“A _mirage_ by moonlight?” inquired Edwin.
“Such things have been heard of, I believe, although very rarely.”
By great perseverance, George succeeded in giving Jim a sort of an idea of what he meant, although, in all probability, he would have regarded the _mirage_ itself equally mysterious and wonderful as the bodily exit of a _bona fide_ island before his eyes.
“All I got to say is, you jes’ go an’ see it, an’ den you’ll stop laughing at dem as what undertakes to explanify it to you.”
“Perhaps we shall have the opportunity, as I have concluded to leave these quarters.”
“In the first place, our safety demands it. The Indians have found out we are here, and they will hover about and watch us, until some time they will pounce down upon us before we know it.”
“What ob dat? Didn’t they do it last ebening?”
“Yes; and Providentially we were able to drive them off; but you can see that if a hundred of them should come down here, they could keep us in the cave until we died of thirst or starvation, or were compelled to surrender, and our end in each case would be the same.”
“But we hadn’t orter leave de gold jus’ as we ’gin to find it.”
“We shall leave a very small quantity of it behind. The supply has about run out. You remember that we had a small lot yesterday. The reason was that we had gathered about all there was, and so you see there is nothing to keep us here, while we have every inducement to draw us away.”
As this was undoubtedly the case, there was no gainsaying the argument of Inwood, and it was decided to move their quarters without further delay. Breakfast was prepared, during which Edwin took his station and kept a sharp watch for straggling Indians. None were discovered, and he descended and joined them in the morning meal. Their baggage was piled on the mule, the five tiny sacks which contained the yellow dust, were taken in charge by George, and while it was yet early in the day, they took up the line of march.
Very appropriately, Jim led the way, he riding his nag with all the dignity of a conqueror at the head of his army. Inwood was not so particularly anxious to see the Enchanted Island, as he was to make sure that no Mohaves were following or watching them. The most vigilant scrutiny failed to detect any of the dreaded creatures, and our friends finally ventured to believe that with due prudence they could reach a place of safety.