Part 9 (1/2)
Just then Dr Lascelles crept up cautiously behind hi him start and turn scarlet as a hand was laid upon his shoulder; for it seehts
”Why, Bart,” he said, sht to look as pale as ht?”
”No,” said Bart, sturdily; ”I hope we shan't have to fight at all, for it seems very horrid to have to shoot at a man”
”Ever so much more horrid for a man to shoot at you,” said Joses in a hoarse whisper as he crawled up behind them ”I'd sooner shoot twelve, than twelve should shoot me”
”Why have you left your post?” said the Doctor, looking at hito see if you are all right, and that'll make the Indians, if they coht, Joses,” said the Doctor, hastily; and he went softly back to the waggon, while Joses went on in a gru her for Course we all like her, Master Bart, but it scares et hard pressed some of these days”
”Don't croak, Joses,” whispered Bart; and then they were both silent and re towards the rocks beyond, which they knew that their ene, and whose tops they scanned lest at anythe valley with their keen dark eyes
The hours passed, and the rocks around therew painfully heated by the ardent rays that beat down upon theuard was kept; and to add to the discomfort of the watchers, a terrible thirst attacked the and his throat parched and burning, but this was all borne in fortitude; and as he saw the Indians on either side of hi the inconveniences without a murmur, he forebore to complain
Towardswhy the chief or Dr Lascelles did not one, and at the same time was ready to declare to hione to sleep, he felt a couple of hands placed upon his shoulders fro brown sinewy are of the ridge a quarter of a mile away
Dr Lascelles had not returned, and Joses had some time before crept back to his own post, so that Bart was alone ast their Indian friends
He knew at once whose was the pointing arh first the head and shoulders of an Indian coht, then there was apparently a scramble and a leap, and he could see that the man was mounted And then followed another and another, till there was a group of half a dozen mounted men, who had ridden up some ravine to the top fro the valley where the Doctor's encah of a horse, the sight of an uncautiously exposed head or hand, would have been sufficient to betray their whereabouts, and sooner or later the attack would have coy of the chief was seen, for he had chosen their retreat not lanced back towards the waggon, and wondered hoas that this prominent object had not been seen Fortunately, however, its tilt was of the colour of the surrounding rocks, and it was pretty well hidden behind so roup of mounted Indians remained full in view, and all the time Bart's sensations were that he must be seen as plainly as he could see his foes; but at last he saw thee; and as soon as the last had gone the chief uttered a deep ”Ugh!”
There was danger though yet, and he would not let a man stir till quite half an hour later, when his two scouts cauttural tone
”I should be for learning the language of these men if ere to stay with them, Bart,” said the Doctor; ”but they may leave us at any time, and the next party we meet may talk a different dialect”
The chief's acts were sufficient now to satisfy theer had passed, and soon after he and his men mounted and rode off without a word
CHAPTER EIGHT
ROUGH CUSTOMERS
There was nothing to te oncethe most open course that presented itself, and some miles were placed between theht
”We shan't do no good, Master Bart,” said Joses, as they two kept watch for the first part of the night ”The master thinks we shall, but I don't, and Juan don't, and Sam and Harry don't”
”But why not?”
”Why not, Master Bart? How can you 'spect it, when you've got a young wo with you Theround I don't call this an exploring party; I call it just a-going out a-pleasuring when it's all pain”
”You alould gru, you would have your gruood”