The Peril Finders

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER FIFTY ONE.

  LOOSENING THE STONES.

  "Stop, Griggs!" cried Chris in a hoarse whisper, for he dared not shout;but it seemed as if their brave companion had not heard. One minute hewas talking with them, the next he was gone, and had hardly made asound.

  "Hah!" sighed the doctor. "Now it has come to the point I feel as if wehave let the gallant fellow go straight to his death."

  "Lee!" cried Bourne in a voice of anguish. "Don't say that!"

  "I have said it," said the doctor bitterly; "and now it is too late Ifeel that it is true. The whole business looks black, and as desperateas our mad search out here for the old golden city."

  He ceased speaking, and Chris gripped Ned by the arm, for he shared hisfather's feeling of despair.

  The silence was broken by Bourne.

  "It is too late to look back," he said gravely. "We have made theventure, and must carry it out like men."

  "Of course," cried Wilton firmly. "Come, doctor, you are captain. Idon't call this square of you to put us all out of heart. This ismaking the worst of it, with a vengeance."

  "Yes, it is--it is," said the doctor quickly. "You must forgive me.Every man has his weak moments, and this was one of mine. I felt as ifI had sacrificed the poor fellow to this desperate attempt to escape."

  "Yes, father," cried Chris bitterly. "It was my idea, and you ought tohave let me go with him."

  "Ha, ha!" laughed Wilton.

  "What are you laughing at?" cried Chris fiercely.

  "You--your words came in with such a droll ring in them. But there, weought not to be talking now, but getting up into our hiding-places--eh,doctor?"

  "Yes," was the sharp reply, "at once. You, Wilton, Bourne, and Ned.You, Chris, with me. Have you got the crowbar, my boy?"

  "Yes, father."

  "You others have the tent-pitchers, and I the short pole. Take yourplaces at once; lie right down among the bushes till you hear mywhistle, and then up and send the big stones down with all your might."

  No more was said, for not one present had the heart to speak. To Chrisit was just as if he had said "Good-bye" to the American, who had gonestraight to his death.

  "And he has gone thinking me queer and ungrateful," the boy said tohimself, "for not insisting upon going with him."

  And even while stumbling up and up among the stones and bushes in thedarkness to the spot which he was to occupy with his father, the boycould think of nothing else but the brave fellow going slowly along thelower part of the gulch in the black darkness, to wait until the morningcame before starting boldly off into the open to meet the Indians.

  "It will mean arrows," thought Chris. "He'll be shot down somewhere outyonder, for it's a mad trick, and can't do him any good, nor yet us.Oh, I do wish I wasn't such an idiot! So proud I was in my miserableconceit of having thought out a way to trap the Indians, and a nice messI've made--sent the best friend I ever had to certain death."

  "What are you thinking about, Chris?" said the doctor at that moment.

  "Thinking about, father?" faltered the boy.

  "Yes; you have turned so quiet."

  "I was thinking about poor Griggs, father, and feeling afraid that he'llnever come back."

  "Then don't think any more of such things. We none of us know. Waitand see. Now then, how long shall we have to wait before we see ourbrave fellow come along hunted by the enemy?"

  "Don't ask me, father."

  "Why not? How far are we off the morning?"

  "Hours."

  "No; I think not. I dare say we shall be having the day break withinone hour, then the exciting time will begin."

  "Do you think we shall see Griggs again?"

  "Oh yes, of course. He's a fleet runner, and I shouldn't be a bitsurprised to see him come tearing along with a band of mounted Indiansat his back."

  "Do you really think so, father, or is this only to encourage me?"

  "Both, my boy. Come, keep a good heart. I shall be glad when the daycomes--shan't you?"

  "Yes, father. But do you think the ponies and mules will stray away?"

  "I hope not, my boy. Oh no, it's not likely. Cheer up; we shall do it,never fear."

  Chris heaved a big sigh.

  "Why, hullo, my boy! Do you call this cheering up?" said the doctor.

  "Yes, father. That was only the melancholy being driven off," saidChris with a forced laugh. "I'm going to be cheerful enough, and shootstraight when the Indians come. I'm sorry for them, but I must, foreverybody's sake."

  "Yes, to be sure, for everybody's sake. Feel better?"

  "Yes, father."

  "That's right. I was low-spirited, too, a little while ago, for I feltdoubtful of success. I don't now. Yours was a splendid idea, andunless something unfortunate occurs we shall succeed."

  "I hope we shall," thought Chris, but he felt doleful in the extreme,and the idea would force itself upon him that he had sent his old friendto a cruel death.

  At last the various objects around seemed to grow plain as the grey dawnbegan to lighten the sky; but the place looked terrible in the ghastlylight. There beneath them was what looked like a black chasm, the onethey were to fill up with stones from the jagged shelves upon which theycrouched nearly a hundred feet higher, while higher still, right up foranother three hundred feet or more, to where the saw-like edge wasmarked clearly against the ever-lightening sky, wherever the boy's eyesrested there were masses of stone which looked as if a touch would setthem in motion and start others to come thundering down, sweeping allbefore them into a vast heap which would fill up the chasm, even as highas the rocks amongst which his party was hidden.

  The time had come for hiding, and Chris and his father were soon lyingdown behind some stunted bushes through which they could peer rightalong the bottom of the gulch far away towards where the side gully ranup in the direction of the tableland in which the great valley with itsrock city was cut.

  Thoughts began to come fast now through Chris's brain, and the firstwere in connection with the mules and ponies they had left to graze upto the right of the gully. Would they stay there peacefully browsing onthe green shoots of the shrubs that were abundant, or come wanderingdown to reach their old pasture? The question was open to many doubtfulanswers which did not come, and they had to give way to thoughtsconnected with Griggs, who, the boy felt, must by this time be astirwith his gun.

  And with what result?

  None for a long, long time, during which the sun as it rose had chasedaway the horrors that had lingered in the gulch, to display all itswondrous glories of light and shade with trickling falls and clumps ofdripping lace-like fern.

  Everything was so beautiful in the sunshine that Chris found himselfwondering how it could have been so dismal in the gloom.

  He turned to look across to where his friends were hidden, but they wereconcealed too well; nothing was visible but the great blocks of stonewaiting to be levered to the edge of the shelf and sent thundering down;so turning his eyes from there, the lad gazed along the gulch again inthe direction of the side gully and the open land beyond, where in allprobability Griggs was now wandering in his fictitious search for game.

  Two hours of patient waiting since sunrise, which had given place topainful excitement. Doubt was busy, too, in every brain, for it beganto seem as if something had gone wrong, and the intense desire wasattacking Chris to get down from his hiding-place and go in search ofhis friend.

  But the orders were to lie still in hiding until the doctor gave thesignal with his whistle, and knowing full well that the slightestsuggestion of an ambush meant ruin to the plan, Chris forced himself tolie motionless, gazing with aching eyeballs along the gulch for thesight of the figure that as the time went on seemed as if it would neverappear.

  Another hour, the most hopeless of all, the most wearisome and full ofpain, for with the sun getting higher the rays were reflected from therock-face till the place grew unbearably hot, with the consequence thatthirst beg
an to parch the watcher's throat. He was growing faint, too,for want of food, and though he had an ample supply in his wallet he didnot dare to begin eating for fear that something might happen, somesudden call be made upon his energies.

  "If I could only get up and move about," thought Chris.

  But he glanced round, and no one else was stirring, while his fathercrouched there so severe and stern of aspect that for the moment Chrisforgot his own troubles and thought of those of others.

  "Father's feeling it all horribly," thought the boy. "But poor oldGriggs! We ought never to have let him go."

  What was that?

  Chris strained his ears and gazed upward wildly, for high in front,nearly four hundred feet above the bottom of the gully, there was thesound of galloping horses.

  The boy shook himself and stared, asking himself if he were mad ordreaming. For the rocks up there were more than perpendicular, theyleaned right over, and it was absurd to think that horses were gallopingthere.

  They could not be. They were not, for they were on the other side ofthe gulch now, higher still.

  "It's the heat," said Chris with a sigh. "I'm giddy, I suppose."

  "Hist!"

  The warning word came from his father, and a thrill of excitement ranthrough the boy as he felt that it was no fancy but the echoing ofgalloping horses to which he was listening, while the next minute as thereverberation grew louder, a spasm, half joy, half fear, ran through himas, like a flash, the familiar figure of the American glanced in thesunshine, disappeared in the shade, and came into sight again, with headdown, fists doubled and held close to his breast, as he came runningrapidly along the bottom of the gulch.

  The next minute he had reached the narrow chasm above which Chris andhis friends lay waiting, disappeared, and the inclination that nearlycarried Chris away was to spring up, shout words of encouragement, andthen clamber to where he could follow the swift runner with his eyestill he went out of sight at some turn of the gulch on his way to thevalley.

  But the orders were to lie close till the whistle rang out, and like therest, who were influenced by the same feeling, Chris crouched lower togaze right away in the old direction, listening with straining nerves tothe ever-nearing echoing beat of horses' hoofs, till about a couple ofhundred yards away a mounted Indian, bow and arrow in one hand, rein inthe other, bounded into sight, urging on his pony with voice and hand.

  "Will he know that it is a trap?" thought Chris, and he fully expectedto see the man draw rein, send an arrow amongst the hiding party, andgallop off. But even as the thought ran through the lad's brain thesavage reached the narrow gap and dashed through.

  By this time two more were close behind, a party of four some fiftyyards in the rear, all galloping hard, eager to overtake the fugitive,while as they passed through at full gallop the echoes of the hoofsincreased, for a mob of about thirty came into sight, all tearing alongas in a race, and passed through the gap. "Right into the trap!"thought Chris, whose pulses literally bounded with the excitement of thescene that had passed beneath his feet.

  "We've got them!" he panted. "Now, father, the stones!"

  But it was beneath his breath that the words came, and his face flushedand his eyes dilated, for as the echoing of the horses' hoofs began todie out behind it grew louder in front, and another troop of the enemycame into sight, tearing along after their leaders, to dash through thegap in ones and twos, trailing along till the last had disappeared.

  "That must be all," panted Chris to himself; but he was wrong; theechoes of the rocky walls had not ceased, though greatly softened down,for two dozen more of the savages came tearing along like a rearguard topass through, and even then more were to come, for a couple raced up,shouting at and beating the flanks of their ponies angrily, as if infear of being left quite behind.

  "The last!" thought Chris, now wild with excitement, for thereverberations had ceased in front, were dying out behind, and then allwas still for a few moments, before out of the utter silence came thesoft piping sound of a whistle.

  "Hurrah!" cried Chris, for he felt that he must get rid of the breaththat literally burned in his chest as he sprang up.

  Then crash, splinter, and shiver came from below as the doctor forcedthe first block to the edge of the shelf where the opening was mostnarrow.

  This was almost accompanied by another shivering crash, repeated bothfrom the walls of the gulch like so much smothered thunder.

  "Now for it!" panted Chris, as he caught sight of Ned bending down toroll a great block far too big for him over and over. But the one hewas himself handling was as big, and Ned, who was not ten yards awayfrom him, laughed mockingly as he got his block to the edge first andsent it down with a crash.

  But the noise made by the one sent after it by Chris formed as it werean echo, and he stood for a few moments gazing down in wonder, for hugepieces had been forced off the shelf by Wilton and Bourne, to liegathered so closely together that already the way was blockedsufficiently to make it impossible for any horse to pass unless at aflying leap, for which there was neither take-off nor landing at theend.

  "Don't shout. Don't cheer," panted the doctor. "Work steadily andwell, and we shall soon have them fast."

  "I hope there are no more to come and have us," panted Wilton as heslaved away, making Chris and Ned both glance excitedly away through thegulch towards where the gully struck off.

  But the enemy seemed to be all within the trap, and the stones wereforced down till nearly all available on the shelves had been sentthundering down, and both parties climbed some fifty feet higher beforethey continued the work, beginning with the highest blocks that wereloose, and having the satisfaction of seeing the heaviest block there,which took two or three to move it, go roaring down, sweeping with itothers nearly as big.

  They worked for fully half-an-hour, to look down at last in wonder tosee the great success of their work, the gap being piled high, and,leaving horses out of the question, forming a barrier that it would behard work for an active man to climb.

  "Stop now," said the doctor, and all gladly rested, to stand wiping theperspiration from their streaming faces. "No horses can possibly passby here."

  "Mind! Quick! Down with you!" shouted Wilton, and as he spoke an arrowstruck against the rocky wall close to his head and glanced off, to flyfar away along the gulch.