Part 50 (2/2)

the afternoon, Tank had stiffened until he couldn't do much travelin'; but I saw the Friar had his mind made up to take a plunge, so I tried to fix things to prevent it.

Olaf, two o' the Simpson boys, Promotheus, Tillte, Slim, Horace, and myself lined up as bein' still in workin' order; but while he was in the act of claimin' to be all right, Slim doubled up in a faint, and we found he had been bad hurt without even himself knowin' of it; so countin' Horace who had two black eyes and a shot through the fore-arm, the' was seven of us able to get about purty nimble. Hid away in the cave, somewhere, were Ty Jones, Pepper Kendal, and the c.h.i.n.k, unhurt so far as we knew, and two others, still probably able to help a little.

We placed a couple o' logs again' the fake drawers in the library, and left Tank to take charge of the prisoners and the cabin. Then we rustled up some tarps from the bunk-shack, and prepared to camp near the openin' with a man allus on guard, to prevent them from comin'

out-and the Friar from goin' in. We kept a lantern lit under shelter of a rock, and made ready to rest up a bit.

I had told all the fellers to watch the Friar close, for he just simply couldn't get the upper hand of himself. He tried his best to simmer down and go to sleep, but every few minutes he'd boil over again. I lay awake in my tarp watchin' him for some time; but I was so sore and weary myself I could scarcely recall what business I was on, and first I knew I had drifted off-and been shook awake again.

Promotheus was bendin' over me with the news 'at the Friar had decided to go into the tunnel, and they couldn't hold him back. I sprang up and started for the opening with the rest following me. Dan Simpson had relieved The on watch and when he found what was in the Friar's mind, he had crept down and told The, who had awakened the rest of us.

We reached the Friar, just as he was goin' into the openin'. I called to him in a low tone; but he only shook his head. It was eleven o'clock, and the shadow from the moon had already crept out from the base o' the cliff almost to the openin'. I saw that the Friar had took the bit; so I whispered to the others: ”I am goin' in there with him; but more 'n this would be bad. We'd be in each other's way. Listen and watch, but do not follow us in.”

”I know the way as well as you, and we could keep side by side,” sez Promotheus; but I shook my head.

He came over to the openin' and said in a low tone: ”I haven't time to make you understand; but-but I just have to go in with you.”

”If you come, the rest'll come too,” sez I, exasperated.

”You fellers stay here,” sez he to them in a pleadin' tone; ”but I have reasons. I just have to go in.”

So we shed our boots and started down the incline after the Friar, Promotheus touchin' my feet with his fingers at every step I crawled.

I didn't want to be there, I couldn't see how we could do any good; but the Friar had made my world for me, such as it was, and I understood better 'n the rest what was gnawin' at his heart; so I hadn't any choice. I had to go in, and somethin' inside Promotheus drove him in also. The only crumb o' comfort I could find, lay in the fact that Horace had been winged, and so couldn't foller us, whether he wanted to or not.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

HAND TO HAND

At first it was black as pitch; but I crawled as fast as I could in the hope of catchin' up with the Friar. It is instinct with most men to follow the right wall when goin' through a strange place in the dark, though I never could see why. A man carries his weapon in the right hand and naturally ought to be as free with it as possible.

Still, most men do it, so I follered the right wall, hopin' each time I put out my hand it would touch the Friar.

After a time, I saw a faint glimmer o' light to the left, and I stopped and pointed it out to The. We came to the conclusion that they had a candle lighted in the offset where we had come upon the body, and we discussed whether they were likely to be in there, or had gone on farther back and left the light to see any one who tried to crawl after 'em. I held out 'at they wouldn't expect any one to crawl after 'em; but The said 'at Ty would be likely to go into just such a place himself, and so would expect others to do the same. Ty certainly had the way of impressin' his own men.

When we got a little closer, I lay flat and scanned along the floor, tryin' to make out the Friar between me and the light; but I couldn't see him, and we went on again. I hope I may never have to do any more such work as this. Creepin' along in the dark eats up a feller's nerve like a forest fire.

When we got so close 'at I could see my hands by the light, I sent The across to the other side, remindin' him to knock his teeth should he chance upon the Friar, or in case we come together again, ourselves.

Then I lay flat with my hat down low, and nudged myself along with my elbows and toes. I couldn't even make out The across the tunnel, which was only about twelve feet wide, and just for the fraction of a second it came across me that he had formerly been a Cross-brander, himself; but this thought didn't live long enough to draw its second breath.

Finally I reached the spot where the light threw a splash on the walls and floor, and I made my gun ready and stuck out my neck in what was the most breathless silence I ever tried to listen to. Across the splash o' light in front of me, all was a solid wall o' darkness; and I'd have paid over quite a sum to know what eyes were lookin' out of it.

Farther and farther I pushed myself into the light without seein' a thing; until finally I saw the candle, itself, and beside it-the Friar.

I wriggled across the tunnel just as The crept into the room from his side, and we felt a little better to be in the light, together again.

The body still lay again' the wall, and The looked at the face; but he didn't know it. The Friar hadn't seen or heard anything, either; and we were up a tree to the top branches. We talked it all over, tryin'

to imagine what we would do under the same circ.u.mstances, and finally decided they had gone on down the tunnel, leavin' a man on guard just below the light, and that the man had gone to sleep.

”Well,” sez I after we had discussed things around in a circle for a while, ”here we are holed up again, as cozy as a cavey o' rats with traps set at all the openin's and en-thusiastic terrier dogs diggin'

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