The afternoon and evening wore on. In their corner, Dick and Sandy passed through an ordeal of suffering that had sapped even their rugged endurance. They lay now with closed eyes, moaning in their sleep. The lips of each were dry and cracked. Dust choked their nostrils. Ankles and wrists throbbed and pained from the constant friction and pressure of the rope with which the outlaws had bound them.
It was not until the following morning that Henderson deigned to notice them. Nor was it pity that prompted him to bellow out at the top of his voice:
“Baptiste, untie them two young swine an’ put ’em to work. We need ever’ available man. You can take charge of the outfit that’s workin’ outside on that new shaft.”
This was the sort of thing that Baptiste did well. He pounced down upon the benumbed and thirst-crazed pair with a whoop of delight. He untied their bonds and kicked them to their feet, grinning in derision as they swayed there, totally unable to stand. He shook them roughly, leering into their bloodshot eyes.
“Ah, ze pretty boys,” he crooned, “zey will wake up to come with their veree good friend, Baptiste. What you think about that, eh?”
“Stop it!” thundered Henderson, as he turned to go down through the trap. “There ain’t no time to fool. Them boys’ll be all right in a few minutes. Rub their legs. Go an’ fetch ’em some grub.”
By the time Baptiste had returned, the blood had commenced to circulate in Dick’s and Sandy’s swollen limbs, but it was nearly two hours before they were able to stagger forth to join the party of Indian workers, who were engaged at that particular moment in bailing water from the shaft situated about one hundred yards from the cabin.
In the group, very much to the boys’ surprise, was Toma. Their guide stood turning the handle of the windlass as they approached, and, except for a faint flicker in his eyes, one might have thought that the tall, lithe Indian lad looked upon the two newcomers for the first time in his life. Impassively he went on with his work when Dick and Sandy took their places with the rest and were given instructions by Baptiste.
“I’ll be here to watch you veree close,” he warned them. “Et ees a good thing for you ef you move veree quick when I say.”
Concluding this threatening speech, he pushed them roughly in the direction of two wooden buckets, and bade them commence at once. Dick was raging with suppressed anger; Sandy was furious. They picked up the buckets, nevertheless, and walked back to the shaft. Greatly pleased with himself, Baptiste sat down on a flat rock and puffed contentedly on his pipe.