The Silver Canyon: A Tale of the Western Plains by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER FIVE.

  "SURROUNDED BY INDIANS."

  A good breakfast and a few hours' rest seemed to put a different aspectupon the face of affairs; the day was glorious, and though the regionthey were in was arid and wanting in water, there was plenty to interestany one travelling on an expedition of research. A good look-out waskept for Indians, but the party seemed to have gone right away, and togive them ample time to get to a greater distance, Dr Lascellesdetermined, if he could find a spring anywhere at hand, to stay wherethey were for a couple of days.

  "You see, Bart," he said, as they hunted about amongst the craggiestpart of the amphitheatre where fortune or misfortune had led them, "itdoes not much matter where we go, so long as it is into a region whereEuropeans have not penetrated before. Many of these hills are teemingwith mineral treasures, and we must come upon some of Nature's wastingstore if we persevere."

  "Then we might find metals here, sir?" said Bart eagerly.

  "As likely here as anywhere else. These rocks are partly quartz, and atany time we may come upon some of the stone veined with gold, or stumbleupon a place where silver lies in blocks."

  "I hope," laughed Bart, "when we do, I may stumble right over one of theblocks and so be sure of examining it. I think I should know silver ifI found it."

  "I am not so sure," said the Doctor. "You've led a life of a kind thathas not made you very likely to understand minerals, but I daresay weshall both know a little more about them before we have done--that is,"he added with a sigh, "if the Indians will leave us alone."

  "We must give them the slip, sir," said Bart, laughing.

  "Perhaps we may, my boy; but we have another difficulty to contendwith."

  "What's that, sir; the distance?"

  "No, Bart; I'm uneasy about the men. I'm afraid they will strike sooneror later, and insist upon going back."

  "I'm not, sir," replied Bart. "I will answer for Joses, and he has onlyto say he means to go forward, and the others then will keep by hisside. Mind that snake, sir."

  The Doctor raised his rifle to fire, but refrained, lest the reportshould be heard, and drawing back, the rattlesnake did the same; thenthey continued their journey, the Doctor examining the rocks attentivelyas he went on, but seeing nothing worthy of notice.

  "We must be well on our guard against these reptiles, Bart; that is thefirst I have seen, and they may prove numerous."

  "They are numerous," said Bart; and he told of the number he had seenupon the slope above them.

  "That settles me upon going forward this evening," said the Doctor, "forwater seems to be very scarce. We must try and strike the river higherup, and follow its course. We shall then have plenty of water alwayswithin reach, and find wood and trees and hiding-places."

  "But I thought you wanted to get into a mountainous part, sir, whereprecious minerals would be found," said Bart.

  "Exactly, my dear boy, and that is just the place we shall reach if wepersevere, for it is up in these rocky fastnesses, where the rivers havetheir sources, and sometimes their beds are sprinkled with the specksand also with pieces of gold that have been washed out of the sides ofthe mighty hills."

  They went on thoughtfully for a time, the Doctor giving a chip here anda chip there as he passed masses of rock, but nothing rewarded him, andtheir walk was so uneventful that they saw nothing more than anotherrattlesnake, the valley being so solitary and deserted that, with theexception of a large hawk, they did not even see a bird.

  They, however, found a tiny spring of water which trickled down amongthe rocks, and finally formed a little pool, ample for supplying theirhorses with water, and this discovery made the Doctor propose a return.

  "I don't like leaving Maude for long," he said.

  "Joses will watch over her, sir, as safely as you would yourself. Yousaved his life once he told me."

  "He told you that!" exclaimed the Doctor.

  "Yes, sir, when the rattlesnake bit him, and I don't think he would everbe ungrateful, though I think he feels hurt that you do not place moretrust in him."

  "Well, let him prove himself well worthy of my trust," said the Doctor,bluntly. "I have not found him so ready as he should be in helping mewith my plans."

  Here the Doctor became very silent and reserved, and though Bart askedhim several questions, and tried to get him into conversation, he hardlyspoke, but seemed moody and thoughtful till they were close upon thelittle camp.

  This was hidden from them till they were almost there, for the upper endof the Horse-shoe Valley was extremely rugged, and their way lay in andout among heavy blocks of stone that seemed as if they had been hurleddown from the mountain-side.

  When they were just about to turn into the narrow opening where thewaggon lay and the horses were tethered, the Doctor stooped down toexamine some fragments that lay loose about their feet, and theconsequence was that Bart went on alone. He was just about to give apeculiar whistle, one used commonly by himself and the men when theywished to signal their whereabouts, when he stopped short, half hiddenby the rocks, raised his rifle to his shoulder, and stood ready to fire,while his face, tanned as it was by the sun, turned of a sickly hue.

  For a moment he was about to fire. Then he felt that he must rushforward and save Maude. The next moment calmer reflection told him thatsuch help and strength as he could command would be needed, and,slipping back out of sight, he ran to where he had left the Doctor.

  He found him sitting down examining by means of a littlemagnifying-glass one of the fragments of rock that he had chipped off,while his rifle lay across his knee.

  He seemed so calm and content that in those moments of emergency Bartalmost shrank from speaking, knowing, as he did, how terrible would bethe effect of his words.

  Just then the Doctor looked up, saw his strange gaze, and dropping thefragments, he leaped to his feet.

  "What is it?" he cried; "what is wrong?" and as he spoke the lock of hisdouble rifle gave forth two ominous clicks twice over.

  "They have come round while we have been away," whispered Bart hoarsely.

  "They? Who? Our men?"

  "No," panted Bart; "the camp is surrounded by Indians."