Old Gold Part 61

"'Bout half a ton, sir, I should say," replied one of the men.

"Let's go out and have a talk to the skipper," said Briscoe. "I say, chaps," he added jocosely, "fair play and fair sharing; no pocketing either of those big images while we're gone."

"All right, sir," said one of the men: "we won't; but to speak square and honest, I was longing to collar that biggest one at the back there, him with the sign of the sun on his front."

"We must fetch them another time," said Briscoe; and he followed the brothers out on to the terrace, where, dully gleaming in the sunshine, quite a couple of hundredweight of the strange objects connected with the ancient worship lay waiting to be lowered down.

"Well, captain," said Sir Humphrey, "what does this mean--you can't take any more?"

"I'm going to risk what you've got out already, sir," was the reply.

"According to the men there's about three hundredweight to lower yet."

"At a rough guess, yes," said Brace.

"That's the very outside then, and we shall have to beat and hammer a lot of these together with the axeheads to make them take up less room.

Look for yourselves."

A long and earnest look was directed below, where the boats were packed beneath the thwarts and fore and aft with the treasure, and presented a strange aspect.

"Yes, he's quite right," said Briscoe, with a sigh. "Oh, if we only had one of those coal-barges that I've seen lying at anchor in your Thames."

"Let's be content, Briscoe, and get these figures aboard. We must not run risks and lose all."

"That's wisdom, Sir Humphrey, and I've no more to say. Keep on lowering down, my lads, while we go back. Oh, dear, I wish we hadn't burned all that green stuff that hid the door."

"It will soon shoot out and grow again," said Brace; "but we must come back for another load."

They went back into the temple to take a look round, lanthorn in hand, and then had literally to drag themselves away from the sight of the vast treasure they were compelled to leave behind.

"It's of no use," said Brace. "Come along. The more we look the more unwilling we shall be to leave."

"I feel as if I can't leave it. I must stop and take care of the rest, even if I stay alone," said Briscoe.

"No," said Brace; "that would be folly. It will be safe enough till we return."

"But look here: suppose we build a raft, and load that? We could tow it down with the boats."

"Yes," said Brace, "and end by upsetting it and sending all to the bottom."

"Look here," said Sir Humphrey: "I am going to set you both a good example."

He hurried out into the light, while after another glance round Briscoe said slowly:

"Yes, a raft would end by shooting it all off into the river. Let's make sure of what we've got."

And, rushing out, he set steadily to work helping to get the objects still waiting down to the boat, and then he was the first to lead the way and mount from terrace to terrace to the slope and by the way to the great tank, where the water was making a strange reverberating sound.

"That noise is enough to keep the Indians away," he said to Brace, as he paused with him till all the men had pa.s.sed. "It's as good as a safe."

When all were down, the L-shaped entrance was carefully blocked with stones and covered with rubbish, earth, and growing plants, so that there was no sign of the place having been disturbed, and by that time the boats were back at their moorings, with the captain shaking his head at them.

"More than we ought to take," he said; "but we'll risk it, and hope for fine weather. Now, gentlemen, as we've made our fortunes, let's have the good dinner Dan has got ready for us, and then I say: all traps aboard and down stream for the brig."

"Ready to come up again for another load," said Briscoe.

"Well," said the captain slowly, "if we can."

The dinner was eaten, and various cooking-articles were replaced in the boat.

"Now then," said the captain; "all aboard!"

"Three cheers first, lads," cried one of the men; "for we shall have our gold now without washing for it."

They gave three hearty cheers, and as the last was echoing from the opposite side of the canon every man stood as if petrified, for it was answered by a savage yell which seemed to come from a couple of thousand throats; and as there was a rush to where, from the water steps, they could gaze up stream it was to see quite a fleet of small canoes, each of which held four or five Indians, bearing steadily down for where the boats were moored.

CHAPTER FORTY TWO.

FOUND AND LOST.

"Now, gentlemen," said the captain firmly, "what is it to be: turn this into a fort and fight, or into the boats, hoist sail, and go down stream? You see it runs our way now."

"Take to the boats," said Sir Humphrey decisively, and the captain gave the order.

"Slow and steady, my lads," he said; "they can't reach us for some time yet, and by then we shall be sailing steadily down."

The canoes seemed to be coming on very fast, but the captain was correct.

The sails were hoisted as soon as every man was in his place, and, to the satisfaction of all, the heavily-ballasted boats began to glide down stream before a pleasant breeze with a steadiness that was all that could be desired.

But by the time they were well moving the first of the canoes was very near, and their occupants started their savage yelling again and began to paddle with all their might, till, seeing that the boats were leaving them behind, they dropped their paddles and seized their bows, to let fly a shower of arrows.

At this the captain gave the word, and a little volley was fired, followed by another.

The walls of the great canon took up the reports and echoed them to and fro till, startled by this novel thunder, the enemy paused in confusion, many of the canoes being paddled back.

"Anyone hit?" cried Brace.

"No, sir," came loudly from both boats, and the next minute they glided round the promontory they had pa.s.sed in coming up, and the rock city disappeared.

A few minutes later and the last of the canoes was seen.

The wind being favourable and the night following lit up by a full moon, the retreat was kept up so as to get well beyond danger.

It was far on into the next day before a halt was made to light a fire and prepare a meal.

The flood had pa.s.sed away, and with wind and stream in their favour, and a total absence of danger, the two boats glided down and down from river to river till after many days the adventurers came within hearing of the falls.