"Howard Fenton!" exclaimed Dave, while Sam Randall uttered a joyous2 shout, ejaculating, "It's the strangest thing I ever heard of."
"Nor I," declared the delighted Dave.
Volleys of questions were hurled4 back and forth5, but the noise of the waterfall made conversation difficult, and it was decided6 to postpone7 explanations until the following morning.
They learned one thing, however—Howard Fenton was not hemmed8 in as they were, and he was not alone.
What a difference a few minutes had made. When the tumult9 of emotions had subsided10, the boys talked and laughed until weariness could no longer be denied.
Hunger was forgotten, and they slept until the rosy11 glow of early morning was tingeing12 the clouds. Faces were washed in the clear water, and they felt somewhat better.
This had scarcely been finished, when a cheery shout greeted their ears. Howard Fenton and his companion had appeared in view. The latter carried a long rope.
"I said, Dave, that I'd take a chance with you this morning, and try for the other side," said Bob. "It's good-bye to Blackberry Valley, now. Hello, Howard!" he shouted.
Fenton again waved his hand, and shouted, "Are you ready to come over?"
"Yes!"
"Listen! It's a dangerous swim, unless you're feeling pretty husky. It wouldn't do to take any chances."
"We'd starve over here—nothing else for us to do, Howard."
"The cataract13 is about a quarter of a mile below," went on Fenton. "If you should miss the ledge14 where we had the fire last night—well—nothing can save you. But when you get near enough, we'll throw a line. Grab it and hang on for all you are worth."
Fenton tried to speak lightly, but his tones showed a suppressed agitation15 which the boys did not fail to notice.
"Well," said Sam, in an undertone, gritting16 his teeth and glancing at the gurgling water, "we aren't out of the woods yet."
"We'll be in 'em sure enough when we strike the water," observed Dave, with a faint smile.
"I'll go first," announced Bob, "and the best place to start from is the upper end of the valley." Then, raising his voice, he yelled, "Are you ready, Howard? Got your rope?"
Quickly, the three walked to the most favorable point on the beach.
"Good-bye, fellows, I'll see you on the other side."
It was a moment that none of the little group would ever forget. Dave Brandon and Sam Randall gripped the captain's hand.
"Keep a stiff upper lip, Bob, old man," whispered the "poet."
Bob Somers drew a long breath. It took all the courage he possessed17 to deliberately18 launch himself into Canyon19 River, but he waved his hand to the others, and took the plunge20.
In an instant he was buffeting21 the powerful current. Again he saw the gray walls flying swiftly by; again the water lapped and splashed around him and murmured and sang.
The swimmer kept his eyes fixed22 on the opposite cliff and its rugged23 outline rising from the ledge where Howard Fenton and his companion awaited him. Already he was approaching it; the boom of the falls suddenly seemed to grow louder.
"Here comes the rope—look out for it!" he heard a voice cry.
Bravely battling, Bob Somers caught a momentary24 glimpse of the lariat25 hurtling through the air. With a hiss26, it fell a few feet in front—the one thing which stood between him and the dreaded27 cataract.
But the throw had been well-timed, and the captain, with his nerves set to the keenest tension, grasped the line just as it was beginning to sink.
Desperately28, he clung to it.
Dave and Dick's yell of exultation30 followed—Bob Somers was safe at last.
A slight pull on the rope swerved31 him sufficiently32 from his course, and he swung in directly toward the ledge; then, a few seconds later, willing hands dragged him ashore, where he lay panting and exhausted33.
"A good swim," said his companion, with an approving nod.
The first thing Bob Somers did upon rising was to shake his rescuers warmly by the hand.
"You bet it is, old man," exclaimed the New York boy. "But say, Bob, I guess you'd better not do much talking till you get a bite to eat. Ready, eh?"
"For a mile of anything but blackberries," smiled Bob.
The two again shook hands.
"And now," laughed Wells, "those other castaways are getting impatient. Who's that yelling?"
"Sam Randall," said Bob. "Hi, hi!" he shouted. "Ready, eh? Come ahead!"
Stuart Wells stood calmly, with lariat in hand. He watched Sam Randall spring into the water, and at the critical moment again sent the rope in a graceful37 curve through the air.
Bob Somers drew a breath of relief when he saw his chum seize it.
No sooner had Sam been assisted to a place of safety on the ledge than Dave Brandon followed his example, and the good-natured "poet" soon joined the group.
It was a happy reunion, but even in their thankfulness the Ramblers could not forget the clamoring of nature.
"I'm burning up with curiosity to hear about everything, Howard," said Bob, "but——"
"Not a word till we pilot you to Canyon restaurant," laughed the other. "All meals out in the open."
"Um—um—lead us to it right away," cried the dripping Dave.
Howard led the way around a thick clump38 of trees, and they saw, close to the bluff39, a well-built lean-to. Picks, shovels40 and other tools were scattered41 about, while just to one side was a great pile of broken stones.
Soon the hungry boys were engaged in disposing of cold rabbit, crackers42, cheese and hot coffee, and before this pleasant occupation was brought to an end, Bob Somers briefly43 acquainted Fenton and Stuart Wells with the facts.
"Well, well!" exclaimed Fenton, when he had finished, "'Little Bill' responsible, eh? He's the cheekiest young rascal44 I ever met. Mighty lucky Wells and I happened to be here, eh? I tell you I was never more surprised in my life than when I heard you shout last night."
"You must have been," admitted Bob. "Now, Howard, for goodness' sake, tell us all about it."
"Yes! We can't wait a minute longer," put in Sam, impatiently.
"Well, it was this way," began Howard, settling himself comfortably on a log. "The 'Dauntless' was pretty close to the passageway, when, all of a sudden, I found that something was wrong with the rudder. The wind was pretty fresh that day—remember, Sam? Well, I didn't take in the sheet right away, as I should have done, but went to work to find out what was the trouble. Close by, I saw a floating log."
"Bumped in to it, eh?" asked Sam.
"I had come about on a tack45, and think the rudder must have struck it squarely, for I found that it was broken loose and wouldn't respond to the tiller. It was some minutes before I realized that it was damaged beyond repair.
"All the while, the wind and current were taking me toward the gorge46 and I soon discovered what a serious blunder I'd made. Down came the sail in a jiffy—but too late. I'll never forget how I felt when the 'Dauntless' made straight for the entrance to the river."
Fenton lowered his voice and shivered.
"Awful," murmured Bob.
"Tommy and I saw you," cried Sam.
"I didn't see anything but that terrible gorge," continued Howard. "The 'Dauntless' wobbled and twisted, and nearly keeled over when we passed White Rocks. Whew!—'fearful' is about the word that hits it. The boat shot into the canyon and I gave up hope."
"We know what sensations you had," exclaimed Bob Somers. "Don't see how they could be worse."
"As luck would have it, the 'Dauntless' was so close to the opposite cliffs when the first valley was reached that I was afraid to risk a swim. So I stayed where I was, and it turned out to be a mighty good thing that I did. The boat hit that jutting47 point over there, and I didn't lose any time in getting off."
"How about the 'Dauntless'?" questioned Sam.
"She swung around, started off again, and went over the fall."
"Must be a big one," commented Dave.
"A crackerjack," said Howard. "We'll go down and see it, after a while."
"Keep on with your story," urged Sam.
"Needn't tell you how thankful I was for getting on solid ground again," went on Fenton. "When my nerves stopped shaking I looked about, and found——"
"Blackberries?" said Bob.
"Yes," laughed the other, "and, I might as well tell you, traces of silver in the rocks."
"Of silver?" echoed the boys, in surprise.
"Yes, sir! I've studied a bit on those subjects. Told you I was going to take a course in college—remember, Bob? Well, it didn't take long for me to be satisfied that there was plenty of it, too."
"Mighty interesting," murmured Bob, while Dave stood straight up and stared at the rocks.
Fenton resumed:
"But, fellows, it wasn't very long before I forgot all about silver—thought I was bottled up for sure."
"And how did you get out at last?" questioned Sam, eagerly.
"I'm coming to that. Talk about being scared—I had to stay all night in the blooming valley. Early next morning I began to hunt around for a place to climb out, and, at length, found one that wasn't so bad. It took a long time to get to the top of the cliff, and once near got an awful shock."
"How?" asked Sam, with interest.
"Came to a wide ledge, with a big, round pile of rock above—it looked like my finish; I couldn't see any way around it."
"Gee!" said Sam again.
"Had a pretty hard time of it," remarked Bob, sympathetically.
"But I was desperate—thought that the ledge was wide enough to catch me, if I fell—and so kept right on. Luckily, there were enough irregularities to afford a foothold."
"Guess you were glad when you reached the top?" said Dave.
"You bet I was; and exhausted, too."
"What did you do after that?" asked Dave.
"Started right off. I had a compass and a pretty fair idea of the direction. I blazed a trail—believe that's what you call it—so as to know the place again."
"With a big jack-knife. In about two hours I came across some loggers. By that time I was so played out with hunger and excitement that I collapsed50 completely—don't believe I could have gone a step further, Bob. Of course I was an object of curiosity, but they were a good-hearted lot, and gave me all I wanted to eat. Beans, bacon and coffee tasted good, I can tell you. Well, it was simply great."
"Guess it fixed you up all right," said Bob.
"No, it didn't. I was so stiff and sore and had such a headache that it was a bunk51 for me the whole of that day and most of the next. One of the men, Jake Lawson, took a letter to the railroad station. Of course, it was to my father, and in it I told him that if he cared anything about a pile of silver it might be well to keep the whole thing quiet for a while."
"Then you didn't tell the loggers what had happened to you?" exclaimed Bob, in great astonishment52.
"No—they thought I had merely wandered off and become lost in the woods."
"How did your father manage to find the place?"
"Oh, Jake Lawson met him at the station and piloted him through the woods. I tell you, he was glad to see me alive and well, for by that time I was all right again."
"I'll bet he was," commented Dave.
"My tale about the silver impressed him very much, and he thought it worth while to investigate fully53. He did two things right away—sent for a mining expert," Fenton paused and waved his hand toward Stuart Wells, "then for one of his trusted old watchmen, Neil Prescott."
"Ah, ha! Now we're coming to something," exclaimed Sam, with interest. "We know Neil Prescott, all right."
Howard smiled.
"Father only consented to my returning to the valley on condition that I would keep in constant communication with Neil, and——"
"Never attempt that climb unless it was absolutely necessary. As for going up and down, carrying provisions and making an indefinite stay—well, he wouldn't hear of it."
"Don't wonder a bit," said Sam.
"Anyway, we hit upon a splendid scheme. I happened to remember that log hut on Promontory55 and suggested that Neil might fix it up and stay there a while."
"Well, well—also, did you ever!" cried Bob.
"I got up a code of signals; and another dandy thing was the way Neil managed to——"
"Now I see the whole thing," put in Sam, with a grin. "He floated down your provisions. Aha! That explains all his mysterious doings—now we know why your father happened out on the lake that night."
"Yes! You've learned the whole story," laughed Fenton.
"Mighty interesting," observed Dave Brandon. "And the silver?"
"It's going to pan out well," said the mining expert. "I guess Howard's discovery will add a few dollars to his father's pocket-book."
"I hope so," put in Fenton. "Of course the pater and Wells here knew how to go about things, and we have our claim fully protected. Probably a company will be formed in a short time, and the three of us may be out here a good deal, later on. Wells has plans already made for a hoist56 up the cliff, and a road from there won't be hard to make."
"I'm jolly glad to hear of your good luck, Howard," said Bob, his eyes sparkling.
"Count me in on that," added Dave, warmly.
"And Sam Randall is as much pleased as anybody," exclaimed the owner of that name.
"Enjoy it down here, all bottled up?" asked Bob Somers.
Howard smiled faintly, while several of his hearers laughed, and the former then added, "We were going to let you know as soon as possible that I was very much alive. Pater said it was a downright shame not to tell you fellows right away. Honestly, it was my fault—but it's all right, isn't it, eh?"
"All right, old man," said Bob, and they shook hands all around.
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1
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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chubby
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| adj.丰满的，圆胖的 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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hemmed
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| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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tingeing
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| vt.着色，使…带上色彩（tinge的现在分词形式） | |
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cataract
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| n.大瀑布，奔流，洪水，白内障 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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gritting
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的现在分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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17
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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canyon
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| n.峡谷，溪谷 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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buffeting
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| 振动 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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lariat
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| n.系绳，套索；v.用套索套捕 | |
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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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31
swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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40
shovels
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| n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份 | |
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41
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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crackers
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| adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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46
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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47
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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48
gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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49
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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50
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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51
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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52
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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53
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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54
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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55
promontory
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| n.海角；岬 | |
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56
hoist
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| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
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cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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