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Updated: June 24, 2025
"I should not venture to leave the ladder hanging down in the daytime, though there is little chance even then of any one reaching the spot," he observed. Candela now led the way, crying out to us when to stoop down and when to crawl, as we passed through the narrow passages by which he had before conducted me. The padre followed, and I kept close after him.
I followed as soon as he was at the bottom; and the padre came last, Candela and I holding the lower end of the ladder to steady it. The padre, however, exhibited far more activity than I had expected, and came down as fast as I had done.
We had to encamp another night in the forest, as it would have been dangerous to proceed over that kind of country in the dark; but Candela assured us that we might reach my father's house early the following day. We pushed forward till the gloom of evening came on, when we looked about for a convenient spot for encamping.
"If you will lead me to him, I will try to persuade him to accompany us," I said. "My father will, I am sure, be glad of his society;" and I then gave Candela a brief account of what had happened, and where we proposed going. Candela hesitated a moment. "The Senor Padre told me on no account to let his retreat be discovered," he said; "but he has confidence in you, and you may follow me.
Our uncle remained with us during the night, that he might attend to our wounded prisoner, though anxious to proceed to his brother's house. He was also unwilling to let Candela go back alone, lest the Indians who attacked us might be still prowling about, and should murder him.
As my father was anxious that we should lose no time, after taking a hurried breakfast he and Gerald and I set off, Kanimapo and Candela leading the way up the hill which overhung the valley. After proceeding for some distance we reached the summit of the hill, on which grew a tree of considerable size; while opposite to it rose a perpendicular cliff, surmounted by several pointed rocks.
We immediately collected sticks, and had a fire blazing, before which Candela exerted his culinary powers in preparing our repast; while we arranged, as usual, some huts for my mother and the rest of the family. The Indian had, in the meantime, formed a bundle of torches of some resinous wood which he cut with his machete.
Thus we progressed, till we reached the more open part of the forest, near the edge of the river. Candela now pushed on at a rapid rate, till we saw the light of our camp-fire a short distance off. I then proposed going ahead to announce the padre's coming.
"I will go with you," he said. "Candela, we will visit the Senor Desmond, and you will easily find the way back; though, by my faith, it is more, I suspect, than I could do myself." Candela had no objection to offer.
"We may some day have to make use of yonder retreat," he said to me; "and before we go I will remove the bridge, that none of our enemies may discover it." Calling to Candela, he at once descended the hill; and they returned soon after with the rope and cradle, which they hid away in the cavern.
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