Chapter III.--The Gold-Seekers.


Two days later the lad was able to sit up in bed and to enter upon a
discussion as to the future with Tom and the miner. It was begun by the
latter.

"I suppose you will be taking the first ship back as soon as you are
strong enough?" he said.

"I don't know, Dave; now I am here I should certainly like a run ashore
for a few weeks and to see something of the country. We have got twenty
pounds between us; that will last for some time. I should think we could
get a passage back without having to pay on this side for it, and if
there was any difficulty about it, we could work our way back; but Tom
agrees with me, we should like to see something of the country first.

"I suppose in another fortnight I shall be all right again; but there is
the doctor to pay. I don't know what their charges are here, but I
expect his bill will be a pretty long one. You had better tell him
to-day that we have not got a great deal of cash between us, and that as
I only want building up now, he need not come again."

"Don't you trouble yourself about that," Dave growled. "You don't
suppose that when you have got yourself cut and sliced about in helping
me you are going to have any trouble about doctors? We have got a tidy
lot at present amongst us, and what is ours is yourn. We were going