CHAPTER VIII.
NATURE’S PRISONERS.
But despite the most painstaking investigation of the valley, a taskwhich occupied them till almost sundown, the two oddly assortedprisoners were unable to find anything that promised a means of escape.They reached the spot where they had left the deer and flung themselveswearily down upon the ground, too disheartened and tired even to voicetheir disappointment.
“Gracious! Men imprisoned in a jail could not be more effectually shutin,” said Jack, at length; “I feel almost like dashing myself againstthese rock walls.”
His companion was compelled to admit that their situation did indeedseem a hard one. For some time they sat buried in thought. Jack’s mindwas back in the camp of the Rangers. He wondered how his friends feltover his disappearance, and what steps were being taken to find him.How bitterly his heart ached to see his boy chums again he did not sayfor fear of breaking down.
“We _must_ get out of this horrible place,” he cried, at length,“to–morrow as soon as it is light I mean to examine the cliffs and, ifpossible, to scale them.”
“You could not find a place that would afford a foothold,” objected hiscompanion.
“I’ll try, at any rate. I’d rather almost be dashed to death than dragout a lingering existence in this valley,” burst out the boy.
“Well, let us have supper,” said Alvarez presently, “there is nothingto be gained by railing at our fate. If the saints do not will that weshall escape, depend upon it we will not.”
So saying he rose to his feet, shrugging his shoulders resignedly.
“What a contrast between the indifference of such a race and therugged determination of an American,” thought Jack, as he set to workto rekindle the embers of the fire that had cooked their mid–day meal.
He was blowing them into flame when Alvarez called to him from amongthe trees. He had found a species of oak which was burdened withacorns. These, the Mexican declared, could be made into a kind ofbread if crushed and mixed with water. As this would be a welcomeaddition to ungarnished deer meat, Jack was proportionately pleased atthe discovery. The Mexican set to work and ground the acorns betweentwo flat stones, after which he heated one of the latter till it wasalmost red–hot. This done, the acorn paste was spread out on it, andbefore long there was produced a rather “doughy” sort of flap–jack orpan–cake. When one side was done Alvarez turned it till it was nicelybrowned. By this time Jack had some broiled venison ready, and they satdown to their second meal in the Lost Valley with good appetites.
The acorn flap–jack proved to be not at all unpalatable. It was rathersweet and had a peculiar flavor; at any rate it afforded some varietyto the plain deer meat.
“Well, we shan’t starve here, at least,” commented the Mexican, as theyate; “there seem to be plenty of deer and small game and an unlimitedsupply of acorns for bread.”
“No, I suppose if it came down to that, we could live here for acentury, like two Robinson Crusoes,” agreed Jack, rather bitterly, “butthat’s not my plan. I mean to escape.”
“The young are always hopeful,” rejoined Alvarez, with one of hisall–expressive shrugs; “I suppose you think you can carry out yourplan.”
“I mean to make a mighty hard try at it, anyhow,” said Jack, settinghis lips in a determined line.
That evening as they sat by their camp fire, Alvarez told Jack that heand his two companions on the raft had been leaders of the northernwing of the revolutionary army. They had chosen the raft as a mediumto spy from, he explained, because it was possible in that way toascertain what the border patrol was doing, without so much risk ofbeing discovered as would have been the case had they used horses.
“I guess you wish you’d never seen the raft by this time,” commentedJack, throwing some fresh wood on the fire.
“I do, indeed,” agreed the other fervently.
Soon after this they composed themselves to sleep, but it was longbefore Jack closed his eyes.
He was just dozing off when the sound of a furtive footfall made himsit up, broad awake in an instant. From the darkness two green pointswere blazing at him.
“The eyes of some wild beast that has decided to pay us a visit,” saidJack to himself.
He was just about to arouse Alvarez and get the revolver when thecreature that was prowling about the camp gave a sudden leap. Jack sawa lithe body launched at him just in time to roll to one side.
The creature, balked in its spring, came down in the midst of the hotashes of the smoldering fire. Instantly a piercing howl of anguishsplit the night. The Mexican leaped up and appeared to be fully awakethe instant he opened his eyes. At any rate the great, tawny body wasstill writhing about in the embers when two shots crackled from hisrevolver. The big animal gave a spring and another howl of pain andthen fell over in a heap, rolling to one side of the fire.
“What—whatever was it?” cried Jack, rather timorously, for thesuddenness of the attack had rather unnerved him.
“A mountain lion, and a monster, too,” came the reply. “Come up andtake a look at him.”
“Are you quite sure he is dead?”
“Positive. Wait a minute and I’ll make sure, however.”
So saying the Mexican stooped and picked a glowing coal out of thefire. He threw it so that it fell on the motionless beast’s hide.But the animal did not stir. Unquestionably it was quite dead. Jackapproached it, having poked up the fire the better to see the brute. Hemarveled at its size. It was indeed a giant of its kind and must haveweighed six hundred pounds or more, and was lithe and sinewy as a cat.
“What splendid condition it is in! I’d like to skin it and take thehide out of this valley as a souvenir.”
“So you are still certain that we can get out?”
“I am not _certain_, but I don’t want to give over trying till we havetested every avenue of hope.”
“_Caramba!_ But you Americans are wonderful people! A Mexican boy wouldbe sitting around crying if he were in the same fix. In the morning wewill take the pelt off this brute, and if we ever do get out, the skinwill always serve as a memento of a dreadful time.”
The mountain lion scare being over, they composed themselves to sleepagain. Jack recollected having read or heard that when a mountain lionis killed, its mate will find it out and avenge it. But even though thethought gave him cause for disquietude he was not able to stay awake;and although distant howlings told him that another puma was in thevicinity, nature asserted herself and sealed his eyes in slumber.
The sun had hardly peeped above the rim of the bowl–like valley whenJack and Alvarez were astir. Breakfast was cooked and eaten hurriedly,and then the great lion was skinned. This done, Jack started out to puthis plans in execution.
The Mexican did not accompany him. He deemed Jack’s mission a uselessone. In fact, it did seem very like an attempt at suicide to try toscale the valley’s lofty, almost perpendicular walls.
The Border Boys with the Texas Rangers Page 9
