Real Gold Part 49

"But how came it there? I--I--Ah! and I blamed you, boy, for falling asleep at your post."

"Anything the matter, sir?" said John Manning, coming forward, followed hastily by Berry.

"Matter, man; yes. I have kept watch by sleeping all night."

"Well, sir, I don't wonder," said the man. "I have too, for you didn't call me to go on duty."

"Oh, shame!" exclaimed the colonel. "And at a time like this!"

"I don't see no shame in it, sir," growled John Manning bluntly. "You wanted sleep like the rest of us, and you couldn't fight against it.

You ain't an iron man, sir."

"Silence, sir!" cried the colonel angrily, and he hurried right out of the cave, closely followed by the boys, in time to see the mule disappear low down the gorge, galloping madly among the stones.

"Another--our most valuable pack mule gone," cried the colonel, in a voice full of the anger and annoyance he felt. "The poor brute must have strayed out to graze."

"Yes, sir; I saw it eating when I awoke, and then directly after the arrow struck it."

"Then the Indians must be close at hand. Come back and help to secure the rest of the mules, or they may be straying out after their leader."

Cyril looked in the colonel's face, and then pointed down the valley at something moving, plainly seen now in the clear morning atmosphere.

"Yes; I see it. One moment till I focus the gla.s.s."

The colonel held his little double gla.s.s to his eye, and then let his hand fall to his side in dismay on learning that the mischief was worse than he had antic.i.p.ated, for there was another mule on the far slope; and just then John Manning came up with Perry from an expedition within the cave.

"Yes: what is it?" cried the colonel sharply.

"Sorry to have to report it, sir," said Manning, in a low deep growl, "but the mules have strayed out in the night."

"All?" said the colonel hoa.r.s.ely. "Is there not one left?"

"No, sir; as far as I can make out, not one."

The colonel's brows knit, and he stood motionless for a few moments.

Then without a word he walked right in to where it was quite dark.

"Light the lantern," he said sharply, and in a few moments a match gleamed out, and the candle was soon after shedding its rays in all directions. But hardly had John Manning given a glance round, than he uttered a sharp e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n.

"What is it?" cried the colonel. "Can you see the rest of the mules?"

"No, sir."

"Well, what is it?" cried the colonel impatiently.

"Don't you see, father?" cried Perry excitedly; "the Indians must have crept in while we slept. They have carried everything away."

"What?" raged out the colonel as he looked wildly round where his servant was holding up the lantern, and then he uttered a groan.

For it was too true. Every pack had gone, and with them the possibility of holding out against the cunning enemy who had been in their midst.

The same thoughts came to each of the boys--thoughts of all they had heard before setting out, of those who ventured into the mountains in search of the Incas' treasures never being heard of more, and a curious chilling feeling of despair came over them.

Would they ever see home again?

But the colonel was not the man to give way to despair. The position was terrible--right out there amid the gigantic mountains, with the only roads through them those naturally formed by the torrents in the wild deep gorges, shut in by precipices of the most stupendous nature, with no other guide than their compa.s.s, and surrounded by enemies who might at any moment make an attack; while, so far from being able to make a prolonged defence now, the Indians had robbed them of the means.

This was the position as it struck them all at first, but the colonel gave it a different aspect directly.

"Council of war," he said cheerily, as he led the way out into the sunshine, and sat down upon a block of stone. "Come, Perry lad, a soldier's son must not look like that as soon as he is face to face with difficulties. John Manning will tell you that he and I have been in worse straits than this up in the hill-country.--Eh, Manning?"

"Of course, sir. This is nothing. Such a fine morning, too. Why, if the snow lay twenty foot deep, as we've seen it, and we didn't know whether we had any fingers or toes, we might begin to holler."

"Of course," said the colonel. "So let's see what is to be done."

The two boys exchanged glances, but said nothing.

"Now, then," cried the colonel, "let's look the worst straight in the face, and then we will calculate our advantages. First of all, the enemy."

"None in sight, sir," said John Manning.

"No; they have gone. They have achieved their aim in getting possession of our baggage."

"Don't you think they'll attack us, sir?" said Cyril.

"No, certainly not. They have been here, and found us asleep. Had they wished to slay us, there we were at their mercy, and not a hair of our heads has been touched. Next trouble."

"Walked off with all the wittle, sir," growled John Manning.

"Yes, that's bad; but we have plenty of water, and shall not fail in our journeyings for that. Bad thing to be journeying through a wild country with not a drop of water, eh, Manning? We have done that."

"Don't talk about it, sir. And the sun all the time drying the very marrow out of your bones."

"Yes, those were terrible times, my man. We shall not suffer that way, and as to food, we have our guns. What about ammunition?"

"All got plenty, sir," growled John Manning. "I've seen every morning that our pouches were full."

"That's right, then. With a little hunting, we must find some game in these valleys, scarce as it has been. Then there is the coca leaf, whose virtues we must try, failing anything better. Oh, come, we are not so very badly off."

"Then you will try at once to make for one of the tracks through the mountains, sir?" said Cyril.

"And live by hunting, father?" cried Perry.

"And give up, after trying so long, and being so near success, my boy?"

said the colonel. "Come, come: Britons would not have made their name known all over the world if they had gone on like that."

"Look here," cried Cyril excitedly; and then he stopped and looked doubtingly at the colonel.

"Well, I'm waiting, my lad. Every suggestion has its value at a time like this. Speak out."