Lost in the Canon Part 19

"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 barked till the canon walls rang with the echoes.

The strip of sh.o.r.e, on which they were encamped, extended from their landing place for some distance down the river, so before launching the raft again, Sam thought it would be well for Ulna and himself to make an examination as far as they could do so on foot.

Taking their rifles, which were loaded with metallic cartridges that the water could not injure, they started off, first telling Ike and Wah Shin to take advantage of their absence to get some sleep.

They walked and clambered along the sh.o.r.e for about half a mile, when there came to their ears a hoa.r.s.e, deep, monotonous roar.

"What is that?" asked Sam, coming to a sudden halt and laying his hand on 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 it to 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 an irregular rock, up whose sides they climbed in the hope of getting a better view of the river below.

They were not disappointed in their purpose, but the prospect that met their gaze was well calculated to dismay the stoutest heart.

Their vision was limited by a bend in the river a quarter of a mile below, but between this and the rock on which they stood, the water was white with foam as it roared and tumbled over a series of rapids, in the midst of which black rocks appeared like the heads of monstrous creatures.

This sight was so appalling that neither Sam nor Ulna could utter a word for some seconds, but stood looking from the maddened waters into each other'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 of the 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 and starve 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 minutes looking at the frightful rapids which they had decided to face.

It was now about noon, there was fully five hours of daylight left, and they decided to avail themselves of it to test the rapids.

Sam reasoned that the thing had to be done, and the sooner the experiment was made the better, and in addition to this he knew that there was no more food left, and that from this time on himself and his companions would grow weaker and weaker for the effort.

They turned to walk back, Sam clambering along the giddy ledge of the rock which rose straight up from the water. He was a few yards in advance of Ulna, for whose immediate safety he had no fear, when he was brought to a sudden stand, and his heart stopped beating, and the cold sweat came out on his forehead at hearing a short, quick cry of alarm behind him.

The cry was followed by a splash, and turning, Sam saw that Ulna had fallen from the rock into the fierce current that roared and foamed above its base.

Sam threw aside his rifle and sprang back to the rescue of the young Indian, but before he had gone ten feet Ulna was fifty yards away, bravely battling with the maddened waters, above whose roar came the words:

"G.o.d bless you! Farewell!"

Sam stood petrified with horror.

To plunge into the water and attempt to help Ulna in that way would be madness.

Even as Sam watched he could see the brave face becoming more and more indistinct as it rose and fell on the surges, and then with a wave of the arm vanished out of sight behind the distant bend of the river.