The Enchanted Canyon

  CHAPTER XIII

  GRANT'S CROSSING

  "Perfect memories! They are more precious than hope, more pricelessthan dreams of the future."--_Enoch's Diary_.

  "Now, every one of you get into dry clothes as quickly as you can,"said Diana. "No! Don't one of you try to stir from the cabin! Come,Na-che, we'll bring the men's bags up and go out to our tent while theyshift."

  The two women were gone before the men could protest. They were backwith the bags in a few moments and in almost less time than it takes totell, the crew of the Ida was reclothed, Enoch in the riding suit thatJonas had left with some of his own clothes in Na-che's care. Whenthis was done, Na-che put on the coffee pot, while Diana served each ofthem with a plate of hot rabbit stew.

  "Don't try to talk," she said, "until you get this down. You'd betterhelp Mr. Milton, Na-che. Here, it will take two of us. Oh, you poordear! You're burning with fever."

  "Don't you worry about me," protested Milton, weakly, as, with his headresting on Diana's arm, he sipped the teaspoonsful of stew Na-che fedhim. "This is as near heaven as I want to get."

  "I should hope so!" grunted Agnew. "Jonas, don't ever try to put up astew in competition with Na-che again."

  "Not me, sir!" chuckled Jonas. "That gal can sure cook!"

  "And make charms," added Enoch. "Don't fail to realize that you'restill alive, Jonas."

  "I'm going to bathe Mr. Milton's face for him," said Na-che, with afine air of indifference. "I can set a broken leg, too."

  "It's set," said Agnew and Enoch together, "but," added Enoch, "thatisn't saying that Milton mustn't be gotten to a doctor with all speed."

  Diana nodded. "Where are Mr. Forrester and Mr. Harden?" she asked.

  "We lost the Na-che--" said Agnew.

  "The what?" demanded Diana.

  "Jonas rechristened the Mary, the Na-che," Agnew replied. "We lost herin a whirlpool six days back. Most of the food was in her. Two of ushad to go out and Harden and Forrester volunteered. We are very muchworried about them."

  "And when did Mr. Milton break his leg?"

  "On that same black day! The water's been disagreeing with him, makinghim dizzy, and he took a header from the Ida, after rescuing Forresterfrom some rapids," said Enoch.

  "Doesn't sound much, when you tell it, does it!" Agnew smiled as hesighed. "But it really has been quite a busy five days."

  "One can look at your faces and read much between the lines," saidDiana, quietly. "Now, while Na-che works with Mr. Milton, I'm going togive you each some coffee."

  "Diana, how far are we from the nearest doctor?" asked Enoch.

  "There's one over on the Navajo reservation," replied Diana.

  "Wouldn't it be better to keep Milton right here and one of us go forthe doctor?"

  "Much better," agreed Diana and Agnew.

  "Lord," sighed Milton, "what bliss!"

  "Then," said Enoch, "I'm going to start for the doctor, now."

  "Nonsense!" exclaimed Diana, "that's my job. We've been here two daysand we and our outfit are as fresh as daisies."

  "I'm going, myself," Agnew rose as firmly as his weak and weary legswould permit.

  It was Na-che who settled the matter. "That's an Indian's job," shesaid. "You take care of Mr. Milton, Diana, while I go."

  "That's sensible," agreed Diana. "Start now, Na-che. You should reachWilson's by to-morrow night and telephone to the Agent's house.That'll save you forty miles."

  Jonas' face which had fallen greatly suddenly brightened. "Somebody'scoming!" he cried. "I hope it's our folks!"

  The door opened abruptly and in walked Curly and Mack.

  "Here's the whole family!" exclaimed Curly. "Well, if you folks don'tlook like Siberian convicts, whiskers and all! Some trip, eh?"

  Mack, shaking hands all round, stopped beside Milton's bunk. "Whatwent wrong, bud? and where's the rest of the bunch?"

  Enoch told the story, this time. Mack shook his head as the finalplans were outlined.

  "Na-che had better stay and nurse Milton. I'm feeling fine. We justloafed along down here. I'll start out right away. I should reachWilson's to-morrow night, as you say, and telephone the doctor. ThenI'll load up with grub at Wilson's and turn back. Do you find muchgame round here?"

  Diana nodded. "Plenty of rabbit and quail, and we have some bacon andcoffee."

  "I guess I'd better go out and look for the two foot-passengers,"suggested Curly. "I'll stay out to-night and report to-morrow evening."

  "We'll be in shape by morning to start on the search," said Enoch.

  Curly turned to his former cook with a grin. "Well, Judge, is yourlittle vacation giving you the rest you wanted?"

  Enoch, gaunt, unshaven, exhausted, his blue eyes blood-shot, noddedcontentedly. "I'm having the time of my life, Curly."

  "I had a bull dog once," said Curly. "If I'd take a barrel stave andpound him with it, saying all the time, 'Nice doggie, isn't this fun!Isn't this a nice little stick! Don't you like these little lovepats?' he'd wag his tail and slobber and tell me how much he enjoyed itand beg for more. But, if I took a straw and tapped him with it,telling him he was a poor dog, that nobody loved him, that I wasbreaking his ribs which he richly deserved, why that bull pup nearlydied of suffering of body and anguish of mind."

  Enoch shook his head sadly. "A great evangelist was lost when you tookto placer mining, Curly."

  Mack had been talking quietly to Milton. "I don't believe it was theriver water, that upset you. I think you have drunk from some poisonspring. I did that once, up in this country, and it took me six monthsto get over it, because I couldn't get to a doctor. But I believe adoctor could fix you right up. Do you recall drinking water the othermen didn't?"

  "Any number of times, on exploring trips to the river!" Milton lookedimmensely cheered. "I think you may be right, Mack."

  "I'll bet you two bits that's all that ails you, son!" Mack rose fromthe edge of the bunk. "Well, folks, I'm off! Look for me when you seeme!"

  "I'll mooch along too," Curly rose and stretched himself.

  "I'm not going to try to thank all you folks!" Milton's weak voice washusky.

  "That's what us Arizonians always wait for before we do the decentthing," said Mack, with a smile. "Come along, Curly, you lazychuckawalla you!" And the door slammed behind them.

  "They're stem winders, both of them!" exclaimed Agnew.

  "Diana," said Enoch, "I wish you'd sit down. You've done enough forus."

  Diana smiled and shook her head. "I struck the camp first, so I'mboss. Na-che and I are going out to see that everything's all rightfor the night and that Mack and Curly get a good start. While we'reout, you're all going to bed. Then Na-che is coming in to make Mr.Milton as comfortable as she can. Our tent is under the cottonwoodsand if you want anything during the night, Mr. Milton, all you have todo is to call through the window. Neither of us will undress so we canbe on duty, instantly. There is plenty of stew still simmering in thepot, and cold biscuit on the table. Good night, all of you."

  "Na-che, she don't need to bother. I'll look out for Mr. Milton," saidJonas, suddenly rousing from his chair where he had been dozing.

  "You go to bed and to sleep, Jonas," ordered Diana. "Good night,Judge."

  "Good night, Diana!"

  The door closed softly and Diana was seen no more that night. The rainceased at midnight and the stars shone forth clear and cold, but Miltonwas the only person in the camp to be conscious of the fact. Just asthe dawn wind was rising, though, and the cottonwoods were outliningthemselves against the eastern sky, stumbling footsteps near the tentwakened both Diana and Na-che, and they opened the tent flap, hastily.

  Forrester was clinging to a cottonwood tree. At least it was a worn,bleached, ragged counterfeit of Forrester.

  "Hard's back on the trail apiece. I came on for help," he said huskily.

  "Is he sick or hurt?" cried Diana.

  "No, just all in."

  "
I'll take a horse for him, right off," said Na-che. "You help Mr.Forrester into the house, Diana."

  "Call Jonas!" said Diana, supporting Forrester against the tree. "Oneof the men had better go for Mr. Harden."

  "Then they got here!" exclaimed Forrester. "Thank God! How's Milton?Any other accident?"

  "Everything's all right! Here they all come!" For Jonas, then Agnewand Enoch were rushing from the door and amid the hubbub ofexclamations, Forrester was landed in a bunk while Agnew started up thetrail indicated by Forrester. But he hardly had set out before he metCurly, leading his horse with Harden clinging to the saddle. Both thewanderers were fed and put to bed and told to sleep, before they triedto tell their story. The day was warm and clear and Na-che and Jonasprepared breakfast outside, serving it on the rough table, under thecottonwoods. Enoch and Agnew, washed and shaved, were new men, thoughstill weak, Enoch, particularly, being muscle sore and weary. Hardenand Forrester woke for more food, at noon, then slept again. Miltondozed and woke, drank feverishly of the water brought from the springnear the cabin, and gazed with a look of complete satisfaction on theunshaved dirty faces in the bunks across the room.

  Agnew and Curly played poker all day long. Jonas and Na-che foundendless small tasks around the camp that required long consultationsbetween them and much laughter. When Enoch returned after breakfastfrom a languid inspection of the Ida, Diana was not to be seen. Shehad gone out to get some quail, Na-che said. She returned in an houror so, with a good bag of rabbit and birds.

  "To-morrow, that will be my job," said Enoch.

  "If she wouldn't let me go, she mustn't let you!" called Curly, fromhis poker game, under the trees.

  "Yes, I'll let any of you take it over, to-morrow," replied Diana,giving Na-che gun and bag. "To-morrow, Na-che and I turn the rescuemission over to you men and start for Bright Angel."

  "Oh, where's your heart, Miss Allen!" cried Agnew. "Aren't you goingto wait to learn what the doctor says about Milton?"

  "And Diana," urged Enoch, "Jonas and I want to go up to Bright Angelwith you and Na-che. Won't you wait a day longer, just till we're alittle more fit?"

  Diana, in her worn corduroy habit, her soft hat pulled well over hergreat eyes, looked from Agnew to Enoch, smiled and did not reply.Enoch waited impatiently without the door while she made a call onMilton.

  "Diana!" he exclaimed, when she came out, "aren't you going to talk tome even? Do come down by the Ida and see if we can't be rid of thishorde of people for a while."

  "I've been wanting to see just how badly you'd treated the poor oldboat," said Diana, following Enoch toward the shore.

  But Enoch had not the slightest intention of holding an inquest on theIda. In the shade of a gnarled cedar to which the boat was tied as aprecaution against high water, he had placed a box. Thither he ledDiana.

  "Do sit down, Diana, and let me sit here at your feet. I'll admit itshould be unexpected joy enough just to find you here. But I'm greedy.I want you to myself, and I want to tell you a thousand things."

  "All right, Judge, begin," returned Diana amiably, as she clasped herknee with both hands and smiled at him. But Enoch could not begin,immediately. Sitting in the sand with his back against the cedar helooked out at the Colorado flowing so placidly, at the pale gray greenof the far canyon walls and a sense of all that the river signified tohim, all that it had brought to him, all that it would mean to him toleave it and with it Diana,--Diana who had been his other self since hewas a lad of eighteen,--made him speechless for a time.

  Diana waited, patiently. At last, Enoch turned to her, "All the thingsI want to say most, can't be said, Diana!"

  "Are you glad you took the trip down the river, Judge?"

  "Glad! Was Roland glad he made his adventure in search of the DarkTower?"

  "Yes, he was, only, Judge--"

  Enoch interrupted. "Has our friendship grown less since we camped atthe placer mine?"

  Diana flushed slightly and went on, "Only, Enoch, surely the end ofyour adventure is not a Dark Tower ending!"

  "Yes, it is, Diana! It can never be any other." Enoch's fingerstrembled a little as he toyed with his pipe bowl. Diana slowly lookedaway from him, her eyes fastening themselves on a buzzard that circledover the peaks across the river. After a moment, she said, "Then youare going to shoot Brown?"

  Enoch started a little. "I'm not thinking of Brown just now. I'mthinking of you and me."

  He paused again and again Diana waited until she felt the silencebecoming too painful. Then she said,

  "Aren't you going to tell me some of the details of your trip?"

  "I want to, Diana, but hang it, words fail me! It was as you warnedme, an hourly struggle with death. And we fought, I think, not becauselife was so unutterably sweet to any of us, but because there was suchwonderful zest to the fighting. The beauty of the Canyon, theawfulness of it, the unbelievable rapidity with which event piled onevent. Why, Diana, I feel as if I'd lived a lifetime since I first putfoot on the Ida! And the glory of the battle! Diana, we were so puny,so insignificant, so stupid, and the Canyon was so colossal and sodiabolically quick and clever! What a fight!"

  Enoch laughed joyfully.

  "You're a new man!" said Diana, softly.

  Enoch nodded. "And now I'm to have the ride back to El Tovar with youand the trip down Bright Angel with you and your father! For onceDiana, Fate is minding her own business and letting me mind mine."

  Jonas approached hesitatingly. "Na-che said I had to tell you, boss,though I didn't want to disturb you, she said I had to though shewouldn't do it herself. Dinner is on the table. And you know, boss,you ain't like you was when a bowl of cereal would do you."

  "I shouldn't have tempted fate, Diana!" Enoch sighed, as he rose andfollowed her to the cottonwood.

  Try as he would, during the afternoon, he could not bring about anothertete-a-tete with Diana. Finally as dusk drew near, he threw himselfdown, under the cedar tree, his eyes sadly watching the evening mistsrise over the river. His dark figure merged with the shadow of thecedar and Na-che and Jonas, establishing themselves on the gunwale ofthe Ida for one of their confidential chats did not perceive him. Hehimself gave them no heed until he heard Jonas say vehemently:

  "You're crazy, Na-che! I'm telling you the boss won't never marry."

  "How do you know what's in your boss's mind?" demanded Na-che.

  "I know all right. And I know he thinks a lot of Miss Diana, too, butI know he won't marry her. He won't marry anybody."

  "But why?" urged the Indian woman, sadly, "Why should things be sowrong? When he loves her and she loves him and they were made for eachother!"

  "How come you to think she loves him?" demanded Jonas.

  "Don't I know the mind of my Diana? Isn't she my little child, even ifher mother did bear her. Don't I see her kiss that little picture shehas of him in her locket every night when she says her prayers?"

  "Well--" began Jonas, but he was interrupted by a call from Curly.

  "Whoever's minding the stew might be interested in knowing that it'sboiling over!"

  "Coming! Coming!" cried Jonas and Na-che.

  Darkness had now settled on the river. Enoch lay motionless until theycalled him in to supper. When he entered the cabin where the table wasset, Curly cried, "Hello, Judge! Where've you been? I swear you lookas if you'd been walking with a ghost."

  "Perhaps I have," Enoch replied, grimly, as he took his seat.

  Harden and Forrester, none too energetic, but shaven and in order, wereat the table, where their story was eagerly picked from them.

  Forrester had slept the first night in the cavern Enoch had noted.Harden never even saw the cavern but had spent the night crawlingsteadily toward the rim. At dawn, Forrester had made his way to thetop of the butte by the same route Enoch had followed, and had seenHarden, a black speck moving laboriously on the southern horizon. Hehad not recognized him, and set out to overtake him. It was not untilnoon that he had
done so. Even after he realized whom he was pursuing,he had not given up, for by that time he was rueing bitterly his hastyand ill-equipped departure.

  None of the auditors of the two men needed detailed description eitherof the ardors of that trip nor of the embarrassment of the meeting.Nor did Forrester or Harden attempt any. After they had met they triedto keep a course that moved southwest. There were no trails. Forendless miles, fissures and buttes, precipices to be scaled, mountainsto be climbed, canyons to be crossed. For one day they were withoutwater, but the morning following they found a pot hole, full of water.Weakness from lack of food added much to the peril of the trip, onecottontail being the sole contribution of the gun to their larder.They did not strike the trail until the day previous to their arrivalin the camp.

  "Have you had enough desert to last you the rest of your life?" askedCurly as Harden ended the tale.

  "Not I!" said Forrester, "nor Canyon either! I'm going to find somemethod of getting Milt to let me finish the trip with him."

  "Me too," added Harden.

  "How much quarreling did you do?" asked Milton, abruptly, from the bunk.

  Neither man answered for a moment, then Forrester, flushing deeply,said, "All we ask of you, Milt, is to give us a trial. Set us ashoreif you aren't satisfied with us."

  Milton grunted and Diana said, quickly, "What are you people going todo until Mr. Milton gets well?"

  All of the crew looked toward the leader's bunk. "Wait till we get thedoctor's report," said Milton. "Hard, you were going to show Curly aplacer claim around here, weren't you?"

  "Yes, if I can be spared for a couple of days. We can undertake that,day after to-morrow."

  "You're on!" exclaimed Curly. "Judge, don't forget you and I are dueto have a little conversation before we separate."

  "I haven't forgotten it," replied Enoch.

  "Sometime to-morrow then. To-night I've got to get my revenge onAgnew. He's a wild cat, that's what he is. Must have been born in agambling den. Sit in with us, Judge or anybody!"

  "Not I," said Enoch, shortly.

  "Still disapprove, don't you, Judge!" gibed Curly. "How about the restof you? Diana, can you play poker?"

  "Thanks, Curly! My early education in that line was neglected." Dianasmiled and turned to Enoch. "Judge, do you think you'll feel up tostarting to-morrow afternoon? There's a spring five miles west that wecould make if we leave here at two o'clock and I'd like to feel thatI'd at least made a start, to-morrow. My father is going to be verymuch worried about me. I'm nearly a week overdue, now."

  "I'll be ready whenever you are, Diana. How about you, Jonas?"

  "I'm always on hand, boss. Mr. Milton, can I have the broken oar bladewe kept to patch the Ida with?"

  "What do you want it for, Jonas?" asked Milton.

  "I'm going to have it framed. And Mr. Harden and Mr. Agnew, don'tforget those fillums!"

  "Lucky for you the films were stored in the Ida, Jonas!" exclaimedAgnew. "I'll develop some of those in the morning, and see what sortof a show you put up."

  Diana rose. "Well, good night to you all! Mr. Milton, is thereanything Na-che or I can do for you?"

  "No, thank you, Miss Allen, I think I'm in good hands."

  Enoch rose to open the door for Diana. "Thank you, Judge," she said,"Good night!"

  "Diana," said Enoch, under cover of the conversation at the table,"before we start to-morrow, will you give me half an hour alone withyou?"

  There was pain and determination both in Enoch's voice. Diana glancedat him a little anxiously as she answered, "Yes, I will, Enoch."

  "Good night, Diana," and Enoch retired to his bunk, where he lay wideawake long after the card game was ended and the room in darkness savefor the dull glow of the fire.

  He made no attempt the next day to obtain the half hour Diana hadpromised him. He helped Jonas with their meager preparations for thetrip, then took a gun and started along the trail which led up theFerry canyon to the desert. But he had not gone a hundred yards, whenDiana called.

  "Wait a moment, Judge! I'll go with you."

  She joined him shortly with her gun and game bag. "We'll have Na-checook us a day's supply of meat before we start," she said. "Thehunting is apt to be poor on the trail we're to take home."

  Enoch nodded but said nothing. Something of the old grim look was inhis eyes again. He paused at the point where the canyon gave place tothe desert. Here a gnarled mesquite tree and an old half-buried logbeneath it, offered mute evidence of a gigantic flooding of the river.

  "Let's sit here for a little while, Diana," he said.

  They put their guns against the mesquite tree and sat down facing thedistant river.

  "Diana," Enoch began abruptly, "in spite of what your father and JohnSeaton believed and wanted me to believe, the things that the Brownpapers said about my mother are true. Only, Brown did not tell all.He did not give the details of her death. I suppose even Luigihesitated to tell that because I almost beat him to death the last timehe tried it.

  "Seaton and I never talked much about the matter. He tried to ferretout facts, but had no luck. By the time I was seventeen or eighteen Irealized that no man with a mother like mine had a right to marry. ButI missed the friendship of women, I suppose, for when I was perhapseighteen or nineteen I made a discovery. I found that somewhere in myheart I was carrying the image of a girl, a slender girl, with braidsof light brown hair wrapped round her head, a girl with the largest,most intelligent, most tender gray eyes in the world, and a lovelycurving mouth, with deep corners. I named her Lucy, because I'd beenreading Wordsworth and I began to keep a diary to her. I've kept itever since.

  "You can have no idea, how real, how vivid, how vital a part of my lifeLucy became to me. She was in the very deepest truth my better self,for years. And then this summer, a miracle occurred! Lucy walked intomy office! Beauty, serenity, intelligence, sweetness, gaiety, andgallantry--these were Lucy's in the flesh as I could not even dream forLucy of the spirit. Only in one particular though had I made an actualerror. Her name was not Lucy, it was Diana! Diana! the little girl ofBright Angel who had entered my turbulent boyish heart, all unknown tome, never to leave it! . . . Diana! Lucy! I love you and God help me,I must not marry!"

  Enoch, his nails cutting deep into his palms turned from the river, atwhich he had been staring steadily while speaking, to Diana. Her eyeswhich had been fastened on Enoch's profile, now gazed deep into his,pain speaking to pain, agony to agony.

  "If," Enoch went on, huskily, "there is no probability of your growingto care for me, then I think our friendship can endure. I can crowdback the lover and be merely your friend. But if you might grow tocare, even ever so little, then, I think at the thought of your pain,my heart would break. So, I thought before it is too late--"

  Suddenly Diana's lips which had grown white, trembled a little. "It istoo late!" she whispered. "It is too late!" and she put her slender,sunburned hands over her face.

  "Don't! Oh, don't!" groaned Enoch. He took her hands down, gently.Diana's eyes were dry. Her cheeks were burning. Enoch looked at hersteadily, his breath coming a little quickly, then he rose and withboth her hands in his lifted her to her feet.

  "Do you love me, Diana?" he whispered.

  She looked up into his eyes. "Yes, Enoch! Oh, yes!" she answered,brokenly.

  "How much do you love me, dear?" he persisted.

  She smiled with a tragic beauty in droop of lips and anguish of eyes."With all there is in me to give to love, Enoch."

  "Then," said Enoch, "this at least may be mine," and he laid his lipsto hers.

  When he lifted his head, he smoothed her hair back from her face."Remember, I am not deceiving myself, Diana," he said huskily. "I haveacted like a selfish, unprincipled brute. If I had not, in Washington,let you see that I cared, you would have escaped all this."

  "I did not want to escape it, Enoch," she said, smiling again while herlips quivered. "Yet I thought I would
have strength enough to go away,without permitting you to tell me about it. But I was not strongenough. However," stepping away from Enoch, "now we both understand,and I'll go home. And we must never see each other again, Enoch."

  "Never see each other again!" he repeated. Then his voice deepened."Go about our day's work year after year, without even a memory to easethe gnawing pain. God, Diana, do you think we are machines to bedriven at will?"

  Diana drew a long breath and her voice was very steady as she answered."Don't let's lose our grip on ourselves, Enoch. It only makes a hardsituation harder. Now that we understand each other, let us kiss thecross, and go on."

  Enoch, arms folded on his chest, great head bowed, walked up and downunder the trees slowly for a moment. When he paused before her, it wasto speak with his customary calm and decision, though his eyessmoldered.

  "Diana, I want to take the trip with you, just as we planned, and godown Bright Angel with your father and you. I want those few days inthe desert with you to carry me through the rest of my life. You neednot fear, dear, that for one moment I will lose grip on myself."

  Diana looked at him as if she never had seen him before. She looked atthe gaunt, strong features, the massive chin, the sensitive, firmmouth, the lines of self-control and purposefulness around eyes andlips, and over all the deep-seated sadness that made Enoch's faceunforgettable. Slowly she turned from him to the desert, and after amoment, as if she had gathered strength from the far horizon, sheanswered him, still with the little note of steadiness in her voice:

  "I think we'll have to have those last few days, together, Enoch."

  Enoch heaved a deep sigh then smiled, brilliantly. "And now," he said,"I dare not go back to camp without at least discharging my gun, doyou?"

  "No, Judge!" replied Diana, picking up her gun, with a little laugh.

  "Don't call me Judge, when we're alone!" protested Enoch.

  Diana with something sweeter than tenderness shining in her great eyes,touched his hand softly with hers.

  "No, dear!" she whispered.

  Enoch looked at her, drew a deep breath, then put his gun across hisarm and followed Diana to the yucca thicket where quail was to befound. They were very silent during the hour of hunting. They baggeda pair of cottontails and a number of quail, and when they did speak,it was only regarding the hunt or the preparations for the comingexodus. They reached camp, just before dinner, Diana disappearing intothe tent, and Enoch tramping prosaically and wearily into the cabin tothrow himself down on his bunk. He had not yet recovered from the lastdays in the Canyon.

  "You shouldn't have tackled that tramp this morning, Judge," saidMilton. "You should have saved yourself for this afternoon."

  "You saw who his side pardner was, didn't you?" asked Curly.

  "Yes," replied Milton, grinning.

  "Then why make foolish comments?"

  "I am a fool!" agreed Milton.

  "Judge," asked Curly, "how about you and me having our conflab rightafter dinner?"

  "That will suit me," replied Enoch, "if you can drag yourself fromAgnew and poker that long."

  "I'll make a superhuman effort," returned Curly.

  The conference, which took place under the cedar near the Ida, did notlast long.

  "Curly," said Enoch, lighting his pipe, "I haven't made up my mind yet,whether I want you to give me the information about Fowler and Brown ornot."

  "What's the difficulty?" demanded Curly.

  "Well, there's a number of personal reasons that I don't like to gointo. But I've a suggestion to make. You say you're trying to getmoney together with which to retain a lawyer and carry out a campaign,so you aren't in a hurry, anyway. Now you write down in a letter allthat you know about the two men, and send the letter to me, I'll treatit as absolutely confidential, and will return the material to youwithout reading it if I decide not to use it."

  Curly puffed thoughtfully at his cigarette. "That's fair enough,Judge. As you say there's no great hurry and I always get het up,anyhow, when I talk about it. I'd better put it down in cool black andwhite. Where can I reach you?"

  "No. 814 Blank Avenue, Washington, D. C.," replied Enoch.

  Curly pulled an old note book out of his hip pocket and set down theaddress:

  "All right, Judge, you'll hear from me sometime in the next few weeks.I'll go back now and polish Agnew off."

  And he hurried away, leaving Enoch to smoke his pipe thoughtfully as hestared at the Ida.