"One word first. My poor pony came down into the valley where I fell,
but you don't think the Indians could bring their beasts down that way,
do you?"
"I'm sure they couldn't," said Griggs, working the cleaning-rod up and
down one of the barrels.
"I feel sure too," said Chris. "But do you think they could get them
out again that way--I mean, out through the head of the valley?"
"And I'm sure of that," said Griggs. "They couldn't unless they taught
'em how to fly."
"Why, of course not," said Ned scornfully. "You know it too. Why do
you ask?"
"Only because I wanted to make sure," replied Chris, "and because it has
something to do with my plan."
Griggs left off pumping and squirting water, laid the barrel across his
knees with his hands resting upon the former, and gazed thoughtfully in
the boy's face, while Ned seemed influenced by his companion's manner
and sat perfectly silent.
"You know I went to watch for the coming of the Indians?"
"Yes," said Griggs.
"And I passed by that rough jagged pillar of rock which was of a great
height, in the middle of that very narrow part of the gulch. I mean
where the rocks close in on both sides and overhang so that it seems
dangerous to walk under them for fear they should fall."
"Oh yes, I remember it well."
"So do I," said Ned, quietly now, for he was evidently greatly
interested.
"I looked at it intently, so that I got to know the place thoroughly. I
can recollect all the loose stones piled-up along the sides and
overhanging so that very little would make them block up the rift."
"To be sure," said Griggs, going on with his cleaning again. "I know
the spot. You might make a strong fort there in no time so as to defend
the valley."
"Yes, yes, of course," said Ned impatiently; "but go on."
"I think I'd better leave off now," said Chris apologetically; "it seems
so stupid."
"Never mind; let's have it," cried Griggs.
"Well, this is what I thought," continued Chris, "that if we could go up
there some day and hide along the heights with our ponies and mules, and
wait till the enemy came by to get into the valley, and then tumble all
the rocks and stones down--"
"One minute," said Griggs. "You mean that very, very narrow bit where
there's hardly room for two mules to pass?"
"Yes, that's it; where the rocks high up nearly meet."
"Yes, I know," cried Ned excitedly.
"Well, since I've been thinking about all this," said Chris, speaking
more freely, "it seemed--"
"One moment again," cried Griggs, "it's this side of the gully down
which the enemy came."
"Oh yes, some hundreds of yards."
"To be sure!"
"I say, Griggs, don't keep interrupting so," cried Ned impatiently.
"Right! Go on, lad."
"I fancied," cried Chris, "if we could hide and wait till the enemy had
all ridden into the bottom of the valley, we might tumble down stones
and rocks from up above till the spaces beside that middle stone were
all blocked up, and we might keep on till it was made so bad that no
horse could be got over."
"To be sure, nor mule neither. That's for certain if we worked hard
enough, and of course we would. Oh, yes; I could make such a bank there
with a bar or a wooden lever as no pony could climb, or man either, if
you come to that. Why, Chris, my lad, that'll do."
"You don't think it wild and foolish?" said the boy, flushing.
"I think it's grand."
"You do?"
"I do, really, my lad. There's only one thing that I can see against
it."
"Ah, here it comes," cried Ned excitedly; "I knew he'd be sure and sit
upon it."
"Of course," said Griggs, laughing, "or step upon it to see if it'll
bear our weight."
"What's wrong, then?"
"Only this," said Griggs slowly. "How are you going to get your birds
into the trap?"
"Ha, ha!" laughed Ned. "To be sure. There you are, Chris: how are you
going to get your birds into the trap?"
Chris laughed too, but very gently.
"I've been thinking of all that," he said, "and I don't quite see yet.
I could manage it easily enough if there was a way out that we could
climb. Then we could retreat before them some time, and they'd follow
us in; and as soon as they had all ridden in the door of the trap could
be closed."
"Who's going to shut the trap?" said Ned, laughing. "Why, Chris, you're
making a bull."
"Oh no, I'm not. One or two would be enough to lead the Indians in; the
others could shut the trap."
"And what about the live bait that led the Indians in?" said Ned.
"They'd make for the way to get out, and climb up here."
"Well, you are a Paddy," cried Ned, laughing heartily. "You're going to
lead the enemy in, and show them the way out again. Can't you see that
if they followed the two who acted as bait they'd come out too?"
"Yes," said Chris coolly, "but that wouldn't matter."
"What! Why, you're all in a fog, and can't see your way," cried Ned.
"We're not afraid of the Indians, and we could keep them off easily
enough if we wanted to before we got back to our horses and rode away."
"But the enemy would follow," cried Ned, grinning.
"Well, suppose they did?" cried Chris; "they'd be on foot. They could
climb out of the trap, but their ponies couldn't."
Griggs laughed now, and Ned looked uncomfortable.
"Oh! I see," he drawled, very slowly. "I didn't think of that."
"Hah!" ejaculated Griggs, who looked very thoughtful. "Yes, that might
be done. I don't know of any such place, Chris, unless we could find
one somewhere up above the terraces."
"I've looked," said Chris, shaking his head. "If there was a way up
there it would be splendid, because we could put big stones ready, or
loosen some of the steps so that we could break them away after we'd
climbed up; but I can't find anything. The cliff hangs over so."
"Was that why you were poking about so up there this morning?" said Ned.
"Yes."
"Well, you might have told me."
"Yes, I might," said Chris, smiling, "but it would have been a pity."
"Why?"
"It would have spoiled your chance to have a laugh at me and call me a
Paddy."
"Hah!" said Griggs again, as Ned frowned and looked annoyed. "And you
couldn't find any way up there on to the top?"
"No," said Chris rather sadly. "It would have been so easy then."
"Yes, we could have worked it then, my lad. One would have been enough.
I could have carried out a nice game there, and led 'em on."
"And what about their arrows?" said Ned.
"Oh, I should have had to chance them. Kept out of reach, or dodged
them. I could have led 'em right in so that they wouldn't have heard
the stones being lowered down, and got right away over the top and shut
the door after me, while when they saw that they couldn't follow, and
went back, they'd have found themselves shut-in."
"But--there's--no way out over the top terrace," said Ned mockingly.
"Well, I know there isn't," said Griggs coolly. "I've looked well
myself three times over, because I was afraid that the enemy might find
a way down some time, and take us by surprise."
"It would have been so easy then," sighed Chris; "but I don't despair.
We might find a way, after all, if we had a good search."
"To be sure we might," replied Griggs, "and I think I know where."
"You do?" cried the boys together.
"'M, yes, I think so," said Griggs quietly.
"Where?" cried Chris. "You don't mean up at the head of the valley,
where I came down?"
"Nay! That wouldn't do, even if there was a place. Be too far off.
You want a spot where one could slip up quickly and shut the way after
you so as to stop the enemy from following."
"Yes," said Chris, shaking his head; "and that we shall never find."
"No," cried Ned, almost triumphantly. "Your plan's no better than mine,
old chap."
"I don't know so much about that, squire," said Griggs, screwing up his
face. "Seems to me that we can find such a way out if we try."
"Where?" cried Ned.
"Over yonder, squire," was the reply, as the American nodded his head in
the direction of the terraces and openings opposite to where they sat
talking.
"Ah!" cried Chris excitedly. "Yes, there must, now one thinks of it, be
a way down there. Some of the Indians must have got down a part of the
way to send their arrows at me when I was seeing to my poor mustang."
"To be sure! Right!" cried Griggs. "I never thought of that before.
Then we've been sleeping here with the door open, only the enemy were
afraid to come."
"Then you think we could find a way up there?" said Chris, shading his
eyes and looking across the valley at the perpendicular sunlit cliff
full of window or door openings similar to those from which they gazed.
"I'm beginning to think we could, my lad. What do you say to going
across and having a search?"
"Yes; let's go at once," cried Chris.
"Aren't you too stiff?"
"Stiff? No. Come along!"
At that moment Ned, who had been staring hard at the opposite terraces,
suddenly caught Griggs by the arm, gripping it sharply.
"What's the matter?"
"Keep quiet! Don't move," said the boy in a whisper, though no one
could have heard from the spot at which he looked. "There's something
moving about on that top terrace across yonder."
"A bear?" said Chris eagerly.
"Perhaps. No; it's standing up now."
"Well, bears do that sometimes."
"It's so far-off, I can't quite make out," said Ned excitedly. "Ah!
There's another--and another. Why, there are six or seven crawling
about yonder."
"Then they're not likely to be bears," said Griggs. "Where's your
glass?"
"Up in the lookout. I'll go and fetch it."
"Yes, and be smart," cried Griggs. Then, as the boy hurried away to
climb up to the watching place--"I won't give any alarm yet till we're
quite sure. But if it's the enemy they've some game on there, and
there's going to be more sharp shooting. Chris, my lad, there's no
doubt about it now. There's a way down from the top of the cliff to
that top terrace yonder, and that means there must be a way up to it
from below. Your plan's cutting two ways. It's giving us a way to get
clear of the enemy, and showing us that we've been in greater danger
than we thought for. Now see what you can make out. Your eyes are
younger than mine."
"Yes, but yours are better trained to see long distances," replied
Chris, as he shaded his eyes and had a good long look, the American
changing his position and doing the same.
"I can only see two," said Chris at last, "and I think they're men."
"I can see three," said Griggs, "and I'm not going to say I think, for
I'm sure they're Indians."
Chris's first thought was of his mustang.
"What about the mules and ponies?" he said excitedly.
"I don't think their arrows could reach them," said Griggs thoughtfully;
"but the brutes mean some mischief, and the sooner we begin to teach
them that they are trespassing the better. Can you help me to take a
shot at them? Or are you too stiff?"
"I can manage," said Chris, and following the American they encountered
Ned returning from the lookout.
"Indians," he cried. "I've looked. They're after the ponies and mules
again."
"Have you given the alarm?" cried Chris anxiously.
"No; I came on with the glass. Do you want to use it, Griggs?"
"No," was the reply. "I'm going to shoot, and that will give all the
alarm we want."
They proceeded to the second terrace, where the movements of the Indians
grew clearer, and going down behind a stone the American took a long and
careful aim before firing.
"Missed him," he said angrily.
The word had hardly left his lips before Chris drew his trigger, and the
next moment Ned followed his example.
The reports brought the rest of the party of defenders into the cell
from which the firing had been directed.
"Well," said the doctor, "what is it?"
He took the binocular upon hearing the explanation, but after holding it
to his eyes for a few moments returned it to Griggs.
"Is it a mistake?" he said.
Griggs laid his cheek to his rifle, and fired again, to stand gazing
across the valley for some moments before he replied--
"No, sir; no mistake, and that Indian knows it."
"You hit one?"
"Yes, and there were three more just appeared, but, as far as I could
make out, they have all gone now."
There was a little more excitement and watching, but nothing was made
out for some minutes. Then the doctor, who had seized the glass and
been sweeping the opposite side of the valley in search of danger,
exclaimed--
"They've gone. Look, Bourne." He passed the glass to the gentleman
addressed. "Across the right, there, over the edge of the cliff."
"Yes, I see; a large party of them cantering away."
At that moment Griggs, who had raised the sight of his rifle, fired
again after a rapid glance.
"Man and horse down," cried Bourne.
"Why did you fire again when they were in full retreat?"
"To give them a lesson not to come and interfere with us, sir," said
Griggs shortly. "It's too dangerous to trifle with them, sir, and
they're getting more daring."
"Yes, I know," said the doctor, "and I wish we could get away from this
place; but I dare not stir, for the enemy would follow us and hang on to
our skirts, go which way you chose."
"Young Chris had an idea about our getting away, sir," said the man,
giving the boy a wink.
"An idea. I should have thought he had only one, and that was connected
with getting well again. Well, what is it, Chris?"
The boy explained, his face feeling like fire the while, and his father
listened to the end.
"Well," he said at last, "that sounds perfectly reasonable and good.
And you think we could, or you could, or whoever undertook the task,
could get to the terraces yonder and escape--if there proves to be a way
up there?"
"Yes, father," said Chris, flushing with excitement now. "I feel sure
there is a way there."
"And you, Griggs--what do you say?"
"I feel sure of it, sir; but whether we could reach it from down below
here or not is another thing."
"The only way is to prove it," said the doctor.
"Now, at once, sir?" cried Griggs.
"Well, yes," said the doctor thoughtfully; "why not?"
He asked the question in a tone of voice that needed no answer, and then
turned to Chris.
"We'll go and examine the place, then, for the Indians must be gone."
"Oh yes," said Griggs, "they're gone, sure enough. But it would be as
well for say two to stop here on the terrace and be ready to fire if the
enemy should appear again."
This was soon arranged, Wilton and Bourne undertaking the task, while,
after a good look round to make sure that no watching eyes were
scrutinising their movements, the little party of four started for the
other side of the depression, Chris being so insistent that he felt
really well enough to be one, that the doctor shrank from leaving him
behind.
The task did not prove very difficult, for they had their previous
experience to help them, and they were not long after reaching the foot
of the cliff before finding a way up to the lowest terrace, and grasping
the fact that the incident that had taken place in the part they had
occupied had been repeated here. Whether before or after it was
impossible to say, but they found all the traces of a desperate fight,
and the defence of a brave people who had held out in cell after cell to
the very end.
Then the way up to the next terrace was hunted out and found half buried
in stones and dust, and hidden still further by the growth of ages.
Here again were the traces of the massacre, and after a hurried
examination of these, half-way along the second terrace Griggs came to a
sudden stop and cocked his rifle, an act immediately imitated by the
rest.
"Danger?" whispered the doctor.
"Don't know yet," was the reply, "but we're somewhere near the cells
where those fellows were using their bows the other day, and where I saw
them a little while ago."
He ceased speaking, and pointed downwards.
"What can you see?" whispered Chris.
"Trail. Moccasin-covered feet," was the answer.
The two boys would have passed that which was pointed out unseen, for
the impressions in the dust were very faint to them, but plain enough to
the experienced hunter, who advanced cautiously now to the opening into
the cell opposite which they were now standing, and looking in, pointed
out fresh footprints and, what was more, an opening at the back of the
cell which, save in position, proved to be a way into just such a square
cell-like place as that which had puzzled them on their own side.
"No one here," said Griggs, "but it's not long since there was."
"Are you going on at once?" said the doctor.
"Oh yes; let's know the worst, or the best," replied Griggs; "but one
seems to know all there is to know, and it's what we wanted. Here's the
way up to the next range of cells, and when we get up there we shall
find the enemy's trail, and that will lead right up to the cliff,
without a doubt."
"Yes, there's proof enough that if the enemy had been enterprising and
gifted with brains they could have easily found their way down into the
valley by a fresh way."
"Let's go on, sir," said Griggs. "They've never been lower than this;
that's evident. We're the first who have come up that lower way, and it
seems to me, Chris, that we've learned all we wanted. That was to find
a way to the top that a fellow could get up in a hurry. Yes--look here.
It's all clear enough; and once he's got up he's got nothing to do but
break away a step or two, and no one can follow."
Griggs was quite right. Just as it was on the other side of the valley,
the square pit could be ascended by means of projecting stones, and upon
these being scaled the party stood upon the flint terrace and in its
range of cells, beyond which there was a step-like path going up a
narrow rift, leading right to the level tableland.
They all ascended, and taking care not to expose themselves, were able
to sweep the great level for miles, but without seeing the slightest
sign of an enemy.
"It's all right, sir," said Griggs, as soon as they had finished their
inspection. "Here's what we want to carry out young Chris's plan."
"Well, it does make it possible," said the doctor thoughtfully, "but
very risky for the man who is hunted by the enemy."
"Oh dear no, sir. It only wants a man to be pretty smart. I don't see
much difficulty in it."
"No, father," said Chris; "I feel sure that I could do it."
"Nay, don't want everything, youngster," cried Griggs merrily; "let some
one else have a chance. This job seems to be about my fit, and I
propose that the doctor here picks me out, unless squire here chooses
himself as the one to do it."
"Oh no," cried Ned; "I couldn't do it. I mean, I shan't go. I don't
think I could do it."
"It's a grown man's job," said the doctor firmly, "one that either
Griggs or I will undertake. There, come down, and let's carefully hide
the way by which we came up. The enemy may come here again to get a
shot at us, and if they do we must not give them a chance for growing
suspicious."
"If they come, sir," said Griggs. "I don't think they will--at all
events to-day. What they'll try in the night no one can say. But now
then, Chris, my lad, you and your mustang have got to make yourselves
fit for everything. We can do nothing till you're both quite well, and
the sooner that time comes the sooner we shall be strong enough to act."