The Last of the Plainsmen 



Jones appeared to be casting about in his mind. 



u I m Grant Wallace,&quot; continued the newcomer. 

 &quot; I missed you at the El Tovar, at Williams and at 

 Flagstaff, where I was one day behind. Was half a 

 day late at the Little Colorado, saw your train cross 

 Moncaupie Wash, and missed you because of the 

 sandstorm there. Saw you from the other side of 

 the Big Colorado as you rode out from Emmett s 

 along the red wall. And here I am. We ve never 

 met till now, which obviously isn t my fault.&quot; 



The Colonel and I fell upon Wallace s neck. 

 Frank manifested his usual alert excitation, and said : 

 &quot; Well, I guess he won t hang fire on a long cougar 

 chase.&quot; And Jim slow, careful Jim, dropped a 

 plate with the exclamation: &quot; Shore it do beat hell! &quot; 

 The hounds sniffed round Wallace, and welcomed 

 him with vigorous tails. 



Supper that night, even if we did grind sand with 

 our teeth, was a joyous occasion. The biscuits were 

 flaky and light; the bacon fragrant and crisp. I 

 produced a jar of blackberry jam, which by subtle 

 cunning I had been able to secrete from the Mormons 

 on that dry desert ride, and it was greeted with 

 acclamations of pleasure. Wallace, divested of his 

 sand guise, beamed with the gratification of a hungry 

 man once more in the presence of friends and food. 

 He made large cavities in Jim s great pot of potato 



48 



