ON THE RANGE.
Although it was nearly noon, the time when the natives of Yucatan
believe a siesta is absolutely necessary, Cummings insisted that the
flight should be continued without further delay.
"It would not be surprising if the Chan Santa Cruz sentinels had seen
that idiotic Jake, and followed him in order to learn where we were
hiding," he said when Neal asked why they had left the ravine during the
hottest portion of the day. "If the Indians should besiege us here, it
would only be a few hours before surrender must be made, because of lack
of water, therefore we can render our position no worse, and may succeed
in bettering it by going now."
Poyor evidently looked at the matter in the same light, for he made no
protest; but began at once to prepare for the tramp.
Jake, after eating a hearty meal, had stretched out at the further end
of the hiding place, and was just giving himself up to the luxury of
slumber when Teddy aroused him by saying:
"Come, what are you lying here for? We are ready to start, and there's a
good deal of satisfaction in knowing that this time you'll have to carry
your share of the load."
"But I've got to have a nap first. Just think how long it's been since
I've had a chance to close my eyes."
"You'll have to wait awhile. Both Cummings and Poyor believe it is
absolutely necessary for us to make a quick move, and if you're not
ready they will go away alone."
Jake began to protest; but Teddy cut him short by saying:
"It won't do any good to kick. They are angry because we were forced to
leave the cave, and won't spend much time coaxing."
"Hurry along," Cummings shouted impatiently. "We must be well up on the
range before sunset."
These words spoken in an imperative tone caused Jake to spring to his
feet very nimbly, and as he neared the entrance Poyor pushed one of the
packages toward him as he said:
"We carried all last night, and it would be only right to give you a
double load."
"I'd have to take it if you did," Jake replied; but as if to prevent any
different distribution of the burdens, he tied this one on quickly,
saying when it was fastened firmly to his back, "Now I'm ready to tramp
as long as you do; but it would have suited me better if I'd had time
for a nap."
"It will serve you right if you don't get a chance to sleep for a week,"
Cummings replied sharply. "Go on, Poyor leads the way as before, and see
to it that you keep close at his heels."
The fugitives soon learned that however difficult it might be to travel
through the tangled underbrush of the forest, it was as nothing compared
to clambering over the ledges of green or white rock which formed the
base of the range.
Here there was nothing to shield them from the fervent rays of the sun,
and so intense was the heat that it seemed as if they were walking over
the top of a furnace.
The only relief from the excessive warmth was when they came upon a deep
fissure in the rocks where was a pool of water, with the most gorgeous
flowers around the margin. Everywhere else the soil was sandy, covered
in places with pebbles and burning gravel. In front of them were the
mountains, bare and sterile, on which the least experienced of the party
knew no drop of water could be found.
As a matter of course both Cummings and Poyor kept strict watch over
the surrounding country lest the enemy should be creeping upon them
unawares; but when, late in the afternoon, a short halt was called,
nothing suspicious had been seen.
"I don't understand how you could have wandered around twenty-four hours
without being discovered by some of the sentinels," Cummings said to
Jake, when they were reclining on the side of the mountain in the shadow
cast by an overhanging rock, where a full view of the valley beneath
could be had.
"Perhaps they have given over lookin' for us," the engineer suggested.
"There's no chance of that. Every square foot of the country will be
searched, and sooner or later they'll come across our trail."
"How long will it take us to get over the range?" Neal asked.
"It is impossible to say: but we must keep moving nearly all the time,
for the small amount of water we have with us now is the last that'll be
seen until we are on the other side."
"I feel as if I could drink the entire supply, and then want more,"
Teddy said, the knowledge that they were cut off from all means of
adding to the store making him thirsty.
"I reckon every one in the party feels much the same way," Cummings
replied grimly. "If it was possible to find a stream now and then the
journey across the range would not be such a dangerous one."
With the exception of the suggestion he made when they first halted,
Jake did not join in the conversation. His eyes had closed in slumber
almost instantly after lying down, and during half an hour he was
allowed to sleep uninterruptedly.
Then Poyor awakened him, and the weary march was resumed, the advance
becoming more difficult each moment as they climbed higher up on the
range.
About two hours before nightfall the sun was hidden from view by dense
masses of dark clouds, and the boys hailed with joy this relief from the
burning heat.
"If we could only have it like this all the time!" Neal exclaimed.
"Better the sun than the clouds," Cummings said in a tone of anxiety,
and Poyor increased his pace, no longer searching with his eyes for the
enemy; but casting quick glances from side to side as if hunting for
some particular object.
A south wind came up, and the boys were trudging along right merrily,
despite their fatigue, when it was as if a solid sheet of water
descended upon them.
There had been no warning drops to give notice of the coming storm; but
the rain literally fell in torrents, drenching the fugitives at the
first downpour.
It was now impossible to see twenty feet in either direction. The
driving rain and the white clouds which completely enveloped the
mountain shut out everything from view.
The enemy might have crept close upon them without being aware of the
fact.
There was no place in which to shelter themselves, and the boys had a
thorough illustration of what a tropical rain-storm may be during the
time Poyor was hunting for such a place as would serve to shield them
from the flood.
Not until half an hour had passed did they make a halt, and then the
Indian led them under an overhanging ledge, in front of which was a
sheer descent of eighty feet or more to the valley beneath.
"Here we can wait until the worst of the gale has blown over," he said,
as he threw down his burden and prepared to enjoy a long rest. "It is
not likely we shall be able to move to-night, and there is no fear the
enemy will come upon us while the storm rages."
"We shall at least be where the canteens can be filled," Cummings
replied in a tone of content, "and by gaining a fresh supply of water
the journey will be robbed of half its dangers, consequently a wetting
is of but little consequence."
To have seen the mountain at this moment one would hardly have thought
that the party could have suffered from thirst. Every crevice of the
rocks was now a stream, and by reaching out in a dozen different
directions a quantity of the precious liquid could be obtained.
The only thing to cause alarm was the fact that this storm was but the
beginning of the summer season, during which rain might be expected each
day, and thus the danger of fever while crossing the low lands would be
greatly increased.
"The sentinels will certainly keep under cover during such weather as
this," Cummings said in a tone of satisfaction, "and we may be able to
get over the range without a hand to hand fight, as I had anticipated."
Under such climatic conditions the meat would not keep sweet many hours,
and Poyor set the entire stock before his companions, saying as he did
so:
"What cannot be eaten must be thrown away, therefore he is fortunate who
can now swallow enough to prevent the pangs of hunger from being felt
during the next forty-eight hours."
"But we certainly won't be forced to stay here that length of time,"
Neal replied. "It can't rain all the day and night."
"It is safe to count on a long storm," Cummings added. "This is the
beginning of the bad season, and there will be a certain amount of water
fall each day."
"Did you take the fact into consideration when you made ready to visit
the Silver City?" Neal asked.
"Of course, and if there had been nothing to prevent the carrying out of
my plans we would have been clear of the swamp by this time, or so near
the edge that but a few hours traveling must have taken us through."
It was worse than useless to talk of what might have been, and the
little party settled down to make themselves as comfortable as possible
under the circumstances.
Overhead the rock sheltered them from the rain; but now that every
crevice had been turned into a stream it was difficult to protect one's
self from the innumerable tiny crevices through which the water was
pouring, and each member of the party lay down in turn only to find
himself literally flooded out before it was possible to gain any rest.
The night had come, and the air, so warm a few hours previous, was
uncomfortably cold.
Jake proposed that a fire be built, providing he could find a sufficient
quantity of dry wood; but both Cummings and Poyor decided against it in
a very emphatic manner.
"Although we have been traveling for the past six or eight hours where
any one in the valley might see us, we are not so insane as to build a
beacon here that our pursuers may be guided to this halting place."
Cummings spoke in a petulant tone, and fearing that he might add
something regarding the fact that if Jake had behaved himself all would
now be in the cave, Teddy hastened to say:
"If we can't build a fire why not spend the time walking, for it will be
impossible to sleep with this rain beating down upon us?"
"It would take a better man than Poyor to lead the way in the darkness
and storm. Here we must stay, at least until morning, and then unless
the rain has ceased falling, it will be a case of going hungry awhile."
Finding that there was to be no change in the condition of affairs, Jake
had crawled into the further end of the shelter where, with the water
dripping down upon him he was trying his best to sleep, and Neal curled
up beside him.
Poyor, regardless of the weather, remained just outside the rock as if
on guard, while Cummings, a few paces behind him, sat upon a fragment of
stone listening intently, and Teddy wisely concluded to find a resting
place somewhere, for he was so weary that repose seemed absolutely
necessary, more especially since there could be no doubt but that the
journey would be continued immediately the storm cleared away.
Selecting a spot where some portion of his body could be kept dry, he
lay down, and, regardless of all discomforts was soon oblivious to
everything around him.