The following morning the scouts rode up the Bright Angel Trail to the branching, where the Tonto trail leads down to the Kaibab trail, over the suspension bridge, and thus along Bright Angel Creek. On this long ride the guide stopped at Phantom Ranch for dinner and arranged for his party to spend the night in the cabins. They then rode on through Bright Angel Cañon, to Ribbon Falls. That evening the scouts enjoyed many tales of adventure as told by the guide who had lived in the Grand Cañon area for many years.
Late afternoon, on the third day, the scouts rode out of the Cañon once more.
“My!” declared Julie, heaving a great sigh, “I feel as though we had been absent from this upper crust for many weeks.”
“But glad enough to get away from the roar of the Colorado torrent, and the mad echoes in the vast chasms and crevices of the Cañon,” added Mrs. Vernon, who felt that living way down in the Gorge for two days was enough to satisfy anybody.
For a week thereafter the scouts were continually on the go; then they felt that they had seen everything of any moment in and about the Grand Cañon, and Tally and the Bass Guide fully agreed with them.
They had gone down Hermit trail, had stopped at the Santa Maria Spring, seen the Lion Cañon and stayed over-night in the Hermit Cabins. Then retracing their way as far as Cape Butte they struck the Tonto Trail and followed the course until they came out upon the Plateau. They had visited every point from which a view was to be had, and at last Mr. Gilroy demanded an inventory of Julie.
“Not your apparel or assets, but a count of the rolls of film you have on hand by this time, waiting to be developed and printed, once we reach a reasonably priced kodak shop.”
Julie laughed. “Gilly, ‘I dare not tell a lie,’ and I’m afraid to tell you the truth.”
“Ah!” exclaimed Mr. Gilroy, “Just what I suspected! Now I shall nip all this photography in the bud by announcing that we bid good-by to temptation by leaving Grand Cañon in the morning.”
Joan laughed. “No temptation for us to remain, Gilly. Jule’s photographed every stick and stone and living creature to be found up on the rim, down in the gorge, and on the sides of all the walls. She even tried to shoot the sun to-day, but that defied her. Now she’s willing to depart.”