Together the two watchers saw the flash, and together they shrieked the glad discovery.
Genevieve rose to go to her crying baby. Before she could silence him, Isobel screamed to her: “Another shot!––farther downstream! What can it mean?”
Genevieve put down the still-sobbing baby and ran again to the verge of the precipice. Two minutes after the second flash there came a third, a few yards still farther along the cañon.
“They have changed their plans. They are going downstream,” said Genevieve.
She caught up the long pole of the flag and ran to thrust it out opposite the point where she had seen the flash. 342
Gowan was preparing for the return trip up along the cañon to the starting point. At Isobel’s call, he silently turned the ponies about the other way and followed the excited watchers. As he did so, the girl perceived a fourth flash in the abyss, a hundred yards farther downstream. She hastened with the flag to a point a little beyond the place.
When Genevieve had quieted the baby and overtaken Isobel, the latter was ready with a question: “You know Tom so well. Why is he going on down? He said that he would at once return after reaching the place where the head of the tunnel is to be.”
“He must have seen the beacon,” replied Genevieve. “He could not have mistaken that. Something has forced him to change his plans. It may be they were swept down some place in the river that he knows they cannot re-ascend.”
“Oh! do not say it!” sobbed the girl. “If they cannot get back––oh! what will they do? How will they ever escape?”
“Is there no other place?” asked Genevieve. “Think, dear. Is there no break in these terrible precipices?”