never would. He always said it was degrading a boy to beat him, and
that he was a poor parent who could not rule his children without blows.
He told me he thought he could hurt me a good deal more by his words,
and so he always could."
"Perhaps so, sir," said the colonel sternly; "but see what a mistake he
has made, and what a miserable young dog you have turned out."
Cyril was silent for a few moments.
"I hope I'm not all bad, sir," he said. "I'm sure I've bitterly
repented what I have done."
"And been severely punished, too, my lad," said the colonel kindly.
"Your father is quite right, and when I tell him how you have behaved--
as, please God, I hope I shall--if he is the man I believe him to be, he
will shake hands with you as I do now, and say, `Let's forget the
past!'"
"Colonel Campion!" cried Cyril, snatching at the hand extended to him.
He could say no more, for something seemed to rise in his throat and
choke him, while the colonel rested his arm affectionately upon his
shoulder once more, and walked him up and down toward the light and back
again.
"So you'd fight for it and stand out, eh?" said the colonel at last.
"Yes, sir, that I would," cried Cyril excitedly, "and I'm sure Perry
will say the same."
The colonel was silent for a few moments, gazing straight before him
into the darkness, and he asked himself whether he would be justified in
running all these risks. He shook his head, and they turned and marched
down again toward the light, where the rippling stream looked rosy in
the evening, and the rocks on the other side of the gorge were all
aglow. And there was so much in the brightness and hope and prospect of
success that the feelings of dread, the shrinking from a terrible
ordeal, and all hesitation fled away.
"Yes," he said firmly as he stopped short; "a civilian might hesitate
and give up, but I cannot, my lad. I determined to carry out this task,
believing that by it I should vastly benefit suffering humanity at
large, and Heaven helping me, I will achieve my aims."
"And you will fight it out, sir?" cried Cyril.
"I will, my boy, to the bitter end. I made the Indians fear me, and if
they attack us now, they shall fear me more, for I have our lives to
save as well. Now, go and lie down."
"No, sir, I don't feel sleepy; let me watch with you."
"You are a soldier for the time being, my lad, and if we are to succeed,
discipline must be observed. In an hour's time I rouse up John Manning
to relieve me, and toward morning, when you are rested and refreshed,
you shall be called to take your watch."
Cyril lay down without a word, meaning to think out all that had been
said, and feeling happier than he had since he left home. But he did
not think, for in a few seconds after he had stretched his weary limbs
upon the rocky floor, all the corners and points of his bed became soft
as eider-down, and he dropped into a deep dreamless sleep, leaving the
colonel seated on a rock, leaning forward with his gun between his legs,
and his form looking black against the soft glowing light at the
entrance of the cave.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
NATURE IS MISTRESS.
"I haven't slept long," thought Cyril as he woke with a start to see the
colonel seated as he had left him when sleep came. He did not appear to
have moved, and all was perfectly still. One thing, however, puzzled
him, and that was the light. It was soft and warm and glowing then; now
it was clear and bright.
All at once he saw something come into sight from the side and stand
looking in. It was the old leading mule, and it stood there munching
away at a tuft of green stuff which it held in its teeth, and then
dropped, and stooped its head to take a long drink of water.
"Have the Indians gone?" thought Cyril, "and has the colonel let the
mules out to feed?"
He sat up for a moment or two, and then lay down again.
"I may as well sleep till I am called," he thought, and he lay listening
to the heavy breathing of John Manning and Perry, whom he could see
lying in precisely the same position as when he lay down a few minutes
before.
But was it a few minutes before? Cyril asked himself as he saw the mule
lift its head with the water dripping from its lips, and then pick up
the tuft of green twigs, and go on munching again. It could not have
been longer, for the colonel had not been relieved yet; but the light
was so strange. Last time he looked, the opposite side of the gorge was
glowing with the sunset rays; now it was in shadow, and the sun was
shining just inside the mouth of the cave, and making the water flash
like molten silver.
The mule stared in toward him, and Cyril made a bull, as a sudden
thought flashed through his mind.
"Why, it's to-morrow morning!" he mentally exclaimed as he started up,
"and I've been asleep all this time."
He went to where the colonel sat, and though the stones rattled a little
beneath his feet, the watcher did not stir, but sat as if gazing
straight out past the mule, when Cyril said reproachfully:
"You shouldn't have let me sleep so long, sir."
But there was no answer, and at that moment there was a dull sound, a
whinnying sigh, as the mule gave a violent start, throwing out its legs
in all directions, and scattering the stones before gathering itself
together, and making a tremendous leap to go galloping away, not so
quickly, though, but that Cyril saw it had a long arrow sticking in its
back.
"What's that? Who? You, Cyril?" cried the colonel, springing to his
feet. "What! Have I been to sleep?"
"I don't know, sir; I only just woke up."
"Why, it's morning," cried the colonel angrily. "What was that noise?"
"The old mule. Some one shot an arrow, and stuck it in her back."
"But how came it there? I--I--Ah! and I blamed you, boy, for falling
asleep at your post."
"Anything the matter, sir?" said John Manning, coming forward, followed
hastily by Berry.
"Matter, man; yes. I have kept watch by sleeping all night."
"Well, sir, I don't wonder," said the man. "I have too, for you didn't
call me to go on duty."
"Oh, shame!" exclaimed the colonel. "And at a time like this!"
"I don't see no shame in it, sir," growled John Manning bluntly. "You
wanted sleep like the rest of us, and you couldn't fight against it.
You ain't an iron man, sir."
"Silence, sir!" cried the colonel angrily, and he hurried right out of
the cave, closely followed by the boys, in time to see the mule
disappear low down the gorge, galloping madly among the stones.
"Another--our most valuable pack mule gone," cried the colonel, in a
voice full of the anger and annoyance he felt. "The poor brute must
have strayed out to graze."
"Yes, sir; I saw it eating when I awoke, and then directly after the
arrow struck it."
"Then the Indians must be close at hand. Come back and help to secure
the rest of the mules, or they may be straying out after their leader."
Cyril looked in the colonel's face, and then pointed down the valley at
something moving, plainly seen now in the clear morning atmosphere.
"Yes; I see it. One moment till I focus the glass."
The colonel held his little double glass to his eye, and then let his
hand fall to his side in dismay on learning that the mischief was worse
than he had anticipated, for there was another mule on the far slope;
and just then John Manning came up with Perry from an expedition within
the cave.
"Yes: what is it?" cried the colonel sharply.
"Sorry to have to report it, sir," said Manning, in a low deep growl,
"but the mules have strayed out in the night."
"All?" said the colonel hoarsely. "Is there not one left?"
"No, sir; as far as I can make out, not one."
The colonel's brows knit, and he stood motionless for a few moments.
Then without a word he walked right in to where it was quite dark.
"Light the lantern," he said sharply, and in a few moments a match
gleamed out, and the candle was soon after shedding its rays in all
directions. But hardly had John Manning given a glance round, than he
uttered a sharp ejaculation.
"What is it?" cried the colonel. "Can you see the rest of the mules?"
"No, sir."
"Well, what is it?" cried the colonel impatiently.
"Don't you see, father?" cried Perry excitedly; "the Indians must have
crept in while we slept. They have carried everything away."
"What?" raged out the colonel as he looked wildly round where his
servant was holding up the lantern, and then he uttered a groan.
For it was too true. Every pack had gone, and with them the possibility
of holding out against the cunning enemy who had been in their midst.
The same thoughts came to each of the boys--thoughts of all they had
heard before setting out, of those who ventured into the mountains in
search of the Incas' treasures never being heard of more, and a curious
chilling feeling of despair came over them.
Would they ever see home again?
But the colonel was not the man to give way to despair. The position
was terrible--right out there amid the gigantic mountains, with the only
roads through them those naturally formed by the torrents in the wild
deep gorges, shut in by precipices of the most stupendous nature, with
no other guide than their compass, and surrounded by enemies who might
at any moment make an attack; while, so far from being able to make a
prolonged defence now, the Indians had robbed them of the means.
This was the position as it struck them all at first, but the colonel
gave it a different aspect directly.
"Council of war," he said cheerily, as he led the way out into the
sunshine, and sat down upon a block of stone. "Come, Perry lad, a
soldier's son must not look like that as soon as he is face to face with
difficulties. John Manning will tell you that he and I have been in
worse straits than this up in the hill-country.--Eh, Manning?"
"Of course, sir. This is nothing. Such a fine morning, too. Why, if
the snow lay twenty foot deep, as we've seen it, and we didn't know
whether we had any fingers or toes, we might begin to holler."
"Of course," said the colonel. "So let's see what is to be done."
The two boys exchanged glances, but said nothing.
"Now, then," cried the colonel, "let's look the worst straight in the
face, and then we will calculate our advantages. First of all, the
enemy."
"None in sight, sir," said John Manning.
"No; they have gone. They have achieved their aim in getting possession
of our baggage."
"Don't you think they'll attack us, sir?" said Cyril.
"No, certainly not. They have been here, and found us asleep. Had they
wished to slay us, there we were at their mercy, and not a hair of our
heads has been touched. Next trouble."
"Walked off with all the wittle, sir," growled John Manning.
"Yes, that's bad; but we have plenty of water, and shall not fail in our
journeyings for that. Bad thing to be journeying through a wild country
with not a drop of water, eh, Manning? We have done that."
"Don't talk about it, sir. And the sun all the time drying the very
marrow out of your bones."
"Yes, those were terrible times, my man. We shall not suffer that way,
and as to food, we have our guns. What about ammunition?"
"All got plenty, sir," growled John Manning. "I've seen every morning
that our pouches were full."
"That's right, then. With a little hunting, we must find some game in
these valleys, scarce as it has been. Then there is the coca leaf,
whose virtues we must try, failing anything better. Oh, come, we are
not so very badly off."
"Then you will try at once to make for one of the tracks through the
mountains, sir?" said Cyril.
"And live by hunting, father?" cried Perry.
"And give up, after trying so long, and being so near success, my boy?"
said the colonel. "Come, come: Britons would not have made their name
known all over the world if they had gone on like that."
"Look here," cried Cyril excitedly; and then he stopped and looked
doubtingly at the colonel.
"Well, I'm waiting, my lad. Every suggestion has its value at a time
like this. Speak out."
"I'm afraid you'll think the idea too wild, sir."
"I will say so if it is, my boy. Let's have it."
"I thought this, sir," said Cyril hesitatingly: "we're well-armed; the
Indians are afraid of you, and they are most likely retreating back to
their camp with our mules and baggage, along with the seed we worked so
hard to get."
He stopped again, and looked from one to the other, very red in the face
all the time.
"Well, go on," said the colonel encouragingly.
"Why not show them we're not a bit afraid, and go on in pursuit of them
at once? I don't believe they'd fight, and if they did--well, we should
have to do the same."
"Hooray!" shouted John Manning, throwing up his cap, catching it again,
and then drawing himself up stiffly as he glanced at the colonel: "Beg
pardon, sir."
The colonel merely nodded, but said to himself: "I wish Percy had spoken
like that." Then turning to Cyril: "You said, why not go in pursuit?"
"Yes, sir," said Cyril, throwing off his hesitation, and speaking now
with his eyes sparkling, and cheeks flushed with excitement. "Why not?"
"Exactly, my boy, why not?" said the colonel. "We were caught unawares,
and I have blamed myself, an old soldier, severely for the greatest
lapse of which an officer can be guilty--eh, John Manning?--sleeping on
duty in face of the enemy."
"Awful bad, sir, in time of war."
"Yes, but there are bounds to human nature's endurance, John Manning;
and though I would not own it to myself, I was utterly exhausted."
"All was, sir."
"Then now we must make up for it.--Cyril, my lad, you have proposed
exactly what I intended to do. Fortunately, we made a good meal last
night. To-day we must feast again when we have retaken the baggage.--
All ready? Fall in."
The boys followed the colonel's example, and leaped to their feet.
"Light marching order," said the colonel, "so we ought to get along
fast. That mule we saw, Cyril, shows that the others have been taken
down the valley toward the great fall. There is no choice of road here,
so I take it that the Indians are making their way straight back to
their camp. Now, one word more. See that your weapons are ready for
immediate use; no talking, but keep all your energies devoted to making
observations in every direction. No rift or ravine likely to hide the
enemy must be passed, if it is one possible for mules to climb. Now,
forward."
Then with a feeling of exhilaration that the boys could hardly
comprehend, the little party started off with the colonel leading, and
John Manning with his gun over his shoulder marching last, with a look
in his face that suggested his feeling that he was guarding the rear of
a column of advance once again.
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.
A MILITARY MOVEMENT.
At the first spot which gave him an opportunity to examine the gorge,
the colonel mounted to a narrow shelf and made good use of his glass,
descending at last to say: "They have got a good start of us, but there
is something about a quarter of a mile on that I can't make out.
Forward cautiously."
Five minutes later the colonel halted again and sent Perry to the left,
close up under that side of the gorge; Cyril to the right, with orders
to advance in a line with him, and be ready to fire if there were any
need.
It was quite a military movement, and the boys' hearts beat heavily at
what seemed like the first initiation in real warfare; but before they
had gone far Cyril uttered a shout, and pointed forward to something now
hidden from the colonel by a cluster of rocks in the lowest part of the
ravine, close to where the river ran with a deep-toned roar far below.
A minute later they were alongside the object, which proved to be the
leader, lying as near as it could get to the deep gash in which the
water was foaming. The poor wounded beast had in its struggles broken
the long arrow nearly level with its skin, and in its agony of thirst it
had been trying to reach the water, but fallen upon its side.
As Cyril came close up, the mule raised its head and uttered a piteous
whinnying noise, looking up in the face of one who had many a time
broken off some green spray of juicy growth to feed it as it trudged
along with its load; but its eyes were already glazing, and it was the
poor creature's last effort, for the head fell back heavily: there was a
curious quivering of the legs, which struck out once as if their owner
were galloping, and then all was still.
"Poor brute," said the colonel. "We cannot bury it, for there is no
soil here, even if we had tools. Forward, my lads."
He led on, and the boys followed, feeling low-spirited; but they soon
had something else to think about, for just as they were approaching one
of the narrowest parts of the gorge, Perry stopped short.
"Where's John Manning?" he said.
Cyril followed suit, but no sign of the old soldier met his eyes, and
they communicated with the colonel, who looked very anxious and much
disturbed.
"We must return," he said. "Why, boys, you ought to have kept in touch
with him. Double."
They all started back, but before they had gone a hundred yards the
colonel cried "Halt;" for there in the distance was the missing man
coming on at a rate which meant that he would soon overtake them.
"Did you see what he has been doing?" said Cyril, as they were once more
on the march.
"Been stopping to get something," said Perry, "but I could not see what.
Could you?"
"Ugh! Yes," said Cyril, with a shudder of disgust. "He doesn't want
for us to be starved, but who's going to eat mule?"
The tramp was long and tedious, but being no longer controlled by the
pace of the baggage animals, the little party made far better progress
than when they were making their way up the valley; yet the distance
they had come was far greater than they had anticipated, and for long
enough there was no sign of the Indians having passed that way. But
they kept on, the colonel feeling convinced that they had passed no side
ravine up which the mules could have been driven; while, having these
animals at their command, the colonel felt certain that the Indians
would not carry the loads.
At last, during the hottest part of the afternoon, a halt was called,
and they made for a huge rock which overhung on one side, offering a
tempting shade from the burning sun; but before they reached it Cyril
uttered an eager cry.
"Look! look!" he said excitedly, and he pointed to where there were
marks about a patch of herbage where the mules had been cropping the
coarse stuff, as well as browsing upon some tufts of bushes, whose green
twigs were bitten and broken off, and here and there leaves which had
been dropped were still so fresh that it was evident that they could not
long have been left.
This discovery, and a faint trace or two of the Indians having been with
the mules, had a better effect upon the party than hours of rest. For
they knew now that the treasured packs, containing not only
the necessities upon which they depended for life, but the
carefully-collected seed, were only a short distance ahead, and that if
they pushed on with energy they ought to overtake them.
The rest depended upon the strong arms of the two men.
They went on then at once, but no fresh sign encouraged them, and at
last the closing in of the ravine and the piled-up mountain in front
warned them that they were approaching the gloomy chasm into which the
river plunged. In fact, half an hour after, the deep booming roar of
the fall began to be audible, as if coming from somewhere high up on the
mountain-side.
"If it's coming to a fight," said Perry, "I hope it will not be in that
deep cavernous place near the fall. I feel as if I hardly dare go down
to it after what happened."
"Nonsense; you'll feel plucky enough when it comes to the point. Come
along."
"Steady, young gentleman. Halt," growled John Manning. "You should
keep your eyes open for what's going on in front. Look at the colonel."
They gazed forward, and saw that the last-named gentleman was signing to
them to stop and follow his example of crouching down; and directly
after they saw him creeping on toward the spot, from which so short a
time before they had seen the Indians come out from behind the veil of
mist, and amidst the roar of the falls point upward, making signs to
each other, and then disappear.
It was now so gloomy, that it was hard to make out their leader's
movements, for the light only reached them from the narrow opening high
overhead, and where the little river raced onward toward the fall it was
rapidly growing black; but in a few minutes the colonel signed to them
to come on, and at a word from John Manning they advanced quickly,
stooping in obedience to a sign from the colonel's hand, and reached him
at last where he crouched behind a stone.
He did not speak, but pointed, and first John Manning, then Perry, and
lastly Cyril peered cautiously over the stone, the latter being only in
time to see that they were quite right in their surmises, for there
below was a party of about thirty well-armed Indians, slowly making
their way down the last of the many zigzags of the path toward where the
mist rose like a dark veil, the wind which blew down the gorge keeping
it, as it rose from the great gulf, from spreading in their direction,
but beating it back into a dense cloud, to float slowly out into the
valley beyond.
There they were walking very cautiously, some ten in front, and next, to
Cyril's great joy, the remainder of their train of pack-mules, well
loaded with the treasures taken from the cave. The rest of the party
followed about a dozen yards behind.
Cyril remained watching till the head of the little column readied the
veil of mist, went on, and was completely blotted out the next minute,
one by one, the Indians being visible in the gloom, and then gone.
Next it was the turn of the animals, and as Cyril watched, it was very
curious to note how a mule would be visible for a time, then its head
and shoulders would disappear, and lastly it would be entirely swallowed
up. The remainder of the Indians followed, one by one, till the last
man, who seemed to be their chief, was alone, and he turned back to gaze
upward, narrowly scrutinising the zigzag path by which his party had
descended for a few minutes before he followed the rest. Then the
gloomy place was utterly deserted, and momentarily growing blacker, so
that the way down could not be seen.
There was no fear now of their words being heard above the booming roar
which came up out of the chasm, and the colonel explained his
intentions.
"I am going to call upon you all to show your nerve," he said, "for we
must go down, and pass along by the fall through the darkness and mist."
"But is it safe, father?" said Perry anxiously.
"Safe or no, my lad, it is a chance I cannot let slip," replied his
father. "You saw their leader looking back, Cyril? He was evidently
satisfied that there was no pursuit, and he and his people will conclude
that once they get through the mist they will be safe, and no doubt camp
just on the other side for the night.--Manning, we must steal through
the mist, creep up, and surprise them. Two or three of our little
volleys will, I believe, put them to flight if we come upon them
suddenly, and then we must return this way, and show our teeth fiercely
if they pursue."
"Right, sir; I'm ready," said John Manning. "You lead, and we'll
follow."
"Let's rest, then, till it is quite dark. I believe I can lead you
right through to the other side without much risk, for after our
experience we know the worst. Besides, where they can go, we can go.
There, wait a bit, boys, and we shall have our own again, and the
wherewithal to make a good meal. No, no," the colonel added as John
Manning raised his head. "Only in case of utter starvation, my man. We
can hold out a little longer, and I hope we shall not have to come to
eating mule. Now, lie down, all of you, and rest. In a couple of
hours' time I shall start."
CHAPTER THIRTY.
TRAPPED.
Hungry and faint, it was a dreary time passed during that halt; but in
spite of all, it was restful, though the stones were hard, and there
were moments when Cyril felt as if he could go off fast asleep, and
dream of banquets, as hungry people are said to do.
But there was no sleeping, and, as nearly as could be guessed, at the
end of two hours the colonel rose, and gave the word "Forward."
Then began the journey down the long zigzag, every turn bringing them
nearer to the spot where the river took its great plunge into the gulf.
The roar grew deeper and louder, though still smothered by the dense
mist, and as they drew nearer, there was the damp odour of water,
breathed in the smallest of vesicles, as it was churned and then whirled
upward to battle with the breeze descending the gorge.