The Peril Finders Part 71

"Jusso," said Griggs.

"Then where did it go to?" said Chris.

"That's what we've got to find out. Got a hole of its own underground, perhaps, and dives down, to come up again miles away, perhaps, and-- Water it is!"

"Where?" cried Chris excitedly, and he threw up his head, his nostrils expanded, and he sniffed loudly.

Griggs threw up his head too, but he did not open his nostrils and sniff loudly. He only laughed.

"More ways of killing a cat than hanging it," he cried merrily. "Other ways besides seeing and smelling. Hark!"

They had pushed their way in among the outer blocks that had bounded farthest, and their ponies had halted at the bottom of the slope because they could go no farther without attempting to climb.

"Hark? What to--what at? I can't hear anything. Yes, I can," cried the boy excitedly. "It's a singing, gurgling noise. Why, Griggs, you're right. There's water running down below here."

"Well done, hearing!" cried Griggs. "I'll be bound to say there's a big natural tunnel down below here. One minute. Let's try a bit more to the right."

They dismounted, and Griggs led the way, brushing the rocks about with his pole as he climbed up and up, listening the while, for about sixty or seventy yards, and then he stopped short, picked up a stone about as big as his head, and pitched it away forward.

There was silence for a few moments, and then, just as Chris climbed up alongside and found himself on the edge of a deep chasm going down into gloom, he heard a hollow, echoing splash.

"Sounds like water," said Griggs coolly, "and plenty of it."

"Yes," cried Chris, as he listened. "Why, I heard that dull, rumbling sound before," he continued, as he bent over, "but it seemed to come from high up in the cliffs, and I thought it was the wind."

"So did I," said Griggs. "I suppose the sound comes up and strikes against the rock-face, to be reflected off to where we could hear it down below."

"Would it be?"

"To be sure, my lad. Sound's just like light in that. It strikes against anything and goes off, they say, at the same angle, and then perhaps it's only in one position that you can see it. Same here: there's one part down below where we can catch this rumbling, hissing echo."

"But you don't call that finding water? What a horrible place! How are we to get at it?"

"Oh, easily enough," said Griggs coolly. "You'll have to go down with all the bottles and fill them."

"What! Down there?"

"Yes. Shouldn't you like the job?"

"Of course not."

"Well, then, I must," said Griggs, laughing.

"No, that wouldn't be fair."

"Never mind; we'll argue that out afterwards," said Griggs merrily.

"Anyhow, we've found what we wanted."

Clapping his hands to the sides of his mouth, he shouted "Water!" and the rest of the party began to move towards them, delighted with the news.

"Any snakes about?" cried the doctor, as they reached the foot of the slope.

"Haven't seen any up here," was the reply; and the party climbed up to stand at the edge of the great pit-like place, gazing down and listening to the hollow, echoing roar of what was evidently a large body of water.

"Well done!" cried the doctor. "Why, there must be quite a tunnel below here."

"I think not, sir; it's only a narrow path in the side of the place, partly filled up with the big stones fallen from above; but there's evidently a great well-like place going right down ever so deep to flow underground."

"But how are we to get at the water now we have found it?" said Wilton.

"I for one am not going down there."

"It ought to be some one light and active, not a big, strong man," said Griggs dryly. "P'r'aps Mr Ned here wouldn't mind."

Ned's face underwent such a change, becoming contracted in so absurd a manner, that Chris burst into a roar of laughter and began to stamp about.

"Oh yes, it's very funny," cried Ned, in an ill-used tone. "Perhaps Chris would like the job."

"Not I," cried the boy. "n.o.body could go down there."

"I'm afraid not," said the doctor, peering down and listening to the deep, hollow roar. "Then we've had all our trouble for nothing."

"Oh no, sir," said Griggs; "the hole doesn't go straight down. We're all thirsty, and it would be a long job to go all the way back to that fall. We'd better give the animals what we have in the tubs, and I'll go down with one and fill it again."

"No, no; we must go back."

"Before we've explored this place, sir? Why, as likely as not we shall find it is another gold city when we come to search. I'll go down."

"It is too risky, man. Suppose you slipped?"

"Ah, that would be awkward; and you'd have to go miles away to look for the hole where I came out," said Griggs, laughing; "but I'm not going to run any risks of that sort. I've too much liking for old Griggs, as young Chris here calls me. Oh, it's easy enough, sir. I'll take down one of the barrels with some of the lariats knotted together and one end made fast round my chest. Then if I slip you can haul me up."

"I hardly like letting you go," said the doctor, speaking dubiously.

"It'll be easy enough," said the American coolly. "I'll do it."

They went back to where the mules were grazing, distributed the contents of one barrel amongst them, and then brought the empty vessel up to the edge of the gap, where Griggs set busily to work knotting the hide-ropes they had with them tightly together, after which a bundle of dry pine-boughs was lit, after being bound together with a bit of chain attached to the end of the lariats.

The wood was soon blazing brightly, and it was then lowered down, to keep on touching at the side of what proved to be a sharp slope, but only to be shaken clear again and go on lighting up the sloping, cave-like place, till as the watchers peered down they suddenly caught sight of the reflection of the ruddy, smoky light, and upon the blazing f.a.ggot descending another few feet after lodging once more, they could see the rushing water tearing along, to pa.s.s right beneath where the observers stood.

By this time the f.a.ggot was burning rapidly away, and fiery brands began to drop, to fall with a hiss into the underground torrent, some to become extinct on the moment, while others glided out of sight on the surface, giving a good idea of the extent of the place.

"There," said Griggs coolly, "it's all right, you see, sir. We'll have two ropes, one for the barrels and one for a life-line. I shall take one of the lanthorns down with me. Say, young Chris, I hope we shan't have made the water taste of burnt wood and turpentine."

"There's no fear of that," said the doctor; "all that water will be far away before you reach the surface. Are you making those knots sure?"

"You may trust me, sir," said Griggs, coolly enough. "Why, what a fuss we're making about going twenty feet down at the end of a rope. I believe I could creep down those stones easy enough without. May as well have a line round me, though, I suppose."

"You'll not go down without," said the doctor decisively.