Chapter XVI: The Mountain Pass

OUR outward voyage was slow. Tempests and provoking calms delayed us so much that 'twas not until the twenty-eighth day after leaving Spithead that we sighted Yucatan. Thence, without espying any other craft, we ran into the great bay of Campechy, where we encountered a storm known as El Norte for the space of three days, which drove us out of our course and into a hazardous position on a lee shore.

Finally we came to a secure anchorage at the mouth of a little river some twenty leagues from the city of Vera Cruz. As far as we could see, the district was uninhabited. There might be Indians dwelling in the forests, but there were no signs of any Spanish settlements, for which we were indeed thankful.

We then held a council of war, and, after much careful deliberation, decided to land seventy men under the orders of my father to make the expedition to the mine.

The _Damsel of Lyme_ was therefore dismantled and anchored in a secluded creek, while the _Nonsuch_, under Captain Staynton, was to cruise in the offing, putting into the river at certain fixed times on the chance of picking up the expedition on its return.

At first we hoped to be able to ascend the river in boats, but at less than a league from its mouth we found it so encumbered with rocks and so rapid in its course that such an expedient was impossible.

It was on the last day of June, every man heavily laden, the expedition set out on its hazardous enterprise, Jack Staynton, at his earnest request, accompanying us.

On the second day we fell in with a party of Indians who, on being offered payment, and finding that we were not the dreaded Spaniards, readily provided us with men and mules, for though 'twas less than a hundred years since the first horse was seen in this part of the world, both horses and mules were to be had in plenty.

On and on we toiled, for the sun was broiling, but every day found us higher above the sea, till in the evening of the ninth day we saw a range of snow-capped mountains, from some of the peaks of which thin columns of smoke were issuing.

"Yonder is the burning mountain they call Huitzel!" exclaimed my father, pointing to the loftiest of the smoking peaks. "We have done well, for almost under its shadow lies the mine of San Luis. Courage, men; all being well, every one of you will have enough and to spare for the rest of your lives."

With that the seamen took heart, for the long journey into the unknown and the thought of being separated from the sea had tried them sorely. But, on the other hand, the Indians showed signs of fear at the burning mountain, and nothing would induce them to go farther.

Finding threats and promises equally useless, we had no course but to leave them behind. They readily consented to wait till our return; so, taking the baggage animals with us, we entered on the final stages of our outward journey.

Now 'twas up and up, passing through grim defiles, so narrow that save for a brief two hours the sun's rays never shone upon the arid path, while any of the boulders that hung menacingly over the edges of the precipice on either side would assuredly seal us up in a fearful trap should they topple from their precarious bases.

Anon the way would trend round the face of a tremendous cliff, midway 'twixt summit and base. Often the path was barely two feet in width, and a false step would have sent us headlong for a distance of thirty fathoms. At some of the narrowest parts a man would crawl carefully with a rope round his middle, and on gaining more secure foothold would steady the cord whilst his comrades trod the dizzy path in fear and trepidation. Yet the mules, heavily laden as they were, traversed the hazardous way with seeming ease, their unshod hoofs finding a safe foothold on the slippery rock.

"'Twill be but another hour to sunset," remarked my father, as we halted at a wide recess that cut deep into the mountain. "Now comes another perilous journey, much like the last. 'Tis half a league in length. What say ye, men? Shall we push on and gain the level ground ere night, or camp here?"

"We'll push on, sir, if you give the word," shouted several of the seamen, for they were right glad to have done with the dizzy path, e'en though they were used to going aloft in a gale of wind.

"So be it then," replied my father. "'Tis the last difficult portion of our journey."

Slowly the men who formed the advanced guard filed along the awesome path. Next came the mules, with my father, Jack and I, and the rest of the men bringing up the rear.

Presently the train of mules came to an abrupt halt. One of their number, being unable to pass the projecting ledge by reason of its package slipping to one side, obstinately refused to move, nor could we get to it on account of the other animals, whose baggage hung well out over the edge of the abyss.

At length the mule knelt down, and the others walked carefully over it, till we were able to come up to the spot where it had been stopped.

"The baggage must go!" exclaimed my father. "Do you, Jenkins, cut the bundle adrift."

With that one of the seamen lashed a rope round him, and gave the other end to his comrade to hold. Then, knife in hand, he crept cautiously along the narrow ledge to free the animal of its burden.

He had all but succeeded when the mule, starting to its feet, lashed out with its hind legs, striking Jenkins full in the chest. The next instant man and mule disappeared over the edge of the precipice.

With a jerk that well-nigh capsized the men who were holding it, the rope tautened, having fortunately caught in a small projection at the brink of the chasm. Twenty feet below us our unfortunate comrade was swinging helplessly at the rope's end, his breath well-nigh knocked out of his body by reason of the kick and the fall.

'Twas, indeed, a desperate situation. At any moment the rope might slip over the rock that held it, and, running back, would jerk from their precarious foothold the men who had hold of it.

"Can you climb, Jenkins?" asked my father, leaning cautiously over the edge of the cliff.

"I've not the strength to raise my hand, sir," panted the man. "Can you lower me to the bottom?"

"There's not enough rope. Besides, how could we draw you up again? We'll have you with us in a trice, never fear."

It was an easy matter to encourage the unfortunate seaman, but a difficult one to extricate him from his plight.

Crawling along the ledge till he came to the knob of rock that held the rope, one of the seamen made the discovery that there was a deep, narrow cleft in the path close to the base of the cliff that rose above it on our right. Into this he drove his dagger till only the hilt was visible.

"Can you pass another rope for'ard, sir?" he asked. "We'll reeve a bight, and lower that to Jenkins as well."

In a few minutes another rope, passing round the hilt of the dagger, was lowered to the now well-nigh exhausted man. Then, gripping the hilt of the weapon firmly with his hands, the seaman gave the word to haul away handsomely. But barely had the others taken the strain when they were called upon to stand by.

"The rock will cut the rope through like a knife," said the seaman. "We must needs put something down to ease the chafe."

So saying, he stripped off his coat and doublet and, wrapping them in a bundle, placed them under the rope where it grated against the sharp edge of the rock. Once again the others hauled slowly, and to every one's relief we saw Jenkins' head and shoulders appear over the ledge.

But the task of assisting him upon the path was one of extreme difficulty, since a man had barely room to brace himself for the effort. Yet 'twas done, greatly to our joy, and the rescued man lay stretched upon the narrow ledge, weak and helpless, but safe.

By this time it was dusk, and in a very few minutes the short tropical twilight would give place to intense darkness. With the utmost dispatch we proceeded on our way, crawling and worming along the dangerous path.

Suddenly a loud noise like the exaggerated whirr of an axe against a grindstone smote on our ears.

"Lie down, every man of you!" shouted my father, and immediately we all obeyed, wondering what would happen.

Then, like the rush of escaping waters, a fearful whirlwind swept along the face of the cliff. Had we been standing we should have been inevitably swept off the narrow path. As it was, we could only lie close, wondering how the advance party and the mules were meeting these conditions.

For full five minutes the blast continued, bringing with it thick clouds of dust from the arid valley below, till our eyes were smarting painfully with the irritating grit.

Then, almost as suddenly as it had come, the wind ceased, and all was perfectly still. It was now pitch dark, and willy-nilly we were compelled to stay where we were till dawn.

Presently the dull rumble of distant thunder echoed through the gorge, and ere long lightning began to illumine the sky at frequent intervals.

Then the wind rose again, but no rain fell. Vicious flashes of lightning played across the face of the cliff. At one moment we could see everything around us with startling clearness; at another we were enveloped in the inky blackness, while the rock under us vibrated with the deafening crashes of the thunder.

Thus we spent a horrible night, and were greatly rejoiced when the storm passed away, and the distant snowclad peaks grew rosy under the rays of the rising sun.

We found the rest of the expedition safe and sound, with the exception of a mule that had been struck by lightning. They were awaiting us on a gently sloping platform at the far end of the pass, having gained this more desirable camping-place while we had been engaged in effecting the rescue of the seaman Jenkins.

After breakfast the march was resumed, my father heading the column, since it was necessary to take the right track out of many divers turnings. The road was now comparatively broad, so that four men could comfortably walk abreast, but at almost every half-mile there was a fork, so that without the aid of a map one could easily have taken twenty wrong turnings; while everywhere the road was ankle-deep in sand and dust.

Yet with the utmost confidence my father led the way. On the return journey there could be no difficulty, since the forks ran in the direction we were taking.

Presently we came abreast of a long cleft in the rock, so narrow that a man would have trouble to edge his way through without turning sideways.

"Unpack the mules, my lads!" exclaimed my father in a loud voice. "Here is the mine!"