Accordingly, without paying any heed to the warning, he swung himself forward and downward to a narrow shelf on the side of the ledge, where he found himself in sight of the clearing in front of the bluff.
Casting a swift glance over the scene, he saw Jack standing nearly where he had left him. He also saw Mrs. Raggles and her three girls picking up the rude utensils they had used in getting their lunch, and tossing them into the wagon. But what surprised him the most was the sight of old man Raggles and his two boys, in the act of hitching the oxen to the vehicle!
He barely took this all in at a glance, without having time to give it a second thought.
He was now about fifteen feet from the foot of the ledge, and seeing that the way was clear beyond, he unhesitatingly dropped from his precarious perch into the bushes growing near to the mouth of the cave.
As he did so, the reports of the outlaws' firearms rang out sharply on the silence of the wild woods.
Quickly regaining his equilibrium, Little Snap bounded toward the side of the surprised Jack, who looked up with wonder at his sudden approach.
CHAPTER VI.
LITTLE SNAP'S TROUBLES INCREASE.
Though Little Snap was aware that he was running the gantlet of the rifles of the bushbinders, he kept on undaunted, until he had reached the side of his horse.
The next moment he sprang lightly into the saddle, and gathering up the reins, shouted:
"Away, Jack! show them a light pair of heels!"