeward. the distance was considerable, and it was fully an hour before they reached the wood, where george inwood was overjoyed to see them.
a few minutes’ talk made everything plain to him.
“you see, george gaylor ain’t the man to give a friend the go by,” said that personage himself. “and i’ll prove to you that i mean what i say. i s’pose you’re in these parts looking for gold?”
“that is what has drawn us hither,” replied george, with a smile.
“have you found much?”
“not a great deal; we have had middling good fortune.”
“i s’pose maybe now i hain’t got noffin’,” said jim, as he drew his two nuggets from his pocket, and displayed them to the wondering gaze of his friends.
“you seem to be made of gold,” said george; “you know how you put your hand in your pocket, and brought it out, when we bought our horses; but where did you obtain it?”
“maybe i was digging it out ob de sand when de ingins slung dere ropes ober my neck—maybe i didn’t got it dere.”
“is there any more?”
“don’t tink dere is.”
“whether there is or not, don’t matter,” said gaylor, “i’ll show you more gold to-day than you ever seen before, and all that you will ever care about seeing.”
all looked at him with a look which said they failed to take in his meaning.
“just come with me—you will see it is no humbug.”
and the whole party started toward the enchanted island, gaylor himself leading the way.
at first sight, george inwood recognized gaylor as the man whom he had viewed through the telescope, and who had fired his gun at their friends. he did not deem it best, however, to refer to these circumstances, as he placed full faith in the honesty of the man’s intentions.
reaching the lake, he searched awhile along the shore for a canoe. he had great difficulty in finding it, but succeeded at last, and then, asking his friends to await his return, he paddled rapidly across the lake, and, landing on the shore, entered the thick wood. he was undoubtedly with his companions, and remained away a good while. while they were watching for his return, jim exclaimed in great excitement:
“see dar! look at de island! i’s agwine to leabe when spooks comes about.”
the island, which at first sight was lying along shore, could now be seen slowly approaching the center of the lake, and at the same moment, the form of gaylor was distinguished, as he plied his pole. this seemed to convince jim that there was nothing supernatural about it, and he consented to remain.
reaching a point near the middle, the mass of shrubbery came to a stand still, and gaylor then put off in his canoe.
“jump in,” said he, as it lightly touched the shingle, “it will hold you all. i’ll show you something which you have never seen.”
they stepped carefully into the small canoe, and it sank to its gunwales with the unusual weight. but gaylor managed it skilfully, and a few minutes later they all stepped upon the enchanted island.
“now, let me tell you a little story,” said their friend. “some months ago a party of five of us came down through these parts looking for gold. reaching this lake we started across it in a boat, and near the middle discovered several yellow nuggets lying on the bottom. i dove down and brought them up, and found them to be gold. we soon found there was any quantity lying around loose, and, of course, we determined to get all we could. but while we had come upon a fortune, there were several bad things in the way of bringing it up. the country was full of indians, and there were white men wandering over the country. if any of them should get news of our windfall, it would be all over with us. so, after thinking over it, we hit upon a plan. we made a frame-work of logs, and then covered it over with green sod, pebbles and trees, so as to make it look just like an island. then we sometimes kindled fires, so as to scare any one who saw it. this we floated right over the spot where we saw the gold, and began bringing it up. we had to dive for it after we had managed to loosen a portion[84] with our poles. we had so much trouble in getting it, that one of our men started to san francisco for tools to answer our purpose. but we never heard of him again, and we suppose the mohaves got track of him. howsumever, we worked away, and the amount of it is, we have all made an independent fortune, and there is enough left for you. we used to float this ashore at night, as we had a good hiding place there. i have started my party north to san francisco, and i expect to join them in half an hour. no one knows this secret but you. you can work here as long as you please. you seem to have the good will of the mohaves, but look out for white men. be very careful to let no one see you at work. now, if you will only take me ashore, i will leave you alone.”
george inwood paddled their friend to land, where they bid farewell to each other, and he returned to the enchanted island, and began work.
gaylor had not deceived him. they saw large quantities of gold shining on the bottom of the lake. george observed that it lay directly in the path of the canon, which has been referred to as emptying into the lake. this made it seem as if it had been washed down by the current, whose tremendous velocity was sufficient to hurl boulders of a ton’s weight down its channel as if driven by a columbiad.
it is not often that a fortune can be picked up from the bottom of a lake, and, even when the inviting auriferous nuggets and the glittering sand lay before their eyes, it was found no easy task to bring it up to the surface. but what will man not do for gold? a bountiful harvest awaited them, and they toiled and labored as they never had done before.
jim was the great machine for procuring the precious yellow particles. neither george nor edwin could remain under water long enough to secure much; but the african took to it as if he was amphibious, and rather preferred it to the hard, dry earth, and pure mountain air. his great rolling eyes, first located the rich mineral, and, poising himself for an instant, down he went like an arrow until he[85] touched bottom, where he clawed around with a vigor and persistency which were sure to show substantial results.
“when i gits down dar,” said jim, as he sat on the edge of the enchanted island resting himself, “i jes’ opens my eyes, an’ i can see as well as you can. the water looks kinder yeller, but de gold looks yellerer, an’ so i’m sure to see it.”
the negro always plunged in head first.
“cause you see if i happen to strike de rocks, it’ll be my head, an’ den dar’s no danger ob gittin’ hurt.”
this was his philosophy.
our friends had unmistakeably found a prize, and it only remained for them to work it up. as edwin was of comparatively little use, he occasionally roamed in the woods in search of game. he was careful not to stray far away, as there really was no necessity for doing so, and even if he failed in obtaining his food in this manner, the lake offered a good supply of fish, which were always at their disposal.
when the first night came, an inventory of their receipts was taken, and george inwood was sure that they were several thousand dollars richer than at morning, and so expressed himself to his friends.
“rather better earnings than we have yet made,” he remarked, with some degree of complaisance, as the three sat in the cool of the evening, chatting and discussing the matter.
“yes, i think we ought to be satisfied with that,” replied edwin.
“i isn’t,” was the sententious observation of jim, as he quaffed his black clay pipe.
“and why not?” inquired george.
“’cause i ain’t, dat’s de reason. in de fust place, dat ain’t ’nough gold, an’ in de next place, it’s too little, an’ den we orter git more. wait till i gits to work to-morrer, an’ i’ll show you sumfin. dar’s a sort ob gineral looseness dat i hab to git frough me, afore i can do what i orter.”
“well, i shall be satisfied if you only do as well as you have to-day.”
“i must do better to-morrer, an’ i’s goin’ to.”
there was a fear—a continued apprehension, which made our friends quite uneasy—that is, that some prowling band of hunters or miners might discover their secret. if such a dreaded contingency should occur it would make a fearful time. unrestrained by any fear of the law, and prompted by the great prompter of the majority of human actions, such a company would hesitate at no crime to secure the booty.
george inwood’s experience had taught him the value of money in this world’s affairs, and he was resolutely determined to resist to the bitter end any encroachments upon their rights. there are some things more valuable than gold, but they are few, and it cannot be wondered that a man should feel some reluctance at parting with it.
jim verified the boast that he made; for on the morrow he began work so soon as it was bright, and toiled with scarcely any intermission until nightfall, his net proceeds fully doubling those of the day before. inwood, by this time, had managed to arrange a contrivance with the poles which materially assisted him. one of these being sharp-pointed, he was enabled to wrench off goodly-sized nuggets, while with another arrangement, he was able to grapple and bring them to the surface. still a third had a pan fastened to the end, by means of which he scooped up a large mass of sand, all flecked with gleaming points, and abounding with riches.
edwin inwood’s principal occupation, aside from attending to the animals, was to wander through the surrounding woods on the lookout for white men, who, as will be easily understood, were more dreaded than anything else. on one occasion, he discovered a party of five miners encamped within a mile. he instantly made all haste back, and acquainted his friends with the startling fact.
labor was suspended at once, the gold carefully concealed, and all three set themselves on the watch. the miners were prospecting, and were ignorant of the enchanted island and its history. they lingered for several days in the vicinity, and then, to the great relief of the inwoods and jim, they took their departure.
week after week passed away, and still the little party toiled as unceasingly as ever; but when a month had come and gone, they saw that the supply was giving out. still, as all of us would have done under the circumstances, they kept to work as long as there was anything like a reward to be obtained for their labor.
but the end finally came, and they stopped work, and took an account of stock. as nearly as george inwood could calculate, they were the owners of something less than a hundred thousand dollars—all of it in gold coin. they certainly had reason to be satisfied with this, and all were, with the exception of jim, who, of course, growled about it, and proposed that they should hunt up some more “enchanted islands” before going home; but then, had another proposed the same thing, he would have vehemently opposed it.
all the gold they could conveniently carry was distributed about their persons, and the rest was concealed among the saddles on the backs of their animals. the old mule was not honored with a particle, but carried the luggage and personal baggage.
all being ready the little party turned their faces toward san francisco, and on a bright summer morning started homeward.
