e men did not have the Major's deep scientific interest in
the successful completion of this exploration, they undoubtedly should
have stayed with their leader, if their services were needed or
desired. It is more than likely that they were insubordinate; they
certainly made a misguided attempt, but in spite of these facts it
scarcely seems just to brand them as cowards. Two days after they
left, the boating party was camped at the end of the canyons.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE LAST PORTAGE AND THE LAST RAPIDS

The first section of Separation Rapid was run the first thing in the
morning, a manoeuvre that was accomplished by starting on the left
shore and crossing the swift centre clear to the other shore. This
allowed us to reach some quiet water near a small deposit of rock and
earth at the base of the sheer wall. Two feet of water would have
covered this deposit; likewise two feet of water would have given us a
clear channel over this second section. As it was, the rapid was
rough, with many rocks very near the surface. Directly across from us,
close to the left shore, was what looked like a ten-foot geyser, or
fountain of water. This was caused by a rock in the path of a strong
current rebounding from the shore. The water ran up on the side near
the wall, then fell on all sides. It was seldom the water had force
enough to carry to the top of a rock as large as that. This portage of
the second section was one of the easiest we had made. By rolling a
few large rocks around we could get a stream water across our small
shore large enough to float an empty boat with a little help, so we
lightened them of the cargo and floated them through our canal. While
running the third section the _Edith_ was carried up on the sloping
rock in the middle of the stream; she paused a moment, then came down
like a shot and whirled around to the side without mishap. This made
the thirteenth rapid in which both boats were lined or portaged. In
three other rapids one boat was run through and one was portaged. Half
of all these rapids were located in the Grand Canyon.

All this time we were anxiously looking forward to a rapid which Mr.
Stone had described as being the worst in the entire series, also the
last rapid we would be likely to portage and had informed us that
below this particular rapid everything could be run with little or no
inspection. Naturally we were anxious to get that rapid behind us. It
was described as being locat