The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-12-06


stead of up"
We were standing on the brink of the
barrier stream no more than Usher
mans cast from the black rock-mouth
that spewed 1t UP from its underground
nav While the hunter was speaking
the Catawba had lapsed into statue-nKe
ustlessness, his gaze fixed upon the eddy
ing flood which held the secret of the
vanished ecavalcade. Suddenly he came
alive with a bound and made quick
dash into the water. What he retrieved
was only a small piece Of wood, charred
ut one end But Ephraim YeateS caught
at 1t eagerly.
Now the Lord be praised for all His
marcies" he exclaimed 1T do take an
Iniun to come a-running whenst ever
body is plumb beat out! Meier another one
of US had an eye sharp enough to ketch
that bit O. sign a-foating past. What
say, Cap'n John?''
1 shook my head, seeing no special sig
niticance In the token, and Dick asked,
What win it be. Ephraim, now that II
is caught?'' 4. s.,.szq.s, sgSts
The GA man idoKed his pity FOR our
dullard wit. and then set a meiety OF It
in words.
well. well. now: I'm fair ashamed OF
YET What all dye reckon blackened the
end o. this bit o. pine branch?'
why, fire." says Richard. beginning,
as l did, to see some glimmering of light.
I'm course. And it came from yonder,
didn't it?'' pointing to the cavern under
the cliff. More than that. twas cut Wi
a hatchet-this fresh end of it--no longer
than last night. at the furdest; the pitch
that the fire fried outn it is all soft and
gummy, yit. Gentlemen all, whenst we
find where this here creek comes out into
daylight again we're a-going to find the
boss captain and the whole enduring pas
sci o. redskins and redcoats, immejitly,
if not sooner."
What comment this startling announce
ment would have evoked l know not, for
at the moment of its utterance the Ca
tawba went fat. upon the ground, making
most urgent signs for us to do likewise.
What he had seen we all saw a fitting
instant later-the painted face of Chero-
kee warrior as a setting for a pair OF
fierce basillsk eyes peering out of the
low-arched cavern whence the stream is
sued. an apparition looking for ali the
world like a dismembered head floating
on the surface of the outgushing food.
Twas the old borderer VINO took the in
itiative in the swift retreat, and we fol-
lowed his lead like well-drilled soldiers.
A crook in the stream and the thickset
underwood screened us for the moment
from the basilisk eyes, and in a twinkling
we had rolled one after another into the
mimic torrent and were quickly swept
down to its mouth.
Here death lay in wait for US in the
mad plungings of the main river but we
made shift to catch at the overhanging
branches of the willows in passing, to
draw ourselves out, to scramble UP the
gorge and to gain great boulder on the
mounta!nside whence we could look
down upon the scene of our late surprisal.
BY this we saw. from the wings, as it
were the setting OF the stage for a trag-
coy which might have been ours. One
by one a score Of heads with painted
faces floate6 silently out of the spewing
rock-mouth. One by one the glistening,
bodies appertaining thereto
emerged from the water, each to take
it's place in an ambuscade inclosing the
stream-crossing of the Indian path in
pockctlike line of crouching figures, with
The mouth of the pocket open toward the
lower valley
Ephraim Yeates chuckled under his
breath and smote softly upon his thigh.
''They tell ez how the good Lord has
mighty tender care for chiilern and sim
pIes,' he whispered. "Whenst we was
a-coming a-rampaging up the trace
hour r two ago l saw the moccasin track
o. that there spy, and was too dad-blame'
biggity in my own consate to ak what 1t
nought mean."
What sny?" says Dick, matching the
low whisper.
why. the variant that tracked me
back from here 'twixt dawn and day
break, to be sure. He waited till we broke
camp ana then took out UP here ahead OF
Us to tell his chief twas ena'most time
10 set the trap for three white simples and
4 red one. Friends, I'm a-telling ye plain
hat the sperrits ANNOYING me mighty
powerful to git down on my hunkers
and"
For heavens sake, don't do 1t here and
lowi" gasped Dick. Lets get out OF
his SPIDERS web while we may"
The old hunter postponed his prayerfu1
notion, most reluctantly, it would
seem, and led the way in silent with
travail from the dangerous neighborhood
II the adjustment. When we had pushed
N somewhat higher up the gorge and
tood on the confines of the upland val
ey for which It served as the approach
here was a halt for council OF war.
Sfxce It was now evident that the pow
Ter convey was encamped In some hidden
,orge or valley to which the cavern of
he underground stream was one OF the
approaches, twas plain that we must
limb to some height whence we could
a wider view.
We were all agreed that the cavern en-
rance could not have been used by the