The woman dared not turn about in her saddle to freeze the speaker with one of her looks, but she could maintain a very haughty silence, which she did, to the relief of all the other members of the party.
Jacob’s Ladder, another hair-raising section on the trail, brought forth renewed cries and shrill calls for the guides to save the two entertaining females in the party, but he ignored them now.
“The Devil’s Corkscrew must be named for its facility of compelling one to screw up one’s courage to descend it, eh?” asked Amy, who had managed to get thus far without fainting in the saddle.
“I should say its name implies exactly what it says,” returned Mr. Vernon. “That is: the devil of a corkscrew for man and mule.”
The scouts rode up the Bright Angel Trail.
Mr. Vernon, always so precise and particular in his speech, shocked the scouts into a merry laugh of amusement at his shortcoming.
“Verny, Verny! I fear your morals will be completely ruined by the time we are ready to leave the Cañon,” teased Judith.
“You know the adage: ‘Bad associations, etc.’ don’t you?” laughed Mr. Vernon. “Well, any one can see the effect Gilly has had on us.”
About noon-day they were at the bottom of the stupendous Cañon where the Colorado roars its tawny torrents through the gorge. After luncheon, and a long rest, the party began to prepare for the ascent. Mr. Gilroy had planned to pitch camp down on the sands near the river, but the two guides having charge of the trip were inclined to vote against such an idea. At length, however, they were overruled, so the guides found a stretch of fine clean sand which would answer admirably for sleeping purposes. While supper was being prepared, the scouts adventured over the rocks and Julie took snapshots. As there was plenty of driftwood it was no trouble to keep a camp-fire going till late in the night. The warmth from this, and the horse blankets proved to be sufficient for the scouts. That night they stretched upon the sand, and gazed up at the mile-high towering cliffs which almost hid the dark-blue vault of heaven.