"What in time are you trying to do on the river, anyhow?" demanded Curly. "There's simpler ways of committing suicide."
The young man laughed. "Oh, we're some more fools trying to get from Green River to Needles!"
"Hardly! On a job! Geological Survey! Four of us! There they come! Whoo--ee!"
He staggered to his feet, as another boat shot around the curve. But this one came through in proper style, right side up, two men manning the oars and a third with a steering paddle. With an answering shout, they ran quickly up on the shore. They were a rough-bearded, overalled lot, young men, all of them.
"Gee whiz, Harden! We thought you were finished!" exclaimed the tallest of the trio.
"I would have been, but for these folks," replied Harden. "Here, let's make some introductions!"
They were stalwart fellows. Milton, the leader, was sandy-haired and freckled, a University of California man. Agnew was stocky and swarthy, an old Princeton graduate and Forrester, a thin, blonde chap had worked in New York City before he joined the Geological Survey. They were astonished by this meeting in the Canyon, but delighted beyond measure. They had been on the river for seven months and up to this time had met no one except when they went out for supplies.
"We camped up above those rapids, last night," said Milton. "Of course we didn't know of this spot. We really had nothing but a ledge, up there. This morning Harden undertook to patch his boat, with this result." He nodded toward the shivering cast-a-way, who had crowded himself to Na-che's fire. "Have you folks any objection to our stopping here to make repairs?"
Enoch laughed. "Mack, it's no use! You and Curly are doomed to take on guests as surely as a dog takes on fleas. They started out alone, Milton, for a little vacation prospecting trip. I caught them a few days out and made them take me on. Then Miss Allen came along last night, and now your outfit! I'm sorry for you, Mack."
"I'll try to live through it," grinned Mack.
"Did you fellows find any pay gravel, coming down?" asked Curly.
"We didn't look for any," answered Agnew, "But a few years ago, I picked this out of the river bed."
He showed Curly a nugget as large as a pea. "Where the devil did you find that?" exclaimed Curly, eagerly.