The boys, led by the Professor tumbled into the corner in a heap, while the lead pattered in through the opening, rattling with great force like a handful of pebbles.
"They're getting in a hurry," averred the Professor.
"It's growing dark. They want to finish us before then, so we can't play any tricks on them after that. But, if they only knew it, and they probably do, they've got us beautifully trapped. One man below and another at the other end of our tree would be able to keep us here till the springs run dry. If there's only two of them there, as I suspect is the case, they may not want to separate. We'll see, the minute it gets dark enough so that we can move about without being observed."
Some of the sage brush that Kris Kringle had brought down to light up the cave lay outside on the ledge. Using one of the poles, he cautiously raked the stuff inside, heaping it up not far from the entrance.
"What you doing that for?" questioned Stacy, unable to conceal his curiosity.
"You'll see, by-and-by, when we get ready to do something else. You don't think I'm going to stay here all night, do you?"
There was no further firing on either side, though Mr. Kringle showed himself boldly several times.
Finally Tad tried it, and was greeted with a shot the instant he appeared in the opening.
"Must be me they're after," he suggested, with a forced grin, falling flat on the ledge, and wriggling back into the cave.
The twilight was upon them now. The guide had been able to see the flash of the rifle below him, and had taken a quick shot at it when the enemy attempted to wing Tad Butler. Kringle had no means of knowing whether his shot had been effective or not.