In the Heart of the Canyon - By Elisabeth Hyde Page 0,35

sleep much tonight. He couldn’t have said just why. Maybe because of the heat; maybe because of Ruth’s leg, which wasn’t looking any better when he rebandaged it that night. Then too there was the dog, who—despite a second tomato juice bath—still smelled like skunk. At least they had a better-fitting life jacket for him now.

Wearily he dried his feet, rubbed them with cream, and put on his socks. He stretched out on his sleeping pad and told himself to stop worrying so much. In the grand scheme of a river trip, one scraped shin and a skunked-up dog were minor things. They’d be fine. Letting his weight settle, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes, feeling his boat gently bobbing in the shallows, listening to the reassuring murmur of nearby voices.

Up at Glen Canyon Dam, the engineers opened the spillways, and beneath the stars the river rose.

July 6 Day Three

This morning we stopped at this humongous cavern. People played Frisbee, which I hate, I’ve never been able to throw it right, it always flies slanted and then rolls away and everyone gets pissed at me. They tried to make me play but I took out my camera and pretended I was busy and they figured it out and were probably relieved anyway.

Then we stopped at this tunnel where they were going to build a dam. This is where things get interesting. We go into the tunnel, and it gets really really dark. At some point Mitchell decides to take a picture, and the flash spooks the dog, and the dog bolts. Sam’s dad gets mad at Sam because Sam was supposed to hang on to the dog. Sam’s mom yells at Sam’s dad for yelling at Sam. Anyway, we head back—and THE DOG’S GOTTEN INTO A SKUNK!!!!!!!!!!! I didn’t even know they had skunks in the Grand Canyon!!!!!!!! The dog totally REEKED, and JT washed him with tomato juice, but it didn’t help AT ALL. So now we have a dog that smells like skunk.

I love sleeping out in the open. But Mom wants me to sleep near her. What does she think—I’m going to go have sex with the guides?

Like they’d want to.

DAY FOUR

River Miles 47–60

Saddle Canyon to Sixty-Mile Rapid

18

Day Four, Morning

Miles 47–53

It was still dark the next morning when a noise from the kitchen startled JT awake. He sat up. Often the ringtail cats came scrounging for food in the night, and he didn’t want to face a mess this morning. Taking care not to step on the dog, who lay curled in the well of his boat, he strapped on his headlamp and hopped off his boat onto the damp sand. The wide expanse of beach was pale against the dark blur of water, rock, and thicket. JT wedged his feet into his flip-flops and headed toward the kitchen, wondering why the dog hadn’t sensed anything.

But instead of a ringtail, he saw a human form bent over the kitchen supply boxes.

“Lloyd,” whispered JT. “What do you need?”

Startled, Lloyd raised his arm, as if to strike.

“Lloyd, it’s JT,” he said gently. “What are you looking for?”

“Somebody took my stethoscope!”

“Stethoscope?”

“Somebody stole it,” said Lloyd.

“What makes you think that?”

“Because,” said Lloyd. “Because.”

JT waited patiently.

“I’m going to find out who took it,” said Lloyd. “And when I do …”

JT glanced around the campsite for signs of Ruth but saw no other movement. “Lloyd,” he said. “Where did you sleep last night?”

Lloyd scanned the darkness surrounding them. “I think,” he said, “I think it’s this way,” and he trudged off toward a blurry shape on the sand.

“Ruth,” JT said in a hoarse whisper.

A head popped up from the lump.

“I told you we were right here!” Lloyd said to JT. “You didn’t have to wake her.”

“Lloyd, what are you doing up?” Ruth asked groggily, feeling about for her glasses.

“Somebody stole my stethoscope,” Lloyd said.

“You didn’t bring your stethoscope, Lloyd,” said Ruth.

“Yes I did!” shouted Lloyd.

“Ssshhhh!” Ruth tried to stand, but her leg must have hurt because she sat back down. “We’ll find your stethoscope in the morning,” she told him. “Come lie down, Lloyd. It’s too early to get up. I’m so sorry,” she said to JT.

“No problem,” said JT.

“You’ll go back to sleep, won’t you?”

JT looked at the sky. “Nope. Time to make coffee.”

“My goodness,” said Ruth.

“When it’s light, I want to check your leg again,” said JT.

“Oh, pooh,” said Ruth. “It’s fine.”

“Goddamn hundred-dollar piece of equipment,” said Lloyd.

“Get some rest,” JT whispered, and as he walked away, he could hear