crouched, apparently enjoying the warmth and the charqui they were
munching; but they gazed furtively up at the two boys as they came up,
and one of them started slightly as Cyril made a sudden stoop, but
became impassive directly when the boy picked up two or three
half-burned brands and threw them into the middle of the fire before
holding his hands out to the flame.
"The waterfall makes it feel cold up here, and damp," he said to the
guide in his patois, and the man smiled as he spoke, and then pointed up
a defile away above them as he replied.
"What does he say?" asked Perry.
"That the wind comes down that narrow rift from the snow, and it is that
which makes it cold. I only half understand him."
He turned laughingly to the guide, and said a few words to that effect,
and the man laughed and nodded as he replied.
"Oh, what a big fib!" said Cyril merrily. "He says I speak his tongue
beautifully.--Oh, there's the colonel looking round at the mules.
They're having a beautiful feed here. Plenty of grass for the mules,"
he said to the Indian, and the man nodded again, and said it was good.
The colonel said something very similar, as the boys strolled carelessly
up, at a time when Perry felt as if he must run to his father, shouting:
"Look out! Danger!"
"We must stay here two or three days, boys," the colonel said. "The
mules will revel in this grass and fresh water, and make up for their
fasting lately."
"I think not, sir," said Cyril, speaking carelessly, and making believe
to pat one of the mules, which turned sharply round and showed him its
heels.
"What do you mean, sir?"
Cyril told him quickly; and as he spoke, the colonel's hand twitched,
and went involuntarily to his side, as if he were seeking a sword.
"Humph!" he ejaculated. Then quietly, and looking at the mules: "That's
right, lads; don't make a sign. I daresay John Manning is right. He
has eyes like a hawk, and he is true as steel. Well, I'm not surprised.
I half expected it, though not quite so soon."
"What shall we do then, father?" said Perry anxiously. "Go back?"
"Englishmen don't go back, Perry," said his father gravely. "They would
not have colonised the whole world if they did. No, boy, we are going
on, and I don't think there is anything to fear. These people are all
joined together to watch every stranger who comes into their country, in
dread lest they should be in search of the Incas' treasures, and they
would be ready to fight in defence."
"And kill us, father," said Perry, with his lips paling in the
firelight.
"If we let them, boy. But we are well-armed, John Manning and I, and
know how to use our weapons if it should come to a struggle, which I
doubt."
"Then you have come in search of something, sir! I knew it," cried
Cyril.
"Yes, I have come in search of something, boy, and I mean to find it and
take it away out of the country in spite of all their watchfulness and
care. Now, then, what do you say to that? Are you afraid, and do you
want to get back?"
"I don't know, sir," said Cyril quietly. "Yes, I do. I can't help
feeling a bit frightened like. I don't want to, but I do."
"And you wish to go back? For I warn you I am going on in spite of all
obstacles."
"No, I don't," said Cyril quietly. "I shall go with you. I'm not going
to leave Perry in the lurch."
"There's a coward for you, Perry, my boy," said the colonel, laughing.
"You must be a very good sort of a fellow to have made a friend like
that; one who risks his father's anger to come with you, and who is now
ready to run more risks for your sake."
"I'm afraid it isn't that, sir," said Cyril frankly. "I wanted to come
because I thought it was going to be a great treat."
"There, say no more now. Listen to me. I shall take it for granted
that we have spies in the camp, and that, consequent upon their
communication to the men of the llama caravan, some of that party are
following us. Of course the poor fellows consider that they are
performing a religious duty, so I shall not charge them with their
action. They will go on watching us till they find I have done
something which calls for immediate action. Till then we are safe."
"Then you will not do anything, sir?" said Cyril, looking quite aghast.
"Oh yes, I shall be upon my guard. From now there will be watch set
every night in camp, and we shall sleep with our arms charged and ready
for action at a moment's notice."
"Yes," said Cyril, with a sigh of satisfaction.
"You can handle a gun, Cyril?"
"Yes, sir, after a fashion. I have often been up in the hills with my
father, shooting."
"That will do," said the colonel. "Now let's go and have a look at the
falls before setting watch and going to our blankets. Tell the men to
keep up a pretty good fire, Cyril."
He led the way to where the Indians were seated as he spoke, and nodded
to them smilingly as Cyril gave his orders; and then, as the men quickly
obeyed them, the colonel led the way to the edge of a cliff! From here
they could see the large body of water come gliding down in a curve from
far away up in the darkness, to gleam in the firelight as it passed
them, and then dive down into the deeper darkness below.
"An awful-looking place, boys, in the darkness," said the colonel
quietly. "There now, we'll seek our blankets--at least you shall, for I
shall take the first watch; John Manning will take the second."
"Shall I sit up with you, father?" said Perry.
"No, my lad, we must husband our resources. Your turn will come
to-morrow night. Remember what I said about the guns. Make no show,
but have your ammunition ready for use at a moment's notice. The
Indians will see that, you may depend upon it, and act accordingly."
Half an hour later the two boys were lying inside a little shelter
formed of the mules' packs and a wall-like mass of rock, listening to
the roar of the falls, and watching the figure of the colonel standing
gazing out into the night, as he rested his chin upon the barrel of his
piece.
"I shan't go to sleep to-night," said Perry in a whisper.
"Oh yes, you will. I shall," replied Cyril.
Just then John Manning came close up, with his gun in his hand.
"Good-night, gentlemen," he said. "Colonel says I'm to come and lie in
the shelter here. Don't kick in the night, please, because I'm going to
be at your feet. I had a messmate once out in India, who, when we were
in barracks, used to sleep like a lamb, but so sure as we were on the
march and had to share a tent, which meant he slept in his boots, you
might just as well have gone to sleep with a pack of commissariat mules,
for the way in which he'd let go with his heels was a wonder.
Good-night, gentlemen, good-night."
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
THE PERIL THICKENS.
There must have been something wonderfully lulling in the roar of that
fall, and a feeling of great confidence in the fact that the colonel
would keep watch over them half the night, and John Manning, stern,
tried, old soldier that he was, for the second half; for, though the
boys lay there, fully convinced that they would not be able to sleep,
and had visions of knife-armed Indians creeping toward them through the
darkness, they soon dropped off, and rested uninterruptedly for eight
hours, when they sprang up at a touch from John Manning.
"If you gentlemen will relieve guard," he said quietly, "I'll see about
breakfast."
Soon after, as if nothing whatever had happened, they all sat down to a
hearty meal, and that over, once more started upon their journey through
the mountains; the Indians seeming more willing, and at the suggestion
that the mules should rest for a day or two in that luxuriant pasturage,
eagerly assuring the colonel, through Cyril, that for days to come they
would find plenty, and that the road would be easier.
On hearing this, the colonel decided to go on, and soon found that the
guide's words were correct; for, during the next six days, they
traversed smiling valleys, with grass and trees in abundance.
Snowcapped hills rose high above them; but where they journeyed, they
were in a beautiful temperate climate, with rich soil and abundance of
flowers.
This part of their journey was delightful; for the way along the passes
was easy, and the colonel, who was a dead shot, several times over added
to their larder with his gun.
But they went on in no false security; for several times over they
passed Indians, and were made fully aware of the fact that every mile
they took was carefully watched, and that the leader of the expedition
inspected no mountain shelf, cave, or patch of dwarf forest, without his
acts being duly noted, though in no observant way.
Diego proved to be a perfect guide; and, making no objections now, he
led them steadily on in a way which would have disarmed suspicion with
some people; but the colonel was quietly on the alert, and went on
examining plant, flower, and tree, at one time with all the patient care
of a botanist; and at another time, when they were climbing some rugged
shelf in a ravine, letting no mineral escape his observation.
And all the while the little party, though they made no sign, were
perfectly well aware that they were being watched.
"Strikes me that when we've got it, they won't let us take a simple lump
of gold out of the place, Master Cyril."
"No," said the boy drily.
"But I mean some of the precious stones, Master Perry. I shall have
them."
"How?"
"Swaller 'em, sir, if I can manage it without being seen. Why, do you
know I went down by that bit o' stream, last night, to bathe my feet,
and before I got there, I stopped short and sneezed, and before I had
time to say, `Bless me!' there was an Indian's head popped up over a
bush, and another from behind a stone, to see what was the matter."
"Yes; I've noticed something of the kind," said Cyril thoughtfully.
"But I shouldn't advise you to swallow any stones you find."
"Why, sir?"
"Because they won't agree with you."
"They agree with chickens," said Manning, grinning, "and make their hard
food digest, so I don't see why they shouldn't agree with me, sir. But,
I say, Master Perry, let it out now; I'm sure you'd feel a deal happier
if you told us what the colonel's hunting for."
"I shall not tell you, because I don't know. My father knows best about
what he's doing, I daresay. We thought, the other day, that we were in
great danger; but you saw how quietly he took it, and how it all came to
nothing."
"Perhaps the time has not come yet," said Cyril rather seriously; "don't
let's talk too soon."
No more was said then; but a few days later, the others thought of how
prophetic the boy's words had proved.
But it was not until another fortnight had passed, and a day had arrived
when, after journeying through a deep defile of a similar character to
that which they had threaded upon the day when they met the llama
caravan, they reached a point upon the slope of a huge mountain, from
which they looked down over a glorious picture of hill and dale, verdant
forest and wide-reaching plain, with, in two places, thin serpentine
threads of water glistening in the sun.
"At last," said the colonel gravely. "It has been a long journey, boys,
but we have reached the point I sought."
Cyril looked at him inquiringly; and Perry, who felt that he was
expected to speak, said: "Yes; it's very grand. How different to being
in amongst the mountains!"
"Yes, boy; we can breathe out here. Did you notice the water in the
last two streams we passed?"
"Yes; very beautiful with the overhanging trees, father."
"Yes; but the way they ran?"
"No," said Perry.
"Look yonder, then," said the colonel, pointing to a little rivulet
which leaped out from between two masses of rock. "Where is that
going?"
"Into another stream, I suppose," said Perry, "and that will run into
another, and so on, till they all together form a big river, and run
into the ocean."
"Yes; but what ocean, my boy? Don't you see that we have crossed the
watershed? Till the last day or two, all the streams we passed have
been going constantly west into the Pacific. Now we have passed through
the mountains, and found the eastern slope, where all run down to make
the vast rivers which flow into the Atlantic."
"I should not have known," said Perry.
"Nor I," said Cyril; "but its much fresher out here."
"Yes, we have left the dry region behind, to get into the land of rains
and many waters. We saw no such forests as those which are spread
before us even at this height."
"Is this high, sir?" asked Cyril.
"Yes, my lad, about nine thousand feet."
"And shall we go back the same way?" asked Perry.
"Possibly, my lad, but more probably not. It depends upon the way the
Indians treat us."
"But we can never find our way back any other way," cried Cyril. "Don't
think about it. We should be lost up here in these mountains."
"No, because we have a guide with us, my boy, and if I can help it, he
will not leave us till he has seen us safely back."
Cyril said nothing, but the thought occurred to him:
"Suppose we wake some fine morning, and the guides are gone."
They camped that night on the slope of the hill, and till it was growing
dark, the colonel busied himself with his glass, carefully, as it seemed
to the boys, inspecting the forest in every direction, and ending by
closing the telescope with a satisfied smile, which was not lost upon
Cyril.
"He has found it," he said to Perry, as soon as they were alone.
"Found what?"
"What he has come after."
Perry looked at him wonderingly.
"You have found out?" he said.
"No, I wish I had; but didn't you see how pleased he seemed when he came
back to supper, and said that we should camp here for a few days?"
"Yes, I noticed that."
"Well, doesn't it mean that we have got to the spot at last that he was
in search of?"
Perry shook his head.
"Well, you see if we don't find out something to-morrow."
Perry had almost forgotten his companion's words at breakfast-time the
next morning, but they came to his memory as soon as they had done, for
the colonel said:
"Now, boys, we'll make a little expedition along the edge of the forest
here this morning. Cyril, tell the men to mind the mules don't stray
too far, and keep up the fire."
John Manning looked sharply at the colonel, as much as to say: "Then you
mean me to come also, sir?"
"Yes, I want you to carry spare ammunition and the game-bag. I hope we
shall have some sport along here," said the colonel, who had caught the
old soldier's inquiring gaze.
Half an hour later, they were tramping along the mountain-slope, through
open woods that were quite park-like, and gave them glimpses of the
far-spreading region below, all vested in a delicate bluish mist, while
where they journeyed all was brilliant sunshine. There was a delicious
feeling of spring in the air, for though the sun was hot, the air was
crisp and cool, making the task of walking easy, and giving the
travellers a feeling of elasticity, wanting when passing through the
gloomy gorges of the huge mountain-chain.
The colonel led off as if he were quite accustomed to the place, though
there was no sign of a track, and before they had gone far, Perry
whispered a hope that they would not lose their way.
"No fear," said Cyril. "We are keeping the mountains on our left, and
we must keep them on our right as we go back. We have only to keep
along till we strike the stream, and follow it up or down till we reach
our fire. I daresay we shall see it long before we are near, by the
smoke."
They had gone quite a couple of miles without seeing any trace of game,
the woods being wonderfully silent. The colonel was on in front, and
the two boys about twenty yards behind, each bearing a gun, when Perry
suddenly paused.
"Where's John Manning?" he said. "I thought he was close up."
They waited, and then whistled several times, but there was no response,
and then Cyril ran back to where the land was more open, but still there
was no sign; and he was about to run forward again, and signal to the
colonel to stop, when the missing man suddenly appeared with his piece
at the trail, running hard, but keeping himself bent down, to avoid
being seen.
"What's the matter?" said Cyril, as the old soldier came up. "Seen a
deer?"
"No, sir; I only had a suspicion."
"What of?"
"Struck me that Master Diego would come after us to see which way we
went."
"Well?"
"Yes, I hung back to watch, and he's half a mile behind, tracking us by
our footmarks, with his head down, or else he'd have seen me."
"Come on, and tell the colonel."
They hurried forward, and joined Perry, waiting for them anxiously.
"At last," he said excitedly. "Did you see?"
"See what?"
"Those Indians."
"No. Where?" said Cyril.
"On both sides, among the trees. They are watching us. What ought we
to do?"
"Rearguard closes up on the main body," said John Manning quickly.
"Single file, and at the double. Now, sir, you head the advance.
March."
Cyril sprang forward to overtake the colonel, looking down as he trotted
forward in search of trampled-down grass and broken twigs; but from the
first he saw nothing, neither could he hear a sound, and after some
minutes' progress, he pulled up short, and breathing hard.
"We had better spread out now," he said, "or we shall overlook him."
"Didn't you see which way he went?" said John Manning.
"Out this way somewhere," said Perry. "He can't be far away."
"Enemy closing in," said the old soldier in a low voice. "Forward, my
lads. We must find him now."
Those last words sent a chill through Cyril, who sprang forward again,
and then nearly uttered a shout; for, about fifty yards in front, he
caught sight of the colonel standing half hidden by the thick growth at
the edge of a clearing, where some dozen or so of men were busy
apparently cutting wood. Beyond them were two rough huts thatched with
boughs, and piled up in little stacks were fagots of the wood which the
men had cut down.
They were so busy over their task, that they had not noticed the
presence of the colonel, neither did they hear the approaching footsteps
as they worked on. But the colonel did, and turned and hurried back to
meet the boys, holding up his hand to command silence. His eyes were
flashing with satisfaction as they came up, and he had a branch of one
of the trees about them in his hand.
"We thought we had lost you," said Perry excitedly. "What's that?"
"The magic tree I have come all these thousands of miles to seek, boy,
and now--"
"Will you cast your eye this way, sir?" said John Manning, in a hoarse
low voice of warning. "Indians all around. Do it mean mischief, or are
they only friends?"
He gave his head a backward wag as he spoke, and as Cyril looked
excitedly in the indicated direction, he saw that which made him thrust
his hand into his pouch to count the cartridges; for if the coming
Indians meant offence, they as travellers were in mortal peril of losing
their lives.
CHAPTER TWELVE.
AT BAY.
To have attempted to escape, the colonel said, would be madness, for it
would have suggested fear of the approaching Indians, and made them
think at once that the visit to their secluded haunts meant no good to
them; so throwing his piece into the hollow of his left arm, and bidding
the others do as he did, Colonel Campion took a few steps forward to
meet the Indians, and held out his hand.
This had the effect of making them halt a few yards from them, and
keeping their faces fixed upon the English party, they talked rapidly
among themselves.
At that moment Cyril caught sight of Diego hanging back among the men in
the rear.
"There's our guide, sir," he said hurriedly. "Shall I call him?"
"He there?" said the colonel sharply. "Yes, call him. No: go through
them, and fetch him, boy."
Cyril hesitated for a moment or two, and his heart beat high; but the
order had been given in true military style, and it had its influence.
The boy felt that he would be backed up by the colonel in all he did,
and throwing his gun over his right shoulder, he stepped boldly forward,
finding that the white was master even here; for the Indians, taken by
surprise at his firmness, parted at once to let him pass, and then
Cyril's pulses beat a little more rapidly, for the men closed up again,
shutting him off from his friends.
The boy felt this, but he knew that he must not show fear, and without a
moment's hesitation, he walked on up to where Diego stood half hidden
behind a couple of the Indians, and clapping his hand upon the man's
shoulder, "Come," he said, "the colonel wants you."
The guide shrank at Cyril's touch, and looked at his fellows for
support, but no one stirred, and uttering a low sigh, the man allowed
himself to be marched away to where the colonel stood, the Indians
giving way on either side, and then closing up again in silence, and
without the slightest show of menace.
For to them it was as if a superior being had calmly passed among them
and fetched one, each man feeling relieved that he was not the one
selected, and that, had he been, he would have felt compelled to go.
"Well done, British boy," said the colonel to Cyril, as he stopped
before him with the guide, who looked of a curious dusky colour now; his
eyes showing the whites around the iris, and his lips seeming parched as
he moistened them hastily with his tongue from time to time.
"Now then," continued the colonel sharply, as if he were addressing a
delegate from a mutinous company of his old regiment, "why have you
brought all these men after me, sir?--Interpret quickly, Cyril."
This was done, and the man's voice trembled as he answered.
"He says they made him come, sir," said Cyril.
"Which is a lie," cried John Manning; "for he has been dodging us all
the time."
"Silence there. 'Tention!" cried the colonel harshly, and the old
soldier drew himself up smartly, lowered and then shouldered arms, just
as if he had been on parade.
It was a trifle, but it had its effect upon the Indians, giving them a
great idea of the importance of the colonel, who stood there, erect and
stern, issuing his orders; and in their eyes he was a great white chief,
if not a king.
"Now," he said sharply, "let that boy ask him what these people want."
Cyril interpreted and obtained his answer, the peril of their position
sharpening the boy's faculties, and making him snatch at words of which
he was in doubt.
"They have come," said Cyril, "to see why you are here. They say you
have no right to come amongst the kina gatherers, and that you must go
back to the coast at once."
"Indeed!" said the colonel haughtily. "We shall see about that. Tell
them, boy, that I am the English chief of a great white queen; that I
have come into this country to examine it and its products, and that I
will shoot dead with this piece the first man who dares to interfere
with me and mine."
"Hear, hear!" growled John Manning.
"Silence in the ranks," cried the colonel sharply; while, gaining
confidence, Cyril's voice partook somewhat of his leader's imperious
command, as he repeated the words as loudly as he could, so that all
might hear.
There was a low fierce murmur from the little crowd, which was now
augmented by the bark peelers, who closed the English party up from the
rear.
"What do they say?" cried the colonel, taking a step forward, and
cocking his piece at the same moment.
"That they will make us prisoners, sir," said Cyril.
"Who dared say that?" roared the colonel, and taking another step
forward, he looked fiercely round, with the result that to a man the
Indians bent their heads before him, and not one dared look him in the
face.
"Hah!" he ejaculated, "that is better. Now tell them I wish to see the
kina gathered and prepared."
Cyril gave the interpretation of his words, and Diego and an old Indian
came humbly forward and laid down their bows and arrows at his feet.
The colonel took a step and planted his foot upon the weapons. Then
drawing back, he pointed down.
"Pick them up!" he said sternly in English, and repeated the words in
Spanish, when a low murmur of satisfaction arose, and the men stooped,
lifted their weapons, and then making deprecating signs, they led the
way into the clearing where the cinchona trees had been cut down, and
the people had been busy collecting and drying the bark.
The colonel went on first, and Cyril and John Manning next, followed by
Perry and Diego.
"It does one good, Master Cyril," whispered John Manning, "it does one
good again, my lad. That's the sort of man the colonel is. Fit for a
king, every inch of him. There ain't many men as would have faced a
body of savage Indians with their bows and arrows like that. He's the
right sort of stuff, ain't he? and yet they let him leave the army and
go on half-pay."
"Yes, but do you think there will be any treachery?" replied Cyril.
"No, sir, I don't, so long as we show 'em we mean to keep the upper hand
of 'em. They daren't. They know the colonel meant what he said, and
felt that every word he said was true, and that a big chief had come
among 'em."
"Yes, I could see that," said Cyril.