The Peril Finders Part 36

His words having no effect, he reached out one foot and gave the boy such a vigorous push that Ned sat up, staring.

"Who--Here, you, Chris, why did you kick me like that?" he cried.

"I didn't kick, only pushed. To wake you up. You can't sleep all day.

Oh, I say, what a face you've got!"

Ned, who had roused up at once, clapped his hands to the part of his person alluded to, and retaliated.

"So have you got a face," he cried. "Why, it looks as if it had got a crust of salt and sand all over it."

"So it has, I suppose," said Chris, rather gruffly, as he began to pat his cheeks softly, rub his eyes, and then deal very tenderly with his cracked lips. "Oh dear, shouldn't I like a swim, even if it was only in a water-hole that was half mud!"

"But I say, Chris, look here. What about the rattlesnakes? Have we left them all behind?"

"I hope so. There seems to be no sign of any here."

"And I say, this is quite a different sort of country. Look at the mountains."

"I have."

"We must be all right then, now," continued Ned. "I began to think yesterday that we were going to tramp along till the heat and thirst were too much for us, and we had to lie down and die. I say, I shouldn't have liked that."

"And you'll never find any one who would. Bother the old gold! It would have been horrid. Better have gone on weeding in the plantation."

"Ever so much; but do you think the place marked in the plan is over yonder?"

Ned pointed at the beautiful amethystine mountains, but Chris shook his head.

"Don't look like the place; but never mind that now. Let's see about breakfast."

The boys rose as if animated by one spirit, and stood looking round.

"What about a fire?" said Ned dismally.

"No wood," replied Chris, with a groan, and his voice made his father start, look sharply round, and spring to his feet.

"Ah, boys!" he cried. "How long have you been awake?"

This question, loudly uttered, had the effect of a call to the other sleepers, who rose to their feet to look about in a dazed and wondering manner, but with signs of satisfaction dawning upon their countenances as they grasped the improvement in their position.

"Yes," said the doctor, after a brief conversation, "the cattle are all right, and will be able to go on after another hour's grazing; but there is no water, I'm afraid, nearer than the mountains yonder."

"But there'll be plenty there, doctor," said Griggs confidently, "and I don't see that we need wait for the animals to graze any more; they haven't done much amiss by the state of their portmanteaus. We can halt again when we like, and the pasture's sure to get better as we go along towards the mountain-slopes. Would you mind getting out your gla.s.s?"

This was quickly done, and the American focussed it and stood gazing long and intently at the distant range.

"Far as I can make out," he said at last, "there's river and valley and forest yonder, sir."

"Forests with blue trees, Griggs?" said Chris.

"Forests with trees that look blue at this distance," replied the American. "That last makes a wonderful difference in the look of things. So do sunrise and sunset. Why, you've seen the woods look orange and scarlet, haven't you?"

"Yes, of course," said Chris, looking abashed. "I forgot. But, I say, if there were water there, shouldn't we see it glitter?"

"Not a bit. Don't you know how the rivers in these parts run down in the canons? Why, I've seen a dozen or two that you didn't know were there when you were a hundred yards away."

"And these may be ten miles off," cried Ned.

"Ten? Yes, quite that," said Griggs dryly.

"Ah, they're a long way off, Ned, my boy," said Bourne thoughtfully.

"How far do you make it, Griggs?"

"Well, sir, I should say it's a hundred miles from here to the highest part of that peak."

"A hundred miles!" cried Ned.

"Yes, and a good sixty to the hills about the foot."

"Then we shan't get there to-day," said the doctor decisively.

"If we do half of it, sir, we shan't have done badly," replied Griggs; "but in thirty miles I fancy we shall have reached water, and be in a better country than we're in now, worse luck."

"What!" cried Chris.

"What I say, squire. We don't want to go dawdling about in pretty places. We must go yonder for rest and water, say for a day or two, but the old prospector's map won't fit in there."

"How do you know?" said Wilton sharply.

"Because if there'd been a landmark like that big peak anywhere near the city he'd have been safe to mark it down."

"Of course," said the doctor thoughtfully. "Where should you think that mountain is?"

"Don't know, sir, and I don't see that it matters to us in what State the old temple and its treasure is. All we've got to do is to find the wilderness that hides it away, and we may as well make up our minds that it'll take all the patience we can store up. But what do you say about our start, sir?"

"As soon as we have had something in the way of breakfast," replied the doctor. "Unfortunately we can have no coffee. It seems impossible to sc.r.a.pe together enough fuel to make a fire."

"Not till to-night, sir, but I think we might drink what water we like.

The horses and mules will be able to get along without."

"Yes, we might venture upon a tinful each before starting," said the doctor.

That tinful each was the first part of the meal, and declared merrily by both boys to have quite a rattle-snaky flavour. The solid portion of the late breakfast was not appetising.

"But never mind, squires," cried Griggs cheerily; "we're going to get game as we go along to-day. It'll be roast birds for dinner if you keep your eyes open. I don't mean for the game."

"For what then?" asked Chris.

"The wood to cook it, my lad. We must carry the axe ready, and if we do happen to come across a few shrubs they must be loaded on top of the water-kegs, for the mule that carries them is getting to have a precious light load, and he deserves a heavy one for causing us all that trouble yesterday."