CHAPTER NINETEEN.
THE DARK WAY.
"They've missed us," said Cyril excitedly. "Shall I run to the leader,sir, and hurry him on?"
"No, my lad," said the colonel, "we shall do nothing by hurrying. Ourretreat must be carried out slowly. We can get on no faster than themules will walk. Keep on as we are."
He left them after listening for a few minutes, and hurried forward toreach his place again by the leading mule, for the sagacious beast hadgone steadily on, followed by the others, acting as if it knew its dutyas well as a human being--that duty being to follow the easiest courseoffered by the valley, which ran parallel with one of the outer rangesof foot-hills, there being no track whatever to act as guide.
"Sounds quite reviving," said John Manning in a whisper. "We've had somuch dull do-nothing times, that it quite freshens one up."
"How long will it be before they overtake us?" said Perry anxiously.
"How long have we been coming here, sir?" replied the old soldier.
"I don't know--an hour, I suppose."
"Yes, sir, an hour. Well, if they knew the way we came and followed on,it would take them hours more than it has taken us."
"Why?" said Cyril sharply.
"Why, sir? because," said John Manning, with one of his dry chuckles,"they'll have to come along very slowly, searching among the trees asthey come, for fear of overrunning the scent; for as it's dark, they'vegot nothing to guide 'em, and I hope they won't find much when it'slight, for the sun will soon dry up the dew which shows the marks madeby brushing it off. We're all right till they hit the track we've come,and that won't be till some time to-morrow, if they hit it then."
"Oh, they'll know the way we've come," said Perry, who was breathinghard from excitement.
"They must be very clever then, sir," said John Manning drily. "Ishould say they'll think we've made for the way we came."
"Speak lower," said Cyril. "Why?"
"Because, says they, these white fellows haven't got any guides now, andthey only know one road, so they're sure to take it."
"Yes, that sounds likely," said Perry sharply; "but how was it we couldhear them shouting?"
"I know that," said Cyril. "The air is so clear right up here in themountains, and the wind is this way. It's like seeing. You know howclose the peaks seem when they're twenty miles away."
"Yes, sir, and sounds run along a hollow like this wonderfully. Why, Iremember in one of the passes up in India, we in the rearguard couldhear the men talking right away in the front as easily as if we wereclose to them."
"But look here," said Cyril. "Diego or the other fellow must have seenwhich way we came."
"They must have been very sharp then, sir, for I took care to tie alittle biscuit bag over each of their heads, only I left holes for theirnoses to come out and breathe. Don't you fret, young gentlemen; we'vegot the start, and I don't believe the fight 'll begin 'fore to-morrowevening, if it do then."
"You know, then, that it will come to a fight," said Perry.
"Well, say a skirmish, sir. We in the rearguard 'll have to be dividedinto three companies, and keep on retiring one after the other, andtaking up fresh ground to protect the baggage-train. It's all right,gentlemen, and it'll be quite a new experience for you both. You'lllike it as soon as the excitement begins."
"Excitement?" cried Perry. "Suppose one of us is shot."
"Ah, we don't think of that, sir, in the army," said John Manning. "Wethink of the enemy getting that. But, if one of us is so unlucky, why,then, he'll be clapped on a mule's back and go on with thebaggage-train."
The two boys stopped then to listen, but all was silent save the faintrustling made by the mules in front as they went steadily onward intheir leader's track. The night was dark, but the stars glitteredbrilliantly overhead in a broad strip which showed how deep down thevalley had grown, and how wall-like the sides rose in their blackness.
"I say," whispered Perry, stopping short. "Doesn't it make you feelshivery?"
"No," said Cyril. "Shuddery. We seem to be going on, down and down, asif this were a slope leading right underground. I shall be glad whenthe daylight comes, so that we can see where we are going.--Hear any onecoming?"
"No, but let's go on, or we may be left behind."
"Well, we are left behind now."
"But suppose we missed the others. It would be horrible."
"No fear," said Cyril; "the valley's getting narrower and narrower, andif we keep on, we're sure to overtake the mules."
Cyril was right, for in a few minutes they heard the faint patter of thehoofs again, and were glad to keep close in the rear, for instinctivelythe patient beasts picked out the easiest way. And now from being asmooth, grassy, park-like, open valley, the route they followed began tocontract into a gorge, from whose wall-like sides masses of stone hadbeen tumbled down in the course of ages, till the bottom was growingmore difficult to traverse every mile they passed; while, for aught theyknew in the darkness, they might be skirting precipice and pitfall ofthe most dangerous kind, depending, as they were, entirely upon themules.
They had suggestions of there being unknown depths around, for to theirleft there was the gurgling, rushing sound of water, apparently deepdown beneath the fallen stones, sometimes louder, sometimes dying awayinto a murmur; till all at once, as they turned a corner into sudden,complete darkness--for the long band of starry light overhead was nowshut out--they were startled by a deep echoing, booming roar, and achilling damp air smote them in the face as it came down, evidently fromsome gorge to their right, which joined the one along which they hadtravelled.
It needed no explanation. Light failed, but they knew as well as ifthey were in broad sunshine that they were face to face with a hugecascade which came gliding down from far on high into some terrificchasm far below, while the change from the calm silence of the valleythey had traversed to the deafening sound which rose from below, wasconfusing and strange to such a degree, that they came to a stand.
It was not that the noise was so great, as that it seemed, paradoxicalas it may sound, so huge and soft, and to pervade all space, to theexclusion of everything else. As Cyril said afterwards, it was a noisethat did not pierce and ring in your ears, but stopped them up andsmothered all speech; while the darkness was so deep, that no one feltthe slightest desire to take a step forward.
Perry was the first to make any move, for all at once he felt for Cyril,placed his lips close to his ear, and said excitedly:
"My father: can you hear him?"
"No," replied his companion, after a pause. "I can only hear thewater."
"Then he must have fallen in.--Here, John Manning. Where is thelantern?"
"Tied to the first mule's pack, sir."
"Oh!" exclaimed Perry excitedly, and then he shouted "Father!" as loudlyas he could, but the cry seemed to be driven back in his face.
"I'll light a match, sir," cried Manning, and after a few moments therewas a flash, the gleam of a light, and the shape of the old soldier'shands, with the tiny flame gleaming ruddily between his fingers; but,save that the boys saw the familiar rugged features of the man's facefor a few moments, they saw nothing more, and the darkness grew painfulas the match went out.
John Manning struck another light, got the splint well in a blaze, andtossed it from him; but there was nothing to be seen but mist. The boysnow shouted together, but without result, and a chilling sensation ofdread came over them as they grasped each other's wet cold hand, notdaring to stir, and with the horrible feeling increasing upon them thatsome terrible tragedy must have happened to their leader.
Just when the sensation of horror was at its height, John Manning'svoice was heard.
"What had we best do, gentlemen--go forward or go back?"
"We ought to go forward," said Cyril.
"Yes, that's what I feel, sir," shouted the man; "but next step may bedown into the pit."
"We must go on," said Perry excitedly; "my father wants help
. He's indanger, I'm sure, or he would have made some sign."
As he spoke, he snatched his hand from Cyril's grasp, and took a step ortwo forward into the black darkness.
"Perry!" shouted Cyril, in a voice which sounded like a faint whisper,as he felt himself seized by the shoulder, John Manning's great handclosing upon it like a vice, and holding it firmly.
"Where's Master Perry?"
No answer escaped Cyril's lips for a minute. He felt suffocated, and itwas not until John Manning had shaken him violently and repeated hisquestion twice, that he panted out the single word, "Gone."
"Can you see where--has he fallen in?" was panted in his ear.
"No; he stepped from me to help the colonel, and then he was gone."
John Manning groaned, and Cyril felt the strong man's hand trembling,and the vibration thrilled through the boy's frame until every nervequivered with the horrible dread which assailed him.
All at once he felt the lips at his ear again.
"Let's shout together, sir," was whispered, and they tried hard to maketheir voices heard, calling together with all their strength, but theydid not seem to be able to pierce the roar which pressed, as it were,upon them; and though they repeated the cry at intervals and listenedfor a reply, none came.
"It's no good, Mr Cyril, sir," groaned John Manning. "I'm ready, sir,to do anything to try and save my poor colonel and Master Perry; whatcan I do? It's like chucking away my life and yours, sir, to stir astep."
"Yes, and I'd help you," said Cyril despairingly; "but we dare not movein this terrible darkness."
"Shall we try to go back, sir?"
"No," shouted Cyril firmly. "We must not do that."
"What then, sir? What can we do?"
"Wait for daylight," Cyril shouted back in the man's ear. Then softlyto himself: "And pray."