"Well done, sir. Reload quickly. They were going to rush us, and that's taught 'em we were on the kwy wyve as the Frenchies call it."

"Keep a sharp lookout your way," said Cyril as he hurriedly reloaded, his fingers trembling from his excitement.

"That's what I'm doing, sir, with my ears. I've been on sentry before with different kind of Indians on the lookout to bring you down with bullets. I shall hear 'em, I dessay."

"But look here, John Manning, we've stopped those men from coming, and driven them back on the colonel."

"Yes, sir, and all the worse for them, for he's sure to hear them and be on the lookout. Strikes me that the cave swarms with Indians, and that our first job ought to be to clear the place. But look out, and don't be in too great a hurry to shoot now, sir, because your shot 'll bring our friends back to us. Perhaps it came in quite right, for they may have lost their way."

Then some minutes pa.s.sed, and a noise was heard which made Cyril lower his gun again, but a voice warned him that he must not fire.

"Where are you?" cried the colonel.

"Here, sir."

"Thank goodness. We had an accident, fell over a stone, and put out the light. This place is tremendous, and we should have hardly found our way out of it, had it not been for your shot. Did you mean it as a recall?"

Cyril explained, and the colonel came to the conclusion that it was useless to explore farther, for there was room for a hundred of the enemy to hide and elude them, so vast was the number of huge blocks lying about, ma.s.ses which had fallen from the roof during some convulsion of nature.

"We must wait for daylight," he said at last. "It is impossible to make any plans till then."

But all the same the colonel arranged his little force so that it might tell to the best advantage; he and Perry securing themselves behind a block of stone to guard from an attack within, while Cyril had to join John Manning in guarding the entrance from an attack from outside, where they had the satisfaction soon after of seeing one of the mountain peaks appear, pale and ghastly looking, over the other side of the gorge, while all below was intensely black.

Once they heard a peculiar cry which might have come from Indians or some wild creature, quadruped or night-bird; but otherwise all was still in the gorge, as they strained their eyes in their endeavours to pierce the darkness in search of danger.

At last weariness began to tell upon Cyril, and his head nodded gently, then went down so suddenly that he started up, angry, and in dread lest Manning should have been aware of his lapse. For it was horrible at a time like that, when perhaps the lives of all depended upon his watchfulness.

"It was too dark, and he did not notice it," thought Cyril, with a glow of satisfaction pervading his breast.

"Yes, it's hard work, as I well know, sir," said Manning quietly. "When I was a soldier first, I used to think it killing work to keep on sentry when one would have given anything to have a good sleep."

"You noticed it, then," said Cyril.

"Noticed it, my lad? why, of course. Seeing how dark it is, you might have had a doze and me not known anything but there you were, very quiet; but when you says to me, as plain as a young man can speak, 'I'm tired out, and my eyes won't keep open any longer,' why, of course, I know you're off."

"But did I say that?"

"Not exactly, sir, but you said 'gug,' and I heered your teeth chop together when your chin went down upon your chest."

"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Cyril bitterly, "and I did try so hard."

"Course you did, sir, but human nature's the nat'ralist thing there is, and it will have its own way. I'd say have a snooze, but orders were that you was to watch, and watch you must."

"Yes," said Cyril firmly, "and I will keep awake now."

He kept his word for fully ten minutes, and then his efforts were vain.

If the peril had been ten times greater, he would have dropped off all the same; but he had not slept a minute before there was the sharp report of a gun which came bellowing out of the cave's mouth, and the boy started up once more as if it were he who had been shot; while from close at hand there was a rush of feet, and John Manning fired at once into the darkness, with the result that there was another rush from Cyril's right.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

IN THE GORGE.

"Well," cried the colonel, as the echoing died away, "are they coming on?"

"They were, sir, without us knowing it," said Cyril. "Your shot frightened them, and then Manning fired and startled some more."

"The mules warned me," said the colonel, "as they did you, but a shot sent the rascals back.--Hah! the light coming at last."

For the mountain peaks were beginning to glow, and the clouds which hung round the highest showed tints that were quite crimson, while the light was now slowly stealing down into the deep gorge, bringing with it relief from the terrible anxiety of the night.

Then, as it grew brighter, it became evident that the Indians had drawn off for a time, not a sign being visible of their presence anywhere in the deep valley, while inside the cavern all was so still that it was almost impossible to believe that any danger could be lurking there.

But the danger was ever present, and it was not until John Manning had been posted well inside the cavern, ready to fire in the event of any fresh advance, that preparations were made for a very necessary meal; after which it became requisite to hold a council of war, when it was decided that to stay where they were would be madness, and that nothing remained for them but to show a bold front and push on at once.

Perry looked so dubious that his father smiled.

"Don't you see, my boy, how dependent we are upon the mules? Well, the mules must be turned out to graze, and we shall be as safe journeying on as posting ourselves to guard them. Besides, if we stop here, the Indians will conclude that we are afraid to go on, and this will give them courage; whereas, if we advance boldly, they will give us the credit of being braver than we are."

"And if we shut ourselves up in that cave, how long will the provisions hold, sir, if I may make so bold?" said John Manning.

"Quite right," said the colonel nodding. "Don't you know, Perry, that a wise man once said that an army does not gallop along, but crawls upon its stomach?"

"Crawls?" said Perry.

"You don't understand, boy. He meant that an army can only move as fast as provisions can be supplied to it. That is our case. If we take the risk of shutting ourselves up here--a dreary, depressing plan, by the way--we can only hold out till our provisions come to an end. Better far make a bold dash onward toward the other side of the mountains.

Every step we take will be toward civilisation and safety, while every step the Indians take in pursuit will be toward land where they know that they will be at a disadvantage. There, I do not see why I should explain all this to you, but I want you to have confidence in me. And you too, sir."

"Oh, I have, father," cried Perry.

"And I'm sure I have, sir," said Cyril warmly, "only I can't help feeling that we shall be safer in the cavern than out there in the narrow valley, where these people can shoot us down when they like."

"Of course you feel that, my lad," said the colonel, "but I am under the impression that they will hesitate about shooting at us. I fancy that they will strain every nerve to master us and capture all our stores, in the full belief that we are taking out of the country valuables that their traditions and the teachings of their rulers bind them to defend.

If they had liked, I feel convinced that some one of us, perhaps two, would be wounded and helpless by now.--What do you say, John Manning?"

"Well, sir, I'm 'bout divided in my opinions. One time I think they must be such bad shots, they're afraid to show it, and another I get thinking that they've got an idea of your being an indefatigable sort of a gentleman."

"Well, I am, John Manning," replied the colonel smiling; "and you know it too."

"Course I do, sir, but that isn't what I mean, sir: 'tain't indefatigable; it's a word that means something to do with armour, and the more you shoot at any one, the more you won't hurt him."

"Invulnerable," said Cyril.

"That's it, sir," cried the old soldier, slapping his leg. "Lor', what a fine thing it is to have been brought up a scholar."

"You are right, Manning. I impressed them, I suppose, by my shooting, and they have evidently some idea of that kind in their ignorance.

We'll take advantage of it and start at once.--Very tired, boys?"