to set off among the hills a day or two after the time we had
that trouble; only, of course, that stopped it all."

"Please don't stop on my account," Dick said. "I shall get on very well
now, and I was saying to Tom, as soon as I can get about we will go off
somewhere among the hills; for one might just as well be lying in an
oven as here. If you will tell us where you and your mates are working,
we might find our way there, and get a job. We are both pretty strong,
you know--that is to say, when we are well--and we have often said that
we should like to try our luck gold-mining."

"We aint agoing till you are strong enough to get about," Dave said; "so
it is no use saying any more about that. Then, if you want to do some
mining, we will put you in the way of it; but we are going on a long
expedition, which may last months, and from which, as like as not, we
shall never come back again. However, we can easy enough take you with
us for a bit and drop you at one of the mining camps, and stop there
with you till you get accustomed to it, or work for a few months with
you if you like. Time is not of much consequence to us."

"That is awfully good of you, Dave," Tom said, "but as you have lost
more than a fortnight at present, and I suppose it will be another
fortnight before Dick is strong enough to travel, it isn't fair on you;
and perhaps you might be able to introduce us to some men going up to
the hills--that is, if you think that we could not go with you on this
expedition you talk of."

"That won't be a job for young hands," Dave said. "It will be a mighty
long journey over a terrible rough country, where one's life will be
always in one's hands, where one's eyes will always be on the lookout