"Then why not try to fight through?"

"Because it is impossible. Not one of us would live to see the ocean."

There was not much comfort to be derived from such a conversation, and again the boys went to the entrance where c.u.mmings was examining carefully all the weapons.

"You must carry plenty of cartridges where they can be gotten at quickly," he said, as they came up. "It is impossible to say what may happen, and no precaution should be neglected. The guns are in good order, and with them we may succeed in holding the enemy at such a distance that their arrows cannot be used."

"We have filled our pockets," Neal replied, and throwing himself upon the ground, he watched c.u.mmings and Poyor at their work.

Ten minutes later the Indian came to the entrance and said as he began to crawl through the narrow pa.s.sage:

"I will make one effort to find him who has caused us so much trouble."

"Don't spend any time on such a fool," c.u.mmings cried fiercely. "He knew the danger, and if he chooses to run into it, jeopardizing our lives at the same moment, nothing too bad can happen to him."

"He may be near at hand. I will make a search," Poyor replied as he rose to his feet on the outside, and Neal whispered to Teddy:

"If Jake can be found matters won't seem quite so hard, for it will be terrible to think of him wandering around until captured, and we running away from him."

Teddy nodded his head; but did not dare trust himself to speak. He had been thinking of home until the tears were so very near his eyelids that he feared they would overflow.

During the next half hour not a word was spoken by either of the little party, and then Poyor returned alone.

There was no necessity of questioning him, and Neal covered his face with his hands to hide the distress he knew must be pictured there, for there was no longer any hope the engineer would accompany them on their rapid and most dangerous flight. By this time the meat was cooked, and the Indian brought a generous supply to the entrance; but no one had any particular desire for food.

"You must take some," c.u.mmings said, when Neal and Teddy turned away.

"We may not have an opportunity to eat again for many hours, and it is necessary to be prepared for a long tramp."

The boys managed to swallow a small quant.i.ty after considerable effort, when the final preparations were made, and by the time they were completed the sun had set.

Night had not fully settled down when Poyor gave the signal for the start, and one by one the fugitives crept from the cave, pushing their bundles before them, since the pa.s.sage was not sufficiently large to admit of their walking upright.

"Strap the pack on firmly," c.u.mmings said in a whisper, when they were in the open air. "We may be obliged to run, in which case there must be no chance of losing our baggage. You boys follow Poyor, and I will bring up the rear."

The Indian was waiting for them to get into proper marching order, and instantly this had been done he started at a rapid pace.

As they left the cave it seemed to Neal and Teddy that Jake had really been abandoned, and, regardless of what he had done, they felt that it was cruel to hurry away so soon.

"It could have done no harm to wait until morning," Neal said in a whisper, when they halted a short distance from the starting point while Poyor went ahead to reconnoiter.

"And by that time we might have found ourselves besieged. It would have been a delay of twenty-four hours, for all our traveling must be done in the night," c.u.mmings replied. "We have taken the only course he left open to us, and we won't discuss the matter any more."

The march was resumed after a short delay, and not until two hours had pa.s.sed did the Indian so much as slacken his pace.

They had arrived where the forest is less dense; but the undergrowth more tangled, and Poyor signified by gestures that the boys would be allowed a short time of rest.

Teddy was about to ask if he could take off the pack, for the cords were cutting into his flesh in a painful manner; but the Indian checked him with a quick motion of the hand.

The party were now near where it was supposed a line of sentinels was stationed, and, holding his finger to his lips, c.u.mmings gave them to understand that the utmost silence must be preserved.

Again Poyor went forward alone, and the tired boys sat with their backs against a tree thinking only of Jake and his possible fate.

The silence was so profound as to be almost alarming. Here and there amid the foliage could be seen countless fire-flies; but not even the rustling of the leaves broke the stillness, and it did not require any very great stretch of the imagination to fancy that the enemy were lurking close at hand awaiting an opportunity to spring upon them.

Once a rat-like tuza ran past within a few inches of Teddy's feet, and as the boy leaped up in affright, fancying the vengeful Indians had discovered him, it was with difficulty he repressed a cry of alarm.

With so many horrible things to think of it was a decided relief when Poyor came gliding noiselessly back to announce that the journey could be continued, and once more the little party picked their way over fallen and decaying timber, or through thickets where thorns tore both clothing and flesh.

After a time they reached ascending ground, showing that they were on the foot hills of the range, and the advance became more laborious, until, shortly before sunrise, Neal declared that he could go no farther.

"We must stop," he whispered to Poyor. "I have held out as long as possible, and could not keep on half a mile more if the enemy were in close pursuit."

The Indian nodded his head to signify that the halt should be made, and a few moments later he turned aside into a small ravine or cut on the side of the hill.

Here he threw down his burden, and the boys followed the example, paying no attention to the advantages or disadvantages of the spot as a refuge during the day which was so near at hand.

Lying at full length on the ground, heeding not that deadly reptiles might be close at hand, Neal and Teddy fell asleep almost immediately, and Poyor proposed that c.u.mmings should also seek repose.

"I will watch," he said, "and when the sun rises we can decide whether it is safe to stay here."

Although the white man was weary he would not admit that the Indian could bear more fatigue, and insisted on keeping awake until it was learned if they should be warranted in remaining.

In perfect silence the two stood guard over the sleeping boys, and when the morning came the important question was soon settled.

The place of refuge to which chance had brought them was admirable both for purposes of defense and for hiding. It was a deep, narrow cut extending thirty feet into what appeared to be a ma.s.s of sandstone, and at the entrance was not more than ten feet wide, while over the top the foliage grew so luxuriantly as to completely conceal them from the view of any one who might be above.

In front the trees were small, and it was possible to see forty or fifty yards down the side of the hill, therefore the enemy could not approach un.o.bserved save from the top.

"It is good," Poyor said approvingly. "We can remain here until night."

"But why have we not met the sentinels which you believe to be so numerous?"

"They are further on. At the end of the next march we shall be in their midst."

"And then comes the most difficult portion of our journey. But we won't search for trouble," c.u.mmings added after a short pause. "Let us have breakfast, and then one shall stand guard while the others sleep."

Poyor unpacked the provisions, awakened Neal and Teddy, and with a view before them which, under other circ.u.mstances, would have called forth expressions of the most lively admiration, the little party made a hearty meal.

CHAPTER XXIV.

JAKE.

It was only natural that on awakening Neal and Teddy should first think of the engineer and his possible fate; but the other two members of the party were so incensed against him that neither cared to speak on the subject.