We light the lanterns, pass on, and come to the “Whale that Jonah swallowed.” Next comes the “Mayflower,” and last the trip out. The “Bridal Veil” and “Frozen River” were among the most picturesque of the scenes, the exact position of which are not recalled.
Most of the rooms and passages are six to twelve feet in height. Some are hundreds of feet deep and some are too close to the floor for the unwary head. These rocks do not give very far when one’s head hits them.
Our guide is a decidedly congenial and unassuming young man. He wins the favor of all of the party, keeping the spirits high through the whole trip.
One half mile down, on the road from Crystal Cave is a sign pointing toward Knife Blade Rock. This is a gigantic thin rock formation rising 600 feet out of the bed of the canyon. The origin of this phenomenon also kindles one’s imagination.
When viewing Knife Blade Rock we stand on a high precipitous canyon wall and look nearly straight down hundreds of feet into the Elk Creek Canyon. This view is magnificent; the great deep canyon, the precipitous cliff, Knife Blade, and the expansive opposite bank covered with heavy vegetation.
From here we move on toward Sturgis about ten miles distant.
CHAPTER VII
Sturgis
The road to Sturgis is pretty well crowded with cars headed for the Tri-State Roundup at Belle Fourche. We arrive about four o’clock. The next hour is spent in getting boots repaired, getting haircuts and in replenishing the food supply.
We still have a good supply of eggs, butter, bacon, fruit, and vegetables which we packed up on the farm before starting the trip. At each tourist camp we get plenty of fresh vegetables and milk. We appreciate the vegetable and store service of the camps. It is excellent. This, with the food stove, utensils and dishes we brought with us on the trip, makes our food question simple and economical as well as highly satisfactory. We enjoy every meal.