Arizona -- Fiction; Grand Canyon (Ariz.) -- Fiction; Western stories
Jonas gave Curly and Mack a withering glance, started to speak,
swallowed something and said, "How come you to think you was a butcher,
boss? Leave me get my hands on those birds. I should think you done
enough, killing 'em."
"No," said Enoch, "I'm the cook for to-night. But, Jonas, old man, if
you aren't too knocked up, you might make some biscuit."
"Jonas looks to me," suggested Mack, "like a cup of coffee and a seat
by the fire was about his limit to-night. I'll get the rest of the
grub, if you'll tend to the quail, Judge. Curly, you go out and unpack
for Diana. We'll turn the cave over to you and Na-che to-night, Diana."
Diana, who was sitting on a rock by the fire, long, slender legs
crossed, hands clasping one knee, an amused spectator of the scene,
looked up at Mack with a smile.
"Indeed you won't, Mack. Na-che and I have our tent. We'll put it up
in the sand, as usual. And tomorrow, having delivered our prize
package, we'll be on our way."
Enoch looked up quickly. "Don't be selfish, Miss Allen!" he exclaimed.
"That's the idea!" Mack joined in vehemently. Then he added, with a
grin, "The Judge has plumb ruined our quiet little expedition anyhow.
And after two weeks of him and Curly, I'm darn glad to see you, Diana.
How's your Dad?"
"Very well, indeed! If he had had any idea that I was going on this
sort of trip, though, I think he'd have insisted on coming with me.
Judge, let me finish those birds. You're ruining them."
"Whose quail are these, I'd like to know?" demanded Enoch.
"Yours," replied Diana meekly, "but I had thought that some edible
portion besides the pope's nose and the neck ought to be left on them."
Jonas, who had been crouching uneasily on a rock, a disapproving
spectator of the scene, groaned audibly. Na-che now came into the glow
of the fire. She was a comely-faced woman, of perhaps forty-five,
neatly dressed in a denim suit. Her black eyes twinkled as she took in
the situation.
"Na-che, you come over here and sit down by me," said Jonas. "If I
can't help, neither can you."
Na-che smiled, showing strong white teeth. "You feel sick from the
saddle, eh, Jonas?"
"Don't you worry about that, woman! I'll show you I'm as good as any
Indian buck that ever lived!"
Na-che grunted incredulously, but sat down beside Jonas nevertheless.
In spite of the gibes, supper was ready eventually and was devoured
with approval. When the meal was finished, Na-che and Jonas cleared
up, then Jonas took his blanket and retired to a corner of the cave,
whence emerged almost immediately the sound of regular snoring. The
others sat around the fire only a short time.
"You'll stick around for a little while, won't you, Diana?" said Curly,
as he filled his first pipe.
"I really ought to pull out in the morning," replied Diana. "There are
some very special pictures I want to get at Oraibai about now."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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