Part 22 (1/2)

”The poison is wonderfully slow,” said Buck.

”But not less wonderfully sure,” returned Charlie, with a smile.

”As you will,” rejoined Buck, rising and going outside with his visitor.

The night was very still and beautiful, and, the clouds having cleared away, the moonbeams struggled through the foliage and revealed the extreme wildness and seclusion of the spot which had been chosen by the outlaws as their fortress.

Charlie now saw that the approach to the entrance of the cave was a narrow neck of rock resembling a natural bridge, with a deep gully on either side, and that the cliff which formed the inner end of the cavern overhung its base, so that if an enemy were to attempt to hurl rocks down from above these would drop beyond the cave altogether. This much he saw at a glance. The minute details and intricacies of the place of course could not be properly seen or understood in the flickering and uncertain light which penetrated the leafy canopy, and, as it were, played with the shadows of the fallen rocks that strewed the ground everywhere, and hung in apparently perilous positions on the mountain slopes.

The manner of the outlaw changed to that of intense earnestness the moment he got out to the open air.

”Charlie Brooke,” he said, with more of the tone and air of old familiar friends.h.i.+p than he had yet allowed himself to a.s.sume, ”it's of no use exciting poor Shank unnecessarily, so I brought you out here to tell you that your man d.i.c.k Darvall is in deadly peril, and nothing but immediate action on my part can save him; I must ride without delay to his rescue.

You cannot help me in this. I know what you are going to propose, but you must trust and obey me if you would save your friend's life. To accompany me would only delay and finally mar my plans. Now, will you--”

A peculiar whistle far down the gorge caused the outlaw to cease abruptly and listen.

The whistle was repeated, and Buck answered it at once with a look of great surprise.

”These are my fellows back already!” he said.

”You seem surprised. Did you, then, not expect them so soon?”

”I certainly did not; something must have gone wrong,” replied Buck, with a perplexed look. Then, as if some new idea had flashed upon him, ”Now, look here, Brooke, I must ask you to trust me implicitly and to act a part. Your life may depend on your doing this.”

”The first I can do with ease, but as to the latter, my agreeing to do so depends on whether the action you require of me is honourable. You must forgive me, Rits--”

”Hus.h.!.+ Don't forget that there is no such man as Ralph Ritson in these mountains. _My_ life may depend on your remembering that. Of course I don't expect you to act a dishonourable part,--all I want you to do just now is to lie down and pretend to go to sleep.”

”Truly, if that is all, I am ready,” said Charlie; ”at all events I will shut my eyes and hold my tongue.”

”A useful virtue at times, and somewhat rare,” said Buck, leading his guest back into the cavern. ”Now, then, Brooke, lie down there,”

pointing to a couch of pine-brush in a corner, ”and try to sleep if you can.”

Our hero at once complied, stretched himself at full length with his face to the light, and apparently went to sleep, but with his left arm thrown over his forehead as if to protect his eyes from the glare of the fire. Thus he was in a position to see as well as hear all that went on. Buck Tom went to the sick man and whispered something to him.

Then, returning to the fire, he continued to stir the big pot, and sniff its savoury contents with much interest.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

FRIENDS AND FOES--PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS--THE RANCH IN DANGER.

In a few minutes the sound of heavy feet and gruff voices was heard in the outside pa.s.sage, and next moment ten men filed into the room and saluted their chief heartily.

Charlie felt an almost irresistible tendency to open his eyes, but knew that the risk was too great, and contented himself with his ears. These told him pretty eloquently what was going on, for suddenly, the noise of voices and clattering of footsteps ceased, a dead silence ensued, and Charlie knew that the whole band were gazing at him with wide open eyes and, probably, open mouths. Their attention had been directed to the stranger by the chief. The silence was only momentary, however.

”Now, don't begin to whisper, pards,” said Buck Tom, in a slightly sarcastic tone. ”When will ye learn that there is nothing so likely to waken a sleeper as whisperin'? Be natural--be natural, and tell me, as softly as ye can in your natural tones, what has brought you back so soon. Come, Jake, you have got the quietest voice. The poor man is pretty well knocked up and needs rest. I brought him here.”

”Has he got much?” the sentence was completed by Jake significantly slapping his pocket.

”A goodish lot. But come, sit down and out wi' the news. Something must be wrong.”