It was almost momentary work. The men were there and then gone in the darkness, and, sore and angry, Cyril struggled to his feet.

"Why didn't you fire?" he cried.

"What at? I might have hit you, or perhaps my father," protested Perry.

"Trampling on a fellow like that," grumbled Cyril, rehoisting his load.

"Yes; they had each got a pack."

"What! our packs?" cried Cyril excitedly.

"Yes; I could just make that out," said Perry.

"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Cyril, stepping close in, and throwing down his load so as to regain his gun, "what will the colonel say?"

Not what the boy expected, for just then he came panting up with John Manning, carrying a pack between them; while the rattling of the loose stones told that they were being pursued.

"Quick, both of you," cried the colonel, "fire in the direction of the noise."

Cyril's gun spoke out with both barrels rapidly, one after the other, the flashes cutting through the darkness, and the reports being followed a few seconds later by quite a volley of echoes, which ran reverberating along the gorge, to die away slowly in the distance; but before they had ceased, the little party was well inside the very doubtful shelter they had chosen, and John Manning posted at the entrance with his loaded piece.

"Why didn't you fire?" whispered Cyril.

"I did."

"That you didn't. I did twice."

"I mean," said Perry, "I pulled the trigger, but the thing wouldn't go off.--Oh!"

"What's the matter?" said Cyril eagerly, as he reloaded his piece.

"Don't say anything," whispered Perry. "I forgot to c.o.c.k it."

"A narrow escape, Manning," said the colonel just then.

"Tidy, sir," replied the old soldier; "but I don't like losing that pack. Shall I make a charge and fetch it in?"

"Madness, man," said the colonel. "Let it go. We've got all the others safe."

"No, father," cried Perry excitedly; "two Indians rushed out of this place while you were gone, and each man had one of the packs."

"What!" cried the colonel in a despairing tone; "three of my precious packages of seed--gone?"

No one spoke; but from out of the darkness came the peculiar sound of one grinding his teeth, and a pang of misery and disappointment shot through Cyril as the colonel said bitterly:

"Two of you with guns, and you could not check those brutes."

"No, sir," growled John Manning; "how could they without bay'nets?

'tain't to be done."

"It was all so sudden, father," put in Perry, his words saving John Manning from a stern reproof. "Cyril was knocked down, and there was not time to fire."

"And if there had been," whispered Cyril maliciously, "your gun would not have gone off."

"Beg pardon, sir," said John Manning, "I daresay we can get back the seed in the morning: they'll keep the good things, and throw what they think is rubbish away."

"No," said the colonel, speaking sternly, "the three bags in those packages are gone. It is the main object of these men to keep the seed from being taken out of the country. Where is the lantern, Manning?"

"Somewhere along with the packages, sir. I think we brought it in with the second lot."

"You keep guard, while we search the cave. A sharp lookout, mind.-- Perry, come with me.--You stay with Manning, Cyril, till I return."

"Sharp lookout, sir!" growled the old soldier. "Who's to keep a sharp lookout in the dark, and how's a man to guard the inside and outside together?--Say, Master Cyril, we're in a pretty tidy hole here, and it'll take all we know to get out of it again."

"Oh, we shall manage," said Cyril sharply; "but three packs gone.

That's terrible!"

"'Tis, sir, and they'd all got in what's of more consequence to us now than seed--a whole bag each of rice and meal, without counting delicacies in the shape o' pepper and mustard."

Just then there was the crackling of a match, followed by a faint glow, and the lantern shed its light around, gleaming from the running water, and showing dimly the mules standing in a group with their heads together. Then as Cyril stood waiting and watchful, he saw the lantern go on and on as if the colonel were zigzagging about to and fro, now approaching the little stream, now going right away. Sometimes the light pa.s.sed beyond intervening rocks, and disappeared for a minute, then came into sight again; but there was no sign of other occupant in the great cave, whose extent was evidently vast.

"Don't see no more o' they bat birds buzzing about," said Manning suddenly. "I hope they'll come back."

"Why?" said Cyril.

"Foodling," growled the old soldier. "We may have to stand a siege, and it ain't bad to know you've got plenty of meat and water on the spot."

"What's that noise?" whispered Cyril.

"Some on 'em crawling about on the stones outside yonder. I heered 'em, and if they don't keep off--I don't want to shoot no one, had enough of it when I was out in Indy, sir; but duty's duty, and if they won't leave us alone, they must be taught how. See anything o' the lantern now?"

"No; it has gone out of sight some time."

"Humph! I hope they won't go too far and lose theirselves, sir, because they can't be spared. I knowed of a man losing himself in a stone quarry once under ground, but they found him afterwards."

"Half-starved?" said Cyril eagerly.

"Quite, sir. It was a year after he went down. I don't like work under ground. It's only fit for rats or worms. See the light now?"

"No: what's that?"

"Something moving inside, sir."

"The mules?"

"No, sir; their hoofs are not so soft as that. Sounds to me as if some of 'em was going to make a rush, and we haven't a bay'net to bless ourselves with. You fire, sir, at once before they come on."

Cyril did not hesitate, but without shouldering his piece, he drew trigger with the result that they heard, mingled with the reverberations of the report, a faint pattering noise as of retreating feet.