Part 32 (2/2)
Away they went, Ben trying to find an easy path,--which was no s up behind, breathing like a porpoise, but vowing he could carry Larry a mile were it necessary Boxer kept as far to the rear as he dared without ht have appeared would not have been worth a moment's purchase at the scout's hands
They had covered but a few hundred yards when the shouting and firing at the encauess the snake is dead,” said Ben ”Now they'll be after us”
The young captain was right; and soon they heard the enele in detachments of three or four men each, all hot-footed to recapture the prisoner They had observed the cut ropes and wondered if it was possible that Larry had severed theot a good shot at the nearest of the pursuers His airoan His companions stopped short, and then called some other soldiers to the scene ”The boy is armed and shoots like a sharpshooter,” they told each other; and after that the search was continued with extra care Of course Boxer kept out of sight; and as soon as he could, he joined Ben and the others
”I think there must be a streao,” said he ”If we can get to that, we'll have soasped Luke, who felt that he could keep up but a short while longer
”I'll take Larry, Luke,” put in Ben, and the transfer was ed ahead and soon announced that he could see the river through the bushes to the right
Soon they came out on some rocks The stream was a mountain torrent, a rod wide and froed in without delay
As they could not walk against such a current, they followed the streae of the cliff, where the torrent formed a pretty series of waterfalls Then they crossed to the other side, and clie,--a species of ith long, drooping branches
”We ought to be safe here--at least for a while,” said Boxer
”It's hard to tell where one would be safe here,” answered Ben ”The whole country seeents”
He asked Larry about hier brother told his story Then Boxer stopped the talk
”In a situation like this, it's best to have only ears and eyes,” he said, and all saw at once the aptness of the reer part of the night, nobody came to disturb them, and the only sound that broke the stillness was that of the water as it tumbled over the rocks below
Ben was ain through having stood so long on it while being tied to the tree
He brought a canteen of water up from the stream and bathed it with this This moistened the mashed-up leaves once ht a nap
”I reckon we had better be ain,” said Boxer, while it wanted yet an hour to daylight ”Those rebsfor to see us, you know”
”Well, my brother can't run, so perhaps it will be just as well if you take a scout around and see if the coast is clear,” said Ben
”Certainly, cap'n” And Boxerthe stream as silently as some wild animal in search of its prey
Fifteen an to wonder when the scout would come back, when a lohistle reached their ears
”It's all right,” caht?” questioned Ben
”Nary a reb, cap'n”
”I'h of relief ”I never want to fall in with theet how close he had been to death at their hands
They came down the tree, and after a drink fro the watercourse over the rocks until the cliff was left behind Here they struck a bit ofout, hway through the forest