one."

So Juarez went steadily to work, and he justified Jim's choice, for it
was splendidly copied. His trained eyes and hand were evident in the
drawing.

The next morning we started on the last part of our journey.

"Heave ho, my hearties," cried Jim as we pulled up our stone anchors.
"All ashore who are going ashore," and we swung out into the easy
current.

"This is what I like," cried Jim. "Give me the boat every time."

"You teach me how to steer, Jim?" said Juarez.

"You bet I will," replied the commodore.

Juarez was an apt pupil and he soon learned to use his lithe strength to
the best advantage. It was of the greatest assistance to us, for it gave
either Jim or Juarez a chance to take the other oar on the side back of
me.

This threw Tom out of a job, but he did not mind, as his bruised leg
bothered him. Jim found him a position, however, for he stationed him
back of us to keep a sharp lookout ahead for rocks and other dangers.

He was really a pilot and his keen eyes were of great help. By a wave of
a hand he indicated the direction to Juarez in which to steer, and to
Jim and me he would call port or starboard.

Tom liked this. He was quick of decision and was not afraid to take the
responsibility. In an easy stretch he would lean against the cabin and
shout out his orders in a clarion voice, but in rough water he stood
braced on deck, looking keenly ahead.

"Starboard your helm," he would yell. Then we dashed safely by a great
rock.

"Now let her r-r-run," he commanded (slurring his r's) as we came to a
clear section of the river.

Tom assumed considerable style under the impulse of his new authority,
and we had to take it out of him at regular intervals.

It really was a fine plan, for we could give our whole attention to the
oars. Then, too, Jim and I were much stronger than Tom, and with Juarez
or Jim at the steering oar, we managed "The Captain" as though she were
a skiff. We had need of our skill, too, in the great canyons that were
ahead of us.

For a week or more we had easy work, as the Temple canyon was wide and
the rapids not so severe. But it was easy only by comparison with what
we had been through. To a fresh voyager it would have seemed terrific.

The weather was mostly clear and sunshiny, but one afternoon we ran into
a heavy storm almost like a water spout.

The roar of the thunder in the narrow gorge that we were going through
was terrific and the lightning streaks li