Mr. Hilton had planned for the party to enter the Park by way of Mammoth Springs, for by so doing, the girls would see the small geysers first, and gradually work up to the great ones. He wanted to impress upon their youthful minds a wonderful picture that would never be forgotten.
They stopped at a large hotel outside the Park for supper, planning to remain there over night. Everyone was tired and in no mood for sight-seeing; a good night’s rest would prepare them for the marvels they were about to behold on the morrow.
Marjorie settled herself comfortably on the porch after the meal was over, thinking happily of the pleasant time to come. She was to have nine days of rare pleasure, seeing beautiful sights, among people that she loved. And she had to admit to herself that John Hadley’s presence added not a little to the joy of her anticipation. She believed she was having the time of her life.
In the days that followed, all the young people’s wishes seemed to be gratified. They saw the Mammoth Hot Springs, larger than Niagara, but instead of being a single waterfall, it parted into a series of cascades, white as snow in some places, in others a dingy yellow. They discovered the craters of several extinct geysers, and marvelled at the exquisite pools of clear water, covering strangely colored rock formations. They saw the Constant Geyser, throwing up its jets of hot water in the center of a narrow, barren valley called the Norris Basin; and Old Faithful, with the clock not far off announcing the time of next hourly performance. They climbed up the steep, almost perpendicular cliff to get the view of Gibbon Falls, and they were impressed most of all by the Great Canyon, with all its marvellous colors. Once, to the extreme delight of the Girl Scouts, they went swimming in a warm pool formed from the water of a geyser; but as the temperature was about ninety degrees, they did not care to remain in it long. Every night they stopped at one of the camps, had their supper, and attended the little entertainment the place provided for the guests’ enjoyment; in the morning they went refreshed upon their way.
One of the funniest incidents of the whole trip was their first encounter with a bear. Luckily, Doris thought, they were in the bus; but afterward she laughed at her fears. They had not been long in the Park when a huge bear suddenly came out from behind some pine trees and planted himself directly in the way of the conveyance. It was impossible for the driver to go around him; so he put on the brakes. Doris and Mae both shrieked at the same time.
“Is he going to attack us?” asked Lily, rather frightened at his size.
The driver laughed.
“No—this is the highway robber,” he replied. “He won’t let our automobile pass until he has his ransom. He wants some food!”
Greatly amused, the different members of the party who had eatables with them offered them to the bear, and he accepted them greedily. When he was satisfied, he stepped aside and let them go on.
The little incident was enough to prove to Doris and the other more timid girls that they need not be afraid of the bears; and from that time on, they laughed whenever they saw one, for they were reminded of this incident.