at the ice, more and more carefully, for he was getting through the top
of the shell, and the golden kernel was near, Scruff watching the
proceedings in rather a cynical or dog-like way, as if sneering at the
trouble these two-legged animals took to obtain something not good to
eat.
"Yes; it's terrible work in the dark," said Abel. "Perhaps they were
right."
"But the long days are coming," said Dallas cheerfully, "and then we'll
go farther north up one of the other creeks, towards the mountains.
There is abundance of gold if we could find it. And we must--we will
find it before we've done."
"That's right, my son," cried Tregelly. "We three won't give up till
we've had a reg'lar good try. Now then, here we are: all mixed up and
froze into a lump. Just hand me that iron bucket, Mr Wray, and I'll
chip it out into that, and throw it down by the fire. Wonder," he
added, as he began to break out the gilded ice, "whether there's much of
my share left."
The pieces of ice and gold went on rattling down till the last scrap was
emptied out, and the hollowed block of ice tossed out of the door.
"Let's see," said Tregelly, "my two mates said that at the end of the
winter there'd only be about two hundred shillings' worth. But they
were wrong," he continued, with a merry laugh, "for all my share's here,
and I've added a bit more to it--enough to pay for what we want from
down the river; so I haven't done so badly, after all."
"You have done wonders," cried Dallas.
"Oh, I don't know. I've worked pretty hard, though," said Tregelly,
giving the contents of the bucket a twist round and pouring off some of
the melted ice into another bucket. "Looks pretty, don't it, my sons?
but hardly worth all the trouble one takes to get it."
He pushed the bucket right in among the embers, and the contents began
to steam, till all the ice was melted, when the dirty water was drained
away and the gold then turned carefully out on the iron cake griddle,
baked to dryness on the wood ashes, and then examined.
"That would make Mr Redbeard's ugly mouth water if he could see it, my
sons, eh?"
"Yes, it looks tempting," said Dallas. "Put it away."
"Nay; we've agreed to share now, my sons. Let's take out enough for me
to spend down the river. Let the other go into your leather bag."
"No, that would not be fair," said Dallas quickly.
"I say it would, my sons; and I ought to know best. Look here: you're
going to help me take care of what I've got, and I'm going to help you.
Sometimes you'll get more; sometimes I shall; so you see it will come
all square in the end. There," he said, in conclusion, as he roughly
scraped a portion of the glittering heap aside, "what do you say to that
being enough?"
"I'd take more," said Abel; "provisions will be dearer than ever."
"Right; so they will. Well, that must be plenty. Now then, where's
your bag?"
This was produced, rather unwillingly, from the hiding-place.
"That's right," he continued, as the glittering treasure was poured into
the leather bag. "Now then, we'll just see what we can do in the way of
prog for me to take. I can hold out pretty well on some cake and plenty
of tobacco. Then I'll be off."
"When do you mean to go?" said Abel.
"Go, my son? Why, now, directly. Sooner the better. Those chaps won't
come back till they want some more prog. I tell you what you might do,
though; go to the first shanty and tell the neighbour about those two
being out on the rampage, and ask him to pass the word all along the
line."
An hour later Tregelly was ready to start, and shook hands. Then he
hesitated.
"What is it?" said Dallas.
"I was thinking whether I ought to go round by my claim and see how that
fellow's getting on. Sometimes I'm pulled one way, sometimes I'm pulled
another. But going perhaps means a bullet in my jacket, so I won't go."
He threw the leather band over his shoulder, and the next minute the
sledge runners were creaking and crackling as they glided over the
hardened snow, while Dallas stood listening with his companion till the
last sound died out, and then hurriedly fetched load after load of
fire-logs, with the dog busily at work exploring the neighbourhood in
all directions, coming back at five-minute intervals panting and sending
up his visible breath, till Dallas bade him go in.
"Dal," said Abel, after a few minutes' pause, during which they had been
stacking the wood neatly in one corner, "don't you feel glad that you
saved Scruff's life?"
"I should think I do. He's going to prove a regular policeman on the
beat."
A low, deep growl came from the dog.
"Hullo! Does he object to being called a bobby?"
"Hist! No," whispered Abel, darting to the hooks upon which the rifles
were hung. For the dog had trotted softly to the door, and stood
looking down at the narrow opening at the bottom, and was growling more
deeply than before.
"There's some one coming," whispered Dallas, "and that fire makes it as
light within here as day."
The two young men darted close to the side, and drew the curtain-like
rugs over the door and the little shuttered window.
Just as this was completed the dog growled again, and then burst into a
deep-toned bay.
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.
THE ENEMY IN THE DARK.
"Ahoy there! Keep that dog quiet," cried a familiar voice from some
distance off.
"It's all right," cried Dallas with a sigh of relief. "Norton."
"Here, Scruff, lie down, old man," cried Abel. "Friends, friends."
The dog whined, and waved his bushy tail as the door was opened, and
their bluff friend came into the glow shed by the fire.
"How are you, my lads? Haven't seen you for ages. Didn't know you had
started a dog."
"He's a visitor," said Dallas. "Come in."
The man entered and looked sideways at the dog, who had begun to smell
his legs.
"Not treacherous, is he? Some of these Eskimo are brutes to snap."
"No, he understands you are friends," said Abel. "Lie down, Scruff."
The dog crouched, and watched the visitor as he sat down on a box, took
out his pipe, and lit it.
"Thought I'd give you a look in as I didn't feel worky. How's things
going?"
"We were coming to warn you," said Dallas; and he related what had
passed.
"Them?" said Norton, springing up and putting out his pipe; "I was in
hopes they were hanged. Well, I'll be off; this means a serious matter
for them. We shall have to get up a hunt and stop this. Will you
join?"
"Of course," said the young men in a breath.
"Then good-bye; only mind this--if you hear firing come and help."
"Yes; and you'll do the same?"
"Trust me," said the man shortly, and he shook hands and hurried away.
The next four days passed anxiously enough, and they heard no more of
Norton and his friends. The first two nights watch was kept, the
occupants of the hut taking turn and turn of three hours. But this
duty, somewhat in accordance with the proverb of familiarity breeding
contempt, was deputed to Scruff, who, however, was more contemptuous
than either of his masters; for he kept the watch carefully curled-up
with his tail across his eyes, in the spot where the warmest glow from
the fire struck.
The fifth day passed without any news being heard from the other
scattered claim-holders, and it was thought possible, though hardly
likely, that Tregelly might return.
The night came on intensely black, with intervals of perfect stillness,
followed by puffs of icy wind, which were charged with tiny sharp
spicules of ice, which made the face tingle at the slightest exposure to
its influence.
"He will not be here to-night," said Dallas, after looking out; "there's
a storm brewing, and it is too dark to travel, so we may as well give
him up."
"We had better sit up a few hours. He may come."
So, instead of creeping into their sleeping-bags after they had banked
up the fire and made all snug, they sat talking, till warmth and
weariness combined to make them drowsy, and they lay down, to fall
asleep directly.
In an hour or two the blazing fire had given place to a heap of wood
ashes, over which, as the rising wind swept round the place, what seemed
to be a faint phosphorescent light played for a few moments and then
died out.
Scruff was curled-up so tightly that he looked fixed, and he seemed
blind and deaf to everything, till towards the middle of the night a
watcher, had there been one, would have seen that there were two bright
points visible through the thick brush so closely curled round, while
directly after the dog's ears seemed to prick up.
If there had been a watcher he would in all probability have attributed
this to fancy, consequent upon the faint glow which came and went about
the embers, as the wind sighed round the lonely hut; for shadows
darkened, and various objects grew more or less defined.
Then all idea of want of reality would have passed away, for the dog
suddenly and silently sprang to his feet, took a step or two towards the
door, and then stood with his head turned on one side, listening.
He remained perfectly motionless for quite a minute, as the glow from
the fire grew less and less till he was almost invisible. Then suddenly
throwing up his head, he uttered a low, deep-toned bark, which brought
the cousins from their beds, each seizing upon the rifle laid ready.
"What is it, Scruff?" cried Dallas. "Some one there?"
There was another deep-toned bark, and the dog sprang to the door and
rose up on its hind-legs, tearing at the rug which covered it until it
fell.
Scruff stood there with his head on one side, listening for some
minutes, during which the silence was painful in the extreme. Dallas
had sprung to one side of the door, Abel to the other, and they stood
close up to the rough walls, the only place where they could be in
safety, for there they were beyond the vision of any one who peered
through the shuttered window or the apertures of the door left exposed
by the tearing down of the rough hanging.
The simplest thing, and an act which would have left them more freedom,
would have been to have quenched the fire at once. But there was no
water at hand, and there was sufficient light from the glowing embers to
expose every movement to an enemy without.
They stood there with every nerve on the strain, listening, while the
dog whined uneasily, took a trot round the fire, and returned to the
door, to stand with his head on one side again.
"There must be some one out there," whispered Abel.
Dallas nodded, and made a sign to his cousin to be silent, for the dog
whined uneasily again, turning to the young man, thrusting his muzzle
against his hand, and looking up at him as if waiting for orders. The
next moment he was at the door again, and reared up with his paws
against the bar, at which he tore as if to get it down, so that he might
go out into the night.
"Here, I know," cried Abel excitedly, "he must hear or feel in some way
that Tregelly is close here."
"He would not come on at this time of night."
"Why not? It's as dark most of the day as it is now. Let's open the
door and give a hail."
"No; listen," whispered Dallas. "He would do that."
"If he were within reach."
"He must be within reach for the dog to know," whispered Dallas. But as
he spoke he doubted his own opinion, for it seemed possible that a
half-wild dog's sensibilities might be sufficiently keen to feel the
coming of a friend.
"Here, what is it, old fellow?" he said softly. "Some one there?"
The dog whined and tore at the bar.
"It is as I say, Dal," said Abel excitedly. "Look at him. Here,
Scruff, old lad, what is it?"
The dog growled.
"That doesn't sound as if he scented a friend, Bel."
"He does, I tell you," cried Abel angrily; for he was prone to be
irritable as a result of his many sufferings. "Here, let's have the
door open at once."
It was as if the dog understood his words, for he dropped on all fours
and uttered a deep-toned bay.
"All right, Scruff, we'll let you go," cried Abel, and seizing the rough
bar, he was in the act of raising it from the notch in which it rested,
when _bang_--_bang_, two shots were fired just outside, and
simultaneously the door shook violently, there was a peculiar rending,
splintering sound in the rough boards, and Dallas's heart gave a
spasmodic leap, for he saw his cousin fall to the ground.
"Bel, lad! Hurt?" panted Dallas, stepping forward and dropping on one
knee by his cousin's side.
As he spoke there were two more shots, the bullets striking the door,
and one passing clean through with a whirring, humming sound, to strike
the wall on the other side, Dallas's position in all probability saving
his life, for the sound seemed to pass just over his head.
"Dal, old man! Hurt?" was Abel's answer.
"No, not touched. Why don't you answer? Were you hit?"
"No; I only ducked down, it seemed so near."
"Save your shot," said Dallas hoarsely. "When we fire it must be as a
last resource."
Abel nodded.
"Right," he said.
"Crawl to your own side. I'll take this. The bullets will not come
through the logs of the wall."
"I'm not so sure," said Abel softly; but he obeyed his cousin's order,
just as a couple more shots were fired through.
The next moment Dallas was stamping and kicking out the fire, with the
result that the interior of the hut grew lighter.
"Don't, don't do that, Dal," whispered Abel. "You're right in the line
of fire, too."
As a proof that their position was being made more precarious a couple
more shots were fired, the bullets buzzing across the interior.
"Must," was the reply. "There, the ashes will soon grow faint;" and in
a few minutes the place was nearly black; but at the same time it was
full of strangling wood-smoke which rose slowly towards the opening in
the roof which formed their chimney.
Meanwhile shot after shot was fired through the door, and at every dull
thud or tearing of the stout woodwork, the dog dashed about, snarling
and barking furiously.
"Dal! Dal!" cried Abel passionately; "are we to stop here doing
nothing?"
"Yes; we are not going to shoot at random. Wait a bit, and our time
will come. Have you plenty of cartridges handy?"
"Yes; a pocketful."
"Don't waste them, then. One will be sufficient to silence an enemy.
We must wing him--that will be sufficient. I say!"
"Yes, what?"
"Bob Tregelly would not knock at the door like this, would he?"
"Don't. I made sure it was he."
The firing went on through the door, and in the darkness, which now grew
profound, the besieged made out that the direction of the bullets was
varied, for those which came through struck the wall in different
places--high, low, and to right and left; and the result of this was
that suddenly, in spite of Dallas's endeavours to keep the dog close to
him in shelter, he escaped from him to bound about, barking savagely,
and the next minute, as a couple of shots came through the door, he
uttered a peculiar snarling snap, and threw himself with a heavy thud
against the door.
"He has got it, Bel," whispered Dallas. "Here, Scruff! Scruff!"
The dog came to him, whining, and then uttered a dismal howl.
"Poor old chap! you must lick the place," said Dallas. "I'll see to it
when I can get a light."
"Badly wounded, Dal?" said Abel.
"Can't tell. No; not very bad, or he would have lain still. Has he
come to you?"
"Yes," said Abel, from the other side of the door; "he has shoved his
head against me."
There was a pause then, and an ejaculation full of horror.
"What is it?" anxiously.
"Ugh! The poor fellow's bleeding!"
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.
A DEATH SHRIEK.
"Wait a bit--wait a bit!" said Dallas through his teeth; "we'll pay the
cowardly brutes yet. Bel, it makes me feel like a savage. I could
enjoy pulling the rope that was to hang them!"
"I couldn't; but I wish it was daylight and I could get a good aim at
one of them. I say, they'll riddle that door."
"Wait a bit," whispered Dallas, with a curious little laugh, "and we'll
answer their riddle."
The firing went on persistently, but the dog barked no more--only gave
vent from time to time to a low growl, while the listeners could tell
from the sound that he was applying an animal's natural remedy to his
wound by licking it diligently.
And the firing went on as if the enemy were searching every part of the
hut with their bullets.
"Dal," whispered Abel suddenly, "don't be startled."
"You're not going to be such an idiot as to open the door to the fire,
are you?"
"No; but it would not be idiotic," said Abel quietly; "for I feel as if
I could hit one of them by seeing the flash of his piece."
"What are you going to do, then?--let the dog out?"
"No, not now he is wounded. I wish we had set him free, though, at the
first--he'd have startled the wretches!"
"They'd have done for him with their bowies," said Dallas. "What am I
not to be startled at? Ah-h-ah! You brutes! Lie right down, Bel!
They're firing at the wall now."
"Then it's time for it. Look here, I'm going to humbug them."
Two more reports came, and, as the sound died out, Abel uttered so
unearthly a shriek that Dallas felt it go through him in a shudder that
chilled him to the bone.
"Bel!" he panted wildly.
"All right; did it sound natural?" was whispered back.
"Oh, you wretch!" whispered Dallas; and Abel laughed.
"They'll think they've done for the dog and one of us," said Abel
softly. "Let them go on firing now for a bit, and then it will be your
turn; only don't squeak like I did."
"I see," said Dallas.
"You feel for something big, and when they've fired a bit more hurl it
hard at the door, and then give a big groan."
"All right!"
"They'll feel sure then, and come up and begin to force open the door or
the shutters. Then we must let them have it."
"Yes; four barrels at once," said Dallas.
"And some seasoning directly after from our pepper-boxes."
The dog was so quiet now that Abel trembled for his fate; but he and his
companion, as they lay there in the darkness, had something else to
think about, for the firing went on steadily, and they wondered it did
not bring up some of the miners from their claims here and there.
"Surely they're not too cowardly to come to our help," thought Dallas.
Four shots were fired now in quick succession, as if the enemy were
anxious to bring matters to an end, and Abel whispered, "Try it directly
they fire again."
"Yes," said Dallas; and directly after Abel heard the handle of the
galvanised iron bucket chink softly.
Then came two more shots, and in an instant Dallas dashed the bucket
against the door with all his might, uttered a heavy groan, and was
silent.
The firing outside ceased now, showing that the ruse had been
successful; and the two young men held their breath as they listened for
the nearer approach of the enemy, which they felt sure must now be
imminent; but they listened a long time in vain.
At last, though, the crackling of the snow outside, as from the pressure
of a heavy foot, warned them that their time was coming, and they lay
ready with the muzzles of their pieces ready to direct at door or
window, as the necessity might arise, and their revolvers on the floor
by their knees.
Which was it to be--door or window? They would have given years of
their lives to know at which to aim, and they felt now what guesswork it
must be.
"They'll come to the window, I hope," thought Dallas; "and if they do I
won't fire till I am sure of winging one of them."
But though they waited, no such opportunity seemed likely to come, for
there was not a sound at the front after they heard the soft crackling
of the snow.
All at once, when the horrible suspense seemed greater than they could
bear, and Dallas felt that he must spring to his feet, rush to the door,
and begin firing at random, it seemed to both that an icy hand had
grasped each of them by the throat.
It was another exemplification of the aphorism that it is the unexpected
which always happens. For all at once, after a long period of perfect
silence, there was a peculiar grating sound at the back of the hut
instead of at the front, and for a few moments both the defenders of the
place were puzzled.
Then, as the sound was repeated, they realised what it was. There were
several pieces of thickish pine-trunk lying outside in the snow, pieces
that had been cut to form uprights for the rough shedding over their
shaft. These pieces were very rough and jagged with the remains of the
boughs which had been lopped off, so that they would be as easy to
climb--almost--as a ladder. Two of these had been softly placed so that
they lay along the slope of the roof, and up them one of the enemy was
cautiously climbing, while his companion was holding them at the foot.
"Bel must grasp this," thought Dallas, who dared not whisper, for fear
of giving the alarm to the enemy and putting them on their guard. For,
cunning enough in the plans that had been devised, the enemy were about
to ignore door and window, and make their approach by the opening in the
roof through which the smoke passed.
There was a sort of lid of boards nailed a foot above to prevent the
snow from falling straight through, but there was ample room for an
active man to lower himself down through the hole; and, drawing a deep
breath full of satisfaction, Dallas changed the direction of the muzzle
of his gun, feeling quite sure that the one who was to attack would
lower himself down feet first, so that the task of performing vengeance
would be easy as far as one of the men was concerned, and at any rate
they could make sure of him.
Dallas's teeth gritted softly together as he waited, and Abel's heart
beat with heavy throbs, for he had been as quick to grasp the way of
attack as his cousin. But they had not fully fathomed the enemy's
plans, and were completely taken by surprise.
It was only a matter of a few minutes, but it seemed like an hour as the
young men strained their eyes in the black darkness, and mentally saw
one of their foes climb slowly up till he reached the sloping roof, up
which he progressed steadily, the two pieces of tree rasping and
crunching the thick, icy snow which clung to the roof; and then fingers
trembled about triggers as the defenders tried to guess at the opening
exactly in the centre of where the ridge-pole ran.
And now the sounds came more plainly; a hand was evidently feeling about
for the opening, for a bit or two of snow from the edge of the hole--
pieces which had not melted away--fell down amongst the embers with a
soft pat, and a low, hissing sound of steam arose from the hot
fire-hole.
"Now he knows exactly," thought Dallas, "and I shall hear him turn and
begin to lower himself down. We ought to wait till he is more than half
through before we fire. Will Bel think of this?"
He drew a long breath, for there was a heavy, rustling sound above, as
if the man on the roof was altering his position. Then there came a
sharp scratch, for the greater part of a box of matches had been struck
all at once. Then there was a brilliant flash of light, the momentary
glimpse of a big hairy hand, from which the burning matches began to
fall, while the interior of the dark hut was lit up, showing the dog,
with eyes glistening and bared teeth, crouched to spring, and the two
young men kneeling, each with his weapon raised.
But they did not fire, feeling that it would be madness to trust to
hitting the unseen, for the hand was too small a target; and before they
could make up their minds what to do next, two shots were fired from
outside, and a cry rang out on the midnight air.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
THE STRIKING OF ANOTHER MATCH.
The long-silent dog burst out into a hoarse bark once more, as the two
young men knelt there as if paralysed, and the tiny splints died out one
by one where they had fallen amongst the wood ashes, while from the roof
there was a horrible scrambling, struggling sound, hoarse cries, the
crunching of the frozen snow, followed by the scraping sound as of some
one sliding down the slope of the roof, and then a dull, heavy thud, a
groan or two, and finally complete silence.
"He has it," said Dallas hoarsely.
"Hush! Hark!" cried Abel.
For there was another shot, then another, and another, till quite a
dozen had rung out, each growing more and more distant; and as the young
men dashed to the door now and threw it open, they saw flashes of light
as other shots were fired. Then came shouting, voices calling to one
another.
"Some of the lads heard the firing at last, and come to our help," said
Dallas.
"Look out; there's some one coming back," whispered Abel.
"I hear him. Be ready, and if he's an enemy let him have it. Hah!
Bravo! Good dog! You're not so very bad, then."
For at the sound of the heavy footsteps coming at a trot over the
creaking snow Scruff uttered a fierce growl, began to bay and dashed out
into the darkness.
"He'll have him," said Dallas. "But come on; we mustn't leave it all to
him."