the cave which afforded such an opportune retreat to jim tubbs and the inwoods, was one of these natural formations which are occasionally found, and which have more the appearance of being the handiwork of some skillful architect than of nature.
a narrow passage, sufficient to admit an ordinary sized man, extended about thirty feet, when it opened into a broad chamber, which was lighted by several thin rents in the rocks overhead, they being so massive as to exclude all hope of ingress from that direction. the only disadvantage connected with this subterranean dwelling was, that during rainy weather, it required extreme care to prevent its being flooded. occasionally, they were driven out in this manner; but there being a lower portion of the mountain close at hand, the water thus gathered, almost as speedily filtrated through the rocks into the outlet.
when george inwood made his reconnoisance, after the departure of the mohave indians, he was confident of finding some of them dead, or desperately wounded; but, to his surprise, he discovered neither. he was rather pleased at this; for he had never slain a human being, and his teaching and tastes were utterly opposed to it. he more than expected that, ere he saw san francisco again, he would be compelled to slay some of the troublesome aborigines in self-defense, but, until absolutely compelled so to do, he had resolved to abstain from it altogether.
“de next thing, i s’pose, am whedder dem hosses are wisible or inwisible. i ’clines to tink dey’re inwisible,” remarked[33] jim, when informed that the red men had taken their final departure.
“they have been undisturbed,” replied inwood. “i took a look at them before i came in.”
“bless de good lord for dat; i hopes dey will let dem animals be; for if dey tucks ’em away, we’ll hab a mighty hard road to trabbel to get back agin—carrying dem big piles ob gold.”
“ah, jim, we haven’t got that gold yet——”
“but ain’t we getting it, eh? i s’pose i didn’t get a pocketful dis berry arternoon, did i?” he demanded indignantly.
“we have comparatively a small quantity, and there’s no telling when that will give out.”
“i tink it’s gibbin’ out all de time, an’ if it only keeps on gibbin’ out long ’nough, we’ll soon get all we want.”
“i hope we may, but i very much doubt it; and come to think, i believe we have nothing for supper. how is that?”
“you’re right—not ’nough to feed a ’skeeter.”
“you ought to have done some fishing for us, edwin.”
“i would, if you hadn’t put me in the tree, and set me to watching for the indians.”
“dat is so,” assented jim, quite emphatically, “couldn’t watch a fish at de same time. we’ll have to go widout supper, an’ den make up when we get de chance agin; dat’s de way i ginerally fixes it. i can go a week widout eatin’ anything, but i tells you jim tubbs ’gins to feel holler, an’ he makes meat fly when he git de chance.”
“we can then wait until morning.”
by this time, it was completely dark in the cave. the three conversed together awhile longer, and then jim, having finished his pipe, arose and said:
“i tinks i takes a look at de hosses.”
“you had better remain where you are. they are all right, and you may get yourself into trouble.”
“ain’t afeerd; who can git me into trouble? jus’ let me try de gold trick on ’em, an’ dey’ll be glad ’nough to cl’ar de track.”
“you haven’t told us what that gold trick is.”
“you’ll hab to wait now till i come back,” said jim, as he knocked the ashes from his pipe, “takes some time to ’xplainify de science ob dat movement.”
with which information, he made his way to the mouth of the cavern, accompanied by george inwood, who gave him a parting admonition.
“be very careful, for some of these dogs may be loitering around, and waiting for the chance to cut you off.”
“i’ll be keerful, ob course; look out for yourselves, an’ don’t let anybody in till you knows who he am. some ob dem darkeys may try dere tricks on you, an’ you can’t be too keerful.”
“you needn’t be afraid of my getting careless; you’re the one who needs the most advice.”
“o, i always keeps dark,” laughed the african, with which profound witticism, he turned the corner of the cave and disappeared. inwood waited awhile at the opening of the passage, listening and watching, but only the murmur of the brook caught his ear, and he could see nothing but the dark wall of bank which shut out his view beyond, and above these, in the clear sky, floated the full moon. the hour and the surroundings were impressive, and he remained a long time in a kneeling position, lifting up his heart in silent communion with the only one who then saw and heard him.
when he returned, he found his younger brother somewhat apprehensive at his continued absence.
“if the indians should come down upon us when we are separated,” said edwin, “i don’t think we would get off as well as we did to-day.”
“no; if we hadn’t this cave to retreat to, we should have seen trouble. as it is, i am a little anxious about jim.”
“he is careless, but he has been very fortunate. i never saw anything so strange as that which happened to him when we were coming through the mountains. don’t you think that was strange, george?”
“very providential, indeed, although i did not see it myself.”
“i did; he was only a little ways ahead of us, riding along on his horse, when those two indians sprang out from behind the trees, not more than twenty yards off, aimed both their guns straight at him, fired, and then run away.”
“and never harmed him?”
“never touched him; he said he heard both bullets whistle past his ears.”
“it was very singular, but not unaccountable. his color and his size are such as to startle these superstitious people, and, no doubt, when these two aimed at him, their nerves were very unsteady, and to this alone their failure is to be attributed.”
“then he has been in danger several times since we have been here, and was scratched a little this afternoon—so he told me—but he hasn’t been really hurt.”
“he is great help to us. i don’t know what we could do without him. he can do more work in a day than i can in a week, and he has got to be a good shot, too. we must arrange that, however, so that you can do the hunting for food, while we do the hunting for gold.”
“i am ready to begin at any time, and have wondered why you haven’t set me at work before,” said edwin, with great animation, at the prospect of a day’s ramble through the woods.
“it is with some misgiving, as it is, that i consent to this step. remember you are very young, edwin, and there is a great deal of danger for an old hunter in this part of the country.”
“not if he is careful, and you know i would be careful. i shall always keep a sharp look out for grizzly bears.”
“they are dangerous enough, but not so dangerous as the red men.”
“but don’t you think they are easily scared?”
“that may all be, and yet, it isn’t to be supposed that they would be much frightened at the sight of a youngster tramping through the woods with a gun on his shoulder.”
“i will not wander off beyond call.”
“you must remember that; for if you get lost, i don’t know how you would ever find your way back again.”
“i should follow up the stream.”
“but do you suppose this is the only stream in the mountains? there are hundreds of such, and you would be a great deal more likely to get upon the wrong than upon the right one. i mention these facts, because i wish to impress upon you the great necessity of being careful. boys are very seldom inclined to be thoughtful, and you are no exception to the general rule.”
edwin repeated his resolve to take good heed of what he did, and appealed to his record since coming into california in support of his actions.
“yes; i am glad to say that you have, but i sometimes tremble to think of what we have done.”
“you ain’t sorry, george?”
“no; but i am frightened almost. just to think that we are entirely cut off from the civilized world, and it is known to these indians that we are here.”
“but they can’t harm us.”
“suppose they took it into their heads to root us out, what is to hinder them? they could soon starve us to terms, and then do as they pleased with us.”
“you seem gloomy to-night, brother.”
“no; i do not mean to be so—i wish you to understand truly our situation.”
“i am sure i do—but isn’t jim gone a long time?”
“hark!”
faintly through the still night air came the far-off exclamation:
“hold on dar! hold on dar! or i’ll come de gold trick ober you!”
