The Search for the Silver City Part 31

"Jake! Jake, come in here!"

Although the engineer was so far away the cry of mingled surprise and joy which burst from his lips could be heard distinctly, and in the shortest possible s.p.a.ce of time he was in the ravine shaking the boys'

hands vigorously.

"What are you up to here?" he asked. "Looking for me?"

"Indeed we were doing nothing of the kind," c.u.mmings said angrily.

"After you so kindly did all you could to tell the Indians where we had located it was necessary to make a quick move, and if I had had my way you would never have known how near we were."

"I don't suppose it will do any good to say that I am sorry?" Jake suggested meekly.

"Not a bit, for this is the second time you have done all the mischief possible. By this last performance it has been necessary to take a course nearly three times as long as the one we intended to travel, and no one can say what you won't do before we are out of the sc.r.a.pe."

"I pledge my word to obey orders. The experience I have had during the past twenty-four hours has taught me that I can't afford to take any more chances while we are in this heathenish country."

"It is a grave question whether we shall be able to get clear, and now that you have come we must make another change, running all the risks of traveling in the daytime, for the enemy can follow up on your trail as readily as if you had set sign-boards all the way."

Jake understood that it would do no good to make any reply while c.u.mmings was in such a rage, and he very wisely retreated to the further end of the ravine where he whispered to Teddy:

"Can't you give me a bite to eat? I'm just about starved."

"Haven't you had anything since leaving the cave?"

"Not a mouthful, and only one drink of water."

"Where have you been?"

"Walkin' all the time. When I went away it was only with the intention of travelin' a short distance. It didn't seem as if I had gone a quarter of a mile before I turned to go back, an' I've been tryin' to get there ever since."

"Didn't you sleep any last night?"

"Not a wink. I wanted to; but some kind of a big animal came prowlin'

around the tree I'd chosen as my sleepin' apartment, and after that I couldn't so much as shut my eyes without takin' the chances of fallin'

off the branch."

"Did you meet any one?"

"No."

"But how came you over here so far?"

"It seems as if I'd had time to go across the whole country since I saw you last. Say, give me some water and a mouthful of anything that's eatable, an' then I'll get a little sleep before tacklin' c.u.mmings again. I suppose its a case of goin' way down on my marrow bones before he'll forget what I've done."

"I fancy you are right in that respect," Teddy said gravely, as he overhauled the stores to procure the food, "and he can't be blamed, for you have put us in a very bad position without even the poor excuse of having tried to benefit the party."

"From this out I won't so much as yip," Jake replied earnestly, as he made a vigorous attack on the roast tapir. "Getting lost in such a forest as this is enough to make a fellow's hair turn white."

"If it will prevent you from playing the fool any more I shall be satisfied," c.u.mmings, who had come up unperceived, said emphatically.

CHAPTER XXV.

ON THE RANGE.

Although it was nearly noon, the time when the natives of Yucatan believe a siesta is absolutely necessary, c.u.mmings insisted that the flight should be continued without further delay.

"It would not be surprising if the Chan Santa Cruz sentinels had seen that idiotic Jake, and followed him in order to learn where we were hiding," he said when Neal asked why they had left the ravine during the hottest portion of the day. "If the Indians should besiege us here, it would only be a few hours before surrender must be made, because of lack of water, therefore we can render our position no worse, and may succeed in bettering it by going now."

Poyor evidently looked at the matter in the same light, for he made no protest; but began at once to prepare for the tramp.

Jake, after eating a hearty meal, had stretched out at the further end of the hiding place, and was just giving himself up to the luxury of slumber when Teddy aroused him by saying:

"Come, what are you lying here for? We are ready to start, and there's a good deal of satisfaction in knowing that this time you'll have to carry your share of the load."

"But I've got to have a nap first. Just think how long it's been since I've had a chance to close my eyes."

"You'll have to wait awhile. Both c.u.mmings and Poyor believe it is absolutely necessary for us to make a quick move, and if you're not ready they will go away alone."

Jake began to protest; but Teddy cut him short by saying:

"It won't do any good to kick. They are angry because we were forced to leave the cave, and won't spend much time coaxing."

"Hurry along," c.u.mmings shouted impatiently. "We must be well up on the range before sunset."

These words spoken in an imperative tone caused Jake to spring to his feet very nimbly, and as he neared the entrance Poyor pushed one of the packages toward him as he said:

"We carried all last night, and it would be only right to give you a double load."

"I'd have to take it if you did," Jake replied; but as if to prevent any different distribution of the burdens, he tied this one on quickly, saying when it was fastened firmly to his back, "Now I'm ready to tramp as long as you do; but it would have suited me better if I'd had time for a nap."

"It will serve you right if you don't get a chance to sleep for a week,"

c.u.mmings replied sharply. "Go on, Poyor leads the way as before, and see to it that you keep close at his heels."

The fugitives soon learned that however difficult it might be to travel through the tangled underbrush of the forest, it was as nothing compared to clambering over the ledges of green or white rock which formed the base of the range.

Here there was nothing to shield them from the fervent rays of the sun, and so intense was the heat that it seemed as if they were walking over the top of a furnace.

The only relief from the excessive warmth was when they came upon a deep fissure in the rocks where was a pool of water, with the most gorgeous flowers around the margin. Everywhere else the soil was sandy, covered in places with pebbles and burning gravel. In front of them were the mountains, bare and sterile, on which the least experienced of the party knew no drop of water could be found.

As a matter of course both c.u.mmings and Poyor kept strict watch over the surrounding country lest the enemy should be creeping upon them unawares; but when, late in the afternoon, a short halt was called, nothing suspicious had been seen.

"I don't understand how you could have wandered around twenty-four hours without being discovered by some of the sentinels," c.u.mmings said to Jake, when they were reclining on the side of the mountain in the shadow cast by an overhanging rock, where a full view of the valley beneath could be had.

"Perhaps they have given over lookin' for us," the engineer suggested.