The blankets and bundles carried on the raft were pretty well soaked by
the rain and the whirling waters of the canyon, but as soon as supper was
over Sam gave orders to have the things spread out and dried before the
fire.
In this work all took an eager part, and as they had been able to
collect plenty of fuel, they were enabled to build such a fire as had
never chased the night shadows from that part of Grand River Canyon
before.
When the blankets were dried they were spread over heaps of cedar boughs
and made beds that would have tempted a dyspeptic to sleep.
But, though very weary, our friends did not lie down at once, but sat
before the fire speculating and wondering if they would be able to climb
out of the canyon on the morrow and make their way to Hurley's Gulch.
Although there was no danger in this place from wild beasts or savage
foes, Sam Willett began to-night a system of guard duty which he kept up
during all the nights of his perilous journey.
His great fear now was that the flood might rise and carry off the raft
or drown out their camping-place, as it was evident it had done on many
former occasions.
That they might not be taken by surprise, he divided the night into four
watches, to begin at nine o'clock and to continue till five, when it
would be broad daylight.
Each one was to stand guard two hours at a time and to wake the next one
when his watch had expired. The order was to be changed every night so
that no one would have to be on duty at the same time two nights in
succession.
This arrangement met with the approval of all, and Sam took the first
turn on guard.
The others lay down with the promptness of soldiers when the word of
command was given, and they were soon sleeping soundly.
Sam had an excellent watch, the gift of his dead mother and valued
accordingly, and this enabled them to measure the time with military
exactness.
The flood rose about a foot during the night, but beyond this, nothing
of a startling nature occurred.
They breakfasted the following morning before it was quite light, and
when the glow of the rising sun could be seen on the crest of the peaks
that towered for many hundreds of feet above the bed of the stream, Sam
and Ulna started off to see if they could find a way to the upper world,
leaving Ike and Wah Shin in charge of the camp.
These two worthies were the best of friends, and when together they
talked in a way that would have been very amusing to any one who could
have overheard it.
"Dis am a mighty queah place," said Ike, glancing about him after Sam
and Ulna had got out of hearing.
"A belly funny hole, way, way down flom wo'ld," said Wah Shin as he
imitated Ike's movements.
"Wah Shin."
"Go on chin, me heal you," said Wah Shin.
"Do you t'ink God made all de world?"
"Oh, me t'ink so," said Wah Shin carelessly.
"An' eberyting He made 's got some use?"
"Oh, yes, allee tings got some use--mebbe."
"An' He made dese canyons?"
"Don't know 'bout dem," said Wah Shin dubiously.
"Wa'al, if God didn't make de canyons, who did?" asked Ike, with a
manner that indicated his appreciation of the great weight of the
question.
To confess ignorance of a subject is a manly habit which very few are
addicted to. Wah Shin at once proved that he did not consider himself an
authority on all matters, for he said, promptly and frankly:
"Me don't know."
"Dey aint got no use, ez I ken see," continued Ike, "an' it's my farm
belief dat dat oder pusson ez goes roun' like a roarin' lion dug out
dese yer canawls an' den found ez he had no watah to fill 'em up wid."
"Mebbe so--me don't know."
"Now, if dey was filled wid fire," said Ike, with the same wise manner,
"I'd call it a fust-rate job--ob de kind."
"Ha, ha!" roared Wah Shin, as if he caught the sharpest point of an
excellent joke. "'Spose alle file, den wat we do, eh?"
"We wouldn't be har," said Ike.
"But no cannee help oursels."
"Reckon yer right. Ez atween de two, I goes in foh watah ebery day in de
week an' twice on Sundays. But if I'd had de buildin' ob dese yer
canyons I wouldn't hab wasted sich a mighty sight ob stone in puttin' in
de banks. But den eberyting in dis yer world ain't jest as we'd like to
have it, so it's better to take tings as dey come; what do you say, Wah
Shin?"
"We gottee take it as it come--no can help oulsels," said Wah Shin
grimly.
This phase of the situation was so self-evident that even Ike could not
think of objecting to it, so he began to whistle a hymn tune and to pack
up the food and blankets so that they might be all ready to start when
Sam and Ulna returned with the information that they had discovered a
way out of the canyon.
But this hope, after having been strongly cherished for three hours, was
doomed to disappointment.
Shortly before noon the two explorers returned, and though Sam's face
told of his failure, Ike could not help asking:
"Wa'al, Mistah Sam, wat luck?"
"Poor luck, Ike," was the sad reply.
"Couldn't find de way out, eh?"
"There is no way to find. Every wall we came to is as high and steep as
those about the camp," said Sam, with a sigh and an upward glance at the
perpendicular cliffs that appeared to be bending over them, as if the
touch of a child's hand might tumble them into the chasm.
"Undah sich sarcumstances ez dem," said Ike, very solemnly, "wat do yeh
tinks best to be done?"
"We must leave here at once."
"But how's it to be did, Mistah Sam?"
"We must leave as we came."
"On de raft?"
"Yes."
"Wa'al, dat's a heap sight moah comfotable way dan if we had to swim foh
it," said Ike, with a sudden display of cheerfulness.
Sam now began to realize that their stock of provisions was small, that
there was no way of replenishing them in the canyon, and that their stay
in these depths was very indefinite, if, indeed, the chances were not
all against their ever being able to get out.
He saw that it would be a mistaken kindness if he let the others or
himself eat all that they desired, and great as his affection was for
Maj, the dog, he regretted that the animal was along, for it made
another and a very large mouth to feed.
With force and frankness he laid the case before his companions, and
without a sign of dissent, they agreed to have the food so divided as to
make it last for ten days, before which time the least hopeful was
certain they would again be in the upper world.
A dinner of limited rations was at once eaten, and though it was ample,
every one of them thought that he could easily eat as much more and not
feel that he was playing the glutton.
Again the cargo was placed securely on the raft, and Maj walked demurely
on board and lay down on top of the blankets.
After strengthening the raft by the addition of some pieces of light,
dry cedar, it was freed from its moorings and pushed into the current.
The four passengers occupied the same relative positions as on the
previous day, Sam standing in the stern and skilfully steering the float
from the many angry-looking rocks that jutted into the swift current.
As the light began to fade, Sam gazed eagerly in front and on either
side in the hope of being able to find some expansion or ledge on which
they could land for the night. But an impenetrable darkness settled over
them, and they were still afloat in the canyon.