meanwhile, fred godfrey was making the most of his opportunities, and the grass did not grow under his feet.
the distance passed over by himself and friends was so slight, that he was back beneath the cavern within a couple of minutes after bidding them such a hasty good-bye.
no one could have been more alive to the situation than he, who halted directly under the place that had sheltered him and his friends for a brief while, and looked and listened.
"can it be that they really know nothing of our flight?" he asked himself. "it seems impossible that, after following us and guarding the approaches so closely, such can be the truth."
so it appeared, indeed, and fred was not without a pang of apprehension that jake golcher and his indians were playing a game, in which they were sure to win.
but it was too late to speculate now, and pausing only a moment, he leaped forward, caught the end of the vine and climbed it hand over hand. his activity and strength enabled him to ascend like a sailor, and a moment later he stood within the cavern that he had left but a short time before.
nothing was to be gained there, and grasping the support he went on upward.
such a method of ascent is exhausting, and he was tired, when, at last, he stood on the level ground above.
as circumstances forbade the use of the vine by which he had come up, and by which he must descend again, he began hunting as best he could for another, which he speedily found. this was carefully cut and trimmed, and then he dropped it over the ravine, and in the stillness he plainly heard the rustling as it struck the bottom.
while thus engaged, the rifle was fired from the rocks across the gorge, fred seeing the flash, so that he knew the point it came from. at first he was sure he was the target, but concluded that such was not the case.
filled with misgivings, he crept a few steps in the direction of the head of the path that came up from below, and listened. he was afraid to go any closer, but he was as certain as if he saw them, that several of the indians were clustered there, awaiting the occurrence of some expected event.
"there's some mystery in this business that i fail to grasp," added fred, as he caught the sound of guns and the faint whoops of the indians and tories on the other side the river. "it is possible that most of them have withdrawn, unwilling to linger when there are so many victims awaiting them in other places, but i can hardly believe it, since jake golcher leads them."
moved by an anxiety that forbade him to keep still, he once more swung himself from the rocks, supported by the thick, strong vine that had served them all so well, and it required only a brief time to reach the bottom.
everything, so far as he could judge, was in proper form, and he hastened up the ravine, rejoining his friends, who naturally were in a fever of anxiety over what seemed his prolonged absence.
"now that you have got the vine," said his father, "i have been puzzling myself ever since you left, to understand how you are going to use it."
"it doubtless strikes you as absurd as the idea of using the one by which i had to climb up the rocks and come down again, but i am hopeful there is a way."
"i shall be glad to learn it."
"but that shot—who fired it?"
"one of the indians, i presume."
"was it not aimed at you?"
"i think not; but, if it was, you see it missed me, so it is a question to which we need give no thought."
all drew a breath of relief when fred made known that no trouble had been experienced from the red men, who were believed to be in the immediate vicinity of the upper end of the path.
the lieutenant now explained that his plan was to mount the shoulders of habakkuk mcewen, and thus reach a projection on the rocks, by the help of which he hoped to attain a still higher point, or rather shelf, from which it would be an easy matter to climb to the level ground above, and push their way toward the distant delaware river.
the feat was too difficult for the rest of the party to accomplish, which explains why the grape-vine became so necessary. with the aid of that, and with fred tugging above, there was reason to hope that the ascent would be made with little trouble.
accordingly, habakkuk mcewen, without any protest, stood up against the wall, and fred, with gun and vine secured, so as to leave his limbs free, mounted to his shoulders with the ease of an acrobat.
then, straightening himself, he groped about with his hands, and was fortunate in finding a broad ledge within easy grasp. it was a difficult matter, even with such help, to draw himself up, but by great care he managed to do so, and then found that by a similar maneuver he could reach the ground above, where the way was clear to the woods.
this was gratifying, and, dropping the end of the vine to his friends, he whispered for mr. brainerd to seize it and to begin to climb.
it was a hard task, and, had the support given way, doubtless the old gentleman would have been killed or grievously hurt, but he struggled and was pushed up by habakkuk, and the vine was tugged at by fred above, until at last the panting father reached the ledge and stood beside his son.
as there were now two to use their strength in lifting, aunt peggy, eva, and maggie had but to grasp the support, when they were drawn up without any effort on their own part. habakkuk came last, and he tried so hard to assist, that it may be said he went up feet first, sawing the air so vigorously with his legs that they appeared on the ledge before his body reached it.
but the fugitives were all there at last, and something like genuine hope began to stir every member of the company.
"now," said fred, "we have the same experience to go through, and we shall reach solid ground above. i will go up as before."
only a small part of the moonlight found its way to the spot where they were crouching, and they felt it would not do to stay longer.
slowly and carefully fred went up the rocks, and all saw him safely reach the level ground, where he vanished.
at the instant he did so they caught a peculiar sound, as though a slight struggle was going on, but it instantly ceased, and, though the friends were alarmed, they said nothing, thinking that perhaps fred had stumbled over some obstruction in the dark.
"st, st!"
the signal which he made before reassured all, and drove the thought of danger from their minds.
the same order was repeated; mr. brainerd grasped the vine, and, helped both above and below, gradually surged upward until he, too, went over the edge of the ravine, as it may be called, and vanished.
maggie started, when she again heard a curious movement above, as if made by a scuffle, and her heart throbbed with the suspicion that something was wrong.
"i tell you," she whispered, "there's trouble up there."
"no, there isn't," replied aunt peggy, "i suppose—there!"
the same sibilant call as before was repeated, and the elderly lady showed her faith in her own assertion by catching hold of the vine, and allowing herself to be pulled up as her predecessor had been.
maggie and eva were left with habakkuk, who was plainly nervous, though it might be hard for him to explain why.
"do you feel skeart?" he asked, in an undertone, as the rope of natural growth came dangling about their heads.
"yes," said the elder sister; "didn't you notice a strange noise after fred and father got up?"
"i don't know, but there is something queer; they don't seem to show themselves after they reach the top; it looks to me as if they tumbled over into some hole—ah!"
as the signal was heard the three looked up and caught the dim outlines of a head. there was not enough light to identify it, but had the moonlight fallen upon it, those who stood below would have observed that the face did not belong to any one of their three friends.
with misgiving, maggie grasped the support and went up; then eva followed, and, last of all. habakkuk mcewen stood alone.
he paused in doubt a minute or so, but when the vine swung within his reach, he seized it, muttering:
"i may as well follow the crowd."
and he did.
the instant he arrived at the top he was seized by several seneca indians, and the astounding truth then dawned upon him that not only he, but every one of the party, had climbed squarely into the trap set for them, and, without a single exception, were prisoners in the hands of the very red men they were trying with so much skill to avoid.
