The Golden Canyon | Page 5

his stick as he did so, as his left
arm was disabled. It was a double-barreled pistol and as the three
natives rose and rushed at him, he shot the first. The other two sprang
at him and he received a blow that almost paralyzed him. He staggered
against the wall, but had strength to raise his arm and fire again, just as
the man was about to repeat his blow; he fell forward on his face, and
his other assailant took to his heels. A moment later Dick himself sank
to the ground.

Chapter II.
--Dick's Escape.
When Dick opened his eyes it was broad daylight. He was lying in a
barely furnished room. A surgeon was leaning over him bandaging his
wounds, while on the other side of the bed stood three red-shirted men,
whose rough beards and belts with bowie knives and pistols showed
them to be miners. One of them had his face strapped up and his arm in
a sling. An exclamation of satisfaction burst from him as Dick's eyes
opened.
"That is right, lad. You will do now. It has been touch and go with you
all night. My life aint no pertik'lar value to nobody, but such as it is you
have saved it. But I won't talk of that now. Which ship do you belong
to? We will let them know at once."
"The Northampton," Dick said in a whisper.
"All right; don't you talk any more. We will get your friends here in no
time."
But when Mr. Allen came ashore Dick was again unconscious. The
mate fetched two more surgeons, who, after conferring with the first,
were all of opinion that although he might possibly recover from his
wounds, weeks would elapse before he would be convalescent. Before

night fever had set in, and it was a fortnight before he was again
conscious of what was passing round him. He looked feebly round the
room. One of the red-shirted men was attending to a pot over a charcoal
fire. Turning his head he saw, standing looking out of the window, his
friend Tom Haldane.
"Halloa, Tom," he said, in a whisper, which, however, reached the
midshipman's ears. He turned sharply round, and hurried to the bedside.
"Thank God, Dick, you are conscious again. Don't try to talk, old
fellow; drink this lemonade, and then shut your eyes again."
Dick tried to raise his hand to take the glass, but, to his surprise, found
he was unable to do so. Tom, however, put it to his lips and poured it
down his throat. It was cool and pleasant, and with a sigh of relief he
again closed his eyes, and went off into a quiet sleep.
When he awoke it was evening; the window was open, and the fresh air
came in, making the lamp on the table flicker.
"How do you feel now, old man?" Tom asked.
"I feel all right," he said, "but I am wonderfully weak. I suppose I must
have lost a lot of blood. Has the skipper given you leave to stop with
me for the night?"
Tom nodded. "I will tell you all about it in the morning, Dick. There is
some chicken broth Dave has been cooking for you. You must try and
drink a bowl of it, and then by to-morrow morning you will be feeling
like a giant."
Dick laughed feebly. "It will be some time before there is much of a
giant about me. Tom; but I feel as if I could drink some broth."
The next morning Dick woke feeling decidedly stronger. "Raise me up
and put some pillows behind me, Tom. It is horrid being fed from a
spoon, lying on one's back."
The man called Dave, and Tom, lifted him up as he wished, and then
the latter fed him with the broth, in which some bread had been
crumbled.
"Now, then," Dick said, when he had finished; "let us hear what the old
man said. I suppose he was in a tremendous rage?"
"That he was! a brute!"
"Why, there is my chest. What has he sent that ashore for? I should
think I could be taken on board again to-day."
"You won't be taken on board the _Northampton,_" Tom said, "for by

this time she is down somewhere near Cape Horn."
"Eh!" Dick exclaimed in astonishment. "Why, how long have I been
here?"
"A fortnight to-day, Dick."
Dick was too surprised to make any remark for some time.
"But if the Northampton has gone, how is it that you are here, Tom?"
"Simply because she has gone without me, Dick. The old man was in a
furious rage when he heard in the morning what had happened to you.
Of course, we were in a great stew--I