For the first half mile, they had a trail, the trail they had already taken up Garfield Peak. But half-way up, they left the trail, and struck right out, without any path at all, around the tumbled crags of broken lava, and over the snow-fields and patches of soft pumice soil that crown this part of the rim on the southeastern side of the lake. The going was very slow and difficult, up hill and down, in and out among the rises and dips, with the sun beating down upon them till their packs and hot blankets seemed almost unbearable. At first, they could see the blue lake almost 2,000 feet below them, while they worked along the crest of Eagle Crags, but after a while they had to drop down behind the rim to avoid a climb up Dyar Rock, and lost all sight of it.
After about two miles, they came out on the crest of a slope that led down to Sun Creek, and saw the Sun meadows below them. They would have rejoiced at this sight if they hadn’t also seen the wall of the deep ravine rising up on the other side, steeper and higher than under their feet.
“Oh, for the wings of a dove!” sighed Dumplin’.
“Lot o’ good a dove’s wings would do you,” said Bennie. “Take a dirigible to lift you.”
“A bridge across would do me,” said Spider.
“Meanwhile, we’ll get a little exercise crossing on our own feet,” Uncle Billy smiled. “Come on, now, and watch your step. Sound your footing with your alpenstocks, and keep out of line, so if anybody starts a slide, it won’t spill all the rest.”
They made the descent slowly and painfully over the first steep pitches, and then more rapidly till they sank at last on the ground by the water of Sun Creek, which came down from a snow-bank up on the rim at the head of the ravine, threw off packs and blankets, and plunged their mouths in.
“Do we lunch here? I’m hungry——” from Dumplin’.
“We do,” the doctor answered. “And it’s a brief lunch, too. Everybody take one handful of raisins, and half a cake of chocolate.”
“Oh, gee, is that all?” cried Dumplin’.