CHAPTER XVIII
As has been said, Si had stopped to fix his shoe, which now hurt him more than it had for some time.
As he was bending over, the wind took off his cap and blew it across the trail. The headcovering lodged in some brushwood growing at the side of a steep incline.
"Drat the luck!" murmured the former farm boy, and having adjusted the shoe once more, he started to regain the cap.
This was not so easy as it looked, and before Si knew it, he was slipping down the incline. He clutched at the brushwood, but it came out by the roots, and over and over he rolled, bringing up at last against a mass of dead leaves and brush and in almost total darkness.
The fall had taken the wind out of the youth and it was several minutes before he felt able to stand up and look around him. He had bumped his forehead and likewise one elbow, but, fortunately, none of the hurts was serious.
"Gosh! If this don't beat all creation!" he gasped, peering around. "I must have come a mile a minit down that slide! Wonder how I am ever to get up again?"
The question was not an easy one to answer. In coming down he had rounded several curves, so that he could not get a view of the point from which he had started. The bottom of the pocket—for it was nothing more—was not over ten feet wide and a hundred or more feet in length. He calculated, after he had gotten his wits together, that the top was at least two or three hundred feet above him.
"Suppose I can be thankful I wasn't killed," he murmured, as he gazed up the twisting incline. "Beats all how I came down. Wonder if anybody in the crowd saw me?"
He waited for a few minutes, and then, having regained his breath, set up a shout. No answer came back, and he shouted several times in succession.
"They must have gone on," he mused. "If so, I'll have to do what I can to get out without their help."
He walked from one end of the pocket to the other twice, examining the incline from every possible point of view. Presently he discovered one place where there were numerous cracks in the rocks, and he started to crawl up, slowly and cautiously, digging his fingers into the cracks as firmly as possible.
Si was half-way to the top of the opening when something happened that scared him not a little. From one of the cracks just over his head there darted some small animal—what he could not tell. It made for the top of the incline, but in its haste lost its footing and rolled up against the boy's head. Then, as Si tried to knock it away, it went leaping on, while the poor boy, having lost his hold, rolled and slid once more to the bottom of the pocket.
"Wonder what it was," thought the boy, as he picked himself up ruefully. "Glad it didn't bite me."
He wished he knew if there were more of the animals at hand, but as none appeared, he started up the incline as before, resolved to keep his grip no matter what happened.
"Hullo, Si!" came suddenly in a hearty voice from above.
"Mark, is that you?" he answered, joyfully.
"Yes. Where are you?"
"Tumbled down this hole."
"Are you hurt?"
"I reckon not. But I am pretty well shook up."
"Can you crawl up?"
"I am trying to do it, but it is a tough job."
"Wait, I'll get a rope," answered Mark, and ran off.
The others were all on the hunt, but Mark soon called them together. A long rope was taken from one of the mule packs and one end was allowed to slide down the incline. It came close to the spot where Si was clinging to the rocks.
"Got it?" sang out Bob.
"Not yet. Can't you let it down a few feet more?"
"Not very well."
"Then leave it as it is and I'll climb for it."
It was no easy task to reach the end of the rope, and twice poor Si thought that he would roll down into the pocket once more. But at last he had a firm hold of the lower end and he shouted for his friends to haul away, which they did, soon bringing him to the surface.
"I am glad to be on top again," said he, as he came out into the daylight.
"Be thankful you didn't break your neck," was Josiah Socket's comment.
"I am thankful."
"After this we'll have to be more than careful of where we walk," observed Mark, with a serious shake of his head. "There are some fearful pitfalls along this route."
"Well, I just guess!" cried Maybe Dixon. "Why, I've heard o' some gulches four an' five hundred feet deep! Reckon nobuddy wants to fall into sech a hole as that, eh?"
With the promise of another fall of snow in the air, the pioneers did not delay long, and soon the journey through the mighty mountain pass was resumed. They had to go upward for several hours, but before nightfall found themselves on the downward trail.
"Hurrah! we have passed the highest point!" cried Mark.
"And now downward we go to the Land of Gold!" exclaimed Bob with equal enthusiasm.
The thought that the upward climb was at an end at last cheered everybody in the party. They looked ahead eagerly, but the gloom of night was at hand and they could see little.
"If it was real clear maybe we could see some of them gold camps," said Maybe Dixon, in disappointed tones.
"Do you think we are close enough?" asked Si.
"It ain't that, lad. In a good clear air one can see for a long distance over these mountains."
"Then we've got lots of traveling to do yet?"
"Yes,—unless somebody has discovered gold along this trail. Gold may be in one place as well as another."
That night they went into camp close to the edge of a mighty cliff. Firewood was as scarce as "hen's teeth," as Si said, and they had to make the most of a tiny blaze just big enough to cook supper. They ate their food piping hot, which warmed them some. Then they got out all of their blankets.
"We are in for a night of it," said Mark, as he looked at the sky.
"Snow?" queried Bob, laconically.
"Yes, and a lot of it."
"I believe you. Too bad! when we are so near the end of the journey!"
"Well, as it can't be helped, we'll have to make the best of it."
It was decided that the entire party, including the Sockets, should camp together, and the horses and the mule were tied up close by. Darling was so tired he soon dropped down and fell asleep and the other steeds speedily followed.
Mark had the first watch and Bob and Si followed. Then Maybe Dixon took his turn. By this time it was snowing steadily.
"In for it sure," said Dixon to Josiah Socket, who relieved him. "I'm afraid we won't do much travelin' to-morrow."
On account of the fall of snow it was not very cold, so the party slept fairly well even without a campfire. Mark was the first person to stir of his own party.
"Well, we are snowed in surely!" he cried, as he gazed around.
On all sides was a spread of dazzling white, and the snow was still coming down steadily. The pass behind them was totally blotted out, and they could see next to nothing ahead.
"The wust yet!" groaned Josiah Socket. "I calkerlated to be well sheltered by the time the snow was a-flyin'. What are we going to do?"
"I know what I am in favor of," said Mark, decidedly.
"What?"
"I'm in favor of getting down from this mountain somehow, to where we can strike better shelter and plenty of firewood, and water. We can't stay here all winter."
Mark's opinion was the opinion of all. They would wait for the snow to stop and then go on.
It was not until two o'clock in the afternoon that the fall ceased. But then the sun came out as if by magic, and on they went as rapidly as the animals with their burdens could travel. Two old miners had come up and they assisted in keeping to the proper trail. All kept on until darkness made it unwise to go further.
"We are getting down," said Bob. "It is not as cold as it was." And what he said was true, the temperature was at least fifteen degrees above what they had experienced on the mountains the night before.
The next morning the sun came out again and as it rose they started onward once more, resolved to make as much progress as possible. They were aiming for the valley of the Yuba River, a tributary of the Feather River, where gold had but recently been located.
"I don't think we'll do any gold digging this winter," said Mark. "We'll have to wait until next spring."
"Well, we'll be on the ground, when the season opens," said Bob, consolingly.
"Ready to pick up nuggets, eh?" put in Si, with a broad grin.
"You're right, Si," laughed Mark. "And the bigger the better."
"Wouldn't mind finding one worth a million, would you?"
"Better make it two millions while you are at it," came from Bob.
"I am willing to take what comes," said Mark. "But I do hope we find some gold," he added, wistfully.
"We have certainly gone through enough to get it," added the former sailor lad.