CHAPTER NINE.
CYRIL SCENTS DANGER.
As the men in charge of the llamas came in sight of the colonel and hisparty, they waited for more and more to join them, and it soon becameplain that they expected or meditated an attack; but a peaceful messagesent on by the colonel gave them confidence, and the swarthy men, forthe most part armed, came on, followed now by their charge, till thegreat opening in the rock-wall was filled by the drove of rough,woolly-looking animals; there being over five hundred in the caravan,and each bearing about a hundredweight of the precious fever-avertingbark.
Diego and Cyril's powers were soon brought into requisition forinterpreting; the strangers willingly stating where they were going, butproving themselves as eager to know the colonel's business as he showedhimself about the bark bales, before the mules were once more loaded,and the English party started again, so as to get to the end of thevalley before dark.
The coming of the caravan had given the boys encouragement, for, asCyril argued to Perry, the track could not be so very bad if that droveof animals bearing loads could come along it in safety.
"I don't know about that," replied Perry. "I had a good look at them.Short-legged, broad things like these, with soft spongy feet likecamels, seem made for walking up here among the rocks; while the mules,with their long legs and hard hoofs, look as if they might slip and goover at any time."
This was just after they had started, and found, as soon as they hadcleared the rocky chaos, that the shelf path was so wide that the ladswere able to ride abreast; and as the colonel had gone right in frontwith the guide, the boys began talking about the men with the llamas.
"Any one would think your father wanted to go into the kina trade," saidCyril, who was rapidly recovering his spirits. "Did you notice how theIndian frowned when Diego kept on talking to him, and I asked all thosequestions for your father?"
"I thought he seemed impatient and tired, and as if he wanted to sitdown and rest."
"Oh, it wasn't that," said Cyril quietly; "it's because they want tokeep all about the bark trees very secret, so that no one else shall beable to grow it and supply it for sale. You heard my father say how thepeople who went in search of the trees never came back again. Fatherfeels sure that they were murdered."
"No; that was the people who went after the treasures."
"Oh, was it? I forget. Perhaps it was both," said Cyril. "My head gotin such a muddle over my coming after you, that things are mixed. Isuppose it was because Colonel Campion asked so much about the kina."
"Father takes a great interest in everything; that's why he travels andhas come here," said Perry. "Look, there goes a condor."
"Well, let him go," said Cyril. "He isn't good to eat, and you've gotplenty of provisions to last till you get to some village on the otherside of the mountains. But, I say, it does seem strange that you peopleshould come here of all places in the world."
"I don't see it," replied Perry. "It's a very wonderful place to cometo, but I wish it wasn't quite so dangerous. I keep feeling afraid ofturning giddy."
"Yes, it's a wonderful place to come to, and I had no idea that thevalleys were so awful and deep; but I should enjoy it if it wasn't forthinking of them at home. I hope they believe I've come after you.Wish I'd left a line to say where I had gone."
"It's too late to wish that now," said Perry.
"Yes, but one can't help wishing it all the same. I wish I knew whyyour father has come up here."
At that moment there was a warning shout from forward, and another fromJohn Manning in the rear, for the boys had been so wrapped in theirthoughts that they had not noticed how rapidly the path was narrowing.They had, however, another hint, and that was from Cyril's mule, which,from long training on similar paths, knew exactly what to do, and wenton ahead, while Perry's stopped short on the narrowing shelf whichfollowed all the windings and angles of the rocky wall, and had becomeso strait that Perry shrank from watching the laden mules, whose loadsevery now and then brushed against the stones, and one completely caughtagainst a rough projection, making the intelligent animal that bore itstop and ease away a little, leaning more and more over the precipicetill Perry's hands turned cold and wet, and he held his breath. Just,though, as he was about to close his eyes, so as not to see the poorbrute plunge headlong down to where it would certainly be dashed topieces, the load escaped from the awkward corner, and the mule trudgedon just as before, while Perry heard a deeply-drawn sigh just behindhim.
"I thought he'd have gone, Master Perry," said John Manning. "Mulesain't got no nerves, that's for certain, and if ever you hear any onesay in the future as a donkey's a stupid animal, you tell him he don'tknow what he's talking about."
"That mule's sensible enough, at all events," said Perry, withoutventuring to turn his head, lest he should have to look down into thegulf.
"Sensible, sir? Why, he acted just as a human being would. I call itwonderful. I say, Master Perry, though."
"Yes? But I wish you wouldn't talk to me so, while we are going along aplace like this."
"Don't say so, Master Perry, because I want to talk. It keeps one fromfeeling a bit skeary, because this is a place, sir, really."
"Well, what do you want to say? Speak loud, for I can't turn round tolisten."
"But if I speak loud, the colonel will hear me, sir, and I want to talkabout him."
"Well, go on then; what is it?"
"Can't you tell me, sir, where we're going to, and what we're goingfor?"
"We're going over the mountains, John."
"Well, sir, I know that; but what are we going for?"
"To find the valley of diamonds, and throw down lumps of meat for therocs to fetch out."
"No, no, sir, that won't do," said John Manning, shaking his head. "Asyou said to me the other day, that's only a story out of the _'RabianNights_, and not real truth, though these places might just as well besomething of the kind, from the looks of them. But, I say, sir, you doknow where we're going, and what for, don't you?"
"No, I have not the slightest idea. Ask my father yourself."
"What, sir! Me ask the colonel about the plan of his campaign? Why, Ishould as soon have thought of asking the Dook o' Wellington."
"We shall know in good time, I daresay," said Perry; and then a slip onthe part of one of the mules ahead made them turn cold once more.
But the clever animal recovered itself on the instant, and for hoursthey kept on along this path, till the boys despaired of reaching itsend, and began to calculate on the possibility of having to encamp on aplace like that for the night.
But it is a long lane that has no turning, and just when there was asensible deepening of the gloom, and the peeps they had of the skyoverhead were of a golden amber, they turned an angle and became awareof an increase in the murmuring sound of water, which thenceforth grewlouder and louder, till it was evident that they were approaching someextensive fall.
An hour later they were in full sight of where it came thundering downhundreds of feet, spouting forth from a gap, and plunging down on to ahuge buttress of rock, which shot it off again far into the air,distributing it so that it went on down into the valley like a mistyrain, and without a sound arising from below.
The fall was magnificent, for, as they approached, the upper part wasturned to gold by the setting sun, and to add to the beauty of thescene, there was a patch of forest on either side, and the narrow shelfwas broadening out to where it ran into a side valley, all golden greenand darkened shadow. For they had reached the end of the terrificgorge, and there were scores of places just in front ready for theformation of ideal camps, without the risk of an incautious step sendingits unhappy author thousands of feet down into the depths below.
In another half-hour they were in a place which, by comparison with thesterile defile of darkness and depression, seemed to the lads beautifulin the extreme; and after a hearty meal, while the colonel was lookinground the camp, as he called it, and having a farewell gla
nce for thenight at the mules, which were thoroughly enjoying the abundance ofgrass, Cyril sat looking very thoughtful and depressed.
"He's thinking of home and his people," said Perry to himself, and then,on the impulse of the moment:
"I say," he cried, "why didn't my father send you back along with thellama train? I never thought of that before."
"Are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?" said Cyril bitterly.
"No, of course not; but as he said he should send you home by the first,I thought it strange that he had not done so."
"Because they were not going to San Geronimo," said Cyril quietly."They would turn off to the north, just where I first joined you, and Isuppose he thought, after what I had suffered, it would be too cruel tosend me to find a great deal of my way back with people like that."
They relapsed into silence for a time, during which period John Manningcleared away and washed up as methodically as if he were at home, whilethe two Indians sat by the fire munching away at the supply of biscuitgiven to them.
"What are you thinking about, Perry?" said Cyril at last.
"The stars. How big and bright they are up here. What were youthinking about?"
"Diego, our guide."
"What about him?--that he ought to be fonder of water, even if it isicily-cold?"
"No," said Cyril seriously. "I want to know why he has turned so quietand serious, and why he seems to be always watching your father in sucha peculiar way."
"Father was sharp with him, and ordered him to go on, when he seemed towant to go back."
"Yes, and I suppose he did not quite like it; but that isn't all."
"What is all, then?" said Perry.
"Ah, that's what I want to find out. He puzzles me. He's thinkingabout something, and I shouldn't wonder if he has taken it into his headthat your father has come up here to look for the Incas' treasures."
"Pooh! Why should he think that?" returned Perry.
"Because these Indian chaps are horribly suspicious as well assuperstitious. They would think it a horrible sin to touch the gold ifthere is any; and if it is found, they would be ready to defend it."
"What with? Bows and arrows?" cried Perry, laughing.
"Yes, and blowpipes."
"Why don't you introduce pop-guns as well?"
"Because they are toys," said Cyril seriously, "and blowpipes are not.Don't you know the tiny darts they send out are poisoned, and that onewill kill anything it hits?"
"Is that true?" said Perry, whose eyes dilated at the idea.
"Quite true. I saw a man kill several birds with the darts. They diedalmost directly they were struck, and I have been told by father that hehas seen small animals die in a few minutes after being scratched."
"But do you think--Oh, what nonsense! You have got your head crammedwith that idea about the gold."
"Perhaps so," said Cyril thoughtfully, "and maybe I'm wrong. But Idon't like to see old Diego turn so gruff and distant, and it seemedstrange for him to go and talk for a long time with the Indians incharge of the llamas. I saw them look very strangely and suspiciouslyat your father afterwards."
"Those Indians? Why, what could it be to them? Ah, the PeruvianIndians are said to be joined together to protect everything belongingto the old days when they were a great nation, and keep it for the timewhen the Incas come back to rule over them again."
"Say, Master Perry," said John Manning in a low voice, "your eyes areyounger than mine. Just cast 'em along the rock path we come to-day."
"Yes, what for?"
"Are you looking straight along, sir?"
"Yes."
"Well, what do you see?"
"Nothing at all."
"Try again, sir."
Both Perry and Cyril looked along the path, tracing it faintly in thecoming night for some distance along, beyond where the great fall camethundering down.
"I can't see anything," said Perry.
"Nor I," said Cyril. "Yes, I can. There's something that looks likeshadows moving."
"Steady, sir; don't seem as if you were noticing it, but notice it allthe same. It struck me as strange ten minutes ago, but I thought it wasfancy. But you see it, sir, and it must be right. Now then, sir, whatdo you make that to be?"
"Indians," said Cyril promptly.
"That's right, sir--what I thought; and they're watching us, and afterno good."
"What! Do you think they are hanging round the camp to try to steal?"
"Don't know, sir," said John Manning gruffly. "I hope that's theworst."