CHAPTER XXVIII.
AT THE END OF THE ROPE.
"Careful, everybody; we must be near the edge of the drop right now!"
When Donald said this in a low but thrilling tone, Billie drew himselfup into as small a space as possible, and strained his eyes in theendeavor to discover for himself any danger that might threaten them.
He chanced to know what it meant to feel himself plunging downwardthrough space, and was in no hurry to repeat the experience.
"There's the crooked tree you marked down, Donald," whispered Adrian;"right off there to the right."
"So it is," came the pleased response; "and that means we are just alittle to the left of where I calculated to strike. Slowly now, all; andin three shakes of a lamb's tail we ought to be there."
Crawling carefully along the rough surface of the mountain in thedirection of the crooked cedar that grew close to the edge of the steepprecipice, which had appeared to their eyes when seen from below as acliff, they presently reached their destination.
"That part's done, anyhow," the others heard Billie say to himself, witha certain air of relief that told how strained his nerves must be, whatwith all the excitement through which he had lately been compelled topass.
Now, although they had as yet not told Billie about it, his chums hadtalked the matter over, and determined that one of their number shouldby rights stay there on the top of the precipice, while the othersdescended the rope to the shelf they felt sure lay just one-third of theway down the rocky wall.
And of course this should be Billie, for everything combined to mark himas the victim. He was so very heavy that it would be a task to get himup, once he managed to slide down the rope. Then again, he was inclinedto be clumsy, and might in some way make a slip that would result in asad tragedy. Last but far from least in the list, Billie was not fittedas well as they were to take part in a desperate enterprise like this.
And so all that remained to be done now was to tell him. Neither of themliked the job, but it must be done; and when Donald nudged Adrian, andwhispered in his ear that he ought to speak, the other lost no time indoing so.
"You know, Billie," he said, getting his lips as close to the ear of thestout chum as possible, "all of us can't go along, because there's gotto be one stay up here to help pull, when we're ready to come back."
"Oh! why to be sure," replied Billie, sweetly; "and of course you'veselected me to be that one? But then, what's the difference? I'm thatheavy I might break the rope; or drag somebody down with me. I'm just aswell satisfied; though it'll seem _aw_ful lonely while you're gone,fellows; and I sure hope you won't stay all night."
This was a pleasant surprise, for they had fully anticipated that Billiewould set up a great opposition to their plan. But apparently he hadhimself been thinking it over, and settled on his plan of campaign,should they give him the choice of going or staying.
"Nothing is apt to bother you up here, Billie, make sure of that," saidDonald, reassuringly.
"And you have your gun along in case you need it," added Adrian.
"Don't you worry about me a single minute, boys," the stout chum went onto say, in what was meant to be a firm and even buoyant tone as thoughhe could see no reason for any undue anxiety.
That point having been settled in a satisfactory way, they began toprepare to make the descent. First Donald fastened the two lariatstogether in a fashion known particularly to cow-punchers. Then he madesure that the loop at the lower end ran free; after which he attachedthe other end to the crooked cedar that grew so close to the edge of thedescent that it seemed to be there especially to serve their particularpurpose on this occasion.
Adrian wanted to be the first to go down; but somehow Donald seemed tohave assumed the position of master of ceremonies, and he also usurpedthat privilege as coolly as you please.
"When I get safe on that platform I'll shake the rope twice," heannounced as he prepared to swing himself over the edge.
"That will mean for me to start down, I reckon?" asked Adrian.
"Yes, and be careful, please, old fellow; don't forget that a slip mightthrow you down all the way to the bottom," Donald went on to say, a bituneasily.
"Speak for yourself, Donald," remarked the other, with a chuckle. "Ilike your nerve, to caution me when it's you that goes about everythingin such a hurry, you're always apt to get in trouble. But it's allright, Donald, I'll hold tight; and be sure you do the same."
Adrian shook the hand of his chum, as did also Billie, before the otherswung over the edge, and began his downward journey.
It was all dark below him, even though fairly light above; but thenDonald depended more on his sense of touch than his eyesight, in a caselike this. He kept dropping, a yard or so at a time, with one legtwisted around the rope; and the other foot feeling for what he soughtbelow.
Crouching there, Adrian kept feeling of the rope, and in this way knewhow the other was getting on. As long as he caught that periodical jerkhe realized that Donald was making satisfactory progress.
Finally the strain seemed to be off the rope, so that he could even pullit up a few inches as he chose. Either Donald had reached the shelf, andthus relieved the rope from his weight, or else--but Adrian would notallow himself to even consider the other possibility; and besides, theyhad heard no cry, no heavy thud.
Ah! immediately he felt the rope twitch violently; yes, and a secondtime this came about. That must be meant as a signal by the one below;and he remembered how Donald had said he would give two distinct jerksafter he had safely landed.
"My turn now, Billie; look out for yourself; and when you find that oneof us is coming up the rope, stand by to pull, if you get the word. Itmight be a bigger climb than we counted on, and some help needed beforewe could get to the top."
"Count on me, Adrian," Billie said simply; and if his heart seemed inhis throat as he shook his comrade's hand lingeringly, no one knew it,because the night concealed all traces of his emotion.
Adrian went down in just the same way the other had adopted, a littledistance at a time, then a brief interval, after which he would againallow himself to slide some more.
Presently, when he thought he might have come about far enough,something touched his foot that sent a thrill through his whole body,until he realized that it must be the hand of Donald, reaching up toreassure him.
"All right, Ad; just one more drop, and you're there," came a lowwhisper; and he found himself guided into the haven, so that he couldplant both feet on the solid rock.
Leaving the rope to swing free, they began to look around them, in orderto learn just how the old Witch Doctor came out upon that same shelf. Inthis they were greatly helped by the little electric hand torch whichDonald had with him; and by means of which they quickly discovered afissure in the face of the cliff, wide enough to allow the passage of aman.
Leading the way, and using this useful means of illumination, Donaldfelt confident of being able to serve as a guide to the expedition.
The path was very rough, so that at times they had to almost crawl; butthen as they moved along it they could see from time to time thatanother had walked this way many times, undoubtedly the old medicine manof the Zunis, and those who had occupied his place years and years ago.
"I wouldn't be surprised," remarked Adrian, in a low tone, as he caughthold of his companion's arm, "if that dip yonder proves to be thepassage which he uses whenever he enters below at the base of the cliff,and ascends, like he did that time we followed him here. The Zunis arethat afraid they would run like wildfire if they thought they stood anychance to see him enter the mountain; so he must have fallen into a sortof a free-and-easy way. After seeing us around, he tightened up, andwould only come here at night-time."
"H'st!"
When Donald made that hissing sound his chum closed his lips, for heinstinctively understood that it meant danger.
"Look down the shaft, and you'll see signs of a light!" whisperedDonald, close to his ear now.
"What do y
ou reckon it can be?" asked the other, as he too saw the faintglow.
"It's getting brighter all the while, Ad, and that tells us whoeverholds the torch is coming up from below!"
"You mean Pick-ne-quan-to?" whispered Adrian, in no little excitement.
"Well, as we don't believe in spirits, it must be the old medicine man,"replied his chum; "and I only hope our comrade, Billie, kept back fromthe edge above, for he might have been seen."
"Or either of us while crawling over the edge," continued Adrian. "Lookslike we might be lucky boys tonight, Donald; but of course you won'tstay here, to be seen when he gets up even with us?"
"I should say not," replied the other; "and it happens that I noticed asplendid _cache_ right back here that will hold both of us. Come on,let's make our get-away before it's too late."
Three minutes later they had secreted themselves in the cavity noticedby Donald, and were waiting, more or less anxiously, to see if the partyapproaching did turn out to be the Witch Doctor.
Donald, peeping out of a cranny, whispered in the ear of his comradethat sure enough it was the medicine man. He walked serenely past wherethey were hiding. Once, when he seemed to stop and look around, Adriancould feel the arm of his chum fairly quiver; and he realized that theold Witch Doctor must be furiously angry did he discover theseintruders, come to spy upon his secret, which he kept from even thechief of the tribe.
Adrian was more than half sorry he had consented to come; but thisfeeling passed away when he saw the glow of the torch moving on again;and from the indications realized that the queer medicine man had goneabout his business.
"Let us follow him at a safe distance," whispered Donald; and theystarted forth, when it seemed as though the coast were clear.