This proposal was cordially agreed to, and it was
settled that on the following morning Harry himself
should, with Hunting Dog and two pack-horses, start
for the fort, following the same route they came,
while the rest should set to work to construct a cradle,
and troughs for leading the water to it.
AN INDIAN ATTACK
A couple of trees were felled in the middle of the
clump in which they were still encamped. They
were first roughly squared and then sawn into planks,
the three men taking it by turns to use the saw.
The question of shifting the camp up to the spot where
they intended to work was discussed the night before
Harry started, but it was agreed at last that it would
be better to remain where they were.
“If Utes come, sure to find traces,” the
chief said. “Many horses in valley make
tracks as plain as noonday. Gold valley bad place
for fight.”
“That is so,” Jerry agreed. “We
should not have a show there. Even if we made
a log-house, and it would be a dog-goned trouble to
carry up the logs,—we might be shut up
in it, and the red-skins would only have to lie round
and shoot us down if we came out. I reckon we
had best stay here after all, Harry. We could
keep them outside the range of our rifles anyhow by
day.”
“I don’t see that that would be much good
to us, Jerry; for if they came by day they would not
find us here. Still I don’t know that it
ain’t best for us to stay here; it would give
us a lot of trouble to build a place. I reckon
two of us had better stay here all the day with the
horses. If the red-skins come, they can fire a
couple of shots, and we shall hear them up at the
washing-place. The red-skins would be safe to
draw off for a bit to talk it over before they attacked,
as they would not know how many there were among the
trees. That would give the rest time to come
down.”
It took three days’ hard work to saw the planks
and make the cradle, and troughs sufficiently long
to lead the water down into it from the stream higher
up. These were roughly but strongly made, the
joints being smeared with clay to prevent the water
from running through. A dam was then made to
keep back the water above the spot where they intended
to begin, which was about fifty yards below the quartz
vein, and from this dam the trough was taken along
on strong trestles to the cradle.
The horses were brought into the camp at daybreak
every morning and tied up to the trees, and were let
out again at nightfall. Tom remained in camp,
the chief being with him. The latter, however,
was, during the time Harry was away, twice absent
for a day on hunting excursions lower down the valley,
which was there thickly wooded. The first time,
he returned with the hams and a considerable portion
of the rest of the flesh of a bear. The second
time, he brought up the carcass of a deer.
“How far does the valley run?” Tom asked.
