Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to Mexico by E. L. Kolb
page 60 of 275 (21%)
page 60 of 275 (21%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
|
Things were going too easily for us, it seemed; but we were in for a few reverses. It stormed much of the night and still drizzled when we embarked on the following morning. The narrow canyon was gloomy and darkened with shreds of clouds drifting far below the rim. The first rapid was narrow, and contained some large boulders. The _Edith_ was caught on one of these and turned on her side, so that the water flowed in, filling the cockpit. The boat was taken off without difficulty, and bailed out. We found that the bulkheads failed to keep the water out of the hatches. Some material from the _Edith_ was transferred to the _Defiance_. A bed, in a protecting sack of rubber and canvas, was shoved under the seat and we proceeded. Less than an hour later I repeated my brother's performance, but I was not so fortunate as he. The _Defiance_ was carried against one rock as I tried to pull clear of another, and in an instant she was on her side, held by the rush of water. I caught the gunwale, and, climbing on to the rock that caused the disaster, I managed to catch the rope and held the boat. In the meantime Emery was in a whirlpool below, trying to land on the right side; but was having a difficult time of it. Jimmy stood on the shore unable to help. The bed was washed out of the boat and went bobbing over the waves, then before I knew what had happened, the rope was jerked from my hands and I was left stranded on my rock. Seeing this, Jimmy ran with all his might for a pool at the end of the rapid, bravely rescuing the boat and the bed as well, just as the _Edith_ was landed. A rope was soon thrown to me, after the inevitable picture was made. Then I jumped and was pulled to shore. On making an inventory we found that our guns were lost from the boat. Being too long to go under the hatches, they had been left in the |
|


