It was broad day, though the sun had not climbed high enough to look down into the ravine, when the boys woke. Sidney was the first to rouse, and he lay quietly gazing up into the sky, which, from that position, looked like the bluest sea, with floating masses of fleecy wool. He reviewed the exciting events of the previous day and night, and wondered what might still be in store for them. He could not believe, however, that they would encounter again such bloodthirsty bandits as the two men who had attacked them. They had been given to understand that the mountaineers of the Caucasus, while often fierce and wild, were usually honorable and hospitable. Their first experience of the people of Daghestan had justified such a report, for the men with whom they had had dealings at Petrovsk had been attentive and considerate. Sidney thought that might possibly have been due to the fact that those men were probably really Russian.
Presently Raymond woke, and with characteristic impetuosity jumped up the moment his eyes were open.
“Are you awake, Sid? I tell you I’m glad we are both here safe. It seems now as though that affair of yesterday couldn’t be true, but I suppose we’d find those fellows lying out there if we went to look.”
“I’m worrying a little, Ray, about the chance of our getting into trouble over that. If we should be arrested for killing those men, we don’t know a word of the language here, and it might be impossible for us to show that we did it in self-defense.”
“Why can’t these people speak a civilized language instead of such a barbaric jargon! If they only knew Spanish, now, that would do all right.”
“Yes, it would do all right for us,” said Sidney, laughing, “but it might not for the next travelers.”
“I don’t believe there are any next travelers here; we are the only ones.”
The boys ate a dry breakfast, slung their blanket rolls over their shoulders, and took up their long tramp. Their way led past the first bandit who had fallen a victim to Raymond’s skill. The man, apparently, did not move after he fell. His hands still grasped a long-barreled, silver-trimmed rifle, and from a cord hung an ornately decorated dagger. His head was covered with a conical, black, lamb’s wool cap, and he was clothed in a coat which was so long that it reached nearly to his ankles. On either side of the front of his coat were fastened silver cartridge cases. The whole effect of the man’s equipment was that of comfortable affluence.
“I suppose,” said Sidney, as they regarded the prostrate form, “that if he had gone to the war with Germany he might have met the same fate.”
“He certainly would have made a fine soldier, but I guess he had a better business. Brigandage must be profitable.”