17 In the Cavern

The place in which we lay furnished perfect concealment and yet did not obstruct our view of the pass. It was such a refuge as Providence sometimes offers to men when the last moment seems at hand. At this point the cleft in the mountain was so deep and narrow that twilight reigned there though the sun was high in the skies overhead. Nevertheless we could see a considerable distance down the pass. In about five minutes the Indians rushed into sight. They came on pell-mell, fifty, sixty, a hundred of them at least. They were so hot on the chase that they must not have noticed the abrupt narrowing of the pass, and they were brought up with a jerk by the sheer blank wall of the cliff, in the same manner that we had been stopped.

Indians are probably the most cautious of human beings. I, who have seen so much of them, should know. But this crowd was taken by surprise. I imagined I could see a look of astonishment and chagrin on their faces, bronzed and painted though they were. Apparently the earth had opened and swallowed us up, and their spoil had slipped right out of the hollow of their hands. I heard a deep, joyous chuckle beside me and Pike whispered in my ear:

“It was worth comin’ so fur an’ runnin’ so many risks to see this, Joe! them devils are jest kerflummexed!”

We knew the Indians would soon divine the manner of our disappearance, for the intelligence that led us to seek the source of the brook would lead them into the same path. In fact their bewilderment lasted only a minute. Then one of them uttered what sounded to me like a warning cry, and they vanished with a quickness that took my breath. I could not understand it at first, but Pike explained it in a moment.

“They’ve dropped to the groun’,” he said, “an’ the muddy color uv thar bodies an’ the bad light, makes ’em look like the earth. They’ve seen this hole an’ know we’re in here. They’re afeard uv shots from us an’ they’re sneakin’ off out uv range. Then they’ll try to think up some way of prizin’ us out uv here. I could pick off one uv them fellers easy enough from here, but ’tain’t worth while to waste good powder an’ ball. We’ll wait till the shoe pinches tighter.”

Looking closely, I could see some of the Indians gliding away over the earth. When they disappeared a dead stillness reigned in the pass.

“Since we’ve had a hard run for it an’ have work ahead,” said Pike, “we’d better take a little dinner. Nuthin’ like a full stummick when you’ve got to fight and circumvent the red imps.”

Following Pike’s instructions and precedent each of us took a strip of dried venison and began to eat.

“We’re purty well fixed fur a siege,” said Pike. “I guess our water supply’ll never give out, fur you kin hear it tricklin’ away over thar, an’ we’ve got enough of this jerked meat here to last us a long time. Tain’t as comfortable az it was down in the valley thar afore the Injuns came, but I guess we kin get along, though I’m boun’ to say our new place ain’t very well lighted.”

“Suppose this place has another entrance!” said Henry. “The stream may flow through the mountain. Suppose the Indians find the other entrance and come, in behind us.”

This thought was very alarming, but Pike’s reply reassured us.

“’Tain’t likely we’ve got anythin’ to be afeard of in that line,” he said. “Thar may be an openin’ in the other side of the mountain. But it is a hard matter for the Injuns to get over thar. It would take a year’s huntin’ to find it, an’ then, if they ever found it, it mightn’t be big enough for a coyote to squeeze into. The chances are a million to one agin thar comin’ on us from behin’. No; we’ll jest lay here and watch the pass out thar. That’s whar the danger is.”

Several hours passed away, and the silence in the pass was unbroken. By this time our eyes had grown somewhat accustomed to the darkness, and we could see that we were lying in a species of cavern, which a few feet beyond the entrance widened rapidly. The roof was higher than a man’s head, and the floor was fairly even. On one side the brook splashed over the pebbles.

Our attention was drawn from the examination of the cavern by Bonneau’s exclamation of surprise:

“Look! Look!” he cried. “Zere ees somethin’ strange coming to see us!”

An object that looked like a platform of timber turned up edgewise had come into view. We couldn’t see behind it, but we knew very well it was pushed by the Indians. It came on very slowly over the uneven ground. I was very much puzzled, but Pike explained the matter.

“They’re goin’ to try to smoke us out,” he said. “They’ve been down in the valley, an’ they’ve made the thing thar. They’ve got loads of dry grass behind it. When they get close to the door of our house here, they’ll set it all afire, an’ then wait fur the smoke to drive us tumblin’ out of our holes. A redskin thinks mighty hard when he’s got a good chance to get a scalp, and that’s the result of some of his thinkin’ today. The wind’s blowin’ squar’ in our direction, an’ they believe their trick’ll do the work.”

It was evident that it was a difficult task for the Indians to transport the big wooden frame, for they stopped frequently to rest. As they were pushing it along, Pike caught sight of a brown ankle at the corner of it. Quick as a flash he fired.

A yell of pain followed the report of the rifle.

“That’ll teach ’em to be careful,” said Pike. “They mustn’t expect to have a picnic of it when they’re maneuverin’ agin a lot of white gen’elmen. I’ll be bound that feller don’t walk agin fur a month.”

Two or three shots were fired from behind the wooden barricade at the mouth of the cavern, but the bullets merely flattened against the rocks. They were random shots, as the Indians could see none of us, and they did not waste much of their ammunition in that manner. They resumed very cautiously the work of pushing forward the new weapon which they thought would prove fatal to us. When they were within twenty feet of us they stopped, set the grass and leaves which they carried behind it on fire, and retreated. They had supposed, probably, that they would be protected in their flight by the wooden frame, but as they dashed back into the valley one warrior came into full view. Pike’s rifle spoke, and the next instant the Indian was rolling over, clutching at the stones in his death-agony.

The grass and leaves crackled and burned rapidly, and the pieces of timber caught fire next. But the whole thing was such a miserable farce that we actually laughed. Most of the smoke floated against the rocks above us, and then went sailing off in spirals into the clouds. A little came into the cave and tickled our eyes, and made us sneeze, but that was the whole result the Indians had achieved with the loss of one killed, one wounded, and at the cost of much labor.

“Ef that’s the best they kin do,” said Pike, sneeringly, “they’d better go back to their lodges and let somebody else try it.”

“Do you think they will leave us now?” asked Henry.

“Not much,” replied Pike. “Do you see that patch of ground kivered with boulders down the pass thar? Wa’al I’m willin’ to bet at least twenty of the reds are lyin’ in thar watchin’ the mouth of this cave. Ef you don’t believe it just watch me an’ I’ll prove it”

He crept nearer to the mouth of the cave, took off his cap, put it on the muzzle of his rifle, and raised it gently until the crown appeared in view. Three rifles cracked at once. Three gusts of flame rose above the boulders in the pass, and the cap was dashed against the rocks with three bullet-holes in it.

“Purty good marksmen,” said Pike, picking up the cap and examining it critically. “Rather better than most Injuns are. You kin see easy now that they’re watchin’ fur us. Thar’s nothin’ an Injun kin do better than watchin’ and waitin’. They’ll set out thar till next summer, ef they think they kin git us by doin’ it”

Noon came and then the sun began to descend the horizon, and as Pike anticipated an attack in the night, we gathered up all the loose stones we could find in the cavern. These we heaped up in the entrance, leaving a hole just large enough for a man to crawl through. We could have closed it up entirely, but we were compelled to have fresh air.

By and by the night came on, very thick and dark. Pike chose me to watch with him and told the others they might go to sleep. They demurred at first.

“I don’t want to sleep when pirates are tryin’ to board us,” said Starboard Sam. “I’ll keep watch, too.”

But Pike assured him that it was not necessary for more than two to watch. The others should sleep and regain their strength. This argument prevailed and soon was heard the deep, heavy breathing that indicated that they were asleep.

Pike and I sat on either side of the entrance with our rifles across our knees. We felt comparatively safe, for, situated as we were then, it was impossible for the Indians to get at us. For the while we had nothing to fear except some new trick.

Hours passed and we heard not the slightest sound to indicate the presence of the enemy. Pike grew impatient.

“They haven’t left us, that’s shore,” he said, “an’ I’m afeard they’ve hit upon some plan which they think’ll do the work for us.”

We waited awhile longer and Pike’s impatience increased. He rose cautiously to his feet and said:

“Joe, I want you to help me move some of these big rocks.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked in surprise.

“I’m goin’ out thar in the pass to see what them reds are up to.”

“Why, it’s worth your life to make such a venture!” I exclaimed in protest.

“I think not,” he replied. “Fact is, I may learn somethin’ that’ll save our lives.”

He would listen to no protest, and with his rifle in his hand crept through the opening. As he went he whispered to me:

“Keep a good watch, but you’ll have to depend on your ears more’n your eyes. Don’t stir from the cave no matter what you hear unless I give a yell.”

The darkness swallowed him up almost instantly. I waited and watched with the most intense anxiety. Not a sound came from the pass. I could hear the breathing of the sleepers near me, but that was all. I began to feel queer. I won’t say I was frightened, but I was lonely. Pike was gone, the others were asleep and I was the only one on watch. I conjured up all sorts of shapes and began to imagine that I saw figures flitting around outside. But a second look always showed that it was merely my fancy playing tricks with me.

In such a situation, and oppressed by such feelings, it is impossible to reckon time, but Pike must have been gone an hour when I heard a sound like a gasp or a sigh. It thoroughly startled me, but remembering Pike’s injunction I sat still, though I held my rifle at half cock.

There were five minutes more of silence when a whisper came out of the darkness:

“It’s me, Pike! Don’t stir or make a noise.”

I was overjoyed, and in a moment Pike was crawling through the hole.

“What did you find?” I asked.

“They’re still thar,” he said, and he held up his knife between my eyes and the slight light that sifted down into the pass. There was blood on the blade. I needed no further explanation of the sound I had heard.

Pike awakened Starboard Sam, who took my place, and lying down on the hard rocky bed of the cavern, I fell into a sleep as heavy and as sweet as if I lay on a feather-bed between white sheets.

When I awoke the light was shining in at what Henry fancifully called the front door of our house. Pike, who had not slept at all during the night, said the Indians had made no further demonstration. After we had eaten of our jerked venison and drunk of the cool, running water, Pike pointed to two long dry sticks that lay on the ground.

“I brought them in last night,” he said. “It’s part of the stuff that the Indians tried to smoke us out of here with. You’ve got some matches, Joe. Now, I want you an’ your brother to light them sticks, usin’ ’em as torches, and see whar this cavern leads to. Be mighty keerful whar you step or you might go pitchin’ down some deep hole. Work your way as you go along. Ef thar’s any stones pile up two or three of ’em every few yards. Ef it’s soft earth dig a hole in it with your heel. But no matter whar you go, make some kind of a mark that you’ll know. You don’t want to get lost on the inside of a mountain.”

I shuddered at the very idea and there was no further need for Pike to impress this caution upon me.

“We’ll hold this place till you git back” said Pike, “an’ ef you don’t come to anythin’ in four or five hours, turn and make tracks for this place agen.”

We lighted our torches, which burned with a steady flame, and, promising to exercise all the caution possible, started on our explorations into the heart of the mountain.

For several hundred yards we advanced without difficulty. The way was smooth and the roof was high. The water of the brook gurgled pleasantly over the stones beside us. Then we began to ascend rapidly. The cavern also narrowed, and presently we were compelled to wade in the shallow water. It broadened out again, but the roof became so low that we had to get down on our knees and crawl.

A half hour of such tiresome work and we emerged into what our fancy readily converted into an immense hall. Beautiful stalactites hung from the lofty roof and the walls were in white stone, polished and convoluted as if it had been done by the hand of a great sculptor.

But we did not stay long to admire this room. The way narrowed again, but the roof was high enough to permit us to stand erect. I was just congratulating Henry on the ease with which we were advancing, when he stopped with a gasp of terror and pulled me back, pointing downward with his extended finger.

We stood on the verge of a great pit. I swung my torch over it, but no bottom was disclosed. The beams of light penetrated far down and then lost themselves in shadows.

Shuddering we passed around this pit and continued our explorations, and we came to two or three other pits, but were so cautious that we did not stumble upon them unawares.

We had been ascending so rapidly that we stopped to take breath just where the road made an abrupt curve around another of the deep pits. We sat down and while resting I thought I heard a noise. Henry laughed at me, but not convinced, I looked around the curve ahead of us and saw a faint light approaching. I knew I could not be mistaken, and what were we to expect but an enemy?

I blew out my torch in the utmost haste and Henry did the same with his. Then we shrank back against the rocky wall. The light increased, and the sound of foot steps echoed down the cavern. Evidently nothing was further from the thoughts of the new-comer than a meeting with us. He came on steadily, and the light from his torch filled the cave around us. He turned the ledge of rock and walked almost against us.

It was an Indian warrior holding a torch over his head. He was startled at the sight of us, but was as quick as a cat in action.

Henry was the nearest to him, and he struck at the boy’s head with his wooden torch. The rapid movement extinguished the flare, but I heard the boy gasp and fall against the rock.

I sprang at the Indian, dropping my torch and without drawing weapon in my excitement. I seized him round the shoulders and endeavored to throw him down. He held his footing and tried to writhe out of my grasp. Afraid that he would draw a weapon before I could do so, and remembering the tactics with which I had defeated the Indian at the struggle in the valley, I clinched my fist and drove it with all my might into his face.

He fell back from my grasp. I heard a scratching and sliding sound on the stones, then a yell of fright and horror, and a faint echo from the pit beside me, the presence of which I had forgotten. I fell fainting on the floor of the cavern, and when I revived Henry was standing beside me with a lighted torch in his hand. There was a bruise on his head, but though he had been stunned when the blow was struck, he assured me it amounted to but little.

“We should be thankful we are not down there with him,” he said solemnly, pointing into the depths of the pit.

I shivered, and was too much moved to reply.

“I vote we go on,” said Henry. “Our meeting that fellow shows that there is another entrance. It is not likely that we’ll find any more of his kind in here. If there had been a lot of them they would have stuck together in a place like this.”

This looked like sound reasoning and we went on, keeping a very anxious watch for pits. We had gone about a mile when I fell a cool breath upon my face and could not restrain an exclamation of joy. We were now walking along a narrow archway. The brook had disappeared long since. In reality it did not flow through the mountain, but our theory that it did had served to lead us through the passage. A short distance further and we could see a few beams of sunlight. As a precautionary measure we extinguished our torches and presently scrambling up a rocky ledge we thrust our heads out into God’s sunlight.

It was a small opening, but we easily drew ourselves through it and out into the open air, which felt very fresh and very good on our faces.

We stood on a mountain-side, with high peaks shooting up around us. Dimly to the east we could see our valley. To our right was the deep cut which we had entered from the valley. There was nothing around us but rocks. We could see no signs of life.

►   ▲