halt, now that the trail was level. His pulse began to subside and
once more he sat erect in the saddle. When the mules rushed forward to
bury their noses in a cress-grown spring, he grinned at Frank.

"Well, here I am, after all!"

Frank grinned in return. "If I could put through a few more stunts
like this, you'd look almost like a boy, instead of a potato sprout.
Get down and limber up."

Nucky half scrambled, half fell off his mule. "Must be spring down
here," he cried, staring about at grass and cottonwood.

"Just about. And it'll be summer when we reach the river."

"That was some trail, wasn't it, Frank! Do many kids take it?"

"Lots of 'em, but only with guides, and you were the worst case of
scared boy I've ever seen."

Nucky flushed. "Well, you might give me credit for hanging to it, even
if I was scared."

"I'll give you a lot of credit for that, old man. But if the average
New York boy has nerves like yours, I'm glad many of them don't come to
the Canyon, that's all. Your nerves would disgrace a girl."

"The guys I gamble with never complained of my lack of nerves," cried
Nucky, angrily.