Real Gold Part 22

"Now, quick, Mr Cyril!" whispered John. "Turn towards me, as if you were going to speak, and look toward the path we came by."

Cyril responded quickly, and saw by the light of the fire, which had just then blazed up brightly, a dark face peering at them over a great piece of rock. He even saw the flash of the fire in the watcher's eyes, and then, as he pretended to hand something to Manning, his look was averted for a moment, and when he glanced again in the same direction, the face was gone.

Cyril responded quickly, and saw a dark face peering at them over a great piece of rock.

"Now, Master Cyril, what do you say?" whispered John Manning.

"I say it may only be curiosity," replied Cyril, "but certainly we are being watched, and the colonel ought to know directly."

"Hah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the old soldier, with a sigh of satisfaction, "this puts one in mind of old times up in the hill-country, with the n.i.g.g.e.rs waiting to go at you with matchlock or knife. I didn't think I was ever going to have the luck to see a bit of fighting again."

Perry started, and Cyril's face looked in the firelight as if it was flushed.

"Where's the colonel?" he said quickly. "Be steady, Perry, old chap.

There's nothing to be frightened about. Don't look as if anything was the matter. Come and find your father, and let's go and speak to Diego and the other man."

"But I can't speak to them," said Perry excitedly.

"Never mind, I will. Come along."

"And suppose they shoot at us," whispered Perry, "with an arrow or blowpipe?"

"They'd better!" said Cyril grimly. "But they won't do that. Come on."

He walked on toward the fire, behind which the two Indians were crouched, apparently enjoying the warmth and the charqui they were munching; but they gazed furtively up at the two boys as they came up, and one of them started slightly as Cyril made a sudden stoop, but became impa.s.sive directly when the boy picked up two or three half-burned brands and threw them into the middle of the fire before holding his hands out to the flame.

"The waterfall makes it feel cold up here, and damp," he said to the guide in his patois, and the man smiled as he spoke, and then pointed up a defile away above them as he replied.

"What does he say?" asked Perry.

"That the wind comes down that narrow rift from the snow, and it is that which makes it cold. I only half understand him."

He turned laughingly to the guide, and said a few words to that effect, and the man laughed and nodded as he replied.

"Oh, what a big fib!" said Cyril merrily. "He says I speak his tongue beautifully.--Oh, there's the colonel looking round at the mules.

They're having a beautiful feed here. Plenty of gra.s.s for the mules,"

he said to the Indian, and the man nodded again, and said it was good.

The colonel said something very similar, as the boys strolled carelessly up, at a time when Perry felt as if he must run to his father, shouting: "Look out! Danger!"

"We must stay here two or three days, boys," the colonel said. "The mules will revel in this gra.s.s and fresh water, and make up for their fasting lately."

"I think not, sir," said Cyril, speaking carelessly, and making believe to pat one of the mules, which turned sharply round and showed him its heels.

"What do you mean, sir?"

Cyril told him quickly; and as he spoke, the colonel's hand twitched, and went involuntarily to his side, as if he were seeking a sword.

"Humph!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. Then quietly, and looking at the mules: "That's right, lads; don't make a sign. I daresay John Manning is right. He has eyes like a hawk, and he is true as steel. Well, I'm not surprised.

I half expected it, though not quite so soon."

"What shall we do then, father?" said Perry anxiously. "Go back?"

"Englishmen don't go back, Perry," said his father gravely. "They would not have colonised the whole world if they did. No, boy, we are going on, and I don't think there is anything to fear. These people are all joined together to watch every stranger who comes into their country, in dread lest they should be in search of the Incas' treasures, and they would be ready to fight in defence."

"And kill us, father," said Perry, with his lips paling in the firelight.

"If we let them, boy. But we are well-armed, John Manning and I, and know how to use our weapons if it should come to a struggle, which I doubt."

"Then you have come in search of something, sir! I knew it," cried Cyril.

"Yes, I have come in search of something, boy, and I mean to find it and take it away out of the country in spite of all their watchfulness and care. Now, then, what do you say to that? Are you afraid, and do you want to get back?"

"I don't know, sir," said Cyril quietly. "Yes, I do. I can't help feeling a bit frightened like. I don't want to, but I do."

"And you wish to go back? For I warn you I am going on in spite of all obstacles."

"No, I don't," said Cyril quietly. "I shall go with you. I'm not going to leave Perry in the lurch."

"There's a coward for you, Perry, my boy," said the colonel, laughing.

"You must be a very good sort of a fellow to have made a friend like that; one who risks his father's anger to come with you, and who is now ready to run more risks for your sake."

"I'm afraid it isn't that, sir," said Cyril frankly. "I wanted to come because I thought it was going to be a great treat."

"There, say no more now. Listen to me. I shall take it for granted that we have spies in the camp, and that, consequent upon their communication to the men of the llama caravan, some of that party are following us. Of course the poor fellows consider that they are performing a religious duty, so I shall not charge them with their action. They will go on watching us till they find I have done something which calls for immediate action. Till then we are safe."

"Then you will not do anything, sir?" said Cyril, looking quite aghast.

"Oh yes, I shall be upon my guard. From now there will be watch set every night in camp, and we shall sleep with our arms charged and ready for action at a moment's notice."

"Yes," said Cyril, with a sigh of satisfaction.

"You can handle a gun, Cyril?"

"Yes, sir, after a fashion. I have often been up in the hills with my father, shooting."

"That will do," said the colonel. "Now let's go and have a look at the falls before setting watch and going to our blankets. Tell the men to keep up a pretty good fire, Cyril."

He led the way to where the Indians were seated as he spoke, and nodded to them smilingly as Cyril gave his orders; and then, as the men quickly obeyed them, the colonel led the way to the edge of a cliff! From here they could see the large body of water come gliding down in a curve from far away up in the darkness, to gleam in the firelight as it pa.s.sed them, and then dive down into the deeper darkness below.

"An awful-looking place, boys, in the darkness," said the colonel quietly. "There now, we'll seek our blankets--at least you shall, for I shall take the first watch; John Manning will take the second."

"Shall I sit up with you, father?" said Perry.

"No, my lad, we must husband our resources. Your turn will come to-morrow night. Remember what I said about the guns. Make no show, but have your ammunition ready for use at a moment's notice. The Indians will see that, you may depend upon it, and act accordingly."

Half an hour later the two boys were lying inside a little shelter formed of the mules' packs and a wall-like ma.s.s of rock, listening to the roar of the falls, and watching the figure of the colonel standing gazing out into the night, as he rested his chin upon the barrel of his piece.

"I shan't go to sleep to-night," said Perry in a whisper.