CHAPTER XVI.--DANGER AHEAD.
After their last hearty meal, which finished up the provisions, SamWillett and his friends felt better, stronger and warmer than they hadsince the beginning of this wonderful voyage.
It is one of the blessings and charms of youth that while it enjoys thepresent and anticipates the happiness of the future, it steadily ignoresall thoughts of coming afflictions.
Ike was boisterous in his hilarity; he danced about the fire, as if "thesquar meal" had had an intoxicating effect on him; and, at length,unable to restrain himself, he burst into the following snatch from anold plantation song:
"Oh! don't you know Miss Dinah Crane, She's 'gwine to be married; Glad am I, an' dat's a fac, For berry long she's tarried.
"So fotch along de wine an' de hoe cake too, De gumbo an' de cream, An' don't fergit de weddin' cake On wich we darkies dream!
"For we will larf an' sing all day, Hooraw, hooraw, hooraw! An' on de banjo sweetly play With a zip, yaw, yaw--yaw, yaw!"
Even Ulna smiled at this performance, and Maj chased his tail and barkedtill the canyon walls rang with the echoes.
The strip of shore, on which they were encamped, extended from theirlanding place for some distance down the river, so before launching theraft again, Sam thought it would be well for Ulna and himself to make anexamination as far as they could do so on foot.
Taking their rifles, which were loaded with metallic cartridges that thewater could not injure, they started off, first telling Ike and Wah Shinto take advantage of their absence to get some sleep.
They walked and clambered along the shore for about half a mile, whenthere came to their ears a hoarse, deep, monotonous roar.
"What is that?" asked Sam, coming to a sudden halt and laying his handon Ulna's arm.
"I don't know," was the quiet reply.
"From what direction does the sound come?"
"From down the river."
"It must be the water?"
"There is nothing else to make a noise down here."
"I once heard the roar of the great fall at Niagara, and that brings itto my mind. Let us move on," said Sam.
Again they resumed their journey.
At times they were forced to creep along the edge, knee deep in water,but they did not mind this.
After going about three hundred yards further down, they came to anirregular rock, up whose sides they climbed in the hope of getting abetter view of the river below.
They were not disappointed in their purpose, but the prospect that mettheir gaze was well calculated to dismay the stoutest heart.
Their vision was limited by a bend in the river a quarter of a milebelow, but between this and the rock on which they stood, the water waswhite with foam as it roared and tumbled over a series of rapids, in themidst of which black rocks appeared like the heads of monstrouscreatures.
This sight was so appalling that neither Sam nor Ulna could utter a wordfor some seconds, but stood looking from the maddened waters into eachother's frightened face.
Sam was the first to speak:
"Oh, Ulna, that is awful!"
"Bad," was the laconic reply.
"What are we to do?"
"I cannot tell."
"We can't go back the way we came?"
"No," said Ulna, and he emphasized this opinion by a vigorous shake ofthe head.
"We can't get out by climbing up the walls?"
"I wish we could," said Ulna.
"Then," continued Sam, "there are only two courses open to us."
"Only two."
"One is to try and go down the rapids on the raft."
"And the other," added Ulna, "is to remain where the raft now is andstarve to death."
"And have you a choice, Ulna."
"Yes, I have."
"What is it?"
"If I am to die, I want to die resisting."
"Then you are for trying the rapids?"
"I am; but I shall do as you say."
"I say 'go on.'"
Sam reached out and took Ulna's hand, and so they stood for some minuteslooking at the frightful rapids which they had decided to face.
It was now about noon, there was fully five hours of daylight left, andthey decided to avail themselves of it to test the rapids.
Sam reasoned that the thing had to be done, and the sooner theexperiment was made the better, and in addition to this he knew thatthere was no more food left, and that from this time on himself and hiscompanions would grow weaker and weaker for the effort.
They turned to walk back, Sam clambering along the giddy ledge of therock which rose straight up from the water. He was a few yards inadvance of Ulna, for whose immediate safety he had no fear, when he wasbrought to a sudden stand, and his heart stopped beating, and the coldsweat came out on his forehead at hearing a short, quick cry of alarmbehind him.
The cry was followed by a splash, and turning, Sam saw that Ulna hadfallen from the rock into the fierce current that roared and foamedabove its base.
Sam threw aside his rifle and sprang back to the rescue of the youngIndian, but before he had gone ten feet Ulna was fifty yards away,bravely battling with the maddened waters, above whose roar came thewords:
"God bless you! Farewell!"
Sam stood petrified with horror.
To plunge into the water and attempt to help Ulna in that way would bemadness.
Even as Sam watched he could see the brave face becoming more and moreindistinct as it rose and fell on the surges, and then with a wave ofthe arm vanished out of sight behind the distant bend of the river.
Overcome with his emotions, Sam sat down on the rock, and pressing hishand to his eyes, he cried as if his heart was breaking.
It was not for himself he grieved, nor would it be just to say thatthese tears were an evidence of weakness in the character of our braveyoung friend.
He loved the handsome Indian youth, as he might have loved a brother;but this awful loss came with the memory of his other trials, so thathis emotion was a proof of his loyal heart and gentle nature.
The man or boy who is incapable of tears, it is safe to say, is alsoincapable of a noble feeling.
Believing that Ulna had gone down the mad river to his death, Sam, as hesat there, recalled that he owed a duty to the living.
Slinging his rifle on his back again, he retraced his steps to camp.
He found Ike, Wah Shin and the dog, all sleeping by the fire aspeacefully as if they were on downy beds in the midst of civilization.
Maj leaped up barking with joy and began to fawn on his young master.
This awoke Ike and Wah Shin, the former of whom declared as usual thathe had only just closed his eyes, "an' hadn't been asleep at all."
"We must make ready to start at once," said Sam. "Get the things onboard and tie them securely."
"All right, sah," said Ike, and he went to work with the energy of onewho had dined abundantly and slept well.
"Ulna, whele him go?" asked Wah Shin, stopping in the midst of loadingthe raft and looking about.
"He has gone down the river," said Sam, and his sad face told theMongolian that something serious had happened.
"Him no gone gettee dlownded," gasped Wah Shin, and his eyes grew moreoblique with alarm.
"Drownded!" cried Ike. "Why, Ulna kin swim like a whole flock of ducksin a mill pond."
"The river is very rough ahead," said Sam, "and after Ulna fell into therapids he could not get back."
"An' whar did he go to?" asked Ike.
"Down the river."
"To de bottom?"
"I don't know."
"Golly!" exclaimed Ike, "if de ribber's as rough as dat, den we'd bettahstay whar we is."
Lost in the Cañon Page 16
