by James Otis
CHAPTER XXIII.
A HURRIED DEPARTURE.
Neal and Teddy were in a state of the most painful suspense from themoment Poyor returned until the time for their departure arrived.
The one hope was that Jake would succeed in finding his way back, forthe thought that he might be captured was terrible, and they sat nearthe entrance listening intently to every sound.
"You're bound to be disappointed if you count on hearing him," Cummingssaid bitterly.
"But there is a chance that the Indians are some distance from here,"Teddy replied. "Poyor didn't find any until he reached the line ofsentinels."
"I am not saying that he is necessarily captured yet; but it would belittle short of a miracle if he found his way back after going anydistance from this cave. I wouldn't dare to make the attempt."
"But are we to go away without trying to find the poor fellow?" Nealasked in a tone of distress.
"It would be useless to search, and we are now in too much danger towaste any time," Cummings said sternly. "Our one chance of escape wasto give the enemy the idea that we had succeeded in getting out of thecountry, and he has destroyed it. Now this portion of the forest will befilled with Indians, and in twenty-four hours from the moment he or histrail is seen, we shall be discovered. We cannot aid him, and I doubtwhether I would be willing to do so if it was possible, for a man ofaverage common sense who will act as he has done deserves punishment."
The boys made no reply. Each instant their companion's anger againstJake increased, and it was not well to rouse him by furtherconversation.
Near the bank of the stream Poyor had built a fire and was cooking aportion of the tapir and the fish, for in the hurried flight which wassoon to be begun there might not be an opportunity to prepare food.
The Indian had unpacked the bundles in order to discard everything notabsolutely necessary, and was tying each compactly when the boysapproached.
"Why are you making only three packages?" Neal asked. "Teddy and I wantto do our full share of the work, and it isn't right for you andCummings to lug everything."
"You will be forced to do more than an equal share because that whichJake carried must now be divided between us," Poyor replied grimly. "Thefourth load is to be made up of the provisions."
"Are you going straight for the coast, and try to force your way throughthe line of sentinels?"
"That cannot be done. We must now ascend the mountain range on the northof the forest."
"But by so doing the journey will be made much longer, won't it?"
"Very much."
"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, andagain the boys went to the entrance where Cummings was examiningcarefully all the weapons.
"You must carry plenty of cartridges where they can be gotten atquickly," he said, as they came up. "It is impossible to say what mayhappen, and no precaution should be neglected. The guns are in goodorder, and with them we may succeed in holding the enemy at such adistance that their arrows cannot be used."
"We have filled our pockets," Neal replied, and throwing himself uponthe ground, he watched Cummings and Poyor at their work.
Ten minutes later the Indian came to the entrance and said as he beganto crawl through the narrow passage:
"I will make one effort to find him who has caused us so much trouble."
"Don't spend any time on such a fool," Cummings cried fiercely. "He knewthe danger, and if he chooses to run into it, jeopardizing our lives atthe same moment, nothing too bad can happen to him."
"He may be near at hand. I will make a search," Poyor replied as he roseto 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 beterrible to think of him wandering around until captured, and we runningaway from him."
Teddy nodded his head; but did not dare trust himself to speak. He hadbeen thinking of home until the tears were so very near his eyelids thathe feared they would overflow.
During the next half hour not a word was spoken by either of the littleparty, and then Poyor returned alone.
There was no necessity of questioning him, and Neal covered his facewith his hands to hide the distress he knew must be pictured there, forthere was no longer any hope the engineer would accompany them on theirrapid and most dangerous flight. By this time the meat was cooked, andthe Indian brought a generous supply to the entrance; but no one had anyparticular desire for food.
"You must take some," Cummings said, when Neal and Teddy turned away."We may not have an opportunity to eat again for many hours, and it isnecessary to be prepared for a long tramp."
The boys managed to swallow a small quantity after considerable effort,when the final preparations were made, and by the time they werecompleted the sun had set.
Night had not fully settled down when Poyor gave the signal for thestart, and one by one the fugitives crept from the cave, pushing theirbundles before them, since the passage was not sufficiently large toadmit of their walking upright.
"Strap the pack on firmly," Cummings said in a whisper, when they werein the open air. "We may be obliged to run, in which case there must beno chance of losing our baggage. You boys follow Poyor, and I will bringup the rear."
The Indian was waiting for them to get into proper marching order, andinstantly this had been done he started at a rapid pace.
As they left the cave it seemed to Neal and Teddy that Jake had reallybeen abandoned, and, regardless of what he had done, they felt that itwas cruel to hurry away so soon.
"It could have done no harm to wait until morning," Neal said in awhisper, when they halted a short distance from the starting point whilePoyor went ahead to reconnoiter.
"And by that time we might have found ourselves besieged. It would havebeen a delay of twenty-four hours, for all our traveling must be done inthe night," Cummings replied. "We have taken the only course he leftopen to us, and we won't discuss the matter any more."
The march was resumed after a short delay, and not until two hours hadpassed did the Indian so much as slacken his pace.
They had arrived where the forest is less dense; but the undergrowthmore tangled, and Poyor signified by gestures that the boys would beallowed a short time of rest.
Teddy was about to ask if he could take off the pack, for the cords werecutting into his flesh in a painful manner; but the Indian checked himwith a quick motion of the hand.
The party were now near where it was supposed a line of sentinels wasstationed, and, holding his finger to his lips, Cummings gave them tounderstand that the utmost silence must be preserved.
Again Poyor went forward alone, and the tired boys sat with their backsagainst a tree thinking only of Jake and his possible fate.
The silence was so profound as to be almost alarming. Here and thereamid the foliage could be seen countless fire-flies; but not even therustling of the leaves broke the stillness, and it did not require anyvery great stretch of the imagination to fancy that the enemy werelurking 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, andas the boy leaped up in affright, fancying the vengeful Indians haddiscovered him, it was with difficulty he repressed a cry of alarm.
With so many horrible things to think of it was a decided relief whenPoyor came gliding noiselessly back to announce that the journey couldbe continued, and once more the little party picked their way overfallen and decaying timber, or through thickets where thorns tore bothclothing and flesh.
After a time they reached ascending ground, showing that they were onthe foot hills of the range, and the advance became more laborious,until, shortly before sunrise, Neal declared that he could go nofarther.
"We must stop," he whispered to Poyor. "I have held out as long aspossible, and could not keep on half a mi
le more if the enemy were inclose pursuit."
The Indian nodded his head to signify that the halt should be made, anda few moments later he turned aside into a small ravine or cut on theside of the hill.
Here he threw down his burden, and the boys followed the example, payingno attention to the advantages or disadvantages of the spot as a refugeduring the day which was so near at hand.
Lying at full length on the ground, heeding not that deadly reptilesmight be close at hand, Neal and Teddy fell asleep almost immediately,and Poyor proposed that Cummings should also seek repose.
"I will watch," he said, "and when the sun rises we can decide whetherit is safe to stay here."
Although the white man was weary he would not admit that the Indiancould bear more fatigue, and insisted on keeping awake until it waslearned if they should be warranted in remaining.
In perfect silence the two stood guard over the sleeping boys, and whenthe morning came the important question was soon settled.
The place of refuge to which chance had brought them was admirable bothfor purposes of defense and for hiding. It was a deep, narrow cutextending thirty feet into what appeared to be a mass of sandstone, andat the entrance was not more than ten feet wide, while over the top thefoliage grew so luxuriantly as to completely conceal them from the viewof any one who might be above.
In front the trees were small, and it was possible to see forty or fiftyyards down the side of the hill, therefore the enemy could not approachunobserved 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 sonumerous?"
"They are further on. At the end of the next march we shall be in theirmidst."
"And then comes the most difficult portion of our journey. But we won'tsearch for trouble," Cummings added after a short pause. "Let us havebreakfast, and then one shall stand guard while the others sleep."
Poyor unpacked the provisions, awakened Neal and Teddy, and with a viewbefore them which, under other circumstances, would have called forthexpressions of the most lively admiration, the little party made ahearty meal.
