The Peril Finders

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

  THE WATER SEARCH.

  "Certainly not," cried the doctor. "We must explore this place. But itlooks so fresh that most likely we shall find a tribe of Indians livinghere still."

  "Nay," said Griggs, shaking his head as his keen eyes wandered fromplace to place along the vast opening. "Indians who lived here musthave had horses for going about, and there isn't a sign of one anywhere.Besides, if there had been any Indians we should have had some of themshowing. The fighting men might be away, but there'd be their wives andpapooses skulking here and there."

  "Yes; a city of the dead," said the doctor, sweeping the sides of theamphitheatre with his glass. "Not a sign of life but some marmot-likeanimals yonder. And, as far as I know, there are no Indians who buildor carve out such houses as these living now, except the puebla Indians.Well, this is a discovery indeed. We are bound to find someinteresting relics here if other travellers have not been beforehandwith us."

  "Then we shall camp here for a day or two, father?" cried Chris eagerly."Let's ride on to the end, and see if there's a way out yonder."

  "Yes, it will be as well," said the doctor, "and at the same time we canselect our camp. But the first thing is to find water."

  "If there is none we must go back to that torrent where the gold wasfound."

  "And make some excursions here," said Wilton.

  "Must be water somewhere here, sir," said Griggs uneasily. "There musthave been a strong tribe living here at some time--hundreds of 'em,perhaps--and they couldn't live without drinking."

  There was a desolate look about the newly-discovered city, but thebottom between the vast walls was every here and there verdant withgrass and shrub, while the walls themselves were dotted with the growthof ages. Bushes were everywhere, while in every crack and cleft, treeshad taken root, some being of a pendent growth spreading graceful boughswhich waved in the soft wind that from time to time swept through thegreat depression.

  "Let's leave the mules to browse here," said the doctor; "there's enoughof this short bush to keep them together while we ride on and explore,for I think we may make sure that we have the place to ourselves."

  "I won't say yes to that yet, sir," said Griggs dryly; "not till we'vehad a good look round. And first thing I've got to say is, 'Waresnakes."

  "What!" cried the boys, in a breath.

  "'Ware snakes, as aforesaid, neighbours," repeated the American. "Youmay depend upon it some of those gentlemen came creeping or tumblingdown from the flats above, found the premises convenient, and are livingwith large families up in some of these houses."

  These words had a strange effect upon the listeners. It was as if allthe interest in the place had been crashed out; all desire to explorethe wonders of this old city of the past had died away on the instant.As for the boys, their adventures in the desert came back, and clearlystanding out were the creeping and writhing poisonous reptiles whosestroke meant a horrible death, lurking ready for them wherever theyturned: and a shudder ran through them as if they had just been swept bysome icy wind.

  Then the doctor spoke.

  "That's a horrible notion of yours, Griggs," he said; "but, after all,it is only a guess: there may not be a reptile here."

  "So much the better for us, sir," cried the American cheerily; "but allthe same I say it once more--'Ware snakes."

  "Yes: you all have a shot-cartridge ready?" said the doctor.

  "Yes," came back--one word, and everybody unslung his double piece.

  "The mules," said the doctor then--"we must not have them bitten."

  "They'll be pretty safe where they are grazing," said Griggs coolly."Rattlesnakes don't care for places like that. It's in the stony sandybits where they can get the full heat of the sun that there is mostrisk."

  "Yes," said the doctor thoughtfully; "perhaps we might leave them asthey are."

  "And pick our way slowly and carefully, doctor. Shall I go first?"

  "I don't like setting you always where there is most danger," repliedthe doctor.

  "None for me here," replied Griggs. "It's my poor mustang who has torun the risk; but I'll try and save him all I can."

  "How?"

  "Well, I've a sort of idea that I can manage it this way," replied theAmerican, re-slinging his rifle and taking out his strong keen-edgedhunting-knife, after dismounting and throwing his rein upon the groundover his pony's head. The sturdy little creature stood gazing at it, asif full of the belief that the rein held it fast to a peg driven firmlyinto the ground, and never attempting to move, while its master steppedto a clump of young fir-trees, selecting a sapling about a dozen feethigh and cutting it off close to the ground.

  This done, he proceeded quickly to lop off all the horizontal branchesclose to the stem, clearing them quickly away all but the thick top,where he left a tuft, and on finishing, had provided himself with arough lance whose green brush-like top furnished him with the weapon ofoffence and defence with which he intended to protect his pony.

  "What are you going to do?" asked Chris, who had been watching himintently.

  "You come next, and see," was the reply. "Now, gentlemen, I'll lead;please follow in single file."

  Griggs sent his pony forward at a walk towards the far end of theamphitheatre, holding the fir-pole well-balanced and low-down in front,while, rising in his stirrups, he bent forward, lancer-like, keeping hiseyes fixed upon the ground before him, over which he guided his mount.In this way he advanced, still keeping at a walk, avoiding everydangerous-looking spot, keeping to the open, and wherever there was thepossibility of a lurking enemy being at hand the tuft at the point ofthe pole was lowered to the ground and used as a beater to drive out anyreptile that might be there.

  At the commencement the mustang seemed disposed to start and shy, but afew soothing words calmed it, and as if divining the object in view, itstepped out finally, only uttering a snort or two when the green head ofthe spear was rustled about, the snorts sounding as if given to helpscare any danger away.

  "Don't seem to be any, Griggs," said Chris.

  "Not yet, my lad," was the reply. "You see, I'm picking out the leastlikely bits; but one never knows."

  "There goes one," shouted Chris the next moment, and he raised his pieceto his shoulder.

  "Don't fire; he's got well into cover," cried Griggs. "It was a snake,but I don't think it was a rattler, for he didn't talk with his tail."

  "No; I didn't hear him rattle. Why did you tell me not to fire?"

  "Because you wouldn't have hit the brute, only wasted a cartridge."

  There had been no check, and they rode slowly on and on till the end ofthe depression had been reached, Griggs's plan resulting in starting offaltogether five dangerous-looking serpents from the spots where they layready to scuttle in amongst the growth at the first movement of theextemporised weapon--the last of the fleeing reptiles proving itsdangerous nature as it hurried away by giving off a harsh, dull,rattling sound with its quivering tail.

  A careful examination was made to the left without effect, and anotherto the right, but everywhere they were faced by the precipitous wall ofcliff, carved-out and terraced, and here and there offering facilitiesfor climbing up more or less high, the stones from above having fallenfrom the weakening and decay of time till a glacis-like slope had beenformed; but after the reptiles that had been started in the less likelyplaces, there was no present temptation for ascending the stony slopes,bathed in the hot sunshine and looking thoroughly suited for the home ofthe dangerous creatures.

  This exploration of the lower part of the amphitheatre, ravine, ordepression tempted farther search, the party riding on, and afterexamining cautiously the sides, visiting the upper portion near thezigzag gorge by which they had entered; but only to find that there wasno other means of access to the city unless by a descent from thetableland in which the place seemed to be formed.

  "And snakes seem to be the only inhabitants," said Chris to hiscompanion. "Why, Griggs, we can't
stop here."

  "Not unless we can find water," said the American.

  "And not even then," replied the boy, "with the risk of getting bitten."

  "If there are no more than we started we're not going to give up forthat," said Griggs coolly. "Why, they're quite scarce."

  "But we haven't been upward on those terraces. They may be swarmingthere," cried Chris.

  "Yes, and there may be none. We don't want to go up there to-day. Whatwe want is water. Now, where is it?"

  "Nowhere, seemingly."

  "Oh, that notion won't do," said the American. "Here, it is plainenough that once upon a time this was a big place with no end of peopleliving in it."

  "Yes; so my father thought."

  "Very well, then; I dare say it was just such a dry, hot place as it isnow, and they must have had water close at hand, or they wouldn't havesettled here."

  "They got it out of the gully through which we came."

  "No, that won't do," cried Griggs. "This was the old people'sstronghold, where they could be safe and set all their enemies atdefiance. Everything points to that. Don't it?"

  "I think so," said Chris grudgingly.

  "Well, then, it isn't likely that they would depend on a fall of waterfrom which the first enemies who attacked them could cut them off andleave them to die of thirst."

  "I never thought of that," said Chris, as, separated now from the rest,they allowed their ponies to pace slowly on, nibbling off such juicyshoots as came in their way.

  "It isn't likely," said Griggs. "There must be water somewhere--a finefall that comes down from the plain up above, or they wouldn't havechosen this spot."

  "Perhaps there used to be one, and it has dried-up."

  "Nay; the place is too green. Water must come on the high groundsomewhere and find its way into this great hollow. Anyhow, it's out ofsight, so it's underneath somewhere."

  "Then we shan't find it."

  "I don't know about that, my lad," replied the American, with a littlelaugh. "There's other senses besides seeing."

  "Yes, smelling," said Chris, with a smile; "but we can't find it thatway."

  "Don't you be in too great a hurry, my lad. We're going to have anothergood hunt round at the bottom of these great cliffs, and if that comesto nothing we might try smelling."

  "Ah! Nothing but a dog would be any use there."

  "In a hurry again, boy. I'd back something else to find water before adog."

  "A fish on dry land?"

  "Tchah! No. What was it found the lake for us the other day?"

  "The mule," cried Chris.

  "Got it again," said Griggs, laughing. "I don't say he would, but Ishouldn't at all wonder, if we brought old Skeeter round, as like as nothe'd smell out the place."

  "Buried under some of these great stone slides that have come down?"

  "To be sure, my lad. Now, that's a likely place."

  Griggs pointed to a huge gap in the cliff away to their right where thecarved-out openings running along behind a rough terrace a hundred feetup the vast wall suddenly ceased as if broken off, and commenced againat about the same height on the other side of the gap.

  "Let's go and look, then," said Chris; "but it doesn't seem very likely,for it's all one bank of piled-up stones."

  "That have run down from up yonder like those avalanches we read about.Mind how you come, for it's a snaky-looking bit. Go on, old chap; I'llsweep the way for you with my fir-pole."

  Chris felt a creepy sensation at the allusion to snakes, and his eyeslooked very wide open as he followed close behind his companion, whosepony picked its steps with the greatest caution, the way growing moreand more encumbered with stones as they neared the slope which filled upthe gap.

  "It looks as if there had been an earthquake. What a roar there musthave been when these stones came tumbling down!"

  "More likely that water had been coming down in a regular stream forhundreds and hundreds of years till all the earth and small stones hadbeen washed away and made a great hollow underneath which held up thecliff as long as it could, and then gave way all at once."

  "You're talking as if a torrent ran down from the top of the cliffyonder."

  "Jusso," said Griggs.

  "Then where did it go to?" said Chris.

  "That's what we've got to find out. Got a hole of its own underground,perhaps, and dives down, to come up again miles away, perhaps, and--Water it is!"

  "Where?" cried Chris excitedly, and he threw up his head, his nostrilsexpanded, and he sniffed loudly.

  Griggs threw up his head too, but he did not open his nostrils and sniffloudly. He only laughed.

  "More ways of killing a cat than hanging it," he cried merrily. "Otherways besides seeing and smelling. Hark!"

  They had pushed their way in among the outer blocks that had boundedfarthest, and their ponies had halted at the bottom of the slope becausethey could go no farther without attempting to climb.

  "Hark? What to--what at? I can't hear anything. Yes, I can," criedthe boy excitedly. "It's a singing, gurgling noise. Why, Griggs,you're right. There's water running down below here."

  "Well done, hearing!" cried Griggs. "I'll be bound to say there's a bignatural tunnel down below here. One minute. Let's try a bit more tothe right."

  They dismounted, and Griggs led the way, brushing the rocks about withhis pole as he climbed up and up, listening the while, for about sixtyor seventy yards, and then he stopped short, picked up a stone about asbig as his head, and pitched it away forward.

  There was silence for a few moments, and then, just as Chris climbed upalongside and found himself on the edge of a deep chasm going down intogloom, he heard a hollow, echoing splash.

  "Sounds like water," said Griggs coolly, "and plenty of it."

  "Yes," cried Chris, as he listened. "Why, I heard that dull, rumblingsound before," he continued, as he bent over, "but it seemed to comefrom high up in the cliffs, and I thought it was the wind."

  "So did I," said Griggs. "I suppose the sound comes up and strikesagainst the rock-face, to be reflected off to where we could hear itdown below."

  "Would it be?"

  "To be sure, my lad. Sound's just like light in that. It strikesagainst anything and goes off, they say, at the same angle, and thenperhaps it's only in one position that you can see it. Same here:there's one part down below where we can catch this rumbling, hissingecho."

  "But you don't call that finding water? What a horrible place! How arewe to get at it?"

  "Oh, easily enough," said Griggs coolly. "You'll have to go down withall the bottles and fill them."

  "What! Down there?"

  "Yes. Shouldn't you like the job?"

  "Of course not."

  "Well, then, I must," said Griggs, laughing.

  "No, that wouldn't be fair."

  "Never mind; we'll argue that out afterwards," said Griggs merrily."Anyhow, we've found what we wanted."

  Clapping his hands to the sides of his mouth, he shouted "Water!" andthe rest of the party began to move towards them, delighted with thenews.

  "Any snakes about?" cried the doctor, as they reached the foot of theslope.

  "Haven't seen any up here," was the reply; and the party climbed up tostand at the edge of the great pit-like place, gazing down and listeningto the hollow, echoing roar of what was evidently a large body of water.

  "Well done!" cried the doctor. "Why, there must be quite a tunnel belowhere."

  "I think not, sir; it's only a narrow path in the side of the place,partly filled up with the big stones fallen from above; but there'sevidently a great well-like place going right down ever so deep to flowunderground."

  "But how are we to get at the water now we have found it?" said Wilton."I for one am not going down there."

  "It ought to be some one light and active, not a big, strong man," saidGriggs dryly. "P'r'aps Mr Ned here wouldn't mind."

  Ned's face underwent such a change, becoming contracte
d in so absurd amanner, that Chris burst into a roar of laughter and began to stampabout.

  "Oh yes, it's very funny," cried Ned, in an ill-used tone. "PerhapsChris would like the job."

  "Not I," cried the boy. "Nobody could go down there."

  "I'm afraid not," said the doctor, peering down and listening to thedeep, hollow roar. "Then we've had all our trouble for nothing."

  "Oh no, sir," said Griggs; "the hole doesn't go straight down. We'reall thirsty, and it would be a long job to go all the way back to thatfall. We'd better give the animals what we have in the tubs, and I'llgo down with one and fill it again."

  "No, no; we must go back."

  "Before we've explored this place, sir? Why, as likely as not we shallfind it is another gold city when we come to search. I'll go down."

  "It is too risky, man. Suppose you slipped?"

  "Ah, that would be awkward; and you'd have to go miles away to look forthe hole where I came out," said Griggs, laughing; "but I'm not going torun any risks of that sort. I've too much liking for old Griggs, asyoung Chris here calls me. Oh, it's easy enough, sir. I'll take downone of the barrels with some of the lariats knotted together and one endmade fast round my chest. Then if I slip you can haul me up."

  "I hardly like letting you go," said the doctor, speaking dubiously.

  "It'll be easy enough," said the American coolly. "I'll do it."

  They went back to where the mules were grazing, distributed the contentsof one barrel amongst them, and then brought the empty vessel up to theedge of the gap, where Griggs set busily to work knotting the hide-ropesthey had with them tightly together, after which a bundle of drypine-boughs was lit, after being bound together with a bit of chainattached to the end of the lariats.

  The wood was soon blazing brightly, and it was then lowered down, tokeep on touching at the side of what proved to be a sharp slope, butonly to be shaken clear again and go on lighting up the sloping,cave-like place, till as the watchers peered down they suddenly caughtsight of the reflection of the ruddy, smoky light, and upon the blazingfaggot descending another few feet after lodging once more, they couldsee the rushing water tearing along, to pass right beneath where theobservers stood.

  By this time the faggot was burning rapidly away, and fiery brands beganto drop, to fall with a hiss into the underground torrent, some tobecome extinct on the moment, while others glided out of sight on thesurface, giving a good idea of the extent of the place.

  "There," said Griggs coolly, "it's all right, you see, sir. We'll havetwo ropes, one for the barrels and one for a life-line. I shall takeone of the lanthorns down with me. Say, young Chris, I hope we shan'thave made the water taste of burnt wood and turpentine."

  "There's no fear of that," said the doctor; "all that water will be faraway before you reach the surface. Are you making those knots sure?"

  "You may trust me, sir," said Griggs, coolly enough. "Why, what a fusswe're making about going twenty feet down at the end of a rope. Ibelieve I could creep down those stones easy enough without. May aswell have a line round me, though, I suppose."

  "You'll not go down without," said the doctor decisively.

  The preparations did not take long, "only long enough to make us morethirsty," Griggs said; and then of the two lines made ready, one wasattached to the barrel carefully and well, the other made fast about theAmerican's chest.

  "I don't like for him to go down," said Chris, aside, to his companion.

  "I don't either," replied Ned.

  "It seems so unfair when I'm so much lighter," continued Chrisexcitedly, "and as if I ought to go." Then on the impulse of themoment, "Here, father, I'll go down instead."

  "Shame!" cried Griggs merrily. "Do you want to rob a poor fellow ofhaving the first drink? No, thank you; this is my job, and I won't giveit up to any one. Now then, we're all ready, I think."

  "What about the lanthorn?" cried Bourne.

  "I won't have it, thank you, sir," said Griggs. "It'll only be in theway, and I shan't want it. Looks dark down there, but it'll be lightenough when I get below for all that I've got to do."

  "But it looks horribly dark," whispered Chris, who stood close toGriggs.

  "Yes, from here, because you are looking into a dark hole. When I amdown there I shall be able to look up here at the sunshine."

  "Light the lanthorn, boys, and tie it to the end of a couple of theropes. We have plenty, have we not?"

  "Oh yes, plenty," said Wilton, and in a very short time the light wasready in case of an emergency.

  "Now then," said Griggs; "I dare say I shall be able to climb up againafter I have done, but if I can't I suppose two will be strong enough tohaul me up."

  "We can have three if necessary," said Bourne excitedly, for he lookedthe most nervous of any one present.

  "Lower down the barrel, then, my lads. You can do that," said Griggs."Just let it touch the water. You'll know when it does, for there willbe a tug to sweep it away; but don't let it go. Haul it up a few feetthen, and be ready to lower it again when I shout."

  "Yes," was the reply, in a husky whisper, and directly after the barrelwas following the course previously taken by the burning faggot, butwithout catching, its shape allowing it to pass down the steep slope,till the expected jerk was given as it kissed the water, when it wassnatched back out of the current's reach.

  "That's all right, then," said Griggs cheerily. "Now, look here, Ishall want you to lower it again so that I can press the bung-hole underwater. Most likely I shall have to do this with my foot, because myhands will be wanted for holding on. You understand?"

  "Oh yes, we see," cried Chris.

  "Then down I go," said Griggs.

  "Stop!" cried the doctor, and his companions drew a deep breath whichsounded as if they were greatly relieved.

  "What's the matter? Knots loose?"

  "No, but I don't see that it is necessary for you to go down. We'll letthe barrel go into the water, and it will fill itself."

  "Not it," said Griggs. "It will only be battered to pieces against therocks there."

  "I don't know," said the doctor. "We'll try. I don't think we ought tolet you go down save as a last resource."

  "Very well, then," cried Griggs. "Suppose you try."

  The doctor had already joined the boys at the rope and helped to lowerthe barrel down to the surface once again, to be, as it were, literallyseized by the current; and as those above held on there was a strange,hollow, echoing noise as it was banged from side to side for a minute ortwo, before Griggs cried--

  "That'll do. If there's much more of that all the hoops will be tornoff. Haul up a bit. You see I must go, sir."

  The barrel was raised a little once more, and as soon as this was doneGriggs turned to Wilton and Bourne, who held the rope fastened about hisbreast.

  "Ready?" he said.

  "Yes," was the reply.

  "Keep it just tight enough to feel me, but not enough to hinder me as Iget down from stone to stone. I don't mean to if I can help it, but beprepared for a slip."

  The next minute they could see their companion descending from block toblock, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he madeno strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders'hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third,while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the bravefellow's descent.

  "All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, andsounding hollow and strange.

  The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made asthe adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must havebeen half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at therope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep,echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.