There was yet a considerable amount of the roasted tohs on hand. This was wrapped in leaves with the remainder of the provisions, and all the luggage made up in three packages, for it had been decided that the boys should not be called upon to carry any burden.
"It may be that we shall be obliged to move quickly," Poyor said, "and it is best they have nothing but their guns."
When everything was in readiness for the start the Indian went outside once more to reconnoiter, and on his return the final preparations were made.
He, Cummings and Jake fastened the bundles to their backs; Neal and Teddy were cautioned to take plenty of cartridges from the general store, and then, Poyor leading the way, they emerged from the cave.
Although the boys did not know the full extent of the danger, they could understand something of the anxiety felt by both Cummings and Poyor when the shelter of the cave had been left behind.
The latter moved with the utmost caution, taking half a dozen steps and then stopping to listen; halting whenever the foliage rustled more than he fancied was usual and otherwise acting as if believing the enemy had completely surrounded them.
Under such circumstances the advance was necessarily slow, and at least an hour was consumed in traveling less than a mile.
Teddy was on the point of protesting against such excessive precaution when the sound of voices caused all the party to crouch low among the bushes, hiding themselves in the foliage just as four Chan Santa Cruz Indians came to a halt not more than twenty feet away.
It was not difficult to distinguish the form of each one even amid the gloom, and from their manoeuvers Teddy and Neal were confident that they had halted for the remainder of the night.
It would have been impossible to hold any conversation, however guarded, without the certainty of being heard while these men were so near, and the fugitives remained motionless, hardly daring to breathe, until it seemed as if some change of position must be made regardless of the consequences.
Each one with the possible exception of Poyor, was so cramped as to be in great pain: but all knew that the slightest unusual noise among the foliage would have attracted attention.