misty look as if the atmosphere was full of hot, dusty sand.

The pace at which they went on appeared to be slower, but it was the
party's want of perception which diminished and magnified at the same
time, principally the latter, in making the journey appear longer than
it really was, while that hot afternoon went on in a nightmare-like
waking dream which made Ned complain at last that he was going off his
head.

"I'm not," said Chris, laughing.  "I feel as if I'm always going off my
legs."

"What nonsense!" grumbled Ned.

"It isn't; I feel so.  It's just as if my body goes on while my feet
keep sinking in the sand and won't keep up."

"I wish you wouldn't talk," said Ned.

"Why?  Do you want to think?"

"No, of course I don't.  I only want to keep on in this half-asleep way;
it makes it a little better then."

Another halt at sundown, a fairly good meal, and a refreshing sleep,
before the doctor roused all once more towards midnight for the tramp
that was to last till about ten o'clock the next day.  All was done this
time in silence, save that Bourne tried to say hopefully--

"I should think we shall see the mountains quite clearly when day
dawns."

But no one answered, for nobody believed they would.  A feeling of
despondency was making itself too plainly felt, and when broad daylight
did at last come all that could be seen was sand and soda everywhere,
not so much as a shrub or scrap of grass, only scattered stones here and
there, and the party shrank from looking in each other's wild and
bloodshot eyes.

"Forward," said the doctor, at last.  "We'll keep on till about two
hours before noon, and then have a good meal and rest till the sun's
low.  We must be getting well on to our journey's end."

About this time the doctor edged up close to Griggs and entered into
conversation with him in a low tone, "What do you think of it?" he said.

"Don't think at all, sir," was the reply.

"But we shall do it?"

"Must, sir."

"That's right," said the doctor, with a sigh of relief.  "We must not
think, but we must do it.  We've got over the worst of it now, I feel
sure."

The doctor was wrong, for there was an unexpected trouble ahead.

Towards the promised time for the halt there was what all took for a
more hopeful sign: the plain was growing more stony and undulatory,
while sage-brush peeped out in clumps here and there, to be gladly
welcomed by the animals, which lost not an opportunity of cropping the
bitter shoots.

The sun was getting hotter and hotter, and the doctor drew out his
watch, to close it again with a snap which sounded curiously loud in the
painful silence.

"Only another hour," he said, in a husky voice, "and then rest and
breakfast."

He had hardly uttered the words when one of the mules, which had broken
a little way from the line with outstretched muzzle, to nibble a few
grey twigs, gave a leap which nearly dislodged its pack, and uttering a
dismal squeal which was answered by two or three of its fellows, who
turned their weary, straining eyes towards their companion, which now
stood snorting and stamping angrily.

"What's the matter with the poor brute?" cried the doctor, who hurried
towards the animal, closely followed by Griggs.

"Take care, sir--that," said the latter, in a whisper.

"That?  What do you mean?"

"Bitten," said Griggs laconically, as he raised the double rifle that he
had unslung, took a rapid aim, and fired the barrel loaded with small
shot at what seemed to be an undulating line of grey sand.

The report sounded dull and dead, while as the smoke rose the undulating
line of sand became a writhing tangle of something tying itself up into
knots, untying itself, lashing the sand and dust up into a little cloud,
and then as the dust rose the loathsome-looking length of a big snake
became gradually clear to see, with the tail in the air announcing its
owner's nature by keeping up a peculiar skirring sound something like
the running down of a distant piece of clockwork.

"That's done for him," said Griggs, quietly reloading his piece.
"Almost as big a one as they make 'em."

The little party closed round the dying reptile, and then followed the
doctor to where he stepped up to the mule, which kept on stamping and
making efforts to curve round and bite at its near hind-leg, but could
not reach it on account of the pack it bore.

Griggs slung his double rifle and seized the end of the pack-rope,
casting loose the load and letting it slide to the ground, while the
doctor cautiously approached to examine the place at which the mule now
tore fiercely with its teeth.

"Better not, sir," said Griggs warningly.

"But I want to try and help the poor brute," said the doctor.

"Yes, sir; that's nice and humane," said Griggs; "but mules are not
horses nor dogs.  The poor brute is mad with agony, and you'll be kicked
or bitten, to a dead certainty."

"I feel as if I must risk it," said the doctor.  "I might inject
ammonia, and save its life."

He approached closer, holding out one hand and speaking soothingly to
the poor beast; but it turned upon him viciously and snapped at the
extended hand like a dog, fortunately biting short, for the snap was
sharper than the snatch back made by the doctor's hand.

"I told you so," said Griggs reproachfully.  "Yes, we're going to be a
mule short this morning."

For the effort seemed to be too much for the animal, which staggered,
spread-out its legs far apart, uttered a wild squealing bray, fell over
on one side, and lay kicking and plunging as if going at full gallop as
it lay.

"You're right, Griggs," said the doctor.  "But what strength there must
be in that horrible poison!  I should not have believed it would be so
rapid and have such an effect upon an animal like that."

"It got a full dose of it close up where the skin's thinnest, I suppose;
and it was a big rattler, and no mistake."

Just then the mule made an effort to rise to its feet, but sank back to
its former position, and its kicking and plunging grew weaker and
weaker, till it lay panting, with outstretched neck and heaving flanks,
evidently dying fast.

"I might try and do something now," said the doctor thoughtfully, "if
the poor beast were held."

"Too late," said Griggs quietly.  "I don't understand much about snake
poison, but I should say that's running all through the poor thing now."

But Chris's father would not give up.  Hide-ropes were cast loose, while
he hurried to the load which contained the little case of medicines and
surgical appliances which was kept ready for emergencies, and then armed
with bottle and syringe he superintended while nooses were placed round
the poor animal's neck and four fetlocks, each being tightened and the
rope held by some one.  Chris and Ned were ordered to the fore-legs,
Griggs took the neck rope, and Wilton and Bourne the hind-legs.

At a word from the doctor the ropes were drawn taut and the poor beast
stretched out helplessly upon its back, while the doctor seated himself
astride, sought for the tiny punctures made by the rattlesnake's
poison-fangs, and found them where the skin was thinnest and most devoid
of hair, the successful discovery being due to a tiny drop of yellowish
gummy matter which had oozed out.

A caustic was applied to this as soon as the tiny wound had been freely
lanced and set bleeding, and then with the proper instrument a strong
application of ammonia was forced into one of the mule's larger veins,
and all with the slightest of resistance being offered.  Lastly,
encouraged by the animal's quiescence, a strong stimulative ball was
thrust beyond the tongue and seen to pass down the throat.

"I can do no more," said the doctor, "but I should not have been
satisfied if I had not tried.  Be careful now how you loosen the ropes."

There was no difficulty, for the patient lay as still as if it had been
utterly stupefied by the poison, and seemed to all appearance stretched
out dead.

Chris looked at Griggs, who loosened his noose last, and the man shook
his head.

"Could it breathe while that rope was round its neck?" said the boy.

"Breathe?  Yes, of course, my lad.  The lariat did not press upon the
wind-pipe.  There's no strangling in the poor brute's case.  It's
poison's the matter there.  I say, it has wakened us all up."

It was curious to note the effect to which Griggs had drawn attention.
Before the mule was stricken every one in the party had been giddy and
ready to faint with heat and exhaustion, oppressed by a sense of despair
and the dread that the end of the present journey would never be seen;
but as soon as a demand was made upon their energies, all the other
troubles seemed to be forgotten on the instant, and they worked together
heartily and with wonderful spirit, till they all stood watching the
motionless mule.

Bourne was the first to draw attention to the state of affairs, as he
began wiping away the perspiration that streamed down his face.

"I don't think you've done the poor brute much good, Lee," he said.

"I'm afraid not.  I ought to have begun sooner."

"But you've done us a lot," continued Bourne.  "Half-an-hour ago I
didn't seem to have an ounce of energy left in me.  I felt as if there
was nothing to do but lie down and die."

"And I felt the same," chimed in Wilton.

"But as soon as the demand was made upon me I forgot everything in the
excitement, and I feel now ready to go on for hours."

"Yes," said Wilton; "I feel as if Lee had been injecting new life
through my veins.  We've got all the benefit, while the poor mule is
worse."

"Not much, sir," cried Griggs.  "Look at that!"

There was no need for the order, every eye being directed at the injured
animal, which after lying quiescent upon its side with outstretched neck
and no signs of life save the slow, regular heaving of its flank,
suddenly uttered a hoarse shout, gathered itself together, and rose
quickly to its feet, to stand breathing heavily and coughing.

"Why, I do believe he's mastering the poison, doctor, and coming round."

There was no reply, every one being intent upon the mule's movements.

The hard breathing gradually ceased, and the poor brute shook itself,
stamped with its injured hind-leg heavily, shook itself again, uttered
an angry squeal, and curving itself round reached at the wound to bite
the skin, acting, as Chris afterwards said, just as if it had been
bitten by a fly.  The next moment it straightened itself again,
stretched out its neck, and whinnied in a way which brought answers from
some of its companions, and then dropped upon its knees and rolled over,
struggling a little before lying still, its last breath coming in a
weary sigh.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

WON'T YOU SAY GOOD-BYE?

Every eye kept a sharp lookout as soon as the journey was recommenced,
and a strong effort was made to place a few miles between the party and
a spot evidently infested with the venomous reptiles of whose power such
a terrible example had been seen.  Plenty of energy too was displayed
for quite a couple of hours.  Then it died out at once; the boys and
animals seemed as if they could go no farther, and a halt was called in
about the barest spot they had seen.  Several more suitable places had
been passed--places where there was a scanty growth of sage-brush,
others where the plain was rocky or encumbered with stones; but the
doctor's word was "Forward," and the order was obeyed, for in the eyes
of the adventurers every bush and every stone appeared to be the haunt
of a dangerous enemy.

Where they halted at last the plain all round was thick with a dull
silvery haze which intensified the heat of the sun, whose rays seemed to
be passing through a burning-glass, and it was only in obedience to
desperate efforts that the tent-cloth was stretched for shelter and the
animals watered and fed more sparingly than before.  The provisions were
spread-out, but no one could eat.  Every word and look was about the
water and directed at the fast-emptying keg that carried it, other
vessels having long since been exhausted.

"We must lie here till the sun goes down," said the doctor, almost
solemnly, in spite of his effort to speak calmly; "it would be madness
to persevere through this heat.  Then we must make a brave effort to
reach the mountains by morning."

"And if we don't?" said Wilton.

"Don't say if, sir," cried Griggs.  "We must do it."

"If there are any to reach," said Bourne, to himself; but his words were
heard.

"If there are any!" cried the doctor hoarsely.  "I tell you there are.
We saw them distinctly, Griggs and I."

"That's so, gentlemen," said the American.  "Then you must have lost
your way, doctor."

"I have not if there is any truth in a compass.  I laid down our course,
and we have not deviated a bit.  The sun and stars too have endorsed my
calculations.  Come, lie down and try to sleep.  Afterwards we will
serve out some more water, and walk all through the night.  We must be
nearly across now."

There was no answer made to this, every one lying down to try and forget
the agonies of the intense heat and thirst in the sleep which would not
come.

Chris and Ned were together, and lay so that they could look into each
other's eyes despairingly; but neither spoke, closing their lids at last
so as not to see, though with no expectation of obtaining the
much-needed restful forgetfulness.  But it came, and when Chris opened
his eyes again it was to see by the dull red glow that evening was close
at hand.

He raised himself upon his arm, and the faint sound he made was
sufficient to rouse Ned, who also sat up, and looked at him wonderingly,
as if he did not quite understand where he was, till Chris bent towards
him and whispered--"Come outside."

Ned followed him without glancing at the speaker, and they stood
together in the misty heat glow, to note with wonder that some one was
moving about from pack to pack and pausing from time to time to pat the
mules.

The haze seemed to have thickened with the approaching night, so that
the figure was indistinct and hard to see, but after making a few steps
Chris said quickly--

"Why, it's Griggs.  What's the matter with him?  He's staggering about
as if looking for something."

"The water-barrels," whispered Ned hoarsely, and he caught Chris by the
arm.

"What!  He wouldn't," said the boy angrily.  "Let's see what he's
doing."

The American evidently heard their approach, for he turned to gaze at
them strangely; but he made no effort to join them, standing slowly
rocking himself to and fro and saving himself from falling by clinging
to the mule at whose side he stood.

"What's the matter, Griggs?" said Chris hoarsely.

"Oh, it's you!" was the reply.  "I could see you both coming, but you
looked swollen up into giants, and I couldn't make it out."

"But what are you doing here?"

"Doing here?  Yes, I remember.  We must find where the water is
to-night, or it will be too late."

"Oh, don't say that," cried Ned, in a hoarse whisper.

"Yes, that's it," said Griggs strangely.  "Must find the water to-night,
or it will be too late.  I'm going to ride on, but I can't find the
mustangs."

"They're over yonder," said Ned quickly, pointing to where the ponies
could be dimly-seen.

"No; I've been over there, and they're gone."

"Going to ride on?" said Chris, as a thought struck him.

"Yes, before it's too late."

"But you are not in a fit state to ride on, Griggs."

"No.  Everything is going round and round.  Head's all strange and
queer."

"You couldn't sit a horse now."

"No," said the man drowsily, as he laid his arms across the mule's back,
falling forward to slide to the ground, for the mule took two or three
steps to get out of his way.

"Oh, Chris," groaned Ned, "what shall we do?"

The boy addressed did not reply for some moments, and then he repeated
the American's words as if to himself.

The next minute he seemed full of energy, and caught his companion by
the shoulder.

"Ned," he said, "let's take the mule with the empty barrels, and ride on
to get water."

"Where?" said Ned dismally.

"Amongst the mountains."

"Where are they?"

"Over there," said Chris, pointing.

"Where's over there?"

"To the left of where the sun's going down.  That's where we've been
making for all the time."

"Ride on?"

"Yes; it will be quickest."

"Come and ask father what he thinks."

"No," said Chris; "it would be losing time."

"We should never find it, and only die of thirst right away from the
others."

"We should find it.  We must find it, and bring some back."

"But the barrels--they're not empty yet."

"They are," said Chris solemnly.  "I stood by this afternoon, and saw
every drop drained out."

"Oh!" groaned Ned.  "Then it's all over now."

"It isn't, I tell you.  We must go."

"We couldn't do it; we're too weak.  Come and ask your father what he
says."

"It's of no use: I feel sure he's like poor Griggs here.  There, the
sun's going down, looking red as blood.  Quick; the ponies can carry us,
and we'll get the mule with the empty barrels between.  He'll go then."

"Let's ask Wilton to go."

"Let's try and act like men," cried Chris passionately.  "There, you
mustn't oppose me.  That's the way, straight there by where the sun is
sinking.  It must be right.  You must, you shall come."

One weaker than Chris was then would have been sufficient to overawe Ned
in those terrible moments, and he yielded without another word.

The two water-barrels with their linking-chain and the wooden
wool-stuffed pack-saddle lay ready, and the mule that had borne them
suffered itself to be led to where it stood snuffling at the wooden
vessels and passing its tongue about the bung-holes, till they were
slung across its back, and then it stood quietly enough, as if
instinctively grasping the object of this movement.

As for the ponies, they raised their heads from where they were striving
to get a little nourishment from some dust-covered twigs, and whinnied
their welcome to their masters when they were saddled and bridled.

All was soon ready, when Chris raised his head to mark exactly where the
sun had disappeared--a hard task, for the heat haze was thicker than
ever.

"Where's that star?" he said impatiently.

"Which star?"

"That one that goes down of a night three hours after the sun.  The one
my father used to guide us by in the early part of the night, and said
that it was a planet."

"I don't know.  I never heard him say anything about it."

"He did to me.  There, there.  High up; I can see it now; but it looks
faint through this thick dusty air, and it's higher up than I thought
for.  It will be clearer, and lower down by and by."

"Are you going to steer by that?"

"Yes, of course.  Ready?"

"No; we must go and tell our fathers what we are going to do."

"No, we mustn't," said Chris stubbornly; "they'd only say we mustn't go,
and after what Griggs said I'm sure it's our only chance.  We must get
water and bring it back, if they're to be saved."

"But are you sure of that?  Mayn't they be better in the morning, and
ready to go on?"

"Not unless we get back with water.  Now then, will you come?"

"I daren't, Chris," said Ned, with a groan; "it's too horrible."

"Then you're afraid?"

"How can I help it?  See how dreadful it will be to strike right off
into the desert all alone."

"Not so horrible as to stop here and see the others die like that
poisoned mule.  Come."

"I can't: it's cowardly to go and leave them."

"It isn't," cried Chris; "it's brave, and we shall find the water and
bring it back.  Come, we're wasting time.  Come on."

"I dare not."

"Very well," said Chris.  "When father wakes in the morning, tell him
what I've done, and why."

"What shall I say?" cried Ned hoarsely.

"That I felt it was the only chance of saving all our lives; and if I
don't come back it's because I couldn't find water, Ned."

"And then?"

"Good-bye."

"What do you mean by good-bye?"

"I don't know," said Chris sadly.  "Only good-bye."

He held out his hand, but snatched it back and hurried beneath the
spread-out tent-canvas, to drop upon his knees close to where the doctor
lay plunged in a deep stupor more than sleep.

Chris did not rest there many minutes before he sprang up again and
walked hurriedly to where Ned stood with the two ponies and the mule.

"Good-bye," said Chris then.

Ned made no reply, and giving his companion one long reproachful look,
Chris placed his foot in the stirrup and sprang up into the saddle.

"Won't you say good-bye?" he cried.

"No," was the reply, almost in a whisper, and with the darkness coming
on fast now Chris turned away his head and leaned to the farther side of
his pony, to catch hold of the long hide-rope attached to the mule's
snaffle-bit.  Then pressing the mustang's sides with his heels, the
brave little beast stepped off boldly, the mule following close behind
at the full length of the lariat, while the boy fixed the star with his
eyes and made for it straight through the gathering gloom, which seemed
to open out to receive him, and then closed in behind, so that after the
first glance backward the boy made no other, for tent-cloth, packs,
saddles, and the horses and mules had been absorbed by the haze.

If he had turned his head though, ever so little, he would have been
able to see Ned standing by his pony; but he felt that he could not do
that for fear of the weak feeling which caused a strange swelling in his
throat increasing and causing a breakdown of the determination to which
he had come.

"I can't do it," he groaned, as he rode on at a walk, and then repeating
the word "Good-bye!" in a whisper, he bent forward a little, gave the
hide lariat a jerk, and pressing his pony's sides, went off at an
ambling trot, the mule following at once with the two barrels rolling
against the wood of the pack-saddle, and with the chains making a
peculiar hollow and jingling sound.

"If it were not so hot!" he muttered then, as he strove to think only of
the object he had in view.  "We ought to get over a long distance before
daylight, for I feel as if I shall be able to do it, and the mountains
may be near when the broad daylight comes."

He was getting along at a fair pace now, gazing straight at the planet
and listening to the rattle of the two barrels, when his pony uttered a
sharp neigh, which was followed by a squeal from the mule--two
challenges uttered by those whose hearing was keener than their
master's, and responded to by another neigh from behind.

In less than a minute, and before Chris had made up his mind which of
the ponies was following, there was the beat of hoofs, and something
shadowy closed in from the haze behind, to come close alongside.

"Who's that?  You, Ned?"

"Yes," came in a husky voice.

"What do you want?"

"You know.  I can't let you go all alone."

"What!" cried the boy, in a hoarse, cracked voice.  "You don't mean--"

"Yes, I do.  You must be right."

It was the speaker who held out a dimly-seen hand now, one that was
grasped and held while the ponies closed in so much together that the
boys' legs touched as they cantered steadily on straight for a line
drawn down in imagination from the planet now twinkling brightly--the
guiding star which both boys mentally prayed might lead them to the
object of their quest.

Then cantering steadily till the ponies dropped into a walk to avoid
rough ground, the two lads rode on and on, with the barrels rolling
behind, and the hours gently gliding by unheeded, till the glittering
star sank lower and lower and dropped at last into the great bed of haze
which seemed to extinguish it all at once, but not until Chris had
marked down another to take its place as their goal.

Neither spoke, for their heads were too full of the object they had in
view, with its hopes and many fears.

The ponies kept on straight for the starry guides, not deviating in the
least from the point at which their heads had been directed by their
riders, and the mule followed steadily behind, with the empty barrels
keeping up their hollow, rumbling sound, and it was this that seemed to
form a strange lulling accompaniment to the boys' thoughts, which in the
course of their progress gradually darkened into a confused
nightmare-like state.  It was not sleep, but a stupor in which they kept
on their horses instinctively, from no voluntary effort of their own.
The state of exhaustion and weakness into which they had been lapsing
during the perilous journey must have had much to do with their
feelings, and robbed them of the power to feel more than a dull, numbing
pain which came and went as their steeds ambled or walked unchecked or
guided by rein, for even the lariat had glided from Chris's fingers and
trailed along behind the mule upon the sand.  Not that it mattered, for
the mongrel beast kept steadily on behind its companions, trotting or
cantering or dropping into a walk as they gave it the cue, but never
once stopping to rest or attempting to browse.

Always onward, straight onward, while the riders sank deeper and deeper
into their strange stupor-like state, which, in one faint struggle back
into partial consciousness, Chris had likened to the closing-in of the
sultry haze which seemed to him to press upon him as if it grew so thick
that it held him fast what time he was being urged through it.

Then utter unconsciousness of everything, which lasted without change
and as if the very calm, restful, painful end of all things had come.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

A MULE'S SCENT.

Ned had much the same account to give as Chris of his sensations about
the waking up on hearing a loud snorting and splashing, accompanied by
the squealing of the mule and the rattling of the tubs and chain.

Sleep or stupor, whichever it was, the boys had kept their seats during
the night, and at early dawn when Chris opened his eyes, half startled
by the splashing, he saw what looked like a grey plain covered with
dried-up salt, stretching right away to a thick bank of what appeared to
be clouds.

Then as he sat staring wonderingly, he saw that the salt plain seemed to
be in motion, little waves passing away from where he sat; and then, as
the truth gradually dawned upon his misty brain, he slipped off his
pony, to stand knee-deep in water and begin to scoop up the soft cool
fluid and drink.

He had swallowed several mouthfuls before his brain grew clearer, and
then his first matter-of-fact un-dreamlike thought was of Ned, and he
cried aloud--

"Water, water!"

The answer was a gurgling sound from somewhere to the right, and turning
in that direction just as there was a tremendous splashing, he became
aware of the fact, dimly-seen in the grey dawn, that his companion was
also standing knee-deep and drinking; the ponies were calmly drawing in
the refreshing fluid between their slightly-parted lips, and the mule
was wallowing and trying to roll over, every now and then sending its
legs in the air, for them to come down again and raise quite a spray,
for the effort to turn right over was a failure, the two barrels secured
to the animal's back acting like buoys and keeping afloat.

The next moment, regardless of his clothes, Chris dropped upon his
knees, bent down till his lips were within touch of the water, and then
he drank, so it seemed to him, as he had never drunk before.

Breathless after a while he raised his head again.

"Ned!  Oh, isn't it glorious!"

There was no reply, for his companion was now bending down and drinking
with avidity.

But at last he too raised his head at the same time that the mule ceased
splashing, stood up in the water, and gave itself a tremendous shake,
before lowering its muzzle and drinking like the mustangs.

"Ned!" cried Chris.  "Why don't you say something?"

"I can't," was the reply.  And then: "I say, is it true, or only part of
the long dream?"

"True, true!" cried Chris.  "But look sharp.  Let's fill the barrels and
get back to camp."

"Hah!" ejaculated Ned in a long sigh.  "Fill the barrels--get back.
Yes, I'm beginning to be able to think now.  My head felt all shut up
and as if it wouldn't go.  We have found water, then."

"Yes, and we've been drinking, and--What are you doing?"

There was no answer, for Ned did not hear, from the simple fact that he
had suddenly plunged his head right under water, to hold it there for
nearly a minute, before raising it streaming.

"Oh, Chris," he cried, "do that; it's lovely!"

His comrade wanted no more inciting to follow the example set, keeping
his head below the surface in despite of the water thundering in his
ears, till he was obliged to raise it and breathe.

"If we only had time for a swim," he cried, as he stood up panting once
more.

"Yes, let's have one."

"No," said Chris; "the barrels--we must fill them and get back."

"Yes, of course," cried Ned.  "I can't think properly yet.  My head's
all muddly.  But how can we fill them?  If we take them off can we lift
them on the mule's back again?"

"Perhaps not," cried Chris.  "But I know," he added, after a pause.

"Do you?  Oh, my head's so muddly.  Let's be quick and get back.  I'm
beginning to think now.  Why, what wretches we are, drinking away here,
and my father must be dying of thirst."

"Yes.  Don't talk," cried Chris huskily.  "Here, get to the other side
of the mule and take hold of the bit."

Ned stared, but obeyed, and together they led the animal between them,
wading farther into the lake, with the water gradually getting deeper,
when as it grew breast-high Ned burst out with--

"Yes, the water seems to have melted something in my head, and I can
think now.  I say, are there any alligators here?"

"I don't know," replied Chris.  "Perhaps.--Come on, you brute!" he
roared, for the mule began to jib and refused to go any farther in when
from its own natural buoyancy and that of the barrels its legs refused
to touch the bottom.

Chris's fierce shout was accompanied by a heavy dig in the side from his
knee, an act which Ned imitated with the result that the mule snorted,
tossed up its head, and then lowered it, prior to kicking up its heels.
But in performing the evolution of lowering its muzzle its mouth went
down into the cool water, and the opposition ceased in the enjoyment of
drawing in mouthfuls of the limpid element, while with all four legs
separated to the utmost, the animal now refused to move.

"You brute!" roared Ned.

But the mule was quite aware of that fact.  It knew it was one of the
most despised of brutes, and had been told so till it ceased to have any
effect, while now that it was drinking, whip or spur, kick or blow would
have had no effect.

"Never mind," cried Chris.  "I know--we can manage."  As he spoke he
rapidly opened the tompion-like cover of one bung-hole, letting it
rattle down by the side of the empty barrel and hang by its little brass
chain, and then dragged at the barrel, trying vainly to bring the
opening down to a level with the water.

"Oh, do something, Ned," shouted Chris.  "We ought to be on the way
back.  Shove your barrel up as high as you can."

Ned thrust his shoulder under the side and forced the barrel up, and the
wooden pack-saddle gave a little at the same time.

"That do?" he cried.

"Yes, splendid!"  For by pressing down with all his force Chris got the
opening level at last with the water, which began to stream in till its
weight rendered the task less difficult, and by degrees the barrel kept
its own position, the air within going out in strange hollow sounds as
it was dislodged.

"Now I'm more than half full, Ned," cried Chris eagerly.  "I'll hoist up
my side while you draw your barrel down."

This task proved more difficult, but after a few tries a little water
rushed into the empty receptacle.  Then a little more and a little more,
till Chris thrust upward with all his might, and the clear fluid ran in
with a rush, till the mule raised its head, shook the drops from its
muzzle, and whinnied.

Then, feeling far less buoyant from what it had drunk and the way in
which the light barrels began to be turned into weights which kept it
steady, there was no more resistance to being led in deeper, so that
with very little effort the casks were lowered in turn till the water
ceased to flow in, and the tompions were replaced and safely secured.

The water was now, at every movement made, passing in little waves right
over the mule's spine, and there it stood showing its teeth as if
preparing to bite, but made no vicious effort, only stood blinking its
eyes and turning its ears in all directions as if in the height of
enjoyment.

As soon as the second barrel was secured, "full to the bung," the mule's
head was turned.

"Go on!" shouted Chris, and it slowly walked out of the shallowing
water, till it stood dripping on the sandy marge.

"Now," cried Chris, "I'm going to lead my mustang in as far as I can
wade, so as to get regularly soaked, and it will freshen the beasts
too."

"Yes, capital.  Shall we take off the saddles?"

"No, we won't stop."

The ponies were led in till only their necks were out of the water, and
then turned towards the shore; but they stopped twice to drink, and were
approaching the spot where the mule stood, when Chris uttered a cry and
caught at his saddle to save himself, his pony at the same moment making
a plunge and snorting violently.

"What's the matter?" cried Ned anxiously.

"Some big fish struck at me suddenly.  No, I know, it must have been a
big alligator."

Ned's jaw dropped and his eyes opened very wide as he began to splash
through the water as hard as he could go, the pony following willingly
enough, but only to snort and plunge as a swell of water rose before
them where the water was very shallow, and a dark, bark-like, glistening
back was seen for a moment, followed by a tapering tail, as a reptile
glided by.

"I wonder whether the brutes would bite," said Ned.

"I shouldn't like to trust them," was the reply.  "But oh, what a change
since last night," continued the boy, half-wild with delight, as the sun
began to show a little over the edge of the horizon, flooding the world
with golden light and turning the pale, silvery lake as it were into
glowing fire.

The boys only glanced for a moment or two at the glorious scene before
them of lake and undulating country backed by mountains.  Then, after
tying the trailing lariat about the mule's neck, they mounted their
ponies, all dripping as they were, ready for the march to camp, but only
to suffer a chill of misery as the same thought struck both--

Which was the way back?

"Why, we shall never find them!"

"Coming here as we did, fast asleep as we must have been," groaned Ned.

"The mule must have smelt the water far-off," said Chris, "and found the
way here."

"Yes, but he won't find the way back to camp.  What shall we do?  What
shall we do?"

There was a piteous, despairing ring in Ned's voice as he sat gazing
woefully in Chris's eyes.

"We might go right away," said the latter thoughtfully, and then in a
tone full of exultation, "We're a pretty pair," he cried; "look how
plain the hoof-marks are in the sand.  Why, we've only got to pick up
the trail and follow it back.  There, you go that way and I'll go this.
It can't be far away."

"No, of course not," cried Ned, urging his pony forward in the direction
indicated, while Chris started in the other, keeping close to the
water's edge, where the sand was firm.

But the mule was not going to be left alone, and followed Chris's mount.
Not for far.  Within a hundred yards there were the hoof-prints of the
animals, going straight into the shallow lake on one side and on the
other leading straight away over the sandy plain, which here came right
up to the water's edge.

"_Coo-ee_!" shouted Chris, and Ned came cantering back.

"Found the trail?" he cried.

"Yes, here it is, with the mule leading.  That's where he walked right
into the lake.  And we've been abusing mules and calling them names ever
since I can remember.  Ned, I'll never be a brute to a mule again.  Will
you lead?"

"No.  You found the trail.  Go on, and I'll come last.  As fast as you
can."

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

DESPERATE STRAITS.

Chris uttered a wild whoop of delight.

"Water!  Water!  Water!" he shouted.  "Here we come!"

The announcement was intended for those he had left at the camp, but the
words seemed to be lost in the immensity of space.  But he did not heed
this, only pressed on, to halt at the end of a hundred yards for the
others to come up.  His pony had lowered its head as if recognising the
track and started off at a canter; but Chris realised directly that the
progress did not depend upon him but the mule, which at starting refused
to go in advance of Ned, and stubbornly stood still, and no urging would
make it move.

"Come on first, Ned," shouted Chris, as the efforts of his companion
proved to be in vain.

"Oh, he is a brute!" cried Ned, but he did as he was ordered, following
his leader, and the mule, heavily-laden as it was, lowered its head and
began to lounge along last at the regular mule pace.

"Oh, but this won't do," cried Chris, as they came up.  "I never thought
of it when we were filling the barrels.  It'll take no end of time to
get back like this."

He led on again in silence, seeing the trail marked plainly enough, and
wonderfully straight, the animals having pretty well always stepped in
their leader's tracks.  But at the end of a few minutes' advance at a
walk he turned his head to shout back--

"Oh, Ned, Ned, what shall we do?  Everything, you see, depends on this
mule, and he'll only keep to his regular pace.  His load's too heavy.
We must run half of it away."

"What!  Waste that water?  No."

"But it seems so heavy."

"He wouldn't go a bit faster if you poured away nearly all."

"I'm afraid not," groaned Chris.  "What can we do?  I say, I wonder how
far it is to camp.  Can you guess, Ned?"

The boy shook his head.

"It must be," continued Chris, as he rode on, wrenching right round in
his saddle, and trusting to his mustang to follow the back trail, "just
as far as the mule would walk from the time we started till daybreak
this morning.  Hours and hours and hours, all going so slowly, for we
should have been woke up if they had broken into a fast trot.  I'm
afraid we must spill out some of the water."

"But I tell you that this slow wretch wouldn't go a bit faster.  He's
walking now just at the same rate as when the barrels were empty."

Chris felt that these were the words of truth, and remained silent.  He
would have gone behind the animal and bullied or urged it forward with
blows, in spite of his late words, but he felt confident that the result
would only be a stubborn fit, kicking or perhaps lying down.

A short time before the boy had felt in the highest glee.  Success had
attended their effort, and there seemed to be nothing else to do but
hurry back to the fainting sufferers with the life-giving fluid and
receive their thanks and praise, while now, in addition to the bitter
despair and misery, there was a fresh sensation which he connected then
with a feeling of sinking that made him gaze piteously at his companion,
but only to be struck with his sunken eyes and agonised aspect.

"Don't look like that, Ned," he said.  "Why, you're worse than I am."

"I can't help it.  I feel quite ill.  We shall never get back to them in
time.  Father looked as if he wouldn't be able to get up again."

"So did my father.  I never saw him look so dreadful before.  He must be
in an awful state, or else he'd have been able to take something from
the medicine-chest to help him hold out longer.  But there, it's of no
use to give way like this.  We must get back to camp with this water.
Do you hear?  We must!"

"Yes," said Ned mournfully.  "We must.--Chris."

"Yes?"

"If I fall off my nag and can't get up again--"

"Oh, don't talk like that.  It's idiotic."

"I can't help it.  If I fall over and lie still on the sand, I want you
to promise me something."

"Then I shan't," cried Chris shortly.  "Get out!  You're going to
pretend that you'll lie down and die, and you're going to make your
will."

"No; it wasn't exactly that; but if you get back to them and are saved,
you may have my four-bladed knife with the stone-pick and lancet in it."

"Oh, hang your old knife!" cried Chris ungraciously.  "I don't want it.
Mine's ever so much better, and doesn't hurt your hand when you're
cutting anything.  Now, no nonsense!  Fancying you're going to fall off
your pony and not being able to get up again!  Why, if you go on
fancying such things as that in the hot sunshine, you're pretty well
sure to turn giddy and go down.  Look here."

"Yes?" sighed Ned.

"I feel just as bad as you do, but I don't begin a lot of nonsense about
leaving you my knife.--Such stuff!"

"It isn't stuff," sighed Ned.  "I'm horribly ill now.  So faint and
strange."

"Have some water.  I'll get some out."

"No, no, no; I've had enough.  I don't feel a bit parched and thirsty
now, for the water seems to have gone right into me from my wet
clothes."

"The same here," said Chris, after a glance over his shoulder to see if
his pony was keeping to the return trail, and being convinced that he
was.  "I could talk like you, for I never felt so ill before.  I say,
how one's things are drying in the sunshine!  I've quite done dripping."

"Yes; but, Chris, I haven't told you all I was going to say."

"And you needn't.  You were going to say that I might have your German
silver pocket-comb too."

"I wasn't," said Ned reproachfully.  "But you may, and everything else
I've got, for I shall never want them again."

"Yes, you will, stupid.  Oh, I say, don't be such a Molly."

Ned shook his head.

"Won't you listen to me?" he said piteously.

"Why, of course I will, old chap.  I'm only talking like this because I
want you to be plucky.  Ned, you're not going to lie down and die.  You
can't--you shan't.  I've felt like this for the last half-hour, but I
won't let myself believe that it's all through the despair and misery we
feel."

"But it is, Chris.  I'm glad I came with you, though," said the poor
fellow sadly.

"So am I, and it was very jolly and chummy of you.  Just like you, Ned.
We've often had rows, but we always made it up again, and I never liked
you any the less.  Never half so much as I did when you came trotting
after me to look for this water."

"I like to hear you say that," said Ned, smiling faintly.  "If you get
safe back I want you to think still in this way after I've gone."

"After you've gone!" cried Chris passionately.  "Oh, if we'd only plenty
of time and weren't so faint, I should like to have the worst row with
you that we ever tried to fight out.  You're not going to lie down and
die.  It would be absurd after we've got the water, and--"

Ned started and bent forward, holding on to the pommel of his saddle
with both hands to steady himself, for as he rode almost backwards Chris
suddenly clutched at nothing and nearly fell from his seat.

"There, there!" panted Ned.  "Oh, don't fall, Chris!  One of us is
enough.  You mustn't fall and lie there, because I want you to do
something for me."

"Yes," said Chris softly, and with a wild-eyed stare at his companion.

"I want you to tell father that I held out to the last, and tried hard
to do my duty as he told me to always."

"Yes--yes," sighed Chris hoarsely.  "I'll--I'll tell him, if I get back
to camp.  But oh, Ned, it is so hard now, when we've got the water.  All
the strength has gone from me.  I say, tell me, if we both fall out of
our saddles and lie there, do you think that the ponies will go on to
the camp?"

"No; I'm sure they won't.  They'll stop beside us, looking down in our
faces with their big, patient eyes.  They won't stir for ever so long."

"Oh!" groaned Chris faintly.  "And we shall have got the water for
nothing."

"No," said Ned.  "The ponies will stop, but the mule won't; he'll keep
right on along the back trail, and they'll get the water after all."

"Ah!" sighed Chris, with a bright light coming into his eyes.  "Then it
won't have been for nothing."

"What are you doing?" said Ned, more strongly, as he saw his comrade
begin to unfasten the knotted silk kerchief about his neck.

"Going to tie this to the chain.  Father will know it's mine, and that
it means good-bye, and--"

The effort was too much.  The giddiness from which he was suffering
mastered him, and he fell over sidewise on to the fast-heating sand, but
with his left foot fast in the stirrup-iron, while the pony kept on a
few feet before stopping short and turning to gaze down in his rider's
face.

"Chris!  Chris!" cried Ned, checking his pony as he closed up, while the
mule went tramping on with its heavy load as if nothing whatever was the
matter.

To the last speaker's wonder and horror, as the excitement of his
comrade's mishap drove his own sufferings into the background, Chris
raised himself a little and extricated his foot from the stirrup, before
hauling himself up by the leather, to stand steadying himself by the
saddle, laughing the while what sounded to Ned like a wild, hysterical
laugh that was to be his last.

"Chris!" he cried.

"It's all right," gasped the boy, struggling to grow calm.  "That tumble
has knocked the faintness out of me.  I know now--what's--what's the
matter with us both."

"Chris!" rang out again.

"I know, I tell you--I felt a little while ago--oh, so ill, as if
something was coming on and we were both going to die.  But I know now.
Can't you see, Ned?"

There was no answer.

"Then I'll tell you.  What did you have to eat yesterday?"

"Eat?  I couldn't eat, only drink that little drop of water."

"And I couldn't, and didn't have above half a meal the night before.
Then we've been through so much ever since, and drunk all that water,
and the sun's been beating down on us."

"What!" cried Ned, staring.  "You mean it's because we're so hungry?"

"Why, of course it is.  Now, tumble off your pony and lie down and die
if you dare!"

"Chris!"

"That's it, I tell you, and you know it is.  Oh dear, I feel so
light-headed, and so empty and faint, and nothing else the matter with
me at all, only that I'm so miserable because we can't get on faster."

Ned sat staring and thinking hard, but he said no word in contradiction
of his companion's theory.

And there they stayed for quite ten minutes, Ned seated in his saddle,
Chris standing resting against his, and with his pony pressing against
him as if to keep him upright.

"Look at old Skeeter's brother," said Chris, at last.  "He must be his
brother, because he's so like him."

Ned looked in the same direction as his companion, to see that the mule
had gone plodding on along the trail, flapping one ear to keep off the
flies, and looking as if nothing would prevent it from going straight
back to the camp.

"I say, you feel better now, don't you?" said Chris suddenly.

"I feel very ill and weak and giddy."

"That's how I feel," said Chris, "and I'm afraid to try and get up into
the saddle again.  I know I shall go down bang."

"No, no, don't," cried Ned excitedly.  "Here, I'll get on the other
side, and take hold of your hand."

"Shan't I pull you down too?"

"No," said Ned, speaking more strongly; "I won't let you."

"Catch hold, then," cried Chris, as his comrade urged his nag alongside
that of Chris, and then as they joined hands, the latter raised his left
foot to the stirrup, sprang up, and dropped into the saddle with a sigh
of relief.

"Well done us!" he panted.  "Who'd ever have thought that being half
starved would make two fellows feel like that?"

"It was awful, wasn't it?"

"Not so horrible as thinking about them all dying for want of water.
Oh, Ned, Ned, Ned, can't we get one barrel on your or my pony and ride
on fast?"

"No," said Ned decisively.  "We couldn't hold it on, and we couldn't go
fast."

"And we couldn't fasten the other on the mule's back.  Is there nothing
else we could do?"

"I can't see anything but going right on.  Let's catch up to the mule
now and keep on talking so as to forget about being so faint.  I say,
how fast one's clothes dry!"

"Yes," said Chris; "and how cool one feels in spite of the sun coming
down as if it would roast us.  Do you know why it is?"

"No," replied Ned.

"I'll tell you, then.  Father told me once.  He said it was one of the
laws of physics."

"I say, don't talk about physic now."

"Who was talking about physic, stupid?  I said physics--natural science.
Father said that in evaporation a feeling of coolness always comes on.
That's what we feel now as the water in our clothes evaporates.  He
showed me how to cool water by filling a bottle and wrapping it in
flannel, then keeping it wet and standing it in the sun."

"Yes, I knew that made it cooler, but I didn't know it had anything to
do with evaporation.  Then the water in the barrels must be nice and
cool."

"Nay, not it," said Chris sharply.  "That's getting warm, because the
outside of the barrels is not kept wet.--Well, old Skeeter's brother,
how are you getting on?" he cried, as they rode up one on either side of
the mule, the only answer being the cocking of one ear in the speaker's
direction, the other at Ned.

"Let's give up worrying about it, Chris," said Ned at last.  "We can do
nothing else but keep on as we are, only hoping and praying that they're
all lying down trying to sleep till we come.  It's impossible to get on
any faster."

"Quite," said Chris despairingly.  "I will hope and feel sure that all
will turn out as it should.  It must.  It shall.  I say, how long have
we been coming since we started?"

"I don't know, and I can't think," was the reply.

"I say, I can't see the lake now," cried Chris.  "It's all hidden by the
thick hot haze that has closed in."

"Can you see the beautiful country and the mountains there still?"

"No; nothing but the thick, hot, transparent mist and the sand and
sage-brush everywhere, behind, just as it is now in front.  I say, how
well old muley keeps to the trail!  I wish it wasn't so hazy; we should
see the tent perhaps then."

Ned turned off the conversation at a tangent, for the sight of a clump
of stones gave him a subject full of interest.

"Stones and rocky bits, with little heathery-like bushes.  I say, Chris,
keep a good lookout.  Isn't this the sort of country for rattlesnakes?"

"Ugh!" ejaculated Chris.  "I say, how horrible if the mule were to step
on one of the nasty reptiles now."

"We should have to fit the barrels on one of the ponies then, and take
turns at walking.  But let's try and guide them more away from the
heath."

They tried, but the mule resisted their efforts at once and showed a
stern determination to keep to the trail, while the ponies backed it up
on either side.

Then the conversation dropped, was resumed again twice, but in vain at
last, for the heat and exertion were telling upon the poor lads now to a
terrible extent.  Their eyes grew wild and bloodshot, the faintness came
on with increased force and refused to be exorcised, with each brain
swimming at first a little, then more and more, till a heavy stupefying
state of torpor supervened, and it was no longer the riders that
directed their four-footed friends, but the latter leading them on and
on hour after hour.

Though the boys could not realise the fact, the sun had crossed the
meridian and was slowly beginning to descend, when there was a sudden
arousing from the torpor-like state, brought about by the mule coming to
a standstill with its legs spread-out widely, hanging its head, while
its drooping ears and starting eyes told plainly enough that it was
suffering acutely from heat and exhaustion, its eyes seeming to say
mutely--

"The burden is too heavy, masters; if I stir another foot I must drop."

"Can we do something--open one of the barrels and soak a handkerchief to
hold it to the poor thing's mouth?" said Chris loudly--he meant it to
be, but it was only a hoarse, harsh sound which came from his lips,
while when he descended from his saddle to step towards the barrel
nearest to him, it suddenly seemed to fade away into the haze through
which they had been passing, and in his effort to catch it poor Chris
fell headlong to the ground and lay staring blankly upwards at Ned.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

WAKING UP.

"Oh, Chris!" groaned Ned, as he dismounted feebly, to fall on one knee
by his companion's side.

Chris's eyes followed every movement, and he seemed to hear what was
said, for he smiled faintly.

"That's you, isn't it, Ned?" he said slowly.  "Can't see.  Black spots
floating about in front, and everything going round and round."

Ned's answer was another groan, for the trouble was on the increase.

The poor mule had done its best and kept on till it could do no more.
Just then it made an effort to go on again, looking wistfully at Ned, in
whose acts it evidently read an order for it to advance.

Drawing its legs together into a more natural attitude, it took a step
or two, stumbled, and then dropped upon its knees, made another effort
to rise, but failed, and doubled its hind-legs under it, to crouch so
that the two barrels rested on the sand; and then the poor beast uttered
a long hoarse sigh as if of relief, while for a time it made no further
effort to stir.

Ned glanced at the ponies, the thought occurring to him that he ought to
secure their reins; but they did not display the slightest desire to
leave their companion, only stretching out their necks towards the mule
and breathing hard before pressing forward slightly, to begin snuffing
at one of the barrels.

This act set Ned's wits working, and he recalled what Chris was about to
do.  He was so faint and giddy that it required a painful effort even to
stir, but he caught the kerchief from his companion's hand and began to
unfasten the well-secured stopper of the nearest barrel, which stood
steady enough now in the sand.

This done, he thrust in about half of the kerchief, let it soak full of
water, raised it carefully so that every superabundant drop should fall
back into the barrel, and then, pressing open Chris's lips, squeezed a
few drops between them, more and more as they were swallowed with
avidity, and passed his wet hands over the prostrate lad's temples.

This he did again and again, suffering an acute longing to treat himself
in the same way, but resisting the temptation, till Chris closed his
eyes with a weary sigh, his lips tightening together, and he lay
motionless.

Ned soaked the handkerchief again, and pressed its contents in his own
mouth, swallowing the moisture with avidity, noting the while that the
two ponies were licking the farther barrel and breathing hard, as if
they could feel the cool fresh odour of the water playing in their
nostrils, while at the same time the mule, pinned down by the weight of
the two barrels, strained its neck round and whinnied, as it looked
piteously in his face.

The look had its effect, for the end of the kerchief was once more
thrust into the barrel, allowed to soak, and then drawn out.

"I don't know how we're going to manage," thought the boy, as he held
the dripping corner of the kerchief towards the mule's muzzle; but the
poor brute did, and acted without hesitation, making a snap as sharply
delivered as that of a dog, and catching the end between its strong
teeth.  Then it gave its head a toss, and treating the water-bearing
piece of fabric as if it were a wisp of wet grass, drew it, dripping and
cool, right into its mouth, the sharp tug or two given overcoming Ned's
resistance.

Before the boy could recover from his surprise there was a quick juicy
sound of champing in accord with the movement of the mule's jaws, a
gulp, and the kerchief had gone.

"You stupid brute!" cried Ned indignantly.  "What am I to do now?"

Common-sense suggested what should be his next proceeding, and that was
to take off his own handkerchief and his felt hat, which he turned
inside out.  Then laying it beyond the mule's reach, he soaked the fresh
kerchief till it would hold no more, squeezed it so that the contents
fell into the reversed crown of his hat, and repeated the act till about
half of half-a-pint of dirty water lay ready.  This he held out to the
mule, which plunged in its lips and rapidly sucked out every drop.

Repeating the process, Ned managed to give each of the ponies enough to
wash out its mouth.

"If I only had a straw or a reed!" thought the boy; but there was hardly
a twig of the sage-brush to be seen, and he shook his head in despair.

But there was something else to do.  The mule was fidgeting, and any
restive action on the beast's part might mean waste of water; so he
hurriedly closed the tompion, leaving its brass chain so that there was
no risk of loss; and this was hardly done before, refreshed by its
portion, the mule made a desperate effort to rise, but only got its
fore-legs well planted, and then sank back.  It made two more trials,
but with less and less success, and then, apparently fully aware of the
fact that the weight carried was too much for it, resignation ensued,
and the poor beast lay partly over on its side between the barrels, and
made no further effort beyond seeking for a restful position in which to
lay its heavy head.  This was fully stretched out in the sand, where the
last thing Ned seemed to see was the twitching of the poor brute's long
ears to rid itself of the flies which attacked it as if under the idea
that they had found something dead.

The sun's intense heat soon made the boy aware of the fact that his head
was bare, and restoring his hat to its proper shape he replaced it,
finding it cool enough to enable him to think a little more clearly of
his position and ask himself whether he could do anything more.  He
asked Chris the same question that he had put to himself, but there was
no reply, for it was evident that the poor fellow had sunk into a
complete state of stupor, and he was soon aware that he was fast
following his friend's example.  For the soft black spots began to float
before his eyes, growing larger and larger, till they seemed to blot out
the objects that had begun to sail slowly round and round.

There was a little reaction after this, and he saw the mule's eyes
closed and the two mustangs sniffing again at the farther barrel, and
heard them sigh as if in weary disappointment at not being able to get
at the contents.  But Ned felt no trouble, for everything seemed to be
restful now that he was convinced that he could do no more after doing
his best.

There was the glowing haze all around, and the terrible silence of the
dusty plain, with the nearest objects standing out with wonderful
clearness, till they began at last to sail slowly round and round him,
while the black spots formed in front of his eyes--tiny distinct specks
at first, which gradually swelled and swelled till they grew soft and
blurred; blacker and blacker too, as they blotted out the moving
objects, and finally the glowing, hot, silvery haze; and then all was
black darkness and silence profound.

At last.

Ned did not know what that meant.  He did not hear any words spoken nor
how it was.  It was his coming back into a state of consciousness, and
all he felt was that it somehow was at last.  Time had nothing to do
with it, and the first consistent thought was that it rained hard; the
next that something was stinging his nostrils as if hundreds of tiny
points were being inserted into the soft, delicate skin.

Soon after he seemed to be listening to people talking a long way off.
They were making remarks about some one else, but he had no idea what,
till it was as if something cracked in each ear and he started with his
eyes wide open, to see that the sky above was all of a deep red glow,
and on looking round him there were faces and mules, and packs lying
just as if they had been taken off the mules' backs.

"He's coming round now," said a familiar voice, and then he started
again, to find that everything was clear, and that he was looking in the
doctor's face.

"Is he?" said Ned sharply, in a voice that he did not know for his own.
"Has he been very bad?"

"Worse than any of us, Ned, my boy," said another familiar voice.

"Is that you, father?" cried Ned.

"What's left of me, my boy.  I began to think we should never shake
hands again.  You two fellows saved our lives."

Ned was silent, and lay with his hand pressed to his forehead, waiting
till he could quite grasp that which seemed to be dancing strangely in
his brain.

"No, father," he said at length; "I recollect now.  We did try, but we
couldn't.  We broke down."

"Yes," said the doctor; "but just where we could find you when we were
struggling on and nearly at the last gasp."

"I don't understand you, Mr Lee.--Who's that--Griggs?"

"Yes, it's me," said the American, "but I'm feeling pretty thin, my lad,
I can tell you.  May I shake hands?"

"Why, of course!" cried Ned.

"Come away from him now," said the doctor in a whisper.  "I'm rather
troubled about his head."

"Oh, it don't ache now," said Ned sharply, "and things are not going
round now.  But you said Chris was better?"

"Yes.  He's sleeping under the tent.  I kept you here because there is
more air."

"Where are we?" asked Ned anxiously.

"Just in the same spot as when we found you, with the mule broken-down
under the heavy load of water."

"Of course.  I remember it all now," cried Ned excitedly.  "I broke down
first, and after I got better it was poor old Chris.  But he's all right
now?"

"He will be soon," said the doctor.

"Can you tell us how far it is to the water, Ned?" said Wilton, making
himself heard for the first time.

"No," said Ned thoughtfully, "but I'm afraid it's a long way.  Why?"

"Because we've finished one of the barrels and half of the other, my
boy," said Bourne.  "We must be getting on again, then, doctor?"

"Yes; as soon as they can sit their horses."

"Can't be very far, sir," said Griggs, "because of the time they were
away.  Say, Ned, my lad, can you tell us when you started back with the
water?"

"Yes," said the boy; "directly after sunrise."

"And when did the mule cave in?"

"I don't quite know, because my head felt so thick; but it was when the
sun was hottest.  I think I could show you the way, though."

"Oh, we can find the way, squire; you have written that down clearly
enough in the sand.  Tell us one thing more, though," said Griggs.
"What did you find--a rock spring or a pool?"

"A great lake that stretched out as far as we could see."

There was a faint cheer at this, and the boy smiled.

"But there are big 'gators in it."

"I don't care if there are crocodiles in it half-a-mile long," cried
Griggs.  "We're going to have our share.  Then it's beyond the salt
desert?"

"Oh yes.  Beautiful green country, with mountains and trees."

"Within half-a-day's journey," said the doctor.  "Then I think we may
give the poor beasts what water there is left."

"Yes, sir," said Griggs.  "I'll give 'em my share; but I never grudged
parting with it so much before in my life.  Shall I begin?"

"Yes, poor things; but they will not have much apiece even now."

Griggs laughed.

"No, sir," he said.  "Skeeter would get outside the whole half-barrel if
you gave him a chance, and then roll round the whites of his eyes and
ask for more."

By the time the water had been given to the beasts, all but a small
portion reserved for the two boys, it was dark, with the stars just
dimly-seen through the haze.  All was ready, and the mules and horses
stepped out briskly, the last drink having worked wonders; but probably
the wonderful instinct of the mules taught them that they were nearing
the end of their horribly toilsome journey.  Perhaps it is not too much
to say that by some subtle power of communication they had learned the
fact from those which had made the journey before.  Certainly our dumb
friends do communicate good and bad information to one another.

Neither Chris nor Ned seemed much the worse since they had had a light
meal, but sat their ponies well enough once more, while there was no
need for their guidance, for the mule which had borne the water-barrels,
unladen now, having been placed with the bell-bearer in front, started
off freely enough, and needed no guidance to keep it to the track.

Naturally enough the two boys rode that night knee to knee with the
doctor and Bourne, each giving and receiving a faithful account of their
proceedings, and the lads too learning exactly what had taken place on
the awakening at the camp, when, utterly worn out and suffering, not one
of the four felt in a fit condition to stir, Griggs, naturally the
strongest of the party and best able to cope with the arduous work,
being by far the worst.

But he was the first to recover upon the discovery being made that the
boys were gone.  In fact, he took note of everything during the first
few minutes, and was able to point out that they had taken with them a
mule bearing the two water-barrels, and also found and pointed out the
trail the two ponies and the mule had made in the parching sand.

No one felt fit to stir, and the beasts of burden seemed to be in worse
plight than their masters.

But the doctor insisted upon a start being made at once, following upon
the trail, and all expected to come before long upon the pair lying dead
from thirst and exhaustion at the end of the track.

"We never expected to see you alive again, Chris," said the doctor; "and
when we came upon you at last, just as we all felt that we could go no
farther, we stopped short, no one daring to approach, for we found you
lying just as we had pictured you.

"The expedition was to all of us quite at an end, and we approached you
at last to lie down by your sides and die, when Griggs saw something
that neither I nor Ned's father had noted."

"What was that, father?" asked Chris.

"That the mule's head was pointing in our direction, and that the trail
on ahead was blurred, showing that you had been somewhere and were on
the way back.  The next minute he was shouting frantically for us to
come on, and we did, having literally crawled up, to find you both alive
and the two casks full of that which saved our lives."

That night camp was made in the midst of plenty, and the sun rose in the
morning over the thick desert-heated air to shine upon the dazzling
waters of the lake and the rich forest-land spreading upward towards a
range of mountains of a vivid blue.

It seemed to be the land of plenty that they had reached, where
abundance of game awaited the rifle, fish in shoals were in the lake,
and, most attractive of all, away on the horizon, amidst the range of
mountains running to right and left, were peaks among any of which the
golden city of which they were in search might be waiting to be compared
with the unfortunate old prospector's map.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

OFF AGAIN.

A short halt of a day or two only was made by the lake at first, and
then an excursion which had been made successfully in search of game
having resulted in the discovery of a more suitable spot higher up
towards the mountains, a week was spent there in a beautiful little
valley, where an abundant stream of crystal purity emptied itself into
the wide-spreading lake.  Pasturage was there for the horses and mules,
and almost without effort food was to be had at the expense of a few
cartridges, while very little skill was needed for Griggs and the boys
to draw salmon-like and trout-like fish to the banks.

In a day or two the perils and sufferings of the journey across the salt
plains were forgotten, and careful searching for signs of Indians having
proved that they were the sole occupants of the district, the whole
party gave themselves up to the pleasures of the peaceful life they were
enjoying.  But not for long.

Griggs had entered into the spirit of the chase, the fishing and the
search for vegetable food.  He was as eager too when the doctor led
excursions into gully and up hill-sides of a part of the world that
seemed to the adventurers as if it had never before been trodden by the
foot of man, and ready to point out fresh flowers, or indications of
metal or other minerals where the cliff was bared or splintered by some
fall from above.  But over the camp-fire at night, in some rocky nook,
or beneath the spreading boughs of a gigantic spruce-fir, a hint or a
word or two brought him back to the prime motive of their journey.

"I'm ready when you are, gentlemen," he cried.  "I don't say this isn't
grand, and that we oughtn't to be as happy as the day is long in a place
like this, but we didn't come out here only to enjoy a hunting-party.
There's that map, you know."

"Yes," said the doctor gravely, "there's the map.  But you don't think
this is a likely part of the country?"

"Not down here, sir; but from where we stood to-day after stalking those
birds, I could see the mountains opening out in gulch and rift and
hollow, beyond which there was peak and point and pass that looked as
much like the sort of country as could be."

"I noted the grand scenery too," said the doctor.

"And I," added Wilton.  "It's made me long to begin exploring again, for
there was no sign of desert that I could see."

"It's a grand country," said Bourne, "and the wonder to me is that it
has not been settled.  Why do you laugh, boy?"

"Oh, it was only at something I thought, sir," said Chris.

"What was it?"

"That the salt plains were enough to keep anybody from coming as far as
this."

"That's it, my lad," said Griggs.  "Men may have come prospecting in
this direction for gold, but I shouldn't be a bit surprised to find that
this is only a patch of good land round and about these mountains, and
that if we went far enough in any direction we should come to the salt
plains again, shutting it in and keeping people back."

"It is possible," said the doctor.

"It's more than likely, sir.  If it were not so, wouldn't people have
settled here?"

"It is very far from civilisation, Griggs," said Bourne.

"Most new places are far from civilisation, sir," cried Griggs.  "But
look all round here, sir; if a good strong party of men came here with
their wives and children they'd make their own civilisation, for it
seems to me that we can find here already pretty well everything a man
could want.  See what it would be after a few years of farm-stock
rearing and gardening."

"Then why not stop and settle here?" said the doctor, smiling.

"Because we've got gold on the brain, sir," replied Griggs grimly.  "We
set ourselves to see if that poor old fellow's story was a fact, and
having started, I say let's carry out our work.  If we don't find out
that his map told the truth, I'm ready to come and open out this bit of
country, if you like, for it's ten times the place that we came from.
Even now if you say we'll go no further, I'll set to work with you; but
because it's so beautiful ought we to forget how we're cutting ourselves
off from the rest of the world?"

"No," said the doctor emphatically.  "I propose we make a fresh start
to-morrow farther up into the mountains, and see what there is yonder."

There was a murmur of agreement at this, in which the boys joined.

"Yes," said Chris, as he sauntered away soon after with his eyes roaming
in every direction in search of danger or something new.  "Griggs is
right.  It's as fine as fine here, and I don't like leaving the fishing;
but I am beginning to want a change, aren't you?"

"No going down-hill again to be roasted and choked with thirst."

"Of course not," said Chris; "we've had enough of that.  I want to do
some of that shooting Griggs was talking about last night."

"What, the goats up in the mountains?"

"Yes, and those big horned sheep; but I feel sure he was laughing at us
about their jumping about the precipices, and running along ledges full
gallop when they're only a few inches wide."

"Oh, I don't know; he hadn't got that queer cock of the eye that he has
when he's spinning a yarn."

"Well, no; but it was a good deal like throwing the hatchet.  Didn't you
see how serious your father looked?"

"Yes, but not so serious as your father did when Griggs declared that
he'd seen flocks of those sheep running away from people stalking them
till they got to the edges of the precipices where they could go no
farther; and then jump down head first so as to come on the great thick
twisted horns which cover their foreheads, and bounce up again, and go
on running along a lower part."

"Yes, I saw.  Why, a big, heavy sheep if he came down like that would
break his horns."

"Break his horns!" cried Ned.  "He'd break his neck."

"I should like to shoot one of those fellows," said Chris.

"Or be below when one of them jumped, came down on his head, and broke
his neck," said Ned.  "I say, mutton--neck of mutton--leg of mutton!
Wouldn't a good roast joint be a treat?"

"Oh, what a fellow you are for thinking about eating!" cried Chris
impatiently.

"And so are you for drinking," replied Ned.  "You're always on the
lookout for water."

"Well, we must drink a great deal in such a thirsty land."

"Yes, and we must eat a deal to keep up one's strength," said Ned.  "I
can't help getting hungry when we're walking about so much.  I suppose
it's because I'm growing fast."

"Yea, that's it," said Chris, smiling.  "I get very hungry too.  It's
all right; I won't laugh at you any more.  I say, what lots of those
little gophers there are here.  Look there; why, there must be about a
hundred up on that patch of sandy ground.  Watching us to see if we're
coming, and ready to pop into their holes."

"I see them.  There's one of those little round tots of owls sitting
there too just outside the burrow.  It's quite comic to see the gophers
living so sociably with the little owls."

Chris gave a shout just then, and the colony of little burrowing animals
resembling the marmots of the Alps disappeared into their holes with an
accompaniment of angry warning whistles, just as a huge eagle came
sailing along overhead, swooping so near that a good marksman could
easily have brought it down.

"Seems a pity to go away from a place where there's so much to see,"
said Chris, after a time.  "And what for?  To find gold.  Well, it's
only yellow metal.  We might stay here and find some."

"Or silver," said Ned.

"Yes, or lead, or antimony."

"Or coal," cried Ned.

"Ah, that would be useful for making our cooking fire," said Chris.
"But there's plenty of wood everywhere, and I won't complain.  I want to
go on and see more.  Every place we come to seems more wonderful than
the last, and there's no knowing what we may find next."

"We shall see," said Ned, yawning, for the darkness was sweeping up the
sides of the hills, leaving the hollows black, and they had had a long
and tiring day.  "I suppose we shall start, then, to-morrow."

"For a certainty.  I wonder what our next camping-place may be like."

"That ruined city described by the old prospector, perhaps," said Ned,
laughing.  "But what are we going to do then--load the mules with gold,
and go back again?"

"I hope not," cried Chris.  "I don't want to go back.  Why, we haven't
shot a buffalo yet."

"So much the better for the buffalo," said Ned, yawning again.

"I say, don't do that," cried Chris querulously.

"I wasn't doing anything."

"Yes, you were; opening your mouth as wide as you could, just like old
Skeeter when he's getting ready to bray."

"Whinny," said Ned correctively.  "He isn't a donkey."

"I know that.  He can't bray.  He whinnies and squeals; but he tries to
bray, and opens his mouth just like you do."

"Perhaps so," said Ned, changing the conversation at once.  "I say,
doesn't that peak look beautiful?  It's just as if it is red-hot."

"You'd find it pretty cold if you were up there," said Chris, giving up
making rude allusions to his companion's yawning.

"Yes; that always seems to me so strange," said Ned.

"What does?"

"That the nearer you get up to the sun the colder it is.  It ought to be
hotter."

"Don't find fault with nature," said Chris dogmatically.  "I wasn't
finding fault.  I only say it seems queer.  I want to thoroughly
understand why it is."

"Ask your father, he knows."

"I did," said Ned, "and he said it was because the atmosphere was
thinner, the higher you get."

"Then the lower you get I suppose the thicker it is," said Chris
thoughtfully, "and that's why it's so thick and hot down there on the
salt desert.  Oh, my word, how it used to scorch!  It was just as if the
haze was one great burning-glass."

"Oh, I say," cried Ned dolefully, "I wish you wouldn't."

"Wouldn't what?"

"Talk about the heat on the salt plains.  We're going to start off
afresh to-morrow morning, and I shall begin dreaming about what we went
through over yonder."

"Poor old chap!"

"Ah, you may laugh, but it'll all come back like a nightmare, with the
burning thirst and giddiness, and the black spots before one's eyes."

"That's biliousness," said Chris, speaking authoritatively, like a
doctor's son.

"I don't care what it is.  It's very horrible," said Ned, "and if I
thought we were going through a time like that again I should want to
stop at home."

"Where's that?" said Chris dryly.

"Ah, to be sure," said Ned, with a sigh.  "I forgot where we were.  I
suppose there'll be no home again till we've found the gold."

"And that won't be to-night," said Chris, as a shrill whistle rang out
through the clear evening air.  "There's old Griggs calling us just as
if we were dogs.  I've a good mind not to hear."

But Chris answered the whistle all the same, and the boys were soon
after joined by the American, who had come to meet them, and his first
words were--

"Now, boys, bed and a good long sleep.  We're off again at daybreak."

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

PETRA THE SECOND.

Daybreak came all too soon for Chris, who sprang up rubbing his eyes and
yawning, in response to a summons from Griggs, who stood over the boy
like a black figure cut out of cardboard showing against a ruddy glow.

"Why--oh bother!  It can't be time," cried the boy.

"Yes, it is, and we're late."

"So we are.  You said daylight, and the sun's rising."

"Is it?" said Griggs.  "Then it's before its time.  There, unbutton your
eyelids and look again.  The sun doesn't crackle and spit when it gets
over the world's edge."

"Humph!" grunted Chris, as he realised the truth that a roaring fire of
pinewood was burning in a sheltered spot.  "Have you woke Ned?"

"Yes, and he's growling for his breakfast.  Going to have a sluice
first?  You'll just have time."

Griggs went back to see after the breakfast, and Chris turned to where
Ned had lain down on a fragrant pine-bough couch.

"Here, look sharp," he said.  "I suppose we must have a dose of cold
water."

Ned grunted and seemed as ill-humoured as his companion at being
awakened from sleep, and the pair hurried through the gloom to the side
of the gully, where there was a soft, splashing roar caused by water
falling like so much foam from a ledge about a hundred feet above their
heads into a rock-pool at their feet.

The boys' preparations did not take long, neither did the application of
their bath.  Chris stepped into the rock-pool, took a couple of paces,
and stood right in the middle of the descending broken water, uttered a
gasp or two, stepped out, and began to apply a rough home-made towel
with tremendous energy.

"Is it cold?" said Ned, with a preliminary shiver.

"Ugh!  Horrid!" was the smothered reply.

The words seemed to check Ned, but the shock had to be suffered, and he
too stepped into the natural shower-bath, and sprang out again, to
follow his companion's example.

"Feel sleepy now?" cried Chris, with a laugh, and in quite a different
tone of voice.

"Sleepy?  Who could?" was the reply, punctuated with gasps.  "My!  Isn't
it icy this morning!"

"Yes.  Washed all the snarl out of you, old chap," cried Chris merrily.
"I say, you did sound disagreeable."

"Oh, I like that!" said Ned.  "Why, a bear with a sore head was nothing
to you."

"Humph!" grunted Chris, feeling too guilty to defend himself.  "I say,
feel cold now?"

"No; burning hot," was the reply.  "I say, what a pity there are not
falls like this all over the salt desert."

"There'd be no salt desert if there were," said Chris, who was now
dressing rapidly in the increasing light.  "They'd soon wash all the
salt away.  Look sharp: old Griggs will be shouting directly."

The word "Breakfast!" came almost as he spoke, and as the boys hurried
towards the fire, fully alert now and ready for anything, they saw that
the mules were all laden but the one which carried the kitchen, as they
called it, and this beast was feasting in company with the ponies.

"Oh, I say, father, it isn't fair," cried Chris, in response to the
morning greeting.  "You know I like to help load."

"Yes, my boy, but we woke earlier than usual, and I wanted you two to
have a good rest, for we shall have a long day."

Ned was making a similar protest to his father, who responded by telling
him that he would be tired enough before night.

The words proved to be quite true, for they had a long, long journey
through rugged valley, up steep mountain side, down precipitous gulch,
and across many a roaring torrent, one of which necessitated the use of
knotted-together ropes to ensure that the mules with their loads were
not swept away.

For in spite of the descents they were gradually ascending into a higher
mountainous region which grew more and more grand, while,
notwithstanding the fierce heat of the sun, fatigue seemed non-existent,
as the party drank in the strong, invigorating air.

The ideas that had been suggested about this part of the country being
island-like, rising out of a vast sea of salt desert, were proved to be
correct, for during quite a fortnight's journeyings here and there they
obtained glimpses in the far distance of the glistening plains over
which hung the cloud-like haze of heat.

But whenever after scaling some height their approach towards the
boundaries of the island was revealed, the doctor called a halt, and
after a discussion with Griggs they struck off in a fresh direction
through what proved to be a perfect wonderland of mountain gorge and
forest, the home of wild animals and birds, every valley and plain
furnishing supplies, while the want of water was never once felt.

"Why, we must have pretty well explored this part of the country," said
Wilton, one evening, as they sat resting and watching the sun-glow dying
out amongst the peaks.

"A little bit of it, sir," said Griggs dryly; "just to show us how we
might spend a year or two."

"What!" cried Wilton with a mocking laugh.  "If we started west
to-morrow in a couple of good marches we should be right out on the salt
plains again."

"Perhaps so; but this Amurrica's a bigger place than you think for, sir.
We're going south-west to-morrow, aren't we, doctor, so as to get a
lookout from that double-topped mountain where the tongue of desert came
right in?"

"Yes; that is what I proposed," said the doctor.  "He is quite right,
Wilton.  We have seen only a little of one of the grandest parts of the
country I have been in."

"Like some of the Rockies, sir," cried Griggs enthusiastically.  "I
guess that Mr Wilton will alter his opinion as we go on."

"Perhaps," said Wilton good-humouredly.  "I don't mind.  It is, as you
folks say, very grand."

"Grander than you think, sir," said Griggs.  "I went higher than the
doctor yesterday, and I think we're going to have a surprise to-morrow."

The surprise did not come that next day as Griggs had prophesied, but
two days later, when after an arduous struggle through a wild ravine,
with the perpendicular cliffs rising to such a height on either side
that the bottom was in twilight at mid-day, they took advantage of a
fall of water to halt and refresh their ponies and mules, letting them
drink their fill and then begin cropping the rich grass growing near,
while wallets were opened and the tired party lay about partaking with
excellent appetite of the provisions they had brought with them.

"This is about the wildest place we've been in yet, father," said Chris,
as he looked up at the mighty cliffs by which they were enclosed.

The doctor nodded, but Wilton, who heard the remark, made reply.

"Yes," he said; "I shouldn't care about being here in a storm.  I should
expect to have the rocks loosened by every peal of thunder, and come
tumbling down upon our heads."

"A frightful gorge," said Bourne; "but we seem to have come to the end.
It closes in yonder.  A regular blind lead."

"Just the sort of place where we ought to search for minerals," said the
doctor.

"Why don't you come and lie down for a rest, Griggs?" cried Ned, for the
American, after hurrying through his lunch, had gone forward a hundred
yards or so to begin climbing up from ledge to ledge, pausing to look
round from time to time.

He heard Ned's question, which came to his ears like a strange whisper,
and then again louder as if it was reflected from the rock-face on his
left; but he only waved his hand by way of reply and went on climbing
higher.

"If he were not as active as a goat," said the doctor, "I should feel
nervous and expect to see him fall."

"Yes, it is very risky," said Bourne thoughtfully, "and, though we have
you with us, a broken limb would not add to the comfort of our journey."

"Oh, Griggs won't fall," said Chris decisively.  "He's going up there to
see where the spring comes from."

"No," said the doctor.  "He is climbing up beside the fall because the
water has worn the gully into rough steps and formed a staircase by
which we might get out of this gorge and perhaps find ourselves in
another perhaps wilder valley.  What's he doing now?"

"Chipping at the stones by the water-side to see if there's any gold,"
said Ned, who was watching their companion attentively.  "But he hasn't
found any, for he's going on."

This was the case, and at last they saw him come to a stand as if
unwilling, or unable, to go any farther.

"Quite a blind lead there," said the doctor.

"You wouldn't attempt to take the mules up there, would you," said
Wilton, "even if he said it was passable?"

"No, it would be folly; too much risk.  We'll go back soon, and try some
other way."

"Here he comes back," said Chris, as he saw the American turn and begin
to descend by another way, leaving the rushing torrent above him and
following the sharp descent into the bottom of the gorge, along which he
made his way till he was level with and joined them.

"Find the door locked?" said Wilton, laughing.

"No," was the reply, as the American stretched himself on the grass.

"No?  You couldn't have got along that way any further, could you?" said
the doctor.

"Oh yes; the place seems to come to a blank end from here, but from up
yonder you can see that it doubles back round a sharp corner to the
left."

"But the mules couldn't get by?"

"Oh yes; it looks narrow, but not so strait as that.  We can ride
along."

"Indeed?" cried Bourne, while the boys listened eagerly.

"I half thought we should have to go back, but it's all right.  This
place only zigzags a bit, and we can get through into the next valley
when the beasts have had their feed.  It's much better to go forward
than journey back."

"Did you find anything when you were chipping up there?" said Ned.

"Yes," replied the American coolly; "there's gold in the rock up yonder
by the water, and I found this in one little hole."

He took a scrap of yellow metal from his pocket, and held it out to the
doctor.

"A nugget of gold," said that gentleman, "very much worn by the water."

"And the stones," said Griggs sharply; "and no wonder, for it was being
swept round and round.  One minute I could see it, the next it was gone;
but it was washed right into my hand at last.  I dare say we might wash
a good deal here."

"But you do not propose to stop?"

"No, sir; I've an idea that this is the most likely part we've come to
yet.  Let's get on.  We could come back then if we found nothing
better."

Griggs' remarks roused the interest of all present, and at the end of
half-an-hour, spent by the boys in washing the sand in a pool lower
down, where they found a few scales of the rich metal, the journey was
continued, Griggs leading, to where all further progress seemed
impossible, for they were compelled to halt by the apparent closing-in
of the gorge, which presented, in fact, an unclimbable precipice.  A few
steps farther there was a narrow rift extending from their feet to the
top of the cliff a couple of thousand feet above their heads, and
literally doubling back into this, they threaded their way along a
passage not twenty feet in width, which zigzagged here and there for
about a quarter of a mile deeper and deeper into the mountains, growing
more and more gloomy, and then all at once displaying the bright glow of
sunshine right in front, as if it came round an elbow of the way.  A few
minutes later Griggs led the party into a vast amphitheatre walled in by
towering walls that were on the whole perpendicular, but seamed with
rifts running up to natural terraces or breaks in the strata of which
the vast walls were composed.

The change from the gloom of the zigzag ravine along which they had made
their way, to the sunlit amphitheatre, was almost painful, and the party
stood in a group shading their eyes, gazing about in silence, till Chris
suddenly snatched off his hat, waved it in the air, and with a shout
startled the mules into the beginning of a stampede.

But this was nipped in the bud, and as soon as the animals were calmed
down, the boy cried excitedly--

"I didn't mean to do that.  But, I say, we've found the old city at
last."

"Nay," cried Griggs, shaking his head.  "This don't go on all fours with
our map."

"But it's a city," cried Ned eagerly.  "It's precious old; but look all
along there, and up yonder, and down that bit--everywhere, there are
houses with doorways and windows.  Why, there's quite one side of a
street along at the back of that shelf."

"Yes, boys; it's a city, sure enough," said the doctor almost as
excitedly as the lads.  "Why, Griggs, this must be one of the old
pueblas that the Spaniards talked about."

"Yes, sir, that's it, sure enough; a city cut out of the rock-faces of
this great shut-in place.  Why, it must have been a regular stronghold
where thousands of people lived, and we've hit upon the way in.  I
shouldn't wonder if there's no way out."

"Oh, there may be at the end yonder.  How far is it to where that great
rock-wall closes in?"

"Mile and a quarter, I should say," replied the American.

"Then at the widest part yonder it must be nearly half-a-mile across,"
cried Bourne.

"Hardly, sir; say quarter, and here and there not half that."

"But the cliffs seem about the same height," cried Chris, "just as if
they had been cut level."

"Nature cut them then," cried Griggs, laughing.  "Seems to me that it's
just one great fault in a bit of tableland."

"But how could it come so regular?" said Wilton thoughtfully.

"Who knows, sir?  Earthquake perhaps, or shrinking.  Anyhow, here it is,
regular rock city such as we've read about; and the old folks made it by
cutting away.  Chopped it out of the stone and by filling up and
securing the openings."

"But look at the terraces one above the other.  They must have built
those."

"Nay, squire; those regular lines are just how the rocks form in ledges
and cracks.  I s'pose, doctor, we shan't go any further to-day?"

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

THE WATER SEARCH.

"Certainly not," cried the doctor.  "We must explore this place.  But it
looks so fresh that most likely we shall find a tribe of Indians living
here still."

"Nay," said Griggs, shaking his head as his keen eyes wandered from
place to place along the vast opening.  "Indians who lived here must
have had horses for going about, and there isn't a sign of one anywhere.
Besides, if there had been any Indians we should have had some of them
showing.  The fighting men might be away, but there'd be their wives and
papooses skulking here and there."

"Yes; a city of the dead," said the doctor, sweeping the sides of the
amphitheatre with his glass.  "Not a sign of life but some marmot-like
animals yonder.  And, as far as I know, there are no Indians who build
or carve out such houses as these living now, except the puebla Indians.
Well, this is a discovery indeed.  We are bound to find some
interesting relics here if other travellers have not been beforehand
with us."

"Then we shall camp here for a day or two, father?" cried Chris eagerly.
"Let's ride on to the end, and see if there's a way out yonder."

"Yes, it will be as well," said the doctor, "and at the same time we can
select our camp.  But the first thing is to find water."

"If there is none we must go back to that torrent where the gold was
found."

"And make some excursions here," said Wilton.

"Must be water somewhere here, sir," said Griggs uneasily.  "There must
have been a strong tribe living here at some time--hundreds of 'em,
perhaps--and they couldn't live without drinking."

There was a desolate look about the newly-discovered city, but the
bottom between the vast walls was every here and there verdant with
grass and shrub, while the walls themselves were dotted with the growth
of ages.  Bushes were everywhere, while in every crack and cleft, trees
had taken root, some being of a pendent growth spreading graceful boughs
which waved in the soft wind that from time to time swept through the
great depression.

"Let's leave the mules to browse here," said the doctor; "there's enough
of this short bush to keep them together while we ride on and explore,
for I think we may make sure that we have the place to ourselves."

"I won't say yes to that yet, sir," said Griggs dryly; "not till we've
had a good look round.  And first thing I've got to say is, 'Ware
snakes."

"What!" cried the boys, in a breath.

"'Ware snakes, as aforesaid, neighbours," repeated the American.  "You
may depend upon it some of those gentlemen came creeping or tumbling
down from the flats above, found the premises convenient, and are living
with large families up in some of these houses."

These words had a strange effect upon the listeners.  It was as if all
the interest in the place had been crashed out; all desire to explore
the wonders of this old city of the past had died away on the instant.
As for the boys, their adventures in the desert came back, and clearly
standing out were the creeping and writhing poisonous reptiles whose
stroke meant a horrible death, lurking ready for them wherever they
turned: and a shudder ran through them as if they had just been swept by
some icy wind.

Then the doctor spoke.

"That's a horrible notion of yours, Griggs," he said; "but, after all,
it is only a guess: there may not be a reptile here."

"So much the better for us, sir," cried the American cheerily; "but all
the same I say it once more--'Ware snakes."

"Yes: you all have a shot-cartridge ready?" said the doctor.

"Yes," came back--one word, and everybody unslung his double piece.

"The mules," said the doctor then--"we must not have them bitten."

"They'll be pretty safe where they are grazing," said Griggs coolly.
"Rattlesnakes don't care for places like that.  It's in the stony sandy
bits where they can get the full heat of the sun that there is most
risk."

"Yes," said the doctor thoughtfully; "perhaps we might leave them as
they are."

"And pick our way slowly and carefully, doctor.  Shall I go first?"

"I don't like setting you always where there is most danger," replied
the doctor.

"None for me here," replied Griggs.  "It's my poor mustang who has to
run the risk; but I'll try and save him all I can."

"How?"

"Well, I've a sort of idea that I can manage it this way," replied the
American, re-slinging his rifle and taking out his strong keen-edged
hunting-knife, after dismounting and throwing his rein upon the ground
over his pony's head.  The sturdy little creature stood gazing at it, as
if full of the belief that the rein held it fast to a peg driven firmly
into the ground, and never attempting to move, while its master stepped
to a clump of young fir-trees, selecting a sapling about a dozen feet
high and cutting it off close to the ground.

This done, he proceeded quickly to lop off all the horizontal branches
close to the stem, clearing them quickly away all but the thick top,
where he left a tuft, and on finishing, had provided himself with a
rough lance whose green brush-like top furnished him with the weapon of
offence and defence with which he intended to protect his pony.

"What are you going to do?" asked Chris, who had been watching him
intently.

"You come next, and see," was the reply.  "Now, gentlemen, I'll lead;
please follow in single file."

Griggs sent his pony forward at a walk towards the far end of the
amphitheatre, holding the fir-pole well-balanced and low-down in front,
while, rising in his stirrups, he bent forward, lancer-like, keeping his
eyes fixed upon the ground before him, over which he guided his mount.
In this way he advanced, still keeping at a walk, avoiding every
dangerous-looking spot, keeping to the open, and wherever there was the
possibility of a lurking enemy being at hand the tuft at the point of
the pole was lowered to the ground and used as a beater to drive out any
reptile that might be there.

At the commencement the mustang seemed disposed to start and shy, but a
few soothing words calmed it, and as if divining the object in view, it
stepped out finally, only uttering a snort or two when the green head of
the spear was rustled about, the snorts sounding as if given to help
scare any danger away.

"Don't seem to be any, Griggs," said Chris.

"Not yet, my lad," was the reply.  "You see, I'm picking out the least
likely bits; but one never knows."

"There goes one," shouted Chris the next moment, and he raised his piece
to his shoulder.

"Don't fire; he's got well into cover," cried Griggs.  "It was a snake,
but I don't think it was a rattler, for he didn't talk with his tail."

"No; I didn't hear him rattle.  Why did you tell me not to fire?"

"Because you wouldn't have hit the brute, only wasted a cartridge."

There had been no check, and they rode slowly on and on till the end of
the depression had been reached, Griggs's plan resulting in starting off
altogether five dangerous-looking serpents from the spots where they lay
ready to scuttle in amongst the growth at the first movement of the
extemporised weapon--the last of the fleeing reptiles proving its
dangerous nature as it hurried away by giving off a harsh, dull,
rattling sound with its quivering tail.

A careful examination was made to the left without effect, and another
to the right, but everywhere they were faced by the precipitous wall of
cliff, carved-out and terraced, and here and there offering facilities
for climbing up more or less high, the stones from above having fallen
from the weakening and decay of time till a glacis-like slope had been
formed; but after the reptiles that had been started in the less likely
places, there was no present temptation for ascending the stony slopes,
bathed in the hot sunshine and looking thoroughly suited for the home of
the dangerous creatures.

This exploration of the lower part of the amphitheatre, ravine, or
depression tempted farther search, the party riding on, and after
examining cautiously the sides, visiting the upper portion near the
zigzag gorge by which they had entered; but only to find that there was
no other means of access to the city unless by a descent from the
tableland in which the place seemed to be formed.

"And snakes seem to be the only inhabitants," said Chris to his
companion.  "Why, Griggs, we can't stop here."

"Not unless we can find water," said the American.

"And not even then," replied the boy, "with the risk of getting bitten."

"If there are no more than we started we're not going to give up for
that," said Griggs coolly.  "Why, they're quite scarce."

"But we haven't been upward on those terraces.  They may be swarming
there," cried Chris.

"Yes, and there may be none.  We don't want to go up there to-day.  What
we want is water.  Now, where is it?"

"Nowhere, seemingly."

"Oh, that notion won't do," said the American.  "Here, it is plain
enough that once upon a time this was a big place with no end of people
living in it."

"Yes; so my father thought."

"Very well, then; I dare say it was just such a dry, hot place as it is
now, and they must have had water close at hand, or they wouldn't have
settled here."

"They got it out of the gully through which we came."

"No, that won't do," cried Griggs.  "This was the old people's
stronghold, where they could be safe and set all their enemies at
defiance.  Everything points to that.  Don't it?"

"I think so," said Chris grudgingly.

"Well, then, it isn't likely that they would depend on a fall of water
from which the first enemies who attacked them could cut them off and
leave them to die of thirst."

"I never thought of that," said Chris, as, separated now from the rest,
they allowed their ponies to pace slowly on, nibbling off such juicy
shoots as came in their way.

"It isn't likely," said Griggs.  "There must be water somewhere--a fine
fall that comes down from the plain up above, or they wouldn't have
chosen this spot."

"Perhaps there used to be one, and it has dried-up."

"Nay; the place is too green.  Water must come on the high ground
somewhere and find its way into this great hollow.  Anyhow, it's out of
sight, so it's underneath somewhere."

"Then we shan't find it."

"I don't know about that, my lad," replied the American, with a little
laugh.  "There's other senses besides seeing."

"Yes, smelling," said Chris, with a smile; "but we can't find it that
way."

"Don't you be in too great a hurry, my lad.  We're going to have another
good hunt round at the bottom of these great cliffs, and if that comes
to nothing we might try smelling."

"Ah!  Nothing but a dog would be any use there."

"In a hurry again, boy.  I'd back something else to find water before a
dog."

"A fish on dry land?"

"Tchah!  No.  What was it found the lake for us the other day?"

"The mule," cried Chris.

"Got it again," said Griggs, laughing.  "I don't say he would, but I
shouldn't at all wonder, if we brought old Skeeter round, as like as not
he'd smell out the place."

"Buried under some of these great stone slides that have come down?"

"To be sure, my lad.  Now, that's a likely place."

Griggs pointed to a huge gap in the cliff away to their right where the
carved-out openings running along behind a rough terrace a hundred feet
up the vast wall suddenly ceased as if broken off, and commenced again
at about the same height on the other side of the gap.

"Let's go and look, then," said Chris; "but it doesn't seem very likely,
for it's all one bank of piled-up stones."

"That have run down from up yonder like those avalanches we read about.
Mind how you come, for it's a snaky-looking bit.  Go on, old chap; I'll
sweep the way for you with my fir-pole."

Chris felt a creepy sensation at the allusion to snakes, and his eyes
looked very wide open as he followed close behind his companion, whose
pony picked its steps with the greatest caution, the way growing more
and more encumbered with stones as they neared the slope which filled up
the gap.

"It looks as if there had been an earthquake.  What a roar there must
have been when these stones came tumbling down!"

"More likely that water had been coming down in a regular stream for
hundreds and hundreds of years till all the earth and small stones had
been washed away and made a great hollow underneath which held up the
cliff as long as it could, and then gave way all at once."

"You're talking as if a torrent ran down from the top of the cliff
yonder."

"Jusso," said Griggs.

"Then where did it go to?" said Chris.

"That's what we've got to find out.  Got a hole of its own underground,
perhaps, and dives down, to come up again miles away, perhaps, and--
Water it is!"

"Where?" cried Chris excitedly, and he threw up his head, his nostrils
expanded, and he sniffed loudly.

Griggs threw up his head too, but he did not open his nostrils and sniff
loudly.  He only laughed.

"More ways of killing a cat than hanging it," he cried merrily.  "Other
ways besides seeing and smelling.  Hark!"

They had pushed their way in among the outer blocks that had bounded
farthest, and their ponies had halted at the bottom of the slope because
they could go no farther without attempting to climb.

"Hark?  What to--what at?  I can't hear anything.  Yes, I can," cried
the boy excitedly.  "It's a singing, gurgling noise.  Why, Griggs,
you're right.  There's water running down below here."

"Well done, hearing!" cried Griggs.  "I'll be bound to say there's a big
natural tunnel down below here.  One minute.  Let's try a bit more to
the right."

They dismounted, and Griggs led the way, brushing the rocks about with
his pole as he climbed up and up, listening the while, for about sixty
or seventy yards, and then he stopped short, picked up a stone about as
big as his head, and pitched it away forward.

There was silence for a few moments, and then, just as Chris climbed up
alongside and found himself on the edge of a deep chasm going down into
gloom, he heard a hollow, echoing splash.

"Sounds like water," said Griggs coolly, "and plenty of it."

"Yes," cried Chris, as he listened.  "Why, I heard that dull, rumbling
sound before," he continued, as he bent over, "but it seemed to come
from high up in the cliffs, and I thought it was the wind."

"So did I," said Griggs.  "I suppose the sound comes up and strikes
against the rock-face, to be reflected off to where we could hear it
down below."

"Would it be?"

"To be sure, my lad.  Sound's just like light in that.  It strikes
against anything and goes off, they say, at the same angle, and then
perhaps it's only in one position that you can see it.  Same here:
there's one part down below where we can catch this rumbling, hissing
echo."

"But you don't call that finding water?  What a horrible place!  How are
we to get at it?"

"Oh, easily enough," said Griggs coolly.  "You'll have to go down with
all the bottles and fill them."

"What!  Down there?"

"Yes.  Shouldn't you like the job?"

"Of course not."

"Well, then, I must," said Griggs, laughing.

"No, that wouldn't be fair."

"Never mind; we'll argue that out afterwards," said Griggs merrily.
"Anyhow, we've found what we wanted."

Clapping his hands to the sides of his mouth, he shouted "Water!" and
the rest of the party began to move towards them, delighted with the
news.

"Any snakes about?" cried the doctor, as they reached the foot of the
slope.

"Haven't seen any up here," was the reply; and the party climbed up to
stand at the edge of the great pit-like place, gazing down and listening
to the hollow, echoing roar of what was evidently a large body of water.

"Well done!" cried the doctor.  "Why, there must be quite a tunnel below
here."

"I think not, sir; it's only a narrow path in the side of the place,
partly filled up with the big stones fallen from above; but there's
evidently a great well-like place going right down ever so deep to flow
underground."

"But how are we to get at the water now we have found it?" said Wilton.
"I for one am not going down there."

"It ought to be some one light and active, not a big, strong man," said
Griggs dryly.  "P'r'aps Mr Ned here wouldn't mind."

Ned's face underwent such a change, becoming contracted in so absurd a
manner, that Chris burst into a roar of laughter and began to stamp
about.

"Oh yes, it's very funny," cried Ned, in an ill-used tone.  "Perhaps
Chris would like the job."

"Not I," cried the boy.  "Nobody could go down there."

"I'm afraid not," said the doctor, peering down and listening to the
deep, hollow roar.  "Then we've had all our trouble for nothing."

"Oh no, sir," said Griggs; "the hole doesn't go straight down.  We're
all thirsty, and it would be a long job to go all the way back to that
fall.  We'd better give the animals what we have in the tubs, and I'll
go down with one and fill it again."

"No, no; we must go back."

"Before we've explored this place, sir?  Why, as likely as not we shall
find it is another gold city when we come to search.  I'll go down."

"It is too risky, man.  Suppose you slipped?"

"Ah, that would be awkward; and you'd have to go miles away to look for
the hole where I came out," said Griggs, laughing; "but I'm not going to
run any risks of that sort.  I've too much liking for old Griggs, as
young Chris here calls me.  Oh, it's easy enough, sir.  I'll take down
one of the barrels with some of the lariats knotted together and one end
made fast round my chest.  Then if I slip you can haul me up."

"I hardly like letting you go," said the doctor, speaking dubiously.

"It'll be easy enough," said the American coolly.  "I'll do it."

They went back to where the mules were grazing, distributed the contents
of one barrel amongst them, and then brought the empty vessel up to the
edge of the gap, where Griggs set busily to work knotting the hide-ropes
they had with them tightly together, after which a bundle of dry
pine-boughs was lit, after being bound together with a bit of chain
attached to the end of the lariats.

The wood was soon blazing brightly, and it was then lowered down, to
keep on touching at the side of what proved to be a sharp slope, but
only to be shaken clear again and go on lighting up the sloping,
cave-like place, till as the watchers peered down they suddenly caught
sight of the reflection of the ruddy, smoky light, and upon the blazing
faggot descending another few feet after lodging once more, they could
see the rushing water tearing along, to pass right beneath where the
observers stood.

By this time the faggot was burning rapidly away, and fiery brands began
to drop, to fall with a hiss into the underground torrent, some to
become extinct on the moment, while others glided out of sight on the
surface, giving a good idea of the extent of the place.

"There," said Griggs coolly, "it's all right, you see, sir.  We'll have
two ropes, one for the barrels and one for a life-line.  I shall take
one of the lanthorns down with me.  Say, young Chris, I hope we shan't
have made the water taste of burnt wood and turpentine."

"There's no fear of that," said the doctor; "all that water will be far
away before you reach the surface.  Are you making those knots sure?"

"You may trust me, sir," said Griggs, coolly enough.  "Why, what a fuss
we're making about going twenty feet down at the end of a rope.  I
believe I could creep down those stones easy enough without.  May as
well have a line round me, though, I suppose."

"You'll not go down without," said the doctor decisively.

The preparations did not take long, "only long enough to make us more
thirsty," Griggs said; and then of the two lines made ready, one was
attached to the barrel carefully and well, the other made fast about the
American's chest.

"I don't like for him to go down," said Chris, aside, to his companion.

"I don't either," replied Ned.

"It seems so unfair when I'm so much lighter," continued Chris
excitedly, "and as if I ought to go."  Then on the impulse of the
moment, "Here, father, I'll go down instead."

"Shame!" cried Griggs merrily.  "Do you want to rob a poor fellow of
having the first drink?  No, thank you; this is my job, and I won't give
it up to any one.  Now then, we're all ready, I think."

"What about the lanthorn?" cried Bourne.

"I won't have it, thank you, sir," said Griggs.  "It'll only be in the
way, and I shan't want it.  Looks dark down there, but it'll be light
enough when I get below for all that I've got to do."

"But it looks horribly dark," whispered Chris, who stood close to
Griggs.

"Yes, from here, because you are looking into a dark hole.  When I am
down there I shall be able to look up here at the sunshine."

"Light the lanthorn, boys, and tie it to the end of a couple of the
ropes.  We have plenty, have we not?"

"Oh yes, plenty," said Wilton, and in a very short time the light was
ready in case of an emergency.

"Now then," said Griggs; "I dare say I shall be able to climb up again
after I have done, but if I can't I suppose two will be strong enough to
haul me up."

"We can have three if necessary," said Bourne excitedly, for he looked
the most nervous of any one present.

"Lower down the barrel, then, my lads.  You can do that," said Griggs.
"Just let it touch the water.  You'll know when it does, for there will
be a tug to sweep it away; but don't let it go.  Haul it up a few feet
then, and be ready to lower it again when I shout."

"Yes," was the reply, in a husky whisper, and directly after the barrel
was following the course previously taken by the burning faggot, but
without catching, its shape allowing it to pass down the steep slope,
till the expected jerk was given as it kissed the water, when it was
snatched back out of the current's reach.

"That's all right, then," said Griggs cheerily.  "Now, look here, I
shall want you to lower it again so that I can press the bung-hole under
water.  Most likely I shall have to do this with my foot, because my
hands will be wanted for holding on.  You understand?"

"Oh yes, we see," cried Chris.

"Then down I go," said Griggs.

"Stop!" cried the doctor, and his companions drew a deep breath which
sounded as if they were greatly relieved.

"What's the matter?  Knots loose?"

"No, but I don't see that it is necessary for you to go down.  We'll let
the barrel go into the water, and it will fill itself."

"Not it," said Griggs.  "It will only be battered to pieces against the
rocks there."

"I don't know," said the doctor.  "We'll try.  I don't think we ought to
let you go down save as a last resource."

"Very well, then," cried Griggs.  "Suppose you try."

The doctor had already joined the boys at the rope and helped to lower
the barrel down to the surface once again, to be, as it were, literally
seized by the current; and as those above held on there was a strange,
hollow, echoing noise as it was banged from side to side for a minute or
two, before Griggs cried--

"That'll do.  If there's much more of that all the hoops will be torn
off.  Haul up a bit.  You see I must go, sir."

The barrel was raised a little once more, and as soon as this was done
Griggs turned to Wilton and Bourne, who held the rope fastened about his
breast.

"Ready?" he said.

"Yes," was the reply.

"Keep it just tight enough to feel me, but not enough to hinder me as I
get down from stone to stone.  I don't mean to if I can help it, but be
prepared for a slip."

The next minute they could see their companion descending from block to
block, his form growing fainter each few seconds, during which he made
no strain upon the rope, which was steadily drawn through the holders'
hands, the doctor having stepped behind the others to form a third,
while Chris and Ned lay down upon their chests so as to watch the brave
fellow's descent.

"All easy going," said Griggs, his voice coming up out of the gloom, and
sounding hollow and strange.

The rope glided down, and a strange, harsh, rasping sound was made as
the adventurer lowered himself from stone to stone till he must have
been half-way down, when all at once there was a violent tug at the
rope, a crash as of something giving way, and directly after a deep,
echoing roar as of a heavy body plunging into deep water far below.

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

THE OLDEN FOLK.

"Pull, pull, pull!" cried Chris wildly.

"No, no!" came from below.  "I'm all right.  Only a big stone I
loosened.  Wait a moment, and then let me go on."

Chris uttered a hoarse gasp, and turned faint, while Ned felt the
hide-rope attached to the barrel turn wet and slippery in his hands.

"Go on!  Gently!" cried Griggs, and the rope was once more allowed to
glide steadily down; the rasping of boots on the blocks of stone below
continued, and at the end of another minute ceased as Griggs shouted
up--

"There, I'm all right--standing on a big block with the water rushing
along about a foot below me.  Keep tight hold now.  You, boys, ease down
the barrel till I shout.  Don't let it go when the water grabs it.
Lower away.  Right!  I have it; now ease a little more and a little
more.  Now keep tight; I'm going to force it under water."

It seemed to Chris that he could see everything quite plainly as their
hands which held the hide-ropes were drawn lower and lower.

"That's right," came up in Griggs' hoarse, echoing voice, which sounded
as if he were panting from the way in which he was exerting himself; and
then with the barrel rope jerking violently, the boys felt a peculiar
thrill and a sensation as if the weight was increasing for what seemed,
though only a few minutes, a terribly long time.

"All right!" at last.  "She's full.  Now, then, haul up.  I'm safe here,
on good standing-ground.  Two hold my rope.  Up with the barrel."

Those at the surface needed no second order, but began to haul away,
Chris's hands now growing wet as a horrible thought made him more
nervous; and that thought was, What would be the consequence if the rope
broke or the barrel slipped from its fastenings?

He shuddered again and again at the idea, as with Bourne now helping,
the barrel was drawn higher and higher, and then all at once was checked
by catching against some projection.

"Lower it a little," whispered Chris huskily, and the weight was allowed
to descend a few inches, being in the gloom as it went down.

"Up now," cried Chris again, and the next moments were exciting in the
extreme, as he anticipated another check when the projection was
reached.  But Chris's gasp turned into a faint hurrah as the barrel
hoops scraped over the projection, and it came up now hand over hand
till it reached the surface and was drawn right away to stand amongst
the loose stones.

"Got it?" came from below.

"Yes," cried the doctor.  "All right.  Can you climb up?"

There was no answer for some seconds, and then the American said, in a
peculiarly husky voice--

"Coming up.  Haul steady."

Three pairs of hands were at the rope now, and their owners exchanged
glances as they kept up a steady strain, feeling that Griggs was trying
to climb, but jerking the line again and again as if his efforts
resulted in a series of slips.  After the last the adventurer's efforts
seemed to be so feeble that the haulers kept on steadily gathering in
the rope hand over hand, till Griggs' hands came within reach, when
Chris and Ned each seized one to give the final tug which drew him over
the edge of the hole and right away to a level spot, where he sank down,
apparently quite exhausted, and with a peculiarly strained look about
his eyes.

"Feel overdone?" said the doctor.

"A little, sir," was the faint reply.  "Can you give me a drop of the
water?"

This was quickly obtained, and the poor fellow swallowed it with
difficulty, and then seemed to revive a little, while the doctor, who
looked anxious, held one of his hands.

"Better now," panted Griggs.  "That's beautiful water, cold and sweet;
but I should have to be very bad before I dared go down to get any more.
I didn't know I was such a cur."

"I felt that it was too much for a man to do, Griggs," said the doctor
quietly.

"So did I, sir," was the feeble reply; "but it had to be done, and I
thought I could make a better finish out of the job.  I say, nice
example to set you two lads.  It has made me feel as weak as a rat.
Ugh!  It was very horrid when that stone gave way.  I thought I was
gone."

"It was horrible!" said the doctor.  "There, you succeeded; now don't
think any more about it."

"Can't help it, sir.  I feel as if I must.  I say, I hope that the
people who lived here didn't all disappear down that hole and never come
up again."

"It has quite unnerved you, Griggs," said the doctor kindly.

"I don't know about that, sir, but it has made me feel that I daren't go
down that place again, even if it was to save my life.  There, I'm sorry
I made such an exhibition of myself.  I did try to be plucky; but that
place below there, with the water trying to sweep you off into the black
darkness and the end, was too much for me.  I believe I nearly lost my
senses once.  Well," he cried, half-fiercely, after a short pause,
during which he looked keenly at first one and then the other of the
boys, "you've both got the laugh of me this time.  Did you ever see such
a coward before?"

"Come along down below there, and see about a fire and a meal," said the
doctor quietly.  "Let it go now, Griggs.  You didn't feel more nervous
than I did.  I was worse, I believe, for I felt guilty as well for
letting you go down.  There, I don't think we shall want to get our
water from that place again."

"Why not?" said Ned suddenly.  "We could get some up with a bucket if
there was a heavy stone in the bottom.  It would only mean
half-a-bucketful at a time, but there's no reason why we couldn't do
that."

Every one glared at the speaker as if wroth with him for proposing so
simple and self-evident a means of getting at the water at a time when
they had only succeeded at the risk of losing a valuable life.

But no one spoke, all preparing to descend the slope, at the bottom of
which the barrel was slung and carried between Wilton and Bourne to the
spot chosen for their camp.  Here a good fire was soon made, dead wood
being plentiful, and over the evening meal, hastily prepared, the
incident of the afternoon was gravely discussed, Griggs joining in
calmly enough now, for he seemed to have quite recovered his nerve.

"You'll have a good examination made of this place in the morning, sir?"
he said.

"I was thinking of moving off," said the doctor quietly, "and getting to
somewhere better suited for a temporary camp."

"You couldn't get a better place than this, doctor," said Griggs
quietly.  "I've been thinking over what young Ned here said about
dipping out water, and he's quite right.  Don't think of going until the
place has been thoroughly searched.  I'm quite right now."

"Very well," said the doctor; "we'll have another day, at all events;
but I do not anticipate making much of a find here."

"I don't know, sir," said Griggs gravely.  "We're getting into the gold
country now, and such a place as this wouldn't have been made for
nothing, nor be the living camp of a few poor wandering Indians.  I
shouldn't be a bit surprised to find traces of mining with furnaces and
crucibles for melting the gold somewhere through these openings.  They
were evidently a big race of people who lived up here."

"We shall find that out to-morrow," said the doctor.  "But what about
keeping watch?  Do you think there is any danger of Indians tracing us
here?"

"Not a bit, sir," replied the American.  "They don't care much for these
rocky parts; they like the plains, where their horses feel at home."

"But there must have been a big tribe here."

"No, sir; not of Indians such as rove the plains.  These must have been
a different kind of people--miners and builders.  Your regular Red
Indian thinks of nothing but his horse, his hunting, and a fight with
his enemies so as to get plunder.  The people who mined for gold were a
different kind of folk altogether."

"Well, we shall see to-morrow," said the doctor; "there are sure to be
some traces of them in their old homes."

"I don't care what they were or what they did," said Chris that night,
as they laid down to sleep in the dark bottom of the depression, gazing
up at the great lustrous stars; "but I don't want any more water got
like that.  Ugh!  It almost had a nasty taste when it was made into tea.
Didn't you notice it?" he said, after a pause; but there was no reply.
"I say, didn't you notice that the water seemed to taste nasty?" said
Chris, a little louder; but still there was no reply.

"Oh, what a fellow you are!" cried the boy impatiently.  "Such a one as
you are for eating and noticing everything, I should have thought you'd
have had something to say about it.  Asleep again!  Why, I couldn't
sleep after what we've gone through to-day, even if I tried."

That was Chris's opinion, but he evidently could sleep without trying,
for the next minute he was breathing heavily, and without a single
troublous dream born of the perils of the day.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

IN THE STONE AGE.

The experiment was tried next day.  A bucket, loaded with stones heavy
enough to sink it, was lowered down the black-looking pit, and was drawn
up again nearly full of water.  This was given to the nearest grazing
animals, and the bucket sent down again, to catch against some
projecting block and tilt out the ballast, after which it refused to
sink, but made a jerk or two to escape, and then had to be drawn out.

Fresh stones were put in the bottom, and again were tilted out, but the
result of another trial from a little different spot resulted in the
vessel's coming up full.

More trying resulted in the adventurers finding that they could depend
upon obtaining about five bucketfuls out of a dozen trials, and with
this they were content.

An attempt to reach the first terrace was now made, and this did not
prove to be so difficult as it appeared from below, Chris finding a spot
where the rock-face was a good deal broken away and proposing to try and
climb it.

The doctor hesitated.

"What about the snakes?" he said.

Chris started, looked up, and then looked down, to see that Ned's eyes
were fixed upon him, and he turned red.

"A snake couldn't climb up there!" he said sharply.

"No," said his father, "I should doubt whether one could; but there is
every probability that one or many might have come down from above."

"Bother!" exclaimed the boy, and he hesitated for a few moments before
saying, "If one did fall, or come creeping down one of those great
cracks, perhaps, it wouldn't stop there.  Snakes want something to eat,
and there doesn't seem to be anything to live on up there.  Wouldn't it
come down lower, after all?"

"Possibly," said the doctor, laughing.  "You want to venture?"

"Yes, father."

"Very well, go.  But take a good stick with you--say such a piece of
sapling as Griggs carried, only much shorter, and use it well as you
go."

Chris nodded, and without asking the American, hurried off to cut such a
piece as he required, ending by trimming it well and leaving quite a
small bush-like tuft of green at the end.

"You mean to go, then?" said Ned quietly.

"Yes.  Will you come with me?"

"No," said Ned, wincing.  "I hate snakes."

"Not half so much as I do."

"Yes, I will.  I'll come too."

"Like to go first?" asked Chris mischievously.

"N-yes, give me the stick.  I can climb up there as easily as you can.
Well, why don't you give me the stick?"

"'Cause I want it myself, lad.  No, thank you; I'm going to have the
honour of sweeping down all the rattlers as I go up.  You'd better stand
back out of the way, in case I should send a big one down.  You can
shoot it then."

"Some one else will have to do that," said Ned, in an off-hand way, to
hide his nervousness.  "I shall be close behind you."

"Then you mean to come?"

"Of course."

"That's right, old chap.  I say, Ned, I don't believe there'll be any,
after all."

"Think not?"

Chris nodded.  Then laughingly--

"We've got to chance it all the same.  Come on."

Chris led the way, with his piece slung, revolver and knife in belt, and
the pine staff in his hand, when Griggs took a step forward, with his
eyes twinkling.

"I say," he cried, "it's hardly fair for us if you get chivvying those
rattlers and sending them flying over the edge and down here."

"Oh, you must take your chance about that," said Chris merrily.

"Be careful, my boy," said the doctor.

"What, about the rattlers, father?"

"Of course; but I meant where you place your feet.  Many of the stones
are rotten and loose."