The Search for the Silver City Part 20

"You must run now as you never did before," c.u.mmings said sharply to Teddy. "There can be no thought of fatigue until we reach some shelter where it will be possible to make a stand."

"I can hold out as long as Neal; but neither of us are a match for Poyor."

"He could run all day."

Two moments later, when they were nearing a broad street which c.u.mmings fancied led to the woods on the eastern side of the city, Poyor slackened his pace to say:

"There is one close behind who must be stopped. Will you do it, or shall I?"

"Help Teddy along, while I try it."

As the Indian took Teddy by the arm, thus having a boy on either side of him, c.u.mmings unslung the rifle which had been strapped over his shoulder, and, wheeling suddenly, raised it at a man who was not more than forty yards in the rear.

"Don't shoot! It's me!" a familiar voice cried, and as c.u.mmings turned to resume the flight he muttered to himself:

"It's a pity they haven't caught you. But for your folly we could have pa.s.sed through the city un.o.bserved."

Jake no longer believed the Chan Santa Cruz Indians to be such a peaceable race. When, as c.u.mmings had suspected, the shaft he was trying to climb toppled over, he was able to escape injury by leaping to one side, and immediately made an effort to detach the statue which was cemented firmly to the stone.

It seemed to him that he had but just begun the task when two men rushed from the interior of the temple. Fortunately for him they were unarmed or his term of life would have expired at that moment; but as it was one of them seized a fragment of the stone as he turned to run, and threw it with such accuracy of aim that Jake's cheek was cut from the eye to the chin as smoothly as if done with a razor.

With the blood streaming down his face Jake ran for dear life in the direction taken by the remainder of the party, and now fully realizing the danger he had brought upon them.

"I deserve to be killed," he said to himself, "and if that Poyor don't try to even up things with me for this night's job it'll be because he's a better Indian than I ever gave him credit for."

When the remainder of the party reached the end of the broad street with the welcome shelter of the forest not more than half a mile away, Jake was ten or twelve yards in the rear, and three times that distance behind him were a dozen men who appeared to be gaining each instant.

Again Poyor spoke to c.u.mmings, and again the latter stopped suddenly and wheeled about: but this time there was no warning shout to prevent the rifle from being discharged.

There was a loud report, a cry of pain from one of the pursuers, and all halted for an instant to aid their wounded companion.

When c.u.mmings turned to continue the flight Jake was by his side, saying as they ran:

"If it comes to close quarters I'll drop behind, and make as long a fight as I can, which will give the rest a chance to gain on the crowd."

"They would surely kill you. There could be no hope in a hand to hand struggle."

"I know that, and it will be no more than I deserve. If I hadn't been such a fool you would have got through without turning a hair."

This confession and the proposition to sacrifice himself had the effect of dissipating c.u.mmings' anger, and he said decidedly:

"We will stick together and take even chances. No matter what has been done one shall not be sacrificed to save the rest unless I, who brought you here, am that one."

To carry on any extended conversation and at the same time continue the pace was out of the question, and during the next five minutes not a word was spoken.

Now there were two dozen pursuers, and the boys had become so nearly exhausted that Teddy felt positive that he could not keep on his feet long enough to reach the forest.

Poyor, seeing that both the boys had nearly run their race, shouted in his own language a few words to c.u.mmings, clasped his panting companions by the waist, and, although thus burdened, soon drew away from both the white men.

Nearer and nearer come the pursuers.

Once more c.u.mmings halts, discharges his rifle, and then presses forward.

Poyor gains the shelter while the others are a hundred yards away, and allowing the boys to drop to the ground, he unslings Neal's gun, stands at the very edge of the cover where he fires two shots just in time to save the remainder of the party.

"We must not stop here," he says as c.u.mmings comes to a halt by his side. "Help the boys, and leave me here long enough to hold them in check until you have put considerable distance between the crowd and yourselves."

c.u.mmings waited only until he had given the Indian his own rifle and some cartridges, for it was a more effective weapon than Neal's, and then he and Jake did as directed.

Traveling in as nearly a straight line as possible they marched rapidly, while behind them could be heard shot after shot, telling that Poyor was doing his duty.

"If he can keep that up long enough we shall give them the slip after all," Jake said, speaking with difficulty as he gasped for breath.

"There are others to be met. Between here and the coast is a line of sentinels who may be more vigilant than those in the swamp."

Now that the pace was slower, and because of the a.s.sistance rendered, Neal and Teddy were able to make their way unaided, and the former said as he pushed c.u.mmings from him:

"I am all right now. You have as much as you can do to take care of yourself, and it is not fair to half carry me as you and Poyor have been doing."

"It hasn't been such a very hard job; but I'm perfectly willing to give it up if you are feeling better."

"We are both in fair condition," Teddy replied, and being relieved of the burdens the men were able to travel more rapidly.

During the next ten minutes not a word was spoken, and then c.u.mmings said as he halted:

"We'll take a little rest, for I am nearly blown."

All threw themselves on the ground where they lay panting until, recovering somewhat, Jake asked:

"How is Poyor to find us in this thicket? He can't follow a trail in the darkness."

"He will succeed in doing so as---- Say, are you wounded?"

"One of those fellows cut my cheek open with a rock; but beyond the pain I don't reckon there's been any great damage done."

"You are fortunate that it was not inflicted by an arrow or spear. Let me try to bandage it, for the loss of blood will tell upon you if we continue this gait very long."

With strips torn from Jake's s.h.i.+rt the wound was bound up in an awkward fas.h.i.+on, and c.u.mmings said as he finished the work:

"When Poyor comes he will gather a certain leaf which has healing properties, and in a short time all the pain will go away; but I fancy you'll carry that scar to your grave."

CHAPTER XVII.

A HALT.