The Go Ahead Boys and Simon's Mine by Ross Kay

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"We had better plan to be gone about four days!" spoke up Pete who up to
this time had taken no part in the morning conversation.

"I should think we ought to have supplies for more than that," said Fred.

Pete, however, insisted that the time he had named would be ample for
their first attempt. "If we don't strike anything," he explained, "we
shan't need to stay any longer and if we do we can mark the spot or leave
someone there on guard and the rest can come back for more supplies."

"What do you think, Zeke?" asked Fred.

"I think Pete is all right," replied the guide. "We want to leave our
supplies here pretty well protected and we don't want to take enough with
us to tire us out carrying them. We'll have to measure it down pretty
fine. We want just enough but not an ounce more than we ought to have."

Zeke's word carried the day and in a brief time the Go Ahead Boys were
busily engaged in packing the few belongings they planned to take with
them on their expedition. These were conveniently arranged so that they
might be carried upon the backs of the boys, making a burden that did not
exceed twenty-five pounds in weight for each boy when the arrangement was
at last completed.

"Everything all ready now?" inquired Zeke when at last the packages,
implements and knapsacks had all been prepared.

"How is the river right below us?" asked John.

"It's a bit rough and pretty swift for a spell," replied Zeke.

"Any danger of capsizing?" asked Fred nervously.

"There's always that danger," replied Zeke solemnly. "Nobody knows when
the boat may turn squarely over. If you think you would rather walk across
country we can try it that way," he added, winking solemnly at Fred's
companions as he spoke.

Cautiously the party made their way down the canyon and at last after
several exciting experiences arrived on the shore of the rushing
Colorado.

Zeke's statement that the river here was rough was speedily confirmed. The
tossing waves seemed to be rushing at break-neck speed past the little
point. There was a bend in the channel a half-mile below and a projecting
point there was plainly seen.

"I don't like the look of that," muttered Fred as he first saw the rushing
stream.

"There's something I like still less," said Grant.

"What do you mean?" demanded Fred.

"Why there's only one boat there."

"What!" exclaimed George and Fred together.

"That's right," repeated Grant. "One of the boats is gone."

CHAPTER VI

DIVIDED

For a moment the boys stood and stared blankly at the one boat and at the
place on the shore where the other had been drawn from the water. There
was no question now as to their loss. Every member of their party was
present and yet only one boat was to be seen.

Certain of their supplies also were missing and the discovery served to
increase the feeling of dismay.

"Do you suppose that boat got loose?" inquired Fred, who was the first to
speak.

"I don't 'suppose it got loose,'" retorted Grant somewhat gruffly.

"Do you think somebody took it?" again Fred asked.

"If it didn't get loose, please tell me why it's gone? There's only one
way the boat could get into the river. One was for it to get loose and the
other for somebody to work it loose."

"Then the question is," said George, "who took it?"

"And there isn't much question about that," said Fred confidently.

"Do you think those two men stole the boat? I mean the two that were in
our camp last night?"

"I don't know who else could take it," said John. "And it's my fault too,
isn't it?"

"In a way it is your fault, all right," said Grant. "You started those men
on the trail. If you had kept still no one would have known anything about
it."

"That's right," said John, closing his eyes and doing his utmost to assume
the expression of a martyr. "If anything goes wrong, put the blame on
little Johnnie. Cock Robin wasn't in the same class with little Johnnie--"

"You've talked enough," broke in Zeke. "All your talkin' isn't goin' to
bring back our boat. The question is what are we goin' to do, now that one
of the boats is gone."

"Can't we all get into one boat?" inquired George.

"You can," snapped Zeke, "but you won't stay in very long. She would never
carry six."

"What shall we do, then?" asked Fred.

"I think the first thing for us to do is to look around and see if we can
find anything that will give us a clue to the takin' o' the boat."

Acting upon the suggestion the boys at once began a search along the
shore, Fred and John steadily moving back from the river.

Not one of them, however, was able to discover any signs of the presence
of the men whom they suspected. The plain fact was that the heavy boat was
gone and with it had gone many of their supplies.

It was true that one boat was still left, but the guide's statement that
it could not carry six left only one way out of the present difficulty.

"We can do one of two things," suggested Pete when the members of the
party assembled again. "We can leave some o' you here and the rest o' us
can strike out across the country for more supplies. It won't be so hard
comin' back as it will be goin'. We'll get some burros to carry the stuff
back for us and then they can go back with the drivers."

"If we don't do that what else can we do?" inquired Grant.

"Some of us can go down the river in the boat and then strike out for
Thorn's Gulch while the others are coming overland."

"It will take two days to do that," said Fred ruefully.

"And the other will take four and maybe five," retorted Zeke.

A marked difference of opinion appeared in the company, but at last it was
decided that Pete and John should go for additional supplies while all the
other members of the party were to remain where they then were.

Sharp directions were given by the departing Pete that no one should leave
the camp during his absence.

The Go Ahead Boys promised faithfully to follow his suggestion and within
an hour Pete, who was nearly as tall as John, and his companion had
disappeared from sight.

A renewed search for evidences of the men who had taken the boats was
made, and Zeke and Fred even went down the stream a mile vainly hoping
that they might find the boat stranded somewhere in the region. Their
search was unavailing and when they returned to the camp it was with a
fixed opinion that the sole solution of their difficulties was to be found
in patiently remaining in camp until Pete and John had made their long
journey across the desert.

That evening while they were seated about the campfire conversation turned
upon the mighty river near which they had found their resting place.

"Yes, air," Zeke was saying, "the first man an' about the only man that
ever went the whole length of the Colorado was Major Powell."

"Did he go in a little boat?" inquired Fred.

"Yes, he had four boats?" replied Zeke. "They were all small, but every
one was built for the voyage."

"Did he go alone?" inquired George.

"No. Nine men went with him."

"When was it?" asked Grant.

"In 1869. It took a lot of nerve to start on that trip too, let me tell
you. Even the Indians were afraid of the river and every one of them said
he didn't know really what the river was."

"What do you mean?" asked Fred.

"Why the redskins had all sorts of stories about the Colorado from the
place where the Grand and the Green join to make it. And they had a lot to
make them afraid, too. You see no one ever knew, when his boat got caught
in the currents or whirlpools, whether there might be ahead o' him some
great underground passage where the river had cut its way and the boat
might be carried in there and never get out. Then too when they started on
a swift current no one could tell when the water got rougher and swifter
whether they were goin' head on for some great, roarin' cataract. Yes,
sir, it was a very ticklish trip that Major Powell took, and what made it
still worse for him was the fact that he had only one arm."

"What did he do with the other one?" inquired Fred.

"Had it shot away in the Civil War. I tell you he had more nerve than any
man that ever came out to these parts. Unless p'raps it was Bill Williams,
whose grave is away over yonder more than fifty miles beyond the Grand
Canyon."

"Did the men who were with Major Powell come through all right?" asked
Fred.

"All those that stayed with him did. There were four that got discouraged,
and cleared out and left the very day when Major Powell floated clear of
the Grand Canyon. It's strange about that. The exploring party came out
all right, but not one of the four men that deserted was ever afterwards
heard of. Probably they tried to make their way up some o' these cliffs
and tumbled and fell."

"Did you say that the Indians knew all about the Grand Canyon?" asked
Grant.

"No, I didn't say no sech thing," said Zeke sharply. "What I said was that
the Indians were afraid of the place. They had any number of stories about
the region."

"What were they?" asked Fred eagerly.

"Oh, I don't know," answered Zeke, "There was one, I understand, about
the Indians believin' or at least reportin' that the Grand Canyon was the
road to heaven. They had a story that one time one of their big chiefs
lost his wife. He was very fond of her and when she died it seemed to take
the heart right out o' him. He spent most o' his time mournin' for her and
pretty soon the life o' the tribe was beginnin' to suffer.

"At last, at least so the Indians say, the god, Tavwoats, offered to prove
to the big chief that his wife was happier than she had been even when she
was livin' 'long with him. The chief took him at his word and Tavwoats
started right away to take the chief where he could look on the happiness
of his wife. It seems the trail he made to the Happy Land was what we now
call the Grand Canyon. They say that there were more bright colors and
pretty places to be seen there then than one can find now.

"When Tavwoats and the big chief came back through the trail among the
mountains, the god rolled a wild and roaring river into it to keep out
those who did not deserve to go to the Happy Land. That's the way the
Colorado River was formed, at least accordin' to th' Indian story. Of
course they didn't know what we know now that the Grand and Green joined
forces to make up the big stream."

"That's a very pretty story," said Grant, rising as he spoke. "The Indians
must have had a lot of poetry in them to make up so many wonderful
legends."

"You would have thought they had poetry in them," said Zeke, "if you ever
happened to be out here when there was a Navajo or Apache uprising. I tell
you the air is full of poetry then, the same as it is full of rows and
yells and shouts, and you can see the redskins full of poetry,--some
people out here call the stuff they drink by another name,--ridin' like
mad 'round the desert shooting every man, woman and child they can find.
Oh, yes," he added, "it's a whole lot o' poetry."

The hour, however, had arrived when the Go Ahead Boys were ready to retire
for the night. Fred was the first to set an example but in a brief time
the other Go Ahead Boys had followed, the fire had been extinguished and
silence rested over the region.

CHAPTER VII

TWO NAVAJOS

Early the following morning, while the boys were preparing breakfast, they
were startled by the approach of two men.

"Look yonder!" exclaimed Fred, who naturally was the first to discover the
approach of the strangers. "Are those the two men that were in the camp
the other day?"

"No," replied Zeke quickly after he had gazed long and earnestly at the
men who could be seen coming down the pathway from the top of the cliff.
"They're Indians."

"Is that so?" demanded George who was instantly excited. "What are they?"

"Navajoes," replied Zeke after another inspection.

"What do you suppose they want?" asked Grant.

"Everything you have got and some things besides," answered Zeke, his
affection for the redmen being not very strong. "The first thing they'll
ask us for will be the breakfast."

"We'll give them some breakfast," said Fred promptly.

"I didn't say nothin' about _some_ breakfast," spoke up Zeke. "I said the
breakfast. They'll want it all and some besides."

"Then the only thing for us to do," laughed Fred, "is to begin right
away."

Fred's example was speedily followed by his friends, who quickly took
pieces of the sputtering bacon on sharpened sticks which they held in
their right hands while with their left they grasped pieces of the cooked
cereal which Zeke had been frying for breakfast.

All were busily engaged in this pleasing occupation when the two Indians
approached the camp. The redmen were the first to speak and to the
surprise of the Go Ahead Boys they addressed them in excellent English, at
least the one who appeared to be the leader was able to express himself
clearly and in correct form.

"We would like some breakfast," said the spokesman, who was a young Indian
perhaps twenty-one years of age.

"All right, sir," spoke up Fred before any one else could respond to the
request. "We'll fix you some in a minute."

Fortunately the supply was ample for the present meal at least, and both
Navajos, seating themselves upon a projecting rock, almost devoured the
food which was given them.

The Go Ahead Boys were eager to talk with the redmen, but silence rested
over the camp. Zeke was particularly gruff in his manner and apparently
ignored the presence of the strangers.

At last the Indian who had been chief spokesman said, "We have come to ask
if two white men have come to your camp within a few days."

"What do you want to know for?" asked Zeke quickly.

Whatever his reasons may have been for inquiring the Navajo did not offer
any explanations.

"Yes, there were two men here but they have gone," said Zeke slowly.

"Did one of them have a scar across his cheek that reached almost from his
nose to his ear?"

"Yes."

"Was the other man larger and heavier?"

"That's right," said Fred, aware that both his companions were as deeply
interested as he in the conversation.

"Where did they go?"

"We do not know," spoke up Zeke. "We didn't invite them to come here and
they didn't stop to say good-by when they left."

"Do you know their names?"

"I can't say that we do," replied Zeke. "Was there anything special that
you wanted o' them?"

The Navajo glanced quickly at his companion, who plainly understood the
question and then said, "Yes, we want very much to see them."

"Well, I'm afraid then that you'll have to go where they are."

"Did they go down the river or did they go up the cliffs?"

"The last we saw of them they were headed for the sky," said Zeke glumly.

"Did they have ponies?"

"We didn't see any. They may have left them up yonder, but they didn't
bring any into the camp."

The Navajo again turned to his companion and carried on a conversation in
a low voice, apparently ignoring the presence of the others.

"If there was any message you wanted left," suggested Zeke, "we might take
it and tell them that two Navajoes are waiting for them."

"No," replied the Indian abruptly. "Say nothing. Do you know whether they
are coming back to your camp or not?"

"I hope not," said Zeke.

"Have you any reason to think they were bad men?"

"I don't know nothin' about them, just as I told you," responded Zeke
gruffly. "As I said, the only way you can find that out is to go where
they are."

"And do you know whether they started toward Thorn's Gulch?"

"Where?" demanded Fred quickly.

"Thorn's Gulch."

"What makes you think they were headed for Thorn's Gulch?" demanded Zeke.

"I didn't say we knew," said the Indian solemnly. "I asked you if you
knew."

"Well, we don't," said Zeke. "What is there about Thorn's Gulch that makes
you think they might want to go there?"

Instead of replying to the question the Navajo again turned to his
companion and carried on another conversation with him in still lower
tones than before. Then abruptly rising, the Indian, who had been acting
as chief spokesman, said, "I don't think we need to trouble you any more."

"Hold on a minute," said Fred. "What's your hurry?"

Both Indians had turned as if they were about to retrace their way along
the steep incline by which they had approached the camp. Halting abruptly
at the question, before either could speak Fred continued, "You talk a
good deal like a man who has not been trained as most of the Indians I
have seen around here have been."

"Yes," said the Indian, a broad smile appearing on his face as he spoke,
"My name is Thomas Jefferson, in the white man's language."

"Thomas Jefferson?" demanded Grant. "Where in the world did you get that
name?"

"When I went to the white man's school they gave me a white man's name."

"Where were you in school?"

"Pennsylvania."

"Is that so?" exclaimed Grant, who was especially interested in such
matters.

"Yes," explained the Indian, "I was sent east by some missionaries to be
educated. As I told you they gave me a white man's name and I was there
three years in the school."

"So that is where you learned to speak such good English is it?" said
George.

"Yes."

"Do you find that your education helps you a good deal out here in your
life among the Navajos?"

For a moment the young Indian stared blankly at the inquirer and then
without replying to the question, once more turned to his companion and
after a brief conversation he again faced the boys and said, "We thank you
for the breakfast you have given us. We must go now."

"Shall I tell those men if they come back," spoke up Zeke, "that Thomas
Jefferson and another Navajo have been here to see them?"

There was a gleam in the eyes of the namesake of the great statesman when
he answered, "Say nothing."

"Yes," said Zeke, "but I would like to know if they are looking for you."

"We are looking for them," retorted the Navajo.

"Well, all I can say," said Zeke, "is that I hope you'll find them. Maybe
you'll find them too before they find the claim staked by old Sime
Moultrie."

Plainly the Navajo was startled by the guide's suggestion for he stopped
abruptly and said, "Is Simon Moultrie dead?"

"Yes, and his bones have been buried," answered Zeke.

"Where?"

"Not far from where he died."

"When did he die?"

"That I can't say."

"And did he stake a claim?"

"Did I say he did? Did you know him?"

"Everybody knew Simon Moultrie," said the Indian. "He came to Tombstone
many times for supplies."

"That's right, he did," acknowledged Zeke. "He was a great old
prospector. He kept it up all his life but I never knew of his finding
anything worth staking."

"He did not stake any claim?"

"I can't say."

The Indian looked keenly at the guide and then turning looked with equal
keenness at the boys who were greatly enjoying the conversation. He did
not say any more, however, and in company with the other Navajo at once
departed from the camp.

Silently the Go Ahead Boys watched the departing redmen until their forms
had been hidden from sight by one of the numerous projecting cliffs. Then
the tension was somewhat relieved and Fred turned to Zeke and said, "What
do you think those Indians wanted?"

"My opinion is that they have gotten wind somehow that those two men are
looking for the claim that old Sime Moultrie may have staked."

"What will happen," inquired Grant, "if the Navajos begin to look for the
claim and come upon those two white men there?"

"It will depend on which party can draw his gun first," replied Zeke
dryly.

"Do you think it's as bad as that?" demanded Fred excitedly.

"I don't think nothin' about it. I haven't much use for those white men,
and when it comes to a Navajo--why you have heard what the only kind of a
good Indian is, haven't you?"

"A dead Indian," answer Grant with a laugh.

"Well, I didn't say it. You said it. Did I ever tell you about the Navajo
squaw that some of the women up here, stopping over at Albuquerque, fitted
out for her wedding?"

"No," replied the boys together. "What did they do?"

"Why they gave her six dresses and a lot of other things they thought she
would need as soon as she was in her own house. Some of them stopped there
a year or two afterward and looked her up. The squaw was wearing one of
the dresses that the white women had given her, but they found out that
when one dress had become so old and torn that the squaw couldn't wear it
much longer she would just put another dress right on over it and wear
that until it was worn out, and then she put on number three and then
number four. She was wearing six altogether when this white woman found
her."

"That's a fine story, Zeke," laughed Fred.

"It's almost good enough to be true."

"No, sir, it's too good to be true," spoke up George.

"That doesn't make any difference," said Zeke sturdily. "I'm telling you
what was told me. That's all I know about it."

"Zeke," said Grant, who up to this time had taken little part in the
conversation, "if you really think those Indians are after those two white
men and that something may happen if they happen to meet, don't you think
we ought to get word to them somehow?"

A grin appeared on the face of the guide as he replied, "That's a good
'un! That's a good 'un! The chances are ten to one that if you interfered
with them in their little game you would have all four o' 'em turn against
you. But that hasn't anything to do with what's facin' us. We've got to
make up our minds pretty quick what we'll do."

CHAPTER VIII

WAITING

"What do you mean?" inquired Fred.

"Why, I mean that if we're goin' to be fools enough to try to find old
Sime Moultrie's stake then we'll have to take whatever comes to us."

"And you think we're likely to have trouble with the Indians or the two
white men if we begin to look up the place?"

"We may not see either of 'em," replied Zeke evasively.

"Yes, but if we do see them," said Fred persistently. "Do you think we're
going to have any trouble?"

"That remains to be seen."

"But do you think we will?" persisted Fred.

"A good deal will depend on which party strikes what he thinks is the
claim first. If we get it I don't believe they will bother us and if they
get it I'm mighty sure we shan't bother them. But there," he added, "I
think I'm takin' a good deal more trouble than I need to. The chances are
one hundred to one that there isn't any such thing as Moultrie's stake,
and if there isn't, why then of course we're all safe anyway." Zeke threw
back his head and laughed noisily, a recreation which he seldom permitted
himself to enjoy. The joke, however, which he had just perpetrated was
such a rarity that even the boys were compelled to join in his mirth.

Meanwhile there was a long and weary waiting before they could expect the
return of their companions. There were times when the boys worked their
way along the shore, or, with Zeke in supreme command, used the one skiff
that remained They did not, however, venture far in the little boat
because they were compelled to tow it back one or two of the boys
remaining in the boat, while their companions dragged it along the rocky
or projecting shore. It was easier when they first dragged the boat up the
stream and then descended at a speed which in places outdid that of the
swiftest horse.

There were expeditions also to be made along the sides of the cliff, but
these were cautiously undertaken for Zeke was unduly fearful for his young
charges.

Fred most of all the members he specifically watched. He declared that
Fred "usually acted and then did his thinking afterward."

When night fell the boys assembled about the camp fire and occasionally
prevailed upon their gruff guide to relate some of his own experiences on
the desert or among the mountains.

"Yes," said Zeke one night in reply to a question by Fred, "I've had some
troubles with bad men. Over in Nevada there was a time when a gang of
robbers tried to waylay everybody that set out from Reno. It happened that
I was at Reno with my mother one time and I had to drive about forty miles
to my aunt's where she was going to visit. The houses out there aren't so
thick that anybody gets over-afraid of being crowded out or bein' bothered
by the neighbors. On the stretch where I was goin' there were three or
four shacks but I didn't find many choosin' that part of the country for a
dwellin' place."

"Did they have a good road?" inquired George.

"Fairly good. It was the only one that led over the mountains in that part
of the world. Well, I had my mother along, as I was sayin', and when we
had gone about eighteen miles from Reno, right in a narrow little gorge I
saw two men comin' toward us. They were in a buggy and I knew right away
from the looks of their horses that they could make good time. Besides,
when I saw the men I knew they were both strangers and, to tell the truth
I didn't like the way either one o' 'em acted.

"When they came pretty close to where we were I turned out to give them
most of the road for I didn't want any trouble as long as I had my mother
along. Perhaps I told you she was with me.

"Well, the first thing I knew the men all of a sudden swung over toward me
and before I knew what was going on they had locked their buggy wheel with
mine. They pretended to be mad, but I knew right away that this was a part
o' their game. It was worse than two to one for I not only had to fight
for myself, but for my mother. However, she is pretty game and she saw
what was up so she turned to me and said, said she, 'Zeke, you hand me the
reins and I'll look after the horses and you get out and help untangle
those wheels.' When I got out of the buggy both the men laughed and that
rather stirred me. 'You seem to be mighty easy to please,' I said. You see
I was younger then than I am now, and didn't have so much sense."

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