To Win or to Die Part 3

Suddenly two figures stepped aside into the full light, leaving two others wrestling together; and this was the opportunity needed. Their first victim could see plainly that the former were enemies, and stopping short when about twenty yards away, he fired. Both turned to gaze in the direction from which the flash and report had come.

They were in time to see another flash. Another report raised the echoes, and they turned and fled.

Then the struggle ceased, and the adventurer saw another figure disappearing into the darkness after his two companions.

As he dashed off the young fellow rushed up in time to seize the victim, who staggered helplessly, trampling among the burning embers, among which he would have fallen but for the willing hands which dragged him aside, and lowered him down, before their owner began to kick about and scatter the fire, which hissed and smoked and steamed, as snow was heaped over, and raised a veil to hide the pair from their enemies while the bright light was dying out.

The next act was to find out whether the enemy were yet in the vicinity.

The adventurer advanced for some distance into the darkness, but all was still.

Satisfied that he could not be seen, the young man went on for some little distance; but it was evident that the sudden attack had done its work, and the party had fled for their lives.

"The question is, will they recover themselves and come back?" he muttered. "Well, we must be on our guard. Two in the right against three in the wrong. Those are fair odds. _Two_ in the right! Suppose it is only one."

He hurried back towards the scene of the encounter, guided by the faintly glowing embers lying here and there, and the dark, blinding wood-smoke which was borne towards him by the light icy wind which came down the defile.

"Suppose they have killed him!"

"Who are you? But whoever you are," came in a hoa.r.s.e whisper, "if it hadn't been for you those ruffians would have settled me."

"Thank heaven, then, I was in time. Can you help me trample out the rest or this fire?"

"Hadn't we better escape? You might help me drag my sled into a place of safety."

"There is no place of safety near," was the reply; "and it's cold enough to freeze us to death. We had better stay here."

"But we dare not light a fire; they would see us, and come and pick us off."

"I don't think the cowardly hounds will dare to come back."

"But they might, and I dare not risk it."

"Are you hurt?"

"Not seriously, but wrenched and strained in the struggle. Can you understand what I say? I don't know my own voice."

"Yes, I can hear you. What is it--a cold?"

"No; I was right enough an hour ago. That red-bearded dog caught me by the throat. He was trying to strangle me. I fired at random, and then my senses were going, but I heard your shots. He has quite taken away my voice. Where is your hand, sir?"

"Here: what do you want?"

"Just to make mine speak to it in a friendly grip. G.o.d bless you, sir!

you've saved my life. I can't say more now."

"Don't. There: we have no light to betray us now."

CHAPTER FOUR.

NATURE'S MISTAKE.

"But hadn't we better go on?"

"No: warmth is everything here. The ground is hot where the fire was, and we'll camp there till morning. I saw you had a sledge. We'll drag that to one side for shelter."

"And there is theirs, too," was said huskily.

"Mine!" was the reply. "The scoundrels inveigled me into staying with them, and I had a narrow escape."

"Hah! Just as they served me. I saw their light and came up, and they professed to be friends. I didn't like the look of them, but one can't pick one's company out here, and a good fire was very tempting."

"Hist!"

The warning was followed by the clicking of pistol locks, after which the pair listened patiently for some minutes.

"Nothing. Here, let's get the two sledges one on either side of the hot ground. One will be a shelter, the other a breastwork to fire over if the scoundrels come back. Besides, the breastwork will keep in the heat. We are bound to protect ourselves."

"All right," was the reply, in an answering whisper, and the pair dragged the two sledges into position, and then, allowing for the dank odour of the quenched wood, found that they had provided themselves with a snugly warm shelter, adding to their comfort by means of blankets and a waterproof sheet, which they spread beneath them.

This took time, for every now and then they paused to listen or make a reconnaissance in search of danger; but at last all was done, and the question was who should keep the first watch.

"I'll do that," said the last comer. "I couldn't lie down to sleep if I tried; my throat gives me so much pain. It feels swollen right up.

I'll take the first watch--listen, one ought to say. Why, I can't even see my hand."

"It is terribly dark here in this gulch," was the whispered reply. "The mountains run up perpendicularly on either side. But I couldn't sleep after all I've gone through to-night. My nerves are all on the jar.

I'll watch with you."

"Listen."

"Well, listen, then. Watch with our ears. Can you hear me when I whisper?"

"Oh, yes."

"But they will not come back, I'm sure."

"So much the better for them; but I hope that the miserable, treacherous hounds will meet their reward. So they attacked you just in the same way?"

"Not till I told them I would not stay; and I was sorry afterwards, feeling that perhaps I had insulted them by my suspicions. Of course, I did not know their character then."

"No. Well, we know it now. It is a specimen, I suppose, of the sc.u.m we shall find yonder."

"I am afraid so."

"You are going after gold, of course?"

"Who would be here if he were not?"