THE COWARDLY COUGAR 



work sets in. Uncle Jim has spent thirty 

 years in the Buckskins, and he hopes soon to 

 have several of these horses broken to the 

 saddle. 



A committee of about two dozen prominent 

 mule-eared deer welcomed us when we stag- 

 gered up over the rim proper and fell ex- 

 hausted. They did everything except shake 

 hands with us; then, like any reception com- 

 mittee, they hurried away to attend to more 

 interesting business. 



It was sleeting now, and inasmuch as we 

 had brought nothing but light clothing 

 Arizona in May had sounded very tropical to 

 us our teeth chattered merrily. Uncle Jim 

 had started out for a mule load of snow, but, 

 hearing the music of our ivory castanets 

 ringing through the glades, he headed us off. 



"I thought you boys must 'a' had trouble," 

 he said, when we told him about our delays at 

 the Colorado and at the Shinumo. "Kind of 

 a rough country till you get used to it. Now, 

 you go on to camp and take a good rest before 

 supper, while I hurry and get my snow; it's 

 only about five miles. I'm all out of water, 

 and there ain't a creek up here." 



But at the mention of food we whimpered 

 173 



