THE END OF THE SEARCH.
About a hundred and fifty feet above them, almost perpendicularly
upward, stood an antelope, its small neck outstretched, and its dark,
beautiful eyes fixed upon them with a wondering expression. It was on
the very edge of a projecting rock where one step more would bring it
over.
"It is jist the jintleman we wants," whispered Tim, fearful that he
would alarm the timid animal. "We've ate but once in twenty-four hours,
and I've jist learned from me stomach that it would have no objection to
breaking the same fast; so do yez jist kape still till I pops him over."
"Can you hit him?" asked Howard, scarcely less excited than his
companion.
"Be aisy now till ye see the scientific manner I takes to doot."
"Well, be quick, for he is likely to vanish any moment."
Tim O'Rooney carefully sighted his rifle, took a quick, steady aim, and
pulled the trigger. Howard, who was keenly watching the antelope, saw it
spring up, and as it came down it missed the cliff and fell almost at
their very feet with a violence and crash which must have broken half
the bones in its body.
"Arrah now, an' wasn't that done nicely?" exclaimed Tim, in great
exultation, as he ran up to the animal with his knife.
"Are you going to dress it?"
"Yis; an' do yez gather what sticks an' stuff ye can, an' we'll have him
cooked in a jiffy."
Howard set about it, for he understood the wisdom of providing
themselves with food in the prosecution of this hunt, which in all
probability would employ them for some time to come.
"Now, I will give the signal," said he, when his work was completed. "If
he is within hearing he will answer it."
"Yis; do your bist, while I pays my respects to this gintleman, an' do
ye do the listenin' while ye are about it, for I'm so taken up with this
job that I haven't the time to attend to that aither."
Howard strained his cheeks nearly to bursting, and completely exhausted
himself in giving forth those ringing screeches which seem to come
natural to all school-boys, and are made by uniting the ends of two
fingers, inserting them between the lips, and blowing with all the
might.
He listened--listened--listened--and then repeated the signal with a
desperate fierceness that left him no strength at all; but all in
vain--the echoes died away among the rocks and hills, but no answer came
back.
"It's no use," remarked Tim O'Rooney, who despite what he had said was
listening as earnestly as his young friend.
"The youngster don't hear us. We've got to make a hunt through this old
place, and afore we begins it we'll take something for the stomach's
sake."
The fire was kindled in the usual manner, and the dinner was not
unskillfully prepared by the Irishman. They ate all they could hold. The
dog did the same. Tim lit his pipe, and then declared that he was ready
for any duty that might be required of him.
As they rose to their feet they were somewhat alarmed at the appearance
of the sky. It was overspread with dark, threatening clouds, from which
issued rumbling peals of thunder and arrowy lines of lightning. They
became darker and more tumultuous each moment, until semi-darkness
shrouded them.
"We are going to have a storm," remarked Howard.
"Yis; and a good-sized one, too."
"We shall have to find shelter for ourselves. If much rain falls, this
gorge looks to me as if it will be filled with water."
"Worrah, now, but yez are a smart child!" exclaimed Tim O'Rooney,
looking admiringly at the boy. "Scarcely mesilf would have thought of
the same, and what a credit, therefore, that it should have come into
your own."
"I see nothing so wonderful about that. Almost any one would see the
danger we are in if we remain here when there is much rain falling. It
is just the place for a stream of water."
"So it is--so it is; and yez can saa that there has wather been running
over the stones upon which we are standing."
The storm which was so near at hand admonished them to lose no time in
seeking shelter. This was a matter of small difficulty, as in such a
wild, rugged place there were any number of retreats. They clambered up
the path and over the rocks until they reached a point higher yet than
where the antelope had stood when pierced by the bullet that had tumbled
him over the cliff. They had brought a goodly portion of his meat with
them, for there was no telling when they would dare fire a gun again.
A gaping, overhanging ledge, which fortunately was turned from the
direction of the storm, was selected as their house, and here they and
the dog nestled and waited for the storm to burst. A few large drops
that cracked smartly upon the rocks and stones, was the herald of the
coming deluge; and then, at the same moment, with a terrific flash and
report, came the rain in torrents.
They stood and watched the storm as it raged, and when there was a
momentary cessation Howard threw his blanket over his head and said:
"I will run out to the edge of that rock and see whether there is any
water in the place where we took our dinner."
"Be careful yez don't tumble over," admonished Tim, feeling it his duty
to say something.
"Never fear."
Howard stepped hastily to the spot and looked carefully over. A tiny
stream was just beginning to run through the path they had occupied,
which was increasing each moment, and would speedily reach the
proportions of a torrent. But, although he saw this, there was something
which interested him still more, and that was a party of five Indians
attentively examining the remains of the antelope, and the signs around
it, as if they were seeking their explanation. They looked down to the
ground, and two of them pointed precisely in the direction which Tim and
Howard had taken in leaving the place.
The rain began falling again more copiously than ever, but Howard would
not have heeded it had he not been shrouded in the water-proof blanket.
Those Indians had found their camp-fire and were at that moment
discussing the best method of capturing him and Tim; but the rain came
down so furiously that they finally darted away to seek shelter, and
Howard thereupon hurried back to his friend and told him all that he had
seen.
"That settles the matter," he added. "Elwood is in their hands, and if
we aint careful we shall be with him, for they are searching for us."
"But they can't find us--that they can't."
"Why not?"
"This rain will wipe out our tracks as aisy as if yees had taken a cloth
and done it yourself."
"That is true."
Howard was greatly relieved when he reflected that this was true, and
that he and Tim were in no danger of capture from being pursued.
The storm lasted several hours, and when it was finished they came
cautiously forth and made their way stealthily back to where they had
left the canoe. They had deliberated long and earnestly regarding Elwood
Brandon, and neither of them had any doubt but what he was in the hands
of Indians. They had little fear of his being put to death, but believed
he would be held a prisoner until either rescued by Shasta, or a party
could be sent from the nearest post to ransom him. They had concluded to
make all haste homeward and adopt this method of rescue.
And now, as they had given him up for a while, it is high time we took
him in hand.