Real Gold Part 15

"Yes," was whispered back, "these two hours."

"Couldn't you sleep?"

"No; not for thinking. It's all very well for you, but I've got to hear what your father _says_ this morning."

This was unanswerable, and Perry remained silent for a few minutes, wondering what he had better say next.

Then the inspiration came.

"Look here, Cil," he said; "you won't get on any the better for having a painted and dirty face. I'll get a bit of soap, and we'll go down and have a good wash."

"What's the good?" said Cyril. "Dirty painted face goes best with things like this."

"Yes, but you're not going like this," said Perry. "You must put on decent clothes."

"Haven't got any," said Cyril sourly.

"No, but I have--two spare suits, and you shall have one."

Cyril gave a start.

"I say, Per," he whispered excitedly, "do you mean that?"

"Of course I do. My things will fit you, and you can have a regular rig-out."

"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Cyril. "Come on then, quick."

They stole out of their corner to the baggage pile, where Perry pointed to the portmanteau containing his kit, signing to Cyril to take one end and help him to bear it a dozen yards away to where a huge ma.s.s of rock had fallen from above.

"Here we are," cried Perry, dragging out one of the suits that had been made expressly for the journey. "They'll fit you, I know."

"Fit!" cried Cyril excitedly; "of course they will. Once get myself decent, I shan't so much mind what the colonel says--I mean, I can bear it better. I did feel such a poor miserable wretch when he was talking to me in the night. It all seemed so easy just to dress like one of the Indians; but as soon as I was in that long shirt thing, with my bare legs and feet, I felt as if I'd suddenly turned into a savage, and daren't look any one in the face."

"And I don't wonder at it," growled a deep voice. "Here, what game's this, young gents?"

The boys looked up to see that John Manning was peering over the rock, and they were so startled for a few moments that neither spoke.

"Going off again, and you with him, Master Perry? Well, you don't do that while I'm here."

"Don't be so stupid, John," cried Perry, recovering himself. "Can't you see what we're doing?"

"Yes, that's what I can see, making of yourselves a little kit apiece, ready to desert, both of you."

"Rubbish!" cried Perry.--"That's all, isn't it, Cyril?"

"Boots!" said Cyril dolefully; "but I don't know how I am going to get them on."

"Oh, a good bathing will do that. Here you are.--Now, John Manning, fasten this up again, and take it back."

"Honour, Master Perry?"

"Honour what?"

"You're not going to desert?"

"You go and light a good fire and get breakfast ready; we're going down to have a bathe."

"Oh, that's it, is it?" said the old soldier, chuckling. "Well, a bath would improve Master Cyril. Shall I bring you down a tin of hot water, gentlemen."

"You be off, and hold your tongue. I don't want my father to know until we get back."

"All right, gentlemen," said John Manning, grinning; "but I say, Master Cyril, there'll be court-martial on you arter breakfast."

"Come along, and don't mind him," whispered Perry, and they hurried down to the side of the torrent, where they had to spend some time before a suitable place was found where they could bathe without being washed away, for the water ran with tremendous force. But at length a safe spot was. .h.i.t upon, where the stream eddied round and round; and here Perry's tin of soap was brought into play with plenty of vigour, there being no temptation to prolong their stay in water which had come freshly down from the snow, and which turned their skins of a bluish scarlet by the time they were dressed.

"Shall I pitch this smock-frock thing into the stream?" said Perry, with a look of satisfaction at his companion.

"Throw it away? No. Perhaps your father will order me to keep it to wear, and make me give back your clothes."

"I know my father better than that," cried Perry warmly.

"But see how he went on at me last night, and how he'll go on at me again to-day. I wish I hadn't done it."

"I'm glad you are come, Cil," said Perry; "but it does seem a pity.

Whatever made you do it?"

"I hardly know," said the boy sadly. "I was so down in the dumps because I couldn't come with you, and I did so long, for it seemed as if you were going to have all the fun, and I was to be left drudging away at home, where it was going to be as dull as dull without you. And then I got talking to Diego, and when he heard that I was not coming too, he said he should give it up. He wasn't coming with three strangers, he said, for how did he know how people with plenty of guns and powder and shot would behave to him."

"He said that?" cried Perry.

"Yes, and a lot more about it, and he wanted me to ask father again to let me come."

"And did you?"

"No; where would have been the use? When father says a thing, he means it. Then Diego turned quite sulky, and I thought he was going to give up altogether. That was two days before you were going to start, and I begged him not to throw you over, and he said he wouldn't if I came too; and when I told him my father wouldn't let me, he said why not come without leave? And after a great deal of talking, in which he always had the best of me, because I wanted to do as he proposed, at last I said I would, and he got me the Indian dress and the bow and arrows."

"And when did you start?"

"That same night, after they'd gone to bed at home. I'd got the things all ready, and I soon dressed and locked up the clothes I took off in a drawer they weren't likely to look into, so that they might keep on expecting to see me back, thinking I'd gone out next morning early, and that would give me a start of all that night and all next day."

"What a thing to do!" said Perry.

"Yes; wasn't it? Didn't seem so bad in the hurry and worry of getting off I didn't think about anything but hurrying on after you, and then I got very tired and hot, and that kept me too from thinking about anything but catching up to you."

"But how did you know the way?" said Perry.

"Oh, that was easy enough. Diego told me which road he should take, and I'd been along there before as far as the place where he said he would wait for me."

"Yes, he said when you would come."