Chapter Twenty Two.
Bear and Buffalo.
Distance is illusive in the clear atmosphere of high mountain lands, and it took two days longer than had been calculated before a position well upon the slope of the giant peak was reached—a grand shelf, covered with verdure close to where a sparkling stream gushed out of a patch of rocks and made a leap of fully a hundred feet down into a rift, along which it gurgled musically beneath a rainbow-like arch of ever-changing beauty on its way to the plain below.
A more beautiful spot could not have been selected for the camp, presenting as it did shelter, shade, a comprehensive view of the country for probably a hundred miles round, and of the valleys that ran down and opened out from the mountain side into the plains, so that the presence of enemies could be made out and favourable parts selected for finding game.
But Chris was not satisfied, and Ned expressed his disapprobation plainly to Griggs.
“I thought we were going right up to the top of the peak,” he said. “This isn’t more than a quarter the way.”
“It’s as far as we could get the mules and ponies by now,” replied the American. “What do you want to go up higher for?”
“Why, to see, of course,” cried Ned.
“You’re a hard one to satisfy,” said Griggs. “There’s hundreds of times as much down yonder as you can see anyhow. Besides, do you know how it would be if you climbed higher?”
“Splendid.”