The Peril Finders Part 81

"Hold my rifle, Chris, and I'll go," cried Ned eagerly, and the next minute he was scaling the side, and on reaching the top he walked to where he was nearly over the reptile, where he picked up a couple of stones of the size of a man's fist and pitched one down, with the result that the snake began to writhe violently again, but only for a very brief time, before once more lying perfectly inert.

"No more mischief in that fellow," said Griggs. "I may as well go down now."

"What about the others?" said Chris.

"What others?"

"There are sure to be some more."

"Nay; rattlers are not above showing fight. If there had been any more we should have seen or heard them. I shall chance it now."

"I don't like your going down yet," said Chris anxiously. "I'll have a shot at him now."

"Nay, nay; we may want our cartridges for something more useful than a rattler that has had as much as it wants to kill it."

"I'll drop another stone on him," said Ned. "One of those big ones."

"Ah, do," said Griggs. "Take good aim, and drop it right on his head.

Can you see?"

"Oh, yes, I can see quite plainly."

Ned raised one of the heaviest stones near him, and after a gentle swing let it go, to fall with a sharp crack upon other stones, making the snake twine again and writhe round the block, to hold on tightly.

"Why, he has pinned it down," cried Chris. "Good aim."

As he spoke the snake untwined itself and straightened out, to lie perfectly still.

"That's done for him," cried Griggs, "and if there had been any more that would have sent them squirming out of their holes. Here, you come down, squire. I'm going to knot two lariats together and pa.s.s them over one of these steps. I want you to help hold on."

Ned descended, the rope was given a couple of turns round the lowest projection, and held by the two boys; the lanthorn was lowered down to stand on the heap of dust below, and the end of the rope by which it was lowered also held by Chris, while upon drawing his keen hunting-knife and taking it in his teeth, Griggs just said, "Hold tight," took hold of the lowered rope, and slid lightly down, to stand below the watchers on the heap.

"Mind the snake, Griggs," cried Chris.

"Tell him he'd better mind," was the reply, as the American raised the lanthorn and, knife in hand, approached the reptile cautiously, and then the lookers-on saw him stoop lower and lower till he was near enough for his purpose, when there was a quick movement, a flash of light reflected from the knife-blade, and Griggs rose again.

"You've pinned him down with that last stone, squire. Head's off, and he'll do no more mischief. Now then, I'm going to look for your weapons o' war."

The boys could see the bottom of the square place clear enough now, as the lanthorn began to move about; but there was little to see. Upon this side lay the heap of ashes specked with a few fragments of bone which glistened feebly in the light, but beyond the heap which ran tongue-like from the side out to the centre, there was nothing to be seen but stones--heavy stones such as remained like the broken-down portions of the breastwork about the edges of the excavations at the top.

"Can't see no treasures," said Griggs gruffly; and directly after, "There aren't a single s.h.i.+eld--no spears--no swords--no breast-plates-- no rifles."

"Dear me!" said Chris sarcastically. "I wonder at that. How many revolvers can you see?"

"Nary one," said Griggs coolly. "No gauntlets, no backpieces."

Then there was a pause, before the searcher straightened himself up and said decisively--

"No, nothing."

"How disappointing," cried Ned. "But what about all those stones?"

"To be sure. You don't call them nothing?" cried Chris.

"No; there's plenty of them, my lads, and plenty of something else underneath them, I'll be bound, if any one thought it worth while to clear out this cellar."

"But what do you think now, Griggs?" cried Chris eagerly.

"Same as I did before, my lad. I shouldn't like to guess, but you may feel sure that many a savage came to his end here and lies covered in by these stones. The people who defended this place from up yonder must have showered the stones down when they were attacked. There, it's of no use for me to stop down here. Are you two going to haul me up, or am I to climb?"

"We'll try and haul you up," said Chris. "Stop a moment while I take the rifles and stand them up against the wall inside."

"Hold hard a moment," said Griggs. "You'd better go and fetch the doctor. He might like to come down and see before I send up the lanthorn."

"I'll call him," said Chris, and he turned to pa.s.s through the opening, but was met by his father, who was crossing the stone chamber adjoining.

"Here, quick," cried the doctor; "come out of this place! Where's Griggs?"

"Here am I, neighbour. Nothing to be found, only what fell in from where you stand. But there's hundreds upon hundreds of stones, and those who were beaten down must have been buried by what hit them."

"Yes, I suppose so," said the doctor anxiously; "but we've something else to think of now."

"Don't say the mules have stampeded, sir?" cried Griggs anxiously.

"No; they're grazing peacefully enough at present, but there's something worse."

"Then give a pull with the lads at that rope, sir, and let me get out of this. One minute; the lanthorn first."

The doctor raised the lanthorn, and his first act was to blow it out before joining at the rope and hauling the searcher to the platform.

"What is it, sir?" cried Griggs anxiously.

"Come and see," was the reply.

The doctor made his way through the hole and crossed the chamber into which it opened, before entering the next, closely followed by the boys and Griggs, who caught up their rifles as they pa.s.sed them, dragging the ropes as they went.

As they entered the second chamber it was to see the doctor join Bourne at the window-opening, while beyond them stood Wilton sheltering himself behind a patch of bushy growth hanging from above, as he stood watching something intently through the doctor's double gla.s.s.

"See any more, Wilton?" said the doctor anxiously.

"Scores," was the reply, given without the speaker turning his head.

"You can see for yourself; they're collecting together on the very edge of the cliff away there, and at first they stood gazing down into the depression."

"Do you think they saw you?" said the doctor hoa.r.s.ely.

"Oh no, I feel sure that they did not at first, and I have kept in shelter since; but they have caught sight of something else."

"What?" cried Griggs.