The Silver Canyon: A Tale of the Western Plains

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

  TAKING FULL POSSESSION.

  Waking with the bright sun shining over the waters of the lake, thecattle quietly browsing, and the well-watered horses enjoying athoroughly good feed, the troubles of the journey over the dreary plainwere pretty well forgotten, and as fires were lit and meals prepared,there were bright faces around ready to give the Doctor a genial "goodmorning."

  Soon after those on the look-out, while the rest made a hearty meal toprepare them for the toil of the day, announced Indians, and arms wereseized, while men stood ready to run to their horses and to protecttheir cattle.

  But there was no need for alarm, the new-comers being the Beaver and hisfollowers, who stated that they had come upon signs of Indians, andfound that they had been by the mountain within the past day or two.But they had followed the trail, and found that their enemies had gonedue north, following the course of the Great Canyon, and it was probablethat they had finished their raid into these southern parts, and wouldnot return.

  "If they do," said the Beaver, with contemptuous indifference, "ouryoung men shall kill them all. Their horses will be useful. They areno good to live, for they are thieves and murderers without mercy."

  The rest of the journey was soon achieved, and the waggons drawn up inregular order close beside the mountain, while, after due inspection ofthe cavernous place where Joses had remained concealed with the horses,it was decided as a first step to construct with rocks a semi-circularwall, whose two ends should rest against the perpendicularmountain-side, and this would serve as a corral for the cattle, and alsoact as a place of retreat for a certain number to protect them, thehorses being kept in Joses' Hole, as Bart christened the place.

  There was plenty of willing labour now that the goal had been reached,and a few of the principals had been with the Doctor to inspect the veinof silver, from which they came back enthusiastic to a degree.

  Leaving the greater part busy over the task of forming the cattle corralor enclosure, the Doctor called upon Bart and Joses, with three or fourof his leading followers, to make the ascent of the mountain, and tothis end a mysterious-looking pole was brought from the Doctor's waggon,and given to one of the men to carry. A pick and some ropes and pegswere handed to Joses, Bart received a bag, and thus accoutred theystarted.

  "Where are we going?" said one of the party, as he saw that they werewalking straight for the perpendicular wall.

  "Up to the top of the mountain," replied the Doctor.

  "Have you ever been up?" the man asked, staring at him wonderingly.

  "No; but I believe the ascent will be pretty easy, and I have a reasonfor going."

  "Is he mad?" whispered the man to Bart. "Why, nothing but a fly couldclimb up there."

  "Mad? No," replied Bart, smiling. "Wait a bit, and you'll see."

  "Well, I wouldn't have believed there was a way through here!" said theman, slapping his leg, and laughing heartily, as they reached the narrowslit, crept through, and then stood with the long slope above them readyfor the ascent. "It seems as if nature had done it all in the mostcunning way, so as to make a hiding-place."

  "And a stronghold and fort for us," said Bart. "I think when once weget this place in order, we may set at defiance all the Indians of theplains."

  "If they don't starve us out, or stop our supply of water," said Joses,gruffly. "Man must eat and drink."

  By this time the Doctor was leading the way up the long rugged slope,that seemed as if it had been carved by water constantly rushing down,though now it was perfectly dry. It was not above ten feet wide, andthe walls were in places almost perpendicular.

  It was a toilsome ascent, for at varying intervals great blocks of stonebarred the path, with here and there corresponding rifts; but a littlelabour enabled the party to surmount these, and they climbed on till allat once the path took a new direction, going back as it were uponitself, but always upward at a sufficiently stiff angle, so as to form azigzag right up the face of the mountain.

  "It is one of the wonders of the world," exclaimed the Doctor,enthusiastically.

  "It's a precious steep one, then," grumbled Joses.

  "I can hardly understand it yet," continued the Doctor, "unless therehas been a tremendous spring of water up on high here. It seems almostimpossible for this path to be natural."

  "Do you think it was made by men, sir?" said Bart.

  "It may have been, but it seems hardly possible. Some great nation mayhave lived here once upon a time, but even then this does not look likethe work of man. But let us go on."

  It was quite a long journey to where the path turned again, and thenthey rested, and sat down to enjoy the sweet pure breeze, and gaze rightout over the vast plain, which presented a wondrous panorama even fromwhere they were, though a far grander view awaited them from the top,which they at last set off to reach.

  There were the same difficulties in the way; huge blocks of stone, overwhich they had to climb; rifts that they had to leap, and variousnatural ruggednesses of this kind, to seem in opposition to the theorythat the zigzag way was the work of hands, while at every halting-placethe same thought was exchanged by Bart and the Doctor--"What a fortress!We might defend it against all attacks!"

  But the Doctor had one other thought, and that was, how high did thesilver lode come up into the mountain, and would they be able tocommence the mining up there?

  "At all events, Bart," he said, "up here will be our stores andtreasure-houses. Nothing can be more safe than this."

  At last, after a breathless ascent, Bart, who was in advance, sprangupon the top, and uttered a loud cheer, but only to stop short as hegazed round in wonder at the comparatively level surface of themountain, and the marvellous extent of the view around. Whether therewas silver, or whether there was none, did not seem to occur to him: allhe wanted was to explore the many wide acres of surface, to creep downinto the rifts, to cautiously walk along at the very edge of thistremendous precipice, which went sharply down without protection of anynatural parapet of rock. Above all, he wanted to get over to thefarther side, and, going to the edge, gaze right into the gloriouscanyon with the rugged sides, and try from this enormous height to traceits course to right and left as it meandered through the plain.

  "What a place to live in!" thought Bart, for there were grass, flowers,bushes, stunted trees, and cactuses, similar to those below them on theplain. In fact, it seemed to Bart as if this was a piece--almostroughly rounded--of the plain that had been left when the rest sank downseveral hundred feet, or else that this portion had been thrust right upto stand there, bold and bluff, ready to defy the fury of any stormsthat might blow.

  The Doctor led the way half round, till he found what he considered asuitable spot near the edge on the northern side of the mountain; andthere being no need to fear the Indians any longer, he set Joses to workwith the pick to clear out a narrow rift, into which the pole they hadbrought was lowered, and wedged up perpendicularly with fragments ofrock, one of which Bart saw was almost a mass of pure silver; thenstaves were set against the bottom, and bound there for strength; thenguy ropes added, and secured to well-driven-down pegs; and lastly, as adefiance to the Indians, and a declaration of the place being owned bythe government, under whose consent they had formed the expedition, thenational flag was run up, amidst hearty cheers, and its folds blew outstrongly in the breeze.

  "Now," said the Doctor, "we are under the protection of the flag, andcan do as we please."

  "Don't see as the flag will be much protection," growled Joses; "butit'll bring the Injun down on us before long."

  The Doctor did not hear these words, for he was beginning to explore thetop of the mountain, and making plans for converting the place into astronghold. Bart heard them, however, and turned to the grumbler.

  "Do you think the Indians will notice the flag, Joses?" he said.

  "Do I think the Injuns will notice it, Master Bart? Why, they can'thelp noticing it. Isn't it flap, flap, flapping there,
and asking themto come as hard as it can. Why, they'll see that bit o' rag miles andmiles away, and be swooping down almost before we know where we are.Mark my words if they'll not. We shall have to sleep with one eye openand the other not shut, Master Bart, that's what we shall have to do."

  "Well, we shall be strong enough now to meet any number," said Bart.

  "Yes, if they don't catch us just as we are least expecting it. Dessaythe Doctor knows best, but we shall never get much of that silver homeon account of the Apaches."

  "Oh yes, we shall, Joses," said Bart, merrily. "Wait a bit, and youwill see that the Indians can be beaten off as easily as possible, andthey'll soon be afraid to attack us when they find how strong we are.Perhaps they'll be glad to make friends. Now, come and have a lookround."

  Joses obeyed his young leader, shouldering his rifle, and following himin a surly, ill-used sort of way, resenting everything that wasintroduced to his notice as being poor and unsatisfactory.

  "Glad to see trees up here, Master Bart," he said, as the lad made aremark, by a patch whose verdure was a pleasant relief to the eye afterthe glare from the bare rock. "I don't call them scrubs of thingstrees. Why, a good puff of wind would blow them off here and down intothe plain."

  "Then why hasn't a good puff of wind blown them off and down into theplain?" said Bart.

  "Why haven't they been blown off--why haven't they been blown off,Master Bart? Well, I suppose because the wind hasn't blowed hardenough."

  Bart laughed, and they went on along the edge of the tremendous clifftill they came above the canyon, down into which Bart, never seemedweary of gazing. For the place had quite a fascination for him, withits swift, sparkling river, beautiful wooded islands, and green andvaried shores. The sides of the place, too, were so wondrouslypicturesque; here were weather-stained rocks of fifty different tints;there covered with lovely creepers, hanging in festoons or clingingclose to the stony crevices that veined the rocky face in everydirection. The shelves and ledges and mossy nooks were innumerable, andevery one, even at that great height, wore a tempting look that drew thelad towards it, and made him itch to begin the exploration.

  "What a lovely river, Joses!" he cried.

  "Lovely? Why, it's one o' those sand rivers. Don't you ever go into itif we get down there; you'd be sucked into the quicksands before youknew where you were. I don't think much of this place, Master Bart."

  "I do," cried the lad, stooping to pick up a rough fragment of stone,and then, as it was long and thin, breaking it against the edge of apiece of rock, when the newly-fractured end shone brightly in the sunwith a metallic sheen.

  "Why, there is plenty of silver up here, Joses," he said, examining thestone intently. "This is silver, is it not?"

  Joses took the piece of stone in an ill-used way, examined it carefully,and with a sour expression of countenance, as if he were grieved to ownthe truth, and finally jerked it away from him so that it might fallinto the canyon.

  "Yes," he growled; "that's silver ore, but it's very poor."

  "Poor, Joses?"

  "Yes; horrid poor. There wasn't above half of that silver; all the restwas stone. I like to see it in great solid lumps that don't want anymelting. That's what I call silver. Don't think much of this."

  "Well, it's a grand view, at all events, Joses," said Bart.

  "It's a big view, and you can see far enough for anything," he growled."You can see so far that you can't see any farther; but I don't see nogood in that. What's the good of a view that goes so far you can't seeit? Just as well have no view at all."

  "Why, you are never satisfied, Joses," laughed Bart.

  "Never satisfied! Well, I don't see nothing in this to satisfy a man.You can't eat and drink a view, and it won't keep Injun off from you.Pshaw! views are about no good at all."

  "Bart!"

  It was the Doctor calling, and on the lad running to him it was to findthat he was standing by a great chasm running down far into the body ofthe mountain, with rough shelving slopes by which it was possible todescend, though the task looked risky except to any one of the firmestnerve.

  "Look down there, Bart," said the Doctor, rather excitedly; "what do youmake of it?"

  Bart took a step nearer so as to get a clearer view of the rent, ruggedpit, at one side of which was a narrow, jagged slit where the sunshinecame through, illumining what would otherwise have been gloomy in theextreme.

  How far the chasm descended it was impossible to see from itsirregularity, the sides projecting in great buttresses here and there,all of grey rock, while what had seemed to be the softer portions hadprobably crumbled away. Here and there, though, glimpses could beobtained of what looked like profound depths where all was black andstill.

  "What should you think this place must have been?" said the Doctor, asif eager to hear the lad's opinion.

  "Wait a minute, sir," replied Bart, loosening a great fragment of rock,which with some difficulty he pushed to the edge, and then, placing hisfoot to it, thrust it over, and then bent forward to hear it fall.

  The distance before it struck was not great, for there was a huge massof rock projecting some fifty feet below upon which the stone fell,glanced off, and struck against the opposite side, with the effect thatit was again thrown back far down out of sight; but the noise it madewas loud enough, and as Bart listened he heard it strike heavily sixtimes, then there was a dead silence for quite a minute, and it seemedthat the last stroke was when it reached the bottom.

  Bart was just about turning to speak to the Doctor when there camehissing up a horrible echoing, weird sound, like a magnified splash, andthey knew that far down at an immense depth the great stone had falleninto water.

  "Ugh!" ejaculated Bart, involuntarily imitating the Indians. "What ahole! Why, it must be ten times as deep as this place is high. Ishouldn't care about going down."

  "Horrible indeed, Bart; but what should you think? Is this placenatural or dug out?"

  "Natural, I should say, sir," replied Bart. "Nobody could dig down tosuch a depth as that."

  "Yes, natural," said the Doctor, carefully scanning the sides of theplace with a small glass. "Originally natural, but this place has beenworked."

  "Worked? What, dug out?" said Bart. "Why, what for--to get water?"

  "No," said the Doctor, quietly; "to get silver. This has been a greatmine."

  "But who would have dug it?" said Bart, eagerly. "The Indians wouldnot."

  "The people who roughly made the zigzag way up to the top here, my boy."

  "But what people would they be, sir? The Spaniards?"

  "No, Bart. I should say this was dug by people who lived long beforethe Spaniards, perhaps thousands of years. It might have been done bythe ancient peoples of Mexico or those who built the great temples ofCentral America and Yucatan--those places so old that there is notradition of the time when they were made. One thing is evident, thatwe have come upon a silver region that was known to the ancients."

  "Well, I am disappointed," cried Bart. "I thought, sir, that we hadmade quite a new find."

  "So did I at first, Bart," replied the Doctor; "but at any rate, save toobtain a few scraps, the place has not been touched, I should say, forcenturies; and even if this mine has been pretty nearly exhausted, thereis ample down below there in the canyon, while this mount must be ourfortress and our place for furnaces and stores."

  They descended cautiously for about a couple of hundred feet,sufficiently far for the Doctor to chip a little at the walls, and findin one or two places veins that ran right into the solid mountain, andquite sufficient to give ample employment to all the men withouttouching the great lode in the crack of the canyon side; and this beingso, they climbed back to meet Joses, who had been just about to descendafter them.

  "You'll both be killing of yourselves before you're done, master," hesaid, roughly. "No man ought to go down a place like that without arope round his waist well held at the end."

  "Well, it would have been safer
," said the Doctor, smiling.

  "Safer? Yes," growled Joses; "send down a greaser next time. There'splenty of them, and they aren't much consequence. We could spare afew."

  The Doctor smiled, and after continuing their journey round the edge ofthe old mine, they made their way to the zigzag descent, whose greatregularity of contrivance plainly enough indicated that human hands hadhad something to do with it; while probably, when it was in use in theancient ages, when some powerful nation had rule in the land, it mighthave been made easy of access by means of logs and balks of wood laidover the rifts from side to side.