Arizona -- Fiction; Grand Canyon (Ariz.) -- Fiction; Western stories
"Lately, yes," replied Forrester. "To-morrow'll be a bell ringer too,
from the looks of that portage. Need any help on those dishes, Jonas,
before I go to bed?"
"All done, thanks," answered Jonas. "Say, Mr. Milton, you know what I
was thinking? Mary's no name for a sassy, gritty boat like ours. Let
me give her a good name."
"What name, for instance?" demanded Harden.
Jonas cleared his throat. "I was thinking of the Na-che."
"My word!" exclaimed Harden. "Say, Ag, would you want our boat renamed
the Na-che?"
"Who'd repaint the name?" asked Agnew carefully. "That's the point
with me."
"The trouble with you, Ag," said Harden, "is that you haven't any soul."
"I'd do the painting," Jonas went on eagerly. "I was thinking of
getting her all fixed up with that can of paint I see to-day. Red
paint, it was."
"Do you think that Na-che would mind our making free with her name?"
Milton's tone was serious.
"Mind!" cried Jonas. "Well, if you knew women like I do you'd never
ask a question like that! A woman would rather have a boat or a race
horse named after her any time than have a baby named for her. I know
women!"
"In that case, let's rename the Mary," said Milton. "Everybody ready
to turn in?"
"I am, sir," replied Harden. "Jonas, you turn off the lights and put
the cat down cellar. Good night, everybody!"
Jonas chuckled and hobbled off to his blankets. It was not seven
o'clock when the rude camp was silent and every soul in it in profound
slumber.
Enoch was stiff and muscle-sore in the morning but he ate breakfast
with a ravenous appetite and with a keen interest in the day's program.
In response to his questions Milton said:
"We unload the boats and make the dunnage up into fifty pound loads.
Then we look over the trail. Sometimes we have merely to get up on our
two legs and walk it. Other times we have to make trail even for
ourselves, let alone for the boats. Sometimes we can portage the
freight and lower the boats through the water by tow ropes. But for
this falls, there's nothing to do but to make trail and drag the boats
over it."
"It's no trip for babes!" exclaimed Enoch. "That's certain! Do you
like the work, Milton?"
"It's a work no one would do voluntarily without liking it," replied
the young man. "I like it. I wouldn't want to give my life to it,
but--" he paused to look over toward the others busily unloading the
Na-che,--"but nothing will ever do again for me what this experience
has."
"And may I ask what that is?" Enoch's voice was eager.
Milton searched Enoch's face carefully, then answered slowly.
"Sometime when we are having a rest, I'll tell you, if you really want
to know."
"Thanks! And now set me to work, Captain," said Enoch.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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