"But then we should be alone so long. We had better keep together."

"Very well," said Cyril shortly; but he owned to himself that he felt better satisfied, for it was lonely, depressing work there in the darkness.

Cyril stepped forward again, going slowly and carefully through the thick growth, making as little noise as possible, and trying to keep as nearly as possible to the same distance from the fire--no easy task, by the way--but he had not gone far before he stopped short and started aside, bringing his gun down to the present. For, all at once, from out of the darkness, some one seemed to strike at him, the blow cutting through the twigs and leaves by which he was surrounded with a loud whistling noise, while the stroke was so near, that he felt the air move close to his face.

"Fire--fire!" whispered Perry excitedly.

"What at? I can't see any one," replied Cyril, as he stood with his finger on the trigger.

He felt his heart beat with a heavy throb, and his hands grew moist, as he tried hard to pierce the darkness, and fix his eyes upon the enemy who had made so cowardly a blow at him; but the thick branches shut out every ray of light, and the silence was now painful in the extreme. The position was the more startling from the fact that neither could tell from which side the next blow would come.

But still that blow did not fall, and it seemed to Cyril, as he stood there holding his breath, that the Indian who had struck at him so treacherously was waiting until he moved, so as to make sure before striking again. At last the painful tension came to an end, for suddenly, from just in front, there was a heavy sigh, and _crop, crop, crop_, followed by a burst of laughter from the boy.

"Oh, I say, Perry," he cried, "what a game! Fancy being scared like that by a mule."

"Then it was one of the mules?"

"Of course; we frightened the poor thing, and it kicked out at us. Come along."

He bore off a little to one side, and they pa.s.sed the browsing animal, and, though describing rather an irregular circle, made their way round the fire, getting back pretty exactly to the place from which they started.

This was repeated several times, and then, for a change, Cyril proposed that they should strike off a little, straight away from the camp.

Perry was willing, and they put their plan in operation, for no special reason other than that of seeing the ground was clear in different directions, and to relieve the monotony of the watch.

"You lead now," said Cyril, in a low voice, so as not to disturb the others, who, in thorough confidence that a good watch would be kept, and that there was no fear of any danger, were sound asleep.

Perry led on, finding the way more open a short distance from the camp, but he had not led thirty yards when he stopped short.

"Hallo! another mule?" said Cyril.

"Indian!" said Perry huskily; and, as Cyril pressed forward to his companion's side, there, hard to define, but plain at last, stood one of the Indians, who raised his arm and pointed back, uttering two or three words in a guttural tone.

"What does he say?"

"That we must go back to the fire. Perhaps we had better," said Cyril.

"I don't like his being there, though. Look here," he said quickly; "let's make haste back, and go right out the other way."

"What for?" said Perry, following his companion.

"I'll tell you directly."

Five minutes later they were checked just on the other side by another Indian who started up right in their path.

"Come and warn my father," said Perry excitedly. "They're going to attack us."

"No; I think not," replied Cyril decisively. "They're sentries. Come and try another way."

He led off again, after they had returned to the fire, finding that they were not followed, and that all was still; and again they were stopped by an Indian starting up and ordering them back.

"That's it," said Cyril quietly; "they've surrounded us with sentries."

"To attack us?"

"No; to see that we don't escape; and while we were walking round and round, they were within a few yards of us, listening to all our movements."

"But they couldn't have been there then, or they would have started up as they did just now."

"No; we weren't doing anything they minded; but as soon as we tried to go straight away, they stopped us. Let's try once more."

He led off quickly again, with the same result; and then Perry turned back to where his father lay asleep.

"What are you going to do?" whispered Cyril.

"Wake up my father, of course. We are attacked."

"Don't do that," said Cyril decisively. "We are not attacked, or they would have seized us at once. I'm sure they are only guarding us, to make sure that we don't try to escape. It's of no use to wake him till the proper time."

Perry hesitated.

"But we are in danger."

"No; I don't think we are. They are watching us, but they don't mean to attack us, or they would do so. You'll see now. We've come among them, and they'll keep us under their eye, and perhaps will not let us go again. Look here: let's go and speak to Diego."

Perry was easily led, and yielding to his companion's decisive manner, he followed to the fire and then round to the other side, where the Indian guide and his companion were squatted down with their chins resting upon their chests.

They made no sign as the boys came silently up, and appeared to be fast asleep; but Cyril knew better, for he saw in the dim glow shed by the fire, a slight tightening of the man's hand upon his bow.

"They're asleep," whispered Perry. "Better come to my father."

"Asleep with one eye open, and on the watch," said Cyril quietly, and he bent down and whispered a few words.

They were electric in their effect, for both men raised their heads, and their eyes glittered in the faint light from the fire.

"Didn't take much waking," said Cyril, with a little laugh. Then turning to Diego, he said, in the man's half-Spanish jargon:

"Why are the Indians on the watch all round here?"

The man looked at the speaker intently.

"Are the Indians watching all round?" he said quietly.

"You know they are. Why is it? To keep us from going away?"

The man looked at him intently, and then nodded his head.

"And suppose we try to go away, what then? Would they fight?"

"Yes," said the guide gravely.