For there was almost the same outfit2 as that at Uncle Tod’s camp—the log shack3, a tent—and, scattered4 about, were some mining implements5, while at one side a flume box had been set up.
But there was this difference—there was water running into this flume box, while back at Uncle Tod’s camp his box was dry.
It was this welcome sight of the much-needed water that first convinced the boys they were looking at another camp—a strange one—rather than at Uncle Tod’s, though both outfits6 were much alike. But one camp was dry and the other was wet. Lost River seemed to be favoring this camp as against the other.
Then, too, as the boys looked with less excitement pumping at their hearts, they noticed that all the men were strangers. Neither Uncle Tod nor Sam Rockford was among them, and no men that the boys had ever seen before, though they had met several friends of Uncle Tod and his partner.
Also, as their eyes took in further details of the strange camp, they saw very many points of difference. The log cabin was much smaller and was not so well built, nor was the tent the same. The flume box was much larger, though not so solidly constructed—in short hardly any details of the two camps were alike, though in general one resembled the other. Of course the men were totally different.
“It’s another place all right,” whispered Chot.
“Yes,” agreed Rick, while he cautioned Ruddy, in a low voice, to remain quiet. He did not want a whimper, whine7 or bark of his dog to betray their presence back there in the tunnel. “Did you think it was our camp?” asked Rick.
“Yep. I thought we’d doubled back through the tunnel somehow.”
“So did I. But what’s it all about, Rick?”
“I don’t know, Chot. But I can make a guess at one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Those are the men—or, anyhow, they’re in the same gang—that took away Lost River.”
“What do you mean—took away Lost River?”
“Look,” went on Rick, still speaking in a whisper. “You can see where the channel was, running right into this tunnel. There’s the old bed of the river. Now it’s running off to the left so it flows into their flume box. They changed the river, that’s what they did.”
“I believe you’re right,” said Chot, after looking over the outlay9 that was before them. They could see it well, hidden as they were just inside the tunnel entrance. “But how could they make a river run in a new place?”
“By making a dam, or digging a new channel. I don’t see that they have dug any new channel, so they must have built a dam, or some sort of thing to send the river down the way they wanted it instead of letting it come through the tunnel to Uncle Tod’s mine.”
“But where is the dam, or whatever it is? I don’t see anything like it here.”
“S’posin’ they see us?”
“We mustn’t let ’em. We can mosey around after dark.”
“Then we’re going to stay here all night?”
“I don’t see what else to do. We could hardly get back to camp until very late, anyhow, and we’ve got our blankets and some grub. It won’t be cold in here.”
“That’s right! It’ll be fun!” exclaimed Chot.
“And we don’t want to go back and tell Uncle Tod what we’ve found until we can tell him everything,” went on Rick, who liked to be thorough and complete in his work or play.
“That’s so,” agreed his chum. “Maybe, after all, we’re up the wrong tree and these men didn’t change the river.”
“Oh, I think they did—or somebody in with ’em,” said Rick. “But I’d like to find the dam—or whatever it is—and then we can tell Uncle Tod and let him do what he thinks best.”
“I guess you’re right,” assented Chot. “Well, what’ll we do first, Rick?”
“Well, let’s just stay here and we can see what the men do. Maybe we can hear what they say.”
Ruddy had quieted down, now that he saw his boy chums had no present intentions of engaging in anything that needed his canine11 wit, and was stretched out on the floor of the cave, making up some of the sleep he evidently thought he had lost. Rick and Chot remained just inside the opening of the tunnel—the opening through which it was evident Lost River had flowed at no very distant date.
The stream, it seemed, was a peculiar12 one. At times it flowed along in the open, like any other river or creek13. Then it would dive underground, proceeding14 through a tunnel, or a series of tunnels. Then it would emerge again. The boys had been through some of the tunnels of Lost River, and there might be more further up the mountain. Of this they could not be certain.
At any rate they had come out at the end of one tunnel through which could be seen the strange camp, and as water was flowing in the flume box here, probably washing out “pay dirt,” it was reasonable to suppose the men had turned the river for their own use.
Just how such a big undertaking15 could be accomplished16 without considerable engineering work the boys did not know. But they had made up their minds to find out.
“Have to go slow on the grub though,” proposed Chot, as, in the dim light that filtered in through the tunnel opening he inspected what food they had left. “We’ve got to get two or three more meals out of this.”
“We can, I guess,” said Rick. “And maybe we can shoot something,” for the boys had brought guns with them, and knew how to use them.
“Won’t they hear us if we shoot?” asked Chot. “Besides, there’s no game in here.”
“Oh, I don’t mean to shoot in here,” chuckled18 Rick. “We’ll go outside—farther up the mountain where they won’t hear the guns. Besides, we got to work our way farther up to find the dam, or whatever it is that has changed the river.”
“I see,” agreed Chot. “Well, what say we eat now? It’s most supper time.”
“I guess it is,” assented Rick. “They’re getting their grub ready.”
Some of the men could be seen busy about the camp fire, over which hung a kettle, and the boys wished they might have some of the savory19 soup or stew20 it undoubtedly21 contained.
However they were on an important quest, and they did not mind eating a cold meal. This they did, giving Ruddy odds22 and ends. Their water was getting low, but they were now within sight of Lost River and did not fear thirst.
“That’s when we want to scout around—after dark,” said Rick. “I think there’s a moon to-night.”
In silence they sat on rocks, just within the mouth of the tunnel and ate their meal. They watched the miners at their supper not many hundred feet away, and it was plain that the stealers of Lost River, as they might be called, were unaware24 that they were being spied upon.
They laughed and joked—one even tried to sing—but the wind was blowing the wrong way and though a confused murmur25 came to the boys they could not distinguish what was said.
Rick had guessed right about the moon. There was one, it was at the full, and gave a glorious light from an unclouded sky. The boys stretched out to rest on their blankets before setting out on their scouting26 expedition. The men sat around the camp fire smoking and talking, and then one after another “turned in.” They left no one on sentinel or guard duty, the boys noticed.
“It’ll be easy,” whispered Rick as they prepared to leave the tunnel.
“What about Ruddy?” asked Chot. “Won’t he make a noise?”
“Not as much as we do. He’s a game dog and used to going quietly. I wouldn’t want to leave him behind.”
“No, I guess not. Well, let’s go!”
And then in silence the boys, clutching their guns which Uncle Tod had given them, started from the tunnel, followed by Ruddy who moved like a shadow. They skirted the camp of sleeping men and began scouting around for a trail that would lead up the mountain, along Lost River until they could discover where it had been diverted.
该作者的其它作品
《Umboo, the Elephant 乌姆布大象》
该作者的其它作品
《Umboo, the Elephant 乌姆布大象》
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1
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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2
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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shack
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| adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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5
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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6
outfits
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| n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 ) | |
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7
whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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8
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
outlay
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| n.费用，经费，支出；v.花费 | |
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10
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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11
canine
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| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
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12
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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13
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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14
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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15
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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18
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
savory
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| adj.风味极佳的，可口的，味香的 | |
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stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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23
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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24
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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25
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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scouting
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| 守候活动，童子军的活动 | |
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