The Peril Finders Part 98

"Don't say any more about it," said Chris, with a grin of pain in his face dying out before a rather malicious smile. "They won't let me help you one way, so I will in another. I'm precious hungry, and I won't let your breakfast grow cold."

"Oh, thank you, old chap. That's very good of you, for I'm precious hungry too."

"I thought you were," continued Chris, looking quite solemn now. "I'll eat your lot for you."

For a few moments Ned's face was a study. It was so full of dismay.

Then there was a look of doubt, and directly after he had read the truth.

"Get out!" he cried, and his hand was raised to give his comrade a heavy slap on the back; but Chris cried "Murder!" and shrank away.

"Oh, I forgot again," cried Ned hurriedly.

"You'd better be off up now, my boy," said Bourne. "Don't forget the gla.s.s."

"No, father. All right," cried the boy, and exchanging glances with Chris and following up his own with a clench of the fist, he took the binocular and hurried up to the lookout, while the rest applied themselves to the needed meal, but half-expecting to be alarmed, and impressed always by the expectation of attack, every one's weapons being kept ready to hand.

Chris ate, as his father said laughingly, like an impostor, a remark which Griggs, who did not join them till the meal had been going on for some minutes, readily endorsed.

Chris laughed, and the remarks did not spoil his appet.i.te; but his thoughts were busy all through, and he looked anxiously for the termination of the meal, and when all was over he turned uneasily to Griggs.

"I say," he whispered, "oughtn't some one to go and relieve Ned?"

"What for?" was the uncompromising response.

"What for? Why, because he must be starving."

"Poor fellow! He must have an appet.i.te then," said Griggs, laughing.

"Did you see what I took up to him?"

"Oh," cried Chris remorsefully. "What a shame! Here was I thinking that every one had been selfish to the poor fellow, while all the time--"

"We had all played quite fair--you most of all. Here, how are all the aches and pains now?"

"Getting better. I have no right to make so much fuss about them and play at being in hospital."

"You're not, lad. You're only doing what the doctor ordered. A fellow can't fall nearly a mile perpendicular and slantingdicular without being a good deal shaken."

"How far?" said Chris, laughing.

"Well, say half-a-mile."

"What nonsense!"

"Say quarter of a mile then," cried Griggs sharply.

"Divided by what?"

"You are hard to please. I didn't measure the distance; but I will as soon as we've got rid of these precious redskins."

"Don't," said Chris. "I didn't fall far, and it was most of it sliding down."

"Turn round," cried the American, "and set your eyes at the very bottom of the cliff, and then run them up to the sharp edge where we saw you having that battle with your poor mustang before you went over, and then tell me again that you didn't fall far."

"Don't want to," said Chris, who looked all the same, and felt a little s.h.i.+ver as of something cold running down his back. "There, I'm off."

"Where are you going? The doctor said you were to rest."

"That's what I'm going to do," said Chris, "but I must go and see how my pony is."

"Ah, well, I suppose that won't hurt you. I'll go up and have a chat with Ned, and see if I can mark down any of the enemy."

They parted, and Chris walked over the rugged stones and down the slopes till he was at the bottom of the valley, with his feet brus.h.i.+ng aside the long rich gra.s.s in which the mules were standing knee-deep, and which they neglected for the fresh green branches of the shrubs which grew thickly here and there.

"I forgot all about the snakes," said the boy to himself; "but there can't be any here, or the jacks wouldn't be so quiet."

Quiet they were, for though he walked right through the browsing herd they hardly turned their heads in his direction.

It was different when he reached the half-dozen ponies, which still kept themselves aloof as if preferring their own more aristocratic company.

They were so rested and well fed that they were disposed to turn skittish, and two of them communicated their spirits to three of the others, which joined in, tossing their heads, prancing, and making a show of treating their visitor as one who was hiding bridle and bit behind him, ready to entrap and change their pleasant hour's grazing there amongst the rich succulent gra.s.s to a mouthful of hard iron with the burden of heavy riders upon their backs.

In fact, five of the ponies contrived to keep the advancing lad at a distance, while the sixth, which had been grazing slowly, suddenly raised its head and stood staring at him.

At the first glance Chris set this down to feebleness, and looked upon it as a bad sign. But he altered his mind directly after, when he walked up to the animal's side, patting its neck and pa.s.sing its soft ears through his hand, for the poor beast whinnied softly, and slowly advanced its muzzle to rest it against the boy's arm.

"Why, I believe you're better, old chap," cried Chris, as he began to examine the pony's wounds, seeing at once that they appeared to be drying up, while when he moved a yard or two the animal followed him, limping, it is true, but not in a way that suggested permanent injury.

"Why, this is cheering," cried Chris eagerly. "I thought that you and I were never going to have a long gallop over the plains again, and now you look as if you'll be ready for me to mount in a fortnight at the most--perhaps in a week, eh, old chap? There, I am glad. I say, I should like as soon as the Indians have gone, for you to carry me up to the head of the valley there, and then for you to show me exactly where it was that you fell, and--Hallo! What's that?"

Chris looked round sharply, but could see nothing but the groups of grazing horses and mules.

"It sounded as if some one had thrown a stone. Can't be Ned stalking me and up to his games, can it?--There it goes again."

He started round to look behind him towards the terraced fortress he had left, but all was quiet there and no sign visible of Ned or any one to play any trick.

Then again something--something, he knew not what; but it was as if a pebble had fallen from the sky.

"Not going to hail, is it?" thought Chris; and then he laughed at the absurdity of the idea, for the sky was perfectly clear.

_Rap_!

Another something fallen from on high, but the mystery was at an end, for he not only saw it falling but where it had struck, to stick quivering and nearly upright amongst the gra.s.s.

An arrow, and from its slope it must have come from the unexplored side of the valley, and been shot high in the air for it to stand so nearly upright in the gra.s.s.

"Indians on the other side," thought Chris, and his first thought was to run round the grazing animals and drive them towards the part where they had made their camp.

He started to do this, but stopped at once, uttering a groan of misery, for in spite of his brave effort, his run proved to be a miserable hobble, and then the agony he suffered in his side forced him to stop.

"Help! help!" he shouted hoa.r.s.ely, but he felt that his cry sounded like a call to the animals amongst whom he stood, and as far as he could make out there was no one visible to heed his waving hat.