The Frontier Boys in the Grand Canyon Part 35

He grew white with anger, and picking up a stick made for Jim to strike him. Juarez stepped between them.

"You excite, hot under the collar. You sit down."

Tom did so suddenly, and with emphasis under Juarez guiding hand.

"Now you give me that stick?" Tom did so and Juarez tossed it ash.o.r.e.

That was all. Jim said nothing and paid no attention to Tom's attack.

Tom felt ashamed of himself, as he had every reason to, and for some time thereafter was a most amiable person, and Jim did not aggravate him.

"We will get an early start in the morning," announced Jim, "and drop down the river and try our luck in looking for this bunch of valuables."

"How did these Indians get hold of so much, Juarez?" I asked, "especially the gems."

"There are a good many stones to be picked up in the southwest," he replied, "and this collection has been growing for centuries."

"But the gold box," I said. "They did not make it, I suppose."

"No," he replied. "They captured it, that is the Indians in the early days, from the Hispanooles. And there were a lot of these jewels in it as well as the gold."

"Well, if somebody hasn't robbed the bank," said Jim, "we will soon be wearing diamonds."

"We will look like a sporty alderman," I said, "when we get rich."

"I expect to wear diamonds in my front teeth," said Jim, "if I can't dispose of them in any other way."

"We can buy a steam yacht, too," I said.

"Not for me," remarked Jim. "'The Captain' is a good enough boat for me. Can you row, Juarez?"

"Ah, yes, I think so some, yes. I paddle a canoe many, many times."

"This is no canoe, but I know you will do," replied Jim. "It's mighty lucky you dropped in on us when you did. Tom has had a sore leg ever since an Indian back there in another canyon dropped a rock on him."

"It was luck that Juarez did come along now," I joined in. "We will need him bad enough when we come to the 'Gorge of the Grand Canyon.'"

"That's the place!" said Jim. "I have read that it is over six thousand feet down from the rim of the canyon to the river."

"Straight up and down?" asked Tom.

"No," replied Jim. "It's nearly thirteen miles across from rim to rim and the precipitous walls of the gorge are only about fifteen hundred feet."

"I have heard of it," said Juarez. "All the Indians know something about it. Some say n.o.body can go through it alive. That the waters go down into the heart of the earth. It is very wonderful, me see. To-morrow we hunt for the treasure."

CHAPTER XXVII

THE CLIFF VILLAGE

Tom was the first awake the next morning. The reason is evident already to the mind of the acute reader. Tom wanted to get on the trail of the buried treasure. We were not entirely indifferent ourselves.

As soon as breakfast was finished we got on the boat and pulled out, leaving a camping place which we always remembered with pleasure.

The charm of the place was in the Temple, where we had sung the old songs. In the evening, too, we had given a special concert in honor of Juarez.

We dragged some big pine logs into the interior, and soon had a great fire started in the center of the Temple. It was a really beautiful sight as the flames leaped upward toward the dome, and the auditorium, with its red walls, showed clearly in the ruddy light, and there was the drapery of the shadows gathered in the corners that moved as do the curtains in a gentle breeze.

It was weird, too, especially when Juarez gave us some of the old Indian chants and war songs. The sounds seemed to summon all the savagery of the southwest to the Temple.

It was easy to imagine it as a great council chamber in which the chiefs were deliberating on matters of grave importance. So it seemed when Juarez chanted.

Finally we had some rollicking negro songs, and ended up with the Star Spangled Banner, sung with tremendous enthusiasm by the entire congregation, and it was stirring, too, as our voices swelled in that great Temple.

No wonder that we looked back with regret as we shoved off into the turbulent river. We were at our usual positions as our boat took to the current.

Juarez was our guest, and we would not let him row, not the first day, but we promised that he would have all that he wanted later.

So he paced up and down the deck of the liner, watching Jim at the sweep and Tom and me at the oars. The stream was very mild in this canyon and nothing like the foaming fury that we had been accustomed to.

Juarez watched everything with a keen and intelligent eye--saw how we steered and avoided the rocks. His searching instinct was at work.

"Do you think that you can steer the craft down this trail, Juarez?"

inquired Jim.

"Yes, I can do so, certainly most. I soon get on to its curves."

This was to prove true, for his strength and skill were exactly what we needed in the boat.

"Here's the last bend," I cried.

We followed the graceful, sweeping water around it and made an easy landing on the west bank.

"Suppose we leave Tom to look after the boat," I said, "while we chase after the golden chest."

Even Juarez had to laugh at the comical look of dismay that came over Tom's face. He saw that I was joking, and a sheepish smile came over his face.

"What shall we take with us?" I asked.

"Something to eat," replied Jim.

"Of course," I said, "but how about the rifles?"

"Leave them," said Jim, "except one. We must travel light and be prepared for stiff climbing."

"Better take the heavy hammer and an adze," said Tom.