Lost in the Canon Part 45

"Yes, an' I ain't 'shamed to say I is; but if it comes to chuckin' down rocks, you'll see I ken work harder'n you, Wah s.h.i.+n," said Ike, with spirit.

"Mebbe yes. Mebbe no. Me chuckee rocks w'en Meest Sam he say, 'You go in, Wah.' Me no blag."

"Hist!" interrupted Sam. "Keep silence. They are coming nearer."

On the instant Ike and Wah s.h.i.+n became as silent as the grave, and hugged closer to the surface of the rock, but they could hear their own hearts beating like war-drums, and they would not have been at all surprised if told that the men down below could hear them, too.

It was a trying moment, but Sam was equal to the occasion. His ready rifle was protruding through an opening in the wall that commanded the approach. Ike stood at his right hand and Wah s.h.i.+n on his left, each ready to hurl down the stones on their a.s.sailants, when their young commander gave the word.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.-A BRIEF TRUCE AND WHAT FOLLOWED IT.

After a painful wait, Sam heard voices under the rock, and he braced himself for the expected a.s.sault.

The men were evidently consulting, and one was in favor of attacking at once, while the others advised "strategy;" this was the one word that came distinctly to Sam's ears.

At length, s.h.i.+rley, who was in favor of strategy, stepped back from under the rock and called up:

"h.e.l.lo! h.e.l.lo! up there!"

"h.e.l.lo, down there!" was Sam's response.

"Is that you, Sam Willett?"

"It is."

"I want to talk with you."

"Talk away, I am listening."

"Do you know me?"

"No, I don't, and what's more I don't want to," said Sam, with a ring of firmness in his voice that surprised and angered his questioner.

"I am your friend, your cousin," said s.h.i.+rley.

"You are Frank s.h.i.+rley?"

"Yes."

"Late of Detroit?"

"Yes, Sam, that's me."

"Well, Frank s.h.i.+rley, late of Detroit, you may be my cousin, but you are not my friend."

"But why shouldn't I be?"

"Because you are not a gentleman."

"That young feller up there," said Badger, with an oath, "ought to be tarred and feathered and then set on fire and shot at. And if I ever get my hands on him, I'll--"

"Don't," interrupted the landlord, "you'll kick all the fat into the fire. Let Mr. s.h.i.+rley talk to the boy; he'll get in fine work, if you only keep your mouth shut."

Badger gave vent to his feelings by a series of savage growls, and s.h.i.+rley, after much coughing to ease his nervousness, proceeded to carry out his strategy.

"See here, Sam Willett!"

"Go on, I hear," was the response.

"I don't mean you any harm."

"And you sha'n't do me any, if I can help it," said Sam.

"If you look away off to the east, you can see lights."

"I know that."

"Do you know where those lights are?"

"I think I do."

"Where?"

"At Hurley's Gulch."

"Your father is there--"

"I am glad to hear it."

"And he is very sick."

"How do you know?"

"Because I saw him in a bad fix to-day."

"See here, s.h.i.+rley, tell me at once what you want," said Sam, in his spirited way.

"I want to take you to your father; he's been heart-broken, thinking you were dead; so come down, and I pledge you my honor as a gentleman that I will take you to Hurley's Gulch," said s.h.i.+rley, in accents intended to be rea.s.suring and soothing.

"Your honor as a gentleman?" repeated Sam with a ring of sarcasm.

"Yes, that's what I said."

"And we'll let you three young fellers ride our horses," added the landlord.