Arizona -- Fiction; Grand Canyon (Ariz.) -- Fiction; Western stories
"You go over to the Hopi country with us," said Na-che, softly.
"I dassen't do it!" groaned Jonas. "You'll have to serve that stew,
Na-che. My nerves is just too upset. I gotta go off and sit down
somewhere."
"Don't you worry," whispered Na-che, "I'll give you a Navajo charm.
You can't drown if you wear it."
Jonas' black face grew less tense. "Honest, Na-che?"
Na-che nodded emphatically.
"Well," said Jonas, "I had a warming of my heart to you the minute I
laid eyes on you, up there at the Grand Canyon. Any woman as handsome
as you is, Na-che, is bound to be a comfort to a man in his hours of
trouble."
Again Na-che nodded and began to dish the stew, which came quite up to
Jonas' estimate of it. After supper, the big fire was replenished and
Mack produced a deck of cards.
"Who said draw-poker?" he inquired.
"Most any of our crowd will shout," said Agnew.
"Judge?" Mack looked at Enoch, who was sitting before the fire, arms
clasped about his knees.
Enoch pulled his pipe out of his mouth to answer. "No!" with a look of
repugnance that caused Milton to exclaim, "Got conscientious scruples
against cards, Judge?"
"Yes, but don't stop your game for me," replied Enoch, harshly. Then
his voice softened. "Miss Allen, the moon is shining, up on the
plateau. While these chaps play, will you take a walk with me?"
"I'd like to very much!" Diana spoke quickly.
"Well, don't be gone over an hour, children," said Curly. "Cards don't
draw me like a good gab round the fire. And Diana's our best gabber."
"An hour's the bargain then," said Enoch. "Come along, Miss Allen!"
It was, indeed, glorious moonlight on the plateau. The two did not
speak until they reached the upper level, then Enoch laughed.
"Jove! This is the greatest luck a game of cards ever brought me!
Think, Diana, three days ago I was fighting my despair at the thought
that I must never see you again and that you despised me. And here I
am, with moonlight and you and a whole hour. Are you a little bit
glad, Diana?"
"A little bit! I'd be gladder if I weren't so disturbed at the thought
of the trip you are to begin to-morrow!"
"Nonsense, Diana! I'm learning more about my own Department every day.
Aren't they a fine lot of fellows? Milton scares me to death. I don't
doubt for a moment that if he tells me to dash to destruction in a
whirlpool, I shall do so. There's a chap that could exact obedience
from a mule. I'll look up his record when I get back to Washington."
"Shall you reveal your identity before you leave them?" asked Diana.
"No, certainly not! Not for worlds would I have them know who I am.
And now tell me, Diana, just what are your plans?"
"Oh, nothing at all exciting! I am going to make some studies of
Indian children's games. They are picturesque and ethnologically, very
interesting. I shall come home across the Painted Desert and take some
pictures in color. My adventures will be very mild compared with
yours."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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