“If you want to see the most wonderful cliff-dwellings in the west, you really must visit those of Betatakin and Kitsiel on your way to Tuba.
“Then you should take plenty of time to visit the Hopi villages, in order to get acquainted with them; to get photographs of the squaws building the houses while their lords sit smoking their pipes and boss the work. If you are favored, because of the girl scouts here, you may snap the pictures while the Hopis do their tribal dance. You may persuade one of their shamans, or medicine men, to tell you a thrilling story of old.”
Mr. Gilroy had to reply regretfully: “We haven’t the time to visit these interesting places. The girls have to be back home for school by the middle of September.”
Again, after visiting the Petrified Forests, the scouts were advised to see, without fail, the many amazing sights to be found in the San Francisco Mountains.
To this advice from the host, the same answer as given Lo and the trader, was made: “We haven’t time for all, but we do expect to visit the Walnut Cañon and the Lava Fields on our way to Flagstaff.”
The final temptation was offered the scouts while they were stopping in Flagstaff. They had visited the Lowell Observatory at night as had been advised, and were back at the hotel when the manager addressed Mr. Gilroy.
“I suppose you are going to take in Montezuma’s Castle and well, so long as you are here.”
But these interesting points were forty-seven miles south of Flagstaff. To ride there on horseback or to go in a wagon meant several days’ extra time, and that much to be deducted from the time on hand in which to complete this tour. Hence the scouts had to forego the pleasure of that side trip or stop there when they traveled southward from Ash Fork.
Before leaving Flagstaff Mr. Gilroy telegraphed the horse-dealer at Trinidad for instructions regarding the return of the saddle-horses which they would no longer use or need after reaching Williams. The answer came in a few hours time: “Ship back freight collect.”
“Well, girls, you’ll soon say farewell to the horses, consequently you may have your choice of riding them to Williams, or sending them home from here,” said Mr. Gilroy after reading the telegram to them.