CHAPTER XXI.

A LONG HALT.

When the morning dawned Poyor was still absent and Cummings' anxiety had become intense.

It hardly seemed possible the Indian would go very far from the cave of his own free will, and that he had been captured by the enemy appeared more than probable.

Neither Jake nor the boys awakened until after the sun had risen, and, as a matter of course, the first inquiry of each was concerning the man upon whom all depended so entirely.

Before Cummings could give words to the fears which had haunted him during the night the entrance to the cave was darkened, and Teddy cried joyfully:

"Here he is, and I hope we are to make another move pretty soon, for after last night's adventure this isn't the most pleasant place I ever saw in which to spend any length of time."

It could easily be seen from the Indian's general appearance that he brought no bad news, and without waiting to be questioned he went toward the stream to quench his thirst.

A sharp cry from both the boys caused him to halt very suddenly, and when Cummings told the story of the adventure with the alligator he said:

"You should not have made such an attempt except when a fire was burning, and even then to wade into the water was wrong. I will get what can be used for both drinking and fishing."

Again he left the cave, returning ten minutes later with what looked like a slender bamboo, save that there were no joints in it. Through the middle of the pole, running the entire length, was a small hole hardly larger than is to be found in a reed, and with this while standing five or six feet from the stream he drank at leisure, keeping his eyes fixed upon the surface of the water to guard against an attack.

Having thus quenched his thirst he returned to where Cummings was on guard and told the story of his wanderings.

He had followed straight along the line of moisture, finding cave after cave but none of them as well adapted to their purpose as was this one, and had seen none of the enemy until five or six miles had been traversed, when a strong cordon of sentinels was discovered.

The men were stationed not more than twenty feet apart, and, as nearly as he could judge, had been ordered to remain and prevent the fugitives from leaving the country by way of the coast. From what he already knew concerning the people, he understood the number of men on duty at this particular point had been largely increased, therefore the natural inference was that there were two distinct bodies engaged in trying to capture the white men. One whose duty it was to guard the boarder so thoroughly that it would be impossible to escape, while the other scoured the forest and swamp.

"We must stay here several days," he said in conclusion. "After a time the men will grow careless, and then we may be able to make our way through the lines; but now it is impossible."

Until this moment Neal and Teddy had hoped there might yet be a chance for them to reach Progresso in time to take passage on the steamer as first agreed upon; but now they were in despair. Poyor spoke so positively that there could be no doubt the journey to the coast would be a long one, in case they ever succeeded in making it, and the thoughts of the loved ones at home who were probably mourning them as dead caused them to be more gloomy than on the night of the flight, when it did not seem possible any of the party would escape alive.

Cummings, who had no care as to when he reached the coast, and Jake, to whom time was no particular object, received the news calmly. A week more or less made but little difference to them, and after a short pause Cummings said:

"If you will stay on guard, Jake, I'll find out if it is possible to catch any fish. The food supply is an important matter which should be settled at once, for we must not depend upon what can be gotten in the forest, since no one can say how soon we may be besieged."

Poyor lay down to sleep as if perfectly indifferent to the experiment, and the boys followed Cummings. To watch him fish was better than remaining quiet thinking over their troubles.

The reflection of the sun from the outside had so far dispelled the gloom that it was possible to distinguish surrounding objects with reasonable distinctness, and Cummings stood by the bank of the stream as he tied one end of Teddy's line to the pole Poyor had used for drinking purposes, while, with the last remaining fragments of roasted toh, began the work.

In the most perfect silence the boys watched him for ten minutes, and Teddy said:

"I guess you'll have to give it up as a bad job. There's nothing but alligators in the stream, and what they most want is another chance to get hold of Neal's trousers."

"It was lucky for me that they didn't get hold of my ankle as well. I don't understand how I escaped so easily, for—"

"Here's the first one," Cummings said triumphantly, as he swung on shore a fish weighing about three pounds. "If we find many such there won't be any danger of suffering from hunger."

The boys seized the flapping evidence of Cummings' skill as an angler, and hurried to the entrance in order to examine it more closely.

In shape it was similar to a brook trout; but instead of being spotted had black scales as large as one's thumb nail, and not until it had been scrutinized carefully was anything seen to betoken the presence of organs of sight. Then Jake pointed out two slight depressions near the end of the upper jaw, which were protected and nearly covered by a cartilaginous substance extending entirely across the head something after the fashion of a hood.

"I don't wonder he had to try a long while before catching this fellow," Teddy said with a laugh. "A fish that has such poor apologies for eyes can't be expected to see bait very quickly."

"It isn't likely they can see anything, and if these small specks are eyes they've probably only been put on as ornaments."

At this point Jake, regardless of the fact that he should have been listening intently at the aperture, began what was evidently about to be a long dissertation on the subject of a fish being able to smell while in the water, and to prevent him from neglecting his duties as sentinel, the boys went back to the stream, arriving there just as Cummings landed a second prize.

At the end of an hour four fish, aggregating in weight not less than ten pounds, were on the bank, and it was decided that no more should be caught.

"We've got food enough to last us during twenty-four hours," Cummings said, "and it would be a waste of time to fish any longer."

"When are we to cook them?" Teddy asked.

"That is a job which must be left for Poyor. He can do it better than either of us, and, since there are none of the enemy in the immediate vicinity, I fancy we may count on having these for the next meal."

Then Cummings took his turn at sleeping, after impressing on the minds of the boys and Jake that a strict watch should be kept by all regardless of the news brought by the Indian, and during the two hours which followed before there was any change in the condition of affairs, little else was done save to discuss the situation.

They talked of the loved ones at home; of the probable whereabouts of those who had left the burning yacht in their company, and of the chances that they would soon reach the coast, until Jake changed the subject by saying abruptly:

"We'll soon be blind if the Indian don't find a hidin' place where the sunlight penetrates once in awhile. I begin to feel a good deal like a bat already, an' have a big mind to slip out for a walk."

"Don't so much as think of it," Teddy cried in alarm. "It isn't certain that the enemy are not close by, and the risk is too great."

"I can't see it in that light," Jake replied in his old obstinate manner. "Perhaps Poyor has had more experience in these woods than I have; but I'll bet considerable that I can get around as well as he does."

"Do you remember what happened the last time you believed Cummings and Poyor were mistaken or ignorant?" Neal asked meaningly.

"What has that got to do with my going where I can use my eyes a bit?"

"Very much, considering the fact that Cummings thinks it is dangerous even for him to venture out. You are safe so long as the Indians do not get a glimpse of you, and it would be endangering the lives of all hands if you tried such a foolish experiment that can be of no especial benefit in case it is made successfully."

Jake did not reply; but from his manner Neal believed he intended to leave the cave at the first favorable opportunity, and resolved to keep a close watch upon him.

Nothing more was said on the subject because at this moment Poyor arose, and going to the stream for a drink of water, saw the fish on the bank.

"Hungry?" he asked, coming toward the entrance.

"I wouldn't object to something warm," Teddy replied with a laugh; "but I suppose it isn't safe to build a fire till after dark."

"We can have one now," the Indian said, as he began to crawl through the passage.

"There," Jake said triumphantly, as Poyor disappeared, "you can see how much danger there would be in our taking a stroll. Yesterday he wouldn't let a fellow whisper, and now we're to cook as if such a tribe as the Chan Santa Cruz had never existed."

"That doesn't make the slightest difference so far as we are concerned. He could go in safety where you'd be certain to get into trouble."

Again the engineer was silenced but not convinced and Neal's fears that some dangerously foolish move might be made by him, were increased.

When Poyor returned he brought with him a small quantity of wood, more mud, and a bundle of green leaves.

At the further end of the cave he built a fire; encased the fish as he previously had the "chickens," piled the embers over them, and then, in the canteen brought by Cummings, he steeped the leaves.

Breakfast or dinner, whichever it might be called was ready in half an hour, and when Poyor set the repast before them, where all could be on the alert while eating, Teddy exclaimed:

"Those leaves must have been from a tea plant; it seems quite like being on the yacht again to smell that."

"You'll be disappointed when you taste of the beverage," Cummings, who had just been awakened by the Indian, said, as he approached his companions. "He has made an infusion of pimientillo leaves, a drink of which the natives of Yucatan are very fond."

Teddy was pleased rather than otherwise with the flavor, which was as of tea mixed with cloves, and drank so much that Poyor was forced to brew another canteen full in order to satisfy his own desires.

The fish were pronounced delicious, and although Cummings thought he had caught considerably more than could be consumed in one meal, there was very little left when the hunger of all had been appeased.

It was now nearly noon, when every native of the country believes a siesta is necessary, however important business he may have on hand, and Poyor stretched himself once more out on the sand, Cummings advising the boys and Jake to do the same thing.

"I slept so long that I couldn't close my eyes now if I tried, so you had better take advantage of the opportunity."