“They are pointing the dead birds now,” was the reply. “Fetch!”
In obedience to this command, each of the dogs seized a bird and deposited it in Bob’s outstretched hand.
“Some folks call them Gambel’s partridges,” said the latter, as he handed one of the birds to George for examination; “but those who are better posted in natural history call them Arizona quails. Now, you carry the guns, and I will look out for the dogs.”
So saying, Bob drew a couple of light chains from his game-bag, and, after fastening them to the collars the setters wore around their necks, he led them to the thicket in which the deer had been concealed, and put them on the trail.
The intelligent animals, which seemed to know just what was expected of them, took it up readily, and would have followed it at a keen run if they had not been held in check by the chains. They did not give tongue, but kept at their work in silence, and at the end of two hours brought the boys to the mouth of a densely-wooded ravine which ran back into the mountains.
During this time the geyser had been at work again, its approaching period of activity being heralded by the quaking of the ground and the same terrific explosion that had frightened them so badly three hours before.
The boys could not see it as plainly as they did before, because they were much further away from it, and there were too many bushes in the way; but they had a better view of the column that shot up from the basin, and they saw that, instead of being round like a hogshead, it was very broad and flat. When it crumbled to pieces and fell back into the basin, the sight was grand and awe-inspiring.
“What’s that?” asked George, suddenly facing about and looking toward the ravine.
“That was the echo,” replied Bob, “and it is probably what we heard while we were at home. Of course, I am not positive on that point, and I don’t suppose it will be settled until some scientific men have been here to look into the matter. That shaft in the middle of the basin must be a frightful place to look at,” added Bob, at the same time telling himself that he had half a mind to say that he would not leave the valley until he had paddled over that same shaft and dropped a line into it to see how deep it was.
Bob was an enthusiast, and if he had had a companion who was at all like himself, he would have known more about that geyser before he left it.