CHAPTER XVII
THE GRAND CANYON
Passing from a short canyon, the boats emerged into a valley with flatshores for some distance from the river. On the right was a wide sidecanyon, which might afford a passage up into the hills. Half a mile lowerdown there were trees and signs of cultivation; and a light smoke roseamong them. At this, the first sign of human life they had seen sincethey took to the boats, all hands paddled rapidly. They were approachingthe shore, when Leaping Horse said to Harry: "No go close. Stop in riverand see, perhaps bad Indians. Leaping Horse not like smoke."
Harry called to the other canoe, and they bore out into the streamagain. The chief stood up in the boat, and after gazing at the shoresilently for a moment said:
"Village burnt. Burnt little time ago, post still burning." As heresumed his seat Harry stood up in turn.
"That is so, chief. There have only been five or six huts; whetherIndian or white, one can't tell now."
Just at this moment an Indian appeared on the bank. As his eye fell onthe boats he started. A moment later he raised a war-yell.
"Navahoe," the chief said. "Navahoe war-party come down, kill people andburn village. Must row hard."
The yell had been answered from the wood, and in two or three minutes asmany score of Indians appeared on the banks. They shouted to the boatsto come to shore, and as no attention was paid, some of them at onceopened fire. The river was about a quarter of a mile wide, and althoughthe shots splashed round them the boats were not long in reaching thefarther bank, but not unharmed, for Ben had dropped his paddle andfallen back in the boat.
"Is he badly hurt?" Harry asked anxiously, as the canoes drew alongsideeach other near the bank, and Sam turned round to look at his comrade.
"He has finished his journey," Sam said in a hoarse voice. "He has gonedown, and a better mate and a truer heart I never met. The ball has hithim in the middle of the forehead. It were to be, I guess, for it couldonly have been a chance shot at that distance."
Exclamations of sorrow and fury broke from the others, and for a fewminutes there was no thought of the Indians, whose bullets were stillfalling in the water, for the most part short of the boats. A sharp tapon the side of Harry's canoe, followed by a jet of water, roused them.
"We mustn't stop here," Harry said, as Hunting Dog plugged the hole witha piece of dried meat, "or poor Ben won't be the only one."
"Let us have a shot first," Jerry said. "Young Tom, do you take a shotwith Plumb-centre. It is about four hundred and fifty yards as near as Ican reckon, and she will carry pretty true that distance."
"We will give them a shot all round," Harry said, as he took up hisrifle.
Six shots were discharged almost at the same moment. One of the Indianswas seen to fall, the rest bounded away to a short distance from thebank. Then Hunting Dog at a word from the chief stepped into the othercanoe. Keeping close under the bank they paddled down. The Indians hadceased firing, and had disappeared at a run.
"What are they up to now, chief?"
"Going down to mouth of canyon, river sure to be narrow; get there beforeus."
"Wait, Jerry," Harry shouted to the other boat, which was some twentyyards ahead. "The chief thinks they have gone to cut us off at the headof the canyon, which is likely enough. I don't suppose it is fifty yardswide there, and they will riddle us if we try to get through indaylight. We had better stop and have a meal and talk it over."
The boats were rowed ashore, and the men landed and proceeded to light afire as unconcernedly as if no danger threatened them. Ben's death hadcast a heavy gloom over them, and but few words were spoken, until themeal was cooked and eaten.
"It is a dog-goned bad business," Jerry said. "I don't say at night aswe mayn't get past them without being hit, but to go rushing into one ofthose canyons in the dark would be as bad as standing their fire, if notwuss. The question is--could we leave the boats and strike across?"
"We could not strike across this side anyhow," Harry said. "There are nosettlements west of the Colorado. We know nothing of the country, and itis a hundred to one we should all die of thirst even if we could carryenough grub to last us. If we land at all it must be on the other side,and then we could not reckon on striking a settlement short of twohundred miles, and two hundred miles across a country like this would bealmost certain death."
"As the Navahoes must have ridden down, Harry, there must be water. Ireckon they came down that canyon opposite."
"Navahoe on track in morning," the chief said quietly. "When they see wenot go down river look for boat, find where we land and take up trail.Canyon very plain road. Some go up there straight, take all our scalps."
No one spoke for a moment or two. What the Seneca said was so evident tothem that it was useless to argue. "Well, chief, what do you adviseyourself?" Harry asked at length.
"Not possible go on foot, Harry. Country all rocks and canyons; cannotget through, cannot get water. Trouble with Navahoes too. Only chanceget down in boat to-night. Keep close under this bank; perhaps Indiansnot see us, night dark."
"Do you think they can cross over to this side?"
"Yes, got canoe. Two canoes in village, Leaping Horse saw them on bank.When it gets dark, cross over."
"We will get a start of them," Harry said. "Directly it is dark we canbe off too. The shore is everywhere higher than our heads as we sit inthe canoes, and we can paddle in the shadow without being seen by themon the other side, while they won't venture to cross till it is pitchdark. As the stream runs something like three miles an hour, I reckonthat they are hardly likely to catch us. As for the rapids, they don'toften begin until you are some little distance in. At any rate we shallnot have to go far, for the red-skins will not dare to enter the canyon,so we can tie up till morning as soon as we are a short distance in. Wehave got to run the gauntlet of their fire, but after all that is betterthan taking our chances by leaving the boats. If we lie down when we getnear them they may not see us at all; but if they do, a very few strokeswill send us past them. At any rate there seems less risk in that planthan in any other."
The others agreed.
"Now, boys, let us dig a grave," he went on, as soon as the point wassettled. "It is a sort of clay here and we can manage it, and it is notlikely we shall find any place, when we are once in the canyon, where wecan do it." They had neither picks nor shovels with them, for theirmining tools had been left at the spot where they were at work, but withtheir axes and knives they dug a shallow grave, laid Ben's body in it,covered it up, and then rolled a number of boulders over it.
Ben's death affected Tom greatly. They had lived together and gonethrough many perils and risks for nearly a year, and none had shown moreunflagging good-humour throughout than the man who had been killed. Thatthe boats might upset and all might perish together, was a thought thathad often occurred to him as they made their way down the river, butthat one should be cut off like this had never once been contemplated byhim. Their lives from the hour they met on the Big Wind River had seemedbound up together, and this sudden loss of one of the party affected himgreatly. The others went about their work silently and sadly, but theyhad been so accustomed to see life lost in sudden frays, and in one orother of the many dangers that miners and hunters are exposed to, thatit did not affect them to the same extent as it did Tom.
Except two or three men who remained on watch on the opposite bank,though carefully keeping out of rifle-range, they saw no signs of theNavahoes during the day. As soon as it became so dark that they weresure their movements could not be seen from the other side, theysilently took their places in the boats, and pushed off into thecurrent. For a quarter of an hour they lay in the canoes, then at asignal from Harry knelt up, took their paddles and began to row veryquietly and cautiously, the necessity for dropping their paddlesnoiselessly into the water and for avoiding any splashing having beenimpressed on all before starting.
"There is no occasion for haste," Harry said. "Long and gentle strokesof the paddle will take us do
wn as fast as we need go. If those fellowsdo cross over, as I expect they will, they will find it difficult totravel over the rocks in the dark as fast as we are going now, and thereis no fear whatever of their catching us if we go on steadily."
After an hour's rowing they could make out a dark mass rising like awall in front of them, and Harry passed the word back to the othercanoe, which was just behind them, that they should now cease paddling,only giving a stroke occasionally to keep the head of the canoestraight, and to prevent the boat from drifting out from under theshelter of the bank, in the stillness of the night they could hear a lowroaring, and knew that it was caused by a rapid in the canyon ahead.Higher and higher rose the wall of rock, blotting out the stars in frontof them till the darkness seemed to spread half-way over the sky.
They could see that the boat was passing the shore more rapidly, as theriver accelerated its course before rushing into the gorge. Suddenlythere was a shout on the right, so close that Tom was startled, thenthere was a rifle-shot, and a moment later a wild outburst of yells anda dozen other shots. At the first shout the paddles dipped into thewater, and at racing speed the boats shot along. Eight or ten morerifle-shots were fired, each farther behind them.
"Anyone hurt?" Harry asked.
There was a general negative.
"I don't believe they really saw us," Harry said. "The first fellow mayhave caught sight of us, but I expect the others fired merely at random.Now let us row in and fasten up, for judging from that roaring theremust be a big rapid close ahead."
The boats were soon fastened up against the rocks, and the chief steppedashore, saying:
"Leaping Horse and Hunting Dog will watch. Navahoes may come down here.Don't think they will be brave enough to enter canyon, too dark to see.Still, better watch."
"Just as you like, chief," Harry said, "but I have no belief that theywill come down here in the dark; it would be as much as they would daredo in broad daylight. Besides, these rocks are steepish climbing anyway,and I should not like myself to try to get over them, when it is so darkthat I can't see my own hand, except by putting it up between my eyesand the stars."
"If it was not for that," Jerry said, "I would crawl along to the mouthand see if I couldn't get a shot at them varmint on the other side."
"You would not find them there, Jerry. You may be sure that when theysaw us go through they would know it was of no use waiting there anylonger. They would flatter themselves that they had hit some of us, andeven if they hadn't, it would not seem to matter a cent to them, as theevil spirit of the canyon would surely swallow us up."
"Well, they have been wrong in their first supposition, uncle," Tomsaid, "and I hope they will be equally wrong in the second."
"I hope so, Tom. Now we may as well go to sleep. As soon as there is anylight we must explore as far as we can go, for by the noise ahead itmust be either a fall or a desperately bad rapid."
When daylight broke, the whites found Hunting Dog sitting with his rifleacross his knees on a rock above them.
"Where is the chief?" Harry asked him.
"Leaping Horse went up the rocks to see if Navahoes have gone."
"Very well. Tell him when he comes back we have gone down to have a lookat the rapid. Tom, you may as well stay here. There is plenty ofdrift-wood among those rocks, and we will breakfast before we startdown. I reckon we shall not have much time for anything of that sortafter we are once off."
Tom was by no means sorry to be saved a heavy climb. He collected somewood and broke it up into suitable pieces, but at the suggestion ofHunting Dog waited for the chief's return before lighting it. The chiefcame down in a few minutes. "Navahoes all gone," he said briefly.
"Then I can light a fire, chief?"
Leaping Horse nodded, and Tom took out the tightly-fitting tin box inwhich he kept his matches. Each of the party carried a box, and tosecure against the possibility of the matches being injured by the waterin case of a capsize, the boxes were kept in deer's bladders tightlytied at the mouth. The fire was just alight when the others returned.
"It is better ahead than we expected," Harry said; "the noise was causedby the echo from the smooth faces of the rocks. It is lucky we hauled inhere last night, for these rocks end fifty yards on, and as far as wecan see down, the water washes the foot of the wall on both sides. Wewere able to climb up from them on to a narrow ledge, parallel with thewater, and went on to the next turn, but there was no change in thecharacter of the river. So we shall make a fair start anyway."
More wood was put on the fire, and in a quarter of an hour the kettlewas boiling and slices of meat cooked. Half an hour later they tooktheir places in the canoes and started. The canyon was similar to the onethey had last passed; the walls were steep and high, but with irregularshelves running along them. Above these were steep slopes, running up tothe foot of smooth perpendicular cliffs of limestone. The stream wasvery rapid, and they calculated that in the first half-hour they musthave run six miles. Here the walls receded to a distance, and ledges ofrock and hills of considerable heights intervened between the river andthe cliffs. They checked the pace of their canoes just as they reachedthis opening, for a deep roar told of danger ahead. Fortunately therewere rocks where they were able to disembark, and a short way below theyfound that a natural dam extended across the river.
"There has been an eruption of trap here," Harry said, looking at theblack rock on either side. "There has been a fissure, I suppose, and thelava was squeezed up through it. You see the river has cut a path foritself some hundreds of feet deep. It must have taken countless ages,Tom, to have done the work."
Over this dam the water flowed swiftly and smoothly, and then shot downin a fall six feet high. Below for a distance of two or three hundredyards was a furious rapid, the water running among black rocks. Withconsiderable difficulty they made a portage of the boats and stores tothe lower end of the rapid. This transit occupied several hours, andthey then proceeded on their way. Five more miles were passed; severaltimes the boats were brought to the bank in order that falls ahead mightbe examined. These proved to be not too high to shoot, and the boatspaddled over them. When they had first taken to the river they wouldnever have dreamt of shooting such falls, but they had now become soexpert in the management of the boats, and so confident in theirbuoyancy, that the dangers which would then have appalled them were nowfaced without uneasiness.
They now came to a long rapid, presenting so many dangers that theydeemed it advisable to let down the boats by lines. Again embarking theyfound that the wall of rocks closed in and they entered a narrow gorge,through which the river ran with great swiftness, touching the walls oneach side. Great care was needed to prevent the boats being dashedagainst the rock, but they succeeded in keeping them fairly in themiddle of the stream. After travelling four miles through this gorge itopened somewhat, and on one side was a strip of sand.
"We will land there," Harry said. "It looks to me like granite ahead,and if it is we are in for bad times, sure."
The boats were soon pulled up, and they proceeded to examine the cliffsbelow. Hitherto the danger had been in almost exact proportion to thehardness of the rock, and as they were entering a far harder rock thanthey had before encountered, greater difficulties than those they hadsurmounted were to be expected.
They could not see a long distance down, but what they saw was enough tojustify their worst anticipations. The canyon was narrower than any theyhad traversed, and the current extremely swift. There seemed but fewbroken rocks in the channel, but on either side the walls jutted out insharp angles far into the river, with crags and pinnacles.
"Waal, it is of no use looking at it," Jerry said after a pause. "It iscertain we can't get along the sides, so there is nothing to do but togo straight at it; and the sooner it is over the better."
Accordingly they returned to the boats, and soon darted at the speed ofan arrow into the race. Bad as it was at starting it speedily becameworse: ledges, pinnacles, and towers of rock rose above the surface
ofthe stream breaking it into falls and whirlpools. Every moment it seemedto Tom that the boat must inevitably be dashed to pieces against one ofthese obstructions, for the light boats were whirled about like afeather on the torrent, and the paddlers could do but little to guidetheir course. The very strength of the torrent, however, saved them fromdestruction, the whirl from the rocks sweeping the boat's head asidewhen within a few feet of them, and driving it past the danger beforethey had time to realize that they had escaped wreck. Half an hour ofthis, and a side canyon came in. Down this a vast quantity of bouldershad been swept, forming a dam across the river, but they managed topaddle into an eddy at the side, and to make a portage of the boats tothe water below the dam, over which there was a fall of from thirty toforty feet high. Three more similar dams were met with. Over one thecanoes were carried, but on the others there was a break in the boulderwall, and they were able to shoot the falls.
After three days of incessant labour, they heard, soon after startingfrom their last halting-place, a roar even louder and more menacing thanthey had yet experienced. Cautiously they got as close as possible tothe side, and paddling against the stream were able to effect a landingjust above the rapid. On examining it they found that it was nearly halfa mile long, and in this distance the water made a fall of some eightyfeet, the stream being broken everywhere with ledges and jagged rocks,among which the waves lashed themselves into a white foam. It seemedmadness to attempt such a descent, and they agreed that at any rate theywould halt for the day. The rocks through which the canyon ran were fullya thousand feet high, but they decided that, great as the labour mightbe, it would be better to make a portage, if possible, rather thandescend the cataract.
"There is a gulch here running up on to the hill," Tom said. "HuntingDog and I will start at once and see if it is possible to get up it, andif so how far it is to a place where we can get down again."
Harry assented; Leaping Horse without a word joined the explorers, andthey set off up the gulch. It was found that the ravine was steep, butnot too steep to climb. When they were nearly at the top Hunting Dogpointed to the hillside above them, and they saw a big-horn standing atthe edge of the rock. The three fired their rifles simultaneously, andthe wild sheep made a spring into the air and then came tumbling downthe side of the ravine. As fresh meat was beginning to run short thiswas a stroke of good fortune, and after reloading their guns theyproceeded up the ravine until they reached the crest of the hill. Thesoil was disintegrated granite, and tufts of short grass grew here andthere. After walking about a mile, parallel to the course of the river,they found that the ground descended again, and without much difficultymade their way down until they reached the foot of a little valley;following this they were soon standing by the side of the river. Above,its surface was as closely studded with rocks as was the upper cataract;below, there was another fall that looked impracticable, except that itseemed possible to pass along on the rocks by the side. It was gettingdark by the time they rejoined their comrades.
"Your report is not a very cheerful one," Harry said, "but at any ratethere seems nothing else to be done than to make the portage. The meatyou have got for us will re-stock our larder, and as it is up there wesha'n't have the trouble of carrying it over."
The next day was a laborious one. One by one the canoes were carriedover, but the operation took them from daybreak till dark. The nextmorning another journey was made to bring over the rugs and stores, andthey were able in addition to these to carry down the carcass of thesheep, after first skinning it and cutting off the head with its greathorns. Nothing was done for the rest of the day beyond trying whetheranother portage could be made. This was found to be impracticable, andthere was nothing for them but to attempt the descent. They breakfastedas soon as day broke, carried the boats down over the boulder dam withwhich the rapids commenced, and put them into the water. For some littledistance they were able to let them down by ropes, then the rocks at thefoot of the cliffs came to an end. Fortunately the seven lariatsfurnished them with a considerable length of line, and in addition tothese the two Indians had on their way down plaited a considerablelength of rope, with thongs cut from the skins of the animals they hadkilled.
The total available amount of rope was now divided into two lengths, theends being fastened to each canoe. One of the boats with its crew onboard was lowered to a point where the men were able to get a footholdon a ledge. As soon as they had done so the other boat dropped down tothem, and the ropes were played out until they were in turn enabled toget a footing on a similar ledge or jutting rock, sometimes so narrowthat but one man was able to stand. So alternately the boats were letdown. Sometimes when no foothold could be obtained on the rock wall, thepinnacles and ledges in the stream were utilized. All the work had to bedone by gesture, for the thunder of the waters was so tremendous thatthe loudest shout could not be heard a few yards away. Hour passed afterhour. Their progress was extremely slow, as each step had to be closelyconsidered and carried out with the greatest care.
At last a terrible accident happened. Harry, Leaping Horse, and Tom wereon a ledge. Below them was a fall of three feet, and in the foamingstream below it, rose several jagged rocks. Jerry's canoe was got safelydown the fall, but in spite of the efforts of the rowers was carriedagainst the outer side of one of these rocks. They made a great effortto turn the boat's head into the eddy behind it, but as the line touchedthe rock its sharp edge severed the rope like a knife, and the boat shotaway down the rapid. Those on the ledge watched it with breathlessanxiety. Two or three dangers were safely passed, then to their horrorthey saw the head of the canoe rise suddenly as it ran up a sunken ledgejust under the water. An instant later the stern swept round, bringingher broadside on to the stream, and she at once capsized.
"Quick!" Harry exclaimed, "we must go to their rescue. Keep close to thewall, chief, till we see signs of them. It is safest close in."
In an instant they were in their places, and as they released the canoeshe shot in a moment over the fall. For a short distance they kept herclose to the side, but a projecting ledge threw the current sharplyoutwards, and the canoe shot out into the full force of the rapid. Thechief knelt up in the bow paddle in hand, keeping a vigilant eye forrocks and ledges ahead, and often with a sharp stroke of the paddle,seconded by the effort of Harry in the stern, sweeping her aside justwhen Tom thought her destruction inevitable. Now she went headlong downa fall, then was caught by an eddy, and was whirled round and roundthree or four times before the efforts of the paddlers could take herbeyond its influence. Suddenly a cry came to their ears. Just as theyapproached a rocky ledge some thirty feet long, and showing a saw-likeedge a foot above the water, the chief gave a shout and struck hispaddle into the water.
"Behind the rock, Tom, behind the rock!" Harry exclaimed as he swept thestern round. Tom paddled with all his might, and the canoe headed upstream. Quickly as the movement was done, the boat was some twelve yardsbelow the rock as she came round with her nose just in the lower edge ofthe eddy behind it, while from either side the current closed in on her.Straining every nerve the three paddlers worked as for life. At firstTom thought that the glancing waters would sweep her down, but inch byinch they gained, and drove the boat forward from the grasp of thecurrent into the back eddy, until suddenly, as if released from a vice,she sprang forward. Never in his life had Tom exerted himself sogreatly. His eyes were fixed on the rock in front of him, where HuntingDog was clinging with one hand, while with the other he supportedJerry's head above water. He gave a shout of joy as the chief swept thehead of the canoe round, just as it touched the rock, and laid herbroadside to it.
"Stick your paddle between two points of the rock, Tom," Harry shouted,"while the chief and I get them in. Sit well over on the other side ofthe boat."
With considerable difficulty Jerry, who was insensible, was lifted intothe boat. As soon as he was laid down Hunting Dog made his way hand overhand on the gunwale until close to the stern, where he swung himselfinto the boat without diffic
ulty.
"Have you seen Sam?" Harry asked.
The young Indian shook his head. "Sam one side of the boat," he said,"Jerry and Hunting Dog the other. Boat went down that chute betweenthose rocks above. Only just room for it. Jerry was knocked off by rock.Hunting Dog was near the stern, there was room for him. He caughtJerry's hunting-shirt, but could not hold on to boat. When came downhere made jump at corner of rock. Could not hold on, but current swepthim into eddy. Then swam here and held on, and kept calling. Knew hisbrothers would come down soon."
"Here is a spare paddle," Harry said, as he pulled one out from belowthe network, "there is not a moment to lose. Keep your eyes open,chief." Again the boat moved down the stream. With four paddles goingthe steersman had somewhat more control over her, but as she flew downthe seething water, glanced past rocks and sprang over falls, Tomexpected her to capsize every moment. At last he saw below them astretch of quiet water, and two or three minutes later they werefloating upon it, and as if by a common impulse all ceased rowing.
"Thanks be to God for having preserved us," Harry said reverently. "Weare half-full of water; another five minutes of that work and it wouldhave been all over with us. Do you see any signs of the canoe, chief?"
The chief pointed to a ledge of rock extending out into the stream."Canoe there," he said. They paddled across to it. After what the youngIndian had said they had no hopes of finding Sam with it, but Harry gavea deep sigh as he stepped out on to the ledge.
"Another gone," he said. "How many of us will get through this placealive? Let us carry Jerry ashore."
There was a patch of sand swept up by the eddy below the rock, and hereJerry was taken out and laid down. He moaned as they lifted him.
"Easy with him," Harry said. "Steady with that arm. I think he has ashoulder broken, as well as this knock on the head that has stunnedhim."
As soon as he was laid down Harry cut open his shirt on the shoulder."Broken," he said shortly. "Now, chief, I know that you are a good handat this sort of thing. How had this better be bandaged?"
"Want something soft first."
Tom ran to the canoe, brought out the little canvas sack in which hecarried his spare flannel shirt, and brought it to the chief. The lattertore off a piece of stuff and rolled it into a wad. "Want two pieces ofwood," he said, holding his hands about a foot apart to show the lengthhe required. Harry fetched a spare paddle, and split a strip off eachside of the blade. The chief nodded as he took them. "Good," he said. Hetore off two more strips of flannel and wrapped them round the splints,then with Harry's aid he placed the shoulder in its natural position,laid the wad of flannel on the top of it, and over this put the twosplints. The whole was kept in its place by flannel bandages, and thearm was fastened firmly across the body, so that it could not be moved.Then the little keg of brandy was brought out of the canoe, a spoonfulpoured into the pannikin, with half as much water, and allowed totrickle between Jerry's lips, while a wad of wet flannel was placed onhis head.
"There is nothing more we can do for him at present," Harry said. "Nowwe will right the other boat, and get all the things out to dry."
Three or four pounds of flour were found to be completely soaked withwater, but the main store was safe, as the bag was sewn up in bear-skin.This was only opened occasionally to take out two or three days' supply,and then carefully closed again. On landing, Hunting Dog had at oncestarted in search of drift-wood, and by this time a fire was blazing. Apiece of bear's fat was placed in the frying-pan, and the wetted flourwas at once fried into thin cakes, which were tough and tasteless; butthe supply was too precious to allow of an ounce being wasted. Someslices of the flesh of the big-horn were cooked.
"What is my white brother going to do?" the chief asked Harry.
"There is nothing to do that I can see, chief, but to keep on peggingaway. We agreed that it would be almost impossible to find our way overthese barren mountains. That is not to be thought of, now that one ofour number cannot walk. There is no choice left, we have got to go on."
"Leaping Horse understand that," the chief said. "He meant would youtake both canoes? One is big enough to take five."
"Quite big enough, chief, but it would be deeper in the water, and theheavier it is the harder it will bump against any rock it meets; thelighter they are the better. You see, this other canoe, which I dare saystruck a dozen times on its way down, shows no sign of damage except thetwo rents in the skin, that we can mend in a few minutes. Another thingis, two boats are absolutely necessary for this work of letting down byropes, of which we may expect plenty more. If we had only one, we shouldbe obliged to run every rapid. The only extra trouble that it will giveus is at the portages. I think we had better stay here for two or threedays, so as to give Jerry a chance of coming round. No doubt we couldcarry him over the portages just as we can carry the boats, but aftersuch a knock on the head as he has had, it is best that he should bekept quiet for a bit. If his skull is not cracked he won't be long ingetting round. He is as hard as nails, and will pull round in the tenthof the time it would take a man in the towns to get over such a knock.It is a pity the halt is not in a better place. There is not a shadow ofa chance of finding game among these crags and bare rocks."
From time to time fresh water was applied to the wad of flannel roundJerry's head.
"Is there any chance, do you think, of finding poor Sam's body?"
The chief shook his head. "No shores where it could be washed up, rockstear it to pieces; or if it get in an eddy, might be there for weeks. Nosee Sam any more."
The fire was kept blazing all night, and they took it by turns to sitbeside Jerry and to pour occasionally a little brandy and water betweenhis lips. As the men were moving about preparing breakfast the nextmorning Jerry suddenly opened his eyes. He looked at Tom, who wassitting beside him.
"Time to get up?" he asked. "Why did you not wake me?" And he made aneffort to move. Tom put his hand on him.
"Lie still, Jerry. You have had a knock on the head, but you are allright now."
The miner lay quiet. His eyes wandered confusedly over the figures ofthe others, who had, when they heard his voice, gathered round him.
"What in thunder is the matter with me?" he asked. "What is this thingon my head? What is the matter with my arm, I don't seem able to moveit?"
"It is the knock you have had, Jerry," Harry said cheerfully. "You havegot a bump upon your head half as big as a cocoa-nut, and you havedamaged your shoulder. You have got a wet flannel on your head, and thechief has bandaged your arm. I expect your head will be all right in aday or two, but I reckon you won't be able to use your arm for a bit."
Jerry lay quiet without speaking for a few minutes, then he said: "Oh, Iremember now; we were capsized. I had hold of the canoe, and I rememberseeing a rock just ahead. I suppose I knocked against it."
"That was it, mate. Hunting Dog let go his hold and caught you, andmanaged to get into an eddy and cling to the rocks till we came down andtook you on board."
Jerry held out his hand to the Indian. "Thankee," he said. "I owe youone, Hunting Dog. If I ever get the chance you can reckon on me sure,whatever it is. But where is Sam? Why ain't he here?"
"Sam has gone under, mate," Harry replied. "That chute you went down wasonly just wide enough for the boat to go through, and no doubt he wasknocked off it at the same time as you were; but as the Indian was onyour side, he saw nothing of Sam. I reckon he sank at once, just as youwould have done if Hunting Dog hadn't been behind you."
Jerry made no reply, but as he lay still, with his eyes closed, some bigtears made their way through the lids and rolled down his bronzed face.The others thought it best to leave him by himself, and continued theirpreparations for breakfast.