“Is he dying?” said Abel, as he looked down with commiseration on the man who tried to take his life.
“As sure as the sun’ll rise to-morrow morning somewhere if it don’t here, my son. He’s dying fast. Man can’t live long going through what he’s going through now. He’s dying as horrible a death as a man can die. Hanging would be a blessing to it.”
“Yes, he’s weaker already,” said Dallas, looking at the prostrate man.
“That’s so, my son. I don’t like his dying in my place; but we can’t help it. Let’s get together what we want to take, and go.”
“But there is nothing to load the sledge with,” said Dallas.
“There’s a nice lot of cartridges—pistol and rifle—in a tin in yon corner. We’ll take those and— Well, I’m blessed! They’ve got them, too!”
“How tiresome!”
“But they haven’t got my gold; I’ll warrant that.”
“Where is it buried?” asked Abel.
“Buried?” replied Tregelly, with a laugh. “’Tain’t buried at all. It’s just outside the door there—one of those big blocks of ice; but we shall have to wipe it round with a pick-axe to make it a more decent size for the sledge.”
“One of these blocks?”
“That’s right, my son. If you make a hiding-place some one’s sure to find it; but they’d never think of looking inside a block lying outside your door. You see, I picked a big hole in it, put in my stuff, then a big wedge of flannel, rammed some snow on the top, poured a drop of water over, and in half an hour it was a solid block.”
“Well, let’s get it and go, before those other scoundrels come back.”
“You needn’t fear them, my son. Scruff would let us know if they were near. I only wish they would come, so as we could have a fight. Taking my stores like that.”
“But about this man?” said Abel.
“What about him, my son? We are doing all we can by letting him alone. I know enough of that sort of thing to be able to say that nothing can be done for him. No doctor could do him any good, if there was one to be had. Let’s get the gold and go back. Perhaps his mates will come back to him when we’re gone.”
“And if they do, what then?” said Dallas sharply.
“You mean, shall I lay wait for them and trap them, my son. No; I can’t do that now. Be best for them, though, to keep quite out o’ my way. Now then, open the door just a little way, so that you can squeeze out and get hold of the dog, Mr Dallas. If he gets in we shall have a scene.”
Dallas nodded, glanced at where the delirious man lay muttering to himself, and then slipped out, and was nearly thrown backward by the rush the dog made to get into the hut; but he held on to the animal’s thick coat till his companions had had time to slip out and the door was closed, the dog growling his disappointment the while.
“Now,” said Dallas merrily, “which is the block we ought to take?”
There was a heap of hardened snow on either side of the door—a heap composed of roughened blocks, and when the young men had declared their inability to say that one was more likely than another, Tregelly stooped down and rolled the very first one over and over.
“That’s the one,” he said; “but I may as well chip a hundredweight of ice off it. Wait while I get the pick from the side of the shaft, and you may as well keep a sharp look-out with cocked pieces. They might try to rush us.”
Dallas and Abel took the hint, and did better; they sheltered themselves behind the wood heap, ready for any attack that might come; while the dog, now pacified, walked here and there, snuffing about as if scenting danger.
Tregelly was back directly, and by dexterous usage of the pick-axe he soon reduced the heavy block to a more portable size, after which it was secured upon the sledge, and the return journey commenced.
A good look-out was kept, every man walking with his piece ready cocked, for there were plenty of places to be passed where they might well expect to meet with an ambush; but all went well, the ice-block forming but a light load, as the snow was hard beneath their feet.
To make matters easier, Abel kept up well, declaring again and again that he was not tired.
“Don’t overdo it,” Dallas said. “Even with you on the sledge it would be a light load for us two to draw.”
“You will not draw me, even if it would be,” replied Abel. “I feel stronger and brighter now than when I came out. It shows what a little energy will do.”
It was fairly light as they came within sight of the hut they had left that morning, and a faint curl of smoke rising from the roof showed that the fire was still alight; and all seemed to be perfectly right, till they were close up, when Dallas caught sight of a piece of timber lying across the front of the door, and began to run.
“Take care, my lad!” cried Tregelly; “There may be danger.”
Abel followed, but the dog out-speeded the little party, and rushing to the front, bounded in at the open door.
“Take care! take care!” cried Abel, as he saw that the door had been forced in their absence.
But he was too late, for his cousin had rushed up, rifle in hand, and sprung into the place.
Abel was still weak and wanting in spirit from his long illnesses, but the courage displayed by his cousin roused him to action, and he followed the others into the hut.
But it was to face no enemies, only to find Scruff sniffing about—Tregelly stamping with rage.
“What is it?” cried Abel. “Somebody been in, of course.”
“Been in and carried off all they could lay hands on.”
“Took advantage of our absence, Bel, and loaded themselves with stores.”
“And all through not leaving the dog and risking the fire.”
“Poor Scruff!” said Abel. “Perhaps it’s as well, for they would probably have shot him.”
“They might as well shoot us,” cried Tregelly, “if this sort of thing is to go on.”
“Yes,” said Dallas. “Everybody round must be warned at once.”
Fortunately, further examination showed that the visitors to the hut must have been hurried in their movements, and had been either unable to carry away, or had overlooked, a portion of the remaining stores, so that starvation did not quite stare them in the face; but it was absolutely necessary that a journey to the settlement should be made at once.
“My job this time,” said Tregelly, as the matter was discussed by the fire, where, armed with an axe, he was busily chipping a way into the centre of the block of ice they had brought back. “Now, if those two mates of mine hadn’t grown sick of it, and gone back before the winter come on, they’d just have been useful now.”
“Did you quarrel?” asked Dallas.
“Quarrel? No, my son,” said Tregelly, as he chipped away at the ice. “They took the right notion one day that there was the long winter to face, and that they’d better share and be off while their shoes was good.”
“Well?” said Dallas.
“Well, we shared, and they went home.”
Then there was silence, save that the Cornishman went on chipping away at the ice, more and more carefully, for he was getting through the top of the shell, and the golden kernel was near, Scruff watching the proceedings in rather a cynical or dog-like way, as if sneering at the trouble these two-legged animals took to obtain something not good to eat.
“Yes; it’s terrible work in the dark,” said Abel. “Perhaps they were right.”
“But the long days are coming,” said Dallas cheerfully, “and then we’ll go farther north up one of the other creeks, towards the mountains. There is abundance of gold if we could find it. And we must—we will find it before we’ve done.”
“That’s right, my son,” cried Tregelly. “We three won’t give up till we’ve had a reg’lar good try. Now then, here we are: all mixed up and froze into a lump. Just hand me that iron bucket, Mr Wray, and I’ll chip it out into that, and throw it down by the fire. Wonder,” he added, as he began to break out the gilded ice, “whether there’s much of my share left.”
The pieces of ice and gold went on rattling down till the last scrap was emptied out, and the hollowed block of ice tossed out of the door.
“Let’s see,” said Tregelly, “my two mates said that at the end of the winter there’d only be about two hundred shillings’ worth. But they were wrong,” he continued, with a merry laugh, “for all my share’s here, and I’ve added a bit more to it—enough to pay for what we want from down the river; so I haven’t done so badly, after all.”
“You have done wonders,” cried Dallas.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve worked pretty hard, though,” said Tregelly, giving the contents of the bucket a twist round and pouring off some of the melted ice into another bucket. “Looks pretty, don’t it, my sons? but hardly worth all the trouble one takes to get it.”
He pushed the bucket right in among the embers, and the contents began to steam, till all the ice was melted, when the dirty water was drained away and the gold then turned carefully out on the iron cake griddle, baked to dryness on the wood ashes, and then examined.
“That would make Mr Redbeard’s ugly mouth water if he could see it, my sons, eh?”
“Yes, it looks tempting,” said Dallas. “Put it away.”
“Nay; we’ve agreed to share now, my sons. Let’s take out enough for me to spend down the river. Let the other go into your leather bag.”
“No, that would not be fair,” said Dallas quickly.
“I say it would, my sons; and I ought to know best. Look here: you’re going to help me take care of what I’ve got, and I’m going to help you. Sometimes you’ll get more; sometimes I shall; so you see it will come all square in the end. There,” he said, in conclusion, as he roughly scraped a portion of the glittering heap aside, “what do you say to that being enough?”
“I’d take more,” said Abel; “provisions will be dearer than ever.”
“Right; so they will. Well, that must be plenty. Now then, where’s your bag?”
This was produced, rather unwillingly, from the hiding-place.
“That’s right,” he continued, as the glittering treasure was poured into the leather bag. “Now then, we’ll just see what we can do in the way of prog for me to take. I can hold out pretty well on some cake and plenty of tobacco. Then I’ll be off.”
“When do you mean to go?” said Abel.
“Go, my son? Why, now, directly. Sooner the better. Those chaps won’t come back till they want some more prog. I tell you what you might do, though; go to the first shanty and tell the neighbour about those two being out on the rampage, and ask him to pass the word all along the line.”
An hour later Tregelly was ready to start, and shook hands. Then he hesitated.
“What is it?” said Dallas.
“I was thinking whether I ought to go round by my claim and see how that fellow’s getting on. Sometimes I’m pulled one way, sometimes I’m pulled another. But going perhaps means a bullet in my jacket, so I won’t go.”
He threw the leather band over his shoulder, and the next minute the sledge runners were creaking and crackling as they glided over the hardened snow, while Dallas stood listening with his companion till the last sound died out, and then hurriedly fetched load after load of fire-logs, with the dog busily at work exploring the neighbourhood in all directions, coming back at five-minute intervals panting and sending up his visible breath, till Dallas bade him go in.
“Dal,” said Abel, after a few minutes’ pause, during which they had been stacking the wood neatly in one corner, “don’t you feel glad that you saved Scruff’s life?”
“I should think I do. He’s going to prove a regular policeman on the beat.”
A low, deep growl came from the dog.
“Hullo! Does he object to being called a bobby?”
“Hist! No,” whispered Abel, darting to the hooks upon which the rifles were hung. For the dog had trotted softly to the door, and stood looking down at the narrow opening at the bottom, and was growling more deeply than before.
“There’s some one coming,” whispered Dallas, “and that fire makes it as light within here as day.”
The two young men darted close to the side, and drew the curtain-like rugs over the door and the little shuttered window.
Just as this was completed the dog growled again, and then burst into a deep-toned bay.
“Ahoy there! Keep that dog quiet,” cried a familiar voice from some distance off.
“It’s all right,” cried Dallas with a sigh of relief. “Norton.”
“Here, Scruff, lie down, old man,” cried Abel. “Friends, friends.”
The dog whined, and waved his bushy tail as the door was opened, and their bluff friend came into the glow shed by the fire.
“How are you, my lads? Haven’t seen you for ages. Didn’t know you had started a dog.”
“He’s a visitor,” said Dallas. “Come in.”
The man entered and looked sideways at the dog, who had begun to smell his legs.
“Not treacherous, is he? Some of these Eskimo are brutes to snap.”
“No, he understands you are friends,” said Abel. “Lie down, Scruff.”
The dog crouched, and watched the visitor as he sat down on a box, took out his pipe, and lit it.
“Thought I’d give you a look in as I didn’t feel worky. How’s things going?”
“We were coming to warn you,” said Dallas; and he related what had passed.
“Them?” said Norton, springing up and putting out his pipe; “I was in hopes they were hanged. Well, I’ll be off; this means a serious matter for them. We shall have to get up a hunt and stop this. Will you join?”
“Of course,” said the young men in a breath.
“Then good-bye; only mind this—if you hear firing come and help.”
“Yes; and you’ll do the same?”
“Trust me,” said the man shortly, and he shook hands and hurried away.
The next four days passed anxiously enough, and they heard no more of Norton and his friends. The first two nights watch was kept, the occupants of the hut taking turn and turn of three hours. But this duty, somewhat in accordance with the proverb of familiarity breeding contempt, was deputed to Scruff, who, however, was more contemptuous than either of his masters; for he kept the watch carefully curled-up with his tail across his eyes, in the spot where the warmest glow from the fire struck.
The fifth day passed without any news being heard from the other scattered claim-holders, and it was thought possible, though hardly likely, that Tregelly might return.
The night came on intensely black, with intervals of perfect stillness, followed by puffs of icy wind, which were charged with tiny sharp spicules of ice, which made the face tingle at the slightest exposure to its influence.
“He will not be here to-night,” said Dallas, after looking out; “there’s a storm brewing, and it is too dark to travel, so we may as well give him up.”
“We had better sit up a few hours. He may come.”
So, instead of creeping into their sleeping-bags after they had banked up the fire and made all snug, they sat talking, till warmth and weariness combined to make them drowsy, and they lay down, to fall asleep directly.
In an hour or two the blazing fire had given place to a heap of wood ashes, over which, as the rising wind swept round the place, what seemed to be a faint phosphorescent light played for a few moments and then died out.
Scruff was curled-up so tightly that he looked fixed, and he seemed blind and deaf to everything, till towards the middle of the night a watcher, had there been one, would have seen that there were two bright points visible through the thick brush so closely curled round, while directly after the dog’s ears seemed to prick up.
If there had been a watcher he would in all probability have attributed this to fancy, consequent upon the faint glow which came and went about the embers, as the wind sighed round the lonely hut; for shadows darkened, and various objects grew more or less defined.
Then all idea of want of reality would have passed away, for the dog suddenly and silently sprang to his feet, took a step or two towards the door, and then stood with his head turned on one side, listening.
He remained perfectly motionless for quite a minute, as the glow from the fire grew less and less till he was almost invisible. Then suddenly throwing up his head, he uttered a low, deep-toned bark, which brought the cousins from their beds, each seizing upon the rifle laid ready.
“What is it, Scruff?” cried Dallas. “Some one there?”
There was another deep-toned bark, and the dog sprang to the door and rose up on its hind-legs, tearing at the rug which covered it until it fell.
Scruff stood there with his head on one side, listening for some minutes, during which the silence was painful in the extreme. Dallas had sprung to one side of the door, Abel to the other, and they stood close up to the rough walls, the only place where they could be in safety, for there they were beyond the vision of any one who peered through the shuttered window or the apertures of the door left exposed by the tearing down of the rough hanging.
The simplest thing, and an act which would have left them more freedom, would have been to have quenched the fire at once. But there was no water at hand, and there was sufficient light from the glowing embers to expose every movement to an enemy without.
They stood there with every nerve on the strain, listening, while the dog whined uneasily, took a trot round the fire, and returned to the door, to stand with his head on one side again.
“There must be some one out there,” whispered Abel.
Dallas nodded, and made a sign to his cousin to be silent, for the dog whined uneasily again, turning to the young man, thrusting his muzzle against his hand, and looking up at him as if waiting for orders. The next moment he was at the door again, and reared up with his paws against the bar, at which he tore as if to get it down, so that he might go out into the night.
“Here, I know,” cried Abel excitedly, “he must hear or feel in some way that Tregelly is close here.”
“He would not come on at this time of night.”
“Why not? It’s as dark most of the day as it is now. Let’s open the door and give a hail.”
“No; listen,” whispered Dallas. “He would do that.”
“If he were within reach.”
“He must be within reach for the dog to know,” whispered Dallas. But as he spoke he doubted his own opinion, for it seemed possible that a half-wild dog’s sensibilities might be sufficiently keen to feel the coming of a friend.
“Here, what is it, old fellow?” he said softly. “Some one there?”
The dog whined and tore at the bar.
“It is as I say, Dal,” said Abel excitedly. “Look at him. Here, Scruff, old lad, what is it?”
The dog growled.
“That doesn’t sound as if he scented a friend, Bel.”
“He does, I tell you,” cried Abel angrily; for he was prone to be irritable as a result of his many sufferings. “Here, let’s have the door open at once.”
It was as if the dog understood his words, for he dropped on all fours and uttered a deep-toned bay.
“All right, Scruff, we’ll let you go,” cried Abel, and seizing the rough bar, he was in the act of raising it from the notch in which it rested, when bang—bang, two shots were fired just outside, and simultaneously the door shook violently, there was a peculiar rending, splintering sound in the rough boards, and Dallas’s heart gave a spasmodic leap, for he saw his cousin fall to the ground.
“Bel, lad! Hurt?” panted Dallas, stepping forward and dropping on one knee by his cousin’s side.
As he spoke there were two more shots, the bullets striking the door, and one passing clean through with a whirring, humming sound, to strike the wall on the other side, Dallas’s position in all probability saving his life, for the sound seemed to pass just over his head.
“Dal, old man! Hurt?” was Abel’s answer.
“No, not touched. Why don’t you answer? Were you hit?”
“No; I only ducked down, it seemed so near.”
“Save your shot,” said Dallas hoarsely. “When we fire it must be as a last resource.”
Abel nodded.
“Right,” he said.
“Crawl to your own side. I’ll take this. The bullets will not come through the logs of the wall.”
“I’m not so sure,” said Abel softly; but he obeyed his cousin’s order, just as a couple more shots were fired through.
The next moment Dallas was stamping and kicking out the fire, with the result that the interior of the hut grew lighter.
“Don’t, don’t do that, Dal,” whispered Abel. “You’re right in the line of fire, too.”
As a proof that their position was being made more precarious a couple more shots were fired, the bullets buzzing across the interior.
“Must,” was the reply. “There, the ashes will soon grow faint;” and in a few minutes the place was nearly black; but at the same time it was full of strangling wood-smoke which rose slowly towards the opening in the roof which formed their chimney.
Meanwhile shot after shot was fired through the door, and at every dull thud or tearing of the stout woodwork, the dog dashed about, snarling and barking furiously.
“Dal! Dal!” cried Abel passionately; “are we to stop here doing nothing?”
“Yes; we are not going to shoot at random. Wait a bit, and our time will come. Have you plenty of cartridges handy?”
“Yes; a pocketful.”
“Don’t waste them, then. One will be sufficient to silence an enemy. We must wing him—that will be sufficient. I say!”
“Yes, what?”
“Bob Tregelly would not knock at the door like this, would he?”
“Don’t. I made sure it was he.”
The firing went on through the door, and in the darkness, which now grew profound, the besieged made out that the direction of the bullets was varied, for those which came through struck the wall in different places—high, low, and to right and left; and the result of this was that suddenly, in spite of Dallas’s endeavours to keep the dog close to him in shelter, he escaped from him to bound about, barking savagely, and the next minute, as a couple of shots came through the door, he uttered a peculiar snarling snap, and threw himself with a heavy thud against the door.
“He has got it, Bel,” whispered Dallas. “Here, Scruff! Scruff!”
The dog came to him, whining, and then uttered a dismal howl.
“Poor old chap! you must lick the place,” said Dallas. “I’ll see to it when I can get a light.”
“Badly wounded, Dal?” said Abel.
“Can’t tell. No; not very bad, or he would have lain still. Has he come to you?”
“Yes,” said Abel, from the other side of the door; “he has shoved his head against me.”
There was a pause then, and an ejaculation full of horror.
“What is it?” anxiously.
“Ugh! The poor fellow’s bleeding!”
“Wait a bit—wait a bit!” said Dallas through his teeth; “we’ll pay the cowardly brutes yet. Bel, it makes me feel like a savage. I could enjoy pulling the rope that was to hang them!”
“I couldn’t; but I wish it was daylight and I could get a good aim at one of them. I say, they’ll riddle that door.”
“Wait a bit,” whispered Dallas, with a curious little laugh, “and we’ll answer their riddle.”
The firing went on persistently, but the dog barked no more—only gave vent from time to time to a low growl, while the listeners could tell from the sound that he was applying an animal’s natural remedy to his wound by licking it diligently.
And the firing went on as if the enemy were searching every part of the hut with their bullets.
“Dal,” whispered Abel suddenly, “don’t be startled.”
“You’re not going to be such an idiot as to open the door to the fire, are you?”
“No; but it would not be idiotic,” said Abel quietly; “for I feel as if I could hit one of them by seeing the flash of his piece.”
“What are you going to do, then?—let the dog out?”
“No, not now he is wounded. I wish we had set him free, though, at the first—he’d have startled the wretches!”
“They’d have done for him with their bowies,” said Dallas. “What am I not to be startled at? Ah–h–ah! You brutes! Lie right down, Bel! They’re firing at the wall now.”
“Then it’s time for it. Look here, I’m going to humbug them.”
Two more reports came, and, as the sound died out, Abel uttered so unearthly a shriek that Dallas felt it go through him in a shudder that chilled him to the bone.
“Bel!” he panted wildly.
“All right; did it sound natural?” was whispered back.
“Oh, you wretch!” whispered Dallas; and Abel laughed.
“They’ll think they’ve done for the dog and one of us,” said Abel softly. “Let them go on firing now for a bit, and then it will be your turn; only don’t squeak like I did.”
“I see,” said Dallas.
“You feel for something big, and when they’ve fired a bit more hurl it hard at the door, and then give a big groan.”
“All right!”
“They’ll feel sure then, and come up and begin to force open the door or the shutters. Then we must let them have it.”
“Yes; four barrels at once,” said Dallas.
“And some seasoning directly after from our pepper-boxes.”
The dog was so quiet now that Abel trembled for his fate; but he and his companion, as they lay there in the darkness, had something else to think about, for the firing went on steadily, and they wondered it did not bring up some of the miners from their claims here and there.
“Surely they’re not too cowardly to come to our help,” thought Dallas.
Four shots were fired now in quick succession, as if the enemy were anxious to bring matters to an end, and Abel whispered, “Try it directly they fire again.”
“Yes,” said Dallas; and directly after Abel heard the handle of the galvanised iron bucket chink softly.
Then came two more shots, and in an instant Dallas dashed the bucket against the door with all his might, uttered a heavy groan, and was silent.
The firing outside ceased now, showing that the ruse had been successful; and the two young men held their breath as they listened for the nearer approach of the enemy, which they felt sure must now be imminent; but they listened a long time in vain.
At last, though, the crackling of the snow outside, as from the pressure of a heavy foot, warned them that their time was coming, and they lay ready with the muzzles of their pieces ready to direct at door or window, as the necessity might arise, and their revolvers on the floor by their knees.
Which was it to be—door or window? They would have given years of their lives to know at which to aim, and they felt now what guesswork it must be.
“They’ll come to the window, I hope,” thought Dallas; “and if they do I won’t fire till I am sure of winging one of them.”
But though they waited, no such opportunity seemed likely to come, for there was not a sound at the front after they heard the soft crackling of the snow.
All at once, when the horrible suspense seemed greater than they could bear, and Dallas felt that he must spring to his feet, rush to the door, and begin firing at random, it seemed to both that an icy hand had grasped each of them by the throat.
It was another exemplification of the aphorism that it is the unexpected which always happens. For all at once, after a long period of perfect silence, there was a peculiar grating sound at the back of the hut instead of at the front, and for a few moments both the defenders of the place were puzzled.
Then, as the sound was repeated, they realised what it was. There were several pieces of thickish pine-trunk lying outside in the snow, pieces that had been cut to form uprights for the rough shedding over their shaft. These pieces were very rough and jagged with the remains of the boughs which had been lopped off, so that they would be as easy to climb—almost—as a ladder. Two of these had been softly placed so that they lay along the slope of the roof, and up them one of the enemy was cautiously climbing, while his companion was holding them at the foot.
“Bel must grasp this,” thought Dallas, who dared not whisper, for fear of giving the alarm to the enemy and putting them on their guard. For, cunning enough in the plans that had been devised, the enemy were about to ignore door and window, and make their approach by the opening in the roof through which the smoke passed.
There was a sort of lid of boards nailed a foot above to prevent the snow from falling straight through, but there was ample room for an active man to lower himself down through the hole; and, drawing a deep breath full of satisfaction, Dallas changed the direction of the muzzle of his gun, feeling quite sure that the one who was to attack would lower himself down feet first, so that the task of performing vengeance would be easy as far as one of the men was concerned, and at any rate they could make sure of him.
Dallas’s teeth gritted softly together as he waited, and Abel’s heart beat with heavy throbs, for he had been as quick to grasp the way of attack as his cousin. But they had not fully fathomed the enemy’s plans, and were completely taken by surprise.
It was only a matter of a few minutes, but it seemed like an hour as the young men strained their eyes in the black darkness, and mentally saw one of their foes climb slowly up till he reached the sloping roof, up which he progressed steadily, the two pieces of tree rasping and crunching the thick, icy snow which clung to the roof; and then fingers trembled about triggers as the defenders tried to guess at the opening exactly in the centre of where the ridge-pole ran.
And now the sounds came more plainly; a hand was evidently feeling about for the opening, for a bit or two of snow from the edge of the hole—pieces which had not melted away—fell down amongst the embers with a soft pat, and a low, hissing sound of steam arose from the hot fire-hole.
“Now he knows exactly,” thought Dallas, “and I shall hear him turn and begin to lower himself down. We ought to wait till he is more than half through before we fire. Will Bel think of this?”
He drew a long breath, for there was a heavy, rustling sound above, as if the man on the roof was altering his position. Then there came a sharp scratch, for the greater part of a box of matches had been struck all at once. Then there was a brilliant flash of light, the momentary glimpse of a big hairy hand, from which the burning matches began to fall, while the interior of the dark hut was lit up, showing the dog, with eyes glistening and bared teeth, crouched to spring, and the two young men kneeling, each with his weapon raised.
But they did not fire, feeling that it would be madness to trust to hitting the unseen, for the hand was too small a target; and before they could make up their minds what to do next, two shots were fired from outside, and a cry rang out on the midnight air.
The long-silent dog burst out into a hoarse bark once more, as the two young men knelt there as if paralysed, and the tiny splints died out one by one where they had fallen amongst the wood ashes, while from the roof there was a horrible scrambling, struggling sound, hoarse cries, the crunching of the frozen snow, followed by the scraping sound as of some one sliding down the slope of the roof, and then a dull, heavy thud, a groan or two, and finally complete silence.
“He has it,” said Dallas hoarsely.
“Hush! Hark!” cried Abel.
For there was another shot, then another, and another, till quite a dozen had rung out, each growing more and more distant; and as the young men dashed to the door now and threw it open, they saw flashes of light as other shots were fired. Then came shouting, voices calling to one another.
“Some of the lads heard the firing at last, and come to our help,” said Dallas.
“Look out; there’s some one coming back,” whispered Abel.
“I hear him. Be ready, and if he’s an enemy let him have it. Hah! Bravo! Good dog! You’re not so very bad, then.”
For at the sound of the heavy footsteps coming at a trot over the creaking snow Scruff uttered a fierce growl, began to bay and dashed out into the darkness.
“He’ll have him,” said Dallas. “But come on; we mustn’t leave it all to him.”
“Hullo there!” came in a cheery, familiar voice. “Good old dog!” and Scruff’s fierce bay changed to a whining yelp of pleasure, while Tregelly’s hearty cry of “Ahoy!” came.
“Ahoy! Ahoy!” was sent out joyfully in answer, and directly after the big Cornishman came trotting up.
“Thank God, my sons,” he cried. “But what about that chap on the roof? Did I bring him down with those two shots?”
“Was it you that fired?” cried the young men in a breath.
“Of course. Who did you think it was?”
“The enemy—we did not know—some of the others come to our help,” was the confused answer, given in a duet.
“Nay, it was me, my sons; he gave me such a chance—lighting up a whole box of lucifers. I could see him splendid. Going to burn you out, wasn’t he?”
“No; to see if we were dead, and, if not, to fire again.”
“I’m afraid the other beggar has got away.”
“But you had some one with you?” said Dallas eagerly.
“Yes, I suppose so, but it is so plaguy dark. I was so long away that I made up my mind—or something I can’t explain made it up for me—to come straight on and get to you early in the night; but that blessed sledge got heavier and heavier, so that I had to stop and rest and have a pipe now and then. Last time I was going to stop I was so near my shanty that I thought I’d go round by it, and see how things were there. So I did; left the sledge and crept up to it, to find a bit of fire smouldering, showing some one lived there; but nobody was at home. No, that isn’t right, for when I got inside I struck a match, and somebody was at home; but he didn’t live there. Understand?”
“That scoundrel who was bitten by the dog?” cried Dallas excitedly.
“Was he there?” cried Abel.
“His mummy was,” said Tregelly. “I dunno how they could do it—I couldn’t. I didn’t want to live in such company as that. I stayed just as long as the match burned, and then I came away as fast as I could. Ugh! it wasn’t nice. Those fellows can’t be men.”
“And then you came on?”
“Yes, my son. I came along at a horrible crawl, which was getting slower and slower; for it’s no use to deny it—us big chaps have so much to carry on one pair of legs that we’re downright lazy ones. There I was, getting slower and slower, and smoking my pipe, and in a rare nasty temper, cussing away at that old sledge for being so heavy, and that sleepy that I kept dropping off fast as a top, and waking up again to find myself going on like a bit o’ machinery. ‘This won’t do,’ I says to myself; and I roused up again, knowing that I couldn’t have been asleep long, because my pipe wasn’t out; but all the same I dreamed a lot, all about dragging a truck on a tram-line down in Botallack mine, right away under the sea. Then I’m blessed if I wasn’t asleep again, fast as a top—chap told me once that didn’t mean a spinning top, but a taupe, which he said was French for dormouse. But that don’t matter, do it?”
“No, no,” said Abel impatiently. “Go on.”
“All right, my son. Where had I got to?”
“You were fast asleep again,” said Dallas.
“So it was, my son; and then something woke me, and what do you think it was?”
“You heard the firing?”
“Nay; I must have yawned or sneezed, for I’d dropped my pipe; and I s’pose I’d slept longer that time, and it must have been out, for I couldn’t see a spark in the dark, and although I went down on my hands and knees, and crawled in all directions with my nose close to the ground, I couldn’t smell it.”
“What did you do then?” said Abel.
“Swore, my son, till I was ashamed of myself, and very thankful I was that you gents couldn’t hear me. ‘They’d drop your acquaintance, my son,’ I said to myself, ‘if they heard you.’ Then I got up again, and was feeling for the trace, to start off again, thinking a deal of my poor old pipe, when ‘Hullo!’ I says to myself, ‘firing!’ There it was, plain enough, two shots together, and after a bit two more.
“That was enough for me, so I slips my rifle out from where it was tied on to the sledge. Next minute, as two more shots were fired, I came, leaving the sledge to take care of itself—coming on as fast as I could, feeling sure that the enemy was at you chaps, but wondering why the firing should be so one-sided. Couldn’t make it out a bit.”
“But it went on, and I was wide awake enough now, and hadn’t come much farther when I was brought up short by the clicking of guns being cocked, and some one says in a low voice, ‘Stand,’ he says, ‘or we’ll blow you out of your skin.’ ‘Two can play at that,’ I says: ‘who are you?’ ‘Norton, and six more,’ says the voice; ‘who are you?’ ‘Bob Tregelly o’ Trevallack, Cornwall, mates,’ I says. ‘Good man and true,’ says another voice. ‘Look here, mate, there’s firing going on up at your place; we’ve heard it ever so long, and couldn’t quite make out where it was, but it’s there for certain.’ ‘Yes,’ I says, ‘come on; but let’s spread out and take or make an end of those who are firing.’”
“Hah!” ejaculated Abel. “Go on.”
“They did just as I told ’em, and spread out, while I crept nigher and nigher, reglarly puzzled, for the firing had stopped. Last of all I saw that chap’s face as he lit up a whole box of matches. That was enough for me. I knew him again.”
“Was it Redbeard?” said Dallas excitedly.
“No, my son; I’m sorry to say it wasn’t the moose with the finest pair of horns; but I had to take what I could get, and I fired. But I’ve left the sledge out yonder to take care of itself. I hope none o’ them ruffians o’ street-boys’ll find it and get helping themselves.”
“Then Redbeard has got away again,” said Abel.
“Don’t know yet, my son, till the others come back. They may have had better luck than I did.”
At that moment Scruff burst out in a deep-toned bark from the back of the hut.
“Look out,” said Tregelly sharply, as they halted, having reached the front. “We may get a shot if he’s only wounded.”
“Spread out, and let’s take both sides together.”
They separated in the darkness, and advanced with finger on trigger, ready to fire. “Stand!”
“Stand!”
“Oh, it’s you!”
“Oh, it’s you!”
“Yes, my son; it’s me. Where’s the game I shot?”
“We have not seen him,” said Dallas. “He must have crawled away.”
“Wounded beasts are dangerous,” said Tregelly, “so look out.”
“But where’s the dog?” said Abel, in a hoarse whisper. “Hi! Scruff! Scruff!”
A sharp bark came from close at hand in the darkness.
“Look here,” whispered the big Cornishman; “you two get your pieces to your shoulders and be ready. I’m going to chance it and light a match. Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then come on!”
There was a momentary pause, and then—
Scratch went the match, and the tiny flame feebly lit up the place, to show them the great dog sitting at the edge of the shaft, looking down.
Then the light went out.
“All right, my sons,” said Tregelly coolly. “Let’s go in and get the lantern. The beggar has rolled about, and dropped down the pit. Sorry we can’t cover him up. But we can’t, on account of the gold.”
Just then there came a hail, and another, and another, while when the lantern was lit and held up it served as a beacon to bring six men up to the hut door.
“Got the other one?” cried Tregelly.
“No; he got away in the darkness,” said Norton. “But what about the one you shot at?”
“He’s yonder,” said Tregelly. “Rolled down into the shaft.”
So it proved, for by the light of the lantern the body of one of the marauders was hauled up.
“Stone dead,” said Tregelly.
“Well, it has saved him from being hanged.”
“And others from having to do it,” said another.
“But no one will be safe till his mate’s in the same state,” said Tregelly.
“And he soon will be,” said another. “Glad we all came in time to help you two.”
“We are most grateful, gentlemen,” said Dallas. “Leave the unhappy wretch where he is. Come inside, and rest and refresh.”
It was about an hour later, when their fellow gold-seekers who had come to their help had gone, promising to return next day and help over the interment of the dead man, that Dallas turned to Tregelly, who was seated with his big arms resting upon his knees, gazing down into the cheery fire that had been lit.
“Sleepy, Bob?”
“Nay, my son. Never felt so wide awake in my life. I’m thinking.”
“What about?” asked Abel.
“About having killed a man,” said the big fellow gravely.
“It was in self-defence,” said Dallas.
“I dunno, my son. You see, I never give him a chance. Seems rather cowardly.”
“The wretch was trying to destroy our lives,” cried Abel hotly.
“Eh?”
“Yes; he and his companion had been firing at us for long enough,” said Abel.
“Ah,” cried Dallas, “and they did wound the dog. Here, old fellow, let’s look at you.”
In effect, the dog was just then licking at one particular part of his back, and examination proved that a bullet had ploughed off a little strip of skin.
“Only make him sore for a bit,” said Tregelly, after he had examined the dog in turn. “Poor old chap! I wish I’d a bit o’ pitch to touch it over for you. But I hadn’t thought of that, my sons.”
“Thought of what?”
“’Bout him trying to kill you. That didn’t make it quite so bad o’ me, did it?”
“Bad? It was stern justice, meted out to a murderer,” said Dallas firmly.
Tregelly looked at him for some moments thoughtfully. “Think so?” he said.
“Of course!” cried Abel, “and so do I. You didn’t want us to be killed, did you?”
“Lor’ a mussy me, my son! of course not. That’s why I took aim at him.”
“And saved our lives, Bob,” cried Dallas, clapping him hard on the shoulder.
“You think, then, that they’d have settled you if I hadn’t come and stopped their little game?”
“I feel sure of it,” cried Dallas.
“Hah! Yes, of course. Thank ye, my sons. I was feeling a bit uncomfortable, and beginning to think that I should be having the chap coming to bed to me every night and telling me how I’d shot him in a cowardly way; but I shan’t now. That’s done me a lot o’ good. Hah! I feel now as if I should like a pipe.”
The big, amiable, honest face lit up, and was lightened by a smile as he began searching his pockets for his tobacco-pouch and pipe.
“You see, I never killed a man before,” he said. “But you can hardly call a chap like that a man. More like a wild beast—sort o’ tiger.”
“It’s insulting a wild beast to say so, Bob,” cried Dallas warmly. “A wild beast kills for the sake of food. What’s the matter?”
“Pipe,” said Tregelly, rising slowly and reaching out for the lantern. “I told you I dropped it out yonder, and it’s somewhere by the sledge.”
“Leave that till daylight, and we’ll go with you.”
“Won’t be any daylight for hours and hours to come,” said Tregelly, putting out the light and feeling for his matches. “I can’t wait all that time for a pipe. ’Sides, the sledge ought to be brought in.”
“You mean to go now,” said Dallas.
“Oh, yes, my son, I mean to go now. ’Tarn’t so very far.”
“All right; we’ll go with him, Bel. There’s no fear of the other scoundrel being about.”
“I don’t know, my sons,” said Tregelly gravely. “He can’t be very far away, and he’s got his knife into us very deep now. P’r’aps it would be as well if you stopped here and got the breakfast ready.”
“If we did,” replied Dallas, “we should feel that you would never come back to eat it. Eh, Bel?”
“Yes; I’m going. We must leave Scruff to keep house for us this time.”
But the dog did not seem to see matters in the same light. One minute he was giving a finishing lick to his wound; the next he had shot out through the open door, barking excitedly, and looking ready to scent out and run down the last of the savage gang.
Aided by Scruff, a fairly correct line was made for the forsaken sledge, the dog seeming to know exactly what was wanted, and preventing them from over-running the spot where it had been left.
This was the only thing they dreaded, for the track was—through not being beaten—almost obliterated again and again by falls of snow; but it was tolerably familiar now, the winding creek and the edge of the scrubby forest forming pretty good guides.
It was still very dark when they reached the place, Scruff uttering a low snuffling whine; but it was not easy to find a small object like a briar wood pipe.
“Must have been somewhere here I dropped it,” said Tregelly. “If it was daylight I should see it directly on the white snow. Better light the lantern, I suppose.”
“It would be like inviting a shot from Redbeard if he is near.”
“Think so, my son?” said Tregelly thoughtfully.
“He would be almost sure to make for his old lair.”
“My old lair, you mean, my son.”
“Well, your old lair, then.”
“Yes, it do seem likely,” said the big fellow, rubbing his ear. “Giving him such a chance to aim at us. Yes, it won’t do; but I must find that pipe. Look here, s’pose I go up to my hut and see if he’s there.”
“Do,” said Dallas, “and we’ll go with you and trap him if he is there.”
“Hoomph!” grunted Tregelly. “I’m feared there won’t be any trapping, my sons. If he’s there he won’t be took without a hard fight. Hadn’t you two better let that be till the other fellows come back? Then we could lay siege to him and finish him off for it must come to that.”
“We are three to one,” said Dallas quietly. “It seems cowardly to wait for more.”
“Dunno,” said their companion. “He don’t fight fair, or I’d tackle him myself. You see, he aren’t a man; he’s a savage beast. Look here, we’ve got the sledge; let’s take it on. I’ll go without my pipe.”
“No; you shall not,” said Dallas. “Let’s go to the hut. He may not be there. Perhaps fled far enough.”
“I dunno, my son. He’d run when he was beat for his old shelter, and I don’t like making you two run bad risks just because I want a pipe o’ bacca.”
“We do not look at it in that light, Bob,” said Dallas firmly. “This man is our mortal enemy, who seems determined to have our lives out of revenge, and it is our duty to save those lives at his expense. After what has passed I look upon him as a sort of human tiger whose claws must be drawn. Let’s take this opportunity of capturing the brute. We’ll go together and draw his fire; or perhaps we shall be able to see and disable him without his being able to do us any mischief.”
Tregelly shook his head solemnly.
“Chaps like that, with their lives in their hands, are all eyes, and when they aren’t all eyes they’re all ears. I don’t like this business, my sons; but what you say’s quite right, and I can’t help feeling that we’ve got a chance at him now, and the dark may help us; while if he’s gone back there and roused up the fire I can make sure of him. There, it’s got to be done, and if we leave it the job may be worse.”
“Yes, perhaps much.”
“That’s so, my son. We shall have to go about with the knowledge that that fellow’s always close at hand, marking us down for a shot.”
“Better seize this opportunity,” said Abel hoarsely. “I feel as if we may master him now.”
“What do you say, Mr Dallas?” asked Tregelly.
“I say as my cousin does. Let’s try.”
“Good, then, we’ll go; on’y mind this, my sons: we’re going because it’s our dooty.”
“Of course.”
“Not because I want a pipe.”
“No; you have already proved that you do not wish to be selfish,” said Dallas, “so come on.”
“Nay, I’ll lead, my sons,” cried the big fellow. “It’s my shanty, and I know every step of the way. You’d go right up to the door, and he’d have first chance of a shot. That won’t do for me. We must get first chance, and make him shoot at random, which means at nothing at all. Now then, follow me. Don’t fire unless you get a good chance.”
“But what is your plan, Bob?” said Dallas eagerly.
“Get him to fire, my son, and then go at him before he has time to load again.”
The lantern was left with the sledge, and with every nerve now upon the strain the two young men followed their sturdy companion, who gave them but few words as to their proceedings.
“Don’t be in a hurry to fire,” he said, “but when you get your chance, let him have it. Now, tread softly, and come on.”
The distance was comparatively short, and Abel’s heart beat fast and loud, as, upon passing through a thick clump of pines, there in front of them shone the light of a wood fire through the open door of Tregelly’s hut.
The owner stopped short and whispered.
“He’s there,” he said; “the fire has been made up.”
“But he must have been and gone,” said Dallas. “The door is wide open.”
“His artfulness,” said the Cornishman. “It’s so as he can hear our coming, and to throw dust in our eyes. He’s there, or else outside waiting for us, so look out.”
They crept cautiously on, abreast now and hand on trigger, ready to fire at a moment’s notice, front, right, or left, from wherever the danger appeared; but the icy snow crackled beneath their heavy boots, in spite of every care, and when they were about thirty yards from the open door they stopped short, feeling that the better way would be to step boldly forward, for their approach must have been heard.
But still Tregelly hesitated, feeling, as he did, that the peril was very great for them to advance into the light thrown from the open door, when the result would probably be a repetition of his own shot a few hours before.
“Open out,” he whispered suddenly, “and keep away from the light. I’ll take the right side; you two take the left, and when I whistle we’ll all rush in together.”
It was no time for disputation. Tregelly was leader, and Dallas and Abel felt it to be their duty to obey. Striking off, then, to the left into the shadow, which looked intensely black by contrast, they had one glimpse of Tregelly’s huge form, and then the broad band of ruddy light from the door cut off everything, while well upon their guard they approached nearer and nearer, feeling that Tregelly must be nearing the building at about the same rate.
It was a task which, in spite of the extremely short distance, made Dallas breathe hard, and feel as if he were going through some great exertion, before he was so close that he could nearly touch the rough trunks which formed the wall, the thick thatching of pine-boughs stretching out like the roof of a verandah, so that the darkness seemed more intense where they stood waiting for the signal which seemed as if it would never come.
And as Dallas stood in the deep silence the popping and crackling of the burning wood came out of the open doorway sharp and clear, while it seemed to him that Abel’s breath sounded as hoarse and loud as that of one in a deep sleep.
At last! a clear, sharp, chirruping trill, and Abel and Tregelly darted into the light as if urged forward by the same spring, while Dallas stood for the moment petrified—unable to stir. For from the upright logs close to which he stood a great hand seemed to dart out, holding him fast, while simultaneously another hand struck him a tremendous blow upon the shoulder.
He closed with his assailant, but the next moment he was hurled to the ground.
As, half-stunned by his fall, Dallas struggled to his feet, there was a heavy trampling heard as of one escaping in the darkness over the snowy ground, and at the same moment Tregelly and Abel appeared at the door in the full light of the fire.
“Where are you, lad?” shouted the former.
“Here, here!” panted Dallas.
“Hah!” cried Tregelly. “Fire, my lad, fire!”
Two more shots rang out in the direction of the retiring steps, with the result that there was a sudden cessation of the sounds; but directly after two more shots were fired out of the darkness, and a couple of bullets whistled through the open doorway.
In an instant Tregelly and Abel sprang to right and left, and fired again in the direction of the flashes they had seen.
“Missed him!” growled Tregelly, as the faint sound of retreating steps was again heard. “He’s too many for us. Don’t fire, my lads. Waste of powder and shot. How was it, Mr Dallas?”
There was no reply, Dallas standing close by breathing hard, with his hand pressed upon his shoulder.
“Are you there, Dal?” cried Abel anxiously, for his cousin was invisible in the darkness.
“Yes, yes, I’m here,” said Dallas, in a strange tone of voice.
“What is it, my son?” cried Tregelly anxiously.
“I’m afraid I’m hurt,” said Dallas, stooping to recover his rifle. “He struck me on the shoulder with his right hand, and the place is numbed. I can feel nothing there but a smarting pain; but it bleeds, and the cloth is cut.”
Tregelly caught him up in his arms as if he were a child, bore him into the hut, threw him on the bed, and tore off his jacket so as to expose the place to the light.
“Yes, he has knifed you, my son,” said Tregelly hoarsely; “but it’s a mere scratch. He meant it, though, but reached over a bit too far.”
“You are saying this to calm me,” said Dallas excitedly. “He struck me a tremendous blow.”
“Yes, my son; but it must have been with his wrist. I’m not cheating you. It’s the simple truth. It isn’t worth tying up.”
“Thank God!” sighed Dallas. “I suppose I’m a bit of a coward, but the horror of it made me feel sick as a dog.”
“Such a crack as he must have given you would have made me feel sick, my son. Did it knock you down?”
“No; I closed with him, but he tripped and threw me heavily.”
“Well, that would make you feel sick, my son, without anything else. Here, on with your jacket again, and let’s get out into the darkness. It’s like asking the beggar to come and pot us, standing here.”
They hurried out directly after, to stand listening; but all was still.
“Now then,” said Tregelly, “we’d best get the sledge and make our way home; but what do you think of my gentleman now? Oughtn’t we to scrunch him like one would a black beetle?”
“Yes,” said Abel fiercely, “and the first time we can. But where’s the dog? Can that be he in the distance?”
A faint baying sound, followed by what sounded like revolver shots, several in succession, was heard. Then once more all was still for a few moments, when the firing began again.