41 Lure O Gold 1904

"
My
Burden Grows Heavier
know who s a-goin to hold us responsible, as things
stand, an what court they re a-goin to git jedgment
in ? It ud be like tryin to collect back dues from them
gulls a-flyin over there. Of course, you could put in
yer claim," he said, grinning, "jest
as them fellers did;
but it s owner s risk here, every time, an you d have to
take it out in claimin , I guess eh, Bill ?
Bill nodded sleepily
and grinned prodigiously.
"I
guess that s what," said he, with as much con
viction as he seemed capable of expressing.
I lapsed into a thoughtful mood. The risks attend
ing the transfer of gold to vessels in the stream seemed
out of all proportion to the toil and trouble involved in
the process of taking
it out of the mine. I had heard
it said that the gold dust in the beach sand had all been
given up by the sea,
and now that the sea seemed so
eager to get back its treasure, a miner was lucky
if he
landed any of it safely in his home port.
"
The Captain,"
I asked,
"
"
is he ever going to come ?
For I was now more impatient than before I had heard
the story of the loss of the gold.
I wanted to see my
box safe aboard the Flying Mist and out of the reach
of the covetous landsmen, on the one hand, and the
shoalwater sharks on the other.
[37]