Curly, who was cleaning up in the cave, came out, comb in hand.
"You haven't gone crazy, have you, Judge?"
"No more than usual, Curly. How about it, Milton?" as that sturdy personage came up from the river and dropped wearily down by the fire. "Don't you need another man?"
"Yes, Judge, we're two short. One of our fellows broke an arm a week ago and we had to send him out, with another chap to help him."
"Will you let me work my passage as far as Bright Angel?" asked Enoch.
Milton scowled thoughtfully. "It's a god-awful job. You realize that, do you?"
Enoch nodded. Milton turned to Harden and the other two men. "What do you fellows think?"
"We're awful short-handed," replied Harden, cautiously. "Can you swim,
Judge?"
"I'm a strong swimmer."
"But gee willikums, Judge, what're we going to do without you?" demanded Mack. "Ain't that just the usual luck? You get a cook trained and off he goes!"