Part 18 (1/2)

During the morning they came upon several parties making the rounds of the Wonderland along the beaten channels. Sometimes women were in the company, for the strange sights that awaited the bold spirit capable of enduring ordinary fatigue tempted others besides men to undertake one of the trips.

Just at noon the two boys came upon a lone Chinaman sitting at a little fire he had kindled, cooking a fish, evidently pulled from the river by means of a hook and line.

”Well, what do you think!” exclaimed Frank, as he stared at the Oriental; ”Bob, don't you recognize that cousin of our ranch cook, Ah Sin, the same fellow who was down at our place five months ago? h.e.l.lo!

Charley Moi, what are you doing in the big canyon, tell me?”

The Chinaman jumped up, and manifested more or less joy at the sight of Frank. He insisted on shaking hands with both the boys.

”How do? Glad see Flank, Blob! Me, I cook for plarties in Gland Canyon.

Hear of chance gettee job up Gland View Hotel. Go there now. Alle samee like see boys from Circle Lanch. How Ah Sin? Him berry veil last time hear samee.”

Frank had an idea.

”See here, Charley Moi,” he said; ”you say you've been about the big canyon a long time now, serving as a cook to parties who go up and down.

Perhaps we might engage you to stay with us!”

”Me cook velly fine much all timee. You tly Charley Moi, you never say solly do samee!” declared the Oriental, his moon-like face illuminated with a childlike and bland smile.

”But we want you for a guide too, Charley; you ought to know a heap about the place by this time,” Frank went on.

”Alle light, me do,” replied the other, glibly. ”No matter, cookee or guide, alle samee. Lucky we meet. Tly flish. Just ketchee from water.

Cook to turnee. Plentee for all. Then go like Flank, Blob say. Sabe?”

As it was nearly noon the boys were quite satisfied to make a little halt, and taste the fresh fish which the Chinaman had succeeded in coaxing from the rus.h.i.+ng waters of the nearby Colorado.

Later on they once again made a start. Charley Moi did everything in his power to prove his fidelity and faithfulness. He seemed proud of the fact that the son of the big owner of Circle Ranch, where his cousin worked as cook for the mess, trusted him, and had employed him as a guide. Never before in the history of the Grand Canyon had a Chinaman held such an exalted office; and Charley believed he had cause to feel proud.

”Can we trust him?” Bob asked, as evening came on again. ”I've always heard that Chinamen are treacherous fellows.”

”Then you've heard what isn't true,” Frank replied. ”A Chinaman never breaks his word. Over in the Far East I've read that all the merchants of British cities are Chinese. The j.a.ps are a different kind of people.

Yes, we can trust Charley Moi. He would never betray us to our enemies.”

Nevertheless, that night the boys also slept on their arms, so to speak.

One of them remained on guard at different times, the entire night.

Frank had learned caution on the range. He did not mean to be taken by surprise; though he really believed that nothing would be done to injure them until after they had found some trace of the hidden hermit of Echo Cave.

Before another twelve hours had pa.s.sed he had occasion to change his opinion. The night did not bring any alarm in its train. Charley Moi was up several times, shuffling around, looking at the fire, and sitting there smoking his little pipe, as though in satisfaction over having struck such a profitable job so easily; but he gave no sign of holding any intercourse with outsiders.

With the coming of morning they were once more on the way. Frank noticed with considerable satisfaction that now they seemed to be beyond the ordinary limit of the various trails taken by the regular tourist parties.

They were walking along, about the middle of the morning, when they found themselves in a lonely region, where the dim trail led along the foot of rugged walls stretching up, red and apparently unscalable, to the height of hundreds of feet.

Frank was craning his neck as he looked up overhead, wondering if it could be possible that there was any sign of an abandoned cliff dwellers' village there, when he saw something move, and at the same instant he jumped forward to pull his chum violently back.

CHAPTER XVI