Arizona -- Fiction; Grand Canyon (Ariz.) -- Fiction; Western stories
Again they embarked. The river behaved in a most friendly manner until
afternoon, when she offered by way of variety a series of sand bars,
across which they were obliged to drag the Ida by main strength. These
continued at intervals for several miles. In the midst of them, the
rain that had been threatening all day began to fall while the wind
that never left the Canyon, rose to drive the icy waters more
vehemently through their sodden clothing. Milton, snugly covered with
blankets, begged them feverishly to go into camp. "I'll have you all
sick, to-night!" he insisted. "You can't take the risk of pneumonia on
starvation rations that you did on plenty of grub."
"I'm willing," said Agnew, finally, as he staggered to his feet after a
ducking under the Ida's side.
"Oh, let's keep going, as long as there's any light to see by," begged
Enoch.
As if to reward his persistence, just as dusk settled fully upon them,
a little canyon opened from the main wall at the right, a small stream,
tumbling eagerly from it into the Colorado. They turned the Ida
quickly into this and managed to push upward on it for several minutes.
Then they put ashore under some dim cottonwoods, where grass was ankle
deep. The mere feeling of vegetation about them was cheering, and the
trees, with a blanket stretched between made a partial shelter from the
rain.
"I'll sure cook grass for you all for breakfast!" said Jonas. "How
come folks not to bile grass for greens, I don't see. Maybe birds
here, too. Whoever's the fancy shot, put the gun close to his hand."
"I've done some fair shooting in my day," said Agnew, "but I never
potted a goat in an eagle's nest. You'd better give the gun to the
Judge." He polished off his pie tin, scraped the last grain of sugar
from his tin cup and lighted a cigarette.
"I'm trying to bear my blushing honors modestly," grinned Enoch,
crowding closer to the great fire. "Milton, I've a bone to pick with
you."
"Where'd you get it?" demanded Agnew.
Enoch smiled but went on. "I accuse you of deliberately starving
yourself for the rest of us. It won't do, sir. I'm going to set your
share aside and by Jove, if you refuse it, I'll throw it in the river!"
Milton rose indignantly on one elbow. "Judge, I forbid you to do
anything of the kind! You fellows have got to have food to work on.
All I need is plenty of water."
"Especially as you think the water is making you sick," returned Enoch
drily. "You can't get away with it, Milton. Am I not right, Agnew and
Jonas?"
"Absolutely!" Agnew exclaimed, while Jonas nodded, vigorously.
"So, beginning to-morrow morning, you're to do your share of eating,"
Enoch concluded, cheerfully.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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