To Win or to Die Part 40

The dog crouched, and watched the visitor as he sat down on a box, took out his pipe, and lit it.

"Thought I'd give you a look in as I didn't feel worky. How's things going?"

"We were coming to warn you," said Dallas; and he related what had pa.s.sed.

"Them?" said Norton, springing up and putting out his pipe; "I was in hopes they were hanged. Well, I'll be off; this means a serious matter for them. We shall have to get up a hunt and stop this. Will you join?"

"Of course," said the young men in a breath.

"Then good-bye; only mind this--if you hear firing come and help."

"Yes; and you'll do the same?"

"Trust me," said the man shortly, and he shook hands and hurried away.

The next four days pa.s.sed anxiously enough, and they heard no more of Norton and his friends. The first two nights watch was kept, the occupants of the hut taking turn and turn of three hours. But this duty, somewhat in accordance with the proverb of familiarity breeding contempt, was deputed to Scruff, who, however, was more contemptuous than either of his masters; for he kept the watch carefully curled-up with his tail across his eyes, in the spot where the warmest glow from the fire struck.

The fifth day pa.s.sed without any news being heard from the other scattered claim-holders, and it was thought possible, though hardly likely, that Tregelly might return.

The night came on intensely black, with intervals of perfect stillness, followed by puffs of icy wind, which were charged with tiny sharp spicules of ice, which made the face tingle at the slightest exposure to its influence.

"He will not be here to-night," said Dallas, after looking out; "there's a storm brewing, and it is too dark to travel, so we may as well give him up."

"We had better sit up a few hours. He may come."

So, instead of creeping into their sleeping-bags after they had banked up the fire and made all snug, they sat talking, till warmth and weariness combined to make them drowsy, and they lay down, to fall asleep directly.

In an hour or two the blazing fire had given place to a heap of wood ashes, over which, as the rising wind swept round the place, what seemed to be a faint phosph.o.r.escent light played for a few moments and then died out.

Scruff was curled-up so tightly that he looked fixed, and he seemed blind and deaf to everything, till towards the middle of the night a watcher, had there been one, would have seen that there were two bright points visible through the thick brush so closely curled round, while directly after the dog's ears seemed to p.r.i.c.k up.

If there had been a watcher he would in all probability have attributed this to fancy, consequent upon the faint glow which came and went about the embers, as the wind sighed round the lonely hut; for shadows darkened, and various objects grew more or less defined.

Then all idea of want of reality would have pa.s.sed away, for the dog suddenly and silently sprang to his feet, took a step or two towards the door, and then stood with his head turned on one side, listening.

He remained perfectly motionless for quite a minute, as the glow from the fire grew less and less till he was almost invisible. Then suddenly throwing up his head, he uttered a low, deep-toned bark, which brought the cousins from their beds, each seizing upon the rifle laid ready.

"What is it, Scruff?" cried Dallas. "Some one there?"

There was another deep-toned bark, and the dog sprang to the door and rose up on its hind-legs, tearing at the rug which covered it until it fell.

Scruff stood there with his head on one side, listening for some minutes, during which the silence was painful in the extreme. Dallas had sprung to one side of the door, Abel to the other, and they stood close up to the rough walls, the only place where they could be in safety, for there they were beyond the vision of any one who peered through the shuttered window or the apertures of the door left exposed by the tearing down of the rough hanging.

The simplest thing, and an act which would have left them more freedom, would have been to have quenched the fire at once. But there was no water at hand, and there was sufficient light from the glowing embers to expose every movement to an enemy without.

They stood there with every nerve on the strain, listening, while the dog whined uneasily, took a trot round the fire, and returned to the door, to stand with his head on one side again.

"There must be some one out there," whispered Abel.

Dallas nodded, and made a sign to his cousin to be silent, for the dog whined uneasily again, turning to the young man, thrusting his muzzle against his hand, and looking up at him as if waiting for orders. The next moment he was at the door again, and reared up with his paws against the bar, at which he tore as if to get it down, so that he might go out into the night.

"Here, I know," cried Abel excitedly, "he must hear or feel in some way that Tregelly is close here."

"He would not come on at this time of night."

"Why not? It's as dark most of the day as it is now. Let's open the door and give a hail."

"No; listen," whispered Dallas. "He would do that."

"If he were within reach."

"He must be within reach for the dog to know," whispered Dallas. But as he spoke he doubted his own opinion, for it seemed possible that a half-wild dog's sensibilities might be sufficiently keen to feel the coming of a friend.

"Here, what is it, old fellow?" he said softly. "Some one there?"

The dog whined and tore at the bar.

"It is as I say, Dal," said Abel excitedly. "Look at him. Here, Scruff, old lad, what is it?"

The dog growled.

"That doesn't sound as if he scented a friend, Bel."

"He does, I tell you," cried Abel angrily; for he was p.r.o.ne to be irritable as a result of his many sufferings. "Here, let's have the door open at once."

It was as if the dog understood his words, for he dropped on all fours and uttered a deep-toned bay.

"All right, Scruff, we'll let you go," cried Abel, and seizing the rough bar, he was in the act of raising it from the notch in which it rested, when _bang_--_bang_, two shots were fired just outside, and simultaneously the door shook violently, there was a peculiar rending, splintering sound in the rough boards, and Dallas's heart gave a spasmodic leap, for he saw his cousin fall to the ground.

"Bel, lad! Hurt?" panted Dallas, stepping forward and dropping on one knee by his cousin's side.

As he spoke there were two more shots, the bullets striking the door, and one pa.s.sing clean through with a whirring, humming sound, to strike the wall on the other side, Dallas's position in all probability saving his life, for the sound seemed to pa.s.s just over his head.

"Dal, old man! Hurt?" was Abel's answer.

"No, not touched. Why don't you answer? Were you hit?"

"No; I only ducked down, it seemed so near."

"Save your shot," said Dallas hoa.r.s.ely. "When we fire it must be as a last resource."

Abel nodded.

"Right," he said.

"Crawl to your own side. I'll take this. The bullets will not come through the logs of the wall."

"I'm not so sure," said Abel softly; but he obeyed his cousin's order, just as a couple more shots were fired through.