Fix Bay'nets Part 46

"Probably," said Bracy.

"But it didn't seem dangerous when I was doing it," cried Drummond. "I never thought about toppling down, only about getting right across and after those moufflons."

"Same here," said Roberts.

"Well, I did look down once and think of what might happen," said Bracy.

"Ah, that's where you were wrong. Never do that, lad. Keep perfectly cool, and you can get almost anywhere up yonder in the snow. I've got to be quite a climber since I've been here."

"Well, I gave myself the credit of being pretty good on ice and snow to-day," said Bracy, smiling. "I mean pretty well for a cripple. I wish I had done as well over the shooting. That was a miserable show of mine. Thanks for not exposing me at the mess."

"Rubbish!" said Drummond. "Who's going to tell tales out of school? I say, though, that ice-climbing in the mountains is splendid--isn't it?

The more one does the easier it seems. It feels quite cool and comfortable."

"Which one can't help feeling on the ice," said Bracy, laughing. "But seriously, we are getting pretty good at it up yonder in the snow."

"Regular climbers," said Drummond; "and I vote that we do as much of it as we can while our shoes are good. There, don't look at a fellow like that--your shoes, then, that you gave me. But I didn't mean shoes literally. I mean before the old man puts a stop to our hunting and climbing."

"He soon will, you may depend upon that," said Roberts. "He's getting nervous about us all."

"Because we are such splendid officers," put in Bracy merrily.

"Well, we are what he has; and, judging from the way we are shut in and left by the authorities, he is not likely to get a fresh supply if he loses us."

"What about the messengers he has sent, Bracy? Think they get through with the despatches? I feel sure they do not. Either they are killed or so scared by the dangers they run that they destroy their despatches and dare not show their faces again."

"Well, I hope that's not the case," said Bracy. "I don't want to give the poor fellows the credit of being treacherous."

"Like enough it is that, treacherous as we deem it; but they are so much accustomed to the tricks and cunning amongst which they have been brought up that they look upon such a thing as being very venial--a kind of cleverness by which we, their conquerors are bested."

"Here, I say, don't get into a dissertation upon the moral character of the natives," cried Drummond, "because there is no end to that. Here, I say--"

"Say away," said the others.

"I've been thinking about what old Graves said as to the shikarees selling us to the enemy. They won't."

"I hope not," said Bracy, laying his hand upon his chest.

"Hullo! What's the matter? Wound hurt?"

"Gives me a stab like that sometimes when the weather is going to change. We shall have rain, I think."

"Ha! and that means snow higher up. Hoo-roar! as the lads say. A nice light coating of fresh snow, and every bear footprint showing clearly.

We mustn't miss one. Bear ham is good, and then there are the skins.

We shall want 'em in the winter for warm rugs."

"You mean to stay the winter, then?" said Bracy, laughing.

"We shall have to; see if we don't."

"We shall get no bearskins," said Roberts. "The Colonel will stop our going on account of his uneasiness. I heard him say that we should be running upon some prowling body of the enemy one of these times, and never be heard of any more."

"He doesn't know what he's talking about. Just as if it were likely.

They sneak along in the lowest valleys; they never go up among the snowfields. No one does but the hunters. It's the same as it was in Switzerland; you never caught the people climbing the mountains till the English taught them, and bribed them to come as carriers. They'd never have made the ascent of any of their mountains. I tell you that in our shooting-trips up yonder we're as safe as we are here. Safer, for the beggars keep away from there, while here they're lying up in every hole and corner all around."

"He's about right," said Roberts thoughtfully; "and, now you're strong enough again, I don't like to lose our trips. We don't get much pleasure up here. Let's make our hay while the sun shines."

"Even if it is in the snow," said Bracy. "Very well; I'm glad enough to go, for the mountain air seems to send fresh vigour through me every time I climb."

The result of this was that whenever the way up into the mountains was clear, and the Dwats who acted as guides to the different hills came in with news, the young officers had their excursions, and generally returned with their men pretty well laden, while the three friends became masters of the district among the heights in a way that suggested years of active residence in that silver land.

There were plenty of alarms, plenty of little encounters with the parties who were always on the lookout to hara.s.s the occupants of the fort; but a little extra work for the Doctor and excitement for the men, to keep off the stagnation which threatened them, was all that ensued.

In the interim the Colonel sent off five more messengers with despatches, in the hope that they would get through the enemy and bring back letters; but they were seen no more; and the Colonel's face grew more serious day by day.

"Thinks the tribes mean to starve us out," said Roberts one evening when the Colonel went away from the table looking more depressed and anxious than usual.

"And they won't," said Drummond. "Why, there are mountain sheep enough up yonder to keep us for years."

"They get more difficult to shoot, though," said Bracy.

"Pooh! not they. A few close by are a bit shy; but, look here, when we get right up on the shoulder of that left-hand peak and look north what do we see?"

"Mountains," replied Bracy.

"And when we were right up on that farthest peak last week, and looked north, what did we see then?"

"More mountains."

"That's it; and you might go on and on for a month, and it would be the same--more mountains."

Bracy nodded and looked thoughtful.

"Yes," he said at last; "the world's a long way from being played out yet. We can see hundreds of peaks, and the soft blue valleys between them, which I suppose have never been traversed by man."

"That's right enough, and that's where the wild sheep and goats are just as they always have been, perfectly undisturbed. Thousands--perhaps millions, without counting the goats and yaks, which look as if they were a vain brood of beast who try to grow tails like a horse."

"I suppose you're correct, Drummond," said Bracy.

"Of course I am; and if we shoot down all the sheep near at hand one month, more will come down from the north next month."

"Just the same as when you catch a big trout out of a hole at home, another is sure to come within a day or two to take his empty house."

"Why, they do up here, and the little seer in the river too," cried Drummond. "I say, I wish this was a bigger and deeper stream, so that it held the big forty and fifty pound fish."

"Quite deep and swift enough for us," said Bracy merrily.

"Ah, yes," said Drummond slowly; "I haven't forgotten our going for that nice long walk."