on wednesday afternoon len stopped work a little earlier than the others, though it was quite dusk, and left the mine to get supper. turning his gaze down the ca?on, the moment he came to the mouth of the tunnel, he saw three men on horseback riding up the trail nearly a mile away. it was merely by good chance that he happened to catch a glimpse of them, for had he been a moment later they would have been out of sight, not to reappear until the ford of the creek was reached, which was only a few yards beyond the foot of the aurora dump.
dropping his shovel he ran back and reported, whereupon all hands hastened to the mouth of the tunnel, and lay down behind a rough sort of wall of loose rocks which had{130} been heaped up in front of the cabin in clearing the space around the door.
ten or fifteen minutes passed, and the twilight was fast becoming dense in the ca?on, though on the mountain-tops a full blaze of light glowed strong and red, bringing out every glorious feature of the white-headed old peaks.
soon was heard the stumbling clatter, not loud, yet distinct enough, of horses’ shodden feet on the stony path, and, as the riders came nearer, the faint sound of human voices. a moment after this the three figures came into view, riding cautiously through the ford, peering right and left, with guns in readiness, as though fearful of ambuscades. a few steps further took them out of sight behind the jutting headland of the aurora dump.
then came sounds denoting that the jumpers had dismounted and were unsaddling. the clatter of the heavy wooden stirrups echoed along the rocky walls of the narrow gulch as the saddles were flung down.{131}
after a short interval of silence, it became plain, by the rattle of rolling stones, that the invaders were charging up the dump. instead of trying to steal to the top, they sprang up as fast as they could scramble.
“it’s evident,” whispered sandy, “that they’re expectin’ to catch us in that tunnel like a fox wi’ his ’earth’ stopped. but it’s a puir fox that has na mair than one hole to his burrow!”
sandy seemed to have hit it, for their first act, when bob, scotty and stevens had reached the crest, and found no one there, was to rush to the door as though to shut it and fasten it.
imagine their chagrin when they saw that it was already closed, and that a great quantity of water was rushing out under the sill. they pointed one another to it, as though asserting that nobody could work in a tunnel which was as nearly flooded as that. still, to make matters quite sure, they began to heap great rocks at the door and kept at it until no{132} three giants, much less our not over stalwart friends, could have forced it open.
it was vastly amusing to the spectators to see these men, who were more distinguished for their laziness than for their energy, toil at the big stones, and when, having made sure they’d secured full possession of the place, they sat down and wiped their brows, max and len and sandy suddenly rose up and wished them good-evening.
“thought you’d tree’d us in that hole, eh?” len sings out with a sneering laugh. “not much! we’ve been waiting for you fellows half the week. why didn’t you come up saturday night as you promised?”
astounded and angry, the three ruffians hurled back a lot of brag and bad language, the substance of which was that nobody dare come and take back the aurora.
they replied with a laugh, and went in with a parting shot in broad scotch: “it’s the life o’ an auld hat to be weel cockit.”{133}
morris had already sneaked into the house and was slicing bacon for supper.
“i’ll lay low for the present, i reckon,” he said, “’t wont do no harm, and it may be worth something to let those fellows think you’re alone.”
a few moments later sandy stepped out, and was amazed to find two of the adversaries stealing up the bank beside the cabin.
his alarm brought max and len in a hurry, and when they found themselves discovered the roughs retreated in great haste and a cloud of wrathful phrases, while max shouted: “hereafter we shall be watching, and it wont be healthy for any man to set foot on this side of the gulch.”
“those men mean business, for sure,” morris asserted, and added this counsel: “we musn’t show ourselves any mor’n we can help, and especially at night by the firelight. and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make a better breastwork when it gets so dark they can’t see what we’re doing.”{134}
“we might hang blankets on the wall along that side of the cabin, so that no one could see to shoot through the chinks,” len suggested.
“yes, that’s a good scheme, and somebody must be on watch night and day lest they play some trick on us. i don’t think they’ll shoot in the daytime, but i’ll bet they’ll take the first chance at night they can get. i tell you, gentlemen, not only your mine, but your lives are at stake in this yere scrimmage, and it’ll stand you in hand to take mighty good care of ’em.”
this was from morris and was sober talk, but seemed to be no less than the truth, considering the character of the desperadoes.
acting upon the suggestion, in his prompt, quiet way, max remarked that he would take the first watch, and going to the door of the cabin which, it will be remembered, looked down the ca?on, and hence faced the aurora, opened it and started to pass out.
before he could step across the threshold, a{135} faint report rang out, not loud nor sharp, for the air was too thin to let much noise be made, and with an audible ping a bullet splintered the log over the door.
max dropped so quickly his chums thought for an instant he must have been hurt, but he shouted “keep back! keep back!” and at once began to wriggle forward under cover of the wall toward the brink of the dump.
dropping on hands and knees they followed him, and a few seconds later all four were lying behind the pile of stones, peering out into the gloom.
nothing could be seen, or even heard, for a time, but presently muttered talking was detected on the other hillock and our friends concluded that the shot did not mean an attack, but had been fired, sharpshooter fashion, when max exposed himself in the brightly lighted doorway. the enemy’s camp had evidently been made down behind the shelter of the dump, as was shown by the light re{136}flected from the fire, but neither the blaze nor its kindlers were visible, so that the compliment of the shot could not have been returned had our boys felt so disposed.
“i make no doot they’re watching us as shairp as we’re peerin’ at them,” whispered sandy; “and the sooner we improve our fortifications, the better.”
max watched until midnight, then crept softly to where morris was stretched upon the cabin floor and asked him to take his place; but nothing disturbed them, and the next morning two of the boys went to their work in the mine, leaving two outside on guard. these improved their time in strengthening the breastwork and in curtaining with blankets that wall of the cabin. in the afternoon they exchanged places with the men in the tunnel.
the jumpers were seen about the aurora, but nothing was said to them. they broke down the mine door, and penetrated the tunnel a short distance, but soon returned, discouraged by the wetness within.{137}
the night passed quietly and friday morning went by without any incident. about the middle of the afternoon, while len and sandy were outside, old bob and scotty came to the edge of the aurora dump, and held aloft a pole with a handkerchief, supposed to be white, tied upon it, which they waved toward the cabin.
“what do you mean by that?” len sung out, for he and sandy happened to be on duty as sentinels.
“flag o’ truce,” bob yelled back. “one o’ you fellers come down in the hollow and meet me. i want to talk. leave yer gun behind. i aint got no arms, you see. will you come?”
“i reckon. hold on, i’ll see my partner!”
len lighted a little lamp and disappeared into the mine, whence he returned in five minutes. max and morris came as far as the door, but did not show themselves.
“all right,” len called out, as he blew out his lamp and climbed over the breastwork.{138} “come down in the hollow if you want to talk.”
old bob moved clumsily down from the aurora to meet him, while sandy perched himself on the wall and bob’s friends stood behind him on their own knoll.
