Once while thus engaged in “feeding,” as Perk always called the act of satisfying hunger, he chanced to lift his eyes above the high margin of the gully, and immediately stopped munching what he had in his mouth. Those sailing buzzards were still making their wide loops as they always do when scanning the face of the country for miles in search of their next meal; and somehow the very sight of them took away part of the satisfaction Perk was feeling in filling up a vacuum “down-below-stairs.”
“Drat the foul birds!” he muttered, half to himself; “they shore do make me tired with their everlasting wheelin’ an’ cavortin’, atryin’ to see what sorter grub we got daown here thet they’d like to gobble. Gosh all hemlock! haow I’d like to knock their red blocks off with a scatter-gun!”
Jack understood enough not to make any remark calculated to cause his pal to again worry his mind over what could not be remedied—the mysterious vanishing of poor Simeon Balderson. And presently Perk chirked up, as though he could put the grewsome matter out of his mind so long as he refrained from watching the constant evolutions of the carrion birds.
As they devoured their last sandwich, feeling as though they had had quite sufficient, somehow both were silent. Jack contemplated remaining there in that sheltered nook for a further brief rest, after which they would again take up the tedious and arduous climb.
“Mebbe we had orter be on the move, partner,” Perk finally suggested in a low whisper, just as though he feared lest a host of hostile ears might be hidden from sight by the nearby thickets. “I ’low I’m right daown thirsty, an’ a swig o’ that gurglin’ stream’d come in fine.”
“Just as you say, Perk,” with which remark Jack started to arise; and presently both were toiling upward, stepping carefully, and endeavoring not to brush against the branches of the stubby pinons as they advanced slowly on the way toward their goal.
A minute or so afterwards found them lying flat on the ground, swallowing generous quantities of the cold, icy water that was running down the rugged slope in a zigzag fashion, due to the innumerable obstacles that caused it to make little detours, since water must always seek its own level, and will find different means for so doing.
Suddenly Jack lifted his head, swallowing hastily, and made a low hissing sound that thrilled his companion.
“Voices near by—somebody coming this way, perhaps for a drink—we must get a move on or we’ll be discovered! After me, Perk, and be still as the grave,” was what Jack whispered in the ear of his mate as he commenced crawling away.