Jack Ranger's Western Trip Part 49

"Try and grab a cross-piece," said Jack. The sticks were about six feet apart.

Nat cautiously raised his hand. His fingers brushed under the sides of several braces, but he had to move his arm up very slowly as a sudden contact with them would have broken his wrist. Jack was doing the same thing.

The roar was growing louder now, and the water could be heard tumbling and cras.h.i.+ng down.

"The flume must be broken just below here!" cried Jack. "We must stop or we'll be killed!"

He made a desperate effort to grasp a brace. He got his fingers on one. Then came a sudden rush of water, caused by a sharp decline in the level of the sluiceway, and Jack was torn from the cross-piece.

At the same time his plank was swept from under him, and he was buried in an overwhelming rush of water. Over and over he was rolled along the bottom of the flume. Then he was tossed to the surface. For an instant he had a glimpse of Nat also struggling in the murky flood, on which the moon shone brilliantly.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JACK WAS SHOT FORWARD AS THOUGH FROM A CATAPULT.]

The next instant Jack was shot forward as though from a catapult, feet foremost, and, as he fought and struggled to get his breath, he saw that he was in the midst of a giant waterspout, as it leaped from the end of the broken flume and plunged, like a stream from an immense hose, into a swirling pool which the freed sluice water had dug in the soft soil.

Forward and down went Jack, and, though it seemed like an hour while he was being shot out with the water as it spurted from where the flume was raised on a high trestle, it was only a second or two before he was plunged into the pool.

As he sank down and down the lad was aware of a splash close beside him, and he dimly thought it must be Nat. And so it proved. Nat, also, had been spouted from the flume into the pool, and, when Jack, after a fierce fight with the bubbling water came to the surface and began swimming, he saw Nat bob up a moment later. Both boys worked to get away from the plunging stream.

"Are--you--hurt?" asked Jack, pantingly.

"No--are--you?" inquired Nat.

"Nope! Wonder--what--sort of--a place--this--is."

"Kind--of--wet," remarked Nat, and, in spite of his peril Jack could not help smiling.

When the water had cleared from their eyes the boys saw they were in the midst of a miniature lake. It was formed of the water that escaped from the broken pool, and had filled a big hole, a sort of basin on a ledge of the mountain. They struck out for the nearest sh.o.r.e, reaching it after some little difficulty, for their wet clothing hampered them.

Reaching the bank they crawled out, for the little lake shoaled rapidly, and shook themselves like big dogs to get rid of what water they could. Then they turned to gaze at the curious scene.

Before them was quite a large sheet of water. Right to the edge of it came the flume trestle, and it could be seen, in the moonlight, where it had broken off. Beyond the lake, on the other side, the sluiceway continued on, but there was a gap of several hundred feet.

"Looks as though there was less water coming down," said Nat, as he began taking off his outer clothing to wring it out.

"That's so," agreed Jack.

As they stood looking at the spurting water it was perceptibly diminis.h.i.+ng. The volume was greatly decreased from that which had shot them into the lake. Rapidly it grew less until it stopped altogether.

"What made that, I wonder," came from Nat.

"They probably shut it off at the mine," Jack replied. "They think they can strand us in the flume. Lucky they didn't try it sooner."

This, as the boys learned later, was what had been done. When the news of their escape was known several of the gang started in pursuit. They kept it up for awhile, until some one suggested shutting off the flow of the stream by means of a gate in the sluiceway.

"Well, now we're here, what's to be done?" asked Nat.

"Get rid of some of this water," suggested Jack, "and then see if we can't find a place to stay until morning."

The boys wrung as much of the fluid as possible from their clothes, and then, donning the damp garments, looked to see in which direction it would be best to travel. As Jack was looking about for some sign of a trail, he gave a cry of astonishment.

"See!" he exclaimed. "There is Golden Glow!"

There, back in the direction of the flume, towered a high peak. As the moonbeams rested on it they were reflected back from the s.h.i.+ning top, just as the sun rays had been, only in a less degree.

"This must be the valley where my father has his cabin," he said.

"It is in line with the mountain, and, I remember it was in this direction we were looking when the men captured us. Oh Nat! Perhaps I shall soon find him. Come on. Mr. Tevis said it was at the end of the valley. I am going to find him! Hurry, Nat!"

But Nat needed no urging. He followed close after Jack, who was moving around the edge of the lake, to reach the other part of the broken flume. There was no path, but the way was comparatively smooth.

As the boys pa.s.sed under the sluiceway trestle Jack exclaimed:

"See, here is a sort of path, and it leads right up the valley. We are on the right road."

"Be careful," cautioned Nat. "Remember what Mr. Tevis said about men shooting first and inquiring afterward in this country."

"I am going to find my father," was Jack's answer, as he hurried on.

The boys forgot their wet clothes. They forgot their recent peril, and their escape from the bad men. They thought of nothing but what might be before them. They had traveled about two hours. The valley was growing darker as the moon was sinking lower and lower behind the cliffs. All at once Jack, who was in the lead, stopped. He pointed ahead to a dark shadow.

"See; there is a cabin," he whispered.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV

JACK'S GREAT FIND

For a moment the boys stood still, contemplating the small log building, which was now but dimly visible. All was silent about it.

There was no sign of life. Was it occupied? Was Jack's father there?

These were questions that flashed through the mind of the two lads as they stood there in the darkness. Then Jack, with a long-drawn breath, that showed how great was the strain on him, whispered:

"Let's see if any one is there."

Cautiously they moved forward, stopping every now and then to listen.

But no sound came to them. The cabin remained as dark and as silent as when they first saw it. Foot by foot they moved nearer, until Jack was so close he could put out his hand and touch the door. He knocked loudly, and the echo sounded almost like thunder in the quiet night- enshrouded valley.

But no answer came, though the boys waited several minutes. Then Jack pushed on the door. It opened, with a squeaking of hinges that must have alarmed any occupant, unless deaf. No challenge came, and the two lads stepped inside.

"Look out where you're going," said Nat. "Hold your hands in front of you, and feel with your feet. You may tumble down a hole."

Jack did as directed, and, a moment later, his outstretched hand knocked over something that fell with a crash to the floor.

"What's that?" exclaimed Nat, in a startled whisper.

"Candlestick and candle," replied Jack, as he stooped down and picked up what he had knocked down. "Matches too," he added, as he found them scattered over the floor.