the last of the plainsmen- 第4部分

I　felt　that　I　would　rather　start　back　alone　over　the　desert　than　trust　myself　in　such　a　craft；　on　such　a　river。　And　it　was　all　because　I　had　had　experience　with　bad　rivers；　and　thought　I　was　a　judge　of　dangerous　currents。　The　Colorado　slid　with　a　menacing　roar　out　of　a　giant　split　in　the　red　wall；　and　whirled；　eddied；　bulged　on　toward　its　confinement　in　the　iron…ribbed　canyon　below。

In　answer　to　shots　fired；　Emmett's　man　appeared　on　the　other　side；　and　rode　down　to　the　ferry　landing。　Here　he　got　into　a　skiff；　and　rowed　laboriously　upstream　for　a　long　distance　before　he　started　across；　and　then　swung　into　the　current。　He　swept　down　rapidly；　and　twice　the　skiff　whirled；　and　completely　turned　round；　but　he　reached　our　bank　safely。　Taking　two　men　aboard　he　rowed　upstream　again；　close　to　the　shore；　and　returned　to　the　opposite　side　in　much　the　same　manner　in　which　he　had　come　over。

The　three　men　pushed　out　the　scow；　and　grasping　the　rope　overhead；　began　to　pull。　The　big　craft　ran　easily。　When　the　current　struck　it；　the　wire　cable　sagged；　the　water　boiled　and　surged　under　it；　raising　one　end；　and　then　the　other。　Nevertheless；　five　minutes　were　all　that　were　required　to　pull　the　boat　over。

It　was　a　rude；　oblong　affair；　made　of　heavy　planks　loosely　put　together；　and　it　leaked。　When　Jones　suggested　that　we　get　the　agony　over　as　quickly　as　possible；　I　was　with　him；　and　we　embarked　together。　Jones　said　he　did　not　like　the　looks　of　the　tackle；　and　when　I　thought　of　his　by　no　means　small　mechanical　skill；　I　had　not　added　a　cheerful　idea　to　my　consciousness。　The　horses　of　the　first　team　had　to　be　dragged　upon　the　scow；　and　once　on；　they　reared　and　plunged。

When　we　started；　four　men　pulled　the　rope；　and　Emmett　sat　in　the　stern；　with　the　tackle　guys　in　hand。　As　the　current　hit　us；　he　let　out　the　guys；　which　maneuver　caused　the　boat　to　swing　stern　downstream。　When　it　pointed　obliquely；　he　made　fast　the　guys　again。　I　saw　that　this　served　two　purposes：　the　current　struck；　slid　alongside；　and　over　the　stern；　which　mitigated　the　danger；　and　at　the　same　time　helped　the　boat　across。

To　look　at　the　river　was　to　court　terror；　but　I　had　to　look。　It　was　an　infernal　thing。　It　roared　in　hollow；　sullen　voice；　as　a　monster　growling。　It　had　voice；　this　river；　and　one　strangely　changeful。　It　moaned　as　if　in　painit　whined；　it　cried。　Then　at　times　it　would　seem　strangely　silent。　The　current　as　complex　and　mutable　as　human　life。　It　boiled；　beat　and　bulged。　The　bulge　itself　was　an　incompressible　thing；　like　a　roaring　lift　of　the　waters　from　submarine　explosion。　Then　it　would　smooth　out；　and　run　like　oil。　It　shifted　from　one　channel　to　another；　rushed　to　the　center　of　the　river；　then　swung　close　to　one　shore　or　the　other。　Again　it　swelled　near　the　boat；　in　great；　boiling；　hissing　eddies。

〃Look！　See　where　it　breaks　through　the　mountain！〃　yelled　Jones　in　my　ear。

I　looked　upstream　to　see　the　stupendous　granite　walls　separated　in　a　gigantic　split　that　must　have　been　made　by　a　terrible　seismic　disturbance；　and　from　this　gap　poured　the　dark；　turgid；　mystic　flood。

I　was　in　a　cold　sweat　when　we　touched　shore；　and　I　jumped　long　before　the　boat　was　properly　moored。

Emmett　was　wet　to　the　waist　where　the　water　had　surged　over　him。　As　he　sat　rearranging　some　tackle　I　remarked　to　him　that　of　course　he　must　be　a　splendid　swimmer；　or　he　would　not　take　such　risks。

〃No；　I　can't　swim　a　stroke；〃　he　replied；　〃and　it　wouldn't　be　any　use　if　I　could。　Once　in　there　a　man's　a　goner。〃

〃You've　had　bad　accidents　here？〃　I　questioned。

〃No；　not　bad。　We　only　drowned　two　men　last　year。　You　see；　we　had　to　tow　the　boat　up　the　river；　and　row　across；　as　then　we　hadn't　the　wire。　Just　above；　on　this　side；　the　boat　hit　a　stone；　and　the　current　washed　over　her；　taking　off　the　team　and　two　men。〃

〃Didn't　you　attempt　to　rescue　them？〃　I　asked；　after　waiting　a　moment。

〃No　use。　They　never　came　up。〃

〃Isn't　the　river　high　now？〃　I　continued；　shuddering　as　I　glanced　out　at　the　whirling　logs　and　drifts。

〃High；　and　coming　up。　If　I　don't　get　the　other　teams　over　to…day　I'll　wait　until　she　goes　down。　At　this　season　she　rises　and　lowers　every　day　or　so；　until　June　then　comes　the　big　flood；　and　we　don't　cross　for　months。〃

I　sat　for　three　hours　watching　Emmett　bring　over　the　rest　of　his　party；　which　he　did　without　accident；　but　at　the　expense　of　great　effort。　And　all　the　time　in　my　ears　dinned　the　roar；　the　boom；　the　rumble　of　this　singularly　rapacious　and　purposeful　rivera　river　of　silt；　a　red　river　of　dark；　sinister　meaning；　a　river　with　terrible　work　to　perform；　a　river　which　never　gave　up　its　dead。



CHAPTER　2。　THE　RANGE

After　a　much…needed　rest　at　Emmett's；　we　bade　good…by　to　him　and　his　hospitable　family；　and　under　the　guidance　of　his　man　once　more　took　to　the　wind…swept　trail。　We　pursued　a　southwesterly　course　now；　following　the　lead　of　the　craggy　red　wall　that　stretched　on　and　on　for　hundreds　of　miles　into　Utah。　The　desert；　smoky　and　hot；　fell　away　to　the　left；　and　in　the　foreground　a　dark；　irregular　line　marked　the　Grand　Canyon　cutting　through　the　plateau。

The　wind　whipped　in　from　the　vast；　open　expanse；　and　meeting　an　obstacle　in　the　red　wall；　turned　north　and　raced　past　us。　Jones's　hat　blew　off；　stood　on　its　rim；　and　rolled。　It　kept　on　rolling；　thirty　miles　an　hour；　more　or　less；　so　fast；　at　least；　that　we　were　a　long　time　catching　up　to　it　with　a　team　of　horses。　Possibly　we　never　would　have　caught　it　had　not　a　stone　checked　its　flight。　Further　manifestation　of　the　power　of　the　desert　wind　surrounded　us　on　all　sides。　It　had　hollowed　out　huge　stones　from　the　cliffs；　and　tumbled　them　to　the　plain　below；　and　then；　sweeping　sand　and　gravel　low　across　the　desert　floor；　had　cut　them　deeply；　until　they　rested　on　slender　pedestals；　thus　sculptoring　grotesque　and　striking　monuments　to　the　marvelous　persistence　of　this　element　of　nature。

Late　that　afternoon；　as　we　reached　the　height　of　the　plateau；　Jones　woke　up　and　shouted：　〃Ha！　there's　Buckskin！〃

Far　southward　lay　a　long；　black　mountain；　covered　with　patches　of　shining　snow。　I　could　follow　the　zigzag　line　of　the　Grand　Canyon　splitting　the　desert　plateau；　and　saw　it　disappear　in　the　haze　round　the　end　of　the　mountain。　From　this　I　got　my　first　clear　impression　of　the　topography　of　the　country　surrounding　our　objective　point。　Buckskin　mountain　ran　its　blunt　end　eastward　to　the　Canyonin　fact；　formed　a　hundred　miles　of　the　north　rim。　As　it　was　nine　thousand　feet　high　it　still　held　the　snow；　which　had　occasioned　our　lengthy　desert　ride　to　get　back　of　the　mountain。　I　could　see　the　long　slopes　rising　out　of　the　desert　to　meet　the　timber。

As　we　bowled　merrily　down　grade　I　noticed　that　we　were　no　longer　on　stony　ground；　and　that　a　little　scant　silvery　grass　had　made　its　appearance。　Then　little　branches　of　green；　with　a　blue　flower；　smiled　out　of　the　clayish　sand。

All　of　a　sudden　Jones　stood　up；　and　let　out　a　wild　Comanche　yell。　I　was　more　startled　by　the　yell　than　by　the　great　hand　he　smashed　down　on　my　shoulder；　and　for　the　moment　I　was　dazed。

〃There！　look！　look！　the　buffalo！　Hi！　Hi！　Hi！〃

Below　us；　a　few　miles　on　a　rising　knoll；　a　big　herd　of　buffalo　shone　black　in　the　gold　of　the　evening　sun。　I　had　not　Jones's　incentive；　but　I　felt　enthusiasm　born　of　the　wild　and　beautiful　picture；　and　added　my　yell　to　his。　The　huge；　burly　leader　of　the　herd　lifted　his　head；　and　after　regarding　us　for　a　few　moments　calmly　went　on　browsing。

The　desert　had　fringed　away　into　a　grand　rolling　pastureland；　walled　in　by　the　red　cliffs；　the　slopes　of　Buckskin；　and　further　isolated　by　the　Canyon。　Here　was　a　range　of　twenty…four　hundred　square　miles　without　a　foot　of　barb…wire；　a　pasture　fenced　in　by　natural　forces；　with　the　splendid　feature　that　the　buffalo　could　browse　on　the　plain　in　winter；　and　go　up　into　the　cool　foothills　of　Buckskin　in　summer。

From　another　ridge　we　saw　a　cabin　dotting　the　rolling　plain；　and　in　half　an　hour　we　reached　it。　As　we　climbed　down　from　the　wagon　a　brown　and　black　dog　came　dashing　out　of　the　cabin；　and　promptly　jumped　at　Moze。　His　selection　showed　poor　discrimination；　for　Moze　whipped　him　before　I　could　separate　them。　Hearing　Jones　heartily　greeting　some　one；　I　turned　in　his　direction；　only　to　he　distracted　by　another　dog　fight。　Don　had　tackled　Moze　for　the　seventh　time。　Memory　rankled　in　Don；　and　he　needed　a　lot　of　whipping；　some　of　which　he　was　getting　when　I　rescued　him。

Next　moment　I　was　shaking　hands　with　Frank　and　Jim；　Jones's　ranchmen。　At　a　glance　I　liked　them　both。　Frank　was　short　and　wiry；　and　had　a　big；　ferocious　mustache；　the　effect　of　which　was　softened　by　his　kindly　brown　eyes。　Jim　was　tall；　a　little　heavier；　he　had　a　careless；　tidy　look；　his　eyes　were　searching；　and　though　he　appeared　a　young　man；　his　hair　was　white。

〃I　shore　am　glad　to　see　you　all；〃　said　Jim；　in　slow；　soft；　Southern　accent。

〃Get　down；　get　down；〃　was　Frank's　welcomea　typically　Western　one；　for　we　had　already　gotten　down；　〃an'　come　in。　You　must　be　worked　out。　Sure　you've　come　a　long　way。〃　He　was　quick　of　speech；　full　of　nervous　energy；　and　beamed　with　hospitality。

The　cabin　was　the　rudest　kind　of　log　affair；　with　a　huge　stone　fireplace　in　one　end；　deer　antlers　and　coyote　skins　on　the　wall；　saddles　and　cowboys'　traps　in　a　corner；　a　nice；　large；　promising　cupboard；　and　a　table　and　chairs。　Jim　threw　wood　on　a　smoldering　fire；　that　soon　blazed　and　crackled　cheerily。

I　sank　down　into　a　chair　with　a　feeling　of　blessed　relief。　Ten　days　of　desert　ride　behind　me！　Promise　of　wonderful　days　before　me；　with　the　last　of　the　old　plainsmen。　No　wonder　a　sweet　sense　of　ease　stole　over　me；　or　that　the　fire　seemed　a　live　and　joyously　welcoming　thing；　or　that　Jim's　deft　maneuvers　in　preparation　of　supper　roused　in　me　a　rapt　admiration。

〃Twenty　calves　this　spring！〃　cried　Jones；　punching　me　in　my　sore　side。　〃Ten　thousand　dollars　worth　of　calves！〃

He　was　now　altogether　a　changed　man；　he　looked　almost　young；　his　eyes　danced；　and　he　rubbed　his　big　hands　together　while　he　plied　Frank　with　questions。　In　strange　surroundingsthat　is；　away　from　his　Native　Wilds；　Jones　had　been　a　silent　man；　it　had　been　almost　impossible　to　get　anything　out　of　him。　But　now　I　saw　that　I　should　come　to　know　the　real　man。　In　a　very　few　moments　he　had