The Valiant Runaways [45]
of you," said Roldan, proudly, anxious to rout the
memory of his recent humiliation. "But come." And Rafael, too weary and
bewildered to resent the authority of his erst-while rival, trudged
obediently in the rear.
"It grows colder," said Adan, significantly.
"Yes," said Roldan. "We near the mountains."
Adan stopped. "Is it the mountains again?" he asked. "If it is, then I,
for one, prefer the priest."
"The mountains never scared you half as badly as the priest did," said
Roldan, cruelly. "And to say nothing of the fact that we need never get
lost in the mountains again, the embrace of a grizzly would be no harder
and more death-sure than one in the great arms of that fiend that wears
a cassock."
"True. You are always right. But promise that whatever happens you will
not lead us into the Sierras."
"I promise," said Roldan, much flattered by this unconscious tribute to
his leadership.
"Do you think that priest is really a devil?" asked Rafael, in an
awestruck voice.
"When a man has insulted you, you do not know what you think of him,"
said Roldan, flushing hotly. "If he only were not a priest I'd fight
him, big as he is. But at least I can outwit him. It consoles me to
think of his fury when he goes to the cave and finds us gone."
"We'd better get out of this tunnel before we talk about having the best
of the priest," said Adan. "Suppose he returns to kill us himself--"
"He will not return until to-morrow. Then he will have repented. He will
promise to let us go free if we keep his secret. But he will not have
that satisfaction, my friends. Yesterday he had a friend in Roldan
Castanada; I would have done anything for him, gladly kept his secret.
But to-day he has an enemy that he will do well to fear. A Spaniard
never forgets an insult."
"What shall you do?" asked Rafael, eagerly. "Expose him?"
"No, I do nothing mean. But I proclaim at Los Angeles that gold has been
discovered in the Californias, and in six days the hills will swarm, and
the priest in his cell will gnash his teeth."
"Ay!" exclaimed Adan. "Do you feel that?"
An icy blast swept down the tunnel, roughening skin and shortening
breath. A few moments later the low rhythm as of distant water came to
their ears. Roldan and Adan recognised that familiar music, and set
their teeth.
"And I prayed that I might never see another redwood," muttered Adan,
crossing himself.
The tunnel stopped abruptly. They stood before a mass of brushwood,
piled thickly to keep out wild beasts and delude the searching eye of
hostile Indians. Beyond, seen in patches, was a dazzle of white.
"Snow, of course," said Adan, with a groan.
The boys pulled the branches apart without much difficulty: the priests
had studied facility of egress and had raised the barrier from within.
In a few moments the boys stood in the sunlight; and the mountains
hemmed them in.
Adan stamped his foot savagely on the hard snow. "We are where we
started a week ago," he said. "No more, no less."
"No," said Roldan, who also had felt demoralised for a moment. "The
priests were too clever for that. They would want to get into the
shelter of the mountains, no more. I believe that from the top of that
point above the tunnel we can see the valley."
"Well, we can at least look," said Rafael, who was bitterly weary and
hungry, but determined not to be outdone by these hardened adventurers.
The boys made their way up the declivity as best they could through the
heavy snowdrifts, pulling themselves up by clutching at young trees and
scrub. They were thinly clad and very cold, and hunger was loud of
speech. When after a half-hour's weary climb, they reached the summit,
they drew a long sigh of relief, but their enthusiasm was too moderate
for words in present physical conditions. The valley lay below. Far
away, beyond leagues of low hills and wide valleys something white
reflected the sun. It was the Mission.
"We have not a moment to rest, unless we can find a safe hiding-place,"
said Roldan. "If he should return and
memory of his recent humiliation. "But come." And Rafael, too weary and
bewildered to resent the authority of his erst-while rival, trudged
obediently in the rear.
"It grows colder," said Adan, significantly.
"Yes," said Roldan. "We near the mountains."
Adan stopped. "Is it the mountains again?" he asked. "If it is, then I,
for one, prefer the priest."
"The mountains never scared you half as badly as the priest did," said
Roldan, cruelly. "And to say nothing of the fact that we need never get
lost in the mountains again, the embrace of a grizzly would be no harder
and more death-sure than one in the great arms of that fiend that wears
a cassock."
"True. You are always right. But promise that whatever happens you will
not lead us into the Sierras."
"I promise," said Roldan, much flattered by this unconscious tribute to
his leadership.
"Do you think that priest is really a devil?" asked Rafael, in an
awestruck voice.
"When a man has insulted you, you do not know what you think of him,"
said Roldan, flushing hotly. "If he only were not a priest I'd fight
him, big as he is. But at least I can outwit him. It consoles me to
think of his fury when he goes to the cave and finds us gone."
"We'd better get out of this tunnel before we talk about having the best
of the priest," said Adan. "Suppose he returns to kill us himself--"
"He will not return until to-morrow. Then he will have repented. He will
promise to let us go free if we keep his secret. But he will not have
that satisfaction, my friends. Yesterday he had a friend in Roldan
Castanada; I would have done anything for him, gladly kept his secret.
But to-day he has an enemy that he will do well to fear. A Spaniard
never forgets an insult."
"What shall you do?" asked Rafael, eagerly. "Expose him?"
"No, I do nothing mean. But I proclaim at Los Angeles that gold has been
discovered in the Californias, and in six days the hills will swarm, and
the priest in his cell will gnash his teeth."
"Ay!" exclaimed Adan. "Do you feel that?"
An icy blast swept down the tunnel, roughening skin and shortening
breath. A few moments later the low rhythm as of distant water came to
their ears. Roldan and Adan recognised that familiar music, and set
their teeth.
"And I prayed that I might never see another redwood," muttered Adan,
crossing himself.
The tunnel stopped abruptly. They stood before a mass of brushwood,
piled thickly to keep out wild beasts and delude the searching eye of
hostile Indians. Beyond, seen in patches, was a dazzle of white.
"Snow, of course," said Adan, with a groan.
The boys pulled the branches apart without much difficulty: the priests
had studied facility of egress and had raised the barrier from within.
In a few moments the boys stood in the sunlight; and the mountains
hemmed them in.
Adan stamped his foot savagely on the hard snow. "We are where we
started a week ago," he said. "No more, no less."
"No," said Roldan, who also had felt demoralised for a moment. "The
priests were too clever for that. They would want to get into the
shelter of the mountains, no more. I believe that from the top of that
point above the tunnel we can see the valley."
"Well, we can at least look," said Rafael, who was bitterly weary and
hungry, but determined not to be outdone by these hardened adventurers.
The boys made their way up the declivity as best they could through the
heavy snowdrifts, pulling themselves up by clutching at young trees and
scrub. They were thinly clad and very cold, and hunger was loud of
speech. When after a half-hour's weary climb, they reached the summit,
they drew a long sigh of relief, but their enthusiasm was too moderate
for words in present physical conditions. The valley lay below. Far
away, beyond leagues of low hills and wide valleys something white
reflected the sun. It was the Mission.
"We have not a moment to rest, unless we can find a safe hiding-place,"
said Roldan. "If he should return and