Arizona -- Fiction; Grand Canyon (Ariz.) -- Fiction; Western stories
"So am I, Mr. Secretary! Honest, I'm so paralyzed afraid that I enjoy
it!" And Jonas hurried away to inspect the Ida.
It was so biting cold, now that the afternoon was late, that all the
wrecked crew changed clothing before attempting to make camp or unload
the Ida.
"How many miles have we made by this venture, Milton?" called Enoch, as
he pulled on his moccasins.
"One and a half!"
Enoch grinned, then he began to laugh. The others looked at him, then
joined him, and Homeric laughter echoed for a long minute above the
snarl of the water. Fortunately the hole in the Ida did not open into
one of the compartments, so there was no damage done to the baggage.
It was too dark by the time this had been ascertained to attempt
repairs that night, so Milton agreed to call it a day, and after supper
was over every one but Enoch and Milton went to bed. These two sat
long in silence before the fire, smoking and enjoying the sense of
companionship that was developing between them. Finally Enoch spoke in
a low voice:
"You're going to have trouble between Forrester and Harden."
"It certainly looks like it, I've tried every sort of appeal to each of
them, but trouble keeps on smoldering." Milton shook his head.
"That's one of the trivial things that can wreck an expedition like
this; just incompatibility among the men. What would you do about it,
Judge?"
"I'd put it to them that they could either keep the peace or draw lots
to see which of them should leave the expedition at the Ferry. In
fact, I don't believe I'd temporize even that much. I'd certainly set
one of them ashore. My experience with men leads me to believe that
with a certain type of men, there is no appeal. As you say, they're
both nice chaps but they have a childish streak in them. The majority
of men have. A leader must not be too patient."
"You're right," agreed Milton. "Judge, couldn't you complete the trip
with us?"
"How long will you be out?" asked Enoch.
"Another six months!"
Enoch laughed, then said slowly: "There's nothing I'd like to do
better, but I must go home, from the Ferry."
Milton gazed at Enoch for a time without speaking. Then he said, a
little wistfully, "I suppose that while this is the most important
experience so far in my life, to you it is the merest episode, that
you'll forget the moment you get into the Pullman for the East."
"Why should you think that?" asked Enoch.
"I can't quite tell you why. But there's something about you that
makes me believe that in your own section of the country, you're a
power. Perhaps it's merely your facial expression. I don't know--you
look like some one whom I can't recall. Perhaps that some one has the
power and I confuse the two of you, but--I beg your pardon, Judge!" as
Enoch's eyebrows went up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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