The Peril Finders Part 109

"It's the heat," said Chris with a sigh. "I'm giddy, I suppose."

"Hist!"

The warning word came from his father, and a thrill of excitement ran through the boy as he felt that it was no fancy but the echoing of galloping horses to which he was listening, while the next minute as the reverberation grew louder, a spasm, half joy, half fear, ran through him as, like a flash, the familiar figure of the American glanced in the sunshine, disappeared in the shade, and came into sight again, with head down, fists doubled and held close to his breast, as he came running rapidly along the bottom of the gulch.

The next minute he had reached the narrow chasm above which Chris and his friends lay waiting, disappeared, and the inclination that nearly carried Chris away was to spring up, shout words of encouragement, and then clamber to where he could follow the swift runner with his eyes till he went out of sight at some turn of the gulch on his way to the valley.

But the orders were to lie close till the whistle rang out, and like the rest, who were influenced by the same feeling, Chris crouched lower to gaze right away in the old direction, listening with straining nerves to the ever-nearing echoing beat of horses' hoofs, till about a couple of hundred yards away a mounted Indian, bow and arrow in one hand, rein in the other, bounded into sight, urging on his pony with voice and hand.

"Will he know that it is a trap?" thought Chris, and he fully expected to see the man draw rein, send an arrow amongst the hiding party, and gallop off. But even as the thought ran through the lad's brain the savage reached the narrow gap and dashed through.

By this time two more were close behind, a party of four some fifty yards in the rear, all galloping hard, eager to overtake the fugitive, while as they pa.s.sed through at full gallop the echoes of the hoofs increased, for a mob of about thirty came into sight, all tearing along as in a race, and pa.s.sed through the gap. "Right into the trap!"

thought Chris, whose pulses literally bounded with the excitement of the scene that had pa.s.sed beneath his feet.

"We've got them!" he panted. "Now, father, the stones!"

But it was beneath his breath that the words came, and his face flushed and his eyes dilated, for as the echoing of the horses' hoofs began to die out behind it grew louder in front, and another troop of the enemy came into sight, tearing along after their leaders, to dash through the gap in ones and twos, trailing along till the last had disappeared.

"That must be all," panted Chris to himself; but he was wrong; the echoes of the rocky walls had not ceased, though greatly softened down, for two dozen more of the savages came tearing along like a rearguard to pa.s.s through, and even then more were to come, for a couple raced up, shouting at and beating the flanks of their ponies angrily, as if in fear of being left quite behind.

"The last!" thought Chris, now wild with excitement, for the reverberations had ceased in front, were dying out behind, and then all was still for a few moments, before out of the utter silence came the soft piping sound of a whistle.

"Hurrah!" cried Chris, for he felt that he must get rid of the breath that literally burned in his chest as he sprang up.

Then crash, splinter, and shiver came from below as the doctor forced the first block to the edge of the shelf where the opening was most narrow.

This was almost accompanied by another shivering crash, repeated both from the walls of the gulch like so much smothered thunder.

"Now for it!" panted Chris, as he caught sight of Ned bending down to roll a great block far too big for him over and over. But the one he was himself handling was as big, and Ned, who was not ten yards away from him, laughed mockingly as he got his block to the edge first and sent it down with a crash.

But the noise made by the one sent after it by Chris formed as it were an echo, and he stood for a few moments gazing down in wonder, for huge pieces had been forced off the shelf by Wilton and Bourne, to lie gathered so closely together that already the way was blocked sufficiently to make it impossible for any horse to pa.s.s unless at a flying leap, for which there was neither take-off nor landing at the end.

"Don't shout. Don't cheer," panted the doctor. "Work steadily and well, and we shall soon have them fast."

"I hope there are no more to come and have us," panted Wilton as he slaved away, making Chris and Ned both glance excitedly away through the gulch towards where the gully struck off.

But the enemy seemed to be all within the trap, and the stones were forced down till nearly all available on the shelves had been sent thundering down, and both parties climbed some fifty feet higher before they continued the work, beginning with the highest blocks that were loose, and having the satisfaction of seeing the heaviest block there, which took two or three to move it, go roaring down, sweeping with it others nearly as big.

They worked for fully half-an-hour, to look down at last in wonder to see the great success of their work, the gap being piled high, and, leaving horses out of the question, forming a barrier that it would be hard work for an active man to climb.

"Stop now," said the doctor, and all gladly rested, to stand wiping the perspiration from their streaming faces. "No horses can possibly pa.s.s by here."

"Mind! Quick! Down with you!" shouted Wilton, and as he spoke an arrow struck against the rocky wall close to his head and glanced off, to fly far away along the gulch.

CHAPTER FIFTY TWO.

THE PROGRESS OF THE PLAN.

"A narrow escape," said Bourne, and another arrow pa.s.sed over without injury to any one present, for the simple reason that all had obeyed the warning and dropped behind the nearest cover.

"Be on the alert," cried the doctor from the other side. "That means they are coming back."

"And Griggs was to have been with us by this time to help in the fight.

Father, this looks bad."

The doctor met his son's eyes, and then turned to look in the direction from which their companion would be bound to arrive if he had managed to escape over the terraces to make for the gully.

"Don't judge rashly, my boy," said the doctor. "He has had very little time yet.--Are you all ready for the enemy?"

"Yes," came back quickly enough; but there was no enemy visible.

"Could you see who sent that arrow, Wilton?"

"No, but there are two ponies grazing up yonder. I fancy they must belong to the last Indians we saw come by."

"It looks like it, as only two shots have come. But we shall have the whole body coming back soon."

"Close upon a hundred," said Wilton, "and we are five."

"Yes, five, in a strong fortress, with modern weapons against instruments of barbarism; and what is more, we have dealt the enemy such a blow as will take them long enough to get over."

"But I wish we were all together, father, instead of being divided.

Wouldn't it be better if we tried to get to them?"

"No," said the doctor quietly. "We are quite right here for the present, and perhaps we shall have our side strengthened soon by the coming of friend Griggs."

"Ah!" sighed Chris, "if he only would!"

Another arrow struck the rocks close to where Bourne and his friends were watchfully scanning the gulch between them and the old camp, and directly after a shot was fired, making every one start to look where the little grey puff of smoke arose, and Wilton was calmly reloading his rifle.

"I marked that fellow down," he said coolly.

"Did you hit?" said the doctor.

"I think so. He has altered his position, and is lying flat."

"Don't fire! A friend!" came in a familiar voice from behind them, and the boys gave a cheer, which was answered by Griggs, who now appeared, coming at a trot along the gulch from the direction of the gully, and began to climb up on the doctor's side.

"I did hope to be in time," he said, as he reached Chris and lay down, breathing hard. "Not done much, I hope?"

"You are in time," cried Chris, catching at the American's hand, to have his own pressed firmly.

"We've been in great anxiety about you, Griggs," cried the doctor, pressing his friend's other hand.

"You'd have felt worse than that, sir, if you'd seen my wig," said the American, with a chuckle. "They came so near catching me that my hair began to rise at the thought of being cut shorter than ever it was cut before, and made into an ornament. They nearly had me before I got to the first terrace. You know I--There's a chap yonder going to send an arrow at us, Chris, lad. You'd better shoot."