“All right. Thar’s yer hoss an’ thar’s yer gun. Take them an’ git, and mind, ef ye turn up against us yer a dead man. I lets ye go now because none here wants yer life or yer company, but yer a dead man ef ye ever crosses my track. I have spoken—so be off with you!”
Jules obeyed. Without a word he rode away and the hills soon hid him from their sight.
CHAPTER XII.
THROUGH THE SNARE.
The three men began to complete their raft, working with all their power. In a few hours the work was done, and they were ready to go down the river at a moment’s warning. Then Ben set to work upon another cache for his skins, which it would be impossible to take with him. He chose a place within the cañon through which the river ran, and here he laid the skins. His brow was sad. The old man had been deceived in regard to a comrade, and he was grieved.
“Do not grieve for a bad man,” said the girl, observing his sadness. “He is not worth a single pang.”
“True enough, gal. An’ yit, I thought the lad a true one. I did indeed. But, let him go; the time will come when he’ll be sorry in his heart fer what he’s done.”
When all was ready, they pushed the raft down to the very mouth of the cañon and there embarked. The horses were abandoned. Ben took his station in front of the raft. Bentley and Jan took the sides, each armed with a long pole. Millicent crouched in the center, beside the pile of provisions which the forethought of the trapper had induced him to bring.
A perilous path lay before them. The stream ran dark and swift between huge bowlders of gray rock, rearing their heads in the air. Without the skill of Trapper Ben their lives were not worth a moment’s purchase. At first they were in the power of the “suck,” which drew them rapidly toward the other bank, and threatened to dash them on the place where the other raft was beaten to pieces. But the quick eye of Ben saw the peril and averted it. As the raft dashed down upon the wall a skillful push of the long pole sent it whirling down the stream, while the other men stood aghast, and Millicent also covered her face with her hands.
When she looked up, the present peril was over and they were dashing down the dark channel at a breakneck speed. There was a wild, triumphant look in the eyes of the old hunter, as he guided the raft on its course.
“Hurray, boys; now we ar’ goin’,” he shouted, “Don’t be skeered, little gal. I’ll take ye safe through, or bu’st things a-trying. Durn a Frenchman. Does he think he kin overreach me? Hey! look out fer that rock, Bentley. That’s right. You’d make a good raftsman in time. Look sharp, Jan. Thar’s a rock loomin’ up on your side. Give it a sly tap. That’s it. Well done. Ef we onc’t git on the level, it will be all right. I’ve got an idee. Stand steady, boys. The wust time is comin’. You kain’t help me much. Bentley, go astern and when that brown rock is just abeam of us, sock that pole ag’inst it, and push ez hard ez you kin. Now mind you do it.”