ough to express the
bursting gladness that was in our hearts--two short blasts of a whistle,
wafted upward on the light breeze that was blowing towards us from the
plain, sounded very faintly but clearly in our ears. Young started as he
heard this sound, and as he turned towards me he held out his hand and
said, in a voice that was husky and tremulous, "Professor, that's a
locomotive whistle, an' th' d----n fool is--is whistlin' 'down brakes'!"
And in these curiously chosen, yet not unmeaning words, did we celebrate
our deliverance.

When we returned to Rayburn--and as we now knew the way, and as almost
the whole of it was downhill, our return was accomplished rapidly--some
of the joyous strength that we had gained seemed to be imparted to him.
He opened his eyes as we stooped over him, and there seemed to be more
life in them than there had been through all that day.

"Rouse up, old man!" Young cried cheerily. "We've struck th' trail out
o' this cussed hole at last, an' we're goin' t' hike you right along to
where you'll get some of God's sunshine again, an' some air that's fit
for a white man t' breathe;" which words brought still more light into
Rayburn's eyes, and a little color came into his pale cheeks as we told
him of the open way that we had found to light and life.

"Where's the Padre?" he asked, as we together raised the stretcher,
while Pablo, holding the lantern and leading El Sabio, went on ahead of
us. Fortunately Rayburn could not see Young's face as he answered: "Th'
Padre's--well, th' Padre's just gone on up th' line. You've got t' hold
your jaw, Rayburn. You ain't fit t' talk; an' while we're packin' you
along we can't talk either. Come on, Professor; and you, Pablo," he
added, in his jerky Spanish. "Be careful with that lamp or I'll break
the head of you!"

Although a good third of his flesh had wasted away, Rayburn would have
been a heavy load for us to carry over level ground, even had we been
hale and strong. Worn as we then were by our prison-life, we found
carrying him up that long steep path in the heart of the mountain a
weary work that only the hope and joy that strengthened us enabled us
to accomplish. As it was, we went so slowly, and made so many halts for
rest, that the sun had sunk almost to the level of the distant
mountains, wherewith that great plain was bordered to the westward, when
at last our toilsome journey was at an end. But we thought nothing of
the heaviness of our labor