THE COWARDLY COUGAR 



We realized that we had with us a good 

 operator. 



When we had sent our last horse over, had 

 loaded our outfit, and were ready to step into 

 the car, Mr. Bass's party bade us farewell. 

 The simple earnestness of their assurances that 

 it had indeed pleased them to know us, even 

 thus briefly, was depressing. Their sincerity 

 seemed to argue that they feared the pleasure 

 would not be renewed and that they expected 

 to know us henceforth only in memory 

 which, in view of our immediate surroundings, 

 we ourselves had begun to fear. 



To anyone suffering from ennui, I can 

 recommend as a cure a trip across the gorge of 

 the Colorado River on a wire cable. The view 

 is fine, and it extends in all directions, espe- 

 cially up and down. I know now that I would 

 never care for flying. As we dangled 'twixt 

 wind and water, and the cage sprang up and 

 down while the whole rigging gave and took 

 with sundry alarming groans and warnings, 

 we stared hypnotically at the river below us 

 and vowed that already this Arizona country 

 had made better men of us. 



In answer to our signal fire, Uncle Jim had 

 sent two cowboys to meet us and, once across 



161 



