“Yes, it will be,” replied Sidney, “but we’ll have to take that chance.”
The boys began to realize that they had had no breakfast, and the situation was not made more cheerful when they remembered that the knapsacks contained only dry bread and cheese. Moreover, the cheese was very salty, and as there was no water they did not dare to eat it, for fear of creating a consuming thirst which could not be allayed. So the breakfast menu was reduced to dry bread only. They ate that as slowly as possible, taking very small pieces and chewing each piece a long time. Even with such a highly hygienic method as that the meal was only too quickly finished. When breakfast was out of the way, Raymond took up his new revolver, which he had not had time to examine.
“Now, Sid,” said he, “I’ll clean my gun while you are doing up the dishes.”
“All right,” laughed Sidney; “when I get a lot of dishes in the rinsing water, I’ll call on you to dry them.”
“If you do, I’ll drink some of the rinsing water first. Gee, but I’m thirsty!” Raymond found that the gun was a six-shot revolver of English make; rather antiquated in style but in serviceable condition. He took it all apart and wiped the pieces and the inside of the barrel carefully with a bit of rag, polishing the barrel until every atom shone. He spent so much time on the work that Sidney, who had nothing to do, became restless.
“What will you do, Ray,” he asked, “if some one comes before you put your gun together again?”
“Oh, I’ll just point the barrel at them; that will scare them away. But seriously, Sid, if somebody should come I don’t believe it would do to try to stand them off. If I shot a man or two, it would probably only be worse for us in the end, for we certainly couldn’t get away. If they didn’t dare come right in and take us, it would only be a question of starving us out.”
“Yes, that’s so. I guess we should have to take our medicine if we were discovered.” Sidney had been watching his brother at work on the gun. As he finished speaking he glanced up and there was a little child peering in at the door. The little fellow, as soon as he saw the boys, turned and fled. Sidney jumped up and ran to the door and saw the child scampering away along the side of the mountain. Raymond, in his occupation with the revolver, had not seen their visitor, but when Sidney rushed so precipitately to the door, he followed in alarm.
“I guess it’s all up with us now, Sid,” he said when he saw the child. “That little rascal is sure to tell that he saw us.”
“I don’t believe he will. He’s scared now, but he will forget all about it as soon as he meets somebody. He’s too young to remember long.”