CHAPTER I.
BOUND FOR THE FORT.
"How many miles have we still to ride, Benson?"
"About fifty, Joe. But the last half is pretty much uphill, lad."
"Can we make the fort by to-morrow night?"
"Well, we can try," answered the old scout, who sat astride of acoal-black horse and rode slightly in advance of his two youthfulcompanions. "It will depend somewhat on what the weather does."
"Why, do you think it is going to rain?" put in Darry Germain. "I'm sureit looks clear enough."
"Aint no telling what the weather will do in this valley," answered SamBenson. "It may stay clear for a week, but to me the signs don't exactlyp'int that way," and he shook his head gravely.
"A little rain wouldn't hurt," said Joe Moore. "A couple of miles backthe road was fearfully dusty."
"The trouble is, when it rains out here it rains," answered the oldscout. "The clouds come a-tumbling over yonder mountains, and inside ofhalf an hour you'd fancy the water was going to drown out everything."
"Then if it rains we'll have to put up somewhere," said Darry Germain.
"Aint no cabin on this trail short of Hank Leeson's place, twenty milesthis side of the fort. If we can get that far I reckon we can make thefort."
"Then where will we stop to-night?" asked Darry with interest.
"At the Star Hotel--if the sky is clear," said Sam Benson, with a laughat what he considered his little joke.
"You mean in the open, under the stars!" cried the boy; and, as the oldscout nodded, he went on: "That will be nice. I've been wanting to campout in regular trapper style ever since we left Riverton."
"So have I," put in Joe Moore. "But I don't know as I care to camp outand get soaked."
"If it rains we'll find some kind of shelter," answered Benson. "Butcome, let us make the most of the daylight while it lasts," and heurged his steed forward, and the two boys did the same.
The three were pursuing their way along a gap in the Rocky Mountains,where the so-called valley was broken up by tiny water-courses, walls ofrock, and dense patches of forest and underbrush. It was midsummer, andthe hot air was filled with the scent of green growing things. Deep inthe forest the song-birds sang gayly and the wild animals had full playto come and go as they pleased, for to get at them in those vastfastnesses was next to impossible.
The party of three had left the town of Riverton four days before. Theywere bound for Fort Carson,--so named after Kit Carson, the celebratedscout and Indian fighter,--and Sam Benson carried messages of importanceto Colonel Fairfield, the commandant at the fort.
Joe Moore and Darry Germain were cousins, and both were boys of sixteen,well built and well trained in outdoor athletic sports. Joe came fromChicago and Darry from St. Louis, and each had graduated from his localhigh school but a few weeks before.
It was while Darry was spending a brief vacation with his cousin Joethat a plan for visiting the fort was formed. Joe's older brother,William, was a West Point graduate and a captain at the fort, and hewrote on stating that he had received permission to have Joe visit him,and Darry could come too if he desired. Colonel Fairfield was an oldfriend of both families, and promised to treat the lads well should theymake the trip.
"Hurrah! just the thing!" Joe had cried. "Of course you'll go, Darry. Wecouldn't have a grander outing."
"I'll go if father and mother will let me," had been Darry's answer, andhe had at once written home concerning the affair. Two weeks later theboys were off, the parents of each cautioning them to be careful, andwishing them the best of luck.
The journey westward as far as the mining-town of Riverton had occurredwithout special incident. They had been told to hire a guide at thispoint, and while looking for a man had fallen in with Sam Benson. Bensonknew Captain William Moore well, and he at once promised to take theboys along with him and do the best he could by them.
"You'll want good hosses," Benson had said, and had aided them inselecting their animals and in getting together the necessary outfit.The start was made one fine morning in August, and all three of theparty were in the best of spirits.
The four days in the mountains had opened the eyes of both lads. Thetraveling had been rather hard, yet they had enjoyed every minute of thejourney. They had stopped once to do some fishing, and Benson hadbrought down a small mountain deer. At night they had put up at thecabins of hunters and trappers, and before retiring had listened tothrilling tales of adventures with wild beasts and with the Indians.
But now Joe was anxious to get to the fort and see his brother, fromwhom he had been separated for nearly two years. Darry was also anxiousto reach the outpost, to meet not only his cousin William, but likewiseColonel Fairfield, who was an old friend not easily forgotten. Once atthe fort the two boys felt that a vacation full of fun and pleasurewould follow. Never once did they dream of the perils which awaited themin that wild region, which was not as civilized as it was to become ahandful of years later.
"It seems to me it is growing hotter," remarked Darry, after riding aquarter of a mile in silence.
"It is growing hotter," answered the old scout. "And that makes me morecertain than ever that a storm's at hand."
"We'll have to take what comes," said Joe. "But I did hope we'd reachthe fort by to-morrow."
On they went, around a bend of the trail and over some rough rocks,where the horses had to step with care, for fear of slipping into agully on the left. Then they reached a patch of timber and plungedbeneath the low-drooping trees. Here it was both dark and cool, andDarry breathed a long sigh of relief.
"How delicious!" he murmured. "It's almost like going into a cave.Benson, there must be lots of caves in these mountains," he went onreflectively.
"There are," answered the old scout. "I've been in a score or more."
"I should like to explore a big cave," came from Joe. "It would be anovelty to me."
"You may get the chance, lad," said Benson; "and get it soon."
"What do you mean? Are we going to ride by a cave?"
"There are a dozen or more ahead, and we may have to seek one of 'em forshelter. Do you hear that?"
Benson threw back his head to listen, and the two boys did likewise.From a great distance came the rumble of thunder, echoing and re-echoingthroughout the mountains. To the westward the sun was hidden by a densemass of black clouds which grew more ominous each instant.
"The storm is coming, sure enough," muttered Joe. "What do you propose?"
"We'll ride on a bit, lad. It won't hit us right away. Come!"
The horses were urged forward at an increased speed, and soon theypassed the patch of timber and came out to where a thick fringe of brushskirted a long, high cliff. The sky was now dark on every side, and thewind was rising with a dull, humming sound.
"We'll catch it in a few minutes!" cried Benson; and hardly had hespoken when the big drops came splashing down, hitting the broad leavesin the underbrush with resounding smacks.
The old scout continued to lead, and presently he turned to the left,where the cliff parted. Here was an opening, lined on either side withrocks and dirt, and a short distance further was the entrance to a caveof unknown depths.
"We'll stop here," said the old scout, leaping to the ground, followedby the boys. "This aint the best place in the world, but it's betterthan the open, in such a blow as is coming."
He was right about the blow--already the wind was rising, and hardly hadthe three led their horses into the cave, the entrance to which was overa dozen feet high, when there came a crashing through the timber leftbehind, which sent many a frail limb and sapling to the ground andcarried the leaves and twigs in all directions.
"I'm glad we didn't stay in the woods!" cried Darry. "We'd be in dangerof falling trees."
"And lightning too," added Joe. "Oh, my! look at that!" he continued, asa blinding flash lit up the heavens. "That must have struck somewhere."
"We'll go back a little," said old Benson. "The lightning is just as badhere
as it is in the woods. Wait till I get a torch."
Pine was plentiful in that locality, and soon he had a knot which wasfull of pitch and which burned well when a match was applied to it. Withthe torch in hand, he led the way further into the cave, and the boysfollowed with their animals.