d to say _no_, but something within me made me say _yes_, and I
saw Gunson smile.

"Why are you laughing?" I said, with my cheeks feeling warm.

"Because I was pleased. I like to see a lad like you master himself."

"Ahoy! wood ho!" shouted Esau from below; and I gladly seized the
opportunity to end a conversation which troubled me.

Half an hour later, we were seated together enjoying a hearty meal,
which had the peculiarity of making the canon seem less terrible to us,
while as to Quong, everything was the same to him, and he was ready to
go anywhere that Gunson indicated as the way.

"Now," said the latter, as we finished, and Quong took our place as a
matter of course, "what do you say? It must be midday, when we always
have a nap till it grows cooler. Shall we have one now or start at
once?"

"It will be cool enough in there," I said.

"Have a nap," said Esau; "we're all tired."

"But it may take us a long time to get through, and we don't want to be
caught in a place like that at night."

"Right, Gordon," said Gunson. "Dean, you are in the minority. We must
either start as soon as we can or wait till morning."

"That is the best," said Esau, uneasily. "I don't want to show no white
feathers, but I ask any one--Is that a nice place to tackle after being
walking all the morning with a load?"

"No; I grant that," said Gunson. "But come along, Gordon, and lot's
explore it a little way."

He led off and I willingly followed him, to descend close to the rushing
waters, and then climb up again, looking in every direction for
something in the way of a track, but without avail. On every hand were
piled-up rocks, and though we climbed on one after another and stood
looking into the gorge, there was nothing to be seen. As far as we
could make out the place had never been trodden by the foot of man.

We had penetrated about a hundred yards, and stood upon a flat-topped
rock, looking down at the roaring, swishing water, while before us
everything appeared of a dark forbidding grey, in strange contrast to
the bright slit of mossy green we could see when we looked back, in the
midst of which rose up a column of smoke, and beside it the dark figure
of Esau with his hand over his eyes, evidently peering in after us.

"The puzzle is difficult to make out, my lad," said Gunson. "It's hard
work making your way through a country that has not been thoroughly
mapped. Can't get along here, eh?"

"No," I said