"Mebbe so—me don't know."
"Now, if dey was filled wid fire," said Ike, with the same wise manner, "I'd call it a fust-rate job—ob de kind."
"Ha, ha!" roared Wah Shin, as if he caught the sharpest point of an excellent joke. "'Spose alle file, den wat we do, eh?"
"We wouldn't be har," said Ike.
"But no cannee help oursels."
"Reckon yer right. Ez atween de two, I goes in foh watah ebery day in de week an' twice on Sundays. But if I'd had de buildin' ob dese yer canyons I wouldn't hab wasted sich a mighty sight ob stone in puttin' in de banks. But den eberyting in dis yer world ain't jest as we'd like to have it, so it's better to take tings as dey come; what do you say, Wah Shin?"
"We gottee take it as it come—no can help oulsels," said Wah Shin grimly.
This phase of the situation was so self-evident that even Ike could not think of objecting to it, so he began to whistle a hymn tune and to pack up the food and blankets so that they might be all ready to start when Sam and Ulna returned with the information that they had discovered a way out of the cañon.
But this hope, after having been strongly cherished for three hours, was doomed to disappointment.
Shortly before noon the two explorers returned, and though Sam's face told of his failure, Ike could not help asking: