CHAPTER THIRTY.
TRAPPED.
Hungry and faint, it was a dreary time passed during that halt; but inspite of all, it was restful, though the stones were hard, and therewere moments when Cyril felt as if he could go off fast asleep, anddream of banquets, as hungry people are said to do.
But there was no sleeping, and, as nearly as could be guessed, at theend of two hours the colonel rose, and gave the word "Forward."
Then began the journey down the long zigzag, every turn bringing themnearer to the spot where the river took its great plunge into the gulf.The roar grew deeper and louder, though still smothered by the densemist, and as they drew nearer, there was the damp odour of water,breathed in the smallest of vesicles, as it was churned and then whirledupward to battle with the breeze descending the gorge.
The last turn of the descending path at last, and then the colonelstopped, for they were face to face with the great black veil of mist.
"Now," he said, with his lips close to each one's ear in turn, "youfirst, Perry, take a grip of the stock of my gun, and pass your ownbackward as I do mine for Cyril to take hold. Then Cyril will do thesame for John Manning to grasp, and we shall be linked together and wellin touch. I shall lead, of course. Courage, boys, and no hesitation.We shall soon be through. Now, forward."
In half-a-dozen steps the darkness, which had been relieved by the faintgleaming of the stars peering down into the gorge, became intense, forthey were once more in the mist, and guided only by the gentle drag uponthe guns, as without hesitation the colonel led on, keeping close to thewall upon his left.
The noise of the water thundering down was more confusing than ever, themist more stifling; but the boys gathered confidence as they went on,and Perry was too much occupied in following his father's steps, tothink much about the horrible slip into the gulf below; while Cyril, ashe stepped on manfully, kept trying to recall how far the way wasthrough, and calculated that they must be fully half-way.
He had just arrived at this conclusion, when he turned angrily to resentwhat he looked upon as absurd behaviour on the part of John Manning, whosuddenly grasped him tightly, pinning his arms down to his sides, andflinging him up against the rock-wall as far as possible from the edgeof the gulf.
"How stupid!" he cried aloud, though not a word was heard. "I'm allright. Now you've broken the chain."
He had arrived at this point, when he felt a rope passed rapidly roundhim, binding his arms to his sides. Then he was thrown upon his back,and in spite of his struggles, his legs were treated in the same way,after which a cloth was bound over his face, so tightly as to be almostsuffocating. Lastly, he felt himself lifted head and heels, and borneforward, dizzy, confused, and wondering what had happened to hiscompanions, and finally bound to conclude that they must have beentreated precisely in the same way. He felt that this must be so, andthat the Indian cunning had been too much for the colonel's strategy, aparty having remained in waiting in full knowledge that they werepursued, and ready to pounce upon them, just in a spot where an attackwould be least expected and surest of success.
All at once, as the boy was borne along, feeling satisfied that it wasuseless to struggle and folly to exert himself and shout, it occurred tohim that his bearers were going closer to the edge of the gulf, for theroar of the water seemed to be more deafening. There could only be onereason for this, he argued--it was his turn to be thrown in, and theothers must be gone.
The horrible thought made him begin to struggle with all his might, butat the first writhe a strong additional arm was passed over his body,gripping him tightly to its owner's side, and in this fashion he becamehelpless, and was carried forward, to grow calmer, for he awoke to thefact that his life was certainly for the present safe.
Then a curious feeling of faintness came over him, the heat of the clothover his mouth was suffocating, bright specks of light danced before hiseyes, there was a singing in his ears, and then everything seemed to beat an end, till the stars were looking down at him from far on high, andabove the low distant booming of the fall he could hear the pleasantsilvery gurgle of water, and the heavy breathing of sleepers close athand.
By degrees the boy's head grew clearer, but at the expense of his body,for as the power of thinking brightened, his limbs grew heavier, numb,and helpless, and the effort he made to turn over upon one side provedto be in vain. He felt that the cloth which bound his lips was gone,but there was no inclination to cry for help, and he lay perfectlystill, wondering whether his companions were near, and then utterlyexhausted, all passed away again, but this time he slept.
It must have been near morning once more, when Cyril awoke with afeeling of something warm touching his ear, and a voice whispered:
"Careful, my lad. I've cut you free, and I'm going to cut the coloneland Master Perry clear. Now try and rub your legs gently. We must makea dash for it, as soon as you're ready. Don't speak."
The lips were removed from his ear, and there was a faint rustling, thatwas all.
He tried to obey the orders he had received, but for some minutes therewas scarcely any sense of feeling in his hand, or in the part hetouched, but he worked on, feeling hopeful now. John Manning wasfighting for their freedom, and the others must be close at hand, but hefelt that if they were as helpless as he, they would not be of much usein an attempt to escape from their captors.
And as Cyril went on softly rubbing circulation into his numbed andswollen legs once more, a faint point of light high up in the clouds,where an ice peak was catching the first rays of the coming morn, shoneout like a hopeful sign to tell him that all was not yet lost.
For quite half an hour he kept up the gentle friction, bringing backcirculation, but with it intense pain. Then his heart bounded, and heforgot his agony, for John Manning crept close to him again.
"Been rubbing?" he whispered.
"Yes."
"Can you fight?"
"I'll try."
"All right then, boy; the others are ready, and I think the Indians areasleep. We must make a dash for it now, before they make up their mindsto put us out of our misery, for I am afraid it's that they mean."
"What do we do first?" whispered Cyril, who felt the power rapidlycoming back into his legs.
"Wait till the colonel joins us with Master Perry. They're coming assoon as they feel it safe, and then we dash back for the falls, andretreat up the gorge. When we jump up, keep together and run. Hit out,lad, at anybody who tries to stop you. They're only cowards after all,but the colonel's coming. Now get up softly. Ready?"
"Yes."
At that moment there was a fierce yell, and Cyril was dashed back uponthe ground, three Indians flinging themselves upon him; there was a dullblow, a groan, and John Manning cried aloud:
"They've done for me, lad; run for it, if you can get free. Tell thecolonel I did my duty to the last."
Almost at the same moment Cyril, as he fiercely struggled, heard ashrill cry of agony from Perry, a shout from the colonel, and thereports of half-a-dozen guns fired in rapid succession.
Then all was blank, for a heavy blow on the side of the head made thelad insensible to what was passing around.