"We have filled our pockets," Neal replied, and throwing himself upon the ground, he watched Cummings and Poyor at their work.
Ten minutes later the Indian came to the entrance and said as he began to crawl through the narrow passage:
"I will make one effort to find him who has caused us so much trouble."
"Don't spend any time on such a fool," Cummings cried fiercely. "He knew the danger, and if he chooses to run into it, jeopardizing our lives at the same moment, nothing too bad can happen to him."
"He may be near at hand. I will make a search," Poyor replied as he rose to his feet on the outside, and Neal whispered to Teddy:
"If Jake can be found matters won't seem quite so hard, for it will be terrible to think of him wandering around until captured, and we running away from him."
Teddy nodded his head; but did not dare trust himself to speak. He had been thinking of home until the tears were so very near his eyelids that he feared they would overflow.
During the next half hour not a word was spoken by either of the little party, and then Poyor returned alone.
There was no necessity of questioning him, and Neal covered his face with his hands to hide the distress he knew must be pictured there, for there was no longer any hope the engineer would accompany them on their rapid and most dangerous flight. By this time the meat was cooked, and the Indian brought a generous supply to the entrance; but no one had any particular desire for food.
"You must take some," Cummings said, when Neal and Teddy turned away. "We may not have an opportunity to eat again for many hours, and it is necessary to be prepared for a long tramp."
The boys managed to swallow a small quantity after considerable effort, when the final preparations were made, and by the time they were completed the sun had set.
Night had not fully settled down when Poyor gave the signal for the start, and one by one the fugitives crept from the cave, pushing their bundles before them, since the passage was not sufficiently large to admit of their walking upright.
"Strap the pack on firmly," Cummings said in a whisper, when they were in the open air. "We may be obliged to run, in which case there must be no chance of losing our baggage. You boys follow Poyor, and I will bring up the rear."