Suddenly John Coleman turned and spoke to the Professor quite excitedly. "Capt'in," he said, "take that big glass of yourn and look just inside that window whar that rafter hangs." He pointed with his lean finger at the opposite cliff, and his hand was trembling.
"See anything?" asked the guide, his voice almost quivering.
"Yes," said the Professor, "I see something red."
Coleman drew a long breath. "It's thar yet," he whispered. He turned and looked at the group gathered about him as if frightened; then he spoke, still beneath his breath, "I put it thar."
The Professor started. "You! you!" he began, but the guide interrupted him.
"Yes, fifteen year ago las' spring I've bin thar" (with a wave of his arm), "and I've seen things."
The boys stepped forward, and Professor Jensen lowered his glass and glanced at the guide from head to foot.
"Tell us," he said, quietly, raising his hand to keep the boys from speaking.
The tall man was fairly trembling now. "You won't believe me," he faltered; "they never will."
Carter was about to say something, but the elder man suppressed him again with a gesture. "We will believe you, John," he said, as quietly as he had spoken before; "but how in the world, and where did you start from?"
Coleman sat down and clasped his palms together, and the boys and the Professor seated themselves quietly also, without a word.
"I'll tell you the hull story," began the guide, looking appealingly from one to the other. "But I 'ain't told it for nigh eight years now."
"Go on," said Professor Jensen; "we will listen carefully; it may be most important, John. Don't fear to tell it."
"Well," said the guide, beginning slowly, "you know I have lived and hunted in this kintry for more'n eighteen years. I come here from the East, an' I wa'n't older than either of you two boys." The three listeners nodded.
"One day I was huntin' with a party up this here cañon when we discovered this town, whar we be now, and t'other one 'cross the way. We reached this one easy 'nough, as we done to-day, but some one had been 'fore us even then--I suspect as they was Injuns," he added, parenthetically. "There was three others with me then, no good tellin' their names, 'cause they're all dead, but thet comes in the story. We was all young an' ventresome, and I sez to Bill Combs-- He was drowned rite down thar!"