by James Otis
CHAPTER XXI.
A LONG HALT.
When the morning dawned Poyor was still absent and Cummings' anxiety hadbecome intense.
It hardly seemed possible the Indian would go very far from the cave ofhis own free will, and that he had been captured by the enemy appearedmore than probable.
Neither Jake nor the boys awakened until after the sun had risen, and,as a matter of course, the first inquiry of each was concerning the manupon whom all depended so entirely.
Before Cummings could give words to the fears which had haunted himduring the night the entrance to the cave was darkened, and Teddy criedjoyfully:
"Here he is, and I hope we are to make another move pretty soon, forafter last night's adventure this isn't the most pleasant place I eversaw in which to spend any length of time."
It could easily be seen from the Indian's general appearance that hebrought no bad news, and without waiting to be questioned he wenttoward the stream to quench his thirst.
A sharp cry from both the boys caused him to halt very suddenly, andwhen Cummings told the story of the adventure with the alligator hesaid:
"You should not have made such an attempt except when a fire wasburning, and even then to wade into the water was wrong. I will get whatcan be used for both drinking and fishing."
Again he left the cave, returning ten minutes later with what lookedlike a slender bamboo, save that there were no joints in it. Through themiddle of the pole, running the entire length, was a small hole hardlylarger than is to be found in a reed, and with this while standing fiveor six feet from the stream he drank at leisure, keeping his eyes fixedupon the surface of the water to guard against an attack.
Having thus quenched his thirst he returned to where Cummings was onguard and told the story of his wanderings.
He had followed straight along the line of moisture, finding cave aftercave but none of them as well adapted to their purpose as was this one,and had seen none of the enemy until five or six miles had beentraversed, when a strong cordon of sentinels was discovered.
The men were stationed not more than twenty feet apart, and, as nearlyas he could judge, had been ordered to remain and prevent the fugitivesfrom leaving the country by way of the coast. From what he already knewconcerning the people, he understood the number of men on duty at thisparticular point had been largely increased, therefore the naturalinference was that there were two distinct bodies engaged in trying tocapture the white men. One whose duty it was to guard the boarder sothoroughly that it would be impossible to escape, while the otherscoured the forest and swamp.
"We must stay here several days," he said in conclusion. "After a timethe men will grow careless, and then we may be able to make our waythrough the lines; but now it is impossible."
Until this moment Neal and Teddy had hoped there might yet be a chancefor them to reach Progresso in time to take passage on the steamer asfirst agreed upon; but now they were in despair. Poyor spoke sopositively that there could be no doubt the journey to the coast wouldbe a long one, in case they ever succeeded in making it, and thethoughts of the loved ones at home who were probably mourning them asdead caused them to be more gloomy than on the night of the flight, whenit did not seem possible any of the party would escape alive.
Cummings, who had no care as to when he reached the coast, and Jake, towhom time was no particular object, received the news calmly. A weekmore or less made but little difference to them, and after a short pauseCummings said:
"If you will stay on guard, Jake, I'll find out if it is possible tocatch any fish. The food supply is an important matter which should besettled at once, for we must not depend upon what can be gotten in theforest, since no one can say how soon we may be besieged."
Poyor lay down to sleep as if perfectly indifferent to the experiment,and the boys followed Cummings. To watch him fish was better thanremaining quiet thinking over their troubles.
The reflection of the sun from the outside had so far dispelled thegloom that it was possible to distinguish surrounding objects withreasonable distinctness, and Cummings stood by the bank of the stream ashe tied one end of Teddy's line to the pole Poyor had used for drinkingpurposes, while, with the last remaining fragments of roasted toh, beganthe work.
In the most perfect silence the boys watched him for ten minutes, andTeddy said:
"I guess you'll have to give it up as a bad job. There's nothing butalligators in the stream, and what they most want is another chance toget hold of Neal's trousers."
"It was lucky for me that they didn't get hold of my ankle as well. Idon't understand how I escaped so easily, for----"
"Here's the first one," Cummings said triumphantly, as he swung on shorea fish weighing about three pounds. "If we find many such there won't beany danger of suffering from hunger."
The boys seized the flapping evidence of Cummings' skill as an angler,and hurried to the entrance in order to examine it more closely.
In shape it was similar to a brook trout; but instead of being spottedhad black scales as large as one's thumb nail, and not until it had beenscrutinized carefully was anything seen to betoken the presence oforgans of sight. Then Jake pointed out two slight depressions near theend of the upper jaw, which were protected and nearly covered by acartilaginous substance extending entirely across the head somethingafter the fashion of a hood.
"I don't wonder he had to try a long while before catching this fellow,"Teddy said with a laugh. "A fish that has such poor apologies for eyescan't be expected to see bait very quickly."
"It isn't likely they can see anything, and if these small specks areeyes they've probably only been put on as ornaments."
At this point Jake, regardless of the fact that he should have beenlistening intently at the aperture, began what was evidently about to bea long dissertation on the subject of a fish being able to smell whilein the water, and to prevent him from neglecting his duties as sentinel,the boys went back to the stream, arriving there just as Cummings landeda second prize.
At the end of an hour four fish, aggregating in weight not less than tenpounds, were on the bank, and it was decided that no more should becaught.
"We've got food enough to last us during twenty-four hours," Cummingssaid, "and it would be a waste of time to fish any longer."
"When are we to cook them?" Teddy asked.
"That is a job which must be left for Poyor. He can do it better thaneither of us, and, since there are none of the enemy in the immediatevicinity, I fancy we may count on having these for the next meal."
Then Cummings took his turn at sleeping, after impressing on the mindsof the boys and Jake that a strict watch should be kept by allregardless of the news brought by the Indian, and during the two hourswhich followed before there was any change in the condition of affairs,little else was done save to discuss the situation.
They talked of the loved ones at home; of the probable whereabouts ofthose who had left the burning yacht in their company, and of thechances that they would soon reach the coast, until Jake changed thesubject by saying abruptly:
"We'll soon be blind if the Indian don't find a hidin' place where thesunlight penetrates once in awhile. I begin to feel a good deal like abat already, an' have a big mind to slip out for a walk."
"Don't so much as think of it," Teddy cried in alarm. "It isn't certainthat the enemy are not close by, and the risk is too great."
"I can't see it in that light," Jake replied in his old obstinatemanner. "Perhaps Poyor has had more experience in these woods than Ihave; but I'll bet considerable that I can get around as well as hedoes."
"Do you remember what happened the last time you believed Cummings andPoyor were mistaken or ignorant?" Neal asked meaningly.
"What has that got to do with my going where I can use my eyes a bit?"
"Very much, considering the fact that Cummings thinks it is dangerouseven for him to venture out. You are safe so long as the Indians do notget a glimpse of you, and it would be endangering the lives of al
l handsif you tried such a foolish experiment that can be of no especialbenefit in case it is made successfully."
Jake did not reply; but from his manner Neal believed he intended toleave the cave at the first favorable opportunity, and resolved to keepa close watch upon him.
Nothing more was said on the subject because at this moment Poyor arose,and going to the stream for a drink of water, saw the fish on the bank.
"Hungry?" he asked, coming toward the entrance.
"I wouldn't object to something warm," Teddy replied with a laugh; "butI suppose it isn't safe to build a fire till after dark."
"We can have one now," the Indian said, as he began to crawl through thepassage.
"There," Jake said triumphantly, as Poyor disappeared, "you can see howmuch danger there would be in our taking a stroll. Yesterday he wouldn'tlet a fellow whisper, and now we're to cook as if such a tribe as theChan Santa Cruz had never existed."
"That doesn't make the slightest difference so far as we are concerned.He could go in safety where you'd be certain to get into trouble."
Again the engineer was silenced but not convinced and Neal's fears thatsome dangerously foolish move might be made by him, were increased.
When Poyor returned he brought with him a small quantity of wood, moremud, and a bundle of green leaves.
At the further end of the cave he built a fire; encased the fish as hepreviously had the "chickens," piled the embers over them, and then, inthe canteen brought by Cummings, he steeped the leaves.
Breakfast or dinner, whichever it might be called was ready in half anhour, and when Poyor set the repast before them, where all could be onthe alert while eating, Teddy exclaimed:
"Those leaves must have been from a tea plant; it seems quite like beingon the yacht again to smell that."
"You'll be disappointed when you taste of the beverage," Cummings, whohad just been awakened by the Indian, said, as he approached hiscompanions. "He has made an infusion of pimientillo leaves, a drink ofwhich the natives of Yucatan are very fond."
Teddy was pleased rather than otherwise with the flavor, which was as oftea mixed with cloves, and drank so much that Poyor was forced to brewanother canteen full in order to satisfy his own desires.
The fish were pronounced delicious, and although Cummings thought he hadcaught considerably more than could be consumed in one meal, there wasvery little left when the hunger of all had been appeased.
It was now nearly noon, when every native of the country believes asiesta is necessary, however important business he may have on hand, andPoyor stretched himself once more out on the sand, Cummings advising theboys and Jake to do the same thing.
"I slept so long that I couldn't close my eyes now if I tried, so youhad better take advantage of the opportunity."