Arizona -- Fiction; Grand Canyon (Ariz.) -- Fiction; Western stories
"Don't you worry about me," protested Milton, weakly, as, with his head
resting on Diana's arm, he sipped the teaspoonsful of stew Na-che fed
him. "This is as near heaven as I want to get."
"I should hope so!" grunted Agnew. "Jonas, don't ever try to put up a
stew in competition with Na-che again."
"Not me, sir!" chuckled Jonas. "That gal can sure cook!"
"And make charms," added Enoch. "Don't fail to realize that you're
still alive, Jonas."
"I'm going to bathe Mr. Milton's face for him," said Na-che, with a
fine air of indifference. "I can set a broken leg, too."
"It's set," said Agnew and Enoch together, "but," added Enoch, "that
isn't saying that Milton mustn't be gotten to a doctor with all speed."
Diana nodded. "Where are Mr. Forrester and Mr. Harden?" she asked.
"We lost the Na-che--" said Agnew.
"The what?" demanded Diana.
"Jonas rechristened the Mary, the Na-che," Agnew replied. "We lost her
in a whirlpool six days back. Most of the food was in her. Two of us
had to go out and Harden and Forrester volunteered. We are very much
worried about them."
"And when did Mr. Milton break his leg?"
"On that same black day! The water's been disagreeing with him, making
him dizzy, and he took a header from the Ida, after rescuing Forrester
from some rapids," said Enoch.
"Doesn't sound much, when you tell it, does it!" Agnew smiled as he
sighed. "But it really has been quite a busy five days."
"One can look at your faces and read much between the lines," said
Diana, quietly. "Now, while Na-che works with Mr. Milton, I'm going to
give you each some coffee."
"Diana, how far are we from the nearest doctor?" asked Enoch.
"There's one over on the Navajo reservation," replied Diana.
"Wouldn't it be better to keep Milton right here and one of us go for
the doctor?"
"Much better," agreed Diana and Agnew.
"Lord," sighed Milton, "what bliss!"
"Then," said Enoch, "I'm going to start for the doctor, now."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Diana, "that's my job. We've been here two days
and we and our outfit are as fresh as daisies."
"I'm going, myself," Agnew rose as firmly as his weak and weary legs
would permit.
It was Na-che who settled the matter. "That's an Indian's job," she
said. "You take care of Mr. Milton, Diana, while I go."
"That's sensible," agreed Diana. "Start now, Na-che. You should reach
Wilson's by to-morrow night and telephone to the Agent's house.
That'll save you forty miles."
Jonas' face which had fallen greatly suddenly brightened. "Somebody's
coming!" he cried. "I hope it's our folks!"
The door opened abruptly and in walked Curly and Mack.
"Here's the whole family!" exclaimed Curly. "Well, if you folks don't
look like Siberian convicts, whiskers and all! Some trip, eh?"
Mack, shaking hands all round, stopped beside Milton's bunk. "What
went wrong, bud? and where's the rest of the bunch?"
Enoch told the story, this time. Mack shook his head as the final
plans were outlined.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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