Our rescuers waited as long as seemed consistent with safety.
“I think we’d better make a break, Barney.”
“All roight, sorr,” replied the Celt. “Do yez think it safe?”
“We must use caution. It may be possible that they are trying to draw us from our hiding place.”
“Again, they may be far into the hills by this time. We will gain nothing by staying here.”
Barney begun to scan the side of the cliff. A path was not visible anywhere. Yet the Celt did not believe it impossible to climb to the top.
If this could be done they might then succeed in getting upon level ground with the foe and escape the risk of their bullets.
Barney had just got his hands and feet into niches in the cliff when a startling sound came up the pass.
The tramp of ponies’ feet could be heard and the distant baffled yells of savages were wafted up on the breeze.
“The Indians are coming up the pass,” cried Frank, with dismay. “Barney, there’s not an instant to lose.”
“Begorra, yez are roight,” cried the Celt, beginning to make his way up the cliff.
It was a smart climb up the steep wall, but it was safely made at length.
They were now on level ground with the four captors. But a careful reconnoitering of the vicinity showed that they had left.
In the lull in the conflict they had slipped away into the hills.
But Barney took the trail and they went forward again in pursuit.
The sounds of the foe coming up the pass in their rear, however, every moment became plainer.
But fortunately, just at a point where the trail diverged deeper into the hills, the foe must have turned in another direction for very soon the sounds died out.
“We have nothing to fear from them,” cried Frank, with a breath of relief. “They have gone in another direction.”
Very soon the hills began to merge into a deep valley. Through this there ran a swift stream.
As Frank and Barney entered the valley Barney shouted:
“Be me sowl, there be the spalpeens now.”
“Jist down there ferninst that grove of trees, Misther Frank.”
The four savages and their captors were plainly seen on the banks of the creek.
They were just in the act of embarking in a canoe.
Frank saw that he must act quick if he would prevent this.
“Go to the right, Barney, I will go to the left, and we must head them off.”