Breathless and panting the four officers
gained the spot from which the shots had been fired, the men close up
behind them; but not a soul was to be seen.
"Wait a moment till you get breath, lads," their leader said. "They
can't be far from here. We will find their hiding-place presently,
never fear."
As they stood panting there was a shout from above. The soldiers were
standing along the edge of the cliff, looking down upon the fight.
Sergeant Morris waved his arm.
"They have made away to your left, sir!" he shouted at the top of his
voice. "We have just caught sight of them among the rocks!"
In two or three minutes Captain O'Connor led the way in that
direction.
"Keep your eyes sharply about, lads. No doubt the place is cunningly
hidden. Search among every clump of bushes between the rocks."
Presently the sergeant shouted down again from above:
"I think you are far enough now, sir! We did not catch sight of them
beyond that!"
For an hour the search continued, but without avail.
"They must be here somewhere, lads!" Captain O'Connor said. "We will
find them if we have to stop here a week, and have provisions brought
down from the village. It's pretty evident there is no opening between
the great rocks or we must have found it. We must examine the smaller
bowlders. They may have one so placed that it can be dropped down over
the entrance.
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