“I thought I heard a whisper a short distance away, but I could not be sure. I am sure, though, that some one glided by me, and Perry here had the best of evidence that one of the Indians fell over him.”
“Unless it was Cyril; he did lie down to sleep by me, father.”
“I’ve been on guard here by the cave’s mouth for ever so long,” said Cyril sharply, as if resenting the fact that his companion should have been sleeping while he watched.
“Then it was an Indian,” said the boy sharply.
“We have the mules safe, Manning,” said the colonel, “and now we must make sure of the baggage. Stand together, boys, facing two ways, while Manning and I get the packs into the cave.”
“But there may be more Indians in there, sir,” said Cyril.
“If there are, we must drive them out. That must be our fort for the present.”
At that moment there was a faint whistle from a distance, and it was answered from somewhere high up on the mountain-side.