CHAPTER XX.
MOUTH OF THE CAVE.
After a time, Old Solitary lighted a torch, and they were enabled tofollow him with greater ease.
He led them into a circular chamber, where there was a bed of grass andsome rude furniture of his own manufacture.
"This is my home," declared the strange man. "For the present, you aresafe here; but there is no way of getting out of here without passingthrough territory where the Danites will be found."
"Then we are still in the meshes," said Frank.
"You are still in the very heart of Danite land."
"If what you say is true, then we cannot be safe here, for those humanbeasts know we are somewhere in the net, and they will find us, nomatter what our hiding place may be."
"That is true, but it will take time, and they fear me. They will notrush hither. You may sleep without fear to-night."
"Surely we have need enough of sleep."
"Then do not hesitate to slumber, for I need little sleep, and I willsee that no harm comes to you."
Frank would have questioned the man, but when he tried to do so in amanner that would not be offensive, Old Solitary suddenly became dumb,paying no heed to anything that was said.
Frank and Barney talked for a long time. They were impressed with thebelief that they were in the gravest peril, and yet they could donothing more to save themselves till the opportunity came. To a largeextent, they were in the hands of fate.
Never before in all his life had Frank been utterly controlled by afeeling of utter inability to avert destruction by any effort of hisown, even though his hands were free and he was armed. It seemed as ifthey had been doomed and were in a snare from which there could be nopossible escape.
Everything must be trusted to Old Solitary, that was certain. Feelingthus, Frank flung himself down on the bed of grass, and was soonsleeping soundly.
It did not take Barney long to follow the example of his friend.
They slept for hours. When they awoke the torch had burned out, and thechilly darkness of the cave was dense around them.
"I wonder where Old Solitary is?" said Frank.
They called to him and their voices echoed hollowly along the passages.
No answer came.
"Begorra!" cried the Irish boy; "It looks loike he had left us tooursilves."
"It does seem that way," admitted Frank.
Our hero remembered seeing in a niche the night before a collection ofsticks that he fancied were for torches, and so, lighting a match, hesought them. He had made no mistake, for one of them lighted readily.
"Our weapons are all right," he said, having made an examination. "It isprobable that Old Solitary will soon return."
They waited an hour, but the strange man did not appear. Both grewrestless, and finally started out to explore the cave.
With the aid of the torch, they picked their way along one of thepassages. They were surprised at the distance traveled, and wonderedwhen and where they would come out.
Finally, a gleam of light was seen ahead, and, as they came nearer, thetorch was extinguished.
Climbing up a steep slope, they lay on their stomachs and peered outinto the depths of a circular pocket that was inclosed by mountains onthree sides.
An exclamation broke from the lips of both.
"A camp!" cried Frank.
"It's a town, me b'y!" Barney almost shouted. "We're all roight, aftherall!"
"Easy!" cautioned Merriwell, quickly. "Keep your voice down. It is atown, but it is not the kind of a town we care to enter."
"Pwhat's th' matther wid it?"
"It is the town of the Danites. This is their retreat, where they havehidden themselves from the rest of the world."
Barney was soon convinced that Frank was right, and the boys drew back abit, taking care not to be seen by anybody below them.
There was a collection of eight buildings upon which the morning sun wasshining, six of which were dwelling houses, and two of which seemed tobe stables. Taken all together, they made quite a little village.
The doors of many of the houses were open, and men were seen loungingabout. Occasionally a woman could be seen, and there were a few childrenat play.
"Here live the last of the terrible organization that has shed the bloodof hundreds of Gentiles," said Frank. "These men were known to beleaders, and the fate of John D. Lee was a warning to them. They saw thechurch could no longer protect them, and so they fled here. It ispossible that some of those old men down there were concerned in theMountain Meadow Massacre."
"It's the divvil's own set they are, to be sure."
"They have never hesitated to shed blood, and our lives will not beworth a pinch of snuff if we fall into their hands."
"Pwhat are we goin' to do?"
"That remains to be seen. For the present, we seem to be safe where weare. It is plain this cave extends through a spur of the mountain, andwe are looking out on a side far from where we entered. It is alsopossible that, even now, some of these creatures may be climbing to theother entrance."
"Howly shmoke!"
"I said possible, not probable. I am trusting much to Old Solitary."
The boys lay there a long time, talking and peering down into thevillage of the Danites. They did not see a lithe, agile figure that wasclimbing in their direction. At length, having climbed as far aspossible, this figure reached a stopping place, still below and at oneside.
"Great shnakes!" gasped Barney, clutching Frank's arm. "Will yez take alook at thot!"
He pointed toward the figure.
"Caesar's ghost! It is Miskel!"
"Pwhat is she doin' there, me b'y?"
"She seemed to be looking this way. I wonder if she has seen us here?"
"Oi dunno."
"She acts as if she has."
"Thot she does."
"She is hidden from the camp below by that mass of bowlders beside her,and she acts as if she were trying to keep out of sight of them downthere."
"Pwhat's thot she has in her hand?"
"A bow. That is a perfect picture of the nymph Diana."
"Ay she ounly had some hounds an' a stag at hand."
"See--she has taken an arrow from a quiver at her back, and she seems tobe attaching something to it. By the way she looks up here I should sayshe is measuring the distance with her eye, to see if she can make thearrow reach."
It certainly looked that way, and the boys watched her every movementwith the keenest interest, still keeping as far concealed as possible.
Once Miskel lifted the bow and drew it taut, but something did notsatisfy her, and she lowered it. After some moments the bow was liftedagain, and then the arrow sailed upward through the air.
"It's coming!"
Both boys dodged.
Zip--click! The arrow cut through the air, sailed in at the opening ofthe cave, struck the face of the rock, and dropped to the ground.
Frank quickly picked it up.
"Ha!" he exclaimed. "Look, Barney--a bit of paper is attached here!There is writing on it! Ten to one it is a message!"
Eagerly he removed the bit of paper that was tied to the arrow, and hesoon read aloud what was written on it.
"FRANK MERRIWELL: It is known that you are there, but you are safe for the present, although still meshed and unable to escape. My father fears Old Solitary; but there are others who do not, and your refuge will not long continue a safe one. Your friends have arrived, and they are already in the snare, so it is not likely you will ever see either of them alive. MISKEL."
The last sentence filled both boys with the utmost wonder andperplexity.
"What does it mean?" asked Frank.
"Thot Oi'll nivver tell!" cried Barney.
"My friends? Whom can she mean? Who is it that is already within thesnare?"
"Ax me something aisy!"
"And the Danites know where we are hidden!"
"Thot's pwhat she says, av ye read it
roight."
"It is very comforting to know it! Uric Dugan fears Old Solitary, butthere are others who do not."
"It's the others we nade to be afeared av, me lad."
"You are right. We must be constantly on our guard. Both of us must notsleep at the same time; we must take turns at sleeping. In that way weshould be able to know when they try to come upon us, and we will sellour lives as dearly as possible."
"Av we've got to doie, Oi'd loike to wipe out the gang av spalpanes downthere."
"Were they other than the murderous wretches they are, I should feelpity for them; but, as it is, there is no pity in my heart. It is a justretribution that they are outcast from their fellow-creatures, areforced to hide like hunted beasts, that they live in terror each day andeach night of their lives."
"But this will nivver tell us who our friends are thot have entered th'snare, Frankie."
"No; nor do I know how we are to find out."
"Th' girrul----"
"Is descending."
It was true. Having accomplished her purpose in climbing up there,Miskel was descending. She was as sure-footed and agile as a mountaingoat, and it was a pleasure to watch her.
"Frankie, she is a jool! An' do yez soay her fayther is ould Uric Duganhissilf?"
"So she told me."
"It's a shame! Av it weren't fer thot, Oi'd thry me hand at makin' amash on th' loikes av her."
Frank was silent; he seemed to be thinking.
"I have it!" he finally cried, striking his hands together.
"Kape it," advised Barney. "It's th' ounly thing ye're loikely to getaround this place, my laddybuck."
"By my friends she must have meant Walter Clyde and his companions,Graves and Kerney. They have had time to cruise down the river, and theyare here. I'll wager that I am right!"
"Ye may be. But soay! Look down there. So hilp me, there come some ayth' spalpanes, an' they have a prisoner!"
Barney was right. Several Danites were entering the pocket, conductingin their midst a captive. He was a small man, with red hair andwhiskers.
"Heavens above!" gasped Frank, thunderstruck. "It's Professor Scotch!"