XXVIII
DODGING THE LOOKOUT
Perk looked eagerly at his old pal when Sergeant Red made thatinteresting disclosure. The three of them were sitting close to thespring at the time, engaged in passing a collapsible metal cup from handto hand, and quenching their thirst from the clear water that came forthin apparently inexhaustible quantities.
"Huh! I kinder guessed now, Red, ol' hoss, that you had a trump cyard upyour sleeve all this while--reckon I ain't forgot a trick you used toplay on us boys long ago, springin' a nice little surprise just when thegame looked the bunk, an' we reckoned we was up a stump. Hit it up then,an' tell us what sorter good luck it was you run smack up against,that's got somethin' to do with this here racket o' ourn."
"I was riding slowly back to the station, after taking our mail to thenearest settlement, where it could go on its way by a carrier, when Ichanced to hear what sounded like a groan. Of course I first of allsuspected it might be some sort of slick trap to get me off my mount;but after riding on a bit I dismounted and fastening my hoss, creptback.
"Turned out to be no fizzle after all, for I found a miserable lookingman lying on the ground, half starved, badly wounded in an arm, andlooking like he'd been in the river that was close by.
"I reckoned he might be one of the crowd that worked with the Hawk--hadan idea I'd seen him before in bad company; but he was a tough lookingsight, and I just felt sorry for the bloke. So I fed him, and lookedafter his hurts, what with a heap of bruises, and a bullet through thefleshy part of his left arm.
"Then I got him on my mount, and carried him all the way to the station.The colonel took charge, and had him put to bed, with Doc. Hamiltonlooking after his troubles. He got better right away, and on the thirdday said he must be going. Then he confessed he had been a member ofthat Hawk gang and that his name was Gene Hotchkiss, though we bothreckoned it was one he'd tacked on when he came up here to keep out ofjail.
"He went on to tell us that he'd been fool enough to defy the Hawk whenfull of hard stuff; and how the other had flashed a gun to shoot himthrough the shoulder; then knocked him down, kicked him in a passion;and finally, when he was mighty near senseless, ordered two of his mento pick him up and throw him over a cliff into the river.
"How he managed to keep from being drowned when so weak and sore hecouldn't explain--all he remembered was managing to pull himself out ofthe water when an eddy drew him in close to a shelving rock. Later on hetried to make his way along in the direction of Frazer's post, meaningto get out of this country, for his life would not be worth a pinch ofsalt if ever the Hawk learned he hadn't been put out of the way.
"He claimed to have a brother down in Winnipeg, and swore black and bluehe was going back to him, so as to try and redeem himself. Colonel Astorencouraged him, feeling that what he spoke was the truth. Well, beforehe pulled out, going in company with a trapper chancing along rightthen, the chap was so grateful for all we'd done for him he up and toldus a few things about the Hawk, such as we'd been crazy to learn forseven coons' ages.
"He described the location of the secret haunt of the gang, so wecouldn't miss finding it when ready to pounce down on them. More thanthat he drew a sort of diagram, or chart, showing us how there was aback-door way of gettin' in, case they barricaded the main entrance--sofar as he knew not a single guy of all the pack knew about this samerear door except himself; and he'd only found it out by sheer accident,keeping quiet, since he even then had a sneaking notion he'd have topull out on the sly, if ever it came to a show-down between himself andthe Hawk."
"That sounds like something well worth while," Jack remarked, after Redhad apparently reached the end of his little yarn; "always provided whathe told you was the truth, and not a fairy story invented to hoodwinkyou until he got out of touch, and could make his getaway."
"I believe it was backed by solid truth," Red stoutly affirmed; "and thecolonel was of the same opinion. We were only waiting until several ofthe boys returned to the station after having their vacations, when wefigured on pulling the roost, and closing out the whole bunch. Then youhit our place, and he made up his mind to let you have your day, backingyou up when the posse arrived after their wild goose chase, sent on afalse information that the gang planned to raid the little settlement atFrog's Neck down the river fifty miles or so."
Acting on Jack's request, Red explained (by means of the rude chart madeby the so-called Gene Hotchkiss) just where the retreat was located; andalso what course they would have to pursue if necessity compelled themto attempt to break in through the back door.
"If that stacks up against us," Jack finally decided, "we can go overthis thing again and get our bearings--it may not be necessary if wehave a decent share of luck. And now, boys, let's move along, and startsomething."
"When we get to a certain point," further advised the Mounty guide,"it's going to be necessary for us to leave the trail, hide our hosses,and take to the rocks."
"You reckon then they'll have a lookout posted to command the approach,and get wind of any threatening danger?" Jack asked.
"That Hotchkiss guy told us they never left anything to chance," Redexplained; "he said that day and night a vidette is kept posted on alookout point, where, unseen himself he can discover if even a fox comesalong the only approach to the cave. He even said they had dynamiteplanted, with a wire running up to the den, so the whole works could beknocked into flinders if so be the Mounties came along. We've got tofind that wire, and disconnect it first thing we do."
"Je-ru-sa-lem crickets, I should say so!" Perk chattered; "I ain't soset on doin' my flyin' in pieces that I'll cotton to any dynamitecache."
Then, as they were once more compelled to go single file on account ofthe rocks narrowing the trail, the consultation came to an end, and theycontinued to move ahead in utter silence save when a hoof chanced tostrike the solid rock and made a subdued sound. Each rider, however,tried to keep this from happening whenever possible, by skillfulguidance with the bridle.
Perk kept watching the mountain that reared up its lofty peak thousandsof feet above. It might be he was wondering what would happen should theguide through some mistake overlap the range of safety, and their comingbe noted by the ever vigilant vidette posted in some eagle-like eyriefar up the slope.
Would their first warning of this fact be when a frightful explosionrent the atmosphere, and the massive rocks went flying in everydirection, carrying themselves and their unlucky mounts along insections? It was not a very cheerful subject to entertain, and Perkmight be pardoned for feeling a little cold chill creep up and down hisspinal column, when for instance he suddenly caught a rumbling sound,like an earthquake in its first throes. It however turned out to besimply a land-slide, such as frequently took place, as Perk himself verywell knew, with great rocks, and a shower of loosened earth slippingdown the slope with increasing momentum.
"Gosh a mity! that one near got my goat!" Perk told himself, with anervous little laugh; and as he brought up the rear just then neither ofhis mates saw his brief spasm of alarm, for which he was thankful.
Suddenly Red threw up his arm. They had for some little time beenwalking their horses, and this warning signal brought them all to acomplete standstill. Jack shoved up alongside the leader, and theyexchanged looks.
"Here's where we got to leave our mounts, and go on afoot," was what Redexplained, speaking in a low tone that added to the thrill of theoccasion, at least so far as Perk was concerned. "See this red-lookingrock that cuts out halfway across the trail--that Hotchkiss critterwarned me not to pass it by--if we rode fifty feet further we'd come inline with the sentry up yonder."
"I guess now an inch is as good as a mile," Perk observed, grinning asthough he had uttered some "wise crack" that did his discretion credit.
Looking around they soon found an opening in the wall on their right,through which the horses could be led. Red was particular to take theanimals quite some distance away, so that in cas
e one of them took anotion to neigh, as horses are apt to do at unexpected times, the soundmight not be heard by the man on the lookout post, or by any onechancing to be passing along the trail.
So far so good; and yet the extra hazardous part of the undertaking wasbut beginning to loom up ahead.