summer 03 / 16:2 - Grand Canyon River Guides

Grand ReadingWhite arms and black ones pulled on theoars as they had never pulled before. Backsstrained, oars bent. The little boat did itsbest, and responded bravely…not for an instant didthe two stop rowing.Rags shouted to Ted, and Ted to Rags, one urgingone thing and one another, the rowing becamedesperate and so uneven the oarsmen’s ideas becamefatally twisted as to the right direction.“We’re going round and round,” cried Ted.“We’re coming to smooth water sure,” shoutedRags; but before he had closed his moth a soundcaught his ear that sent hope hopping away into thethickest of the mist. The sound became a roar. It wasunmistakable. there wasn’t another like it in theworld. Wildcat Pete had time and again warned themabout this very place. In a minute the boys knew theywere headed not for Camp Jolly, but for the mostdangerous rapids in the cañon. Before they had time tobreathe, a swift current snatched away the oars, andwas tossing the helpless boat from wave to wave.Then, scornful of so small a plaything, it sent itsmashing into splinters against a sharp rock, hurlingthe two boys into a quiet pool behind it.From Camp Jolly or The Secret-Finders in the GrandCañon by Frances Little, Illustrated by C.M. Relyea,New York: The Century Company, 1917Thanks to all you poets, photographers, writers, artists, and to all of you who send us stuff. Don’t ever stop.Special thanks to the Ruth H. Brown Foundation, Teva, Chehalis Fund of the Tides Foundation,Norcross Wildlife Foundation, The Louise H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation andinnumerable gcrg members for their generous and much appreciated support of this publication.Box 1934Flagstaff, AZ 86002ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTEDNON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGEPAIDFLAGSTAFF, AZPERMIT NO. 10