Lost in the Cañon

by Herbert Strang

  CHAPTER X.--A NIGHT OF AWFUL GLOOM.

  Words can convey to the reader an idea of only those things with whichhe is familiar, or of which he can form a picture through hisimagination, and even when the latter is vivid it must draw largely forits creation on things with which it is somewhat acquainted.

  No pen or tongue could properly describe the situation and the feelingsof the four human beings who through the long black hours of that nightwhirled and drifted down through the black depths of the canyon.

  As it was useless to stand up and attempt to steer, for he could not seehis hand held close before his face, Sam Willett crouched down on theraft, and clung with nervous hands to its trembling timbers.

  Now and then they seemed to be floating through quiet waters, but justwhen hope came to cheer them with the belief that they had passedthrough the most dangerous part of the current, the raft would be hurleddown long lines of rapids, or caught by some projecting rock it would besent spinning around with a velocity that made the occupants sick withthe whirling motion and the fear that the end had come. Such a situationwould have tested the strength of the most experienced nerves, even ifthe midday sun was shining into the chasm, but the darkness added to itsterrors and filled the bravest with alarm.

  On and on, and on. It seemed to Sam that they were sinking into thebowels of the earth, or flying away through the realms of night and theabode of impenetrable darkness.

  Now and then he would look up at the few stars visible in the strip ofsky far overhead, to assure himself that he was yet in the world of lifeand light.

  They were floating down a quiet stretch of water when Ike called out ina tremulous voice.

  "Say, Mistah Sam, ken yeh heah me?"

  "Yes, Ike, I can hear," was the reply.

  "How does yeh feel, 'bout dis time?"

  "I feel hopeful, Ike."

  "Why does yeh feel dat way?"

  "It is my disposition," said Sam, for want of a better answer.

  "Got any ideah wot's de time?"

  "I have not, Ike."

  "How long does yeh tink it is since _de sun went down foh de lasttime_?"

  "About eight hours," said Sam, though, judging by his own feelings, itseemed like so many days.

  "Eight houahs!" exclaimed Ike. "Oh, Mistah Sam, yeh's away clar off detrack."

  "How long do you think it is since the sun went down?" asked Sam, forthe sound of their voices seemed to lighten the gloom.

  "Jest 'bout fifteen yeahs an' six months ago," said Ike, with thegreatest solemnity, adding quickly, "an' I don't tink de sun'll eberrise agin. It's done gone gin out. My, if we could see our faces 'boutdis yer time, do yeh know wot we'd find?"

  "What, Ike?"

  "Dat we've all growed up in de darkness, and dat we'z ole men."

  "Me not feel like ole man," said Wah Shin.

  "What do you feel like?" asked Sam, glad to hear them all speakingagain.

  "Me feel belly hungly," was the reply.

  "Patience, patience," cried out Ulna, from the forward part of the raft,"God's sun is rising now."

  "Where!" was the exclamation of all.

  "In the east," said the young Ute.

  Not one of them could tell in what direction the east was, but allturned their heads.

  Suddenly Ike called out:

  "Oh, I see a light in de sky!"

  At the same instant all saw it, high up and directly in front.

  The light looked like the glow of a wonderful fire opal, set in the inkyblackness of the sky.

  Brighter and brighter it grew each moment, till the reflected lightpenetrated the profound depths of the canyon.

  It was the rising sun saluting the highest snow peaks of the mountains,a section of which was visible in front.

  With the joy of the blind when the blessing of sight is restored, ourfriends watched the increasing light coming down from the sky.

  Gradually the towering walls of the canyon became more distinct, till atlength their far-off summits could be seen, with here and there a cedarclinging for dear life to the giddy ledges.

  "If dis yar day is gwyne to be ez long ez de last night," said Ike, whenhe felt that the coming of the sun was not a false alarm, "why, I reckonwe'll all be ole men afore it gits dark agin."

  Even the dog gained courage by the coming of the day, and sitting up hebegan to bark in a way that proved his interest in the world wasreturning.

  There was no means of telling how far they had been borne by the currentduring the long hours of that awful night, but as soon as it was lightagain Sam took the pole and resumed his position as helmsman.

  As they were swept on he looked to the right and left in the hope offinding a place where they might make a landing.

  They were wet, hungry and weary, but the coming sun revived theirdrooping spirits.

  It was not till near noon that the precipitous walls expanded into anarea a quarter of a mile in diameter, that looked, in its flooded state,like a subterranean lake.

  Here the current was much slower, and with Ulna's help, Sam succeeded ingliding the raft to a ledge of sloping rocks, where it was made fast,and again the passengers carried the cargo on shore.

  The sun shone on their landing place, which, being on the south bank ofthe river, Sam decided to explore thoroughly in the hope of finding away out of the canyon, for he did not lose sight for a minute of hisfather's trying situation.

  This expansion of the canyon walls was much greater than the one fromwhich they had come the day before, and there were so many recesses andirregularities that getting out appeared to be an easy matter indeed.

  They spread their wet blankets and clothing on the rocks, and they foundenough drift-wood to make a fire, but all were so hungry that they didnot wait for the fire before eating.

  Wah Shin had some cooked food ready, and, although it had not beenimproved by its long soaking, hunger made it very palatable.

  After the fire was started, Wah Shin and Ike, thoroughly exhausted, andit may be more weary in feeling because unburdened with theresponsibility of the situation, lay down on the sun-heated rocks andwere soon asleep.

  "You must be tired also, Ulna. Lie down and I will look around and seeif I can find a way out of this," said Sam, laying his hand on thehandsome young Indian's shoulder.

  "I will not say that I could not lie down and go to sleep at once,"replied Ulna, "but if you are going to search I shall go with you. Iknow how you feel about your father, and that thought is always in myheart; so if you stay awake to work, I must do the same."

  _Sam succeeded in guiding the raft to a ledge of slopingrocks._]

  The two youths shook hands, and after seeing that their rifles were inorder and loaded they slung them over their shoulders and started off.

  They clambered over huge masses of white sandstone rock that had fallenin from the sides of the canyon, like the ruin of a giant's stronghold,and at every step they could see by the drift-wood that the presentflood had been preceded by others much higher.

  Compared with the great pillars of stone scattered about them each wasimpressed with the idea that his companion must have shrunk, he lookedin contrast with his surroundings so much smaller than usual.

  After much searching and climbing they came to a great rift in the canyonwall that led up to the blue sky, and seemed to promise an outlet fromthese awful depths.

  At the discovery Sam could not restrain a cry of joy, and even Ulna'susually impassive face was illuminated with the light of hope.

  "I can see nothing to stop us!" said Sam, as with the activity of amountain lion he sprang up the defile.

  But it was three thousand feet to the top of the rift, and from theirposition they could not see all the obstacles that lay in their way.

  But like the poet's Alpine climber, the motto was Excelsior!--higherup--and with stout hearts they faced the unknown path that promisedaccess to the upper world and then to Hurley's Gulch.

  They clambered up and on, the way becoming narrower and stee
per at eachstep, while here and there their course was made difficult by hugebowlders that had fallen in from above.

  After fully three hours hard work, and just when it seemed that a littlemore exertion would take them to the summit, the cleft came to an end ina precipice fully a hundred feet in height, though from the bottom itlooked only like a step that a child might overcome.

  Sam was so cast down by his discovery that he leaned against the side ofthe cliff and pressing his hands to his eyes, he groaned:

  "Oh, my poor father, what will become of him! What will he think of myabsence?"

  "He will know that if you could you would come to him; and those whokeep him and Hank Tims prisoners need not to be told about the flood.They will give us time to get back, I am sure they will give us time,"said Ulna, and he took Sam's hand and pressed it affectionately.

  They had made a bold attempt and failed, and now there was nothing leftbut to make their way back to the place where they had left the rafttied, and Ike and Wah Shin were sleeping on the rocks.