“I don’t care for any such benefit, Mr. Blake. I’ve been a cowman for twenty-five years. I want to keep my range until the time comes for me to take the long trail.”
“It would be hard to change,” agreed the engineer. “However, the point now is to find what Deep Cañon has to tell us.”
“You still think you can go down it?”
“Yes, if I have ropes, a two-pound hammer, and some iron pins; railroad spikes and picket-pins would do.”
“Going to rope the rocks and pull them up for steps?” asked Gowan. 201
“I shall need two or three hundred feet of half-inch manila,” said Blake, ignoring the sarcasm.
“They may have it at Stockchute,” said Knowles. “Kid, you can drive over with the wagon and fetch Mr. Blake all the rope and other things he wants. I can’t stand this waiting much longer.”
“There will be no time lost,” said Blake. “It will take Ashton and me all of tomorrow to carry a line of levels up the mountain.”
“Why need you do that, Tom?” asked his wife.
“Yes, why, if all that’s left is to go down into the cañon?” added Isobel, dabbing the tears from her wet eyes.