Part 14 (1/2)
CHAPTER XVII.
A FORTUNATE DIVERSION.
Mickey O'Rooney had not thought of the ”opening” over their heads since the firing of his rifle-shot, and he now started and looked upward, as if fearful that he had committed a fatal oversight. But he saw or heard nothing to excite alarm.
”Where are they?” he asked, in a whisper.
”They're up there. I've seen them peep down more than once.”
”What were they paaping for?”
”I suppose to find out where we were.”
”Be the powers, but I showed them where I was when I fired me gun!”
”That maybe; but you didn't stay there, and perhaps they were looking for me.”
”Did they find ye?”
”I don't think they did. You know I was in behind the boulder, with my head thrown back, so that it was easy for me to look up, and there wasn't enough branches and leaves over my head to shut out my view; so I lay there looking up, watching and listening, when I saw an Indian peep over the top there, as though he was looking for us.”
”Did ye see more than one?”
”I am sure there were two, and I think three.”
”They didn't ax ye any question?”
”I didn't hear any.”
”What d'ye s'pose they mean to try?”
”I thought they meant to find out where we are hiding, and then roll stones down on us. They can do that, you know, without our getting a chance to stop them.”
”If we squaze in under that same place,” said Mickey, indicating the inward slope of the rock, they can't hit us; but I don't believe that such is their intention.”
”What do you suppose it to be?”
”That's hard to say; but these varmints ain't ready to shoot us jist yet.
Leastaways, they don't want to do so, until they're sure there ain't anything else lift for 'em to'do.”
”They wish to make us prisoners?”
”That's it, exactly.”
”Well, if they are willing to wait, they'll be sure to have us, for there isn't any water here for us to drink, and we can't get along without that.”
The Irishman suddenly slapped his chest and side, as though he missed something from the pocket.
”And be the powers!” he exclaimed, ”I've lost that mate, and there must have been enough to last us a wake or two.”