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15 - In the Heart of the Rockies by G A Henty · In the Heart of the Rockies

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Speaker 1: Recording is in the public domain. Read by Alan Kammer,
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Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen, an Indian attack. A couple of trees were
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Speaker 1: felled in the middle of the clump in which they
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Speaker 1: were still encamped. They were first roughly squared and then
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Speaker 1: sawn into planks, the three men taking it by turns
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Speaker 1: to use the saw. The question of shifting the camp
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Speaker 1: up to the spot where they intended to work was
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Speaker 1: discussed the night before Harry started, but it was agreed
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Speaker 1: at last that it would be better to remain where
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Speaker 1: they were. If utes come, sure to find traces, The
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Speaker 1: chief said, many horses in balley make tracks as plain
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Speaker 1: as noonday. Gold Valley bad place for fight. That is so,
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Speaker 1: Jerry agreed we should not have a show there. Even
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Speaker 1: if we made a log house, and it would be
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Speaker 1: a dog one trouble to carry up the logs. We
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Speaker 1: might be shut up in it, and the Redskins would
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Speaker 1: only have to lie around and shoot us down if
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Speaker 1: we came out. I reckon we had best stay here,
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Speaker 1: after all, Harry, we could keep them outside the range
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Speaker 1: of our rifles. Anyhow, by day I don't see that
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Speaker 1: that would be much good to us, Jerry, for if
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Speaker 1: they came by day they would not find us here. Still,
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Speaker 1: I don't know that it ain't best for us to
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Speaker 1: stay here. It will give us a lot of trouble
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Speaker 1: to build a place. I reckon. Two of us had
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Speaker 1: better stay here all the day with the horses. If
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Speaker 1: the Redskins come, they can fire a couple of shots
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Speaker 1: and we shall hear them up at the washing place.
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Speaker 1: The Redskins would be safe to draw off for a
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Speaker 1: bit to talk it over before they attacked, as they
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Speaker 1: would not know how many there were among the trees.
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Speaker 1: That would give the rest time to come down. It
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Speaker 1: took three days hard work to saw the planks and
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Speaker 1: make the cradle and troughs sufficiently long to lead the
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Speaker 1: water down into it from the stream higher up. These
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Speaker 1: were roughly but strongly made, the joints being smeared with
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Speaker 1: clay to prevent the water from running through. A dam
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Speaker 1: was then made to keep back the water above the
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Speaker 1: spot where they intended to begin, which was about fifty
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Speaker 1: yards below the courtz vein, and from this dam the
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Speaker 1: trough was taken along on strong trestles to the cradle.
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Speaker 1: The horses were brought into the camp at daybreak every
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Speaker 1: morning and tied up to the trees, and were let
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Speaker 1: out again at nightfall. Tom remained in camp, the chief
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Speaker 1: being with him. The latter, however, was during the time
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Speaker 1: Harry was away twice, absent for a day on hunting
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Speaker 1: excursions lower down the valley, which was there thickly wooded.
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Speaker 1: The first time he returned with the hams in a
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Speaker 1: considerable portion of the rest of the flesh of a bear.
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Speaker 1: The second time he brought up the carcass of a deer.
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Speaker 1: How far does the valley run, Tom asked, bally, last
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Speaker 1: ten miles side skits steep and high. Then canyon begin
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Speaker 1: that will run right down to the Colorado. The chief nodded,
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Speaker 1: leaping horse go no farther, canyon must go down to
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Speaker 1: the river. How far is it before the sides of
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Speaker 1: the valley get too steep to climb? Two miles from here?
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Speaker 1: Men could climb another mile or two horses. Not is
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Speaker 1: there much game down there? Chief? The Seneca nodded, that
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Speaker 1: is a comfort. We shan't be likely to run out
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Speaker 1: of fresh meat. The chief was very careful in choosing
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Speaker 1: the wood for the fire, so that in the daytime
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Speaker 1: no smoke should be seen rising from the trees. When
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Speaker 1: the dead wood in the clump of trees was exhausted.
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Speaker 1: He rode down the valley each day and returned in
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Speaker 1: an hour with a large faggot fastened behind him on
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Speaker 1: the horse. He always started before daybreak so as to
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Speaker 1: reduce the risk of being seen from the hills. On
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Speaker 1: the sixth day, the men began their work at the gravel.
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Speaker 1: The bottle of mercury was emptied into the cradle, the
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Speaker 1: bottom of which had been made with the greatest care
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Speaker 1: so as to prevent any loss from leakage. Two of
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Speaker 1: the men brought up the gravel in buckets and pans
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Speaker 1: until the cradle was half full. Then water was let in,
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Speaker 1: and a third man rocked the machine and kept on
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Speaker 1: removing the coarse stuff that worked up to the top up,
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Speaker 1: while the others continued bringing up fresh gravel. Well, what luck,
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Speaker 1: Tom asked when they returned in the evening. We have
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Speaker 1: not cleaned up yet. We shall let it run for
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Speaker 1: three or four days before we do. We are only
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Speaker 1: on the surface yet, and the stuff wouldn't pay for
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Speaker 1: the trouble of washing out. On the eighth day after
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Speaker 1: their departure, Harry and hunting Dog returned. Well, boys, it
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Speaker 1: is all stowed away safely. He said, I know the
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Speaker 1: major well, and he let me have a big chest,
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Speaker 1: which he locked up after I had put the bags
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Speaker 1: in and had it stowed away in the magazine, so
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Speaker 1: there is no fear of its being touched. Any signs
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Speaker 1: of the Redskins narriest sign. We have none of us
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Speaker 1: been up the valley beyond this, so that unless they
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Speaker 1: come right down here they would find no trail. The
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Speaker 1: horses are always driven down the valley at night. How
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Speaker 1: is the work going on, Jerry? We began washing two
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Speaker 1: days ago. Tomorrow night we shall clean up. We all
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Speaker 1: think it is going to turn out pretty good, for
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Speaker 1: we have seeing gold in the sand several times as
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Speaker 1: we have carried it up in the pails. The next
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Speaker 1: day Tom went up with the others, the Indians remaining
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Speaker 1: in the camp. Two men now worked at the cradle,
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Speaker 1: while the other three brought up the sand and gravel.
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Speaker 1: Towards evening they began the work of cleaning up. No
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Speaker 1: more stuff was brought up to the machine, but the
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Speaker 1: water was still run into it. As fast as the
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Speaker 1: shaking brought the rough gravel to the top, it was
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Speaker 1: removed until only a foot of sand remained at the bottom.
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Speaker 1: The water was now stopped and the sand dug out
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Speaker 1: and carefully washed in the pans by hand. At the
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Speaker 1: bottom of each pan there remained, after all the sand
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Speaker 1: had been removed, a certain amount of gold dust, the
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Speaker 1: quantity increasing as the bottom was approached. The last two
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Speaker 1: panfuls contained a considerable amount. It does not look much,
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Speaker 1: Tom said, when the hole was collected together. It is
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Speaker 1: heavy stuff. Lad Harry replied, what do you think there is, Jerry,
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Speaker 1: about twelve ounces? I should fancy all that, Harry, nigh
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Speaker 1: are fourteen I should think. The pan was now put
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Speaker 1: at the bottom of the cradle, A plug pulled out
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Speaker 1: and the quicksilver run into it. A portion of this
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Speaker 1: was poured on washed leather, the ends of which were
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Speaker 1: held up by the men so as to form a bag.
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Speaker 1: Harry took the leather, and, holding it over another pan,
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Speaker 1: twisted it round and round. As the pressure on the
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Speaker 1: quicksilver increased, it ran through the pores of the leather
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Speaker 1: in tiny streams, until at last a lump of pasty
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Speaker 1: metal remained. This was squeezed again and again until not
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Speaker 1: a single globule of quicksilver passed through the leather. The ball,
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Speaker 1: which was of the consistency of half dried mortar, was
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Speaker 1: then taken out, and the process repeated again and again,
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Speaker 1: until the whole of the quicksilver had been passed through
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Speaker 1: the leather. Six lumps of amalgam about the size of
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Speaker 1: small hen's egg remained. Is that good, Uncle Tom asked,
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Speaker 1: very fair, lad, wonderfully good. Indeed, considering we have not
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Speaker 1: got down far yet, I should say we shall get
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Speaker 1: a pound and a half of gold out of it.
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Speaker 1: But how does the gold get into it? Uncle? There
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Speaker 1: is what is called an affinity between quicksilver and gold.
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Speaker 1: The moment gold touches quicksilver, it is absorbed by it,
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Speaker 1: just as a drop of water is taken up by
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Speaker 1: a lump of salt, it thickens the quicksilver. And as
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Speaker 1: it is squeezed through the leather, the quicksilver is as
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Speaker 1: it were strained out, and what remains behind becomes thicker
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Speaker 1: and thicker, until as you see, it is almost solid.
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Speaker 1: It is no good to use more pressure, for if
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Speaker 1: you do, a certain amount of the gold would be
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Speaker 1: squeezed through the leather. You see as the stuff in
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Speaker 1: the cradle is shaken, the gold being heavier than the
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Speaker 1: sand finds its way down to the bottom, and every
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Speaker 1: particle that comes in contact with the quicksilver is swallowed
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Speaker 1: up by it. And how do you get the quicksilver
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Speaker 1: out of those lumps? We put them in one of
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Speaker 1: those clay crucibles you saw, with a pinch of boraxe,
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Speaker 1: cover them up and put them in a heap of
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Speaker 1: glowing embers that evaporates the quicksilver and leaves the gold
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Speaker 1: behind in the shape of a button. This was done
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Speaker 1: that evening, and when the buttons were placed in the scales,
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Speaker 1: they just turned the two pound weight. Well, boys, that
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Speaker 1: is good enough for anything. Harry said that with the
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Speaker 1: dust makes a pound a day, which is as good
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Speaker 1: as the very best stuff in the early days of California.
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Speaker 1: They worked steadily for the next seven weeks. Contrary to
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Speaker 1: their expectations, the gravel was but little richer lower down
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Speaker 1: than they had found it at the end of the
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Speaker 1: first wash up, but continued about equally good, and the
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Speaker 1: result averaged about a pound weight of gold a day.
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Speaker 1: This was put into little bags of deer skin, each
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Speaker 1: containing five pounds weight, and these bags were distributed among
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Speaker 1: the saddle bags, so that in case of sudden disturbance,
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Speaker 1: there would be no risk of their being left behind.
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Speaker 1: The Indians took it by turns to hunt. At other
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Speaker 1: times they remained on guarding camp. Tom only stayed when
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Speaker 1: one of them was away. One day, when the mining
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Speaker 1: party stopped work and sat down to eat some bread
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Speaker 1: and cold meat, which they had from the first brought up,
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Speaker 1: so as to save them the loss of time entailed
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Speaker 1: by going to the camp and back, the report of
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Speaker 1: a gun came upon their ears. All started to their
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Speaker 1: feet and seized their rifles, and then stood listening intently.
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Speaker 1: A minute later, two more shots were heard at close intervals.
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Speaker 1: Reread skins for sure, Jerry exclaimed, I thought us how
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Speaker 1: our luck were too good to last. They started at
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Speaker 1: a run down the little valley and only paused when
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Speaker 1: they reached its mouth. Harry then advanced cautiously until he
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Speaker 1: could obtain a view of the main valley. He paused
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Speaker 1: for a minute and then rejoined his companions. There are
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Speaker 1: fifty of them, he said, If there is one. They
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Speaker 1: are utes in their war paint. They are a bit
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Speaker 1: up the valley. I think if we make a rush
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Speaker 1: we can get to the trees before they can cut
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Speaker 1: us off. We must try anyhow, Sam Hicks said, else
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Speaker 1: they will get the two Indians and our horses and
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Speaker 1: saddles and all. Just let us get breath for a moment,
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Speaker 1: and then we will start keep posts together as you run,
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Speaker 1: Harry said, And then if they do come up, we
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Speaker 1: can get back to back and make a fight of it.
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Speaker 1: After a short pause, they started. They had not gone
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Speaker 1: twenty yards when a loud yell proclaimed that the Indians
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Speaker 1: had seen them. They had, however, but three hundred yards
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Speaker 1: to run, while the Utes were double that distance from
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Speaker 1: the clump. When the miners were within fifty yards of
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Speaker 1: the trees, two rifle shots rang out, and two of
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Speaker 1: the Utes, who were somewhat ahead of the rest, fell
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Speaker 1: from their horses, while the rest swerved off, seeing that
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Speaker 1: there was no hope of cutting the party off. A
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Speaker 1: few more yards and the miners were among the trees.
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Speaker 1: So the Utes have found us out, Chief Harry said,
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Speaker 1: as he joined leaping horse, who had just reloaded his rifle.
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Speaker 1: Must have tracked us. They are a war party, the
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Speaker 1: Seneca replied. Hunter must have found tracks and taken news
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Speaker 1: back to the villages. Well, we have got to fight
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Speaker 1: for it. That is clear enough. Harry said, anyhow, now
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Speaker 1: they see there are seven of us, they are not
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Speaker 1: likely to attack until it gets dark, so we have
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Speaker 1: time to think over what had best be done. We
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Speaker 1: had just begun our meal when we heard your shot,
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Speaker 1: and the best thing we can do is to have
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Speaker 1: a good feed at once. We may be too busy.
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Speaker 1: Later on, the chiefs said a word to the young Indian,
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Speaker 1: and leaving him on the watch, accompanied the others to
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Speaker 1: the fire they had scarcely set down when hunting dog
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Speaker 1: came up. More utes, he said, briefly, pointing across the valley.
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Speaker 1: They at once went to the outer line of trees
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Speaker 1: on the brow of the rise. Opposite were a party
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Speaker 1: of horsemen between twenty and thirty strong. That shows they
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Speaker 1: have learnt all about our position. Harry said, Those fellows
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Speaker 1: have been lying in wait summer over the hill to
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Speaker 1: cut us off if we took our horses. On seeing
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Speaker 1: the main body, let us have a look the other side.
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Speaker 1: Crossing the clump of trees, they saw on the brow
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Speaker 1: there another party of utes. I reckon. They must have
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Speaker 1: crossed the valley we were working in just after we
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Speaker 1: got through. Jerry said, it is mighty lucky they did
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Speaker 1: not come down on us while we were washing, for
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Speaker 1: they could have wiped us all out before we had
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Speaker 1: time to get hold of our guns. Weil, Harry, We
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Speaker 1: were in a pretty tight fix, with fifty of them
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Speaker 1: up the valley, and five or twenty or so on
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Speaker 1: each side of us. We shall have to be dog
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Speaker 1: gone smart if we are to get out of this scrape.
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Speaker 1: Hand me your rifle, Tom, his uncle said, It carries
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Speaker 1: farther than mine, and I will give those fellows a
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Speaker 1: hint that they had best move off of it. Steadying
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Speaker 1: his piece against a tree, he took a careful aim
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Speaker 1: and fired. One of the Indians swerved in his saddle,
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Speaker 1: and then fell forward on the neck of his horse,
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Speaker 1: which turned and galloped off with the rest. Now we
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Speaker 1: will have our meal and take counsel, Chief Harry said,
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Speaker 1: as he turned away. If we have got to fight,
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Speaker 1: there is no occasion to fight hungry. The fire was
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Speaker 1: made up, there was no need to be careful. Now.
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Speaker 1: Strips of deer's flesh were hung over it, and the
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Speaker 1: meal was soon ready, But little was said while it
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Speaker 1: was being eaten. Then they all lighted their pipes, and
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Speaker 1: each put a pannikin of hot tea beside him now,
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Speaker 1: Chief Harry said, have you arrived in any way out
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Speaker 1: of this? It is worse than it was the last
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Speaker 1: time we got caught in this valley. The Chief shook
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Speaker 1: his head. No good fight here, he said. When night
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Speaker 1: come they creep up all round. Yes, I see that
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Speaker 1: we have got to bolt. But the question is how
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Speaker 1: if we were to ride, they would ride us down.
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Speaker 1: That is certain. Jerry and Tom might possibly get away,
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Speaker 1: though that ain't likely. Their critters are good, but nothing
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Speaker 1: downright extraordinary, And the chances are that some of the
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Speaker 1: Youtes have got faster horses than theirs. As for the
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Speaker 1: rest of us, they would have us before we had
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Speaker 1: ridden an hour. That ain't to be thought of, Jerry said.
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Speaker 1: It seems to me our best chance would be to
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Speaker 1: leave the critters behind and to crawl out the moment
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Speaker 1: it gets dark and try to get beyond them. They
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Speaker 1: will close in as soon as it gets dark, Jerry.
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Speaker 1: They will know well enough that that is the time
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Speaker 1: we shall be moving. I reckon we should not have
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Speaker 1: a chance a scent of getting through. What do you say,
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Speaker 1: Chief leaping Horse nodded in assent. Well, then, Sam Hicks said,
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Speaker 1: I bote we mount our horses and go right at them.
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Speaker 1: I would rather do that and get rubbed out in
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Speaker 1: a fair fight than lie here until they crawl up
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Speaker 1: and finish us. No one answered, and for some minutes
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Speaker 1: they smoked on without a word being spoken. Then Harry said,
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Speaker 1: there is only one chance for us that I can see,
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Speaker 1: and that is to mount now and to ride right
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Speaker 1: down the valley. The chief says that in some places
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Speaker 1: it is not more than fifty yards wide, with steep
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Speaker 1: cliffs on each side, and we could make a much
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Speaker 1: better fight there, for they could only attack us in front.
14:41
Speaker 1: There would be nothing for them then but to dismount
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Speaker 1: and close in upon us from tree to tree, and
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Speaker 1: we could make a running fight of it until we
14:48
Speaker 1: come to the mouth of the canyon. There must be
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Speaker 1: places there that we ought to be able to hold
14:52
Speaker 1: with our seven rifles against the lot of them. Bully
14:56
Speaker 1: for you, Harry, I reckon that will give us a
14:58
Speaker 1: chance anyhow, that is, if we ain't cut off before
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Speaker 1: we get to the wood. Let us have a look
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Speaker 1: round and see what they're doing. Harry said, ah here
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Speaker 1: comes hunting dog. He will tell us all about it.
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Speaker 1: Uts on hills all gone up and joined the others,
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Speaker 1: the young Indian said as he came up. It could
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Speaker 1: not be better news. Harry exclaimed, I reckon they have
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Speaker 1: moved away to tempt us to make a start for
15:21
Speaker 1: the fort, for they know if we go that way
15:23
Speaker 1: they will have us. All sure they have not reckoned
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Speaker 1: on our riding down the valley, for they will be sure.
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Speaker 1: We must have found out long ago that there ain't
15:31
Speaker 1: any way out of it. Well, we had best lose
15:34
Speaker 1: no time. There is some meat ready hunting, dog, and
15:37
Speaker 1: you had best fill up while we get ready for
15:39
Speaker 1: a start. The blankets and buffalo rugs were wrapped up
15:43
Speaker 1: and strapped behind the saddles. As soon as these were
15:45
Speaker 1: placed behind the horses. They had only a small quantity
15:49
Speaker 1: of meat left as the chief was going out hunting
15:51
Speaker 1: the next morning, but they fastened this and eighty pounds
15:54
Speaker 1: of flour that still remained onto one of the pack horses.
15:58
Speaker 1: They filled their powder horns from the keg, and each
16:01
Speaker 1: put three or four dozen bullets into his holsters, together
16:05
Speaker 1: with all the cartridges for their pistols. The rest of
16:08
Speaker 1: the ammunition was packed on another horse. When all was completed,
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Speaker 1: they mounted. We may get a couple of hundred yards more,
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Speaker 1: start before we are seen, Harry said. Anyhow, we have
16:19
Speaker 1: got five hundred yards and may reckon on, making the
16:21
Speaker 1: two miles to where the valley narrows before they catch us.
16:25
Speaker 1: The instant, however, they emerged from the wood, two loud
16:28
Speaker 1: yells were heard from Indians, who had been left lying
16:30
Speaker 1: down on watch at the top of the slopes on
16:33
Speaker 1: either side. Sam, who was the worst shot of the party,
16:36
Speaker 1: had volunteered to lead the string of pack horses, while
16:39
Speaker 1: Ben was ready to urge them on behind. You may
16:42
Speaker 1: want to stop some of the leading barman, and I
16:44
Speaker 1: should not be much good at that game, so I
16:46
Speaker 1: will keep straight on without paying any attention to them.
16:49
Speaker 1: A loud, answering yell rose from the Indians up the valley.
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Speaker 1: We shall gain fifty yards or so before they are
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Speaker 1: fairly in the saddle, Harry said, as they went off
16:58
Speaker 1: at the top of their speed, the horses, seeming to
17:01
Speaker 1: know that the loud war cry boded danger, they had
17:04
Speaker 1: gone half a mile before they looked round. The Indians
17:08
Speaker 1: were riding in a confused mass and were some distance
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Speaker 1: past the grove the miners had left, but they still
17:13
Speaker 1: appeared as far behind as they had been when they started.
17:16
Speaker 1: Another mile and the mass had broken up. The best
17:19
Speaker 1: mounted Indians had left the rest some distance behind, and
17:23
Speaker 1: considerably decreased the gap between them and the fusitives. Another
17:27
Speaker 1: five minutes and the latter reached the wood that began
17:30
Speaker 1: just where the valley narrowed and the cliffs rose almost
17:33
Speaker 1: perpendicularly on each side. As soon as they did so,
17:37
Speaker 1: they leaped from their horses, and, each posting himself behind
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Speaker 1: a tree, open fire at their pursuers, the nearest of
17:43
Speaker 1: whom were but two hundred yards away. Four fell to
17:47
Speaker 1: the first seven shots. The others turned and galloped back
17:51
Speaker 1: to the main body, who halted at once. They won't
17:54
Speaker 1: try a charge, Harry said, It isn't an Indian nature
17:57
Speaker 1: to come across the open with the muzzles of some
18:00
Speaker 1: rifles pointed at them. They will plaver now they know
18:03
Speaker 1: they have got us in a trap, and they will
18:05
Speaker 1: wait till night. Now, Chief I reckon that you and
18:08
Speaker 1: I and hunting Dog at best stay here, so that
18:10
Speaker 1: if they try, as they are pretty sure to do,
18:13
Speaker 1: to find out whether we are here still, we can
18:15
Speaker 1: give them a hint to keep off. The other four
18:18
Speaker 1: had better ride straight down the canyon and go on
18:21
Speaker 1: for a bit to find out the best place for
18:23
Speaker 1: making a stand, and as soon as it is dark
18:25
Speaker 1: we will go forward and join them. There will be
18:28
Speaker 1: no occasion for us to hurry. I reckon. The skunks
18:31
Speaker 1: will crawl up here soon after it is dark, but
18:34
Speaker 1: they won't go much farther, for we might hide up
18:37
Speaker 1: somewhere and they might miss us. In the morning. They
18:39
Speaker 1: will come down on foot, sheltering behind the trees as
18:42
Speaker 1: much as they can, till at last they locate us.
18:46
Speaker 1: The chief nodded his approval of the plan, and Tom
18:49
Speaker 1: and the three miners at once started, taking the pack
18:52
Speaker 1: horses with them. On the way down, they came upon
18:54
Speaker 1: a bear. Ben was about to fire, but Jerry said,
18:58
Speaker 1: best leave him alone. Ben. There are only three miles down,
19:01
Speaker 1: and these cliffs would echo the sound, and the Redskins
19:04
Speaker 1: would hear it and know that some of us had
19:06
Speaker 1: gone down the valley and might make a rush at once.
19:10
Speaker 1: In an hour and a half they came down to
19:12
Speaker 1: a spot where the valley, after widening out a good bit,
19:16
Speaker 1: suddenly terminated and the stream entered a deep canyon in
19:19
Speaker 1: the face of the wall of rock that closed it
19:21
Speaker 1: in I reckon all this part of the valley was
19:24
Speaker 1: a lake once, Jerry said, when it got pretty well full,
19:27
Speaker 1: it began to run over where this canyon is and
19:30
Speaker 1: gradually cut its way down to the Colorado. I wonder
19:33
Speaker 1: how far it is to the river. They had gone
19:36
Speaker 1: but a hundred yards down the canyon when they came
19:38
Speaker 1: to a place where a recent fall of rocks blocked
19:41
Speaker 1: it up. Through these, the stream, which was but a
19:44
Speaker 1: small one, made its way. There is a grist of
19:46
Speaker 1: water comes down here when the snow melts in the spring.
19:49
Speaker 1: Ben remarked, you can see that the rocks are worn
19:52
Speaker 1: fifty feet up. Well, I reckon, this place is good
19:55
Speaker 1: enough for us. Jerry, I reckon so too. The latter
19:58
Speaker 1: agreed it will be a just to get our horses over,
20:01
Speaker 1: but we have got to do it anyhow, if we
20:03
Speaker 1: have to carry them. The animals, however, managed to scramble
20:07
Speaker 1: up the rocks that filled the canyon to the height
20:09
Speaker 1: of some thirty feet. The distance between the rock walls
20:12
Speaker 1: was not more than this in width. We could hold
20:15
Speaker 1: this place for a year, Ben said, if they didn't
20:18
Speaker 1: take to chucking rocks down from above. Yes, that is
20:21
Speaker 1: the only danger Jerry agreed, But the betting is they
20:24
Speaker 1: could not get nigh enough to the edge to look down. Still,
20:28
Speaker 1: they might do it if the ground is level above. Anyhow,
20:32
Speaker 1: we should not show much at this depth, for it
20:34
Speaker 1: is pretty dark down here, and the rocks must be
20:37
Speaker 1: seven or eight hundred feet high. It was, indeed, but
20:40
Speaker 1: a narrow strip of sky that they saw as they
20:42
Speaker 1: looked up, And although still broad daylight in the valley
20:45
Speaker 1: they had left, it was almost dark at the bottom
20:48
Speaker 1: of the deep gorge, and became pitch dark as soon
20:51
Speaker 1: as the light above faded. The first job in the morning,
20:54
Speaker 1: Jerry said, will be to explore this place down below.
20:57
Speaker 1: I expect there are places where it widens out out.
21:00
Speaker 1: If it does, and there are trees and anything like grass,
21:03
Speaker 1: the horses can get a bite of food. If not,
21:06
Speaker 1: they will mighty soon go under. That is, if we
21:08
Speaker 1: don't come upon any game. For if we don't, we
21:11
Speaker 1: shan't be able to spare them flour It is almost
21:14
Speaker 1: a pity we did not leave them in the valley
21:16
Speaker 1: to take their chance. Tom said, don't you make any mistake,
21:20
Speaker 1: Jerry said, in the first place, they may come in
21:23
Speaker 1: useful to us. Yet, and even if we never get
21:25
Speaker 1: astride of them again, they may come in mighty handy
21:28
Speaker 1: for food. I don't say, as we mayn't get a
21:30
Speaker 1: bear if there are openings in the canyon or terraces
21:34
Speaker 1: where they can come down. But if there ain't, it
21:36
Speaker 1: is just horse meat we have got to depend on.
21:39
Speaker 1: Look here, boys, it is tarnal dark here. I can't
21:42
Speaker 1: see my own hand. I vote we get a light.
21:45
Speaker 1: There is a lot of drift wood jammed in among
21:47
Speaker 1: the stones where we climbed up, and that will do
21:49
Speaker 1: to start a fire. And I saw a lot more
21:52
Speaker 1: just at the mouth of this gap. We know the
21:54
Speaker 1: redskins ain't near yet, So I vote we group our
21:57
Speaker 1: way up and bring some down. Be a first rate
22:00
Speaker 1: thing too, to make a bit of fire half way
22:03
Speaker 1: between here and the mouth. That would put a stop
22:05
Speaker 1: to their crawling up, as they are like enough to
22:08
Speaker 1: try to do to make out whereabouts we are. Of course,
22:11
Speaker 1: we shall have to damp our own fire down if
22:13
Speaker 1: they come else we should show up again the light.
22:16
Speaker 1: If we went up on the rock. The others agreed
22:18
Speaker 1: at once, for it was dull work sitting there in
22:21
Speaker 1: the black darkness. All had matches and a piece of
22:24
Speaker 1: dry fur was soon found. This was lighted and served
22:28
Speaker 1: as a torch with which to climb over the rocks.
22:31
Speaker 1: Jammed in between these on the upper side was a
22:34
Speaker 1: large quantity of drift wood. This was pulled out, made
22:37
Speaker 1: into bundles, and carried over the rock barrier, and a
22:40
Speaker 1: fire was soon blazing there. Then, taking a brand and
22:44
Speaker 1: two axes, they went up to the mouth of the gorge,
22:46
Speaker 1: cut up the arms of some trees that had been
22:49
Speaker 1: brought down by the last floods, and left there As
22:52
Speaker 1: the water sank. The greater part of these were taken
22:55
Speaker 1: down to their camping place. The rest, with plenty of
22:58
Speaker 1: small wood to light them, were piled halfway between the
23:01
Speaker 1: barrier and the mouth of the canyon, and were soon
23:04
Speaker 1: blazing brightly. They were returning to their camping place when
23:07
Speaker 1: Ben exclaimed that he heard the sound of horses hoofs.
23:10
Speaker 1: All stop to listen. There are not more than three
23:14
Speaker 1: of them, Ben said, and they are coming along at
23:17
Speaker 1: a canter. I don't expect we shall hear anything of
23:19
Speaker 1: the Redskins until tomorrow morning. They heard the horses enter
23:23
Speaker 1: the canyon. Then Jerry shouted, are you all right, Harry? Yes,
23:28
Speaker 1: The Redskins were all quiet when we came away. Why
23:31
Speaker 1: where are you? He shouted again, when he came up
23:33
Speaker 1: to the fire a hundred yards farther on, I will
23:37
Speaker 1: show you a light. Two or three blazing brands were
23:40
Speaker 1: brought up Harry, and the Indians had dismounted at the
23:43
Speaker 1: first fire and now led their horses up to the
23:46
Speaker 1: stone barrier. What on earth have you lit that other
23:50
Speaker 1: fire for, Jerry, Harry asked, as he stopped at the
23:52
Speaker 1: foot of the barrier, Because we shall sleep a dog
23:55
Speaker 1: on sight. Better with it there, as like as not,
23:58
Speaker 1: they may ascend on two or three warriors to scout.
24:01
Speaker 1: It is as black as a wolf's mouth. And we
24:03
Speaker 1: might have sat listening all night and then should not
24:06
Speaker 1: have heard them. But with that fire there, they dare
24:09
Speaker 1: not come on, for they would know they could not
24:11
Speaker 1: pass it without getting a bullet in them. Well, it
24:14
Speaker 1: is a very good idea, Jerry. I could not think
24:17
Speaker 1: what was up when I got there and did not
24:19
Speaker 1: see anybody. I see you have another fire over the
24:23
Speaker 1: other side. I could make it out clear enough as
24:26
Speaker 1: we came on. It will burn down a bit presently,
24:29
Speaker 1: Jerry said, I should not try to get those horses
24:32
Speaker 1: up here, now, Harry, it was a bad place to
24:34
Speaker 1: come up in daylight, and like enough, they would break
24:37
Speaker 1: their legs if they tried it. Now they will do
24:40
Speaker 1: just as well there as they would on this side,
24:42
Speaker 1: and you can get them over as soon as the
24:44
Speaker 1: day breaks. I would rather get them over, Jerry, but
24:48
Speaker 1: I see it as a pretty rough place. Leaving the horses,
24:52
Speaker 1: Harry and the Indians climbed over the barrier and were
24:54
Speaker 1: soon seated with the others round their fire, over which
24:58
Speaker 1: the meat was already frizzling. So the Indians kept quiet
25:01
Speaker 1: all the afternoon, Harry, as quiet as is their nature.
25:05
Speaker 1: Two or three times some of them rode down and
25:07
Speaker 1: galloped backwards and forwards in front of us to make
25:10
Speaker 1: out if we were there. Each time we let them
25:13
Speaker 1: fool about for a good long spell, and then when
25:16
Speaker 1: they got a bit careless, sent them a ball or
25:18
Speaker 1: two to let them know we were still there. Hunting
25:21
Speaker 1: Dog went with the three horses half a mile down
25:24
Speaker 1: the valley soon after you were gone, so that they
25:27
Speaker 1: might not hear us ride off. As soon as it
25:30
Speaker 1: began to get dusk we started. We had come pretty slow,
25:34
Speaker 1: for it got so dark under the trees. We could
25:36
Speaker 1: not make out the trunks and had to let the
25:38
Speaker 1: horses pick their own way. But we knew there was
25:41
Speaker 1: no hurry, for they would not follow till morning, though
25:45
Speaker 1: of course their scouts could creep up as soon as
25:47
Speaker 1: it was dark, and wouldn't be long before they found
25:50
Speaker 1: out that we had left. I reckon they will all
25:52
Speaker 1: come up and camp in the wood and wait for
25:55
Speaker 1: daylight before they moved. Though I don't say two or
25:58
Speaker 1: three scouts may not crawl down and try to find
26:01
Speaker 1: out where we are. They will move pretty slow, for
26:04
Speaker 1: they will have to pick their way, and will know
26:07
Speaker 1: well enough that if a twig cracks it will bring
26:09
Speaker 1: bullets among them. I reckon they won't get here under
26:13
Speaker 1: four or five hours. It is certain they won't try
26:16
Speaker 1: to pass that fire above. As soon as they see us,
26:19
Speaker 1: they will take word back to the others, and we
26:21
Speaker 1: shall have the whole lot down here by morning. We
26:25
Speaker 1: shall have to get the horses over the first thing.
26:28
Speaker 1: Two of us, the best go down as soon as
26:29
Speaker 1: it is light enough to ride without risking our necks,
26:32
Speaker 1: to see what the canyon is like below. Yes, that
26:35
Speaker 1: is most important, Jerry. There may be some break where
26:38
Speaker 1: the redskins could get down and so catch us between
26:41
Speaker 1: the two fires. I don't care a red scent for
26:45
Speaker 1: the utes, Jerry said, We can lick them out of
26:47
Speaker 1: their boots in this canyon. What we have been thinking
26:50
Speaker 1: of is whether there is some place where the horses
26:53
Speaker 1: can get enough to keep them alive while we are
26:55
Speaker 1: shut up here. If there is game, so much the better.
26:59
Speaker 1: If there ain't, we've got to take to horse flesh.
27:02
Speaker 1: How long do you suppose that the Indians are likely
27:04
Speaker 1: to wait when they find that they can't get at us,
27:07
Speaker 1: Tom asked, there ain't no sort of saying. His uncle replied,
27:11
Speaker 1: I reckon. No one ever found out yet how long
27:13
Speaker 1: a redskin's patience will last. Time ain't nothing to them.
27:17
Speaker 1: They will follow up this canyon both sides till they
27:20
Speaker 1: are certain that there ain't no place where a man
27:22
Speaker 1: can climb up. If there ain't, they will just squat
27:25
Speaker 1: in that valley like enough. They will send for their
27:27
Speaker 1: lodges an squaws and fix themselves there till winter comes,
27:31
Speaker 1: and even then they might not go. They have got
27:34
Speaker 1: wood and water. Some of them will hunt and bring
27:36
Speaker 1: in meat, which they will dry for the winter. And
27:39
Speaker 1: they are just as likely to stay here as to
27:41
Speaker 1: go up to their villages. A vigilant watch was kept
27:45
Speaker 1: up all night, two of them being always on guard
27:47
Speaker 1: at the top of the barrier. As soon as the
27:50
Speaker 1: morning broke, the three horses were got over, and half
27:54
Speaker 1: an hour later Carry and Sam Hicks rode off down
27:56
Speaker 1: the canyon, while the others took their places on guard,
28:00
Speaker 1: keeping themselves well behind the rocks between which they looked out.
28:05
Speaker 1: They had not long to wait for an Indian was
28:07
Speaker 1: seen to dart rapidly across the mouth of the canyon.
28:10
Speaker 1: Two rifles cracked out, but the Indian's appearance and disappearance
28:14
Speaker 1: was so sudden and quick that they had no reason
28:17
Speaker 1: to believe that they had hit him. They won't know
28:20
Speaker 1: now that we are here and are pretty wide awake,
28:22
Speaker 1: Ben said, You may be sure that he caught sight
28:25
Speaker 1: of these rocks. A minute or two later, several rifles
28:30
Speaker 1: flashed from among the fallen stones at the mouth of
28:32
Speaker 1: the gorge. Keep your eyes open, Jerry said, and when
28:37
Speaker 1: you see the slightest movement, fire, but don't do it
28:40
Speaker 1: unless you feel certain that you make out a head
28:42
Speaker 1: or limb. We've got to show the utes that it
28:45
Speaker 1: is certain death to try and crawl up here. Almost
28:49
Speaker 1: immediately afterwards, a head appeared above the stones. The Chief's
28:53
Speaker 1: rifle cracked, and at the same instant the head disappeared.
28:57
Speaker 1: D'ye think you got him? Chief? Think so? Not sure?
29:01
Speaker 1: Leaping horse does not often miss his mark. At two
29:04
Speaker 1: hundred yards. Almost directly afterwards, Tom fired an Indian sprang
29:09
Speaker 1: to his feet and bounded away. What did you fire at, Tom?
29:14
Speaker 1: I think it was his arm and shoulder, Tom replied,
29:18
Speaker 1: I was not sure about it, but I certainly saw
29:20
Speaker 1: something move. I fancy you must have hit him or
29:24
Speaker 1: he would not have got up. Well, now, I reckon,
29:27
Speaker 1: we're going to have a quiet for a bit. They
29:30
Speaker 1: must have had a good look at the place while
29:32
Speaker 1: they were lying there and must have seen that it
29:34
Speaker 1: are too strong for them. I don't say they mayn't
29:37
Speaker 1: come on again to night. That they may do, but
29:40
Speaker 1: I think it air more likely they won't try it.
29:43
Speaker 1: They would know that we should be on the watch,
29:45
Speaker 1: and with seven rifles and colts, we should account for
29:48
Speaker 1: a grist of them afore they got over. What do
29:50
Speaker 1: you say, Chief, not come now? The Chief said, positively,
29:55
Speaker 1: Send men first along top, see if can get down
29:59
Speaker 1: not like come at the canyons of the Colorado. Very
30:02
Speaker 1: bad medicine, redskins, no like coming to them. If no
30:06
Speaker 1: way where we can get up, then youts sit down
30:09
Speaker 1: to starve us. That will be the longest job. Chief.
30:13
Speaker 1: A horse a week will keep us for three months.
30:16
Speaker 1: If no food for horse, horse die one week, so
30:21
Speaker 1: they will chief. We must wait till Harry comes back.
30:24
Speaker 1: Then we shall know what our chances are. It was
30:28
Speaker 1: six hours before Harry and Sam returned. There was a
30:32
Speaker 1: shout of satisfaction from the men when they saw that
30:34
Speaker 1: they had on their saddles the hindquarters of a bear.
30:39
Speaker 1: Why what is the news, Harry? It ain't altogether good, ben.
30:44
Speaker 1: It goes down like this for about twelve miles, then
30:47
Speaker 1: it widens out sudden. It gets into a crumbly rock
30:51
Speaker 1: which has got worn away. And there is a place
30:53
Speaker 1: maybe fifty yards wide and half a mile long, with
30:57
Speaker 1: sloping sides going up a long way and then cliff.
31:00
Speaker 1: All around. The bottom is all stones. There are a
31:04
Speaker 1: few tufts of coarse grass growing between them. On the
31:07
Speaker 1: slopes there are some bushes, and on a ledge high
31:11
Speaker 1: up we made out a bear. We had two or
31:13
Speaker 1: three shots at him, and at last brought him down.
31:16
Speaker 1: There may be more among the bushes. There was plenty
31:19
Speaker 1: of cover for them. There was no place where there
31:22
Speaker 1: was a chance of getting up, Harry, Narry. A place
31:26
Speaker 1: I don't say, as there may not be, but we
31:28
Speaker 1: couldn't see one. But the bear must have got down. No,
31:32
Speaker 1: he would come down here in the dry season, looking
31:35
Speaker 1: for water holes, and finding the place to his liking,
31:37
Speaker 1: he must have concluded to settle there. It is just
31:40
Speaker 1: the place a bear would choose where he might reckon.
31:43
Speaker 1: Pretty competent that there weren't no chance of his being disturbed. Well,
31:47
Speaker 1: we went on beyond that, and two miles lower the
31:50
Speaker 1: canyon opened again, and five minutes took us down on
31:52
Speaker 1: to the bank of the Colorado. There was no great
31:56
Speaker 1: room between the river and the cliff, but there were
31:58
Speaker 1: some good sized trees there, and plenty of bush growing
32:02
Speaker 1: up some distance. We caught sight of another bear, but
32:05
Speaker 1: as we did not want him, we left him alone. Well,
32:09
Speaker 1: let's have some bar meat. First of all, Terry said,
32:12
Speaker 1: we finished our meat last night, and bread don't make
32:15
Speaker 1: much of a meal. I reckon anyhow, we can all
32:18
Speaker 1: do with another, and after we have done, we will
32:21
Speaker 1: have a talk. We don't know what to expect now
32:23
Speaker 1: and can figure it up better than we could before.
32:27
Speaker 1: End of Chapter fourteen,