The Peril Finders Part 102

"Why?"

"It would have spoiled your chance to have a laugh at me and call me a Paddy."

"Hah!" said Griggs again, as Ned frowned and looked annoyed. "And you couldn't find any way up there on to the top?"

"No," said Chris rather sadly. "It would have been so easy then."

"Yes, we could have worked it then, my lad. One would have been enough.

I could have carried out a nice game there, and led 'em on."

"And what about their arrows?" said Ned.

"Oh, I should have had to chance them. Kept out of reach, or dodged them. I could have led 'em right in so that they wouldn't have heard the stones being lowered down, and got right away over the top and shut the door after me, while when they saw that they couldn't follow, and went back, they'd have found themselves shut-in."

"But--there's--no way out over the top terrace," said Ned mockingly.

"Well, I know there isn't," said Griggs coolly. "I've looked well myself three times over, because I was afraid that the enemy might find a way down some time, and take us by surprise."

"It would have been so easy then," sighed Chris; "but I don't despair.

We might find a way, after all, if we had a good search."

"To be sure we might," replied Griggs, "and I think I know where."

"You do?" cried the boys together.

"'M, yes, I think so," said Griggs quietly.

"Where?" cried Chris. "You don't mean up at the head of the valley, where I came down?"

"Nay! That wouldn't do, even if there was a place. Be too far off.

You want a spot where one could slip up quickly and shut the way after you so as to stop the enemy from following."

"Yes," said Chris, shaking his head; "and that we shall never find."

"No," cried Ned, almost triumphantly. "Your plan's no better than mine, old chap."

"I don't know so much about that, squire," said Griggs, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up his face. "Seems to me that we can find such a way out if we try."

"Where?" cried Ned.

"Over yonder, squire," was the reply, as the American nodded his head in the direction of the terraces and openings opposite to where they sat talking.

"Ah!" cried Chris excitedly. "Yes, there must, now one thinks of it, be a way down there. Some of the Indians must have got down a part of the way to send their arrows at me when I was seeing to my poor mustang."

"To be sure! Right!" cried Griggs. "I never thought of that before.

Then we've been sleeping here with the door open, only the enemy were afraid to come."

"Then you think we could find a way up there?" said Chris, shading his eyes and looking across the valley at the perpendicular sunlit cliff full of window or door openings similar to those from which they gazed.

"I'm beginning to think we could, my lad. What do you say to going across and having a search?"

"Yes; let's go at once," cried Chris.

"Aren't you too stiff?"

"Stiff? No. Come along!"

At that moment Ned, who had been staring hard at the opposite terraces, suddenly caught Griggs by the arm, gripping it sharply.

"What's the matter?"

"Keep quiet! Don't move," said the boy in a whisper, though no one could have heard from the spot at which he looked. "There's something moving about on that top terrace across yonder."

"A bear?" said Chris eagerly.

"Perhaps. No; it's standing up now."

"Well, bears do that sometimes."

"It's so far-off, I can't quite make out," said Ned excitedly. "Ah!

There's another--and another. Why, there are six or seven crawling about yonder."

"Then they're not likely to be bears," said Griggs. "Where's your gla.s.s?"

"Up in the lookout. I'll go and fetch it."

"Yes, and be smart," cried Griggs. Then, as the boy hurried away to climb up to the watching place--"I won't give any alarm yet till we're quite sure. But if it's the enemy they've some game on there, and there's going to be more sharp shooting. Chris, my lad, there's no doubt about it now. There's a way down from the top of the cliff to that top terrace yonder, and that means there must be a way up to it from below. Your plan's cutting two ways. It's giving us a way to get clear of the enemy, and showing us that we've been in greater danger than we thought for. Now see what you can make out. Your eyes are younger than mine."

"Yes, but yours are better trained to see long distances," replied Chris, as he shaded his eyes and had a good long look, the American changing his position and doing the same.

"I can only see two," said Chris at last, "and I think they're men."

"I can see three," said Griggs, "and I'm not going to say I think, for I'm sure they're Indians."

Chris's first thought was of his mustang.

"What about the mules and ponies?" he said excitedly.

"I don't think their arrows could reach them," said Griggs thoughtfully; "but the brutes mean some mischief, and the sooner we begin to teach them that they are trespa.s.sing the better. Can you help me to take a shot at them? Or are you too stiff?"

"I can manage," said Chris, and following the American they encountered Ned returning from the lookout.

"Indians," he cried. "I've looked. They're after the ponies and mules again."

"Have you given the alarm?" cried Chris anxiously.

"No; I came on with the gla.s.s. Do you want to use it, Griggs?"

"No," was the reply. "I'm going to shoot, and that will give all the alarm we want."