“Drive then in the direction from which the report came.”
“But, sir, it echoes so through the crags, it’s a’most impossible to tell which way it did come from. All we can know now is, as how it came from among the rocks.”
Willet knew that the cabman was right, since he was sure that he himself could get no correct clue to the route from either the sound or the smoke of the firing.
“Look out for the cab then and do the best you can. We wish to come up with that firing party.”
“All right, sir,” said the cabman.
But in fact it seemed all wrong. They kept a bright lookout for the cab, hoping, though it was now probably empty, to be directed by its driver to the dueling ground. But many roads traversed these mountain solitudes, and their number and intricacies were confusing. Our party drove on to some distance farther, but saw no cab and heard no more firing.
Then they turned back and struck into a cross-road and pursued it for some distance with no better success. Again they turned from their course, came back upon the main road and took the opposite branch of the cross-road and followed it some distance, but in vain. Finally in despair they turned their horses’ heads towards the town, the General saying:
“It is all over by this time; and dead or alive, they have left the ground, and we shall have a better chance of hearing of them at the hotel than elsewhere.”
As they drove rapidly towards the town they came upon a group of laborers eagerly talking together by the roadside.
“What is the matter? What has happened? Where was that firing?” inquired General Lyon, putting his head out of the window, as the cab drew up.