by James Otis
CHAPTER XXV.
ON THE RANGE.
Although it was nearly noon, the time when the natives of Yucatanbelieve a siesta is absolutely necessary, Cummings insisted that theflight should be continued without further delay.
"It would not be surprising if the Chan Santa Cruz sentinels had seenthat idiotic Jake, and followed him in order to learn where we werehiding," he said when Neal asked why they had left the ravine during thehottest portion of the day. "If the Indians should besiege us here, itwould only be a few hours before surrender must be made, because of lackof water, therefore we can render our position no worse, and may succeedin bettering it by going now."
Poyor evidently looked at the matter in the same light, for he made noprotest; but began at once to prepare for the tramp.
Jake, after eating a hearty meal, had stretched out at the further endof the hiding place, and was just giving himself up to the luxury ofslumber when Teddy aroused him by saying:
"Come, what are you lying here for? We are ready to start, and there's agood deal of satisfaction in knowing that this time you'll have to carryyour share of the load."
"But I've got to have a nap first. Just think how long it's been sinceI've had a chance to close my eyes."
"You'll have to wait awhile. Both Cummings and Poyor believe it isabsolutely necessary for us to make a quick move, and if you're notready they will go away alone."
Jake began to protest; but Teddy cut him short by saying:
"It won't do any good to kick. They are angry because we were forced toleave the cave, and won't spend much time coaxing."
"Hurry along," Cummings shouted impatiently. "We must be well up on therange before sunset."
These words spoken in an imperative tone caused Jake to spring to hisfeet very nimbly, and as he neared the entrance Poyor pushed one of thepackages toward him as he said:
"We carried all last night, and it would be only right to give you adouble load."
"I'd have to take it if you did," Jake replied; but as if to prevent anydifferent distribution of the burdens, he tied this one on quickly,saying when it was fastened firmly to his back, "Now I'm ready to trampas long as you do; but it would have suited me better if I'd had timefor a nap."
"It will serve you right if you don't get a chance to sleep for a week,"Cummings replied sharply. "Go on, Poyor leads the way as before, and seeto it that you keep close at his heels."
The fugitives soon learned that however difficult it might be to travelthrough the tangled underbrush of the forest, it was as nothing comparedto clambering over the ledges of green or white rock which formed thebase of the range.
Here there was nothing to shield them from the fervent rays of the sun,and so intense was the heat that it seemed as if they were walking overthe top of a furnace.
The only relief from the excessive warmth was when they came upon a deepfissure in the rocks where was a pool of water, with the most gorgeousflowers around the margin. Everywhere else the soil was sandy, coveredin places with pebbles and burning gravel. In front of them were themountains, bare and sterile, on which the least experienced of the partyknew no drop of water could be found.
As a matter of course both Cummings and Poyor kept strict watch overthe surrounding country lest the enemy should be creeping upon themunawares; but when, late in the afternoon, a short halt was called,nothing suspicious had been seen.
"I don't understand how you could have wandered around twenty-four hourswithout being discovered by some of the sentinels," Cummings said toJake, when they were reclining on the side of the mountain in the shadowcast by an overhanging rock, where a full view of the valley beneathcould be had.
"Perhaps they have given over lookin' for us," the engineer suggested.
"There's no chance of that. Every square foot of the country will besearched, and sooner or later they'll come across our trail."
"How long will it take us to get over the range?" Neal asked.
"It is impossible to say: but we must keep moving nearly all the time,for the small amount of water we have with us now is the last that'll beseen until we are on the other side."
"I feel as if I could drink the entire supply, and then want more,"Teddy said, the knowledge that they were cut off from all means ofadding to the store making him thirsty.
"I reckon every one in the party feels much the same way," Cummingsreplied grimly. "If it was possible to find a stream now and then thejourney across the range would not be such a dangerous one."
With the exception of the suggestion he made when they first halted,Jake did not join in the conversation. His eyes had closed in slumberalmost instantly after lying down, and during half an hour he wasallowed to sleep uninterruptedly.
Then Poyor awakened him, and the weary march was resumed, the advancebecoming more difficult each moment as they climbed higher up on therange.
About two hours before nightfall the sun was hidden from view by densemasses of dark clouds, and the boys hailed with joy this relief from theburning heat.
"If we could only have it like this all the time!" Neal exclaimed.
"Better the sun than the clouds," Cummings said in a tone of anxiety,and Poyor increased his pace, no longer searching with his eyes for theenemy; but casting quick glances from side to side as if hunting forsome particular object.
A south wind came up, and the boys were trudging along right merrily,despite their fatigue, when it was as if a solid sheet of waterdescended upon them.
There had been no warning drops to give notice of the coming storm; butthe rain literally fell in torrents, drenching the fugitives at thefirst downpour.
It was now impossible to see twenty feet in either direction. Thedriving rain and the white clouds which completely enveloped themountain shut out everything from view.
The enemy might have crept close upon them without being aware of thefact.
There was no place in which to shelter themselves, and the boys had athorough illustration of what a tropical rain-storm may be during thetime Poyor was hunting for such a place as would serve to shield themfrom the flood.
Not until half an hour had passed did they make a halt, and then theIndian led them under an overhanging ledge, in front of which was asheer descent of eighty feet or more to the valley beneath.
"Here we can wait until the worst of the gale has blown over," he said,as he threw down his burden and prepared to enjoy a long rest. "It isnot likely we shall be able to move to-night, and there is no fear theenemy will come upon us while the storm rages."
"We shall at least be where the canteens can be filled," Cummingsreplied in a tone of content, "and by gaining a fresh supply of waterthe journey will be robbed of half its dangers, consequently a wettingis of but little consequence."
To have seen the mountain at this moment one would hardly have thoughtthat the party could have suffered from thirst. Every crevice of therocks was now a stream, and by reaching out in a dozen differentdirections a quantity of the precious liquid could be obtained.
The only thing to cause alarm was the fact that this storm was but thebeginning of the summer season, during which rain might be expected eachday, and thus the danger of fever while crossing the low lands would begreatly increased.
"The sentinels will certainly keep under cover during such weather asthis," Cummings said in a tone of satisfaction, "and we may be able toget over the range without a hand to hand fight, as I had anticipated."
Under such climatic conditions the meat would not keep sweet many hours,and Poyor set the entire stock before his companions, saying as he didso:
"What cannot be eaten must be thrown away, therefore he is fortunate whocan now swallow enough to prevent the pangs of hunger from being feltduring the next forty-eight hours."
"But we certainly won't be forced to stay here that length of time,"Neal replied. "It can't rain all the day and night."
"It is safe to count on a long storm," Cummings added. "This is thebeginning of the bad season, and there will be a c
ertain amount of waterfall each day."
"Did you take the fact into consideration when you made ready to visitthe Silver City?" Neal asked.
"Of course, and if there had been nothing to prevent the carrying out ofmy plans we would have been clear of the swamp by this time, or so nearthe edge that but a few hours traveling must have taken us through."
It was worse than useless to talk of what might have been, and thelittle party settled down to make themselves as comfortable as possibleunder the circumstances.
Overhead the rock sheltered them from the rain; but now that everycrevice had been turned into a stream it was difficult to protect one'sself from the innumerable tiny crevices through which the water waspouring, and each member of the party lay down in turn only to findhimself literally flooded out before it was possible to gain any rest.
The night had come, and the air, so warm a few hours previous, wasuncomfortably cold.
Jake proposed that a fire be built, providing he could find a sufficientquantity of dry wood; but both Cummings and Poyor decided against it ina very emphatic manner.
"Although we have been traveling for the past six or eight hours whereany one in the valley might see us, we are not so insane as to build abeacon here that our pursuers may be guided to this halting place."
Cummings spoke in a petulant tone, and fearing that he might addsomething regarding the fact that if Jake had behaved himself all wouldnow be in the cave, Teddy hastened to say:
"If we can't build a fire why not spend the time walking, for it will beimpossible to sleep with this rain beating down upon us?"
"It would take a better man than Poyor to lead the way in the darknessand storm. Here we must stay, at least until morning, and then unlessthe rain has ceased falling, it will be a case of going hungry awhile."
Finding that there was to be no change in the condition of affairs, Jakehad crawled into the further end of the shelter where, with the waterdripping down upon him he was trying his best to sleep, and Neal curledup beside him.
Poyor, regardless of the weather, remained just outside the rock as ifon guard, while Cummings, a few paces behind him, sat upon a fragment ofstone listening intently, and Teddy wisely concluded to find a restingplace somewhere, for he was so weary that repose seemed absolutelynecessary, more especially since there could be no doubt but that thejourney would be continued immediately the storm cleared away.
Selecting a spot where some portion of his body could be kept dry, helay down, and, regardless of all discomforts was soon oblivious toeverything around him.
