ere, Chief Ranger.
Your man has been disqualified. The rangers have had their chance. It's
up to us guides now. I demand the right to enter this ring."

The Chief considered the matter. He looked at the rangers, and after a
few mutters they sullenly nodded.

"All right, Shorty. But you are taking all responsibility. Remember,
whatever happens you have made your own choice. Charley, you and Frank
look out for Margie. You know how foolish she is. She's likely to get
all clawed up."

I was mad enough to bite nails into tacks! Foolish! Look out for _me_!
He was getting awfully careful of me all of a sudden. I jerked my arm
loose from Ranger Fisk when he tried to lead me back from the front,
and he reluctantly stayed beside me there.

The pretty stage-driver was nervous. With his gloved hand he kept
smoothing his hair back and he shifted from one foot to the other, while
he grasped the rope firmly. As for Shorty, he was entirely unconcerned,
as became a brave bold man. He merely traded his sheepskin chaps for a
pair of silver-studded leather ones. Then he clamped his wide sombrero
firmly on his head and declared himself ready.

"Jerk quick and hard when we raise the boxes," the referee directed. "If
they see each other at once, you boys aren't so liable to get bit up."

"Jerk them out," bellowed Frank.

They jerked. The onlookers gasped; then howled! then _roared_!!

The gladiators fled! Nor stood on the order of their going.

In the middle of the ring, firmly anchored to the ropes, were two
articles of crockery well known to our grand-mothers in the days when
the plumbing was all outside.

So ended the Glorious Fourth.

[Illustration]

_Chapter XII: GRAND CANYON UPS AND DOWNS_[3]

I was busy baking pies one morning when White Mountain sauntered into
the kitchen and stood watching me. "How soon can you be ready to start
across the Canyon?" he asked, as carelessly as though I had not been
waiting for that priceless moment nearly two years.

"How soon?" I was already untying my apron. "Right _now_!"

"Oh, not that sudden. I mean can you be ready to start in the morning?"

And with no more ceremony than that my wonderful adventure was launched.
Long before dawn the next morning I was up and dressed in breeches, wool
shirt, laced boots, and a wide felt hat, and felt like a full-fledged
"dude." The Chief had insisted that I should ride a mule, but I had my
own notions about that and "Supai Bob" was my m