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diff --git a/old/13150-8.txt b/old/13150-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b2aace4..0000000 --- a/old/13150-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8632 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to -Mexico, by E. L. Kolb - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to Mexico - -Author: E. L. Kolb - -Release Date: August 10, 2004 [EBook #13150] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON *** - - - - -Produced by Ted Garvin, Keith M. Eckrich, and the Project Gutenberg -Online Distributed Proofreaders Team - - - - - -THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON FROM WYOMING TO MEXICO - - -By E.L. Kolb - - -With a Foreword by Owen Wister - - -New Edition -With Additional Illustrations -(72 Plates) -From Photographs by the Author and His Brother - - - -1915 - - - -Dedication - -TO THE MANY FRIENDS WHO "PULLED" FOR US, IF NOT WITH US DURING THE ONE -HUNDRED ONE DAYS OF OUR RIVER TRIP, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY -DEDICATED. - - - - -FOREWORD - - -It is a dogged courage of which the author of this book is the serene -possessor--shared equally by his daring brother; and evidence of this -bravery is made plain throughout the following pages. Every youth who -has in him a spark of adventure will kindle with desire to battle his -way also from Green River to the foot of Bright Angel Trail; while -every man whose bones have been stiffened and his breath made short by -the years, will remember wistfully such wild tastes of risk and -conquest that he, too, rejoiced in when he was young. - -Whether it deal with the climbing of dangerous peaks, or the descent -(as here) of some fourteen hundred miles of water both mysterious and -ferocious, the well-told tale of a perilous journey, planned with head -and carried through with dauntless persistence, always holds the -attention of its readers and gives them many a thrill. This tale is -very well told. Though it is the third of its kind, it differs from -its predecessors more than enough to hold its own: no previous -explorers have attempted to take moving pictures of the Colorado River -with themselves weltering in its foam. More than this: while the human -race lasts it will be true, that any man who is lucky enough to fix -upon a hard goal and win it, and can in direct and simple words tell -us how he won it, will write a good book. - -Perhaps this planet does somewhere else contain a thing like the -Colorado River--but that is no matter; we at any rate in our continent -possess one of nature's very vastest works. After The River and its -tributaries have done with all sight of the upper world, have left -behind the bordering plains and streamed through the various gashes -which their floods have sliced in the mountains that once stopped -their way, then the culminating wonder begins. The River has been -flowing through the loneliest part which remains to us of that large -space once denominated "The Great American Desert" by the vague maps -in our old geographies. It has passed through regions of emptiness -still as wild as they were before Columbus came; where not only no man -lives now nor any mark is found of those forgotten men of the cliffs, -but the very surface of the earth itself looks monstrous and extinct. -Upon one such region in particular the author of these pages dwells, -when he climbs up out of the gulf in whose bottom he has left his boat -by the River, to look out upon a world of round gray humps and hollows -which seem as if it were made of the backs of huge elephants. Through -such a country as this, scarcely belonging to our era any more than -the mammoth or the pterodactyl, scarcely belonging to time at all, -does the Colorado approach and enter its culminating marvel. Then, for -283 miles it inhabits a nether world of its own. The few that have -ventured through these places and lived are a handful to those who -went in and were never seen again. The white bones of some have been -found on the shores; but most were drowned; and in this water no -bodies ever rise, because the thick sand that its torrent churns along -clogs and sinks them. - -This place exerts a magnetic spell. The sky is there above it, but not -of it. Its being is apart; its climate; its light; its own. The beams -of the sun come into it like visitors. Its own winds blow through it, -not those of outside, where we live. The River streams down its -mysterious reaches, hurrying ceaselessly; sometimes a smooth sliding -lap, sometimes a falling, broken wilderness of billows and whirlpools. -Above stand its walls, rising through space upon space of silence. -They glow, they gloom, they shine. Bend after bend they reveal -themselves, endlessly new in endlessly changing veils of colour. A -swimming and jewelled blue predominates, as of sapphires being melted -and spun into skeins of shifting cobweb. Bend after bend this trance -of beauty and awe goes on, terrible as the Day of Judgment, sublime as -the Psalms of David. Five thousand feet below the opens and barrens of -Arizona, this canyon seems like an avenue conducting to the secret of -the universe and the presence of the gods. - -Is much wonder to be felt that its beckoning enchantment should have -drawn two young men to dwell beside it for many years; to give -themselves wholly to it; to descend and ascend among its buttressed -pinnacles; to discover caves and waterfalls hidden in its labyrinths; -to climb, to creep, to hang in mid-air, in order to learn more and -more of it, and at last to gratify wholly their passion in the great -adventure of this journey through it from end to end? No siren song -could have lured travellers more than the siren silence of the Grand -Canyon: but these young men did not leave their bones to whiten upon -its shores. The courage that brought them out whole is plain -throughout this narrative, in spite of its modesty.--OWEN WISTER. - - - - -PREFACE - - -This is a simple narrative of our recent photographic trip down the -Green and Colorado rivers in rowboats--our observations and -impressions. It is not intended to replace in any way the books -published by others covering a similar journey. Major J.W. Powell's -report of the original exploration, for instance, is a classic, -literary and geological; and searchers after excellence may well be -recommended to his admirable work. - -Neither is this chronicle intended as a handbook of the territory -traversed--such as Mr. F.S. Dellenbaugh's two volumes: "The Romance of -the Grand Canyon," and "A Canyon Voyage." We could hardly hope to add -anything of value to his wealth of detail. In fact, much of the data -given here--such as distances, elevations, and records of other -expeditions--is borrowed from the latter volume. And I take this -opportunity of expressing our appreciation to Mr. Dellenbaugh for his -most excellent and entertaining books. - -We are indebted to Mr. Julius F. Stone, of Columbus, Ohio, for much -valuable information and assistance. Mr. Stone organized a party and -made the complete trip down the Green and Colorado rivers in the fall -and winter of 1909, arriving at Needles, California, on November 27, -1909. He freely gave us the benefit of his experience and presented us -with the complete plans of the boats he used. - -One member of this party was Nathan Galloway, of Richfield, Utah. To -him we owe much of the success of our journey. Mr. Galloway hunts and -traps through the wilds of Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, and has a fame -for skill and nerve throughout this entire region. He makes a yearly -trip through the upper canyons, usually in a boat of his own -construction; and in addition has the record of being the only person -who has made two complete trips through the entire series of canyons, -clear to Needles. He it is who has worked out the type of boats we -used, and their management in the dangerous waters of the Colorado. - -We have tried to make this narrative not only simple, as we say, but -truthful. However, no two people can see things in exactly the same -light. To some, nothing looks big; to others, every little danger is -unconsciously magnified out of all proportion. For instance, we can -recall rapids which appeared rather insignificant at first, but which -seemed decidedly otherwise after we had been overturned in them and -had felt their power--especially at the moment when we were sure we -had swallowed a large part of the water that composed them. - -The reader will kindly excuse the use of the first person, both -singular and plural. It is our own story, after all, and there seems -to be no other way than to tell it as you find it here. - - - - -+CONTENTS+ - - -CHAPTER PAGE - - I. PREPARATIONS AT GREEN RIVER CITY, WYOMING 1 - - II. INTERESTING SIGHTS OF SOUTHERN WYOMING 12 - - III. THE GATEWAY OF ALL THE CANYONS 22 - - IV. SUSPICIOUS HOSTS 36 - - V. THE BATTLE WITH LODORE 50 - - VI. HELL'S HALF MILE 64 - - VII. JIMMY GOES OVER THE MOUNTAIN 71 - - VIII. AN INLAND EXCURSION 83 - - IX. CANYON OF DESOLATION 93 - - X. HOSPITABLE RANCHMEN 102 - - XI. WONDERS OF EROSION 111 - - XII. COULD WE SUCCEED? 121 - - XIII. A COMPANION VOYAGER 129 - - XIV. A PATIENT AMID THE CATARACTS 142 - - XV. PLACER GOLD 156 - - XVI. A WARNING 169 - - XVII. A NIGHT OF THRILLS 178 - -XVIII. MARBLE HALLS AND MARBLE WALLS 190 - - XIX. SIGNALLING OUR CANYON HOME 203 - - XX. ONE MONTH LATER 219 - - XXI. WHAT CHRISTMAS EVE BROUGHT 235 - - XXII. SHORT OF PROVISIONS IN A SUNLESS GORGE 249 - -XXIII. THE LAST PORTAGE AND THE LAST RAPIDS 267 - - XXIV. ON THE CREST OF A FLOOD 280 - - XXV. FOUR DAYS TO YUMA 290 - - XXVI. ACROSS THE MEXICO BORDER 303 - -XXVII. THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA 321 - - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - -The Grand Canyon near the mouth of Ha Va Su Creek _Frontispiece_ - - -After a difficult picture. E. C. Kolb on rope................... 2 - -In the Grand Canyon near the Little Colorado.................... 6 - -The start at Green River, Wyoming............................... 10 - -Fire Hole Chimneys.............................................. 10 - -A typical butte formation....................................... 14 - -Boats and crew. Photo taken in the Grand Canyon................. 18 - -Skeleton found in the Grand Canyon.............................. 22 - -Inside of the first canyons..................................... 26 - -Tilted rocks at Kingfisher Canyon............................... 26 - -"Immense rocks had fallen from the cliff"....................... 36 - -Ashley Falls, looking down-stream............................... 40 - -The rocks were dark red; occasional pines grew on the ledges, - making a charming combination of colour....................... 44 - -"We stopped at one hay ranch close to the Utah-Colorado line"... 48 - -Remarkable entrance to Lodore Canyon............................ 52 - -"The river cut a channel under the walls" at Lower Disaster - Falls......................................................... 56 - -"Everything was wet"............................................ 56 - -A Colorado River salmon......................................... 60 - -Lodore Canyon as seen from Brown's Park......................... 60 - -"The Canyon was gloomy and darkened with shreds of clouds"...... 64 - -"It took nine loads to empty one boat".......................... 68 - -"An upright log was found wedged between the boulders".......... 68 - -Echo Cliffs. "This was the end of Lodore"....................... 72 - -End of Echo Cliffs. The mouth of the Yampa River is on the - right.......................................................... 72 - -Marvels of erosion.............................................. 76 - -"Here was one end of the rainbow of rock that began on the - other side of the mountains".................................. 80 - -Pat Lynch: the canyon hermit.................................... 84 - -Each bed was placed in a rubber and a canvas sack............... 90 - -"Now for a fish story" ......................................... 100 - -The centre of three symmetrical formations in the Double Bow - Knot.......................................................... 114 - -The Buttes of the Cross......................................... 118 - -"The Land of Standing Rocks was like a maze".................... 122 - -Rocks overhanging the Colorado's Gorge.......................... 122 - -Thirteen hundred feet above the Green River..................... 124 - -The junction of the Green and the Grand Rivers.................. 128 - -Looking west into Cataract Canyon............................... 132 - -Charles Smith and his boat...................................... 132 - -A narrow channel at Rapid No. 22................................ 136 - -Developing tests................................................ 136 - -Rapid No. 22 in Cataract Canyon................................. 140 - -The _Edith_ in a cataract....................................... 144 - -A seventy-five-foot drop in three-fourths of a mile............. 144 - -Camp in the heart of Cataract Canyon............................ 148 - -Lower Cataract Canyon. Boats tandem............................. 152 - -Beginning of a natural bridge. Glen Canyon...................... 152 - -Pictographs in Glen Canyon...................................... 158 - -Cliff ruins near San Juan River................................. 162 - -Rainbow Natural Bridge, looking south........................... 162 - -Rainbow Natural Bridge, looking north........................... 166 - -Glen Canyon near Navajo Mountain................................ 170 - -Upper Marble Canyon............................................. 170 - -Placer dredge at Lee's Ferry.................................... 174 - -Badger Creek Rapid.............................................. 180 - -Bands of marble in Marble Canyon................................ 180 - -A peaceful camp in Marble Canyon................................ 184 - -The Soap Creek Rapid; a little above lowest stage. Photo - published by permission of Julius F. Stone.................... 188 - -"It was too good a camp to miss"................................ 192 - -Arch in Marble Canyon........................................... 192 - -Walls of Marble Canyon.......................................... 196 - -Approaching the Grand Canyon.................................... 200 - -End of Marble Canyon, from the mouth of the Little Colorado..... 204 - -Cataracts of the Little Colorado River.......................... 204 - -End of Hance Trail. Small white line is an intrusion of quartz - in the algonkian.............................................. 208 - -Below the Sockdologer........................................... 210 - -The Rust Tramway. Span four hundred and fifty feet.............. 214 - -Bright Angel Creek and Canyon................................... 218 - -Leaving home, Dec. 19, 1911..................................... 222 - -A composite picture of Marble Canyon walls and a Grand Canyon - rapid......................................................... 222 - -The _Edith_ (on left of central rock) in Granite Falls.......... 226 - -Rough water in Hermit Creek Rapid............................... 230 - -Type of rapid in the granite near Bass Trail.................... 234 - -The inner plateau, thirteen hundred feet above the river........ 238 - -Bert Lauzon, above Separation Rapid............................. 238 - -The break in the _Edith_........................................ 242 - -Merry Christmas. The repair was made with bilge boards, canvas, - paint, and tin................................................ 242 - -Pulling clear of a rock......................................... 246 - -A shower bath................................................... 246 - -Grand Canyon at the mouth of Ha Va Su Canyon. Medium high - water. Frontispiece shows same place in low water............. 250 - -"Morning revealed a little snow," on the top.................... 252 - -New Year's Eve was spent in this section between the highest - sheer walls in the lower gorge................................ 252 - -Lava Falls. Lava on left, hot springs on right.................. 254 - -Swift water in Tapeets Creek Rapid.............................. 260 - -Lauzon, equipped with a life preserver on a rope, on guard - below a rapid................................................. 260 - -In the last granite gorge....................................... 260 - -Capt. Burro: a Ha Va Supai...................................... 266 - -The Last Portage. The rocks were ice-filmed. Note potholes...... 270 - -Mooney Falls: Ha Va Su Canyon................................... 274 - -Watching for the signal fire. Mrs. Emery and Edith Kolb......... 278 - -The granite gorge near Bright Angel Trail....................... 282 - -The Grand Canyon from the head of Bright Angel Trail............ 286 - -The Cork Screw: lower end of Bright Angel Trail................. 290 - -Zoroaster Temple from the end of Bright Angel Trail............. 298 - -Winter in the Grand Canyon from the Rim......................... 308 - -Winter in the Grand Canyon at the River......................... 308 - -A vaquero in the making......................................... 318 - -Cliff swallows' nests. Found from Wyoming to Mexico............. 318 - -Steam vents beside Volcanic Lake................................ 326 - -Cocopah Mountain, Mexico........................................ 326 - -Ten miles from the Gulf of California. Coming up on a - twenty-foot tide.............................................. 332 - -Sunset on the lower Colorado River.............................. 332 - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON FROM WYOMING TO MEXICO - - - - -CHAPTER I - - - -PREPARATIONS AT GREEN RIVER CITY, WYOMING - -Early in September of 1911 my brother Emery and I landed in Green -River City, Wyoming, ready for the launching of our boats on our -long-planned trip down the Green and Colorado rivers. - -For ten years previous to this time we had lived at the Grand Canyon -of Arizona, following the work of scenic photography. In a general way -we had covered much of the country adjacent to our home, following our -pack animals over ancient and little-used trails, climbing the walls -of tributary canyons, dropping over the ledges with ropes when -necessary, always in search of the interesting and unusual. - -After ten years of such work many of our plans in connection with a -pictorial exploration of the Grand Canyon were crowned with success. -Yet all the while our real ambition remained unsatisfied. - -We wanted to make the "Big Trip"--as we called it; in other words, we -wanted a pictorial record of the entire series of canyons on the Green -and Colorado rivers. - -The time had come at last, after years of hoping, after long months of -active preparation. - -We stood at the freight window of the station at Green River City -asking for news of our boats. They had arrived and could be seen in -their crates shoved away in a corner. It was too late to do anything -with them that day; so we let them remain where they were, and went -out to look over the town. - -Green River City proved to be a busy little place noisy with switch -engines, crowded with cattle-men and cowboys, and with hunting parties -outfitting for the Jackson Hole country. A thoroughly Western town of -the better sort, with all the picturesqueness of people and -surroundings that the name implies. - -It was busier than usual, even, that evening; for a noisy but -good-natured crowd had gathered around the telegraph office, eager for -news of a wrestling match then taking place in an Eastern city. As we -came up they broke into a cheer at the news that the American wrestler -had defeated his foreign opponent. There was a discussion as to what -constituted the "toe-hold," three boys ran an impromptu foot-race, -there was some talk on the poor condition of the range, and the party -began to break up. - -The little excitement over, we returned to the hotel; feeling, in -spite of our enthusiasm, somewhat lonesome and very much out of place. -Our sleep that night was fitful and broken by dreams wherein the -places we had known were strangely interwoven with these new scenes -and events. Through it all we seemed to hear the roar of the Rio -Colorado. - -We looked out of the window the next morning, on a landscape that was -novel, yet somehow familiar. The river, a quarter of a mile away, very -clear and unruffled under its groves of cottonwood, wound through low -barren hills, as unlike as could be to the cliffs and chasms we knew -so well. But the colours--gray, red, and umber, just as Moran has -painted them--reassured us. We seemed not so far from home, after all. - -It was Wyoming weather, though; clear and cold, after a windy night. -When, after breakfast, we went down to the river, we found that a -little ice had formed along the margin. - -The days of final preparation passed quickly--with unpacking of -innumerable boxes and bundles, checking off each article against our -lists; and with a long and careful overhauling of our photographic -outfit. - -This last was a most important task, for the success of our expedition -depended on our success as photographers. We could not hope to add -anything of importance to the scientific and topographic knowledge of -the canyons already existing: and merely to come out alive at the -other end did not make a strong appeal to our vanity. We were there as -scenic photographers in love with their work, and determined to -reproduce the marvels of the Colorado's canyons, as far as we could do -it. - -In addition to three film cameras we had 8 × 10 and 5 × 7 plate -cameras; a plentiful supply of plates and films; a large cloth -dark-room; and whatever chemicals we should need for tests. Most -important of all, we had brought a motion-picture camera. We had no -real assurance that so delicate an apparatus, always difficult to use -and regulate, could even survive the journey--much less, in such -inexperienced hands as ours, reproduce its wonders. But this, -nevertheless, was our secret hope, hardly admitted to our most -intimate friends--that we could bring out a record of the Colorado as -it is, a live thing, armed as it were with teeth, ready to crush and -devour. - -There was shopping to do; for the purchases of provisions, with a few -exceptions, had been left to the last. There were callers, too--an -embarrassing number of them. We had camped on a small island near the -town, not knowing when we did so that it had recently been put aside -for a public park. The whole of Green River City, it seemed, had -learned of our project, and came to inspect, or advise, or jeer at us. -The kindest of them wished us well; the other sort told us "it would -serve us right"; but not one of our callers had any encouragement to -offer. Many were the stories of disaster and death with which they -entertained us. One story in particular, as it seems never to have -reached print--though unquestionably true--ought to be set down here. - -Three years before two young men from St. Louis had embarked here, -intending to follow the river throughout its whole course. They were -expert canoeists, powerful swimmers, and equipped with a steel boat, -we were told, built somewhat after the style of a canoe. They chose -the time of high water--not knowing, probably, that while high water -decreases the labour of the passage, it greatly increases the danger -of it. They came to the first difficult rapid in Red Canyon, seventy -odd miles below Green River City. It looked bad to them. They landed -above it and stripped to their underclothing and socks. Then they -pushed out into the stream. - -Almost at once they lost control of the boat. It overturned; it rolled -over and over; it flung them off and left them swimming for their -lives. In some way, possibly the currents favouring, they reached the -shore. The boat, with all its contents, was gone. There they were, -almost naked, without food, without weapons, without the means of -building a fire; and in an uninhabited and utterly inhospitable -country. - -For four days they wandered, blistered by the sun by day; nearly -frozen at night, bruised by the rocks, and torn by the brambles. -Finally they reached the ranch at the head of the canyons and were -found by a half-breed Indian, who cared for them. Their underwear had -been made into bindings for their lacerated feet; they were nearly -starved, and on the verge of mental collapse. After two weeks' -treatment in the hospital at Green River City they were partially -restored to health. Quite likely they spent many of the long hours of -their convalescence on the river bank, or on the little island, -watching the unruffled stream glide underneath the cottonwoods. - -Such tales as this added nothing to our fears, of course--for the -whole history of the Colorado is one long story of hardship and -disaster, and we knew, even better than our advisors, what risks lay -before us. We told our newfound friends, in fact, that we had lived -for years on the brink of the Grand Canyon itself, a gorge deeper and -more awful, even, than Lodore; with a volume of water ten times -greater. We knew, of course, of the river's vast length, of the -terrible gorges that confined it, of the hundreds of rapids through -which a boat would have to pass. - -We knew, too, how Major Powell, undismayed by legends of underground -channels, impassable cataracts, and whirlpools; of bloodthirsty tribes -haunting its recesses,--had passed through the canyons in safety, -measuring and surveying as he went. We also knew of the many other -attempts that had been made--most of them ending in disaster or death, -a very few being successful. - -Well, it had been done;[1] it could be done again--this was our answer -to their premonitions. - -We had present worries enough to keep us from dwelling too much on the -future. It had been our intention to start two weeks earlier, but -there had been numerous unavoidable delays. The river was low; "the -lowest they had seen it in years" they told us, and falling lower -every day. There were the usual difficulties of arranging a lot of new -material, and putting it in working order. - -At last we were ready for the boats, and you may be sure we lost no -time in having them hauled to the river, and launching them. - -They were beauties--these two boats of ours--graceful, yet strong in -line, floating easily, well up in the water, in spite of their five -hundred pounds' weight. They were flat-bottomed, with a ten-inch rake -or raise at either end; built of white cedar, with unusually high -sides; with arched decks in bow and stern, for the safe storing of -supplies. Sealed air chambers were placed in each end, large enough to -keep the boats afloat even if filled with water. The compartment at -the bow was lined with tin, carefully soldered, so that even a leak in -the bottom would not admit water to our precious cargoes. We had -placed no limit on their cost, only insisting that they should be of -materials and workmanship of the very best, and strictly in accordance -with our specifications. In every respect but one they pleased us. -Imagine our consternation when we discovered that the hatch covers -were anything but water-tight, though we had insisted more upon this, -perhaps, than upon any other detail. Loose boards, with cross-pieces, -fastened with little thumbscrews--there they were, ready to admit the -water at the very first upset. - -There was nothing to be done. It was too late to rebuild the hatches -even if we had had the proper material. Owing to the stage of water it -was imperative that we should start at once. Bad as it would be to -have water in our cargo, it would be worse to have too little water in -the rock-obstructed channels of Red Canyon, or in the "flats" at -Brown's Park for instance. - -Certainly the boats acted so beautifully in the water that we could -almost overlook the defective hatches. Emery rowed upstream for a -hundred yards, against a stiff current, and came back jubilant. - -"They're great--simply great!" he exclaimed. - -We had one real cause for worry, for actual anxiety, though; and as -each hour brought us nearer to the time of departure, we grew more and -more desperate. What about our third man? - -We were convinced that a third man was needed; if not for the duties -of camp making, helping with the cooking and portaging; at least, for -turning the crank of the motion-picture camera. Emery and I could not -very well be running rapids, and photographing ourselves in the rapids -at the same time. Without a capable assistant, therefore, much of the -real purpose would be defeated. - -Our first move, accordingly, had been to secure the services of a -strong, level-headed, and competent man. Friends strongly advised us -to engage a Canadian canoe-man, or at least some one familiar with the -management of boats in rough water. It was suggested, also, that we -might secure the help of some one of the voyagers who had been members -of one of the previous expeditions. - -But--we may as well be frank about it--we did not wish to be piloted -through the Colorado by a guide. We wanted to make our own trip in our -own way. If we failed, we would have no one but ourselves to blame; if -we succeeded, we would have all the satisfaction that comes from -original, personal exploration. In other words, we wanted a man to -execute orders, not to give them. But that man was hard to find! - -There had been many applicants; some of them from distant parts of the -country. One by one they were sifted out. At length we decided on one -man; but later he withdrew. We turned elsewhere, but these -applications were withdrawn, until there remained but a single letter, -from a young man in San Francisco. He seemed in every way qualified. -We wrote accepting his application, but while waiting to hear from us -a civil service position had been offered and accepted. "He was -sorry"; and so were we, for his references proved that he was a -capable man. Later he wrote that he had secured a substitute. We -replied on the instant, by wiring money for transportation, with -instructions for the new man to report at once at Green River. We took -very much for granted, having confidence in our friends' sincerity and -knowledge of just what was required. - -The time had passed, two days before; but--no sign of our man! We -wrote, we telegraphed, we walked back and forth to every train; but -still he did not come. Had this man, too, failed us? - -Then "Jimmy" came--just the night before we were to leave. And never -was a man more heartily welcome! - -With James Fagen of San Francisco our party was complete. He was an -Irish-American, aged 22 years, a strong, active, and willing chap. To -be sure, he was younger, and not so experienced at "roughing it" as we -had hoped. But his good qualities, we were sure, would make up for -what was lacking. - -Evening found us encamped a half mile below the town, the county -bridge. Our preparations were finished--even to the final purchase of -odds and ends; with ammunition for shot-gun and rifle. We threw our -sleeping-bags on the dry ground close to the river's edge, and, all -our anxieties gone, we turned our faces to the stars and slept. - -At daybreak we were aroused by the thunder of hoofs on the bridge -above us, and the shouts of cowboys driving a large herd of -half-broken horses. We tumbled into our clothes, splashed our faces -with ice-cold water from the river, and hurried over to the hotel for -a last breakfast. - -Then we sat down--in the little hotel at Green River City--as others -had done before, to write last messages to those who were nearest and -dearest to us. A telegram to our parents in an Eastern city; and -another to Emery's wife and little girl, at Bright Angel, more than -eight hundred miles down this self-same river--these, somehow, took -longer to write than the letters themselves. But whatever we may have -felt, we finished this final correspondence in silence, and hurried -back to the river. - -Something of a crowd had gathered on the bridge to wish us _bon -voyage_. Shouting up to them our thanks for their hospitality, and -telling them to "look pleasant," we focussed the motion-picture camera -on them, Emery turning the crank, as the boat swung out into the -current. - -So began our journey, on Friday, September the 8th, 1911, at 9.30 -A.M., as entered in my journal. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - - -INTERESTING SIGHTS OF SOUTHERN WYOMING - -All this preparation--and still more, the vexatious delays--had been a -heavy tax upon us. We needed a vacation. We took it--six pleasant -care-free days--hunting and fishing as we drifted through the sixty -miles of southern Wyoming. There were ducks and geese on the river to -test our skill with the shot-gun. Only two miles below Green River -City Emery secured our first duck, a promise of good sport to follow. -An occasional cottontail rabbit was seen, scurrying to cover through -the sage-brush, when we made a detour from the boats. We saw many -jack-rabbits too--with their long legs, and exaggerated -ears--creatures swifter, even, than the coyotes themselves. - -We saw few people, though an occasional rancher hailed us from the -shore. Men of the open themselves, the character of our expedition -appealed to them. Their invitations to "come up to the ranch, and -spend the evening" were always hearty, and could seldom be refused if -the day was nearly gone. - -The Logan boys' ranch, for instance, was our first camp; but will be -one of the last to be forgotten. The two Logan boys were sturdy, -companionable young men, full of pranks, and of that bubbling, -generous humour that flourishes in this Western air. We were amused by -their kindly offer to allow Jimmy to ride "the little bay"--a -beautiful animal, with the shifty eye of a criminal. But Jimmy, though -city-bred, was not to be trapped, and declined; very wisely, as we -thought. We photographed their favourite horses, and the cabin; also -helped them with their own camera, and developed some plates in the -underground storm-cellar,--a perfect dark-room, as it happened. - -We took advantage of this pleasant camp to make a few alterations -about our boats. Certain mechanical details had been neglected in our -desire to be off, our intention being to look after them as occasion -demanded. Our short run had already shown us where we were weak or -unprepared. The rowlocks needed strengthening. One had come apart in -our first brush with a little riffle. The rowlocks were of a -little-used type, but very serviceable in dangerous waters. Inside the -usual rowlock a heavy ring was hung, kept in place by strong -set-screws, but allowing full play in every direction. These rings -were slipped over the oars; then the usual leather collar was nailed -on the oar, making it impossible for the rings to become separated -from the oars. The holes for the set-screws were too shallow, so we -went over the entire lot to deepen them. We foresaw where a break -might occur, and hung another lock of the open type on a cord, beside -each oar, ready for instant use in case of emergency. - -The Logan boys, seeing our difficulties in making some of these -changes, came to our relief. "Help yourselves to the blacksmith shop," -they said heartily. Here was an opportunity. Much time was consumed in -providing a device to hold our extra oars--out of the way on top of -the deck, but available at a moment's notice. Thanks to the Logan boys -and their blacksmith shop, these and many other little details were -corrected once for all; and we launched our boats in confidence on the -morning of September 10. - -A few miles below we came to the locally famous Fire Hole Chimneys, -interesting examples of the butte formation, so typical of the West. -There were several of these buttes, about 800 feet high, composed of -stratified rock; in colour quite similar to the rocks at Green River -City, but capped with rock of a peculiar burnt appearance, though not -of volcanic origin. Some of the buttes sloped up from the very edge of -the river; others were separated from the river by low flats, covered -with sage-brush and bunch-grass,--that nutritious food of the range -stock. At the water's edge was the usual fringe of willows, -cottonwoods, and shrubs innumerable,--all mirrored in the limpid -surface of Green River. - -At the foot of the cliffs were a number of wild burros, old and -young--fuzzy little baby-burros, looking ridiculously like -jack-rabbits--snorting their indignation at our invasion of their -privacy. Strange, by the way, how quickly these wild asses lose their -wildness of carriage when broken, and lapse into the utmost docility! - -Just below the Chimneys Emery caught sight of fish gathered in a deep -pool, under the foliage of a cottonwood tree which had fallen into the -river. Our most tempting bait failed to interest them; so Emery, ever -clever with hook and line, "snagged" one just to teach them better -manners. It was a Colorado River salmon or whitefish. That evening I -"snagged" a catfish and used this for salmon bait, a fourteen-pound -specimen rewarding the attempt. - -These salmon were old friends of ours, being found from one end to the -other of the Colorado, and on all its tributaries. They sometimes -weigh twenty-five or thirty pounds, and are common at twenty pounds; -being stockily built fish, with large, flat heads. They are not gamey, -but afford a lot of meat with a very satisfying flavour. - -On September 11, about forty miles below Green River, we passed -Black's Fork, a tributary entering from the west. It is a stream of -considerable length, but was of little volume at that time. The banks -were cliffs about 300 feet high, rugged, dark, and overhanging. Here -were a half dozen eagles and many old nests--proof enough, if proof -were needed, that we were in a little visited country. What strong, -splendid birds they were; how powerful and graceful their flight as -they circled up, and up, into the clear blue sky! - -Our next camp was at the Holmes' ranch, a few miles below Black's -Fork. We tried to buy some eggs of Walter Holmes, and were told that -we could have them on one condition--that we visit him that evening. -This was a price we were only too glad to pay, and the evening will -linger long in our memories. - -Mr. Holmes entertained us with stories of hunting trips--after big -game in the wilds of Colorado; and among the lakes of the Wind River -Mountains, the distant source of the Green River. Mrs. Holmes and two -young ladies entertained us with music; and Jimmy, much to our -surprise, joined in with a full, rich baritone. It was late that night -when we rolled ourselves in our blankets, on the banks twenty feet -above the river. - -Next morning we were shown a group of Mrs. Holmes' pets--several young -rabbits and a kitten, romping together in the utmost good fellowship. -The rabbits had been rescued from a watery grave in an irrigation -ditch and carefully nursed back to life. We helped her search for a -lame wild duck that had spurned the offer of a good home with -civilized ducklings, and had taken to the sage-brush. Mrs. Holmes' -love of wild animals, however, failed to include the bald-headed eagle -that had shown such an appetite for her spring chickens. - -A few miles below this ranch we passed Bridger Crossing, a ford on an -old trail through southern Wyoming. In pioneer days Jim Bridger's home -was on this very spot. But those romantic days are long since past; -and where this world-famous scout once watched through the loopholes -of his barricade, was an amazed youngster ten or eleven years old who -gazed on us, then ran to the cabin and emerged with a rifle in his -hands. We thought little of this incident at the time, but later we -met the father of the boy and were told that the children had been -left alone with the small boy as their only protector, and that he -stood ready to defend the home against any possible marauders. No -doubt we looked bad enough to him. - -Just below the ford the channel widened, and the river became very -shallow, the low rolling hills falling away into a wide green prairie. -We camped that night on a small island, low and treeless, but covered -with deep, rank grass. Next morning our sleeping-bags were wet with -frost and dew. A hard pull against a heavy wind between gradually -deepening rocky banks made us more than glad to pitch camp at noon a -short distance above the mouth of Henry's Fork, a considerable stream -flowing from the west. In the afternoon Emery and I decided to walk to -Linwood, lying just across the Utah line, four miles up Henry's Fork. -Jimmy preferred to remain with the boats. - -Between the river and a low mesa lay a large ranch of a different -appearance from those others which we had passed. Those past were -cattle ranches, with stock on the open range, and with little ground -fit for cultivation, owing to the elevation. Here we found great, -broad acres, fenced and cultivated, with thoroughbred stock--horses -and cattle--contentedly grazing. - -This pastoral scene, with a background of rugged mountains, appealed -strongly to our photographic instincts. After three or four exposures, -we climbed the farthest fence and passing from alfalfa to sage-brush -in one step, were at the foot of the mesa. - -Climbing to the summit, we beheld the village in the distance, in a -beautiful green valley--a splendid example of Mormon irrigation and -farming methods. Linwood proved to be the market-place for all the -ranchers of this region. Dotting the foot-hills where water was less -plentiful were occasional cabins, set down in the middle of hay -ranches. All this husbandry only emphasized the surrounding -desolation. Just beyond, dark in the southern sky, rose the great -peaks of the Uintah range, the mountains we were so soon to enter. - -Storm-clouds had been gathering about one great snow-covered peak, far -in the distance. These clouds spread and darkened, moving rapidly -forward. We had taken the hint and were already making all possible -haste toward the town, hoping to reach it before the storm broke. But -it was useless. Long before we had gained the edge of the valley the -rain had commenced in the mountains,--small local storms, resembling -delicate violet-coloured veils, hung in the dense pall of the clouds. -There were far flashes of lightning, and the subdued roar of distant -thunder, rapidly growing louder as the storm approached. Unable to -escape a drenching, we paused a moment to wonder at the sight; to -marvel--and shrink a little too--at the wild, incessant lightning. The -peaks themselves seemed to be tumbling together, such was the -continuous roar of thunder, punctuated by frequent deafening crashes. - -Then the storm came down upon us. Such torrents of rain we have seldom -witnessed: such gusts of driving wind! At times we could scarcely make -headway against it, but after most strenuous effort we neared the -village. We hoped to find shelter under a bridge, but found -innumerable muddy streams running through the planks. So we resumed -our plodding, slipping and sliding in the black, bottomless mud. - -The storm by this time had passed as quickly as it came. Wet to our -skins, we crawled into the little store and post-office combined, -and found it filled with ranch hands, waiting for the weekly mail. -We made a few purchases, wrote some letters, then went to a large -boarding-house near by and fortified ourselves with a generous, -hot supper. - -There were comments by some of the men on our venture, but they lacked -the true Green River tang. Here, close to the upper canyons, the -unreasonable fear of the rapids gave way to a reasonable respect for -them. Here we heard again of the two young men from St. Louis, and the -mishaps that had befallen them. Here too we were to hear for the first -time of the two Snyders, father and son, and the misfortunes that had -overtaken them in Lodore Canyon, twenty years before. We were to hear -more of these men later. - -We made what haste we could back to our boats, soon being overtaken by -a horseman, a big-hearted Swede who insisted on carrying our load as -long as we were going in his direction. How many just such instances -of kindliness we were to experience on our journey down the river! How -the West abounds with such men! It was dark when he left us a mile -from the river. Here there was no road to follow, and we found that -what had been numerous dry gullies before were now streams of muddy -water. Two or three of these streams had to be crossed, and we had a -disagreeable half hour in a marsh. Finally we reached the river, but -not at the point where we had left our boats. We were uncertain -whether the camp was above or below us, and called loudly for Jimmy, -but received no answer. - -Emery felt sure that camp was upstream. So upstream we went, keeping -back of the bushes that fringed the banks, carefully searching for a -sign. After a few minutes' hunt we heard a sound: a subdued rumble, -not unlike the distant thunder heard that afternoon, or of boats being -dragged over the pebbles. What could it be? We listened again, -carefully this time, and discovered that it came from a point about -thirty feet away, on the opposite side of the bushes. It could be only -one thing. Jimmy's snore had brought us home! - -Hurriedly securing some dry clothes from the rubber sacks, which -contained our sleeping-bags as well, we made a quick change, and slid -into the beds, inflating the air mattresses with our lungs after we -were inside. Then we lay down contentedly to rest. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - - -THE GATEWAY OF ALL THE CANYONS - -We awoke the next morning full of anticipation. Something new lay -ahead of us, a promise of variety. In plain sight of our camp lay the -entrance to Flaming Gorge, the gateway to the entire series of -canyons. Hurriedly finishing our camp duties, we loaded the boats, -fastened down the hatches, and shoved off into the current, eager to -be on our way. - -It was cloudy overhead and looked as if we were to have more rain. -Even then it must have been raining away to the north, for a dirty, -clay-colored torrent rushed through the dry arroyo of the night -before, a stream large enough to discolour the water of the Green -itself. But we thought little of this. We were used to seeing muddy -water in the Colorado's gorges; in fact we were surprised to find -clear water at all, even in the Green River. Rowing downstream we -found that the country sloped gently towards the mountains. The river -skirted the edge of these foot-hills as if looking for a possible -escape, then turned and entered the mountain at a sharp angle. The -walls sloped back considerably at first, and there was a little shore -on either side. - -Somewhere near this point runs the dividing line of Wyoming and Utah. - -We considered the gateway a subject worthy of a motion picture, if -taken from the deck of the boat; but doubted if it would be a success -owing to the condition of the light and the motion of the boat. Still -it was considered worthy of a trial, and the film was run through. - -The colour of the rocks at the entrance was a light red, but not out -of the ordinary in brilliancy. The rock formation was stratified, but -displaced; standing at an angle and flexed over on top with a ragged -break here and there, showing plainly the great pressure to which the -rocks had been subjected. The upheaval was not violent, the scientists -tell us, but slow and even, allowing the river to maintain its old -channel, sawing its way through the sandstone. The broken canyon -walls, when well inside the gorge, were about 600 to 700 feet high. -The mountains beyond and on either side were much higher. The growth -on the mountain sides was principally evergreen; Douglas fir, the -bull-pine and yellow pine. There was a species of juniper, somewhat -different from the Utah juniper, with which we were familiar at the -Grand Canyon. Bushes and undergrowth were dense above the steep canyon -walls, which were bare. Willows, alder-thickets, and a few cottonwood -trees lined the shores. - -Meanwhile the current had quickened, almost imperceptibly at first, -but enough to put us on our guard. While there were no rapids, use was -made of what swift water we found by practising on the method we would -use in making a passage through the bad rapids. As to this method, -unused as yet by either of us, we had received careful verbal -instruction from Mr. Stone, who had made the trip two years before our -own venture; and from other friends of Nathan Galloway, the trapper, -the man who first introduced the method on the Green and Colorado -rivers. - -Our experience on water of any kind was rather limited. Emery could -row a boat, and row it well, before we left Green River, but had never -gone over any large rapids. While he was not nearly so large or heavy -as I,--weighing no more than 130 pounds, while I weighed 170 -pounds,--he made up for his lighter weight by a quickness and strength -that often surprised me. He was always neat and clever in his method -of handling his boat, taking a great deal of pride in keeping it free -from marks, and avoiding rocks when making a landing. I had done very -little rowing before leaving Green River, so little that I had -difficulty in getting both oars in the water at the same time. Of -course it did not take me long to learn that; but I did not have the -knack of making clean landings, and bumped many rocks that my brother -missed. Still I was improving all the time and was anxious to get into -the rough water, feeling sure I would get through somehow, but doing -my best in the meantime to get the knack of handling the boat properly -before the rough water was reached. - -An occasional rock would stick up above the surface; the swift water -would rush up on it, or drive past on either side. Instead of pulling -downstream with might and main, and depending on a steersman with a -sweep-oar to keep us clear of obstructions--the method usually adopted -on large rivers, and by the earlier parties on the Colorado--by our -method the single oarsman reversed his boat so that it was turned with -the stern downstream, giving the oarsman a view of what was ahead; -then by pulling upstream the boat was held in check. We allowed -ourselves to be carried in a direct line with the rocks ahead, -approaching them as closely as we dared; then, with a pull on one oar, -the boat was turned slightly at an angle to the current, and swung to -one side or the other; just as a ferry is headed into the current, the -water itself helping to force it across. The ferry is held by a cable; -the boat, by the oarsman; the results are quite similar. - -The boats, too, were somewhat unusual in design, having been carefully -worked out by Galloway after much experience with the problem, and -after building many boats. He finally settled on the design furnished -us by Mr. Stone. The flat bottom, sloping up from the centre to either -end, placed the boats on a pivot one might say, so that they could be -turned very quickly, much more quickly than if they had had a keel. -There was a four foot skag or keel under the stern end of the boat, -but this was only used when in quiet water; and as it was never -replaced after being once removed we seldom refer to it. Being -flat-bottomed, they drew comparatively little water, a matter quite -important on low water such as we found in the Green River. While each -boat carried a weight of seven hundred pounds in addition to its own -five hundred pounds, they often passed over rocks less than ten inches -below the surface, and did so without touching. While the boats were -quite large, the arched decks made them look even larger. A -considerable amount of material could be stored under these decks. The -only part of the boat that was entirely open or unprotected from the -waves was the cockpit, or mid-section occupied by the oarsman. This -was only large enough for one man. A second man had to sit on the deck -behind the oarsman, with his feet hanging into the cockpit. Jimmy -occupied this place of honour as we drifted through the placid water; -first on one boat, then on the other, entertaining us meanwhile with -his songs. - -We encountered two splashy little rapids this day, but with no rocks, -or any dangerous feature whatever. Any method, or none at all, was -safe enough in these rapids. - -The colouring of the rocks changed as we proceeded, and at the lower -end of the short canyon we saw the flaming patch of colour that had -suggested its name to Major Powell, forty-two years before. -Intensified on that occasion by the reflected light of a gorgeous -sunset, it must have been a most brilliant spectacle. - -Two beavers slid into the water when we were close beside them, then -rose to the surface to stare curiously when we had passed. We left -them undisturbed. Some geese decoyed us into an attempt to ambush -them, but they kept always just out of reach of our guns. Wise -fellows, those geese! - -A geological fault accompanied by the breaking down of the walls marks -the division between Flaming Gorge and Horseshoe Canyon, which -immediately follows. We nooned here, opposite a deserted cabin. A -trail dropped by easy stages over the slope on the east side; and -fresh tracks showed that sheep had recently been driven down to the -water's edge. - -Passing through Horseshoe,--another very short canyon,--we found deep, -placid pools, and sheer, light red walls rising about four hundred -feet on either side, then sloping back steeply to the tree-covered -mountains. In the middle of this canyon Emery was startled out of a -day-dream by a rock falling into the water close beside him, with -never a sound of warning. Years spent in the canyons had accustomed -Emery and me to such occurrences; but Jimmy, unused to great gorges -and towering cliffs, was much impressed by this incident. After all, -it is only the unusual that is terrible. Jimmy was ready enough to -take his chances at dodging bricks hurled by a San Francisco -earthquake, but never got quite used to rocks descending from a source -altogether out of sight. Small wonder, after all! Later we were to -experience more of this thing, and on a scale to startle a stoic! - -We halted at the end of Horseshoe, early in the afternoon of September -14, 1911, one week out from Green River City. Camp No. 6 was pitched -on a gravelly shore beside Sheep Creek, a clear sparkling stream, -coming in from the slopes of the Uintah range. Just above us, on the -west, rose three jagged cliffs, about five hundred feet high, -reminding one by their shape of the Three Brothers of Yosemite Valley. -Here, again, we were treated to another wonderful example of geologic -displacement, the rocks of Horseshoe Canyon lying in level strata; -while those of Kingfisher, which followed, were standing on end. Sheep -Creek, flowing from the west, finds an easy course through the fault, -at the division of the canyons. The balance of this day was spent in -carefully packing our material and rearranging it in our boats, for we -expected hard work to follow. - -Tempted by the rippling song of the brook, and by tales of fish to be -found therein, we spent two hours fishing from its banks on the -morning of the 15th. But the foliage of overhanging trees and shrubs -was dense, making it difficult to cast our lines, or even to climb -along its shores, and our small catch of two trout, which were fried -with a strip of bacon to add flavour, only whetted our appetites for -more. - -It was a little late in the season for many birds. Here in Kingfisher -Canyon were a few of the fish-catching birds from which the canyon -took its name. There were many of the tireless cliff-swallows -scattered all through these canyons, wheeling and darting, ever on the -wing. These, with the noisy crested jays, an occasional "camp-robber," -the little nuthatches, the cheerful canyon wren with his rollicking -song, the happy water-ousel, "kill-deer," and road-runners and the -water birds,--ducks, geese, and mud-hens, with an occasional -crane,--made up the bird life seen in the open country and in these -upper canyons. Earlier in the season it must be a bird's paradise, for -berries and seeds would then be plentiful. - -We resumed our journey at 10 A.M., a very short run bringing us to the -end of Kingfisher Canyon. The three canyons passed through approximate -hardly more than ten miles in length, different names being given for -geological reasons, as they really form only one canyon. The walls at -the end were broken down, and brilliantly tinted talus of many hues -covered the slopes, the different colours intermingling near the -bottom. The canyon-walled river turned southeast here, and continued -in this general direction for many miles, but with many twists and -turns. - -We had previously been informed that Red Canyon, the next to follow, -while not considered bad when compared to others, gave one the -experience most necessary to combat the rapids farther down. It was -not without danger, however, as a review of previous expeditions -showed: some had lost their lives, still others, their boats; and one -of Major Powell's parties had upset a boat in a Red Canyon rapid. The -stage of water was so different on these previous attempts that their -experiences were of little value to us one way or the other. A -reference to pictures taken by two of these parties showed us there -was considerable more water when they went through--six, and even -eight feet higher in places. Possibly this would be the best stage on -which to make the voyage in heavy boats. The unfortunate ones had -taken the spring rise, or flood water, with disastrous results to -themselves or their boats. - -We soon found that our passage was to be hard on account of having too -little water. In the quiet water above we had been seldom bothered -with shoals; but now that we were in swifter water, there was scarcely -any depth to it at all, except in the quiet pools between the rapids. - -For a description of our passage through this upper end of Red Canyon -we refer to our journal: sketchy notes jotted down, usually in the -evening just before retiring, by the light of a camp-fire, or the -flickering flame of a candle. Under the date of Friday, September the -15th, we find the following: - - "End of Kingfisher: long, quiet pools and shoals where we - grounded a few times; several small, splashy rapids; then a - larger one near an old boat landing. Looked the rapid over - from the shore. Jim remained at the lower end with a - life-preserver on a rope, while we ran the rapid. Struck one - or two rocks, lightly; but made the run in safety." - - "At the third rapid we saw some geese--but they got away. At - noon we ate a cold lunch and because of the low water - removed the skags, carrying them in the cockpit. The scenery - in upper Red Canyon is impressive: pines and fir come down - on the sloping sides to the river's edge; the rocks are - reddish brown in colour, often broken in squares, and - looking like great building blocks piled one upon another. - The canyon is about fifteen hundred feet deep; the river is - clear again, and averages about two hundred feet in width. - We have seen a few deer tracks, but have not seen any deer. - We also saw some jumping trout in a splashy little rapid. - Doubtless they came from a little creek, close by, for we - never heard of trout being found in the Green River." - - "We made a motion picture, while dropping our boats down - with lines, over the first rapid we considered bad. Emery - remained in the boats, keeping clear of the rocks with a - pole. Powell's second party records an upset here. We passed - Kettle Creek about 5 P.M. In the fifth rapids below Kettle - Creek I got on the wrong side of the river and was carried - into a very rocky rapid--the worst so far encountered. I - touched a rock or two at the start, but made the run in - safety; while Emery ran the opposite side without trouble. - We camped beside a small stream on the south, where there - were signs of an old camp." - - "_Saturday, September 16_. Clear and cold in the early - morning. Started about 9 A.M. Lined our boats past a - difficult rapid. Too many rocks, not enough water. Two or - three miles below this I had some difficulty in a rapid, as - the pin of a rowlock lifted out of the socket when in the - middle of rough water. Emery snapped a picture just as it - happened. A little later E.C.[2] ran a rocky rapid, but had - so much trouble that we concluded to line my boat. Noon. - Just a cold lunch, but with hot coffee from the vacuum - bottles. Then at it again." - - "The scenery is wonderful; the canyon is deeper than above; - the river is swift and has a decided drop. We proceed - cautiously, and make slow progress. We camp for the day on - the north side close to a little, dry gully, on a level sage - and bunch-grass covered bottom back from the river's edge. - An abruptly descending canyon banked with small cottonwood - trees coming in from the opposite side contains a small - stream. Put up our tent for the second time since leaving - Green River, Wyoming. We are all weary, and glad to-morrow - is Sunday--a day of rest." - - "_Sunday, September 17._ E.C. and I follow a fresh deer - track up a game trail and get--a rabbit. Climb out about - 1300 feet above the river to the top of the narrow canyon. - Here is a sloping plateau, dotted with bunch-grass and - grease-wood, a fourth of a mile wide. Then rounded mountains - rise beyond the plateau, some of the peaks reaching a height - of 4000 feet above the river. The opposite side is much the - same, but with a wider plateau. We had no idea before what a - wonderful country this is. It is a picture to tempt an - artist. High on the mountain tops is the dark blue-green of - pines and firs, reds and yellows are mixed in the quaking - aspen,--for the frost comes early enough to catch the sap in - the leaves; little openings, or parks with no trees, are - tinted a beautiful soft gray; 'brownstone fronts' are found - in the canyon walls; and a very light green in the - willow-leafed cottonwoods at the river's edge, and in all - side canyons where there is a running stream. The river - glistens in the sunlight, as it winds around the base of the - wall on which we stand, and then disappears around a bend in - the canyon. Turn where we will, we see no sign of an - opening, nothing but the rounded tops of wooded mountains, - red and green, far as the eye can reach, until they - disappear in the hazy blue. Finally Emery's keen eyes, aided - by the binoculars, discover a log cabin at the foot of a - mountain, on the plateau opposite us about three miles - away." - - "We hurry back to camp and write some letters; then Jim and - I cross the river and climb out over the rocky walls to the - plateau above. In two hours we reach the cabin. It is - new--not yet finished. A woman and four children are looking - over a garden when we arrive. They are a little frightened - at first, but soon recover. The woman gladly promises to - take out our mail when they go to the nearest town, which - happens to be Vernal, Utah, forty-five miles away. Three - other families live near by, all recently moved in from - Vernal. The woman tells us that Galloway hunts bear in these - timbered mountains, and has killed some with a price on - their heads--bear with a perverted taste for fresh beef."[3] - - "Thanking the woman, we make our way back to the river. We - see some dried-out elk horns along our trail; though it is - doubtful if elk get this far south at present. A deer trail, - leading down a ravine, makes our homeward journey much - easier. It has turned quite cold this evening, after sunset. - We finish our notes and prepare to roll into our beds a - little earlier than usual." - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - - -SUSPICIOUS HOSTS - -We awoke bright and early the next morning, much refreshed by our day -of rest and variety. With an early start we were soon pulling down the -river, and noon found us several miles below the camp, having run -eleven rapids with no particular difficulty. A reference in my notes -reads: "Last one has a thousand rocks, and we could not miss them all. -My rowing is improving, and we both got through fairly well." In the -afternoon they continued to come--an endless succession of small -rapids, with here and there a larger one. The canyon was similar to -that at our camp above, dark red walls with occasional pines on the -ledges,--a most charming combination of colour. At 2.30 P.M. we -reached Ashley Falls, a rapid we had been expecting to see for some -time. It was a place of singular beauty. A dozen immense rocks had -fallen from the cliff on the left, almost completely blocking the -channel--or so it seemed from one point of view. But there was a -crooked channel, not more than twelve wide in places, through which -the water shot like a stream from a nozzle. - -We wanted a motion picture of our dash through the chute. But the -location for the camera was hard to secure, for a sheer bank of rock -or low wall prevented us from climbing out on the right side. We -overcame this by landing on a little bank at the base of the wall and -by dropping a boat down with a line to the head of the rapid where a -break occurred in the wall. Jimmy was left with the camera, the boat -was pulled back, and we prepared to run the rapid. - -We first had to pass between two square rocks rising eight feet above -the water so close together that we could not use the oars; then, when -past these, pull ten feet to the right in order to clear the large -rock at the end of the main dam, or barrier, not more than twenty feet -below. To pull down bow first and try to make the turn, would mean to -smash broadside against this rock. It could only be done by dropping -stern first, and pulling to the right under the protection of the -first rocks; though it was doubtful if even this could be -accomplished, the current was so swift. The _Defiance_ was ready -first, the _Edith_ was to follow as closely as safety allowed. - -Almost before I knew it I was in the narrow channel, so close to the -right rock that I had to ship that oar, and pull altogether on the -left one. As soon as I was through I made a few quick strokes, but the -current was too strong for me; and a corner of the stern struck a bang -when I was almost clear. She paused as a wave rolled over the decks, -then rose quickly; a side current caught the boat, whirling it around, -and the bow struck. I was still pulling with all my might, but -everything happened so quickly,--with the boat whirling first this -way, then that,--that my efforts were almost useless. But after that -second strike I did get in a few strokes, and pulled into the quiet -pool below the line of boulders. - -Emery held his boat in better position than I had done, and it looked -for a while as if he would make it. But the _Edith_ struck on the -stern, much as mine had done. Then he pulled clear and joined me in -the shelter of the large rock, as cool and smiling as if he had been -rowing on a mill-pond. We were delighted to find that our boats had -suffered no damage from the blows they had received. Striking on the -ends as they did, the shock was distributed throughout the whole boat. - -This completed our run for that day, and we went into camp just below -the "Falls." Emery painted the name _Edith_ on the bow of his boat, at -this camp. The name was given in honour of his four-year-old daughter, -waiting for us at the Grand Canyon. I remarked that as no one loved -me, I would name my boat the _Defiance_. But I hesitated about putting -this name on the bow. I would look rather foolish, I thought, if the -_Defiance_ should be wrecked in the first bad rapid. So the -christening of my boat was left until such time as should have earned -the title, although she was constantly referred to as the _Defiance_. - -We remained until noon of the following day at Ashley Falls, -exploring, repairing, and photographing this picturesque spot. The -canyon walls here dropped down to beautiful, rolling foot-hills eight -or nine hundred feet high tree covered as before but more open. The -diversity of rocks and hills was alluring. There was work to be done -and no pleasanter spot could be found in which to do it. Among other -things that had to be looked after were some adjustments to the -motion-picture camera--usually referred to by us as the M.P.C.--this -delicate work always falling to Emery, for he alone could do it. - -There was much to interest us here. Major Powell reported finding the -name "Ashley" painted under an overhanging rock on the left side of -the river. Underneath was a date, rather indistinct, but found to have -been 1825, by Dellenbaugh, after carefully tracing the career of -Colonel Ashley who was responsible for the record. Accompanied by a -number of trappers, he made the passage through this canyon at that -early day. We found a trace of the record. There were three -letters--A-s-h--the first two quite distinct, and underneath were -black spots. It must have been pretty good paint to leave a trace -after eighty-six years! - -Resuming our journey we passed into deep canyon again,--the deepest we -had found up to this time,--with steeply sloping, verdure-covered -walls about 2700 feet high. The rapids still continued. At one rapid -the remark was made that "Two feet of water would cover two hundred -rocks so that our boats would pass over them." But we did not have the -two feet needed. - -We had previously been informed that some of these mountains were the -hiding-places of men who were "wanted" in the three states which -bordered near here. Some escaping prisoners had also been traced to -the mountains in this direction; then all tracks had ceased. The few -peaceable ranchers who lived in these mountains were much alarmed over -these reports. We found one such rancher on the plateau above the -canyon, whom we will call Johnson for convenience,--living in one of -the upper canyons. He sold us some provisions. In return he asked us -to help him swim some of his horses across the river. He said the high -water had taken out his own boat. The horses were rounded up in a -mountain-hidden valley and driven into the water ahead of the boat. -After securing the horses, Johnson's welcome seemed to turn to -suspicion and he questioned our reasons for being there, wanting to -know what we could find in that wild country to interest us. Johnson's -sons, of whom there were several, seemed to put in most of their time -at hunting and trapping, never leaving the house without a gun. The -cabin home looked like an arsenal, revolvers and guns hanging on all -the walls--even his daughters being familiar with their use. Although -we had been very well treated after all, Mrs. Johnson especially -having been very kind to us, we felt just a little relieved when the -Johnson ranch was left behind. We use, in fact, a fictious name, not -caring to visit on them the suspicions we ourselves felt in return. - -Another morning passed in repairing the M.P. camera, and another -afternoon's work was necessary to get us out of the walls and the -rapids of Red Canyon. But on the evening of the 20th, we did get out, -and pulled into an open country known as Brown's Park, one week after -entering Flaming Gorge. It had not been very fast travelling; but we -were through, and with no mishap more serious than a split board on -the side of my boat. Under favourable conditions, and in experienced -hands, this distance might have been covered in three days. But -meanwhile, we were gaining a lot of experience. - -About the lower end of Red Canyon the river turned directly east, -paralleling the northern boundary of Utah, and continued to flow in -this general direction until it crossed into Colorado. - -On emerging from Red Canyon we spied a ranch house or log cabin close -to the river. The doors were open and there were many tracks in the -sand, so we thought some one must be about. On approaching the house, -however, we found the place was deserted, but with furniture, books, -and pictures piled on the floor in the utmost confusion, as if the -occupants had left in a great hurry. This surmise afterward proved to -be correct; for we learned that the rancher had been murdered for his -money, his body having been found in a boat farther down the river. -Suspicion pointed to an old employee who had been seen lurking near -the place. He was traced to the railroad, over a hundred miles to the -north; but made his escape and was never caught. - -We found Brown's Park, once known as Brown's Hole, to be a beautiful -valley several miles in width, and thirty-five or forty miles in -length. The upper end of the valley was rugged in places, with rocky -hills two or three hundred feet high. To the south, a few miles away, -were the mountains, a continuation of those we had come through. We -saw many cattle scattered over some of these rocky hills, grazing on -the bunch-grass. At one place our course led us through a little -canyon about two miles long, and scarcely more than two hundred feet -deep. This was Swallow Canyon--a name suggested by the many birds of -that species which had covered the canyon's walls with their little -clay nests. The openings of some of these nests were so small that it -scarcely seemed possible for a bird to enter. - -The water was deep and quiet in this short canyon, and a hard wind -blowing up the stream made it difficult for us to gain any headway. In -this case, too, the forms of the boat were against us. With the keel -removed and with their high sides catching the wind, they were carried -back and forth like small balloons. Well, we could put up with it for -a while, for those very features would prove most valuable in the -rough-water canyons which were to follow! - -Emerging from the canyon at last, we saw a ferry loaded with sheep -crossing the stream. On the left shore was a large corral, also filled -with sheep which a half dozen men were driving back and forth into -different compartments. Later these men told us there were 2400 sheep -in the flock. We took their word for it, making no attempt to count -them. The foreman of the ranch agreed to sell us some sugar and -honey,--these two articles being a welcome addition to our list of -supplies, which were beginning to show the effects of our voracious -appetites. - -We found many other log cabins and ranches as we proceeded. Some of -them were deserted; at others men were busily engaged in cutting hay -or the wild grass that grew in the bottoms. The fragrance of new-mown -hay was in the air. Young boys and women were among these busy -workers, some of the women being seated on large harvesters, handling -the horses with as much dexterity as any of the men. - -The entire trip through this pretty valley was full of interest. We -were hailed from the shore by some of the hay ranchers, it being a -novel sight to them to see a river expedition. At one or two of these -places we asked the reason for the deserted ranches above, and were -given evasive answers. Finally we were told that cattle rustlers from -the mountains made it so hard for the ranchers in the valleys that -there was nothing for them to do but get out. They told us, also, that -we were fortunate to get away from Johnson's ranch with our valuables! -Our former host, we were told, had committed many depredations and had -served one term for cattle stealing. Officers, disguised as -prospectors, had taken employment with him and helped him kill and -skin some cattle; the skins, with their telltale brands, having been -partially burned and buried. On this evidence he was afterwards -convicted. - -Our cool welcome by the Johnsons, their suspicions of us, the sinister -arsenal of guns and pistols, all was explained! Quite likely some of -these weapons had been trained against us by the trappers on the -chance that we were either officers of the law, or competitors in the -horse-stealing industry. For that matter we were actually guilty of -the latter count, for come to think of it, we ourselves had helped -them steal eight horses and a colt! - -The entire trip through this pretty valley was full of interest. It -was all so different from anything seen above. There were great -bottoms that gave evidence of having recently been overflooded, though -now covered with cottonwood trees, gorgeous in their autumn foliage. -We had often wondered where all the driftwood that floated down the -Colorado came from; but after seeing those unnumbered acres of -cottonwoods we ceased to wonder. - -There were many beaver slides on the banks; and in places, numberless -trees had been felled by these industrious animals. On one or two -occasions we narrowly escaped splitting the sides of our boats on -snags of trees which the beavers had buried in the bottom of the -stream. We saw no beaver dams on the river; they were not necessary, -for deep, quiet pools existed everywhere in Brown's Park. We saw two -beavers in this section. One of these rose, porpoise-like, to the top -of the water, stared at us a moment, then brought his tail down with a -resounding smack on the top of the water, and disappeared, to enter -his home by the subterranean route, no doubt. The river was gradually -losing its clear colour, for the sand-bars were beginning to "work -out," or break, making the water quite roily. In some sections of -Brown's Park we grounded on these sand-bars, making it necessary for -us to get out into the water, pushing and pulling on the boats until -deeper water was reached. Sometimes the deep water came when least -expected, the sand-bars having a disconcerting way of dropping off -abruptly on the downstream side. Jimmy stepped off the edge of one of -these hidden ledges while working with a boat and was for some time in -no condition to appreciate our ill-concealed mirth. - -Often we would be passing along on perfectly smooth water, when -suddenly a turmoil would rise all about us as though a geyser had -broken out below the surface. If we happened to be directly over it, -the boat would be rocked back and forth for a while; then all would be -peaceful again. This was most often caused by the ledges of sand, -anywhere from three to ten feet high breaking down or falling forward -as their bases were undermined. In a single night a bar of this kind -will work upstream for a distance of several feet; then the sand will -be carried down with the current to lodge again in some quiet pool, -and again be carried on as before. This action gives rise to long -lines of regular waves or swells extending for some distance down the -stream. These are usually referred to as sand-waves. These waves -increase in size in high water; and the monotonous thump, thump of the -boat's bottom upon them is anything but pleasant, especially if one is -trying to make fast time. - -So, with something new at every turn, we pulled lazily through Brown's -Park, shooting at ducks and geese when we came near them, snapping our -cameras when a picture presented itself, and observing the animal life -along the stream. - -We stopped at one hay-ranch close to the Utah-Colorado line and -chatted awhile with the workers. A pleasant-faced woman named Mrs. -Chew asked us to deliver a message at a ranch a mile or two below. -Here also was the post-office of Lodore, Colorado, located a short -distance above the canyon of the same name. Mrs. Chew informed us that -they had another ranch at the lower end of Lodore Canyon and asked us -to look them up when we got through, remarking: "You may have trouble, -you know. Two of my sons once tried it. They lost their boat, had to -climb out, and nearly starved before they reached home." - -The post-office at the ranch, found as described, without another home -in sight, was a welcome sight to us for several reasons. One reason -was that it afforded shelter from a heavy downpour of rain that -greeted us as we neared it, and a better reason still was, that it -gave us a chance to write and mail some letters to those who would be -most anxious to hear from us. - -Among the messages we mailed was a picture post-card of Coney Island -at night. In some way this card had slipped between the leaves of a -book that I had brought from the East. I sent it out, addressed to a -friend who would understand the joke; writing underneath the picture, -"We have an abundance of such scenery here." The young woman who had -charge of the office looked at the card in amazement. It was evidently -something new to her. She told us she had never been to the railroad, -and that her brother took the mail out on horse-back to Steamboat, -Colorado, 140 miles distant. - -The rain having ceased, we returned to our boats pausing to admire a -rainbow that arched above the canyon in the mountains, toward which we -were headed. We remarked, jokingly, to Jimmy that this was a good -sign. He replied without smiling that he "hoped so." Jimmy's songs had -long since ceased, and we suspected him of homesickness. With the -exception of a short visit to some friends on a large ranch, Jimmy had -never been away from his home in San Francisco. This present -experience was quite a contrast, to be sure! We did what we could to -keep him cheered up, but with little success. Jimmy had intimated that -he would prefer to leave at the first opportunity to reach a railroad, -and we willingly agreed to help him in every possible way. Emery and I -also agreed between ourselves that we would not take any unnecessary -risks with him; but would leave him out of the boats at all rapids, if -there was any passage around them. - -The river had taken a sharp turn to the south soon after passing the -post-office, heading directly towards the mountains. Camp was pitched -just above the mouth of Lodore. This twenty-mile canyon bears a very -unsavory reputation, having a descent of 425 feet in that short -distance, the greater part of the fall occurring in a space of twelve -miles. This would mean wild water somewhere! - -We were camped on a spot recently occupied by some engineers of the -United States Conservation Department, who had been trying to -determine if it was feasible to dam the river at this place. The plan -was to flood the hole of Brown's Park and divert the water through the -mountains by a tunnel to land suitable for cultivation and in -addition, allow the muddy water to settle and so prevent the vast -amount of silt from being washed on down, eventually to the mouth of -the Colorado. The location seemed admirably suited for this stupendous -project. But holes drilled beside the river failed to find bottom, as -nothing but quicksand existed even at a depth of nearly three hundred -feet; and without a strong foundation, such a dam would be utterly -useless. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - - -THE BATTLE WITH LODORE - -Camp routine was hurriedly disposed of the next morning, Saturday, -September the 23d. Everything was made snug beneath the hatches, -except the two guns, which were too long to go under the decks, and -had to be carried in the open cockpits. "Camp No. 13, at the head of -Lodore," as it is entered in my journal, was soon hidden by a bend in -the river. The open, sun-lit country, with its pleasant ranches and -its grazing cattle, its rolling, gray, sage-covered hills and its wild -grass and cottonwood-covered bottoms, was left behind, and we were -back in the realm of the rock-walled canyon, and beetle-browed, -frowning cliffs with pines and cedars clutching at the scanty ledges. - -We paused long enough to make a picture or two, with the hope that the -photographic record would give to others some idea of the geological -and scenic wonder--said to be the greatest known example of its -kind--which lay before us. Here is an obstructing mountain raised -directly in the river's path. Yet with no deviation whatever the -stream has cut through the very centre of the peak! The walls are -almost sheer, especially at the the bottom, and are quite close -together at the top. A mile inside the mountain on the left or east -side of the gorge is 2700 feet high. Geologists say that the river was -here first and that the mountain was slowly raised in its pathway--so -slowly that the river could saw away and maintain its old channel. The -quicksand found below the present level would seem to indicate that -the walls were once even higher than at present, and that a subsidence -had taken place after the cutting. - -The river at the entrance of this rock-walled canyon was nothing -alarming, four small rapids being passed without event. Then a fifth -was reached that looked worse. The _Edith_ was lined down. This was -hard work, and dangerous too, owing to the strength of the current and -the many rocks; so I concluded that my own boat, the _Defiance_, must -run the rapid. Jimmy went below, with a life-preserver on a rope. -Emery stood beside the rapid with a camera and made a picture as I -shot past him. Fortunately I got through without mishap. I refused to -upset even to please my brother. - -We were beginning to think that Lodore was not so bad after all. Rapid -followed rapid in quick succession, and all were run without trouble; -then we came to a large one. It was Upper Disaster Falls; so named by -Major Powell, for it was here that one of his boats was wrecked on his -first voyage of exploration. This boat failed to make the landing -above the rapid and was carried over. She struck a rock broadside, -turned around and struck again, breaking the boat completely in two. -This boat was built of 3/4-inch oak reënforced with bulkheads. When -this fact is taken into consideration, some idea may be had of the -great power of these rapids. The three men who occupied the boat saved -themselves by reaching an island a short distance below. - -This all happened on a stage of water much higher than the present -one, so we did not let the occurrence influence us one way or the -other, except to make us careful to land above the rapid. We found a -very narrow channel between two submerged boulders, the water plunging -and foaming for a short distance below, over many hidden rocks. Still, -there was only one large rock near the lower end that we greatly -feared, and by careful work that might be avoided. - -The _Edith_ went first and grazed the boulder slightly, but no harm -was done as E.C. held his boat well in hand. I followed, and struck -rocks at the same instant on both sides of the narrow channel with my -oars. It will be remembered that we ran all these dangerous rapids -facing downstream. The effect of this was to shoot the ends of both -oars up past my face. The operator said that I made a grimace just as -he took a picture of the scrimmage. - -We landed on the island below and talked of camping for the night, as -it was getting late; but the island so rocky and inhospitable that we -concluded to try the lower part of the rapid. This had no descent like -the upper end; but it was very shallow, and we soon found ourselves on -rocks, unable to proceed any farther. It took an hour of hard labour -to work our heavy boats safely to the shore. - -We had been hoping for a rest the next day--Sunday--but the island was -such a disagreeable place to camp that it seemed necessary to cross to -the mainland at least. A coil of strong, pliable wire had been -included in our material. Here was a chance to use it to advantage. -The stream on the left side of the island could be waded, although it -was very swift; and we managed to get the wire across and well -fastened at both ends. Elevating the wire above the water with -cross-sticks, our tent and camp material were run across on a pulley, -and camp was pitched a hundred yards below, on the left shore of the -river. - -There were fitful showers in the afternoon, and we rested from our -labour, obtaining a great deal of comfort from our tent, which was put -up here for the third time since leaving Green River City. Always, -when the weather was clear, we slept in the open. - -Monday, the 25th, found us at the same camp. Having concluded that -Disaster Falls was an ideal place for a moving picture, we sent the -balance of the material across on the pulley and wire, making a -picture of the operation; stopping often because it continued to -shower. Between showers we resumed our work and picture making. - -The picture was to have been concluded with the operation of lining -the boat across. E.C. stood on the shore about sixty feet away, -working with the camera; Jimmy was on the island, paying out the rope; -while I waded in the water, holding the bow of the boat as I worked -her between the rocks. Having reached the end of the rope, I coiled it -up, advising Jimmy to go up to a safe crossing and join my brother -while I proceeded with the boat. All was going well, and I was nearing -the shore, when I found myself suddenly carried off my feet into water -beyond my depth, and drifting for the lower end of the rapid. -Meanwhile I was holding to the bow of the boat, and calling lustily to -my brother to save me. At first he did not notice that anything was -wrong, as he was looking intently through the finder. Then he suddenly -awoke to the fact that something was amiss, and came running down the -boulder-strewn shore, but he could not help me, as we had neglected to -leave a rope with him. Things were beginning to look pretty serious, -when the boat stopped against a rock and I found myself once more with -solid footing under me. It was too good a picture to miss; and I found -the operator at the machine, turning the crank as I climbed out. - -We developed some films and plates that evening, securing some -satisfactory results from these tests. It continued to rain all that -night, with intermittent showers next morning. The rain made little -difference to us, for we were in the water much of the following day -as he boats were taken along the edge of another unrunnable rapid, a -good companion rapid for the one just passed. - -This was Lower Disaster Falls, the first of many similar rapids we -were to see, but this was one of the worst of its kind. The -swift-rushing river found its channel blocked by the canyon wall on -the right side, the cliff running at right angles to the course of the -stream. The river, attacking the limestones, had cut a channel under -the wall, then turned and ran with the wall, emerging about two -hundred feet below. Standing on a rock and holding one end of a -twenty-five foot string we threw a stone attached to the other end -across to the opposite wall. The overhanging wall was within two feet -of the rushing river; a higher stage of water would hide the cut -completely from view. Think what would happen if a boat were carried -against or under that wall! We thought of it many times as we -carefully worked our boats along the shore. - -Between the delays of rain, with stops for picture making, portaging -our material, and "lining" our boats, we spent almost three days in -getting past the rapids called Upper and Lower Disaster Falls, with -their combined fall of 50 feet in little more than half a mile. On the -evening of September the 26th we camped almost within sight of this -same place, at the base of a 3000-foot sugar-loaf mountain on the -right, tree-covered from top to bottom. - -Things were going too easily for us, it seemed; but we were in for a -few reverses. It stormed much of the night and still drizzled when we -embarked on the following morning. The narrow canyon was gloomy and -darkened with shreds of clouds drifting far below the rim. The first -rapid was narrow, and contained some large boulders. The _Edith_ was -caught on one of these and turned on her side, so that the water -flowed in, filling the cockpit. The boat was taken off without -difficulty, and bailed out. We found that the bulkheads failed to keep -the water out of the hatches. Some material from the _Edith_ was -transferred to the _Defiance_. A bed, in a protecting sack of rubber -and canvas, was shoved under the seat and we proceeded. - -Less than an hour later I repeated my brother's performance, but I was -not so fortunate as he. The _Defiance_ was carried against one rock as -I tried to pull clear of another, and in an instant she was on her -side, held by the rush of water. I caught the gunwale, and, climbing -on to the rock that caused the disaster, I managed to catch the rope -and held the boat. In the meantime Emery was in a whirlpool below, -trying to land on the right side; but was having a difficult time of -it. Jimmy stood on the shore unable to help. The bed was washed out of -the boat and went bobbing over the waves, then before I knew what had -happened, the rope was jerked from my hands and I was left stranded on -my rock. Seeing this, Jimmy ran with all his might for a pool at the -end of the rapid, bravely rescuing the boat and the bed as well, just -as the _Edith_ was landed. A rope was soon thrown to me, after the -inevitable picture was made. Then I jumped and was pulled to shore. - -On making an inventory we found that our guns were lost from the boat. -Being too long to go under the hatches, they had been left in the -cockpit. The _Defiance_ had an ugly rap on the bottom, where she -struck a rock, the wood being smashed or jammed, but not broken out. -Nearly all material in the two boats was wet, so we took everything -out and piled it on a piece of canvas, spread out on the sand. We -worked rapidly, for another storm had been threatening all the -morning. - -We were engaged in putting up our little tent when a violent wind -which swept up the canyon, followed by a downpour of rain interrupted -our work; and if anything missed a soaking before, it certainly -received it then. The sand was beaten into our cameras and everything -was scattered helter-skelter over the shore. We were fortunate in only -one respect. The wind was away from the river instead of toward it. We -finally got the tent up, then threw everything into it in an -indiscriminate pile, and waited for the storm to pass. Emery proposed -that we do a song and dance just to show how good we felt; but any -appearance of merriment was rather forced. - -Had the builders of the boats been there, we fear they would have had -an uncomfortable half-hour; for nearly all this loss could have been -avoided had our instructions regarding the hatch covers been followed. -And for the sake of their saving a few dollars we had to suffer! - -The rain soon passed and we went to work, first starting a fire and -getting a hurried lunch, for we had not eaten our noon meal, and it -was then 4 P.M. We put up our dark-room tent, then went to work to -find what was saved, and what was lost. We were surprised to find that -all our small films and plates had escaped a soaking. Protected in tin -and cardboard boxes, wrapped with adhesive tape, and covered with a -coating of paraffine melted and poured over them, they had turned the -water in nearly every instance. The motion-picture film was not so -fortunate. The paraffine had worn off the tin boxes in spots, the -water soaked through the tape in some instances, and entered to the -film. One roll, tightly wrapped, became wet on the edges; the gelatine -swelled and stuck to the other film, thus sealing the inner portion or -picture part of the film, so that roll was saved. - -The motion-picture camera was filled with water, mud and sand; and the -other cameras fared likewise. We cleaned them out as best we could, -drying them over small alcohol lamp which we had included in our -duffle. Our job seemed endless. Jimmy had retired early, for he could -help us but little in this work. It rained again in torrents, and the -wind howled about the tent. After midnight, as we still toiled, a -land-slide, loosened by the soaking rains, thundered down the mountain -side about a fourth of a mile below our camp. We hoped Jimmy would not -hear it. We retired soon after this. Smaller slides followed at -intervals, descending over the 3000-foot precipices. Thunder -reverberated through the canyon, and altogether it was a night long to -be remembered. These slides made one feel a little uncomfortable. "It -would be most inconvenient," as we have heard some one say, "to wake -in the morning and find ourselves wrapped up in a few tons of earth -and rock." - -Emery woke me the next morning to report that the river had risen -about six feet; and that my boat--rolled out on the sand but left -untied--was just on the Point of going out with the water. It had -proven fortunate for us all Emery was a light sleeper! There was no -travelling this day, as the boat had to be repaired. Emery, being the -ship's carpenter, set to work at once, while Jimmy and I stretched our -ropes back and forth, and hung up the wet clothes. Then we built a -number of fires underneath and soon had our belongings in a steam. -Things were beginning to look cheerful again. The rain stopped, too, -for a time at least. - -A little later Jimmy ran into camp with a fish which he had caught -with his hands. It was of the kind commonly called the bony-tail or -humpback or buffalo-fish, a peculiar species found in many of the -rivers of the Southwest. It is distinguished by a small flat head with -a hump directly behind it; the end of the body being round, very -slender, and equipped with large tail-fins. This specimen was about -sixteen inches long, the usual length for a full-grown fish of this -species. - -Now for a fish story! On going down to the river we found a great many -fish swimming in a small whirlpool, evidently trying to escape from -the thick, slimy mud which was carried in the water. In a half-hour we -secured fourteen fish, killing most of them with our oars. There were -suckers and one catfish in the lot. You can judge for yourself how -thick the water was, that such mudfishes as these should have been -choked to helplessness. Our captured fish were given a bath in a -bucket of rain-water, and we had a fish dinner. - -In the afternoon we made a test of the water from the river, and found -that it contained 20 per cent of an alkaline silt. When we had to use -this water, we bruised the leaf of a prickly pear cactus, and placed -it in a bucket of water. This method, repeated two or three times, -usually clears the muddiest water. We also dug holes in the sand at -the side of the river. The water, filtering through the sand, was -often clear enough to develop the tests we made with our films. - -Jimmy continued to feel downhearted; and this afternoon he told us his -story. Our surmise about his being homesick was correct, but it was a -little more than that. He had an invalid mother, it seemed, and, aided -by an older brother, he had always looked after the needs of the -family. When the proposition of making the river trip came up, serious -objections were raised by the family; but when the transportation -arrived he had determined to go, in spite of their objections. Now he -feared that his mother would not live, or that we would be wrecked, -and he would not know where to turn, or what to do. No wonder he felt -blue! - -All we could do was to promise to help him leave the river at the very -first opportunity. This would quite likely be at Jensen, Utah, still -fifty miles farther downstream. - -It continued to rain by spells that night and the next morning. About -11 A.M. we resumed our work on the river. A short distance below our -camp we saw the land-slide which we heard the night before--tons of -earth and shattered rock wrapped about the split and stripped trunks -of a half-dozen pines. The slide was started by the dislodged section -of a sheer wall close to the top of the 2700-foot cliff. We also saw a -boat of crude construction, pulled above the high-water mark; -evidently abandoned a great while before. Any person who had to climb -the walls at that place had a hard job to tackle, although we could -pick out breaks where it looked feasible; there were a few places -behind us where it would be next to impossible. We had only gone over -a few rapids when we found a long pool, with driftwood eddying -upstream, and knew that our run for the day was over--the Triplet -Rapids were ahead of us. We found this rapid to be about a fourth of a -mile long, divided into three sections as its name indicated, and -filled with great boulders at the base of a sheer cliff on the -right--another unrunnable rapid. - -Taking the camp material from the boats, we carried it down and -pitched our tent first of all, then, while Emery prepared supper, -Jimmy and I carried the remaining duffle down to camp. One of the -boats was lined down also. Then after supper we enjoyed the first rest -we had taken for some time. - -Camp Ideal we called it, and it well deserved the name. At the bottom -of a tree-covered precipice reaching a height of 2700 feet, was a -strip of firm, level sand, tapering off with a slope down to the -water, making a perfect landing and dooryard. A great mass of -driftwood, piled up at the end of the rapid, furnished us with all -fuel we needed with small effort on our part. Our tent was backed -against a large rock, while other flat rocks near at hand made -convenient shelves on which to lay our camp dishes and kettles. It -started to drizzle again that night, but what cared we? With a roaring -fire in front of the tent we all cleaned up for a change, sewed -patches on our tattered garments, and, sitting on our beds, wrote the -day's happenings in our journals. Then we crawled into our comfortable -beds, and I was soon dreaming of my boyhood days when I "played -hookey" from school and went fishing in a creek that emptied into the -Allegheny River, or climbed its rocky banks; to be awakened by Jimmy -crying out in his sleep, "There she goes over the rapids." - -Jimmy was soon informed that he and the boats were perfectly safe, and -I was brought back to a realization of the fact that I was not going -to get a "whaling" for going swimming in dog-days; but instead was -holed up in Lodore Canyon, in the extreme northwestern corner of -Colorado. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - - -HELL'S HALF MILE - -We began our work the next morning where we left off the night before -by bringing the remaining boat down along the edge of the "Triplets." -Then, while Emery cooked the breakfast, Jimmy and I "broke camp." The -beds came first. The air had been released from the mattresses before -we got up,--one way of saving time. A change of dry clothing was -placed with each bed, and they were rolled as tightly as the two of us -could do it, after which they were strapped, placed in a rubber sack, -with a canvas sack over that, both these sacks being laced at the top. -The tent--one of those so-called balloon silk compositions--made a -very small roll; the dark-room tent, with its three plies of cloth, -made the largest bundle of the lot. Everything had been taken from the -boats, and made quite a pile of dunnage, when it was all collected in -a pile ready for loading. After the dishes were washed they were -packed in a box, the smoke-covered pots and pans being placed in a -sack. Everything was sorted and piled before the loading commenced. An -equal division of nearly everything was made, so that the loss of one -boat and its cargo would only partially cripple the expedition. The -photographic plates and films, in protecting canvas sacks, were first -disposed of, being stored in the tin-lined hatches in the bow of the -boats. Two of the smaller rolls containing bedding, or clothing; a -sack of flour, and half of the cameras completed the loads for the -forward compartments. Five or six tin and wooden boxes, filled with -provisions, went into the large compartments under the stern. A box -containing tools and hardware for the inevitable repairs, and the -weightier provisions--such as canned milk and canned meats--went in -first. This served as ballast for the boats. Then the other provisions -followed, the remaining rolls of bedding and tents being squeezed in -on top. This compartment, with careful packing, would hold as much as -two ordinary-sized trunks, but squeezing it all in through the small -hatchway, or opening on top, was not an easy job. One thing we guarded -very carefully from this time on was a waterproofed sack containing -sugar. The muddy water had entered the top of this sack in our upset, -and a liquefied sugar, or brown-coloured syrup, was used in our coffee -and on our breakfast foods after that. It gradually dried out, and our -emptied cups would contain a sediment of mud in the bottom. - -Such was our morning routine, although it was not often that -everything was taken from the boats, and it only happened in this case -because we made a portage the night before. - -Our work was all undone an hour later, when we came to the sharp -descent known as Hell's Half Mile, A section of a cliff had fallen -from above, and was shattered into a hundred fragments, large and -small; gigantic rocks were scattered on both shores and through the -river bed, not an orderly array of rocks such as that found at Ashley -Falls, but a riotous mass, looking as though they had been hurled from -the sky above. The stripped trunk of an eight-foot tree, with roots -extending over the river, had been deposited by a recent flood on top -of the principal barrier. All this was found about fifty yards below -the beginning of the most violent descent in Lodore Canyon. It would -have been difficult enough without this last complication; the barrier -seemed next to insurmountable, tired and handicapped with heavy boats -as we were. - -With a weary sigh we dropped our boats to the head of the rapid and -prepared to make the portage. Our previous work was as nothing to -this. Rounded limestone boulders, hard as flint and covered with a -thin slime of mud from the recent rise, caused us to slip and fall -many times. Then we dragged ourselves and loads up the sloping walls. -They were cut with gullies from the recent rains; low scraggy cedars -caught at our loads, or tore our clothes, as we staggered along; the -muddy earth stuck to our shoes, or caused our feet to slip from under -us as we climbed, first two or three hundred feet above the water, -then close to the river's edge. Three-fourths of a mile of such work -brought us a level place below the rapid. It took nine loads to empty -one boat. - -Darkness came on before our boats were emptied, so they were securely -tied in quiet water at the head of the rapid, and left for the -morning. - -The next day found Emery and me at work on the boats, while Jimmy was -stationed on the shore with the motion-picture camera. This wild -scene, with its score of shooting currents, was too good a view to -miss. With life-preservers inflated and adjusted, Emery sat in the -boat at the oars, pulling against the current, lessening the velocity -with which the boat was carried down toward the main barrier, while I -followed on the shore, holding a rope, and dropped him down, a little -at a time, until the water became too rough and the rocks too -numerous. All directions were given with signals; the human voice was -of little avail in the turmoil. We kept the boats in the water as long -as it was safe to do so, for it greatly lessened the hard work of a -portage. With one end of the boat floating on the water, an ordinary -lift would take the other end over a rock with insufficient water -above it to float the boat. Then the boat was balanced on the rock, -the opposite end was lifted, she was shoved forward and dropped in the -water again and another threatening rock was passed. Foot by foot we -fought our way, now on the shore, now waist deep in the water below -some protecting boulder, threatened every moment by the whirling water -that struggled to drag us into the torrent. The sand and water -collecting in our clothes weighted us down; the chill of standing in -the cold water numbed our limbs. Finally the barrier was reached and -the boats were run out close to the end, and tied in a quiet pool, -while we devised some method of getting them past or over this -obstruction. - -Directly underneath and beyond the roots of the tree were large -rounded boulders, covered with slippery mud. Past this barrier the -full force of the water raced, to hurl itself and divide its current -against another rock. It was useless to try to take a boat around the -end of the rock. The boat's sides, three-eighths of an inch thick, -would be crushed like a cardboard box. If lifted into the V-shaped -groove, the weight of the boats would wedge them and crush their -sides. Fortunately an upright log was found tightly wedged between -these boulders. A strong limb, with one end resting on a rock -opposite, was nailed to this log; a triangle of stout sticks, with the -point down, was placed opposite this first limb, on the same level, -and was fastened to the upright log with still another piece; and -another difficulty was overcome. - -With a short rope fastened to the iron bar or hand-hold on the stern, -this end was lifted on to the cross-piece, the bow sticking into the -water at a sharp angle. The short rope was tied to the stump, so we -would not lose that we had gained. The longer rope from the bow was -thrown over the roots of the tree above, then we both pulled on the -rope, until finally the bow was on a level with the stern. She was -pulled forward, the ropes were loosened and the boat rested on the -cross-pieces. The motion-picture camera was transferred so as to -command a view of the lower side of the barrier, then the boat was -carefully tilted, and slid forward, a little at a time, until she -finally gained headway, nearly jerking the rope from our hands, and -shot into the pool below. - -We enjoyed the wildest ride we had experienced up to this time in -running the lower end of this rapid. The balance of the day was spent -in the same camp below the rapid. Our tent was put up in a group of -box elder trees,--the first trees of this species we had seen. Red -cedar trees dotted the rocky slopes, while the larger pines became -scarce at the river's edge, and gathered near the top of the canyon's -walls. The dark red rocks near the bottom were covered with a light -blue-tinted stratum of limestone, similar to the fallen rocks found in -the rapid above. In one land-slide, evidently struck with some rolling -rock, lay the body of a small deer. We saw many mountain sheep tracks, -but failed to see the sheep. Many dead fish, their gills filled with -the slimy mud from the recent rise, floated past us, or lay half -buried in the mud. These things were noticed as we went about our -duties, for we were too weary to do any exploring. - -The next morning, Monday, October the 2d saw us making arrangements -for the final run that would take us out of Lodore Canyon. No doubt it -was a beautiful and a wonderful place, but none of us seemed sorry to -leave it behind. For ten days we had not had a single day entirely -free from rain, and instead of having a chance to run rapids, it -seemed as if we had spent an entire week in carrying our loads, or in -lining our boats through the canyon. The canyon walls lost much of -their precipitous character as we neared the end of the canyon. - -A short run took us over the few rapids that remained, and at a turn -ahead we saw a 300-foot ridge, brilliantly tinted in many -colours,--light and golden yellows, orange and red, purple and -lavender,--and composed of numberless wafer-like layers of rock, -uptilted, so that the broken ends looked like the spines of a gigantic -fish's back. A sharp turn to the left soon brought us to the end of -this ridge, close to the bottom of a smooth, sheer wall. Across a -wide, level point of sand we could see a large stream, the Yampa -River, flowing from the East to join its waters with those of the -Green. This was the end of Lodore Canyon. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - - -JIMMY GOES OVER THE MOUNTAIN - -The Yampa, or Bear River, was a welcome sight to us in spite of its -disagreeable whitish yellow, clay colour; quite different from the red -water of the Green River. The new stream meant more water in the -channel, something we needed badly, as our past tribulations showed. -The recent rise on the Green had subsided a little, but we now had a -much higher stage than when we entered Lodore. Quite likely the new -conditions gave us six feet of water above the low water on which we -had been travelling. Would it increase or diminish our dangers? We -were willing, Emery and I, even anxious, to risk our chances on the -higher water. - -Directly opposite the Yampa, the right shore of the Green went up -sheer about 700 feet high, indeed it seemed to overhang a trifle. This -had been named Echo Cliffs by Powell's party. The cliffs gave a -remarkable echo, repeating seven words plainly when shouted from the -edge of the Yampa a hundred yards away, and would doubtless repeat -more if shouted from the farther shore of the Yampa. Echo Cliffs, we -found, were in the form of a peninsula and terminated just below this -point where we stood, the river doubling back on the other side of the -cliff. On the left side of the river, the walls fell back, leaving a -flat, level space of about twenty-five acres. Here was a little ranch -of which Mrs. Chew had told us. The Chew ranch lay back from the river -on top of the cliffs. We found no one at home here at this first -ranch, but there was evidence of recent habitation. There were a few -peach trees, and a small garden, while beyond this were two -buildings,--little shacks in a dilapidated condition. The doors were -off their hinges and leaned against the building, a few logs being -placed against the doors. Past the dooryard, coming out of a small -canyon above the ranch, ran a little brook; up this canyon was a -trail, the outlet to the ranch above. We camped near the mouth of the -stream. - -It had been agreed upon the night before, that we should endeavour to -make arrangements to have Jimmy taken out on horseback over the -mountains. Before looking for the ranch, however, we asked him if he -did not wish to reconsider his decision to leave here. We pointed out -that Jensen, Utah, was only fifty miles away, half that distance being -in quiet water, and that the worst canyon was behind us. But he said -he had enough of the river and preferred to see what could be done. -While I busied myself about camp, he and Emery left for the ranch. - -About seven o'clock that evening they returned in great spirits. They -had found the ranch without any trouble nearly three miles from our -camp. Mrs. Chew was there and gave them a hearty welcome. She had -often wondered what had become of us. She invited the boys to remain -for supper, which they did. They talked over the matter of -transportation for Jimmy. As luck would have it, Mrs. Chew was going -to drive over to Jensen, and Vernal, Utah, in two days' time, and -agreed to take Jimmy along. - -Early the next morning two boys, one about fourteen years old the -other a little older, rode down from the ranch. Some of their horses -were pastured across the river and they had come after these. After a -short visit they got into the _Edith_ with Emery and prepared to cross -over to the pasture, which was a mile or more downstream. They were -soon out of our sight. Jimmy and I remained at the camp, taking -pictures, packing his belongings, and finding many odd jobs to be -done. In about three hours the boys returned with their horses. The -horses were quite gentle, and they had no difficulty in swimming them -across. A young colt, too feeble to swim, placed its fore feet on its -mother's flanks and was ferried across in that way. Then they were -driven over a narrow trail skirting the cliff, 300 feet above the -river. No one, looking from the river, would have imagined that any -trail, over which horses could be driven, existed. - -The boys informed us that we were expected at the ranch for dinner, -and would listen to no refusal so up we went, although we would have -to make a second trip that day. The view of the ranch was another of -those wonderful scenic changes which we were to meet with everywhere -in this region. The flat on which we stood was simply a pocket, shut -in by the round-domed mountains, with a pass, or an opening, to the -east side. A small stream ran down a mountain side, spreading over the -rocks, and glistening in the sunlight. This same stream passed the -ranch, and ran on down through the narrow canyon up which we had come. -The ranch itself was refreshing. The buildings were new, some were -under construction; but there was considerable ground under -cultivation. Cattle were scattered up the valley, or dotted the rocky -slopes below the mountains. A wild spot this, on the borderland of the -three states. None but people of fortitude, or even of daring, would -think of taking up a homestead in this secluded spot. The same rumours -of the escaped prisoners had drifted in here. It was Mr. Chew who gave -us the information we have previously quoted concerning the murdered -man. He had found the body in the boat, in front of the post-office. -He further stated that others in the mountains would not hesitate at -anything to drive out those who were trying to improve a homestead as -he was doing, and that it was a common event to find the carcasses of -his own horses or cattle which had been ruthlessly slaughtered. This -was the reason for putting the horses across the river. There they -were safe, for none could approach them save by going past the ranch, -or coming through Lodore Canyon. - -Mr. Chew also told us of the Snyders, who had lost their boat in upper -Lodore Canyon, and of how he had given them a horse and provisions to -aid them in reaching the settlements. This did not prevent the elder -Snyder from coming back to trap the next year, much to Mr. Chew's -disgust. He thought one experience should be enough for any man. - -While we were talking, a very old, bearded man rode in on a horse. He -was Pat Lynch, the owner of the little ranch by the river. He was a -real old-timer, having been in Brown's Park when Major Powell was -surveying that section of the country. He told us that he had been -hired to get some meat for the party, and had killed five mountain -sheep. He was so old that he scarcely knew what he was talking about, -rambling from one subject to another; and would have us listening with -impatience to hear the end of some wonderful tale of the early days, -when he would suddenly switch off on to an entirely different subject, -leaving the first unfinished. - -In spite of his years he was quite active, having broken the horses on -which he rode, bareback, without assistance. We were told that he -placed a spring or trap gun in his houses at the river, ready to greet -any prying marauder The last we saw of him he was on his way to the -post-office, miles away, to draw his pension for service in the Civil -War. - -Returning to the transportation of Jimmy, it was settled that the -Chews were to leave early the next morning. They also agreed to take -out our exposed films and plate for us--something we had not counted -on, but too good a chance to lose. We all three returned to the boats -and packed the stuff that was to go out; then went back to the ranch -with Jimmy. It was late--after midnight--when we reached there, and we -did not disturb any one. Jimmy's blankets were unrolled in the wagon, -so there would be no question about his going out. He was to go to -Jensen, or Vernal, and there await us, keeping our films until we -arrived. We knew they were in good hands. It was with some difficulty -that we found our way back to our camp. The trail was difficult and it -was pitch dark. My boat had been taken down to where Emery left the -_Edith_ when the horses were driven across, and this extra distance -was added to our walk. - -We were laggard the next morning, and in no hurry to resume our work. -We rearranged our loads in the boats; with one less man and -considerable less baggage as well, they were lighter by far. Our -chances looked much more favourable for an easier passage. Not only -were these things in our favour, but in addition we felt that we had -served our apprenticeship at navigation in rapid water, and we were -just as capable of meeting the rapids to follow as if we had years of -experience to our record. On summing up we found that the river had -dropped 1000 feet since leaving Green River, Wyoming, and that 5000 -feet remained, to put us on a level with the ocean. Our difficulties -would depend, of course, on how this fall was distributed. Most of the -fall behind was found in Lodore and Red canyons. It was doubtful -indeed if any section would have a more rapid fall than Lodore Canyon. - -There is a certain verse of wisdom which says that "Pride goeth before -a fall," but perhaps it was just as well for us if we were a little -bit elated by our past achievements as long as we had to go through -with the balance of our self-imposed task. Confidence, in a proper -degree, is a great help when real difficulties have to be surmounted. -We were full of confidence that day when we pulled away about noon -into Whirlpool Canyon, Whirlpool Canyon being next on the list. The -camp we were about to leave was directly opposite Lodore Canyon, where -it ran against the upended cliff. The gorgeous colours were the same -as those on the opposite side, and, to a certain degree, were also -found in Whirlpool Canyon. - -Our two and a half hours' dash through the fourteen miles of rapid -water in Whirlpool Canyon put us in a joyful frame of mind. Rapid -after rapid was left behind us without a pause in our rowing, with -only a hasty survey standing on the deck of the boats before going -over. Others that were free from rocks were rowed in bow first, the -big waves breaking over our boats and ourselves. We bailed while -drifting in the quiet stretches, then got ready for the next rapids. -Two large rapids only were looked over from the shore and these were -run in the same manner. We could hardly believe it was true when we -emerged from the mountain so quickly into a little flat park or valley -sheltered in the hills. This was Island or Rainbow Park, the latter -name being suggested by the brilliant colouring of the rocks, in the -mountains to our left. Perhaps the form of the rocks themselves helped -a little, for here was one end of the rainbow of rock which began on -the other side of the mountains. Jagged-edged canyons looking almost -as if their sides had been rent asunder came out of these mountains. -There was very little dark red here except away on top, 2300 feet -above, where a covering of pines made a soft background for -light-cream and gorgeous yellow-coloured pinnacles, or rocky walls of -pink and purple and delicate shades of various hues. Large cottonwoods -appeared again along the river banks, in brilliant autumn colours, -adding to the beauties of the scene. Back from the river, to the west, -stretched the level park, well covered with bunch-grass on which some -cattle grazed, an occasional small prickly pear cactus, and the ever -present, pungent sage. Verdure-covered islands dotted the course of -the stream, which was quiet and sluggish, doubling back and forth like -a serpent over many a useless mile. Nine miles of rowing brought us -back to a point about three miles from the mouth of Whirlpool Canyon; -where the river again enters the mountain, deliberately choosing this -course to one, unobstructed for several miles, to the right. - -The next gorge was Split Mountain Canyon, so named because the stream -divided the ridge length-wise, from one end to the other. It was -short, only nine miles long, with a depth of 2700 feet in the centre -of the canyon. Three miles of the nine were put behind us before we -camped that evening. These were run in the same manner as the rapids -of Whirlpool, scarcely pausing to look them over, but these rapids -were bigger, much bigger. One we thought was just formed or at least -increased in size by a great slide of rock that had fallen since the -recent rains. We just escaped trouble in this rapid, both boats going -over a large rock with a great cresting wave below, and followed by a -very rough rapid. Emery was standing on top of a fifteen-foot rock -below the rapid when I went over, and for a few moments could see -nothing of my boat, hardly believing it possible that I had come -through without a scratch. These rapids with the high water looked -more like rapids we had seen in the Grand Canyon, and were very unlike -the shallow water of a week previous. We had only travelled a half -day, but felt as if it had been a very complete day when we camped at -the foot of a rock slide on the right, just above another big rapid. - -On Thursday, October 5, Camp No. 20 was left behind. The rapid below -the camp was big, big enough for a moving picture, so we took each -other in turns as we ran the rapid. More rapids followed, but these -were not so large. A few sharp-pointed spires of tinted rock lifted -above us a thousand feet or more. Framed in with the branches of the -near-by cottonwood trees, they made a charming picture. Less than -three hours brought us to the end of Split Mountain Canyon, and the -last bad water we were to have for some time. Just before leaving the -canyon, we came to some curious grottos, or alcoves, under the rock -walls on the left shore. The river has cut into these until they -overhang, some of them twenty-five feet or over. In one of these was a -beaver lying on a pile of floating sticks. Although we passed quite -close, the beaver never moved, and we did not molest it. - -Another shower greeted us as we emerged into the Uinta Valley as it is -called by the Ute Indians. This valley is eighty-seven miles long. It -did not have the fertileness of Brown's Park, being raised in bare -rolling hills, runnelled and gullied by the elements. The water was -quiet here, and hard rowing was necessary to make any progress. We had -gone about seven miles when we spied a large placer dredge close to -the river. To the uninitiated this dredge would look much like a -dredging steamboat out of water, but digging its own channel, which is -what it really does. - -Great beds of gravel lay on either side of the river and placer gold -in large or small quantities, but usually the latter is likely to -exist in these beds. When a dredge like the one found here is to be -installed, an opening is made in the river's bank leading to an -excavation which has been made, then a large flatboat is floated in -this. The dredging machinery is on this float, as well as most of the -machinery through which the gravel is passed accompanied by a stream -of water; then with quicksilver and rockers of various designs, the -gold is separated from the gravel and sand. - -Numerous small buildings were standing near the dredge, but the -buildings were empty, and the dredge lay idle. We saw many fresh -tracks of men and horses aid were welcomed by a sleek, well-fed cat, -but found the place was deserted. All buildings were open and in one -was a telephone. We were anxious to hear just where we were, so we -used the telephone and explained what we wanted to know. The "Central" -informed us that we were about nine miles from Jensen, so we returned -to the boats and pulled with a will through a land that was no longer -barren, but with cozy ranch houses, surrounded by rows of stately -poplars, bending with the wind, for it was storming in earnest now. -About six o'clock that evening we caught sight of the top of the -Jensen bridge; then, as we neared the village, the sun broke through -the pall of cloud and mist, and a rainbow appeared in the sky above, -and was mirrored in the swollen stream, rainbow and replica combined -nearly completing the wondrous arc. There was a small inn beside the -bridge, and arrangements were made for staying there that night. We -were told that Jim and Mrs. Chew had passed through Jensen about four -hours before we arrived. They had left word that they would go on -through to Vernal, fifteen miles distant from the river. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - - -AN INLAND EXCURSION - -Jensen was a small village with two stores and a post-office. A few -scattered houses completed the village proper, but prosperous-looking -ranches spread out on the lowland for two or three miles in all -directions on the west side of the river. Avenues of poplar trees, -fruit trees, and fields of alfalfa gave these ranches a different -appearance from any others we had passed. - -We found some mail awaiting us at the post-office, and were soon -busily engaged in reading the news from home. We conversed awhile with -the few people at the hotel, then retired, but first made arrangements -for saddle horses for the ride to Vernal. - -Next morning we found two spirited animals, saddled and waiting for -us. We had some misgivings concerning these horses, but were assured -that they were "all right." A group of grinning cowboys and ranch -hands craning their necks from a barn, a hundred yards distant, rather -inclined us to think that perhaps our informant might be mistaken. -Nothing is more amusing to these men of the range than to see a man -thrown from his horse, and a horse that is "all right" for one of them -might be anything else to persons such as we who never rode anything -except gentle horses, and rode those indifferently. We mounted quickly -though, trying to appear unconcerned. The horses, much to our relief, -behaved quite well, Emery's mount rearing back on his hind legs but -not bucking. After that, all went smoothly. - -Leaving the irrigated ranches on the bottom lands, we ascended a low, -rolling mesa, composed of gravel and clay, unwatered and unfertile, -from which we caught occasional glimpses of the mountains and the -gorge from which we had emerged, their brilliant colours softened and -beautified by that swimming blue haze which belongs to this plateau -region. Then we rode down into the beautiful Ashley Valley, watered by -Ashley Creek, a good-sized stream even after it was used to irrigate -all the country for miles above. The valley was several miles wide. -The stream emptied into the river about a mile below Jensen. All parts -of the valley were under cultivation. It is famous for its splendid -deciduous fruits, apples, pears, peaches; splendid both in appearance -and flavour. It excelled not only in fruits, however, but in all -products of the field as well. "Vernal honey," which is marketed far -and near, has a reputation for fine flavour wherever it is known. A -thick growth of the bee-blossom or bee-weed crowded the road sides and -hugged the fences. The fragrance of the flower can easily be noticed -in the sweetness of the honey. The pity of it was that bushels of -fruit lay rotting on the ground, for there were no transportation -facilities, the nearest railroad being 90 miles distant. There were -stock ranches too, with blooded stock in the fence-enclosed fields. -Some of the splendid horses paced along beside us on the other side of -the fence. We heard the rippling song of some meadow-larks this day, -the only birds of this species we remember having seen on the Western -plateaus. - -All these ranches were laid out in true Mormon style, that is, squared -off in sections, fenced, and planted with shade-trees before being -worked. The roads are usually wide and the streets exceptionally so. -Except in the business streets, a large garden usually surrounds the -home building, each family endeavouring to raise all their own -vegetables, fruits, and poultry. They usually succeed. - -The shade trees about Vernal were Lombardy poplars. They attained a -height that would give ample shade under most conditions, and too much -when we were there, for the roads were very muddy, although they had -dried in all other sections. Nearing Vernal, we passed Nathan -Galloway's home, a cozy place set back some distance from the road. We -had hoped to meet Galloway and have an opportunity of talking over his -experiences with him, but found he was absent on a hunting trip, in -fact was up in the mountains we had come through. - -On nearing the town we were greeted by a busy scene. Numerous wagons -and horses stood in squares reserved for that purpose, or were tied to -hitching posts in front of the many stores. Ranchers and their -families were everywhere in evidence; there were numerous prospectors -in their high-topped boots just returning from the mountains, and oil -men in similar garb, muddy from head to foot. Later we learned that -oil had recently been discovered about forty miles distant, this fact -accounting for much of the activity. - -The town itself was a surprise; we found it to be very much up-to-date -considering its isolated position. Two of the streets were paved and -oiled and were supplied with drinking fountains. There were two -prosperous looking banks, two well-stocked and up-to-date drug stores, -several mercantile stores, and many others, all busy. Many of the -buildings were of brick; all were substantial. - -Near a hotel we observed a group of men surrounding some one who was -evidently keeping them interested. On approaching them we found it was -Jimmy, giving a graphic description of some of our difficulties. His -story was not finished, for he saw us and ran to greet us, as pleased -to see us as we were to see him. He had little idea we would be along -for two or three days and naturally was much surprised. - -On entering the hotel we were greeted by an old Grand Canyon friend, a -civil engineer named Duff, who with a crew of men had been mapping the -mountains near Whirlpool Canyon. You can imagine that it was a -gratifying surprise to all concerned to find we were not altogether -among strangers, though they were as hospitable as strangers could be. -The hotel was a lively place that night. There was some musical talent -among Duff's men, and Duff himself was an artist on the piano. Many of -the young people of the town had dropped in that evening, as some one -had passed the word that there might be an impromptu entertainment at -the hotel. There was. Duff played and the boys sang. Jimmy was himself -again and added his rich baritone. The town itself was not without -musical talent, and altogether it was a restful change for us. - -Perhaps we should have felt even better if we had been dressed -differently, for we wore much the same clothes as those in which we -did our work on the river--a woollen shirt and overalls. Besides, -neither Emery nor I had shaved since starting, and it is quite likely -that we looked just a little uncouth. Appearances count for little -with these people in the little-settled districts, and it is a common -enough sight to them to see men dressed as we were. They did -everything they could to make us feel at ease. As one person remarked, -"The wealthiest cattle man, or the owner of the richest mine in the -country, usually looks worse than all others after a month on the -range or in the hills." - -If wealth were indicated on an inverse ratio to one's good appearance, -we should have been very wealthy indeed. We felt as if it would take -us a week to get rested and lost little time in getting to bed when -the party broke up. We imagine most of the residents of Vernal were -Mormons. It is part of their creed to give "the stranger within their -gates" a cordial welcome. This however, was accorded to us, not only -among the Mormons, but in every section of our journey on the Green -and Colorado rivers. - -The following day was a busy one. Arrangements had been made with a -local photographer to get the use of his dark room, and we proceeded -to develop all plates and many of our films. These were then to be -packed and shipped out. We were informed at the local express office, -that it might be some time before they would go, as the recent rains -had been very bad in Colorado and had washed out most of the bridges. - -Vernal had passenger transportation to the railway--a branch of the D. -& R.G. running north into Colorado--by automobile, the route lying -across the Green and also across the White River, a tributary to the -Green. A steel structure had been washed away on the White River, -making it impossible to get through to the station. The high water -below here must have been a flood, judging from all reports. About ten -bridges, large and small, were reported as being washed away on -numerous branch streams leading into the Green River. Fortunately -Vernal had another means of communication. This was a stage running -southwest from Vernal, over 125 miles of rough road to Price, -Utah--Price being a station on the main line of the D. & R.G. - -Jimmy concluded that he would take this road, in preference to the -uncertainties of the other route, and noon that day found him on board -the stage. He promised to write to us, and was anxious to hear of our -success, but remarked that when he once got home he would "never leave -San Francisco again." There was a final hand clasp, a cheer from the -small group of men, and the stage drove away with Jimmy, a happy boy -indeed. - -Our work on the developing progressed well, and with very satisfying -results on the whole, and that evening found us with all plates packed -ready for shipment to our home. The moving-picture film was also -packed and shipped to be developed at once. This was quite a load off -our minds. - -The following day we prepared to depart, but did not leave until the -afternoon. Then, with promises to let them know the outcome of our -venture, we parted from our friends and rode back to Jensen. - -We planned on leaving the following morning. The river had fallen one -foot since we had landed, and we were anxious to have the benefit of -the high water. We were told that it was six feet above the low-water -stage of two weeks before. - -On Monday, October the 9th, after loading our boat with a new stock of -provisions,--in which was included few jars of honey, and a few dozen -of eggs, packed in sawdust,--we began what might be called the second -stage of our journey; the 175-mile run to Blake or Green River, Utah, -a little west of south from Jensen. Ten miles below Jensen was a ferry -used by the auto and wagons. Here also was a ranch house, with a -number of people in the yard. We were invited to land and did so. They -had been informed by telephone of our coming and were looking for us; -indeed they had even prepared dinner for us, hoping we would reach -there in time. Not knowing all this, we had eaten our cold lunch half -an hour before. The women were busy preserving fruits and garden -truck, and insisted on us taking two or three jars along. This was a -welcome change to the dried fruit, which was one of our principal -foods. These people made the usual request--"Drop us a post card if -you get through." - -The memory of these people that we met on this journey will linger -with us as long as we live. They were always anxious to help us or -cheer us on our way. - -We passed a dredge that evening and saw a man at work with a team and -scoop shovel, the method being to scoop up the gravel and sand, then -dump it in an iron car. This was then pulled by the horses to the top -of a derrick up a sloping track and dumped. A stream of water pumped -up from the river mixed with the gravel, the entire mass descended a -long zigzagging chute. We paused a few minutes only and did not -examine the complicated process of separating the mineral from the -gravel. This dredge had been recently installed. We camped early, half -a mile below the dredge. - -Emery had been feeling poorly all this day. He blamed his -indisposition to having eaten too many good things when in Vernal--a -break in training, as it were. This was our excuse for a short run -that day. I played nurse and gave him some simple remedy from the -little supply that we carried; and, after he was in his sleeping bag, -I filled some hot-water bags for the first time on the trip, and soon -had him feeling quite comfortable. - -A hard wind came up that night, and a little rain fell. I had a busy -half-hour keeping our camp from being blown away. The storm was of -short duration, and all was soon quiet again. On the following morning -Emery felt so good that I had a hard time in keeping up with him and I -wondered if he would ever stop. Towards evening, after a long pull, we -neared the reservation of the Uinta Utes, and saw a few Indians camped -away from the river. Here, again, were the cottonwood bottoms, banked -by the barren, gravelly hills. We had been informed that there was a -settlement called Ouray, some distance down the river, and we were -anxious to reach it before night. But the river was sluggish, with -devious and twisting channels, and it was dark when we finally landed -at the Ouray ferry. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - - -CANYON OF DESOLATION - -Ouray, Utah, consisted of a large store to supply the wants of the -Indians and ranchers, a small hotel, and a few dwellings. The agency -proper was located some distance up the Uinta River, which stream -emptied into the Green, just below Ouray. - -Supper was taken at the hotel, after which we visited a young man in -charge of the store, looking over his curios and listening to tales of -his life here among these Indians. They were peaceable enough now, but -in years gone by were a danger to be reckoned with. We slept in our -own beds close to our boats by the river. - -The following morning, when we were ready to leave, a small crowd -gathered, a few Indians among them. Most of the Indians were big, fat, -and sleepy-looking. Apparently they enjoyed the care of the -government. A mile below we passed several squaws and numerous -children under some trees, while on a high mound stood a lone buck -Indian looking at us as we sped by, but without a single movement that -we could see. He still stood there as we passed from sight a mile -below. It might be interesting if one could know just what was in his -mind as he watched us. - -A mile below the Uinta River, which entered on the west, we passed -another stream, the White River, entering from the east, the two -streams adding considerable water to the Green River. We passed -another idle dredge, also some mineral workings in tunnels, and saw -two men camped on the shore beside them. We saw numerous Indian -carvings on the rocks, but judged they were recent because horses -figured in most of them. In all the open country the river was fringed -with large cottonwood trees, alders and willow thickets. A number of -islands followed, one of them very symmetrical in shape, with -cottonwood trees in the centre, while around the edge ran a fringe of -bushes looking almost like a trimmed hedge. The autumn colouring added -to its beauty. The hedge, as we called it, was dark red, brown, -yellow, and green; the cottonwoods were a light yellow. After we had -passed this island, a deer, confused by our voices, jumped into the -river fifty yards behind us, leaping and swimming as he made for the -shore. We had no gun, but Emery had the moving-picture camera at hand, -and turned it on the deer. The hour was late, however, and we had -little hopes of its success as a picture. The country back from the -river stretched in rolling, barren hills 200 or 300 feet high--a -continuation of the Bad Lands of Utah, which lay off to the west. - -With the next day's travel the hills lost some of their barren -appearance. Some cattle were seen early in the afternoon of the -following day. We passed a cattle man working at a ferry, who had just -taken some stock across, which other men had driven on ahead. He was -busy, so we did not interrupt him, merely calling to him from the -boats, drifting meanwhile with the current. Soon we saw him riding -down the shore and waited for him to catch up. He invited us to camp -with him that evening, remarking that he had "just killed a beef." We -thanked him, but declined, as it was early and we had only travelled a -short distance that day. We chatted awhile, and he told us to look out -for rapids ahead. He was rather surprised when he learned that we had -started at Green River, Wyoming, and had already come through a few -rapids. - -"Where are you going to stop?" he then asked. - -On being told that our destination was Needles, California, he threw -up his hands with an expressive gesture, then added soberly, "Well, -boys, I sure wish you luck," and rode back to his camp. - -We had difficulty in making a suitable landing that evening, as the -high water had deposited great quantities of black mud over -everything, making it very disagreeable when we left the boats. We -finally found a place with less mud to wade through than on most of -the banks seen, and tied up to the roots of a tree. - -While lying in our beds that night looking at the starlit sky--such a -sky as is found only on these high plateaus--we discovered a comet -directly above us. An astronomer would have enjoyed our opportunities -for observing the heavens. No doubt this comet had been heralded far -and wide, but we doubt if any one saw it to better advantage than did -we. - -Later, some coyotes, possibly in chase of a rabbit, gave vent to their -yodeling cry, and awakened us from a sound sleep. They were in a -little lateral canyon, which magnified and gave a weird, organ-like -echo to their calls long after the coyotes themselves had passed from -hearing. - -The nights were getting warmer as we travelled south, but not so warm -that we were bothered with insects. The same reason accounted for the -absence of snakes or scorpions, for no doubt there were plenty of both -in warm weather in this dry country. When there was no wind, the -silence of the nights was impressive, with no sound save the lapping -of the water against the banks. Sometimes a bird in the trees above -would start up with a twitter, then quiet down again. On occasions the -air chambers in our boats would contract on cooling off, making a -noise like the boom of a distant gun, every little sound being -magnified by the utter stillness of the night. - -There were other times when it was not so quiet. Hundreds of birds, -geese, ducks and mud-hens had been seen the last few days. Also there -were occasional cranes and herons, over a thousand miles from their -breeding place at the mouth of the Colorado. As dusk settled, we would -see these birds abandon their feeding in the mud, and line up on the -shore, or on an island, and go to sleep. Occasionally one of these -birds would start up out of a sound sleep with an unearthly squawk. -Possibly an otter had interrupted its dreams, or a fox had pounced on -one as it slept. It may be that it was only a bad dream of these -enemies that caused their fright, but whatever it was, that first call -would start up the entire flock and they would circle in confusion -like a stampeded herd of cattle, their discordant cries putting an end -to the stillness of the night. Finally they would settle down in a new -spot, and all would be quiet once more. - -We saw a few birds that were strangers to us,--water birds which we -imagined belonged to the salt water rather than the inland streams, -making a little excursion, perhaps, away from their accustomed haunts. -One type we saw on two occasions, much like a gull, but smaller, pure -white as far as we could tell, soaring in graceful flight above the -river. - -Camp No. 26 was close to the beginning of a new canyon. The country -had been changing in appearance from rather flat plains to small bare -hills, gradually increasing in height with smooth, rounded sides, and -going up to a point, usually of a dirty clay colour, with little -vegetation of any kind on them. The river for miles past had swept in -long graceful curves, the hills being close to the river on the -outside of the curve, leaving a big flat on the inside. This flat -gradually sloped back to hills of an equal height to those opposite. -Then the curve would reverse, and the same conditions would be met -with again, but on opposite sides from the previous bend. After -passing a creek the evening before, the hills became higher, and from -our camp we could see the first place where they came close on both -sides to the river. We felt now that our beautiful tree-covered -canyons were behind us and from now on we would be hemmed in by the -great eroded canyons of the Southwest. We were sorry to leave those -others behind, and could easily understand why Major Powell had named -this Desolation Canyon. - -As the canyon deepened the cliffs were cut into fantastic shapes, as -is usual in rocks unprotected by vegetation. There was a hard rock -near the top in places which overhung a softer formation. This would -erode, giving a cornice-like effect to the cliffs. Others were -surmounted by square towers and these were capped by a border of -little squares, making the whole look much like a castle on the Rhine. -For half a day we found no rapids, but pulled away on a good current. -The walls gradually grew higher and were more rugged; a few trees -cropped out on their sides. At noon our boats were lashed together and -lunch was eaten as we drifted. We covered about three miles in this -way, taking in the scenery as we passed. We saw a great stone arch, or -natural bridge, high on a stupendous cliff to our right, and wondered -if any one had ever climbed up to it. Our lunch was no more than -finished when the first rapid was heard ahead of us. Quickly unlashing -our boats, we prepared for strenuous work. Friday the 13th proved to -be a lucky day; thirteen large rapids and thirteen small ones were -placed behind us before we camped at Rock Creek--a splashing, laughing -mountain stream, no doubt containing trout. - -The following morning we found there was a little ranch house below -us, but, though we called from our boats, no one came out. We wondered -how any one could reach this out-of-the-way place, as a road would be -almost an impossibility. Later we found a well-constructed trail on -the right-hand side all the way through the canyon. We saw a great -many cattle travelling this trail. Some were drinking at the river -when we swept into view. Our boats filled them with alarm, and they -scrambled for the hillsides, looking after us with frightened -expressions as we left them to the rear. - -We put in a full day at running rapids, one after another, until -fifteen large ones were passed, no count being kept of the smaller -ones. Some of these rapids resembled dams from six to twelve feet -high, with the water falling abruptly over a steep slope. Others were -long and rough, with swift water in places. Above one of these we had -landed, then found we could get a much better view from the opposite -shore. Emery crossed and landed, I followed. We had been having heavy -winds all day. When crossing here I was caught by a sudden gust of -wind and carried to the head of the rapid. I heard Emery call, "Look -out for the big rock!" then over I went. The wind and water together -had turned my boat sideways, and try as I would I could not get it -turned around. I saw the rock Emery referred to straight ahead of me. -It was about fifteen feet square and about fourteen feet from the -shore, with a powerful current shooting between the rock and the -shore. It seemed as if I must strike the rock broadside, and I ceased -my struggle, but held out an oar with both hands, hoping to break the -blow. But it never came. The water struck this rock with great force, -then rebounded, and actually kept me from even touching the rock with -the oar, but it caught the boat and shot it through the narrow -channel, bow first, as neatly as it could possibly be done, then, -turned the boat around again as I scrambled to regain my hold on both -oars. No other rocks threatened however, and besides filling the -cockpit with water, no damage was done. - -Emery had no desire to follow my passage and crossed back to the other -side. Shooting over the upper end of the rapid, his boat ran up on a -rounded rock, the stern sticking high in the air; it paused a moment, -the current slowly turning it around as if on a pivot, and the boat -slid off; then down he came lurching and plunging, but with no more -difficulty. Many times in such places as these we saw the advantage of -our flat-bottomed boats over one with a keel, for these would surely -be upset when running up on such a rock. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - - -HOSPITABLE RANCHMEN - -The appearance of Desolation Canyon had changed entirely in the lower -end. Instead of a straight canyon without a break, we were surrounded -by mountain peaks nearly 2500 feet high, with many side canyon between -them and with little level parks at the end of the canyons beside the -river. The tops were pine-covered; cedars clung to the rocky slopes. -Some of these peaks were not unlike the formations of the Grand -Canyon, as seen from the inner plateau, and the red colouring was once -more found in the rocks. - -These peaks were gradually dropping down in height; and at one open -section, with alfalfa and hay fields on gently sloping hillsides, we -found a small ranch, the buildings being set back from the river. We -concluded to call and found three men, the rancher and two young -cowboys, at work in a blacksmith shop. Emery had forgotten to remove -his life-preserver, and the men looked at him with some astonishment, -as he was still soaking wet from the splashing waves of the last -rapid. - -When I joined him he was explaining that no one had been drowned, and -that we were merely making an excursion down the river. Mr. McPherson, -the rancher, we learned, owned all the cattle seen up the river. The -little cabin at our last camp was a sort of headquarters for his -cowboys. The cattle were just being driven from the mountains before -the snows came, and were to be wintered here in the canyons. Some of -these cattle were much above the usual grade of range cattle, being -thoroughbreds, although most of them ran loose on the range. This -ranch had recently lost a valuable bull which had been killed by a -bear up in the mountains--not unlike similar conflicts in more -civilized sections of the country. McPherson camped on this bear's -trail for several days and nights before he finally hung his pelt on a -tree. He was a large cinnamon-coloured grizzly. Four other bears had -been killed this same year, in these mountains. - -McPherson's home had burned down a short time before our visit, and -his family had removed to Green River, Utah. A number of tents were -erected, neatly boarded up, and we were informed that one of these was -reserved for company, so we need not think of going any farther that -day. These men, while absolutely fearless in the saddle, over these -rough mountain trails, had "no use for the river" they told us; in -fact, we found this was the usual attitude of the cattle men wherever -we met them. McPherson's respect for the river was not without reason, -as his father, with two others, had been drowned while making a -crossing in a light boat near this point, some years before. Some -accident occurred, possibly the breaking of a rowlock, and they were -carried into a rapid. McPherson's men found it necessary to cross -their cattle back and forth, but always took the wise precaution to -have on some life-preservers. The cork preservers hung in the -blacksmith shop, where they could easily be reached at a moment's -notice. - -Desolation Canyon, with a slight breaking down of the walls for a -short distance only, gave place to Gray Canyon below the McPherson -Ranch. A good sized mountain stream, part of which irrigated the ranch -above, found its way through this division. We had been told that more -rapids lay ahead of us in Gray Canyon, but they were not so numerous -in our next day's travel. What we did find were usually large, but we -ran them all without difficulty. About noon we met five men in a boat, -rowing up the stream in a long, still stretch. They told us they were -working on a dam, a mile or two below. They followed us down to see us -make the passage through the rapid which lay above their camp. The -rapid was long and rocky, having a seventeen-foot fall in a half mile. -We picked our channel by standing up in the boat before entering the -rapid and were soon at the bottom with no worse mishap than bumping a -rock or two rather lightly. We had bailed out and were tying our -boats, when the men came panting down the hill up which they had -climbed to see us make this plunge. A number of men were at work here, -but this being Sunday, most of them had gone to Green River, Utah, -twenty-one miles distant. - -Among the little crowd who came down to see us resume our rowing was a -lady and a little girl who lived in a rock building, near the other -buildings erected for the working-men. Emery showed the child a -picture of his four-year-old daughter, Edith, with her mother--a -picture he always carried in a note-book. Then he had her get in the -boat with him, and we made a photograph of them. They were very good -friends before we left. - -In a few hours we emerged from the low-walled canyon into a level -country. A large butte, perhaps 700 feet high, stood out by itself, a -mile from the main cliffs. This was Gunnison Butte, an old landmark -near the Gunnison trail. We were anxious to reach Blake or Green -River, Utah, not many miles below, that evening; but we failed to make -it. There were several rapids, some of them quite large, and we had -run them all when we came to a low dam that obstructed our passage, -While looking it over, seeing how best to make a portage, a young man -whom we had just seen remarked: "Well, boys, you had better tie up and -I will help you in the morning." - -It was 5.30 then, and we were still six miles from Green River, so we -took his advice and camped. On seeing our sleeping bags, tightly -strapped and making rather small roll, he remarked: "Well, you fellows -are not Mormons; I can tell by the size of your beds!" - -Our new friend gave the name of Wolverton. There was another man named -Wilson who owned a ranch just below the dam. Both of these men were -much interested in our experiences. Wolverton had considerable -knowledge of the river and of boats; very little persuasion would have -been necessary to have had him for a companion on the balance of our -journey. But we had made up our minds to make it alone, now, as it -looked feasible. Both Wilson and Wolverton knew the country below -Green River, Utah, having made surveys through much of the surrounding -territory. Wolverton said we must surely see his father, who lived -down the river and who was an enthusiast on motor boats. A few -minutes' work the next morning sufficed to get our boats over the dam. -The dam was constructed of loose rock and piles, chinked with brush -and covered with sloping planks,--just a small dam to raise the water -for irrigation purposes. Much of the water ran through the canal; in -places the planks were dry, in others some water ran over. The boats, -being unloaded were pulled up on these planks, then slid into the -water below. Wilson had a large water wheel for irrigation purposes, -the first of several such wheels which we were to see this day. These -wheels, twenty feet or more in height,--with slender metal buckets -each holding gallons of water, fastened at intervals on either -side,--were placed in a swift current, anchored on the shore to stout -piles, or erected over mill-races cut in the banks. There they -revolved, the buckets filling and emptying automatically, the water -running off in troughs above the level of the river back to the -fertile soil. Some of these wheels had ingenious floating arrangements -whereby they accommodated themselves to the different stages of a -rising or falling river. We took a few pictures of Wilson's place -before leaving. He informed us that he had telephoned to certain -people in Green River who would help us in various ways. Two hours' -rowing, past many pretty little ranches, brought us to the railroad -bridge, a grateful sight to us. A pumping plant stood beside the -bridge under charge of Captain Yokey, one of Wilson's friends. Yokey -owned a large motor boat, which was tied up to the shore. Our boats -were left in his charge while we went up to the town, a mile distant. -Another of Wilson's friends met us, and secured a dark room for us so -that we could do a little developing and we prepared for work on the -following day. - -That night a newspaper reporter hunted us out, anxious for a story. We -gave him what we had, making light of our previous difficulties, which -were exciting enough at times; but owing to the comparatively small -size of the stream, we seldom thought our lives were in any great -danger. The papers made the most of these things, and the stories that -came out had little semblance to our original statements. We have -since learned that no matter how much one minimizes such things, they -are seldom published as reported. - -We put in a busy day unpacking new films and plates developing all -films from the smaller cameras and sending these home. A new stock of -provisions had to be purchased, enough for one month at least, for -there was no chance of securing supplies until we reached our canyon -home, about 425 miles below. - -We had a valuable addition to our cargo in two metal boxes that had -been shipped here, as it was not possible to get them before leaving -Wyoming. These cases or trunks were sent from England, and were -water-tight, if not waterproof, there being a slight difference. Well -constructed, with rubber gaskets and heavy clamps, every possible -precaution had been taken, it seemed, to exclude the water and still -render them easy of access. They were about thirty inches long, -fifteen wide, and twelve high, just the thing for our photographic -material. Up to this time everything had to be kept under the deck -when in bad water. These boxes were placed in the open section in -front of us, and were thoroughly fastened to the ribs to prevent loss, -ready to be opened or closed in a moment, quite a convenience when -pictures had to be taken hurriedly. - -The following day we went over the boats, caulking few leaks. The -bottoms of the boats were considerably the worse for wear, owing to -our difficulties in the first canyons. We got some thin oak strips and -nailed them on the bottom to help protect them, when portaging. -Sliding the boats on the scouring sand and rough-surfaced rock was -hard on the half-inch boards on the bottom of the boats. This work was -all completed that day, and everything was ready for the next plunge. - -In passing the station, we noticed the elevation above sea-level was -placed at 4085 feet, and remembered that Green River, Wyoming, was -6080 feet, showing that our descent in the past 425 miles had been -close to 2000 feet. We had not found it necessary to line or portage -any rapids since leaving Lodore Canyon; we were hopeful that our good -luck would continue. - -Nothing was to be feared from what remained of the Green River, 120 -miles or more, for motor boats made the journey to its junction with -the Grand, and we were told even ascended the Grand for some distance. -Below this junction was the Colorado River, a different stream from -the one we were still to navigate. - -Before leaving, we ate a final hearty breakfast at the boarding-house -where we had been taking our meals. A number of young men, clerks in -some of the business houses here, were among the boarders. The -landlady a whole-souled German woman and an excellent cook, was -greatly worried over their small appetites, thinking it was a -reflection on her table. She remarked that she hoped we had good -appetites, and I am sure she had no complaint to make so far as we -were concerned. We had never stinted ourselves when on the river, but -the change and the rest seemed to give us an abnormal appetite that -could not be satisfied, and we would simply quit eating because we -were ashamed to eat more. Less than half an hour after one of these -big meals, I was surprised to see my brother in a restaurant with a -sheepish grin on his face, and with a good-sized lunch before him. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - - -WONDERS OF EROSION - -_Thursday, October the 19th_. We embarked again with two of our -new-found friends on board as passengers for a short ride, their -intention being to hunt as they walked back. They left us at a ranch -beside the San Rafael River, a small stream entering from the west. -They left some mail with us to be delivered to Mr. Wolverton, whose -son we had met above. About 20 miles below Green River we reached his -home. Judging by a number of boats--both motor and row boats--tied to -his landing, Mr. Wolverton was an enthusiastic river-man. After -glancing over his mail, he asked how we had come and was interested -when he learned that we were making a boating trip. He was decidedly -interested when he saw the boats and learned that we were going to our -home in the Grand Canyon. His first impression was that we were merely -making a little pleasure trip on the quiet water. - -Going carefully over the boats, he remarked that they met with his -approval with one exception. They seemed to be a little bit short for -the heavy rapids of the Colorado, he thought. He agreed that our -experience in the upper rapids had been good training, but said there -was no comparison in the rapids. We would have a river ten times as -great as in Lodore to contend with; and in numerous places, for short -distances, the descent was as abrupt as anything we had seen on the -Green. Wolverton was personally acquainted with a number of the men -who had made the river trip, and, with the one exception of Major -Powell's expeditions, had met all the parties who had successfully -navigated its waters. This not only included Galloway's and Stone's -respective expeditions, which had made the entire trip, but included -two other expeditions which began at Green River, Utah, and had gone -through the canyons of the Colorado.[4] These were the Brown-Stanton -expedition, which made a railroad survey through the canyons of the -Colorado; and another commonly known as the Russell-Monnette -expedition, two of the party making the complete trip, arriving at -Needles after a voyage filled with adventure and many narrow escapes. -Mr. Wolverton remarked that every one knew of those who had navigated -the entire series of canyons, but that few people knew of those who -had been unsuccessful. He knew of seven parties that had failed to get -through Cataract Canyon's forty-one miles of rapids, with their boats, -most of them never being heard of again. - -These unsuccessful parties were often miners or prospectors who wished -to get into the comparatively flat country which began about fifty -miles below the Junction of the Green and the Grand rivers. Here lay -Glen Canyon, with 150 miles of quiet water. Nothing need be feared in -this, or in the 120 miles of good boating from Green River, Utah, to -the junction. Between these two points, however, lay Cataract Canyon, -beginning at the junction of the two rivers. Judging by its unsavory -record, Cataract Canyon was something to be feared. - -Among these parties who had made short trips on the river was one -composed of two men. Phil Foote was a gambler, stage robber, and bad -man in general. He had broken out of jail in Salt Lake City and, -accompanied by another of similar character, stole a boat at Green -River, Utah, and proceeded down the river. Soon after entering -Cataract Canyon, they lost their boat and provisions. Finding a tent -which had been washed down the river, they tore it into strips and -constructed a raft out driftwood, tying the logs together with the -strips of canvas. Days of hardship followed, and starvation stared -them in the face; until finally Foote's partner gave up, said he would -drown himself. With an oath Foote drew his revolver, saying he had -enough of such cowardice and would save him the trouble. His companion -then begged for his life, saying he would stick to the end, and they -finally got through to the Hite ranch, which lay a short distance -below. They were taken care of here, and terminated their voyage a -short distance beyond, going out over land. Foote was afterwards shot -and killed while holding up a stage in Nevada. - -The Hite ranch also proved to be a place of refuge for others, the -sole survivors of two other parties who were wrecked, one person -escaping on each occasion. Hite's ranch, and Lee's Ferry, 140 miles -below Hite, had mail service. We had left instructions at the -post-office to forward our mail to one or the other of these points. -These were also the only places on our 425-mile run to Bright Angel -Trail where we could expect to see any people, so we were informed. We -were about to descend into what is, possibly, the least inhabited -portion of the United States of America. - -A party of civil engineers working here, joined us that evening at -Wolverton's home. A young man in the party asked us if we would -consent to carry a letter through with us and mail it at our -destination. He thought it would be an interesting souvenir for the -person to whom it was addressed. We agreed to do our best, but would -not guarantee delivery. The next morning two letters were given us to -mail, and were accepted with this one reservation. Before leaving Mr. -Wolverton showed us his motor boat with much pardonable pride. On this -boat he sometimes took small parties down to the beginning of the -Colorado River, and up the Grand, a round trip of three hundred miles -or more. The boat had never been taken down the Colorado for the -simple reason that the rapids began almost immediately below the -junction. - -Wolverton, while he had never been through the rapids in a boat, had -followed the river on foot for several miles and was thoroughly -familiar with their nature. On parting he remarked, - -"Well, boys, you are going to tackle a mighty hard proposition, but -I'm sure you can make it if you are only careful. But look out and go -easy." - -Wolverton was no novice, speaking from much experience in bad water, -and we were greatly impressed by what he had to say. - -Five uneventful days were spent in Labyrinth and Stillwater canyons, -through which the Green peacefully completed its rather violent -descent. In the upper end we usually found rough water in the canyons -and quiet water in the open sections. Here at least were two canyons, -varying from 300 feet at their beginning to 1300 in depth, both -without a rapid. The first of these was Labyrinth Canyon, so named -from its elaborately winding course as well as its wonderful intricate -system of dry, lateral canyons, and its reproduction in rock of -architectural forms, castles, arches, and grottos; even animals and -people were represented in every varying form. - -Our Sunday camp was beside what might be called a serpentine curve or -series of loops in the river. This was at the centre of what is known -as the Double Bow Knot, three rounded loops, very symmetrical in form, -with an almost circular formation of flat-topped rock, a mile or more -in diameter in the centre of each loop. A narrow neck of rock connects -these formations to the main mesa, all being on the same level, about -700 feet above the river. The upper half of the rock walls was sheer; -below was a steep boulder-covered slope. The centre formation is the -largest and most perfect, being nearly two miles in diameter and -almost round; so much so, that a very few minutes are necessary to -climb over the narrow neck which connects this formation to the mesa. -It took 45 minutes of hard rowing on a good current to take us around -this one loop. The neck is being rapidly eroded, two hundred feet -having disappeared from the top, and at some distant day will -doubtless disappear entirely, making a short cut for the river, and -will leave a rounded island of rock standing seven hundred feet above -the river. A bird's-eye view of the three loops would compare well in -shape to the little mechanical contrivance known as the "eye" in the -combination of "hook and eye." All women and many men will get a clear -idea the shape of the Double Bow Knot from this comparison. - -We recorded an interesting experiment with the thermometer at this -camp, showing a great variety of temperatures, unbelievable almost to -one who knows nothing of conditions in these semi-arid plateaus. A -little ice had formed the night before. Under a clear sky the next day -at noon, our thermometer recorded 54 degrees in the shade, but ran up -to 102 degrees in the sun. At the same time the water in the river was -52 degrees Far. The effect of being deluged in ice-cold waves, then -running into deep sunless canyons with a cold wind sweeping down from -the snow on top, can be easier imagined than described. This is what -we could expect to meet later. - -The colouring of the rocks varied greatly in many localities, a light -red predominating. In some places the red rock was capped by a gray, -flint-like limestone; in others this had disappeared, but underneath -the red were regular strata of various-coloured rocks, pink, brown, -light yellow, even blue and green being found in two or three -sections. - -The forms of erosion were as varied as the rock itself, each -different-coloured rock stratum presenting a different surface. In one -place the surface was broken into rounded forms like the backs of a -herd of elephants. In others we saw reproductions of images, carved by -the drifting sands--a Diana, with uplifted arm, as large as the -Goddess of Liberty; a Billiken on a throne with a hundred worshippers -bowed around. Covered with nature-made ruins and magnificent rock -structures, as this section is, it is not entirely without utility. It -is a grazing country. Great numbers of contented cattle, white-faced, -with red and white, or black and white patches of colour on their -well-filled hides, were found in the open spaces between the -sheer-walled cliffs. Dusty, well-beaten trails led down through these -wide canyons, trails which undoubtedly gained the top of the level, -rocky plateau a few miles back from the river. As is usual in a cattle -country at the end of the summer season, the bunch-grass, close to the -water supply--which in this case happened to the river--was nibbled -close to the roots. The cattle only came here to drink, then travelled -many miles, no doubt, to the better grazing on the upper plateaus. The -sage, always gray, was grayer still, with dust raised by many passing -herds. There was a band of range horses too, those splendid wild-eyed -animals with kingly bearing, and wind-blown tails and manes, lean like -a race-horse, strong-muscled and tough-sinewed, pawing and neighing, -half defiant and half afraid of the sight of men, the only thing alive -to which they pay tribute. - -It is a never ending source of wonder, to those unacquainted with the -semi-arid country, how these animals can exist in a land which, to -them, seems utterly destitute and barren. To many such, a meadow -carpeted with blue grass or timothy is the only pasture on which -grazing horses or grazing cattle can exist; the dried-out looking -tufts of bunch-grass, scattered here and there or sheltered at the -roots of the sage, mean nothing; the grama-grass hidden in the -grease-wood is unnoticed or mistaken for a weed. - -But if the land was bare of verdure, the rock saved it from being -monotonous. Varied in colour, the red rock predominated--blood-red at -mid-day, orange-tinted at sunset, with gauze-like purple shadows, and -with the delicate blue outlines always found in the Western distances; -such a land could never be called uninteresting. - -The banks of the stream, here in the open, were always green. From an -elevation they appeared like two emerald bands through a land of red, -bordering a stream the tint of the aged pottery found along its -shores. We were continually finding new trees and strange shrubs. -Beside the cottonwoods and the willows there was an occasional -wild-cherry tree; in the shrubs were the service-berry, and the -squaw-berry, with sticky, acid-tasting fruit. The cacti were small, -and excepting the prickly pear were confined nearly altogether to a -small "pin-cushion" cactus, growing a little larger as we travelled -south. And always in the mornings when out of the deep canyons the -moist, pungent odour of the sage greeted our nostrils. It is -inseparable from the West. There is no stuffy germ-laden air there, -out in the sage; one is glad to live, simply to breathe it in and -exhale and breathe again. - -In Stillwater Canyon the walls ran up to 1300 feet in height, a narrow -canyon, with precipitous sides. Occasionally we could see great -columns of rock standing on top of the mesa. Late one evening we saw -some small cliff dwellings several hundred feet above the river, and a -few crude ladders leaning against the cliff below the dwellings. A -suitable camp could not be made here, or we would have stopped to -examine them. The shores were slippery with mud and quicksands, and -there was no fire-wood in sight. From here to the end of the canyons -we would have to depend almost entirely on the drift-piles for -fire-wood. - -A landing was finally made where a section of a cliff had toppled from -above, affording a solid footing leading up to the higher bank. We -judged from our maps that we were within a very few miles of the -Colorado River. Here some footprints and signs of an old boat landing, -apparently about a week old, were seen in the sand. This surprised us -somewhat, as we had heard of no one coming down ahead of us. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - - -COULD WE SUCCEED? - -An hour or two at the oars the next morning sufficed to bring us to -the junction of the Green and the Grand rivers. We tied up our boats, -and prepared to climb out on top, as we had a desire to see the view -from above. A mile back on the Green we had noticed a sort of canyon -or slope breaking down on the west side, affording a chance to reach -the top. Loading ourselves with a light lunch, a full canteen, and our -smaller cameras, we returned to this point and proceeded to climb out. -Powell's second expedition had climbed out at this same place; -Wolverton had also mentioned the fact that he had been out; so we were -quite sure of a successful attempt before we made the climb. - -The walk close to the river, over rocks and along narrow ledges, was -hard work; the climb out was even more so. The contour maps which we -carried credited these walls with 1300 feet height. If we had any -doubt concerning the accuracy of this, it disappeared before we -finally reached the top. What we saw, however, was worth all the -discomfort we had undergone. Close the top, three branches of dry, -rock-bottomed gullies carved from a gritty, homogeneous sandstone, -spread out from the slope we had been climbing. These were less -precipitous. Taking the extreme left-hand gully, we found the climb to -the top much easier. At the very end we found an irregular hole a few -feet in diameter not a cave, but an opening left between some immense -rocks, touching at the top, seemingly rolled together. - -Gazing down through this opening, we were amazed to find that we were -directly above the Colorado itself. It was so confusing at first that -we had to climb to the very top to see which river it was, I -contending that it was the Green, until satisfied that I was mistaken. -The view from the top was overwhelming, and words can hardly describe -what we saw, or how we were affected by it. - -We found ourselves on top of an irregular plateau of solid rock, with -no earth or vegetation save a few little bushes and some very small -cedars in cracks in the rocks. Branching canyons, three or four -hundred feet in depth, and great fissures ran down in this rock at -intervals. Some were dark and crooked, and the bottom could not be -seen. Between these cracks, the rock rounded like elephants backs -sloping steeply on either side. Some could be crossed, some could not. -Others resembled a "maze," the puzzle being how to get from one point -to another a few away. The rock was a sandstone and presented a rough -surface affording a good hold, so there was little danger of slipping. -We usually sat down and "inched" way to the edge of the cracks, -jumping across to little ledges when possible, always helping each -other. - -The rock at the very edge of the main canyon overhung, in places 75 to -100 feet, and the great mass of gigantic boulders--sections of -shattered cliffs--on the steep slope near the river gave evidence of a -continual breaking away of these immense rocks. - -To the north, across the canyon up which we had climbed, were a great -number of smooth formations, from one hundred to four hundred feet -high, rounded on top in domes, reminding one of Bagdad and tales from -the Arabian Nights. "The Land of Standing Rocks," the Utes call it. -The rock on which we stood was light gray or nearly white; the river -walls at the base for a thousand feet above the river were dark red or -chocolate-brown; while the tops of the formations above this level -were a beautiful light red tint. - -But there were other wonders. On the south side of the Colorado's -gorge, miles away, were great spires, pointing heavenward, singly and -in groups, looking like a city of churches. Beyond the spires were the -Blue Mountains, to the east the hazy LaSalle range, and nearest of all -on the west just north of the Colorado lay the snow-covered peaks of -the Henry Mountains. Directly below us was the Colorado River, muddy, -swirllng, and forbidding. A mile away boomed a rapid, beyond that was -another, then the river was lost to view. - -Standing on the brink of all this desolation, it is small wonder if we -recalled the accounts of the disasters which had overtaken so many -others in the canyon below us. Many who had escaped the water had -climbed out on to this death trap, as it had proven to be for them, -some to perish of thirst and starvation, a few to stagger into the -ranch below the canyon, a week or more after they had escaped from the -water. Small wonder that some of these had lost their reason. We could -only conjecture at the fate of the party whose wrecked boat had been -found by the Stone expedition, a few miles below this place, with -their tracks still fresh in the sand. No trace of them was ever found. - -For the first time it began to dawn on us that we might have tackled a -job beyond our power to complete. Most of the parties which had safely -completed the trip were composed of several men, adding much to the -safety of the expedition, as a whole. Others had boats much lighter -than ours, a great help in many respects. Speaking for myself, I was -just a little faint-hearted, and not a little overawed as we prepared -to return to the boats. - -While returning, we saw evidences of ancient Indians--some broken -arrow-heads, and pottery also, and a small cliff ruin under a shelving -rock. - -What could an Indian find here to interest him! We had found neither -bird, nor rabbit; not even a lizard in the Land of Standing Rocks. -Perhaps they were sun worshippers, and wanted an unobstructed view of -the eastern sky. That at least could be had, in unrivalled grandeur, -here above the Rio Colorado. - -The shadows were beginning to lengthen when we finally reached our -boats at the junction. Camp was made under a large weeping willow -tree, the only tree of its kind we remembered having seen on the -journey. - -While Emery prepared a hasty meal I made a few arrangements for -embarking on the Colorado River the next morning. We were prepared to -bid farewell to the Green River--the stream that had served us so -well. In spite of our trials, even in the upper canyons, we had found -much enjoyment in our passage through its strange and beautiful -surroundings. - -From a scenic point of view the canyons of the Green River, with their -wonderful rock formations and stupendous gorges, are second only to -those of the Colorado itself. It is strange they are so little known, -when one considers the comparative ease with which these canyons on -the lower end can be reached. Some day perhaps, surfeited -globe-trotters, after having tired of commonplace scenery and foreign -lands, will learn what a wonderful region this is, here on the lower -end of the Green River. - -Then no doubt, Wolverton, or others with similar outfits, will find a -steady stream of sight-seers anxious to take the motor boat ride down -to this point, and up to Moab, Utah, a little Mormon town on the Grand -River. A short ride by automobile from Moab to the D. & R.C. railway -would complete a most wonderful journey; then the transcontinental -journey could be resumed. - -So I mused, as I contrived an arrangement of iron hooks and oak sticks -to hold on a hatch cover, from which all the thumb screws had been -lost. More than likely my dream of a line of sight-seeing motor boats -will be long deferred; or they may even meet the fate of Brown's and -Stanton's plans for a railroad down these gorges. - -As a reminder of the fate which overtakes so many of our feeble plans, -we found a record of Stanton's survey on a fallen boulder, an -inscription reading "A 81 + 50. Sta. D.C.C. & P.R.R.," the -abbreviations standing for Denver, Colorado Canyons, and Pacific -Railroad. It is possible that the hands that chiselled the inscription -belonged to one of the three men who were afterwards drowned in Marble -Canyon. - -Emery--being very practical--interrupted my revery and plans for -future sight-seers by announcing supper. The meal was limited in -variety, but generous in quantity, and consisted of a dried-beef stew, -fried potatoes and cocoa. A satisfied interior soon dispelled all our -previous apprehensiveness. We decided not to run our rapids before we -came to them. - -The water still gave indications of being higher than low-water mark, -although it was falling fast on the Green River. Each morning, for -three days previous to our arrival at the junction, we would find the -water about six inches lower than the stage of the evening before. -Strange to say, we gained on the water with each day's rowing, until -we had almost overtaken the stage of water we had lost during the -night. More than likely we would have all the water we needed under -the new conditions which were before us. - -Beginning with the Colorado River, we made our journals much more -complete in some ways, giving all the large rapids a number and -describing many of them in detail. This was done, not only for our own -satisfaction, but for the purpose of comparison with others who had -gone through, for many of these rapids have histories. - -It was often a question, when on the Green River, where to draw the -line when counting a rapid; this was less difficult when on the -Colorado. While the descent was about the same as in some of the -rapids above, the increased volume of water made them look and act -decidedly different. We drew the line, when counting a rapid, at a -descent having a decided agitation of the water, hidden rocks, or -swift descent and with an eddy or whirlpool below. Major Powell -considered that many of these drops in the next canyon were above the -ordinary rapid, hence the name, Cataract Canyon. - -At one of the camps below Green River, Utah boat had been christened -the _Defiance_, by painting the name on the bow. After leaving the -Green we referred to the boats by their respective names, being in the -_Edith_, I in the _Defiance_. - - -[Illustration: THE JUNCTION OF THE TWO RIVERS. THE GRAND RIVER IS ON -THE RIGHT. NOTE BOATS.] - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - - -A COMPANION VOYAGER - -THURSDAY morning, October the 26th, found Emery feeling very poorly, -but insisting on going ahead with our day's work, so Camp No. 34 was -soon behind us. We were embarked on a new stream, flowing -west-southwest, with a body of water ten times the size of that which -we had found in the upper canyons of the Green. Our sixteen-foot boats -looked quite small when compared with the united currents of the Green -and the Grand rivers. The Colorado River must have been about 350 feet -wide here just below the junction, with a three-mile current, and -possibly twenty-five feet deep, although this is only a guess. The -Grand River appeared to be the higher of the two streams, and had a -decidedly red colour, as though a recent storm was being carried down -its gorges; while the colour of the Green was more of a coffee -colour--coffee with a little cream in it. - -A fourth of a mile below the junction the two currents began to mix, -with a great ado about it, with small whirlpools and swift eddies, and -sudden outbursts from beneath as though a strangled current was -struggling to escape from the weight which overpowered it. The boats -were twisted this way and that, and hard rowing was necessary to carry -us down to the steadied current, and to the first rapid, which we -could hear when yet far above it. - -Soon we were running rapids again, and getting a lot of sport out of -it. There were some rocks, but there was water enough so that these -could be avoided. If one channel did not suit us, we took another, and -although we were drenched in every rapid, and the cockpit was half -filled each time, it was not cold enough to cause us any great -discomfort, and we bailed out at the end of each rapid, then hurried -on to tackle the next. Each of these rapids was from a fourth to a -third of a mile in length. The average was at least one big rapid to -the mile. When No. 5 was reached we paused a little longer, and looked -it over more carefully than we had the others. It had a short, quick -descent, then a long line of white-topped waves, with a big whirlpool -on the right. There were numerous rocks which would take careful work -to avoid. The waves were big,--big enough for a motion picture,--so -Emery remained on shore with both the motion-picture camera and the -8X10 plate camera in position, ready to take the picture, while I ran -my boat. - -At the head of this rapid we saw footprints in the sand, but not made -with the same shoe as that which we had noticed above the junction. We -had also seen signs of a camp, and some fishes' heads above this -point, and what we took to be a dog's track along the shore. - -At the head of the next rapid we saw them again, but on opposite side -of the river, and could see where boat had been pulled up on the sand. -This next rapid was almost as bad as the one above it, but with a -longer descent, instead of one abrupt drop. The following rapid was so -close that we continued along the shore to look it over at the same -time, saving a stop between the two rapids. The shores were strewn -with a litter of gigantic boulders--fallen sections of the overhanging -cliffs. We found more of this in Cataract Canyon than in any of the -canyons above. This was partly responsible for the violence of the -rapids, although the descent of the river would make rough water even -if there were no boulders. Working back along the shore, we were -suddenly electrified into quick action by seeing the _Edith_ come -floating down the river, close to the shore and almost on the rapid. -Emery was a short distance ahead and ran for the _Defiance_; I caught -up a long pole and got on a projecting rock, hoping I might steer her -in. She passed me, and was soon in the midst of the rapid before Emery -had launched the boat. Three gigantic boulders extended above the -water about fifty feet from shore, with a very crooked channel -between. Down toward these boulders came the _Edith_, plunging like a -thing possessed. How it was done I could never tell, but she passed -through the crooked channel without once touching, and continued over -the rapid. Meanwhile Emery had run the other side and had gained on -the _Edith_, but only caught her when close to the next rapid; so he -turned her loose and came to the shore for me. - -Emery had not been feeling his best and I advised him to remain on -shore while I took the boat. As we made the change we again observed -the boat, bounding through the next rapid, whirling on the tops of the -waves as though in the hands of a superhuman juggler. I managed to -overtake her in a whirlpool below the rapid, and came to shore for her -captain. He was nearly exhausted with his efforts; still he insisted -on continuing. A few miles below we saw some ducks, and shot at them -with a revolver. But the ducks flew disdainfully away, and landed in -the pool below. - -By 4.30 P.M. we were twelve miles below the junction, a very good -day's run considering the kind of water we were travelling on, and the -amount of time we spent on the shore. We had just run our twelfth -rapid, and were turning the boats around, when we saw a man back from -the shore working over a pile of boxes which he had covered with a -piece of canvas. A boat was tied to the water's edge. We called to -him, and he answered, but did not seem nearly as much interested in -seeing companion travellers as we were, and proceeded with his work. -We landed, and, to save time, introduced ourselves, as there seemed to -be a certain aloofness in his manner. He gave the name of Smith--with -some hesitation, we thought. - -Smith was about medium size, but looked tough and wiry; he had a sandy -complexion, with light hair and mustache. He had lost one eye, the -other was that light gray colour that is usually associated with -indomitable nerve. He had a shrewd, rather humorous expression, and -gave one the impression of being very capable. Dressed in a neat -whipcord suit, wearing light shoes and a carefully tied tie, recently -shaved--a luxury we had denied ourselves, all this time--he was -certainly an interesting character to meet in this out-of-the-way -place. We should judge he was a little over forty years old; but -whether prospector, trapper, or explorer it was hard to say. Some -coyote skins, drying on a rock, would give one the impression that he -was the second, with a touch of the latter thrown in. These coyotes -were responsible for the tracks we had seen, and had mistaken for dog -tracks, but of all the canyons we had seen he was in the last place -where we would expect to find a trapper. The coyotes evidently reached -the river gorge through side canyons on the left, where we had seen -signs of ancient trails. Apart from that there was no sign of animal -life. With the last of the wooded canyons, the signs of beaver had -disappeared. There were a few otter tracks, but they are wily fellows, -and are seldom trapped. While there are laws against the trapping of -beaver, they seldom prevent the trappers from taking them when they -get the chance; they are only a little more wary of strangers; the -thought occurred to us that this trapper may have secured some beaver -in the open sections above, and mistrusted us for this reason. - -It was too late to go any farther that evening, so we camped a hundred -yards below him, close to where our boats were pulled out. At this -place there was a long, wide flat in the canyon, with plenty of -driftwood, so we saw no reason why we should quarrel with our -neighbour. Smith accepted our invitation to supper, stating that he -had just eaten before we arrived, but enjoyed some pineapple which we -had kept for some special occasion, and which was served for dessert. - -Over the table we became better acquainted, and, after learning what -we were doing, he recounted his experiences. He told us he had left -Green River, Utah, a month before, and had been trapping as he came -along. He knew there was a canyon, and some rapids below, but had no -idea they were so bad, and thought they were about ended. No one had -warned him, for he had told no one what he intended doing. He had -bought an old water-logged boat that had been built by Galloway, and -seeing the uselessness of trying to run the rapids with it, worked it -down along the shores by holding it with a light chain. Once he had -been pulled into the river, twice the boat had been upset, and he was -just about dried out from the last spill when we arrived. He had heard -us shooting at the ducks, so rather expected company--this in brief -was his amazing story. - -We were surprised when we examined the boat closely. It had been well -made, but was so old and rotten that it seemed ready to fall to -pieces. In places, the nail heads had pulled through the boards. It -was entirely open on top--a great risk in such water. His boxes were -tied in to prevent loss. These boxes were now piled on the shore, with -a large canvas thrown over them. This canvas, fastened at the top and -sloping to the ground, served him for a tent; his bed was underneath. -A pair of high-topped boots, placed bottom up over two sticks, stuck -in the sand beside the camp-fire, explained the different tracks we -had seen above. - -Smith evidently was not much alarmed over his situation. About the -only thing that seemed to bother him was the fact that his smoking -tobacco had been wet several times. That evening we got out our -guide-book--Dellenbaugh's "A Canyon Voyage"--and tried to give him an -idea of what was ahead. The walls ahead grew higher, and closer -together; sometimes there was a shore on one side, sometimes on the -other, at one or two places there was no shore on either side, and the -rapids continued to get worse,--so we gathered from Dellenbaugh's -experience. Above this point there were several places where one could -climb out,--we had even seen signs of ancient trails in two side -canyons,--below here few such places existed. - -Smith listened to all this attentively, then smiled and said "I guess -there will be some way through." After a short visit he returned to -his camp. We noticed that he slept on his gun,--to keep it dry, no -doubt, for it looked like rain. - -Morning found us very sorry that we had not erected our tent, for it -rained nearly all night, but when once in our beds it was a question -which was preferable; to get out in the rain and put up our tent, or -remain in our comfortable beds. We remained where we were. As we -prepared to leave, we offered Smith a chance to accompany us through -Cataract Canyon, telling him that we would help him with his boat -until the quiet water of Glen Canyon was reached. He declined the -opportunity, saying that he would rather travel slowly and do what -trapping he could. He welcomed a chance to take a ride on the -_Defiance_, however. We took him over two small rapids, and gave him -an insight into our method of avoiding the dangers. He was very -enthusiastic about it. On reaching the next rapid we all concluded it -would be very unwise to carry any passengers, for it was violent -water, so he got out on the shore. - -Smith had once seen some moving pictures of Japanese shooting rapids, -but he said they were nothing compared to these, remarking that a -bronco could hardly buck any harder. The next rapid was just as bad, -Rapid No. 14 for Cataract Canyon, and Smith helped us secure a motion -picture. Then he prepared to return to his camp. Just before leaving -he explained rather apologetically, that ranchers, or others, were -usually very unfriendly to a stranger coming into their section of the -country. He had heard us shooting at the ducks and he imagined we -belonged in some of the side canyons or on the top. This explained his -puzzling attitude at our first meeting. If he had any beaver skins in -his pack this would make him even more suspicious of strangers. We -wished him nothing but the best of luck, and were good friends when we -parted. His decision to make the trip alone, poorly equipped as he -was, seemed like suicide to us. He promised to write to us if he got -out, and with a final wave of the hand we left him on the shore. - -The rapid just passed was possibly the scene of the disaster -discovered by the Stone expedition. They found a clumsy boat close to -the shore, jammed in a mass of rocks, smashed and abandoned. There -were tracks of three people in the sand, one track being a boy's. A -coat was left on the shore. The tracks disappeared up a box canyon. -Mr. Stone corresponded with the only settlements in all that region, -few in number, and far distant; but nothing was ever heard of them, -Two other parties have left Green River, Utah, within a year of this -find and disappeared in like manner. This seemed to be the usual -result of these attempts. In nearly every case they have started in -boats that are entirely unfitted for rough water, and, seemingly -without any knowledge of the real danger ahead, try to follow where -others, properly equipped, have gone through. - -What a day of excitement that was! We always thought we needed a -certain amount of thrills to make life sufficiently interesting for -us. In a few hours' time, in the central portion of Cataract Canyon, -we experienced nearly enough thrills to last us a lifetime. In one or -two of the upper canyons we thought we were running rapids. Now we -were learning what rapids really were. No sooner were we through one -than another presented itself. At each of them we climbed along the -boulder-strewn shores--the lower slopes growing steeper, the walls -above towering higher--clear to the end of the rapid. Looking upstream -we could pick out the submerged rocks hidden in the muddy water, and -looking like an innocent wave from above. Twice we had picked out -channels in sharp drops, after carefully observing their actions and -deciding they were free from obstructions, when suddenly the waves -would part for an instant and disclose a hidden rock--in one case as -sharp as a hound's tooth--sure disaster if we ever struck it. As soon -as we had decided on a channel we would lose no time in getting back -to our boats and running it for we could feel our courage oozing from -our finger tips with each second's delay. Time and again we got -through just by a scratch. Success bred confidence; I distinctly -remember feeling that water alone would not upset the boat; that it -would take a collision with a rock to do it. And each time we got -through. Twice I almost had reason to reverse my impression of the -power of water. First the stern rose up in front of me, as if squaring -off at the tops of the cliffs, then descended, until it seemed to be -trying to plumb the depths of the river. The waves, rolling over me, -almost knocked me out of the boat, I lost my hold on the oars and -grabbed the sides of the boat; then, regaining the oars, I finished -the run by pulling with the bow headed downstream, for the boat had -"swapped ends" in the interval, and was heavy with about three barrels -of water in the cockpit. I bailed out with a grocery box, kept under -the seat for that purpose. It had been growing quite cold, and Emery's -indisposition--or what was really acute indigestion--had weakened him -for the past two days, but he pluckily declined to stop. I was soaked -with my last immersion and chilled with the wind, so concluded there -was no use having him go through the same experience and I ran his -boat while he made a picture. We were both ready to camp then, but -there was no suitable place and we had to push on to the next rapid. -On looking it over we almost gave up our intention of running it. It -was about a fourth of a mile long; a mass of submerged rocks extended -entirely across the river; the entire rapid seemed impossible. We -finally concluded it might be run by shooting up, stern first, on a -sloping rock near the shore, then return as the current recoiled and -ran back, dividing on either side of the rock. The only clear channel -was one about twelve feet wide, between this rock and the shore. A -projecting shore above prevented a direct entrance to this channel. - -We threw logs in and watched their action. In each case they paused -when within five or six feet of the top of the slope, then returned -with the current, whirled back to the side and shot through close to -the shore. We planned to go through as close together as possible. -Emery was ready first, I held back in a protecting pool, waiting for -him to get out of the way. He got his position, facing stern -downstream, gave the slightest shove forward, and the released boat -whizzed down for fifty feet and ran up on the rock. She paused a -moment, as the water prepared to return. He gave two quick pulls, -shooting back again, slightly to the right, until he struck the narrow -channel, then reversed his course and went through stern first exactly -as we had planned it. The square stern, buoyed up by the air-chamber, -lifted the boat out of the resulting wave as he struck the bottom of -the descent. This much of the rapid had only taken a few seconds. - -I followed at once, but was not so fortunate. The _Defiance_ was -carried to the left side, where some water dropped over the side of -the rock, instead of reversing. I pulled frantically, seeing visions, -meanwhile, of the boat and myself being toppled off the side of the -rock, into the boulders and waves below. My rowing had no effect -whatever, but the boat was grabbed by the returning wave and shot, as -if from a catapult, back and around to the right, through the sloping -narrow channel,--my returning course describing a half circle. Instead -of rising, the pointed bow cut down into the waves until the water was -on my shoulders. Emery turned his head for an instant to see what -success I was having, and his boat was thrown on to a rock close to -the shore. I passed him and landed, just before going into the next -rapid. I then went back and helped him off the rock, and he continued -his course over the leaping waves. He broke a rowlock before he -landed, and had to use the substitute we had hung beside it. - -We found a good spot for a camp just above the next rapid. Our tent -was stretched in front of a large boulder. A large pile of driftwood -gave us all the fuel needed, and we soon had a big fire going and our -wet clothes steaming on the line. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - - -A PATIENT AMID THE CATARACTS - -An hour or so after making our camp, we began to doubt the wisdom of -our choice of a location, for a downpour of rain threatened to send a -stream of water under the tent. The stream was easily turned aside, -while a door and numerous boards found in the drift pile, made a very -good floor for the tent and lifted our sleeping bags off the wet sand. -We had little trouble in this section to find sufficient driftwood for -fires. The pile at this camp was enormous, and had evidently been -gathering for years. Some of it, we could be sure, was recent, for a -large pumpkin was found deposited in the drift pile twenty-five feet -above the low-water stage on which we were travelling. This pumpkin, -of course, could only have come down on the flood that had preceded -us. - -What a mixture of curios some of those drift piles were, and what a -great stretch of country they represented! The rivers, unsatisfied -with washing away the fertile soil of the upper country, had levied a -greedy toll on the homes along their banks, as well. Almost everything -that would float, belonging to a home, could be found in some of them. -There were pieces of furniture and toilet articles, children's toys -and harness, several smashed boats had been seen, and bloated cattle -as well. A short distance above this camp we had found two cans of -white paint, carefully placed on top of a big rock above the -high-water mark, by some previous voyager.[5] The boats were beginning -to show the effect of hard usage, so we concluded to take the paint -along. At another point, this same day, we found a corked bottle -containing a faded note, undated, requesting the finder to write to a -certain lady in Delta, Colorado. A note in my journal, beneath a -record of this find, reads: "Aha! A romance at last!" Judging by the -appearance of the note it might have been thrown in many years before. -Delta, we knew, was on the Gunnison River, a tributary of the Grand -River. The bottle must have travelled over two hundred miles to reach -this spot. - -A letter which I sent out later brought a prompt answer, with the -information that this bottle and four others with similar notes were -set adrift by the writer and four of her schoolmates, nearly two years -before. An agreement was made that the one first receiving an answer -was to treat the others to a dinner. Our find was the second, so this -young lady was a guest instead of the host. - -Emery took but little interest in our camp arrangements this evening, -and went to bed as soon as it was possible for him to do so. He said -little, but he was very weak, and I could tell from his drawn face -that he was suffering, and knew that it was nothing but nervous energy -that kept him at his work--that, and a promise which he had made to -build a fire, within a stated time now less than two weeks away, in -Bright Angel Creek Canyon, nearly three hundred miles below this camp, -a signal to his wife and baby that he would be home the next day. I -was worried about his condition and I feared a fever or pneumonia. For -two or three days he had not been himself. It was one thing to battle -with the river when well and strong; it would be decidedly different -if one of us became seriously ill. - -For the first time in all our experiences together, where -determination and skill seemed necessary to success, I had taken the -lead during the past two days, feeling that my greater weight and -strength, perhaps, would help me pull out of danger where he might -fail. In two or three rapids I felt sure he did not have the strength -to pull away from certain places that would smash the boats. After -running the _Defiance_ through these rapids I suggested to him that; -he would take a picture while I brought the _Edith_ down. He would -stay near the _Defiance_, ready to aid in case of emergency. After -being once through a rapid I found it quite a simple matter to run the -second boat, and the knowledge that he would save me in case of an -upset greatly lessened any danger that might have existed. He was too -nervous to sleep, and asked me to take a last look at the boats before -going to bed. They were pulled well up on the shore and securely tied, -I found, so that it would take a flood to tear them loose. The rain, -which had stopped for a while, began again as I rolled into the -blankets; the fire, fed with great cottonwood logs, threw ghostly -shadows on the cliffs which towered above us, and sputtered in the -rain but refused to be drowned; while the roar of rapids, Nos. 22 and -23 combined, thundered and reverberated from wall to wall, and finally -lulled us to sleep. - -The rain continued all night, but the weather cleared in the morning. -Emery felt much the same as he had the day before, so we kept the same -camp that day. We took some pictures, and made a few test -developments, hanging the dark-room, or tent, inside the other tent -for want of a better place to tie to. - -Sunday, October the 29th, we remained at the same place, and by -evening were both greatly benefited by the rest. On Monday morning we -packed up again, leaving only the moving-picture camera out, and -pictured each other, alternately, as the boats made the Plunge over -the steep descent in rapid No. 23. Both boats disappeared from sight -on two or three occasions in this rapid and emerged nearly filled with -water. - -The section just passed is credited with the greatest descent on the -rivers, a fall of 75 feet in 3/4 of a mile. This includes the three -rapids: Nos. 21, 22, and 23. - -Proceeding on our way the canyon narrowed, going up almost sheer to a -height of 2500 feet or over. Segregated spires, with castle-like tops, -stood out from the upper walls. The rapids, or cataracts, compared -well with those passed above, connected in some instances by -swift-rushing water instead of the quiet pools which were usually -found between the rapids. We ran ten rapids this day, but several of -these which were counted as one were a series of two or three rapids, -which might be one in high water. All had a shore on one side or the -other, but caution was imperative when crossing in the swift water -between the rapids. A mishap here meant destruction. We figured that -we had travelled about ten miles for this day's run. - -The menacing walls continued to go higher with the next day's travel, -until they reached a height of 2700 feet. The left wall was so sheer -that it almost seemed to overhang. The little vegetation which we had -found on the lower slope gradually disappeared as the walls grew -steeper, but a few scattered shrubs, sage-brush, and an occasional -juniper grew on the rocky sides, or in one or two side canyons which -entered from the south. These side canyons had the appearance of -running back for considerable distances, but we did not explore any of -them and could tell very little about them from the river. - -After our noon lunch this day, in order to keep our minds from -dwelling too much on the rather depressing surroundings, we proposed -having a little sport. On two or three occasions we had made motion -pictures from the deck of the boats as we rowed in the quiet water; -here we proposed taking a picture from the boats as we went over the -rapids. The two boats were fastened stern to stern, so that the rowing -would be done from the first boat. My brother sat on the bow behind -with the motion-picture camera in front of him, holding it down with -his chin, his legs clinging to the sides of the boat, with his left -hand clutching at the hatch cover, and with his right hand free to -turn the crank. In this way we passed over two small rapids. After -that one experience we never tried it in a large rapid. As Smith had -said a few days before the boat bucked like a broncho, and Emery had a -great deal of difficulty to stay with the boat, to say nothing of -taking a picture. Once or twice he was nearly unseated but pluckily -hung on and kept turning away at the crank when it looked as if he and -the camera would be dumped into the river. - -At one point in the lower end of Cataract Canyon we saw the name and -date A.G. Turner, '07. Below this, close to the end of the canyon, -were some ruins of cliff dwellings, and a ladder made by white men, -placed against the walls below the ruins. - -On reaching a very deep, narrow canyon entering from the south, -locally known as Dark Canyon, we knew that we were nearing the end of -the rapids in Cataract Canyon. Dark Canyon extends a great distance -back into the country, heading in the mountains we had seen to the -south, when we climbed out at the junction of the Green and the Grand. -Pine cones and other growths entirely foreign to the growth of the -desert region were found near its mouth. A flood had recently filled -the bottom of this narrow canyon to a depth of several feet, but the -water had settled down again and left a little stream of clear water -running through the boulders. The rapid at the end of this canyon was -one of the worst of the entire series, and had been the scene of more -than one fatality, we had been told. It had a very difficult approach -and swung against the right wall, then the water was turned abruptly -to the left by a great pile of fallen boulders. The cresting waves -looked more like breakers of the ocean than anything we had seen on -the river. - -We each had a good scare as we ran this rapid. Emery was completely -hidden from my view, he was nearly strangled and blinded by the waves -for a few seconds while struggling in the maelstrom; the _Edith_ was -dropped directly on top of a rock in the middle of this rapid, then -lifted on the next wave. I also had a thrilling experience but avoided -the rock. In the lower part of the rapid a rowlock pulled apart; and -to prevent the boat from turning sideways in the rapid, I threw up my -knee, holding the oar against it for a lever until I was in quieter -water, and could get the other rowlock in position. - -Separated from my brother in this instance, I had an opportunity to -see the man and water conflict, with a perspective much as it would -have appeared to a spectator happening on the scene. I was out of the -heat of the battle. The excitement and indifference to danger that -comes with a hand-to-hand grapple was gone. I heard the roar of the -rapid; a roar so often heard that we forgot it was there. I saw the -gloom of the great gorge, and the towering, sinister shafts of rock, -weakened with cracks, waiting for the moment that would send them -crashing to the bottom. I saw the mad, wild water hurled at the -curving wall. Jagged rocks, like the bared fangs of some -dream-monster, appeared now and then in the leaping, tumbling waves. -Then down toward the turmoil--dwarfed to nothingness by the magnitude -of the walls--sped the tiny shell-like boat, running smoothly like a -racing machine! There was no rowing. The oar-blades were tipped high -to avoid loss in the first comber; then the boat was buried in foam, -and staggered through on the other side. It was buffeted here and -there, now covered with a ton of water, now topping a ten-foot wave. -Like a skilled boxer--quick of eye, and ready to seize any temporary -advantage--the oarsman shot in his oars for two quick strokes, to -straighten the boat with the current or dodge a threatening boulder; -then covered by lifting his oars and ducking his head as a brown flood -rolled over him. Time and again the manoeuvre was repeated: now here -now there. One would think the chances were about one to a hundred -that he would get through. But by some sort of a system, undoubtedly -aided, many times, by good luck, the man and his boat won to land. - -After running a small rapid, we came to another, in the centre of -which was an island,--the last rapid in Cataract Canyon. While not as -bad as the one at Dark Canyon it was rather difficult, and at this -point we found no shore on either side. The south side was rendered -impassable by great boulders, much higher than the river level, which -were scattered through the channel. The opposite channel began much -like the rapid at Dark Canyon, sweeping under the wall until turned by -a bend and many fallen rocks below the end of the island, then crossed -with a line of cresting waves to the opposite side, where it was -joined by the other stream, and the left wall was swept clean in like -manner. We ran it by letting our boats drop into the stream, but -pulled away from the wall and kept close to the island, then when its -end was reached crossed the ridge of waves and pulled for the -right-hand shore. In such rapids as this we often found the line of -waves in the swift-rushing centre to be several feet higher than the -water along the shore. - -Then our thoughts reverted to Smith. What would he do when he came to -this rapid? The only escape was a narrow sloping ledge on the right -side, beginning close to the water some distance above the rapid, -reaching a height of sixty or seventy feet above the water at the -lower end, while a descent could be made to the river some distance -below here. It would be possible for him to climb over this with his -provisions, but the idea of taking his boat up there was entirely out -of the question, and, poorly equipped as he was, an attempt to run it -would surely end in disaster. The breaking of an oar, the loss of a -rowlock, or the slightest knock of his rotten boat against a rock, and -Smith's fate would be similar to those others whose bones lay buried -in the sands. - -In the next four miles we had no more rapids, but had some fine -travelling on a very swift river. It was getting dusk, but we pulled -away, for just ahead of us was the end of Cataract Canyon. We camped -by a large side canyon on the left named Mille Crag Bend, with a great -number of jagged pinnacles gathered in a group at the top of the -walls, which had dropped down to a height of about 1300 feet. We felt -just a little proud of our achievement, and believed we had -established a record for Cataract Canyon, having run all rapids in -four days' travelling, and come through in safety. - -We had one rapid to run the next morning at the beginning of Narrow -Canyon, the only rapid in this nine-mile long canyon. The walls here -at the beginning were twelve or thirteen hundred feet high, and -tapered to the end, where they rise about four hundred feet above the -Dirty Devil River. Narrow Canyon contains the longest straight stretch -of river which we remembered having seen. When five miles from its -mouth we could look through and see the snow-capped peak of Mt. -Ellsworth beyond. This peak is one of the five that composes the Henry -Mountains, which lay to the north of the river. - -Three hours' rowing brought us to the end. We paused a few minutes to -make a picture or two of the Dirty Devil River,--or the Frémont River -as it is now recorded on the maps. This stream, flowing from the -north, was the exact opposite of the Bright Angel Creek, that -beautiful stream we knew so well, two hundred and fifty miles below -this point. The Dirty Devil was muddy and alkaline, while warm springs -containing sulphur and other minerals added to its unpalatable taste. -After tasting it we could well understand the feeling of the Jack -Sumner, whose remark, after a similar trial, suggested its name to -Major Powell. - -A short distance below this we saw a tent, and found it occupied by an -old-timer named Kimball. Among other things he told us that he had a -partner, named Turner, who had made the trip through the canyons -above, and arrived at this point in safety. This was the man whose -name we had seen on the walls in Cataract Canyon. Less than two miles -more brought us to the Hite ranch, and post-office. John Hite gave us -a cordial reception. He had known of our coming from the newspapers; -besides, he had some mail for us. We spent the balance of the day in -writing letters, and listening to Hite's interesting experiences of -his many years of residence in this secluded spot. Hite's home had -been a haven for the sole survivor of two expeditions which had met -with disaster in Cataract. In each case they were on the verge of -starvation. Hite kept a record of all known parties who had attempted -the passage through the canyons above. Less than half of these -parties, excepting Galloway's several successful trips, succeeded in -getting through Cataract Canyon without wrecking boats or losing -lives. - -After passing the Frémont River the walls on the right or north side -dropped down, leaving low, barren sandstone hills rolling away from -the river, with a fringe of willows and shrubs beside the water, and -with the usual sage-brush, prickly pear, cactus and bunch-grass on the -higher ground. We had seen one broken-down log cabin, but this ranch -was the only extensive piece of ground that was cultivated. Judging by -the size of his stacks of alfalfa, Hite had evidently had a good -season. The banks of the south side of the river were about two -hundred feet high, composed of a conglomerate mass of clay and gravel. -This spot has long been a ferry crossing, known far and wide as Dandy -Crossing, the only outlet across the river for the towns of -southeastern Utah, along the San Juan River. The entire 150 miles of -Glen Canyon had once been the scene of extensive placer operations. -The boom finally died, a few claims only proving profitable. - -One of these claims was held by Bert Loper, one of the three miners -who had gone down the river in 1908. Loper never finished, as his -boat--a steel boat, by the way--was punctured in a rapid above Dark -Canyon but was soon repaired. His cameras and plates being lost, he -sent from Hite out for new ones. His companions--Chas. Russell, and -E.R. Monette--were to wait for him at Lee's Ferry, after having -prospected through Glen Canyon. Some mistake was made about the -delivery of the cameras and, as Hite post-office only had weekly -communication with the railroad, a month elapsed before he finally -secured them. Lee's Ferry had been discontinued as a post-office at -that time, and, although he tried to get a letter in to them, it was -never delivered. His disappointment can be imagined better than -described, when he reached Lee's Ferry and found his companions had -left just a few days previous. They naturally thought if he were -coming at all he would have been there long before that, and they gave -him up, not knowing the cause of the delay. They left a letter, -however, saying they would only go to the Bright Angel Trail, and the -trip could be completed together on the following year. - -Loper spent many hard days working his boat, with his load of -provisions, back against the current, and located a few miles below -the Hite ranch. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - - -PLACER GOLD - -We passed Loper's claim after resuming our journey the next day. His -workings were a one-man proposition and very ingenious. We found a -tunnel in the gravel a hundred feet above the river, and some distance -back from the river bank. A track of light rails ran from the river -bank to these workings; the gravel and sand was loaded into a car, and -hauled or pushed to the bank, then dumped into a chute, which sent it -down to the river's edge. - -Loper was not at his work however, neither did we find him at his -ranch, a mile down the river. He had a neat little place, with fruit -trees and a garden, a horse or two, and some poultry. After resuming -our rowing, when about a mile down the river, some one called to us -from the shore, and Loper himself came running down to meet us. John -Hite had requested us to stop and see his brother, Cass Hite, who -owned a ranch and placer working nearly opposite where Loper had -halted us; so Loper crossed with us, as he was anxious to know of our -passage through the canyons. - -We found, in Cass Hite, an interesting "old-timer," one who had -followed the crowd of miners and pioneers, in the West, since the -discovery of gold on the coast. He was the discoverer of the White -Canyon Natural Bridges, of Southern Utah, located between this point -and the San Juan River, and had been the first to open the ferry at -Dandy Crossings. Hite had prospected Navajo Mountain, southwest of -this point, in the early sixties, about the time of the Navajos' -trouble with the United States army, under the leadership of Kit -Carson, who dislodged them from their strongholds in the mountains -after many others had failed. Hite's life was saved on more than one -occasion by warnings from a friendly chief, or head man of the Western -Navajos, known as Hoskaninni, who regarded him as a brother, and -bestowed on him the name, Hosteen pes'laki, meaning "Silver man." He -is still known by this name, and refers to his pretty ranch as Tick a -Bo, a Ute word for "friendly." Hite proudly quoted a poem written by -Cy Warman about the theme of the Indian's regard for his white friend. -Warman had followed the crowd in to this spot at the time of the boom, -looking for local colour--human local colour, not the glitter in the -sands. It was at John Hite's home where Warman had composed the one -time popular song, "Sweet Marie." It would be safe to say that he -brought his inspiration with him, for this was decidedly a man's -country. We were told that it had only been visited by one woman in -the past twelve years. Hite insisted on our remaining until the -following morning, and we concluded that the rest would do us good. He -loaded us up with watermelons, and with raisins, which he was curing -at that time. We spent a pleasant afternoon under a shaded arbour, -listening to his reminiscences, and munching at the raisins. - -That evening Loper told us his story of their canyon expedition. He -felt a little bitter about some newspaper reports that had been -published concerning this expedition, these reports giving the -impression that his nerve had failed him, and that for this reason he -had not continued on the journey. We mollified his feelings somewhat, -when we told him that his companions were not responsible for these -reports; but rather, that short telegraphic reports, sent out from the -Grand Canyon, had been misconstrued by the papers; and that this -accounted for the stories which had appeared. His companions had -remained at the Grand Canyon for two days following their arrival at -Bright Angel Trail. They gave Loper credit, to our certain knowledge, -of being the only one of the party who knew how to handle the boats in -rough water when they began the trip, and had stated that he ran all -the boats through certain rapids until they caught the knack. They -could not know of his reasons for the delay, and at that time had no -knowledge of his arrival at Lee's Ferry, after they had gone. -Naturally they were very much puzzled over his non-appearance. - -It got quite cold that night, and we were glad to have shelter of -Hite's hospitable roof. In our trip down the river to this point we -had seemed to keep even with the first cold weather. In all places -where it was open, we would usually find a little ice accompanied by -frost in the mornings, or if no ice had frozen the grass would be wet -with dew. In the canyons there was little or no ice, and the air was -quite dry. Naturally we preferred the canyons if we had a choice of -camps. - -Loper looked as though he would like to accompany us as we pulled away -the next morning, after having landed him on the south side of the -stream. We, at least, had full confidence in his nerve to tackle the -lower Colorado, after his record in Cataract Canyon. The five -scattered peaks of the Henry Mountains were now to the north-northwest -of us, rugged and snow-capped, supreme in their majesty above this -desolate region. - -Signs of an ancient Indian race were plentiful in this section. There -were several small cliff dwellings, walled up in ledges in the rocks, -a hundred feet or so above a low flat which banked the river. At -another place there were hundreds of carvings on a similar wall which -overhung a little. Drawings of mountain-sheep were plentiful; there -was one representing a human figure with a bow and arrow, and with a -sheep standing on the arrow--their way of telling that he got the -sheep, no doubt. There were masked figures engaged in a dance, not -unlike some of the Hopi dances of to-day, as they picture them. There -were geometrical figures, and designs of many varieties. A small rock -building half covered with sand and the accumulations of many years -stood at the base of the cliff; and quantities of broken pottery were -scattered about the ruin. Farther down the river a pathway was worn -into the sandstone where countless bare and moccasined feet had -toiled, and climbed over the sloping wall to the mesa above. The ruins -in this section were not extensive, like those found in the tributary -canyons of the San Juan River, for instance, not a very great distance -from here. Possibly this people stopped here as they travelled back -and forth, trading with their cousins to the north; or the dwellings -may have been built by the scattered members of the tribe, when their -strongholds were assailed by the more warlike tribes that crowded in -on them from all sides. - -What a story these cliffs could tell! What a romance they could -narrate of various tribes, as distinct from each other as the nations -of Europe, crowding each other; and at the last of this inoffensive -race, coming from the far south, it may be; driven from pillar to -post, making their last stand in this desert land; to perish of -pestilence, or to be almost exterminated by the blood-thirsty tribes -that surrounded them--then again, when the tide changed, and a new -type of invader travelled from the east, pushing ever to the west, -conquering all before them! But like the sphinx, the cliffs are silent -and voiceless as the hillocks and sand-dunes along the Nile, that -other desert stream, with a history no more ancient and momentous than -this. - -That night we camped opposite the ruins of a dredge, sunk in the low -water at the edge of the river. This dredge had once represented the -outlay of a great deal of money. It is conceded by nearly all experts -that the sands of these rivers contain gold, but it is of such a fine -grain--what is known as flour gold--and the expense of saving it is so -great, that it has not paid when operated on such a large scale. A few -placers in Glen Canyon have paid individual operators, some of these -claims being in gravel deposits from six hundred to eight hundred feet -above the present level of the river. - -On the following day we again entered deep canyon; sheer for several -hundred feet, creamy white above, with a dark red colour in the lower -sandstone walls. That afternoon we passed a small muddy stream flowing -from the north, in a narrow, rock-walled canyon. This was the -Escalante River, a stream rising far to the north, named for one of -the Spanish priests who had travelled this country, both to the north -and the south of this point, as early as the year 1776, about the time -when the New England colonists were in the midst of their struggle -with the mother country. - -Just below the Escalante River, the canyon turned almost directly -south, continuing in this general direction for several miles. A -glimpse or two was had of the top of a tree-covered snow-capped peak -directly ahead of us, or a little to the southwest. This could be none -other than Navajo Mountain, a peak we could see from the Grand Canyon, -and had often talked of climbing, but debated if we could spare the -time, now that we were close to it. - -In all this run through Glen Canyon we had a good current, but only -one place resembling a rapid. Here, below the Escalante, it was very -quiet, and hard pulling was necessary to make any headway. We were -anxious to reach the San Juan River that evening, but the days were -growing short, and we were still many miles away when it began to grow -dusk; so we kept a lookout for a suitable camp. The same conditions -that had bothered us on one or two previous occasions were found here; -slippery, muddy banks, and quicksand, together with an absence of -firewood. We had learned before this to expect these conditions where -the water was not swift. The slower stream had a chance to deposit its -silt, and if the high water had been very quiet, we could expect to -find it soft, or boggy. In the canyons containing swift water and -rapids we seldom found mud, but found a firm sand, instead. Here in -Glen Canyon we had plenty of mud, for the river had been falling the -last few days. Time and again we inspected seemingly favourable -places, only to be disappointed. The willows and dense shrubbery came -down close to the river; the mud was black, deep, and sticky; all -driftwood had gone out on the last flood. Meanwhile a glorious full -moon had risen, spreading a soft, weird light over the canyon walls -and the river; so that we now had a light much better than the dusk of -half an hour previous, our course being almost due south. Finally, -becoming discouraged, we decided to pull for the San Juan River, -feeling sure that we would find a sand-bar there. It was late when we -reached it, and instead of a sand-bar we found a delta of bottomless -mud. We had drifted past the point where the rivers joined, before -noticing that the stream turned directly to the west, with canyon -walls two or three hundred feet high, and no moonlight entered there. -Instead, it was black as a dungeon. From down in that darkness there -came a muffled roar, reverberating against the walls, and sounding -decidedly like a rapid. There was not a minute to lose. We pulled, and -pulled hard--for the stream was now quite swift close to the right -shore, and a sheer bank of earth about ten feet high made it difficult -to land. Jumping into the mud at the edge of the water, we tied the -boats to some bushes, then tore down the bank and climbed out on a -dry, sandy point of land. At the end or sharp turn of the sheer wall -we found a fair camp, with driftwood enough for that night. Emery, -weak from his former illness and the long day's run, went to bed as -soon as we had eaten a light supper. I looked after the cooking that -evening, making some baking-powder bread,--otherwise known as a -flapjack,--along with other arrangements for the next day; but I fear -my efforts as a cook always resulted rather poorly. - -We had breakfast at an early hour the next morning and were ready for -the boats at 7.15, the earliest start to our record. Our rapid of the -night before proved to be a false alarm, being nothing more than the -breaking of swift water as it swept the banks of rocks at the turn. It -was quite different from what we had pictured in our minds. - -We had long looked forward to this day. Navajo Mountain, with bare, -jagged sides and tree-covered dome, was located just a few miles below -this camp. It was a sandstone mountain peak, towering 7000 feet above -the river, the steep slope beginning some five or six miles back from -the stream. The base on which it rested was of sandstone, rounded and -gullied into curious forms, a warm red and orange colour -predominating. The north side, facing the river, was steep of slope, -covered with the fragments of crumbled cliffs and with soft -cream-tinted pinnacles rising from its slope. The south side, we had -reason, to believe, was tree-covered from top to bottom; the north -side held only a few scattered cedar piñon We had often seen the hazy -blue dome from the Grand Canyon, one hundred and twenty miles away, -and while it was fifty miles farther by the river, we felt as if we -were entered on the home stretch; as if we were in a country with -which we were somewhat familiar. - -The Colorado and the San Juan rivers form the northern boundary of the -Navajo Indian Reservation, comprising a tract of land as large as many -Eastern states, extending over a hundred miles, both east and west -from this point. Embodied in this reservation, and directly opposite -our camp, was a small section of rugged land set aside for some Utes, -who had friendly dealings, and who had intermarried with the Navajo. -But if we expected to find the Navajo, or Utes on the shore, ready to -greet us, we were doomed to disappointment. - -We explored a few side canyons this morning, hoping to find a spot -where some of Major Powell's party--particularly those men who were -afterwards killed by the Indians--had chiselled their names, which -record we were told was to be found near the San Juan, but on which -side we were not sure. While in one of these canyons, or what was -really nothing more than a crooked overhanging slit in the rocks, -containing a small stream, Emery found himself in some soft quicksand, -plunged instantly above his knees, and sinking rapidly. He would have -had a difficult time in getting out of this quicksand without help, -for a smooth, rock wall was on one side, the other bank of the stream -was sheer above him for a few feet, and there was nothing solid which -he could reach. We had seen a great deal of quicksand before this, but -nothing of this treacherous nature. Usually we could walk quickly over -these sands without any danger of being held in them, or if -caught--while lifting on a boat for instance--had no difficulty in -getting out. When once out of this canyon we gave up our search for -the carved record. - -But it was not the hope of shortening our homeward run, or the -prospect of meeting Indians on the shores, or of finding historical -records, even, that caused us to make this early start. It was the -knowledge that the wonderful Rainbow Natural Bridge, recently -discovered, and only visited by three parties of whites, lay hidden in -one of the side canyons that ran from the north slope of Navajo -Mountain. No one had gone into it from the river, but we were told it -could be done. We hoped to find this bridge. - -The current was swift, and we travelled fast, in spite of a stiff wind -which blew up the stream, getting a very good view of the mountain -from the river a few miles below our camp, and another view of the -extreme top, a short distance below this place, not over six miles -from the San Juan. We had directions describing the canyon in which -the bridge was located, our informant surmising that it was thirty -miles below the San Juan. We thought it must be less than that, for -the river was very direct at this place, and a person travelling over -the extremely rough country which surrounded this side of the mountain -slope would naturally have to travel much farther, so began to look -for it about twelve miles below camp. But mile after mile went by -without any sign of the landmarks that would tell us we were at the -"Bridge Canyon." Then the river, which had circled the northern side -of the peak, turned directly away from it, and we knew that we had -missed the bridge. At no point on the trip had we met with a -disappointment to equal that; even the loss of our moving-picture -film, after our spill in Lodore, was small when compared with it. - -On looking back over the lay of the land, we felt sure that the bridge -was at one of the two places, where we had seen the top of the -mountain from the river. To go back against the current would take at -least three days. Our provisions were limited in quantity and would -not permit it; the canyon had deepened, and a second bench of sheer -cliffs rose above the plateau, making it impossible to climb out: so -we concluded to make the best of it, and pulled down the stream, -trying to put as many miles as possible between ourselves and our -great disappointment. This afternoon we passed from Utah into Arizona. -For the remainder of the trip we would have Arizona on one side of the -river at least. We had much the same difficulty this evening as we had -the night before in finding a camp. Judging by the evidence along the -shore, the high water which came down the San Juan had been a torrent, -much greater than the flood on the Colorado and its upper tributaries. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - - -A WARNING - -We camped that night at the Ute Ford, or the Crossing of the Fathers; -a noted landmark of bygone days, when Escalante (in 1776) and others -later followed the inter-tribal trails across these unfriendly lands. -Later marauding Navajo used this trail, crossing the canyon to the -north side, raiding the scattered Mormon settlements, bringing their -stolen horses, and even sheep, down this canyon trail. Then they drove -them across on a frozen river, and escaped with them to their mountain -fastness. The Mormons finally tired of these predatory visits, and -shut off all further loss from that source by blasting off a great -ledge at the north end of the trail. This ruined the trail beyond all -hope of repair, and there is no travel at present over the old Ute -Crossing. The fording of the river on horseback was effected by -dropping down to the river through a narrow side canyon, and crossing -to the centre on a shoal, then following a centre shoal down quite a -distance, and completing the crossing at a low point on the opposite -side. This was only possible at the very lowest stage of water. - -The morning following our arrival here, we walked about a mile up the -gravelly slope on the south side, to see if we could locate the pass -by which the trail dropped down over these 3000-foot walls. The canyon -had changed in appearance after leaving the mountain, and now we had a -canyon; smaller, but not unlike the Grand Canyon in appearance, with -an inner plateau, and a narrow canyon at the river, while the walls on -top were several miles apart, and towering peaks or buttes rose from -the plateau, reaching a height almost equal to the walls themselves. -The upper walls were cream-tinted or white sandstone, the lower -formation was a warm red sandstone. We could not discover the pass -without a long walk to the base of the upper cliffs, so returned to -the boats. - -About this time we heard shots, seeming to come from some point down -the river, and on the north side. Later a dull hollow sound was heard -like pounding on a great bass drum. We could not imagine what it was, -but knew that it must be a great distance away. We had noticed -instances before this, where these smooth, narrow canyon had a great -magnifying effect on noises. In the section above the San Juan, where -the upper walls overhung a little, a loud call would roll along for -minutes before it finally died. A shot from a revolver sounded as if -the cliff were falling. - -Our run this morning was delightful. The current was the best on which -we had travelled. The channel swung from side to side, in great half -circles, with most of the water thrown against the outside bank, or -wall, with a five-or six-mile an hour current close to the wall. We -took advantage of all this current, hugging the wall, with the stern -almost touching, and with the bow pointed out so we would not run into -the walls or scrape our oars. Then, when it seemed as if our necks -were about to be permanently dislocated, from looking over one -shoulder, the river would reverse its curve, the channel would cross -to the other side, and we would give that side of our necks a rest. -Once in a great while I would bump a rock, and would look around -sheepishly, to see if my brother had seen me do it. I usually found -him with a big grin on his face, if he happened to be ahead of me. - -We rowed about twenty miles down the river before we learned what had -caused the noises heard in the morning. On rounding a turn we saw the -strange spectacle of fifteen or twenty men at work on the -half-constructed hull of a flat-bottomed steamboat, over sixty feet in -length. This boat was on the bank quite a distance above the water, -with the perpendicular walls of a crooked side canyon rising above it. -It was a strange sight, here in this out-of-the-way corner of the -world. Some men with heavy sledges were under the boat, driving large -spikes into the planking. This was the noise we had heard that -morning. - -The blasting, we learned later, was at some coal mines, several miles -up this little canyon, which bore the name of Warm Creek Canyon. A -road led down through the canyon, making it possible to haul the -lumber for the boat, clear to the river's edge. The nearest railroad -was close to two hundred miles from this place, quite a haul -considering the ruggedness of the country. The material for the boat -had been shipped from San Francisco, all cut, ready to put together. -The vessel was to be used to carry coal down the river, to a dredge -that had recently been installed at Lee's Ferry. - -The dinner gong had just sounded when we landed, and we were taken -along with the crowd. There were some old acquaintances in this group -of men, we found, from Flagstaff, Arizona. These men had received a -Flagstaff paper which had published a short note we had sent from -Green River, Utah. They had added a comment that no doubt this would -be the last message we would have an opportunity to send out. Very -cheering for Emery's wife, no doubt. Fortunately she shared our -enthusiasm, and if she felt any apprehension her few letters failed to -show it. - -We resumed our rowing at once after dinner, for we wished to reach -Lee's Ferry, twenty-five miles distant, that evening. We had a good -current, and soon left our friends behind us. We pulled with a will, -and mile after mile was covered in record time, for our heavy boats. - -The walls continued to get higher as we neared our goal, going up -sheer close to the river. We judged the greatest of these walls to be -about eleven hundred feet high. After four hours of steady pulling we -began to weary, for ours were no light loads to propel; but we were -spurred to renewed effort by hearing the sounds of an engine in the -distance. On rounding a turn we saw the end of Glen Canyon ahead of -us, marked by a breaking down of the walls, and a chaotic mixture of -dikes of rock, and slides of brilliantly coloured shales, broken and -tilted in every direction. Just below this, close to a ferry, we saw -the dredge on the right side of the river. We were quite close to the -dredge before we were seen. Some men paused at their work to watch us -as we neared them, one man calling to those behind him, "There come -the brothers!" - -A whistle blew announcing the end of their day's labour, and of ours -as well, as it happened. There was some cheering and waving of hats. -One who seemed to be the foreman asked us to tie up to a float which -served as a landing for three motor boats, and a number of skiffs. A -loudly beaten triangle of steel announced that the evening meal was -ready at a stone building not far from the dredge. We were soon seated -at a long table with a lot of others as hungry as we, partaking of a -well-cooked and substantial meal. We made arrangements to take a few -meals here, as we wished to overhaul our outfits before resuming our -journey. - -The meal ended, we inquired for the post-office, and were directed to -a ranch building across the Paria River, a small stream which entered -from the north, not unlike the Frémont River in size and appearance. -Picking our way in the darkness, on boulders and planks which served -as a crossing, we soon reached the building, set back from the river -in the centre of the ranch. A man named Johnson, with his family, had -charge of the ranch and post-office as well. Mail is brought by -carrier from the south, a cross-country trip of 160 miles, through the -Hopi and Navajo Indian Reservations. - -Johnson informed us that an old-time friend named Dave Rust had waited -here three or four days, hoping to see us arrive, but business matters -had forced him to leave just the day before. We were very sorry to -have missed him. Rust lived in the little Mormon town of Kanab, Utah, -eighty miles north of the Grand Canyon opposite our home. In addition -to being a cattle man and rancher, he had superintended the -construction of a cable crossing, or tramway, over the Colorado River, -beside the mouth of Bright Angel Creek, not many miles from our home. -He also maintains a cozy camp at this place, for the accommodation of -tourists and hunting parties, which he conducts up Bright Angel Creek -and into the Kaibab Forest. It was while returning from such a hunting -trip that we first met Rust. Many are the trips we have taken with him -since then, Emery, with his wife and the baby, even, making the -"crossing" and the eighty-mile horseback ride to his home in Kanab, -while I had continued on through to Salt Lake City. Rust had been the -first to tell us of Galloway and his boating methods; and had given us -a practical demonstration on the river. Naturally there was no one we -would have been more pleased to see at that place, than Rust. - -In our mail we found a letter from him, stating, among other things, -that he had camped the night before on the plateau, a few hundred feet -above a certain big rapid, well known through this section as the Soap -Creek Rapid. This locality is credited with being the scene of the -first fatality which overtook the Brown-Stanton expedition; Brown -being upset and drowned in the next rapid which followed, after having -portaged the Soap Creek Rapid. Rust wrote also that there was a shore -along the rapid, so there would be no difficulty in making the -portage; and concluded by saying that he had a very impressive dream -about us that night, the second of its kind since we had started on -our journey. - -We understood from this that he had certain misgivings about this -rapid, and took his dream to be a sort of a warning. Rust should have -known us better. With all the perversity of human nature that letter -made me want to run that rapid if it were possible. Why run the rapid, -and get a moving picture as it was being done. Then we could show Rust -how well we had learned our lesson! So I thought as we returned to the -buildings near the dredge, but said nothing of what was in my mind to -Emery, making the mental reservation that I would see the rapid first -and decide afterwards. - -The foreman of the placer mines called us into his office that -evening, and suggested that it might be a good plan to go over our -boats thoroughly before we left, and offered us the privilege of using -their workshop, with all its conveniences, for any needed repairs. He -also let us have a room in one of the buildings for our photographic -work. - -This foreman mourned the loss of a friend who had recently been -drowned at the ferry. It seemed that the floods which had preceded us, -especially that part which came down the San Juan River, had been -something tremendous, rising 45 feet at the ferry, where the river was -400 feet wide; and rising much higher in the narrow portions of Glen -Canyon. Great masses of driftwood had floated down, looking almost -like a continuous raft. When the river had subsided somewhat, an -attempt was made to cross with the ferry. The foreman and his friend, -with two others, and a team of horses hitched to a wagon, were on the -ferry. When in midstream it overturned in the swollen current. Three -of the men escaped, the other man and the horses were drowned. - -A careful search had been made for the body to a point a few miles -down the river, then the canyon closed in and they could go no -farther. The body was never recovered. It is seldom that the Colorado -River gives up its dead. The heavy sands collect in the clothes, and a -body sinks much quicker than in ordinary water. Any object lodged on -the bottom is soon covered with a sand-bar. The foreman knew this, of -course; yet he wished us to keep a lookout for the body, which might, -by some chance, have caught on the shore, when the water receded. This -was as little as any one would do, and we gave him our promise to keep -a careful watch. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - - -A NIGHT OF THRILLS - -We declined the offer of a roof that night, preferring to sleep in the -open here, for the evening was quite warm. We went to work the next -morning when the whistle sounded at the dredge. Beyond caulking a few -leaks in the boats, little was done with them. The tin receptacles -holding our photographic plates and films were carefully coated with a -covering of melted paraffine; for almost anything might happen, in the -one hundred miles of rapid water that separated us from our home. - -Lee's Ferry was an interesting place, both for its old and its new -associations. This had long been the home of John D. Lee, well known -for the part he took in the Mountain Meadow Massacre, and for which he -afterwards paid the death penalty. Here Lee had lived for many years, -making few visits to the small settlements to the north, but on one of -these visits he was captured. There were six or seven other buildings -near the large stone building where we took our meals, so arranged -that they made a short street, the upper row being built against a -cliff of rock and shale, the other row being placed halfway between -this row and the river. These buildings were all of rock, of which -there was no lack, plastered with adobe, or mud. One, we were told, -had been Lee's stronghold, it was a square building, with a few very -small windows, and with loopholes in the sides. At the time of our -visit it was occupied by two men; one, a young Englishman, recently -arrived from South Africa--a remittance-man, in search of novelty--the -other a grizzled forty-niner. Much could be written about this -interesting group of men, and their alluring employment. There were -some who had followed this work through all the camps of the West--to -Colorado, to California, and to distant Alaska as well, they had -journeyed; but it is doubtful if, in all their wanderings, they had -seen any camp more strangely located than this, hemmed in with canyon -walls. To us, their dredge and the steamboat up the river seemed as if -they had been taken from the pages of some romance, or bit of fiction, -and placed before us for our entertainment. - -There were other men as well, just as interesting m their way as the -"old-timers," the sons of some of the owners of this -proposition,--clean-cut young fellows,--working side by side with the -veterans, as enthusiastic as if on their college campus. - -One feature about the dredge interested us greatly. This was a tube, -or sucker, held suspended by a derrick above a float, and operated by -compressed air. The tube was dropped into the sand at the bottom of -the river, and would eat its way into it, bringing up rocks the size -of one's fist, along with the gravel and sand. In a few hours a hole, -ten or fifteen feet in depth and ten feet in diameter, would be -excavated. Then the tube was raised, the float was moved, and the work -started again. The coarse sand and gravel, carried by a stream of -water, was returned to the river, after passing over the riffles; the -screenings which remained passed over square metal plates--looking -like sheets of tin--covered with quicksilver. These plates were -cleaned with a rubber window-cleaner, and the entire residue was saved -in a heavy metal pot, ready for the chemist. - -One day only was needed for our work, and by evening we were ready for -the next plunge. We might have enjoyed a longer stay with these men, -but stronger than this desire was our anxiety to reach our home, -separated from us by a hundred miles of river, no extended part of the -distance being entirely free from rapids. We had written to the Grand -Canyon, bidding them look for our signal fire in Bright Angel Creek -Canyon, in from seven to ten days, and planned to leave on the -following morning. Nothing held us now except the hope that the mail, -which was due that evening, might bring us a letter, although that was -doubtful, for we were nearly a week ahead of our schedule as laid out -at Green River, Utah. - -As we had anticipated, there was no mail for us, so we turned to -inspect the mail carrier. He was a splendid specimen of the Navajo -Indian,--a wrestler of note amoung his people, we were told,--large -and muscular, and with a peculiar springy, slouchy walk that gave one -the impression of great reserve strength. He had ridden that day from -Tuba, an agency on their reservation, about seventy miles distant. -This was the first sign of an Indian that we had seen in this section, -although we had been travelling along the northern boundary of their -reservation since leaving the mouth of the San Juan. These Indians -have no use for the river, being children of the desert, rather than -of the water. Beyond an occasional crossing and swimming their horses -at easy fords, they make no attempt at its navigation, even in the -quiet water of Glen Canyon. - -Some of the men showed this Indian our boats, and told him of our -journey. He smiled, and shrugged his massive shoulders as much as to -say, he "would believe it when he saw it." He had an opportunity to -see us start, at least, on the following morning. - -Before leaving, we climbed a 300-foot mound on the left bank of the -Paria River, directly opposite the Lee ranch. This mound is known as -Lee's Lookout. Whether used by Lee or not, it had certainly served -that purpose at some time. A circular wall of rock was built on top -the mound, and commanded an excellent view of all the approaches to -the junction of the rivers. This spot is of particular interest to the -geologist, for a great fault, indicated by the Vermilion Cliffs, marks -the division between Glen Canyon and Marble Canyon. This line of -cliffs extends to the south for many miles across the Painted Desert, -and north into Utah for even a greater distance, varying in height -from two hundred feet at the southern end to as many thousand feet in -some places to the north. Looking to the west, we could see that here -was another of those sloping uplifts of rock, with the river cutting -down, increasing the depth of the canyon with every mile. - -We had now descended about 2900 feet since leaving Green River City, -Wyoming, not a very great fall for the distance travelled if an -average is taken, but a considerable portion of the distance was on -quiet water, as we have noted, with a fall of a foot or two to the -mile, and with alternate sections only containing bad water. We were -still at an elevation of 3170 feet above the sea-level, and in the 283 -miles of canyon ahead of us--Marble Canyon and the Grand Canyon -combined--the river descends 2330 feet, almost a continuous series of -rapids from this point to the end of the Grand Canyon. - -After a hasty survey from our vantage point, we returned to the river -and prepared to embark. As we left the dredge, the work was closed -down for a few minutes, and the entire crowd of men, about forty in -number, stood on an elevation to watch us run the first rapid. The -Indian had crossed to the south side of the to feed his horse and -caught a glimpse of us as we went past him. Running pell-mell down to -his boat, he crossed the river and joined the group on the bank. About -this time we were in the grip of the first rapid, a long splashy one, -with no danger whatever, but large enough to keep us busy until we had -passed from view. - -A few miles below this, after running a pair of small rapids, we -reached a larger one, known as the Badger Creek Rapid, with a -twenty-foot drop in the first 250 feet, succeeded by a hundred yards -of violent water. Emery had a little difficulty in this rapid, when -his boat touched a rock which turned the boat sideways in the current, -and he was nearly overturned in the heavy waves which followed. As it -was, we were both drenched. - -About the middle of the afternoon, twelve miles below Lee's Ferry, we -reached the Soap Creek Rapid of which we had heard so much. The rapid -had a fall of twenty-five feet, and was a quarter of a mile long. Most -of the fall occurred in the first fifty yards. The river had narrowed -down until it was less than two hundred feet wide at the beginning of -the descent. Many rocks were smattered all through the upper end, -especially at the first drop. On the very brink or edge of the first -fall, there was a submerged rock in the centre of the channel, making -an eight-foot fall over the rock. A violent current, deflected from -the left shore, shot into this centre and added to the confusion. -Twelve-foot waves from the conflicting currents, played leap-frog, -jumping over or through each other alternately. Clearly there was no -channel on that side. On the right or north side of the stream it -looked more feasible, as the water shot down a sloping chute over a -hundred feet before meeting with an obstruction. This came in the -shape of two rocks, one about thirty feet below the other. To run the -rapid this first rock would have to be passed before any attempt could -be made to pull away from the second rock, which was quite close to -the shore. Once past that there was a clear channel to the end of the -rapid, if the centre, which contained many rocks, was avoided. Below -the rapid was the usual whirlpool, then a smaller rapid, running under -the left wall. This second rapid was the one that had been so fatal -for Brown. The Soap Creek rapid in many ways was not as bad as some we -had gone over in Cataract Canyon, but there were so many complications -that we hesitated a long time before coming to a decision that we -would make an attempt with one boat, depending on our good luck which -had brought us through so many times, as much as we depended on our -handling of the boat. - -It was planned that I should make the first attempt while Emery -remained with the motion-picture camera just below the rock that we -most feared, with the agreement that he was to get a picture of the -upset if one occurred, then run to the lower end of the rapid with a -rope and a life-preserver. - -After adjusting life-preservers I returned to my boat and was soon on -the smooth water above the rapid, holding my boat to prevent her from -being swept over the rock in the centre, jockeying for the proper -position before I would allow her to be carried into the current. Once -in, it seemed but an instant until I was past the first rock, and -almost on top of the second. I was pulling with every ounce of -strength, and was almost clear of the rock when the stern touched it -gently. I had no idea the boat would overturn, but thought she would -swing around the rock, heading bow first into the stream, as had been -done before on several occasions. Instead of this she was thrown on -her side with the bottom of the boat held against the rock while I -found myself thrown out of the boat, but hanging to the gunwale. Then -the boat swung around and instantly turned upright while I scrambled -back into the cockpit. Looking over my shoulder, when I had things -well in hand again, I saw my brother was still at the camera, white as -a sheet, but turning at the crank as if our entire safety depended on -it. After I landed the water-filled boat, however, he confessed to me -that he had no idea whether he had caught the upset or not, as he may -have resumed the work when he saw that I was safe. - -Then we went to work to find out what damage was done. First we found -that the case, which was supposed to be waterproof, had a half-inch of -water inside, but fortunately none of our films were wet. Some plates -which we had just exposed and which were still in the holders were -soaked. The cameras also had suffered. We hurriedly wiped off the -surplus water and piled these things on the shore, then emptied the -boat of a few barrels of water. - -This one experience, I suppose, should have been enough for me with -that rapid, but I foolishly insisted on making another trial at it -with the _Edith_, for I felt sure I could make it if I only had -another chance, and the fact that Emery had the empty boat at the end -of the rapid and could rescue me if an upset occurred greatly lessened -the danger. The idea of making a portage, with the loss of nearly a -day, did not appeal to me. - -Emery agreed to this reluctantly, and advised waiting until morning, -for it was growing dusk, but with the remark "I will sleep better with -both boats tied at the lower end of the rapid," I returned to the -_Edith_. To make a long story short I missed my channel, and was -carried over the rock in the centre of the stream. The _Edith_ had -bravely mounted the first wave, and was climbing the second comber, -standing almost on end, seemed to me, when the wave crested over the -stern while the current shooting it from the side struck the submerged -bow and she fell back in the water upside down. It was all done so -quickly, I hardly knew what had occurred, but found myself in the -water, whirling this way and that, holding to the right oar with a -death-grip. I wondered if the strings would hold, and felt a great -relief when the oar stopped slipping down,--as the blade reached the -ring. It was the work of a second to climb the oar, and I found I was -under the cockpit. Securing a firm hold on the gunwale, which had -helped us so often, I got on the outside of the boat, thinking I might -climb on top. About that time one of the largest waves broke over me, -knocking me on the side of the head as if with a solid object, nearly -tearing me from the boat. After that I kept as close to the boat as -possible, paddling with my feet to keep them clear of rocks. Then the -suction of the boat caught them and dragged them under, and for the -rest of the rapid I had all I could do to hang to the boat. As the -rapid dwindled I began to look for Emery, but was unable to see him, -for it was now growing quite dark, but I could see a fire on shore -that he had built. I tried to call but was strangled with the breaking -waves; my voice was drowned in the roar of the rapid. One of the -life-preservers was torn loose and floated ahead of me. Finally I got -an answer, and could see that Emery had launched his boat. As he drew -near I told him to save the life-preserver, which he did, then -hurriedly pulled for me. I remarked with a forced laugh, to reassure -him, "Gee, Emery, this water's cold." - -He failed to join in my levity, however, and said with feeling, "Thank -the good Lord you are here!" and down in my heart I echoed his prayer -of thanks. - -Somehow I had lost all desire to successfully navigate the Soap Creek -Rapid. - -But our troubles were not entirely over. Emery had pulled me in after -a futile attempt or two, with a hold sometimes used by wrestlers, -linking his arm in mine, leaning forward, and pulling me in over his -back I was so numbed by the cold that I could do little to help him, -after what, I suppose, was about a quarter of an hour's struggle in -the water; although it seemed much longer than that to me. - -We then caught the _Edith_ and attempted to turn her over, but before -this could be done we were dragged into the next rapid. Emery caught -up the oars, while I could do nothing but hold to the upturned boat, -half filled with water, striving to drag us against the wall on the -left side of the stream. It was no small task to handle the two boats -in this way, but Emery made it; then, when he thought we were sure of -a landing, the _Edith_ dragged us into the river again. Two more small -rapids were run as we peered through the darkness for a landing. -Finally we reached the shore over a mile below the Soap Creek Rapid. -We were on the opposite side of the stream from that where we had -unloaded the _Defiance_. This material would have to stay where it was -that night. - -While bailing the water from the _Edith_ we noticed a peculiar odour, -and thought for a while that it might be the body of the man who was -drowned at the ferry, but later we found it came from a green -cottonwood log that had become water-soaked, and was embedded in the -sand, close to our landing. It was Emery's turn to do the greater part -of the camp work that night, while I was content to hug the fire, -wrapped in blankets, waiting for the coffee to boil. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - - -MARBLE HALLS AND MARBLE WALLS - -There was little of the spectacular in our work the next day as we -slowly and laboriously dragged an empty boat upstream against the -swift-running current, taking advantage of many little eddies, but -finding much of the shore swept clean. I had ample opportunity to -ponder on the wisdom of my attempt to save time by running the Soap -Creek Rapid instead of making a portage, while we carried our loads -over the immense boulders that banked the stream, down to a swift -piece of water, past which we could not well bring the boats or while -we developed the wet plates from the ruined plate-holders. It was with -no little surprise that we found all the plates, except a few which -were not uniformly wet and developed unevenly, could be saved. It took -a day and a half to complete all this work. - -Marble Canyon was now beginning to narrow up with a steep, -boulder-covered slope on either side, three or four hundred feet high; -with a sheer wall of dark red limestone of equal height directly above -that. There was also a plateau of red sandstone and distant walls -topped with light-coloured rock, the same formations with which we -were familiar in the Grand Canyon. The inner gorge had narrowed from a -thousand feet or more down to four hundred feet, the slope at the -river was growing steeper and gradually disappearing, and each mile of -travel had added a hundred feet or more to the height of the walls. -Soon after resuming our journey that afternoon, the slope disappeared -altogether, and the sheer walls came down close to the water. There -were few places where one could climb out, had we desired to do so. -This hard limestone wall, which Major Powell had named the marble -wall, had a disconcerting way of weathering very smooth and sheer, -with a few ledges and fewer breaks. - -We made a short run that day, going over a few rapids, stopping an -hour to make some pictures where an immense rock had fallen from the -cliff above into the middle of the river bed, leaving a forty-foot -channel on one side, and scarcely any on the other. Below this we -found a rapid so much like the Soap Creek Rapid in appearance that a -portage seemed advisable. It was evening when we got the _Edith_ to -the lower end of this rapid after almost losing her, as we lined her -down, and she was wedged under a sloping rock that overhung the rapid. -We had two ropes, one at either end, attached to the boat in this -case. Emery stood below the rock ready to pull her in when once past -the rock. There was a sickening crackling of wood as the deck of the -boat wedged under and down to the level of the water, and at Emery's -call I released the boat, throwing the rope into the river, and -hurried to help him. He was almost dragged into the water as the boat -swung around fortunately striking against a sand-bank, instead of the -many rocks that lined the shore. We were working with a stream -different from the Green River, we found, and the _Defiance_ was taken -from the water the next day and slowly worked, one end at a time, over -the rocks, up to a level sand-bank, twenty-five or thirty feet above -the river. Then we put rollers under her, and worked her down past the -rapid. This work was little to our liking, for the boats, now pretty -well water-soaked, weighed considerably more than their original five -hundred pounds' weight. - -A few successful plunges soon brought back our former confidence, and -we continued to run all other rapids that presented themselves. This -afternoon we passed the first rapid we remembered having seen, where -we could not land at its head before running it. A slightly higher -stage of water, however, would have made many such rapids. Just below -this point we found the body of a bighorn mountain-sheep floating in -an eddy. It was impossible to tell just how he came to his death. -There was no sign of any great fall that we could see. He had a -splendid pair of horns, which we would have liked to have had at home, -but which we did not care to amputate and carry with us. - -On this day's travel, we passed a number of places where the -marble--which had suggested this canyon's name to Major -Powell--appeared. The exposed parts were checked, or seamed, and -apparently would have little commercial value. We passed a shallow -cave or two this day, then found another cave or hole, running back -about fifteen feet in the wall, so suitable for a camp that we could -not refuse the temptation to stop, although we had made but a very -short run this day. The high water had entered it, depositing -successive layers of sand on the bottom, rising in steps, one above -the other, making convenient shelves for maps and journals, pots and -pans; while little shovelling was necessary to make the lower level of -sand fit our sleeping bags. A number of small springs, bubbling from -the walls near by, gave us the first clear water that we had found for -some time, and a pile of driftwood caught in the rocks, directly in -front of our cave, added to its desirability for a camp. Firewood was -beginning to be the first consideration in choosing a camp, for in -many places the high water had swept the shores clean, and spots which -might otherwise have made splendid camps were rendered most -undesirable for this reason. - -So Camp Number 47 was made in this little cave, with a violent rapid -directly beneath us, making a din that might be anything but -reassuring, were we not pretty well accustomed to it by this time. The -next day, Sunday, November the 12th, was passed in the same spot. The -air turned decidedly cold this day, a hard wind swept up the river, -the sky above was overcast, and we had little doubt that snow was -falling on the Kaibab Plateau, which we could not see, but which we -knew rose to the height of 5500 feet above us, but a few miles to the -northwest of this camp. The sheer walls directly above the river -dropped down considerably at this point, and a break or two permitted -us to climb up as high as we cared to go on the red sandstone wall, -which had lost its level character, and now rose in a steep slope over -a thousand feet above us. These walls, with no growth but the tussocks -of bunch-grass, the prickly pear cactus, the mescal, and the yucca, -were more destitute of growth than any we had seen, excepting the -upper end of Desolation Canyon, even the upper walls lacking the -growth of piñon pine and juniper which we usually associated with -them. We were now directly below the Painted Desert, which lay to the -left of the canyon, and no doubt a similar desert was on the -right-hand side, in the form of a narrow plateau; but we had no means -of knowing just how wide or narrow this was, before it raised again to -the forest-covered Buckskin Mountains and the Kaibab Plateau. - -The rapid below our camp was just as bad as its roar, we found, on -running it the next day. Most of the descent was confined to a violent -drop at the very beginning, but there was a lot of complicated water -in the big waves that followed. Emery was thrown forward in his boat, -when he reached the bottom of the chute, striking his mouth, and -bruising his hands, as he dropped his oars and caught the bulkhead. An -extra oar was wrenched from the boat and disappeared in the white -water, or foam that was as nearly white as muddy water ever gets. I -nearly upset, and broke the pin of a rowlock, the released oar being -jerked from my hand, sending me scrambling for an extra oar, when the -boat swept into a swift whirlpool. Emery caught my oar as it whirled -past him; the other was found a half-mile below in an eddy. - -Some of the rapids in the centre of Marble Canyon were not more than -75 feet wide, with a corresponding violence of water. The whirlpools -in the wider channels below these rapids were the strongest we had -seen, and had a most annoying way of holding the boats just when we -thought we had evaded them. Sometimes there would be a whirlpool on -either side, with a sharply defined line of division in the centre, -along which it was next to impossible to go without being caught on -one side or the other. These whirlpools were seldom regarded as -serious, for our boats were too wide and heavy to be readily -overturned in them, although we saved ourselves more than one upset by -throwing our weight to the opposite side. A small boat would have -upset. On two occasions we were caught in small whirlpools, where a -point of rock projected from the shore, turning upstream, splitting a -swift current and making a very rapid and difficult whirl, where the -boats were nearly smashed against the walls. Below all such places -were the familiar boils, or fountains, or shoots, as they are -variously termed. These are the lower end of the whirlpools, emerging -often from the quiet water below a rapid with nearly as much violence -as they disappeared in the rapids above. These would often rise when -least expected, breaking under the boats, the swift upshoot of water -giving them such a rap that we sometimes thought we had struck a rock. -If one happened to be in the centre of a boil when it broke, it would -send them sailing down the stream many times faster than the regular -current was travelling, rowing the boat having about as little effect -on determining its course as if it was loaded on a flat-car. The other -boat, at times just a few feet away, might be caught in the whirlpools -that formed at the edge of the fountains, often opening up suddenly -under one side of the boat, causing it to dip until the water poured -over the edge, holding it to that one spot in spite of every effort to -row away. - -Then we would strike peaceful water again, a mile or perhaps, so quiet -that a thin covering of clear water over the top of the silt-laden -pool beneath, reflecting the tinted walls and the turquoise sky -beneath its limpid surface. Gems of sunlight sparkled on its bosom and -scintillated in the ripples left behind by the oars. When seated with -our backs to the strongest light, and when glancing along the top of -such a pool instead of into it, the mirror-like surface gave way to a -peculiar purplish tone which seemed to cover the pool, so that one -would forget it was roily water, and saw only the iridescent beauty of -a mountain stream. - -The wonderful marble walls--better known to the miners as the blue -limestone walls--now rose from the water's edge to a height of eight -or nine hundred feet, the surface of its light blue-gray rock being -stained to a dark red, or a light red as the case might be, by the -iron from the sandstone walls above. There were a thousand feet of -these sandstone layers, red in all its varying hues, capped by the -four-hundred foot cross-bedded sandstone wall, breaking sheer, ranging -in tone from a soft buff to a golden yellow, with a bloom, or glow, as -though illuminated from within. As we proceeded, another layer could -be seen above this, the same limestone and with the same fossils--an -examination of the rock-slides told us--as the topmost formation at -the Grand Canyon. This was not unlike the cross-bedded sandstone in -colour, but lacked its warmth and richness of tint. - -A close, examination of the rocks revealed many colours, that figured -but little in the grand colour scheme of the canyon as a whole--the -detailed ornamentation of the magnificent rock structure. A fracture -of wall would show the true colour of the rock, beneath the stain; -lime crystals studded its surface, like gems glinting in the sunlight; -beautifully tinted jasper, resembling the petrified wood found in -another part of Arizona, was embedded in the marble wall,--usually at -the point of contact with another formation,--polished by the sands of -the turbid river. - -All this told us that we were coming into our own. Four of the seven -notable divisions of rock strata found in the Grand Canyon were now -represented in Marble Canyon, and soon the green shale, which -underlies the blue limestone, began to crop out by the river as the -walls grew higher and the stream cut deeper. - -One turn of the canyon revealed a break where Stanton hid his -provisions in a cave--after a second fatality in which two more of -this ill-fated expedition lost their lives--and climbed out on top. -Afterwards he re-outfitted with heavier boats and tackled the stream -again. - -Just below this break the scene changed as we made a sharp turn to the -left. Vasey's Paradise--named by Major Powell after Dr. Geo. W. Vasey, -botanist of the United States Department of Agriculture--was disclosed -to view. Beautiful streams gushed from rounded holes, fifty yards -above the river. The rock walls reminded one of an ivy-covered castle -of old England, guarded by a moat uncrossed by any drawbridge. It was -trellised with vines, maidenhair ferns, and water-moss making a vivid -green background for the golden yellow and burnished copper leaves -which still clung to some small cottonwood trees--the only trees we -had seen in Marble Canyon. - -In our haste to push on, we left the brass motion-picture tripod head -on an island, from which we pictured this lovely spot. A rapid was put -behind us before we noticed our loss, and there was no going back -then. - -Another turn revealed a Gothic arch, or grotto, carved at the bend of -the wall by the high water, with an overhang of more than a hundred -feet, and a height nearly as great, for the flood waters ran above the -hundred-foot stage in this narrow walled section. Then came a gloomy, -prison-like formation, with a "Bridge of Sighs" two hundred feet above -a gulch, connecting the dungeon to the perpendicular wall beyond; and -with a hundred cave-like openings in its sheer sides like small -windows, admitting a little daylight into its dark interior. The -sullen boom of a rapid around the turn sounded like the march of an -army coming up the gorge, so we climbed back into our boats after a -vain attempt to climb up to some of the caves, and advanced to meet -our foe. This rapid--the tenth for the day--while it was clear of -rocks, had an abrupt drop, with powerful waves which did all sorts of -things to us and to our boats; breaking a rowlock and the four pieces -of line which held it, and flooding us both with a ton of water. We -went into camp a short distance below this, in a narrow box canyon -running back a hundred yards from the river, a gloomy, cathedral-like -interior with sheer walls rising several hundred feet on three sides -of us, and with the top of the south wall 2500 feet above us in plain -sight of our camp, the one camp in Marble Canyon where our sleep was -undisturbed by the roar of a rapid. But instead of the roar of a -rapid, a howling wind swept down from the Painted Desert above, piling -the mingled desert sands and river sands about our beds, scattering -our camp material over the bottom of the narrow gorge. - -Soon after this camp--the fourth and the last in Marble Canyon--was -left behind us, the walls began to widen out, especially on the -north-northwest, and by noon we had passed from the narrow, direct -canyon, into one with slopes and plateaus breaking the sheer walls, -the wall on the left or southeast side being much the lower of the -two, and more nearly perpendicular, rising to a height of 3200 feet, -while the northwest side lifted up to the Kaibab Plateau, one -point--miles back from the river--rising 6000 feet above us. - -We halted at noon beside the Nancoweep Valley. A wide tributary -heading many miles back in the plateau the right, with a ramified -series of canyons running into it, and with great expanses of -sage-covered flats between. Deer tracks were found on these flats, -deer which came down from the forest of the Buckskin Mountains. This -was the point selected by Major Powell for the construction of a trail -when he returned from his voyage of exploration to study the geology -of this section. The trail, although neglected for many years, is -still used by prospectors from Kanab, Utah, who make a yearly trip -into the canyons to do some work on a mineral ledge a few miles below -here. - -What a glorious, exhilarating run we had that day! From here to the -end of Marble Canyon the rapids were almost continuous, with few -violent drops and seldom broken by the usual quiet pools. It was the -finest kind of water for fast travelling, and we made the most of it. -The only previous run we had made that could in any way compare with -it was in Whirlpool and Split Mountain canyons, when the high water -was on. As we travelled, occasional glimpses were had of familiar -places on Greenland Point--that thirty-mile peninsula of the Kaibab -Plateau extending between Marble Canyon and the Grand Canyon--where we -had gone deer-hunting, or on photographic expeditions with Rust. - -Another valley from the right was passed, then a peak rose before us -close to the river, with its flat top rising to a height equal to the -south wall. This was Chuar Butte. Once more we were in a narrow -canyon, narrowing by this peak, but a canyon just the same. Soon we -were below a wall we once had photographed from the mouth of the -Little Colorado; then the stream itself came into view and we were -soon anchored beside it. This was the beginning of the Grand Canyon. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - - - -SIGNALLING OUR CANYON HOME - -How long we had waited for this view! How many memories it -recalled--and how different it seemed to our previous visit there! -Then, the high water was on, and the turquoise-tinted mineral water of -the Colorado Chiquito was backed up by the turbid flood waters of the -Rio Colorado, forty feet or more above the present level. Now it was a -rapid stream, throwing itself with wild abandon over the rocks and -into the Colorado. There was the same deserted stone hut, built by a -French prospector, many years before, and a plough that he had packed -in over a thirty-mile trail--the most difficult one in all this rugged -region! There was the little grass-plot where we pastured the burro, -while we made a fifteen-mile walk up the bed of this narrow canyon! -What a hard, hot journey it had been! A year and a half ago we sat on -that rock, and talked of the day when we should come through here in -boats! Even then we talked of building a raft, and of loading the -burro on it for a spin on the flood waters. Lucky for us and for the -burro that we didn't! We understand the temper of these waters now. - -Cape Desolation, a point of the Painted Desert on the west side of the -Little Colorado, was almost directly above us, 3200 feet high. Chuar -Butte, equally as high and with walls just as nearly perpendicular, -extended on into the Grand Canyon on the right side, making the -narrowest canyon of this depth that we had seen. The Navajo -reservation terminated at the Little Colorado, although nothing but -the maps indicated that we had passed from the land of the Red man to -that of the White. Both were equally desolate, and equally wonderful. -With the entrance of the new stream the canyon changes its southwest -trend and turns directly west, and continues to hold to this general -direction until the northwest corner of Arizona is reached. - -But we must be on again! Soon familiar segregated peaks in the Grand -Canyon began to appear. There was Wotan's Throne on the right, and the -"Copper Mine Mesa" on the left. Three or four miles below the junction -a four-hundred foot perpendicular wall rose above us. The burro, on -our previous visit, was almost shoved off that cliff when the pack -caught on a rock, and was only saved by strenuous pulling on the -neck-rope and pack harness. Soon we passed some tunnels on both sides -of the river where the Mormon miners had tapped a copper ledge. At -4.15 P.M. we were at the end of the Tanner Trail, the outlet of the -Little Colorado Trail to the rim above. It had taken seven hours of -toil to cover the same ground we now sped over in an hour and a -quarter. Major Powell, in 1872, found here the remnant of a very small -hut built of mesquite logs, but whether the remains of an Indian's or -white man's shelter cannot be stated. The trail, without doubt was -used by the Indians before the white man invaded this region. - -The canyon had changed again from one which was very narrow to one -much more complex, greater, and grander. The walls on top were many -miles apart; Comanche Point, to our left, was over 4000 feet above us; -Desert View, Moran Point, and other points on the south rim were even -higher. On the right we could see an arch near Cape Final on Greenland -Point, over 5000 feet up, that we had photographed, from the top, a -few years before. Pagoda-shaped temples--the formation so typical of -the Grand Canyon--clustered on all sides. The upper walls were similar -in tint to those in Marble Canyon, but here at the river was a new -formation; the algonkian, composed of thousands of brilliantly -coloured bands of rock, standing at an angle--the one irregularity to -the uniform layers of rock--a remnant of thousands of feet of rock -which once covered this region, then was planed away before the other -deposits were placed. All about us, close to the river, was a deep, -soft sand formed by the disintegration of the rocks above, as -brilliantly coloured as the rocks from which they came. What had been -a very narrow stream above here spread out over a thousand feet wide, -ran with a good current, and seemed to be anything but a shallow -stream at that. - -We had travelled far that day but still sped on,--with a few rapids -which did not retard, but rather helped us on our way, and with a good -current between these rapids,--only stopping to camp when a -three-hundred foot wall rose sheer from the river's edge, bringing to -an end our basin-like river bottom, where one could walk out on either -side. It was not necessary to hunt for driftwood this evening, for a -thicket of mesquite--the best of all wood for a camp-fire--grew out of -the sand-dunes, and some half-covered dead logs were unearthed from -the drifted sand, and soon reduced to glowing coals. - -Meanwhile, we were enjoying one of those remarkable Arizona desert -sunsets. Ominous clouds had been gathering in the afternoon, rising -from the southwest, drifting across the canyon, and piling up against -the north wall. A few fleecy clouds in the west partially obscured the -sun until it neared the horizon, then a shaft of sunlight broke -through once more, telegraphing its approach long before it reached -us, the rays being visibly hurled through space like a javelin, or a -lightning bolt, striking peak after peak so that one almost imagined -they would hear the thunder roll. A yellow flame covered the western -sky, to be succeeded in a few minutes by a crimson glow. The sharply -defined colours of the different layers of rock had merged and -softened, as the sun dropped from sight; purple shadows crept into the -cavernous depths, while shafts of gold shot to the very tiptop of the -peaks, or threw their shadows like silhouettes on the wall beyond. -Then the scene shifted again, and it was all blood-red, reflecting -from the sky and staining the rocks below, so that distant wall and -sky merged, with little to show where the one ended and the other -began. That beautiful haze, which tints, but does not obscure, -enshrouded the temples and spires, changing from heliotrope to -lavender, from lavender to deepest purple; there was a departing flare -of flame like the collapse of a burning building; a few clouds in the -zenith, torn by the winds so that they resembled the craters of the -moon, were tinted for an instant around the crater's rims; the clouds -faded to a dove-like gray; they darkened; the gray disappeared; the -purple crept from the canyon into the arched dome overhead; the day -was ended, twilight passed, and darkness settled over all. - -We sat silently by the fire for a few minutes, then rose and resumed -our evening's work. This camp was at a point that could be seen from -the Grand View hotel, fourteen miles from our home. We talked of -building a signal fire on the promontory above the camp, knowing that -the news would be telephoned to home if the fire was seen. But we gave -up the plan. Although less than twenty miles from Bright Angel Trail, -we were not safely through by any means. Two boats had been wrecked or -lost in different rapids less than six miles from this camp. The -forty-foot fall in the Hance or Red Canyon Rapid was three miles below -us; the Sockdologer, the Grapevine, and other rapids nearly as large -followed those; we might be no more fortunate than the others, and a -delay after once giving a signal would cause more anxiety than no -signal at all we thought, and the fire was not built. - -Particular attention was paid to the loading of the boats the next -morning. The moving-picture film was tucked in the toes of our -sleeping bags, and the protecting bags were carefully laced. We were -not going to take any chances in this next plunge--the much-talked-of -entrance to the granite gorge. A half-hour's run and a dash through -one violent rapid landed us at the end of the Hance Trail--unused for -tourist travel for several years--with a few torn and tattered tents -back in the side canyon down which the trail wound its way. We half -hoped that we would find some of the prospectors who make this section -their winter home either at the Tanner or the Hance Trail, but there -was no sign of recent visitors at either place, unless it was the -numerous burro tracks in the sand. These tracks were doubtless made by -some of the many wild burros that roam all the lower plateaus in the -upper end of the Grand Canyon. - -After a careful inspection of the Hance Rapid we were glad the signal -fire was not built. It was a nasty rapid. While reading over our notes -one evening we were amused to find that we had catalogued different -rapids with an equal amount of fall as "good," "bad," or "nasty," the -difference depending nearly altogether on the rocks in the rapids. The -"good rapids" were nothing but a descent of "big water," with great -waves,--for which we cared little, but rather enjoyed if it was not -too cold,--and with no danger from rocks; the "bad rapids" contained -rocks, and twisting channels, but with half a chance of getting -through. A nasty rapid was filled with rocks, many of them so -concealed in the foam that it was often next to impossible to tell if -rocks were there or not, and in which there was little chance of -running through without smashing a boat. The Hance Rapid was such a -one. - -Such a complication of twisted channels and protruding rocks we had -not seen unless it was at Hell's Half Mile. It meant a -portage--nothing less--the second since leaving that other rapid in -Lodore. So we went to work, carrying our duffle across deep, soft -sand-dunes, down to the middle of the rapid, where quieted for a -hundred yards before it made the final plunge. The gathering dusk of -evening found all material and one boat at this spot, with the other -one at the head of the rapid, to be portaged the next day. But we did -not portage this boat. A good night's rest, and the safeguard of a -boat at the bottom of the plunge made it look much less dangerous, and -five minutes after breakfast was finished, this boat was beside its -mate, and we had a reel of film which we hoped would show just how we -successfully ran this difficult rapid. While going over the second -section, on the opposite side of the river, Emery was thrown out of -his boat for an instant when the _Edith_ touched a rock in a -twenty-five mile an hour current, similar to my first upset in the -Soap Creek Rapid--the old story: out again; in again; on -again--landing in safety at the end of the rapid not one whit the -worse for the spill. - -This rapid marks the place where the granite, or igneous rock, -intrudes, rising at a sharp angle, sloping upward down the stream, -reaching the height of 1300 feet about one mile below. It marks the -end of the large deposit of algonkian. The granite, when it attains -its highest point, is covered with a 200-foot layer of sedimentary -rock called the tonto sandstone. The top of this formation is exposed -by a plateau from a quarter of a mile to three miles in width, on -either side of the granite gorge; the same walls which were found in -Marble Canyon rise above this. The temples which are scattered through -the canyon--equal in height, in many cases, to the walls--have their -foundation on this plateau. These peaks contain the same stratified -rock with a uniform thickness whether in peak or wall, with little -displacement and little sign of violent uplift, nearly all this canyon -being the work of erosion: 5000 feet from the rim to the river; the -edges of six great layers of sedimentary rock laid bare and with a -narrow 1300-foot gorge through the igneous rock below--the Grand -Canyon of Arizona. - -The granite gorge seemed to us to be the one place of all others that -we had seen on this trip that would cause one to hesitate a long time -before entering, if nothing definite was known of its nature. Another -person might have felt the same way of the canyons we had passed, -Lodore or Marble Canyon, for instance. A great deal depends on the -nerves and digestion, no doubt; and the same person would look at it -in a different light at different times, as we found from our own -experiences. Our digestions were in excellent condition just at that -time, and we were nerved up by the thought that we were going "to the -plate for a home run" if possible, yet the granite gorge had a -decidedly sinister look. The walls, while not sheer, were nearly so; -they might be climbed in many places to the top of the granite; but -the tonto sandstone wall nearly always overhangs this, breaks sheer, -and seldom affords an outlet to the plateaus above, except where -lateral canyons cut through. The rocks are very dark, with dikes of -quartz, and with twisting seams of red and black granite, the great -body of rock being made up of decomposed micaceous schists and gneiss, -a treacherous material to climb. The entrance to this gorge is made on -a quiet pool with no shore on either side after once well in. - -But several parties had been through since Major Powell made his -initial trip, so we did not hesitate, but pushed on with the current. -Now we could truly say that we were going home. The Hance Rapid was -behind us; Bright Angel Creek was about twelve miles away. Soon we -were in the deepest part of the gorge. Great dikes and uplifts of -jagged rocks towered above us; and up, up, up, lifted the other walls -above that. Bissell Point, on the very top, could plainly be seen from -our quiet pool. - -Then came a series of rapids quite different from the Hance Rapid, and -many others found above. Those others were usually caused in part by -the detritus or deposit from side canyons, which dammed the stream, -and what might be a swift stream, with a continuous drop, was -transformed to a succession of mill-ponds and cataracts, or rapids. In -nearly every case, in low water such as we were travelling on, the -deposit made a shore on which we could land and inspect the rapid from -below. The swift water invariably makes a narrow channel if it has no -obstruction in its way; it is the quiet stream that makes a wide -channel. But the rapids we found this day were nearly all different. -They were seldom caused by great deposits of rock, but appeared to be -formed by a dike or ledge of hard rock rising from the softer -rock--the same intrusion being sometimes found on both sides of the -stream--forming a dam the full width of the channel, over which the -water made a swift descent, with a long line of interference waves -below. But for a cold wind which swept up the stream, this style of -rapid was more to our fancy. These were "good rapids," the "best" we -had seen. There were few rocks to avoid. Some of the rapids were -violent, but careful handling took us past every danger. There was -little chance to make a portage at several of these places had we -desired to do so. We gave them but a glance from the decks of the -boats, then dropped into them. In one instance I saw the _Edith_ -literally shoot through a wave bow first, both ends of the boat being -visible, while her captain was buried in the foam. - -We had learned to discriminate by its noise, long before we could see -a rapid, whether it was filled with rocks, or was merely a descent of -big water. The latter, often just as impressive as the former, had a -sullen, steady boom; the rocky rapids had the same sound, punctuated -by another sound, like the crack of regiments of musketry. All were -greatly magnified in sound by the narrow, echoing walls. We became so -accustomed to this noise that we almost forgot it was there, and it -was only after the long, quiet stretches that the noise was noticed In -a few instances only we noticed the shattering vibration of air that -is associated with waterfalls. Still there is noise enough in many -rapids so that their boom can be heard several miles away from the top -of the canyons. - -Guided by these sounds, and aided by our method of holding the boat in -mid-stream, while making a reconnaissance, we were quite well aware of -what we were likely to find before we anchored above a rapid. We were -never fearful of being drawn into a cataract without having a chance -to land somewhere. The water is strangely quiet, to a comparatively -close distance above nearly all rapids. We usually tied up anywhere -from fifty feet to a hundred yards above a drop, before inspecting it. -If it was a "big-water" rapid, we usually looked it over standing on -the seat in the boats, then continued. By signals with the hands, the -one first over would guide the other, if any hidden rocks or dangerous -channel threatened. While we did not think much about it, we usually -noted the places where one might climb out on the plateau. Little -could be told about the upper walls from the river. - -A chilling wind swept up the river, penetrating our soaked garments. -But we paid little attention to this, only pulling the harder, not -only to keep the circulation going, but every pull of the oars put us -that much nearer home. We never paused in our rowing until we anchored -at 4.30 P.M. under Rust's tramway, close to the mouth of Bright Angel -Creek. According to the United States Geological Survey there is a -descent of 178 feet from the head of the Hance Rapid to the end of -Bright Angel Trail one mile below the creek. We would have a very -moderate descent in that mile. The run from the Hance Rapid had been -made in less than five hours. - -Our boats were tied in the shadow of the cage hanging from a cable -sixty feet above. It stretched across a quiet pool, 450 feet -across--for the river is dammed by débris from the creek below, and -fills the channel from wall to wall. Hurriedly we made our way up to -Rust's camp,--closed for the winter; for heavy snows would cover the -North Rim in a few days or a few weeks at the farthest, filling the -trails with heavy drifts and driving the cougar into the canyon where -dogs and horses cannot follow. But the latch-string was out for us, we -knew, had we cared to use the tents. Our signal fire was built a mile -above the camp, at a spot that was plainly visible on a clear day from -our home on the other side, six miles away as the crow flies. We had -often looked at this spot, with a telescope, from the veranda of our -studio, watching the hunting and sight-seeing parties ride up the bed -of the stream. We rather feared the drifting clouds and mists would -hide the fire from view, but now and then a rift appeared, and we knew -if they were looking they could see its light. Camp No. 51 was made -close to Bright Angel Creek, that evening, Thursday, October the 16th, -two months and eight days from the time we had embarked on our -journey. - -Three or four hours were spent in packing our material the next -morning, so it could be stored in a miners' tunnel, near the end of -the trail. We would pack little of this out, as we intended to resume -our river work in a week or ten days. A five-minute run took us over -the rapid below Bright Angel Creek, and down to a bend in the river, -just above the Cameron or Bright Angel Trail. Two men--guides from the -hotel--called to us as our boats swept into view. We made a quick dash -over the vicious little drop below the bend,--easy for our boats, but -dangerous enough for lighter craft on account of a difficult -whirlpool,--and were soon on shore greeting old friends. Up on the -plateau, 1300 feet above, a trail party of tourists and guides called -down their welcome. The stores were put in the miners' tunnel as we -had planned, and the boats were taken above the high-water mark; -placed in dry dock one might say. - -The guides had good news for us and bad news too. Emery's wife had -been ill with appendicitis nearly all the time we were on our journey. -We had received letters from her at every post-office excepting Lee's -Ferry, but never a hint that all was not well. She knew it would break -up the trip. Pretty good nerve, we thought! - -Ragged and weary, but happy; a little lean and over-trained, but -feeling entirely "fit,"--we commenced our seven-mile climb up the -trail, every turn of which seemed like an old friend. When 1300 feet -above the river, our little workshop beside a stream on the -plateau--only used at intervals when no water can be had on top, and -closed for three months past--gave us our first cheerless greeting. -Although little more than a hundred feet from the trail, we did not -stop to inspect it. Cameron's Indian Garden Camp was also closed for -the day, and we were disappointed in a hope that we could telephone to -our home, 3200 feet above. But the tents, under rows of waving -cottonwoods, and surrounded by beds of blooming roses and glorious -chrysanthemums, gave us a more cheerful welcome than our little -building below. We only stopped to quench our thirst in the bubbling -spring, then began the four-mile climb that would put us on top of the -towering cliff. Soon we overtook the party we had seen on the plateau. -Some of the tourists kindly offered us their mules, but mules were too -slow for us, and they were soon far below us. Calls, faint at first, -but growing louder as we advanced, came floating down from above. On -nearing the top our younger brother Ernest, who had come on from -Pittsburg to look after our business, came running down the trail to -greet us. One member of a troupe of moving-picture actors, in cowboy -garb, remarked that we "didn't look like moving-picture explorers"; -then little Edith emerged from our studio just below the head of -Bright Angel Trail and came skipping down toward us, but stopped -suddenly when near us, and said smilingly: "Is that my Daddy with all -those whiskers?" - - - - -CHAPTER XX - - - -ONE MONTH LATER - -Naturally we were very impatient to know just what success we had met -with in our photographic work. Some of the motion pictures had been -printed and returned to us. My brother, who meanwhile had taken his -family to Los Angeles, sent very encouraging reports regarding some of -the films. - -Among the Canyon visitors who came down to inspect the results of our -trip were Thomas Moran, the famous artist, with his daughter, Miss -Ruth, whose interest was more than casual. Thomas Moran's name, more -than any other, with the possible exception of Major Powell's, is to -be associated with the Grand Canyon. It was his painting which hangs -in the capital at Washington that first acquainted the American public -with the wonders of the Canyon. This painting was the result of a -journey he made with Major Powell, from Salt Lake City to the north -side of the Canyon, thirty-eight years before. In addition he had made -most of the cuts that illustrated Major Powell's government report; -making his sketches on wood from photographs this expedition had taken -with the old-fashioned wet plates that had to be coated and developed -on the spot--wonderful photographs, which for beauty, softness, and -detail are not excelled, and are scarcely equalled by more modern -plates and photographic results. The only great advantage of the dry -plates was the fact that they could catch the action of the water with -an instantaneous exposure, where the wet plates had to have a long -exposure and lost that action. - -Thomas Moran could pick up almost any picture that we made, and tell -us at once just what section it came from and its identifying -characteristics. His daughter, Miss Ruth, was just as much interested -in our trip and its results. She was anxious to know when we would go -on again and planned on making the trail trip down to the plateau to -see us take the plunge over the first rough rapid. She was just a -little anxious to see an upset, and asked if we could not promise that -one would occur. - -A month passed before my brother returned from Los Angeles. His wife, -who had remained there, was in good health again, and insisted on his -finishing the trip at once. We were just as anxious to have it -finished, but were not very enthusiastic about this last part on -account of some very cold weather we had been having. On the other -hand, we feared if the trip was not finished then it might never be -completed. So we consoled ourselves with the thought that it was some -warmer at the bottom than it was on top, and prepared to make the -final plunge--350 miles to Needles, with a 1600-foot descent in the -185 miles that remained of the Grand Canyon. - -A foot of snow had fallen two nights before we planned on leaving. The -thermometer had dropped to zero, and a little below on one occasion, -during the nights for a week past. Close to the top the trail was -filled with drifts. The walls were white with snow down to the -plateau, 3200 feet below; something unusual, as it seldom descends as -snow lower than two thousand feet, but turns to rain. But a week of -cold, cloudy weather, accompanied by hard winds, had driven all warmth -from the canyon, allowing this snow to descend lower than usual. Under -such conditions the damp cold in the canyon, while not registered on -the thermometer as low as that on top, is more penetrating. Very -little sun reaches the bottom of the inner gorge in December and -January. It is usually a few degrees colder than the inner plateau -above it, which is open, and does get some sun. These were the -conditions when we returned to our boats December the 19th, 1911, and -found a thin covering of ice on small pools near the river. - -Our party was enlarged by the addition of two men who were anxious for -some river experience. One was our younger brother, Ernest. We agreed -to take him as far as the Bass Trail, twenty-five miles below, where -he could get out on top and return to our home. The other was a young -man named Bert Lauzon, who wanted to make the entire trip, and we were -glad to have him. Lauzon, although but 24 years old, had been a quartz -miner and mining engineer for some years. Coming from the mountains of -Colorado, he had travelled over most of the Western states, and a -considerable part of Mexico, in his expeditions. There was no question -in our minds about Lauzon. He was the man we needed. - -To offset the weight of an extra man for each boat, our supplies were -cut to the minimum, arrangements having been made with W.W. Bass--the -proprietor of the Bass Camps and of the Mystic Springs Trail--to have -some provisions packed in over his trail. What provisions we took -ourselves were packed down on two mules, and anything we could spare -from our boats was packed out on the same animals. As we were about -ready to leave a friendly miner said: "You can't hook fish in the -Colorado in the winter, they won't bite nohow. You'd better take a -couple of sticks of my giant-powder along. That will help you get 'em, -and it may keep you from starving." Under the circumstances it seemed -like a wise precaution and we took his giant-powder, as he had -suggested. - -The river had fallen two feet below the stage on which we quit a month -before. A scale of foot-marks on a rock wall rising from the river -showed that the water twenty-seven feet deep at that spot. No -measurement was made in the middle of the river channel. The current -here between two small rapids flows at five and three-fourths miles -per hour. The width of the stream is close to 250 feet. The high-water -mark here is forty-five feet above the low-water stage, then the river -spreads to five hundred feet in width, running with a swiftness and -strength of current and whirlpool that is tremendous. The highest -authentic measurement in a narrow channel, of which we know, is one -made by Julius F. Stone in Marble Canyon. He recorded one spot where -the high-water mark was 115 feet above the low-water mark. These -figures might look large at first, but if they are compared with some -of the floods on the Ohio River, for instance, and that stream were -boxed in a two hundred foot channel the difference would not be great, -we imagine. - -One of the young men who greeted us when we landed came down with a -companion to see us embark. On the plateau 1300 feet above, looking -like small insects against the sky-line, was a trail party, equally -interested. They did not stand on the point usually visited by such -parties but had gone to a point about a mile to the west, where they -had a good view of a short, rough rapid, the little rapid below the -trail, while it was no place that one would care to swim in, had no -comparison with this other rapid in violence. We had promised the -party that we would run this rapid that afternoon, so we spent little -time in packing systematically, but hurriedly threw the stuff in and -embarked. Less than an hour later we had made the two-mile run and the -dash through the short rapid, to the entire satisfaction of all -concerned. - -We camped a short distance below the rapid, just opposite a grave of a -man whose skeleton had been found halfway up the granite, five years -before. Judging by his clothes and hob-nailed shoes he was a -prospector. He was lying in a natural position, with his head resting -on a rock. An overcoat was buttoned tightly about him. No large bones -were broken, but he might have had a fall and been injured internally. -More likely he became sick and died. The small bones of the hands and -feet had been taken away by field-mice, and no doubt the -turkey-buzzards had stripped the flesh. His pockets contained Los -Angeles newspapers of 1900; he was found in 1906. The pockets also -contained a pipe and a pocket-knife, but nothing by which he could be -identified. The coroner's jury--of which my brother was a -member--buried him where he was found, covering the body with rocks, -for there was no earth. - -Such finds are not unusual in this rugged country. These prospectors -seldom say where they are going, no track is kept of their movements, -and unless something about their clothes tells who they are, their -identity is seldom established. The proximity of this grave made us -wonder how many more such unburied bodies there were along this river. -We thought too of our friend Smith, back in Cataract Canyon, and -wondered if we would hear from him again. - -Our helpers got a lot of experience in motion-picture making the next -day, while we ran our boats through a number of good, strong rapids, -well known locally as the Salt Creek Rapid, Granite Falls or Monument -Rapid, the Hermit, the Bouchere, and others. This was all new to the -boys, and provided some thrilling entertainment for them. When a -difficult passage was safely made Bert would wave his hat and yell -"Hoo" in a deep, long call that would carry above the roar of the -rapids, then he and Ernest would follow along the shore with their -cameras, as these rapids all had a shore on one side or the other. The -sun shone on the river this day, and we congratulated ourselves on -having made the most of our opportunities. - -In our first rapid the next morning, we had to carry our passengers -whether we wanted to or not. There was no shore on either side. In -such plunges they would lie down on the deck of the boat behind the -oarsman, holding to the raised bulkhead, ducking their heads when an -oncoming wave prepared to break over them. Then they would shake -themselves as a water-spaniel does, and Bert with a grin would say, -"Young fellows, business is picking up!" - -Ernest agreed, too, that he had never seen anything in Pittsburg that -quite equalled it. If the rapid was not bad, they sat upright on the -deck, but this made the boats top-heavy, and as much of the oarsman's -work depended on swinging his weight from side to side, it was -important that no mistake should be made about this distribution of -weight. Often the bottom of a boat would show above the water as it -listed to one side. At such a time a person sitting on the raised deck -might get thrown overboard. - -Before starting on this last trip we had thought it would be only -right to give our younger brother a ride in a rapid that would be sure -to give him a good ducking, as his experience was going to be short. -But the water and the wind, especially in the shadows, was so very -cold that we gave this plan up, and avoided the waves as much as -possible. He got a ducking this morning, however, in a place where we -least expected it. It was not a rapid, just smooth, very swift water, -while close to the right shore there was one submerged rock with a -foot of water shooting over it, in such a way that it made a "reverse -whirl" as they are called in Alaska--water rolling back upstream, and -from all sides as well, to fill the vacuum just below the rock. This -one was about twelve feet across; the water disappeared as though it -was being poured down a manhole. - -The least care, or caution, would have taken me clear this place; but -the smooth water was so deceptive, and was so much stronger than I had -judged it to be, that I found myself caught sideways to the current, -hemmed in with waves on all sides of the boat, knocked back and forth, -and resisted in all my efforts to pull clear. The boat was gradually -filling with the splashing water. Ernest was lying on the deck, -hanging on like grim death, slipping off, first on one side, then on -the other, and wondering what was going to happen. So was I. To be -held up in the middle of a swift stream was a new experience, and I -was not proud of it. The others passed as soon as they saw what had -happened, and were waiting in an eddy below. Perhaps we were there -only one minute, but it seemed like five. I helped Ernest into the -cockpit. About that time the boat filled with splashing water and sunk -low, the stream poured over the rock and into the boat, and she upset -instantly. - -Ernest had on two life-preservers, and came up about thirty feet -below, swimming very well considering that he was weighted with heavy -clothes and high-topped shoes. The boys pulled him in before he was -carried against a threatening wall. Meanwhile, I held to the boat, -which was forced out as soon as she was overturned, and climbed on -top, or rather on the bottom. I was trying to make the best of things -and was giving a cheer when some one said, "There goes your hatch -cover and you've lost the motion-picture camera." - -Perhaps I had. My cheering ceased. The camera had been hurriedly -shoved down in the hatch a few minutes before. - -On being towed to shore, however, we found the camera had not fallen -out. It had been shoved to the side less than one inch, but that -little bit had saved it. It was filled with water, though, and all the -pictures were on the unfinished roll in the camera, and were ruined. -We had been in the ice-cold water long enough to lose that glow which -comes after a quick immersion and were chilled through; but what -bothered me more than anything else was the fact that I had been -caught in such a trap after successfully running the bad rapids above. -We made a short run after that so as to get out of sight of the -deceptive place, then proceeded to dry out. The ruined film came in -handy for kindling our camp-fire. - -We were now in the narrowest part of the upper portion of the Grand -Canyon, the distance from rim to rim at one point being close to six -miles. The width at Bright Angel varied from eight to fourteen miles. -The peaks rising from the plateau, often as high as the canyon walls, -and with flat tops a mile or more in width, made the canyon even -narrower, so that at times we were in canyons close to a mile in -depth, and little over four miles across at the tops. - -In this section of the granite there were few places where one could -climb out. Nearly all the lateral canyons ended quite a distance above -the river, then fell sheer; the lower parts of the walls were quite -often smooth-surfaced, where they were polished by the sands in the -stream. The black granite in such cases resembled huge deposits of -anthracite coal. Sections of the granite often projected out of the -water as islands, with the softer rock washed away, the granite being -curiously carved by whirling rocks and the emery-like sands. Holes -three and four feet deep were worn by small whirling rocks, and -grooves were worn at one place by growing willows working back and -forth in the water, the sand, strange to say, having less effect on -the limbs than it had on the hard rocks. - -About noon of the day following this upset we reached the end of the -Bass Trail and another cable crossing, about sixty feet above the -water. Three men were waiting for us, and gave a call when we rowed in -sight of their camp. One was Lauzon's brother, another was Cecil Dodd, -a cowboy who looked after Bass' stock, and the breaking of his horses, -the third was John Norberg, an "old timer" and an old friend as well, -engaged at that time in working some asbestos and copper claims. - -The granite was broken down at this point, and another small deposit -of algonkian was found here. There were intrusions, faults, and -displacements both in these formations and in the layers above. These -fractures exposed mineral seams and deposits of copper and asbestos on -both sides of the river, some of which Bass had opened up and located, -waiting for the day when there would be better transportation -facilities than his burros afforded. - -This was not our first visit to this section. On other occasions we -had descended by the Mystic Spring (or Bass) Trail, on the south side, -crossed on the tramway and were taken by Bass over some of his many -trails, on the north side. We had visited the asbestos claims, where -the edge of a blanket formation of the rock known as serpentine, -containing the asbestos, lay exposed to view, twisting around the head -of narrow canyons, and under beetling cliffs. We went halfway up the -north rim trail, through Shinumo and White canyons, our objective -point on these trips being a narrow box canyon which contained a large -boulder, rolled from the walls above, and wedged in the flume-like -gorge far above our heads. This trail continues up to the top, going -over the narrow neck which connects Powell's Plateau--a segregated -section of thickly wooded surface several miles in extent--with the -main extent of the Kaibab Plateau. - -Ernest, though slightly affected with tonsillitis, was loath to leave -us here. It was zero weather on top, we were told, and it looked it. -The walls and peaks were white with snow. He would not have an easy -trip. The drifted snow was only broken by the one party that we found -at the river, and quite likely it would be very late when he arrived -at the ranch. John went up with him a few miles to get a horse for the -ride home the next day. Ernest took with him a few hurriedly written -letters and the exposed plates. The film we were going to save was -lost in the upset. - -On inspecting the provisions which were packed in here we found the -grocers had shipped the order short, omitting, besides other -necessities, some canned baked beans, on which we depended a great -deal. This meant one of two things. We would have to make a quicker -run than we had planned on, or would have to get out of the canyon at -one of the two places where such an exit could easily be made. - -The M. P. as our motion-picture camera was called--and which was -re-christened but not abbreviated by Bert, as "The Member of -Parliament"--had to be cleaned before we could proceed. It took all -this day, and much of the next, to get the moisture and sand out of -the delicate mechanism, and have it running smoothly again. After it -was once more in good condition Emery announced that he wanted to work -out a few scenes of an uncompleted "movie-drama." The action was -snappy. The plot was brief, but harmonized well with the setting, and -the "props." Dodd, who was a big Texan, was cast for the role of horse -thief and bad man in general. Bert's brother, Morris Lauzon, was the -deputy sheriff, and had a star cut from the top of a tomato can to -prove it. John was to be a prospector. He would need little rehearsing -for this part. In addition, he had not been out where he could have -the services of a barber for six months past, which was all the -better. John had a kind, quiet, easy-going way that made friends for -him on sight. He was not consulted about the part he was to play, but -we counted on his good nature and he was cast for the part. Emery, who -was cast for the part of a mining engineer, arrived on the scene in -his boat, after rounding the bend above the camp, tied up and climbed -out over the cliffs to view the surrounding country. - -The hidden desperado, knowing that he was being hunted, stole the boat -with its contents, and made his escape. The returning engineer arrived -just in time to see his boat in the middle of the stream, and a -levelled rifle halted him until the boat was hidden around the bend. -At that moment the officer joined him, and a hurried consultation was -held. Then the other boat, which had been separated from its -companion, pulled into sight, and I was hailed by the men on shore. -They came aboard and we gave chase. Could anything be better? The -thief naturally thought he was safe, as he had not seen the second -boat! After going over a few rapids, he saw a fire up in the cliffs, -on the opposite side of the river. He landed, and climbed up to the -camp where John was at work. John shared his camp fare with him, and -directed him to a hidden trail. The pursuers, on finding the abandoned -boat, quietly followed the trail, and surprised Dodd in John's camp. -He was disarmed and sent across the river in the tramway, accompanied -by the deputy, and was punished as he richly deserved to be. - -This was the scenario. Bert handled the camera. Emery was the -playwright, director, and producer. All rights reserved. - -Everything worked beautifully. The film did not get balled up in the -cogs, as sometimes happened. The light was good. Belasco himself could -not have improved on the stage-setting. The trail led over the -wildest, and most picturesque places imaginable. Dodd made a splendid -desperado, and acted as if he had done nothing but steal horses and -dodge the officers all his life. A pile of driftwood fifty feet high -and with a tunnel underneath made a splendid hiding place for him -while the first boat was being tied. Being a cowpuncher, it may be -that he did not handle the oars as well as an experienced riverman, -but any rapid could be used for an insert. The deputy, though -youthful, was determined and never lost sight of the trail. The -engineer acted his part well and registered surprise and anger, when -he found how he had been tricked. John, who had returned, humoured us, -and dug nuggets of gold out of limestone rocks, where no one would -have thought of looking for them. The fact that the tramway scene was -made before any of the others did not matter. We could play our last -act first if we wanted to. All we had to do was to cut the film and -fasten it on to the end. Emery was justly proud of his first efforts -as a producer. We were sorry this film had not been sent out with -Ernest. - -This thrilling drama will not be released in the near future. One day -later we found that a drop of water had worked into the lens cell at -the last upset. This fogged the lens. We focussed with a scale and had -overlooked the lens when cleaning the camera. Nothing but a very faint -outline showed on the film. We had all the film we needed for a week -after this, for kindling our fires. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - - - -WHAT CHRISTMAS EVE BROUGHT - -In recording our various mishaps and upsets in these pages, it may -seem to the reader as if I have given undue prominence to the part I -took in them. If so, it has not been from choice, but because they -happened in that way. No doubt a great deal of my trouble was due to -carelessness. After I had learned to row my boat fairly well I -sometimes took chances that proved to be anything but advisable, -depending a good deal on luck, and luck was not always with me. My -brother was less hasty in making his decisions, and was more careful -in his movements, with the result that his boat had few marks of any -kind, and he had been more fortunate than I with the rapids. - -It is my duty to record another adventure at this point, in which we -all three shared, each in a different manner. This time I am going to -give my brother's record of the happenings that overtook us about four -o'clock in the afternoon of December the 24th, less than three hours -after we left our friends at the Bass Trail with "best wishes for a -Merry Christmas," and had received instructions from John "to keep our -feet dry" - -My brother's account follows: - - "The fourth rapid below the Bass Trail was bad, but after - looking it over we decided it could be run. We had taken - chances in rapids that looked worse and came through - unharmed; if we were successful here, it would be over in a - few minutes, and forgotten an hour later. So we each made - the attempt." - - "Lauzon had gone near the lower end of the rapid, taking the - left shore, for a sixty-foot wall with a sloping bench on - top rose sheer out of the water on the right. The only shore - on the right was close to the head of the rapid, a small - deposit or bank of earth and rock. The inner gorge here was - about nine hundred feet deep." - - "Ellsworth went first, taking the left-hand side. I picked - out a course on the right as being the least dangerous; but - I was scarcely started when I found myself on a nest of - jagged rocks, with violent water all about me, and with - other rocks, some of them submerged, below me. I climbed out - on the rocks and held the boat." - - "If the others could land below the rapid and climb back, - they might get a rope to me and pull me off the rocks far - enough to give me a new start, but they could not pull the - boat in to shore through the rough water. A person thinks - quickly under such circumstances, I had it all figured out - as soon as I was on the rocks. The greatest trouble would be - to hold the boat if she broke loose." - - "Then I saw that the _Defiance_ was in trouble. She caught - in a reverse whirl in the very middle of the pounding rapid, - bouncing back and forth like a great rubber ball. Finally - she filled with the splashing water, sank low, and the water - pouring over the rock caught the edge of the twelve-hundred - pound boat and turned her over as if she were a toy; my - brother was holding to the gunwale when she turned. Still - she was held in the whirl, jumping as violently as ever, - then turned upright again and was forced out. Ellsworth had - disappeared, but came up nearly a hundred feet below, - struggling to keep on top but going down with every breaking - wave. When the quieter water was reached, he did not seem to - have strength enough to swim out, but floated, motionless, - in a standing position, his head kept up by the - life-preservers. The next rapid was not over fifty yards - below. If he was to be saved it must be done instantly." - - "I pried the boat loose, jumped in as she swung clear, and - pulled with all my might, headed toward the centre of the - river. I was almost clear when I was drawn over a dip, bow - first, and struck a glancing blow against another rock I had - never seen. There was a crash, and the boards broke like - egg-shells. It was all done in a few moments. The _Edith_ - was a wreck, I did not know how bad. My brother had - disappeared. Lauzon was frantically climbing over some large - boulders trying to reach the head of the next rapid, where - the boat was held in an eddy. My boat was not upset, but the - waves were surging through a great hole in her side. She was - drawn into an eddy, close to the base of the wall, where I - could tie up and climb out. It seemed folly to try the lower - end with my filled boat. Climbing to the top of the rock, I - could see half a mile down the canyon, but my brother was - nowhere to be seen and I had no idea that he had escaped. I - was returning to my wrecked boat when Bert waved his arms, - and pointed to the head of the rapid. Going back once more, - I saw him directly below me at the base of the sheer rock, - in an opening where the wall receded. He had crawled out - twenty feet above the next rapid. Returning to my wrecked - boat, I was soon beside him. He was exhausted with his - struggle in the icy waves; his outer garments were frozen. I - soon procured blankets from my bed, removed the wet clothes, - and wrapped him up. Lauzon, true to our expectations of what - he would do when the test came, swam out and rescued the - _Defiance_ before she was carried over the next rapid. He - was inexperienced at the oars and had less than two hours - practice after he had joined us. It was a tense moment when - he started across, above the rapid. But he made it! Landing - with a big grin, he exclaimed, 'Young fellows, business is - picking up!' then added, 'And we're losing lots of good - pictures!'" - - "These experiences were our Christmas presents that year. - They were not done up in small packages." - - "We repaired the boat on Christmas day. Three smashed side - ribs were replaced with mesquite, which we found growing on - the walls. The hole was patched with boards from the loose - bottom. This was painted; canvas was tacked over that and - painted also, and a sheet of tin or galvanized iron went - over it all. This completed the repair and the _Edith_ was - as seaworthy as before." - - This is Emery's account of the "Christmas Rapid." - -I will add that the freezing temperature of the water and the struggle -for breath in the breaking waves left me exhausted and at the mercy of -the river. An eddy drew me out of the centre of the stream when I had -given up all hope of any escape from the next rapid. I had seen my -brother on the rock below the head of the rapid and knew there was no -hope from him. As I was being drawn back into the current, close to -the end of the sheer wall on the right, my feet struck bottom on some -débris washed down from the cliff. I made three efforts to stand but -fell each time, and finally crawled out on my hands and knees. I had -the peculiar sensation of seeing a rain-storm descending before my -eyes, although I knew no such thing existed; every fibre in my body -ached and continued to do so for days afterward; and the moment I -would close my eyes to sleep I would see mountainous waves about me -and would feel myself being whirled head over heels just as I was in -that rapid; but this rapid, strange to say, while exceedingly rough -and swift, did not contain any waves that we would have considered -large up to this time. In other words, it depended on the -circumstances whether it was bad or not. When standing on the shore, -picking a channel, it appeared to be a moderately bad rapid, in which -a person, aided with life-preservers, should have little difficulty in -keeping on top, at least half the time. After my battle, in which, as -far as personal effort went, I had lost, and after my providential -escape, that one rapid appeared to be the largest of the entire -series. - -It is difficult to describe the rapids with the foot-rule standard, -and give an idea of their power. One unfamiliar with "white water" -usually associates a twelve-foot descent or a ten-foot wave with a -similar wave on the ocean. There is no comparison. The waters of the -ocean rise and fall, the waves travel, the water itself, except in -breakers, is comparatively still. In bad rapids the water is whirled -through at the rate of ten or twelve miles an hour, in some cases much -swifter; the surface is broken by streams shooting up from every -submerged rock; the weight of the river is behind it, and the waves, -instead of tumbling forward, quite as often break upstream. Such -waves, less than six feet high, are often dangers to be shunned. After -being overturned in them we learned their tremendous power, a power we -would never have associated with any water, before such an experience, -short of a waterfall. - -There is a certain amount of danger in the canyons,--plenty of it. -Still, in most cases, with care and forethought, much of it can be -avoided. We think we are safe in saying that half of the parties who -have attempted a passage through these canyons have met with -fatalities. Most of these have occurred in Cataract Canyon, not -because it is any worse than other sections,--certainly no worse than -the Grand Canyon,--but because it is easily entered from the quiet, -alluring water of the lower Green River. Without a doubt each -successful expedition is responsible in a way for others' attempts. In -nearly every instance the unfortunate ones have underestimated the -danger, and have attempted the passage with inadequate boats, such as -Smith had for instance, undecked and without air chambers. Both of -these are imperative for safety. - -We had the benefit of the experiences of others. In addition, our -years of work in the canyons had robbed them of their imaginary -dangers, and--while we trust that we are not entirely without -imagination--much of their weirdness and glamour with which they are -inseparable to the idealist and the impressionist. Each of these -upsets could have been avoided by a portage had we desired to make -one, but success in other rapids made us a little reckless and ready -to take a chance. - -Beyond getting our flour wet on the outside, we suffered very little -loss to our cargo. We placed the two flour sacks beside the fires each -evening, until the wet flour dried to a crust. We continued to use out -of the centre of the sacks as though nothing had ever happened. - -Bert and I each had a little cough the next morning, but it -disappeared by noon. Beyond that, we suffered no great inconvenience -from our enforced bath. Sleeping in the open, with plenty of healthful -exercise, kept us physically fit. - -The cold air and the cold water did not seem to bother the others, but -I could not get comfortably warm during this cold snap. Added to this, -it took me some time to get over my scare, and I could see all kinds -of danger, in rapids, where Emery could see none. I insisted on -untying the photographic cases from the boats, and carrying them -around a number of rapids before we ran them. It is hardly necessary -to say that no upset occurred in these rapids. - -Then came a cold day, with a raw wind sweeping up the river. A coating -of ice covered the boats and the oars. We had turned directly to the -north along the base of Powell's plateau, and were nearing the end of -a second granite gorge, with violent rapids and jagged rocks. Emery -made the remark that he had not had a swim for some time. In a -half-hour we came to a rapid with two twelve-foot waves in the centre -of the stream, with a projecting point above that would have to be -passed, before we could pull out of the swift-running centre. Emery -got his swim there. I was just behind and was more fortunate. I never -saw anything more quickly done. Before the boat was fully overturned -he swung an oar, so that it stuck out at an angle from the side of the -boat, and used the oar for a step; an instant later he had cut the oar -loose, and steered toward the shore. Bert threw him a rope from the -shore, and he was pulled in. He was wearing a thin rubber coat fitting -tightly about his wrists, tied about his neck, and belted at the -waist. This protected him so thoroughly that he was only wet from the -waist down. - -If we were a little inclined to be proud of our record above Bright -Angel we had forgotten all about it by this time. We were scarcely -more than sixty miles from home and had experienced three upsets and a -smashed boat, all in one week. - -Just at the end of the second granite section we made our first -portage since leaving Bright Angel. Bert and I worked on the boats, -while Emery cooked the evening meal. - -Hot rice soup, flavoured with a can of prepared meat, was easily and -quickly prepared, and formed one of the usual dishes at these meals. -It contained a lot of nutriment, and the rice took up but little space -in the boats. Sometimes the meat was omitted, and raisins were -substituted. Prepared baked beans were a staple dish, but were not in -our supply on this last part of the trip. We often made "hot cakes" -twice a day; an excuse for eating a great deal of butter and honey, or -syrup. None of these things were luxuries. They were the best -foodstuff we could carry. We seemed to crave sweet stuff, and used -quantities of sugar. We could carry eggs, when packed in sawdust, -without trouble but did not carry many. We had little meat; what we -had was bacon, and prepared meats of the lunch variety. Cheese was our -main substitute for meat. It was easily carried and kept well. Dried -peaches or apricots were on the bill for nearly every meal, each day's -allowance being cooked the evening before. We tried several condensed -or emergency foods, but discarded them all but one, for various -reasons. The exception was Erbeswurst, a patent dried soup -preparation. Other prepared soups were carried also. I must not forget -the morning cereal. It was Cream of Wheat, easily prepared; eaten--not -served, perhaps devoured would be a better word--with sugar and -condensed cream, as long as it lasted, then with butter. Any remainder -from breakfast was fried for other meals. Each evening, we would make -some baking-powder biscuit in a frying-pan. A Dutch oven is better, -but had too much weight. The appellation for such bread is "flapjack" -or "dough-god." When I did the baking they were fearfully and -wonderfully made. Cocoa, which was nourishing, often took the place of -coffee. In fact our systems craved just what was most needed to build -up muscle and create heat. We found it was useless to try to catch -fish after the weather became cold. The fish would not bite. - -On the upper end of our journey we carried no tobacco, as it happened -that Jimmy as well as ourselves were not tobacco users. There were no -alcoholic stimulants. When Bert joined us, a small flask, for -medicinal purposes only, was taken along. The whiskey was scarcely -touched at this time. Bert enjoyed a pipe after his meals, but -continued to keep good-natured even when his tobacco got wet, so -tobacco was not absolutely necessary to him. - -Uninteresting and unromantic these things may be, but they were most -important to us. We were only sorry the supply was not larger. While -we never stinted ourselves, or cut the allowance of food, the amount -was growing smaller every day, and it was not a question any more -whether we would go out or not, to get provisions, to "rustle" as Bert -called it, but where we would go out. We might go up Cataract Creek or -Ha Va Su Creek, as it is sometimes called. We had been to the mouth of -this canyon on foot, so there would be no danger of missing it. The Ha -Va Supai Indians, about two hundred in number, lived in this lateral -canyon about seven or eight miles from the river. An agent and a -farmer lived with them, and might be able to sell us some provisions; -if not, it would be fifty miles back to our home. The trail was much -more direct than the river. The great drawback to this course was the -fact that Ha Va Su Canyon, sheer-walled, deep, and narrow, contained a -number of waterfalls, one of them about 175 feet high. The precipice -over which it fell was nothing but a mineral deposit from the water, -building higher every year. Formerly this was impassable, until some -miners, after enlarging a sloping cave, had cut a winding stairway in -it, which allowed a descent to be made to the bottom of the fall. A -recent storm had remodelled all the falls in Cataract Creek Canyon, -cutting out the travertine in some places, piling it up in others. A -great mass of cottonwood trees were also mixed with the débris. The -village, too, had been washed away and was then being rebuilt. We had -been told that the tunnel was filled up, and as far as we knew no one -had been to the river since the flood. - -The other outlet was Diamond Creek Canyon, much farther down the -river. We would decide when we got to Ha Va Su just what we would do. - -Tapeets Creek, one mile below our camp,--a stream which has -masqueraded under the title of Thunder River, and about which there -has been considerable speculation,--proved to be a stream a little -smaller than Bright Angel Creek, flowing through a narrow slot in the -rocks, and did not fall sheer into the river, as has been reported. -Perhaps a small cascade known as Surprise Falls which we passed the -next day has been confused with Tapeets Creek. This stream corkscrews -down through a narrow crevice and falls about two hundred feet, close -to the river's edge. We are told that the upper end of Tapeets Creek -is similar to this, but on a much larger scale. - -Just opposite this fall a big mountain-sheep jumped from under an -overhanging ledge close to the water, and stared curiously at us, as -though he wondered what strange things those were coming down with the -current. It is doubtful if he ever saw a human being before. This -sight sent us scrambling in our cases for cameras and firearms; and it -was not the game laws, but a rusted trigger on the six-shooter -instead, that saved the sheep. He finally took alarm and scampered -away over the rocks, and we had no mutton stew that night. - -We had one night of heavy rain, and morning revealed a little snow -within three hundred feet of the river, while a heavy white blanket -covered the upper cliffs. It continued to snow on top, and rained on -us nearly all this day. Emery took this opportunity to get the drop of -moisture out of the lens, and put the camera in such shape that we -could proceed with our picture making. A short run was made after this -work was completed. - -The camp we were just leaving was about three miles above Kanab -Canyon. The granite was behind us, disappearing with a steep descent -much as it had emerged at the Hance Trail. There was also a small -deposit of algonkian. This too had been passed, and we were back in -the limestone and sandstone walls similar to the lower end of Marble -Canyon. While the formations were the same, the canyon differed. The -layers were thicker, the red sandstone and the marble walls were -equally sheer; there was no plateau between. What plateau this canyon -contained lay on top of the red sandstone. Few peaks rose above this. -The canyon had completed its northern run and was turning back again -to the west-southwest with a great sweep or circle. Less than an -hour's work brought us to Kanab Canyon. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - - - -SHORT OF PROVISIONS IN A SUNLESS GORGE - -In the mud at Kanab Canyon we saw an old footprint of some person who -had come down to the river through this narrow, gloomy gorge. It was -here that Major Powell terminated his second voyage, on account of -extreme high water. A picture they made showed their boats floated up -in this side canyon. Our stage was much lower than this. F.S. -Dellenbaugh, the author of "A Canyon Voyage," was a member of this -second expedition. This book had been our guide down to this point; we -could not have asked for a better one. Below here we had a general -idea of the nature of the river, and had a set of the government maps, -but we had neglected to provide ourselves with detailed information -such as this volume gave us. - -Evening of the following day found us at Cataract Creek Canyon, but -with a stage of water in the river nearly fifty feet lower than that -which we had seen a few years before. The narrow entrance of this -great canyon gives no hint of what it is like a few miles above. - -The Indian village is in the bottom of a 3000-foot canyon, half a mile -wide and three miles long, covered with fertile fields, peach and -apricot orchards. It even contained a few fig trees. Below the village -the canyon narrowed to a hundred yards, with a level bottom, covered -with a tangle of wild grape vines, cactus, and cottonwood trees. This -section contained the two largest falls, and came to an end about four -miles below the first fall. Then the canyon narrowed, deep and gloomy, -until there was little room for anything but the powerful, rapidly -descending stream. At the lower end it was often waist deep and -fifteen or twenty feet wide. It was no easy task to go through this -gorge. The stream had to be crossed several times. The canyon -terminated in an extremely narrow gorge 2500 feet deep, dark and -gloomy, one of the most impressive gorges we have ever seen. The main -canyon was similar, with a few breaks on the sides, those breaks being -ledges, or narrow sloping benches that would extend for miles, only to -be brought to an abrupt end by side canyons. There are many -mountain-sheep in this section, but we saw none either time. We could -see many fresh tracks where they had followed these ledges around, and -had gone up the narrow side canyon. It was cold in the main canyon, -and no doubt the sheep could be found on the plateaus, which were more -open, and would get sun when the sun shone. This plateau was 2500 feet -above us. At the turn of the canyon we could see the other walls 2000 -feet above that. The rapids in the section just passed had been widely -separated and compared well with those of Marble Canyon, not the worst -we had seen, but far from being tame. There was plenty of shore room -at each of these rapids. - -Cactus of different species was now a feature of the scenery. The -ocotilla or candlewood with long, lash-like stalks springing from a -common centre--that cactus, which, when dried, needs only a lighted -match to set it afire--flourishes in the rocky ledges. A species of -small barrel-cactus about the size of a man's head, with fluted sides, -or symmetrical vertical rows of small thorned lumps converging at the -top of the "nigger-head," as they are sometimes called, grows in great -numbers in crevices on the walls. The delicate "pin cushion" gathered -in clusters of myriad small spiny balls. The prickly pear, here in Ha -Va Su Canyon, were not the starved, shrivelled, mineral-tinted cactus -such as we found at the beginning of our trip. Instead they were green -and flourishing, with large fleshy leaves joining on to each other -until they rise to a height of three feet or more and cover large -patches of ground to the utter exclusion of all other growth. What a -display of yellow and red these desert plants put forth when they are -in bloom! A previous visit to Ha Va Su was made in the month of May -when every group of prickly pear was a riot of pure colour. All this -prolific growth is made possible by the extreme heat of the summer -months aided in the case of those plants and trees which flourish in -the fertile soil of Ha Va Su by the sub-irrigation and the spray from -the fall. - -After making an inventory of our provisions we concluded not to try -the tedious and uncertain trip up Cataract Creek. With care and good -fortune we would have enough provisions to last us to Diamond Creek. - -With our run the next day the inner gorge continued to deepen, the -walls drew closer together, so that we now had a narrow gorge hemming -us in with 3000-foot walls from which there was no escape. They were -about a fourth of a mile apart at the top. A boat at the foot of one -of these walls was merely an atom. The total depth of the canyon was -close to 4500 feet. There is nothing on earth to which this gorge can -be compared. Storm-clouds lowered into the chasm in the early morning. -The sky was overcast and threatening. We were travelling directly west -again, and no sunlight entered here, even when the sun shone. The -walls had lost their brighter reds, and what colour they had was dark -and sombre, a dirty brown and dark green predominating. The mythology -of the ancients, with their Inferno and their River Styx, could hardly -conjure anything more supernatural or impressive than this gloomy -gorge. - -There were a few bad rapids. One or two had no shore, others had an -inclination to run under one wall and had to be run very carefully. If -we could not get down alongside of a rapid, we could usually climb out -on the walls at the head of the rapid and look it over from that -vantage point. The one who climbed out would signal directions to the -others, who would run it at once, and continue on to the next rapid. -They would have its course figured out when the last boat arrived. - -One canyon entered from the left, level on the bottom, and about one -hundred feet wide; it might be a means of outlet from this canyon, but -it is doubtful, for the marble has a way of ending abruptly and -dropping sheer, with a polished surface that is impossible to climb. - -New Year's Eve was spent in this section. The camp was exceptionally -good. A square-sided, oblong section of rock about fifty feet long had -fallen forward from the base of the cliff. This left a cave-like -opening which was closed at one end with our dark-room tent. High -water had placed a sandy floor, now thoroughly dry, in the bottom. -Under the circumstances we could hardly ask for anything better. Of -driftwood there was none, and our camp-fires were made of mesquite -which grew in ledges in the rocks; in one case gathered with a great -deal of labour on the shore opposite our camp, and ferried across on -our boats. If a suitable camp was found after 3.30 P.M., we kept it, -rather than run the risk of not finding another until after dark. - -Another day, January 1, 1912, brought us to the end of this gorge and -into a wider and more open canyon, with the country above covered with -volcanic peaks and cinder cones. Blow-holes had broken through the -canyon walls close to the top of the gorge, pouring streams of lava -down its sides, filling the bottom of the canyon with several hundred -feet of lava. This condition extended down the canyon for twenty miles -or more. Judging by the amount of lava the eruption must have -continued for a great while. Could one imagine a more wonderful -sight--the turbulent stream checked by the fire flood from above! What -explosions and rending of rocks there must have been when the two -elements met. The river would be backed up for a hundred miles! Each -would be shoved on from behind! There was no escape! They must fight -it out until one or the other conquered. But the fire could not keep -up forever, and, though triumphant for a period, it finally succumbed, -and the stream proceeded to cut down to the original level. - -Two miles below the first lava flow we saw what we took to be smoke -and hurried down wondering if we would find a prospector or a cattle -rustler. We agreed, if it was the latter, to let them off if they -would share with us. But the smoke turned out to be warm springs, one -of them making quite a stream which fell twenty feet into the river. -Here in the river was a cataract, called Lava Falls, so filled with -jagged pieces of the black rock that a portage was advisable. The -weather had not moderated any in the last week, and we were in the -water a great deal as we lifted and lined the boats over the rocks at -the edge of the rapids. We would work in the water until numbed with -the cold, then would go down to the warm springs and thaw out for a -while. This was a little quicker than standing by the fire, but the -relief was only temporary. This portage was finished the next morning. - -Another portage was made this same day, and the wide canyon where -Major Powell found some Indian gardens was passed in the afternoon. -The Indians were not at home when the Major called. His party felt -they were justified in helping themselves to some pumpkins or squash, -for their supplies were very low, and they could not go out to a -settlement--as we expected to do in a day or two--and replenish them. - -We found the fish would not bite, just as our friend, the miner, had -said, but we did succeed in landing a fourteen-pound salmon, in one of -the deep pools not many miles from this point, and it was served up in -steaks the next day. If our method of securing the salmon was -unsportsmanlike, we excused ourselves for the methods used, just as -Major Powell justified his appropriation of the Indians' squash. If -that fish was ever needed, it was then, and it was a most welcome -addition to our rapidly disappearing stock of provisions. We were only -sorry we had not taken more "bait." - -The next day we did see a camp-fire, and on climbing the shore, found -a little old prospector, clad in tattered garments, sitting in a -little dugout about five feet square which he had shovelled out of the -sand. He had roofed it with mesquite and an old blanket. A rapid, just -below, made so much noise that he did not hear us until we were before -his door. He looked at the rubber coats and the life-preservers, then -said, with a matter-of-fact drawl, "Well, you fellows must have come -by the river!" After talking awhile he asked: "What do you call -yourselves?" This question would identify him as an old-time Westerner -if we did not already know it. At one time it was not considered -discreet to ask any one in these parts what their name was, or where -they were from. He gave us a great deal of information about the -country, and said that Diamond Creek was about six miles below. He had -come across from Diamond Creek by a trail over a thousand foot ridge, -with a burro and a pack mule, a month before. He had just been out -near the top on the opposite side, doing some assessment work on some -copper claims, crossing the river on a raft, and stated that on a -previous occasion he had been drawn over the rapid, but got out. - -When he learned that we had come through Utah, he stated that he -belonged near Vernal, and had once been upset in the upper canyons, -about twenty years before. He proved to be the Snyder of whom we had -heard at Linwood, and also from the Chews, who had given him a horse -so he could get out over the mountains. Yet here was, a thousand miles -below, cheerful as a cricket, and sure that a few months at the most -would bring him unlimited wealth. He asked us to "share his chuck" -with him, but we could see nothing but a very little flour, and a -little bacon, so pleaded haste and pushed on for Diamond Creek. - -The mouth of this canyon did not look unlike others we had seen in -this section, and one could easily pass it without knowing that it ran -back with a gentle slope for twenty miles, and that a wagon road came -down close to the river. It contained a small, clear stream. The -original tourist camp in the Grand Canyon was located up this canyon. -We packed all our plates and films, ready to take them out. The -supplies left in the boats when we went out the next morning were: - - 5 pounds of flour, partly wet and crusted. - 2 pounds mildewed Cream of Wheat. - 3 or 4 cans (rusty) of dried beef. - Less than one pound of sugar. - -We carried a lunch out with us. This was running a little too close -for comfort. - -The mouth of Diamond Creek Canyon was covered with a growth of large -mesquite trees. Cattle trails wound through this thorny thicket down -to the river's edge. The trees thinned out a short distance back, and -the canyon widened as it receded from the river. A half mile back from -the river was the old slab building that had served as headquarters -for the campers. Here the canyon divided, one containing the small -stream heading in the high walls to the southeast; while the other -branch ran directly south, heading near the railroad at the little -flag-station of Peach Springs, twenty-three miles distant. -It was flat-bottomed, growing wider and more valley-like with every -mile, but not especially interesting to one who had seen the glory of -all the canyons. Floods had spoiled what had once been a very passable -stage road, dropping 4000 feet in twenty miles, down to the very -depths of the Grand Canyon. Some cattle, driven down by the snows, -were sunning themselves near the building. Our appearance filled them -with alarm, and they "high tailed it" to use a cattle man's -expression, scampering up the rocky slopes. - -A deer's track was seen in a snow-drift away from the river. On the -sloping walls in the more open sections of this valley grew the -stubby-thorned chaparral. The hackberry and the first specimens of the -palo verde were found in this vicinity. The mesquite trees seen at the -mouth of the canyon were real trees--about the size of a large apple -tree--not the small bushes we had seen at the Little Colorado. All the -growth was changing as we neared the lower altitudes and the mouth of -the Grand Canyon, being that of the hot desert, which had found this -artery or avenue leading to the heart of the rocky plateaus and had -pushed its way into this foreign land. - -Even the animal life of the desert has followed this same road. -Occasional Gila monsters, which are supposed to belong to the hot -desert close to the Mexico line, have been found at Diamond Creek, and -lizards of the Mojave Desert have been seen as far north as the foot -of Bright Angel Trail. - -But we saw little animal life at this time. There were occasional -otters disporting themselves near our boats, in one instance unafraid, -in another raising a gray-bearded head near our boat with a startled -look in his eyes. Then he turned and began to swim on the surface -until our laughter caused him to dive. Tracks of the civet-cat or the -ring-tailed cat--that large-eyed and large-eared animal, somewhat like -a raccoon and much resembling a weasel--were often seen along the -shores. The gray fox, the wild-cat, and the coyote, all natives of -this land, kept to the higher piñon-covered hills. The beaver seldom -penetrates into the deep canyons because of the lack of vegetation, -but is found in all sections in the open country from the headwaters -to the delta in Mexico. - -We went out by this canyon on January the 5th, and returned Sunday, -January the 8th, bringing enough provisions to last us to the end of -the big canyon. We imagined we would have no trouble getting what we -needed in the open country below that. We sent some telegrams and -received encouraging answers to them before returning. With us were -two brothers, John and Will Nelson, cattle men who had given us a -cattle man's welcome when we arrived at Peach Springs. There was no -store at Peach Springs, and they supplied us with the provisions that -we brought back. They drove a wagon for about half the distance, then -the roads became impassable, so they unhitched and packed their -bedding and our provisions in to the river. The Nelsons were anxious -to see us run a rapid or two. - -We found the nights to be just as cold on top as they ever get in this -section--a little below zero--although the midday sun was warm enough -to melt the snow and make it slushy. I arrived at the river with my -feet so swollen that I had difficulty in walking, a condition brought -on by a previous freezing they had received, being wet continually by -the icy water in my boat--which was leaking badly since we left Bright -Angel--and the walk out through the slush. I was glad there was little -walking to do when once at the river, and changed my shoes for -arctics, which were more roomy and less painful. - -On the upper part of our trip there were occasional days when Emery -was not feeling his best, while I had been most fortunate and had -little complaint to make; now things seemed to be reversed. Emery, and -Bert too, were having the time of their lives, while I was "getting -mine" in no small doses.[6] - -We had always imagined that the Grand Canyon lost its depth and -impressiveness below Diamond Creek. We were to learn our mistake. The -colour was missing, that was true, for the marble and sandstone walls -were brown, dirty, or colourless, with few of the pleasing tones of -the canyon found in the upper end. But it was still the Grand Canyon. -We were in the granite again--granite just as deep as any we had seen -above, it may have been a little deeper, and in most cases it was very -sheer. There was very little plateau, the limestone and sandstone rose -above that, just as they had above Kanab Canyon. The light-coloured -walls could not be seen. - -Many of the rapids of this lower section were just as bad as any we -had gone over; one or two have been considered worse by different -parties. Two hours after leaving the Nelsons we were halted by a rapid -that made us catch our breath. It was in two sections--the lower one -so full of jagged rocks that it meant a wrecked boat. The upper part -fell about twenty feet we should judge and was bad enough. It was a -question if we could run this and keep from going over the lower part! -If we made a portage, our boats would have to be taken three or four -hundred feet up the side of the cliff. The rapid was too strong to -line a boat down. We concluded to risk running the first part. Bert -climbed to the head of the second section of the rapid, where a -projecting point of granite narrowed the stream, and formed a quiet -eddy just above the foaming plunge. If we could keep out of the centre -and land here we would be safe. Our shoes were removed, our trousers -were rolled to our knees and we removed our coats. If we had to swim -there, we were going to be prepared. The life-preservers were well -inflated, and tied; then we made the plunge, Emery taking the lead, I -following close behind. Our plan was to keep as near the shore as -possible. Once I thought it was all over when I saw the _Edith_ pulled -directly for a rock in spite of all Emery could do to pull away. -Nothing but a rebounding wave saved him. I went through the same -experience. Several times we were threatened with an upset, but we -landed in safety. The portage was short and easy. Flat granite rocks -were covered with a thin coat of ice. The boats were unloaded and slid -across, then dropped below the projecting rock. The _Defiance_ skidded -less than two feet and struck a projecting knob of rock the size of a -goose egg. It punctured the side close to the stern, fortunately above -the water line, and the wood was not entirely broken away. - -Two miles below this we found another bad one. This was lined while -Bert got supper up in a little sloping canyon; about as uncomfortable -a camp as we had found. Many of the rapids run the next day were -violent. The river seemed to be trying to make up for lost time. We -passed a canyon coming from the south containing two streams, one -clear, and one muddy. The narrowest place we had seen on the river was -a rapid run this day, not over forty feet wide. Evening brought us to -a rapid with a lateral canyon coming in from each side, that on the -right containing a muddy stream. The walls were sheer and jagged close -to the rapid, with a break on the rugged slopes here and there. A -sloping rock in the middle of the stream could be seen in the third -section of the rapid. This was Separation Rapid, the point where the -two Howland brothers and Dunn parted company with Major Powell and his -party. - -From our camp at the left side we could easily figure out a way to the -upper plateau. Above that they would have a difficult climb as far as -we could tell. That they did reach the top is well known. They met a -tragic fate. The second day after getting out they were killed by some -Indians--the Shewits Utes--who had treated them hospitably at first -and provided them with something to eat. That night a visiting Indian -brought a tale of depredations committed by some miners against -another section of their tribe. These men were believed to be the -guilty parties, and they were ambushed the next morning. Their fate -remained a mystery for a year; then a Ute was seen with a watch -belonging to one of the men. Later a Mormon who had a great deal of -influence with the Indians got their story from them, and reported to -Major Powell what he had learned. It was a deplorable and a tragic -ending to what otherwise was one of the most successful, daring, and -momentous explorations ever undertaken on this continent. - -We find there is a current belief that it was cowardice and fear of -this one rapid that caused these men to separate from the party. The -more one hears of this separation, the more it seems that it was a -difference of opinion on many matters, and not this one rapid, that -caused them to leave. These men had been trappers and hunters, one -might say pioneers, and one had been with Major Powell before the -river exploration. They had gone through all the canyons, and had come -through this far without a fatality. They had seen a great many rapids -nearly as bad as this, and several that were worse, if one could judge -by its nature when we found it. They were not being carried by others, -but had charge of one boat. They did smash one boat in Disaster Rapid -in Lodore Canyon, and at that time they claimed Major Powell gave them -the wrong signal. This caused some feeling. - -At the time of the split, the food question was a serious one. There -were short rations for a long time; in fact there was practically no -food. After an observation, Major Powell informed them that they were -within forty-five miles of the Virgin River, in a direct line. Much of -the country between the end of the canyon and the Virgin River was -open, a few Mormon settlements could be found up the Virgin Valley. He -offered them half of the small stock of provisions, when they -persisted in leaving, but they refused to take any provisions -whatever, feeling sure that they could kill enough game to subsist on. -This one instance would seem to be enough to clear them of the stigma -of cowardice. The country on top was covered with volcanic cinders. -There was little water to be found, and in many ways it was just as -inhospitable as the canyon. The cook had a pan of biscuits, which he -left on a rock for them, after the men had helped the party lift the -boats over the rocks at the head of the rapid. After landing in safety -around a bend which hid them from sight, the boating party fired their -guns, hoping they would hear the report, and follow in the abandoned -boat. It is doubtful if they could hear the sound of the guns, above -the roar of the rapid. If they did, they paid no attention to it. The -younger Howland wished to remain with the party, but threw his lot -with his brother, when he withdrew. - -While these men did not have the Major's deep scientific interest in -the successful completion of this exploration, they undoubtedly should -have stayed with their leader, if their services were needed or -desired. It is more than likely that they were insubordinate; they -certainly made a misguided attempt, but in spite of these facts it -scarcely seems just to brand them as cowards. Two days after they -left, the boating party was camped at the end of the canyons. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - - - -THE LAST PORTAGE AND THE LAST RAPIDS - -The first section of Separation Rapid was run the first thing in the -morning, a manoeuvre that was accomplished by starting on the left -shore and crossing the swift centre clear to the other shore. This -allowed us to reach some quiet water near a small deposit of rock and -earth at the base of the sheer wall. Two feet of water would have -covered this deposit; likewise two feet of water would have given us a -clear channel over this second section. As it was, the rapid was -rough, with many rocks very near the surface. Directly across from us, -close to the left shore, was what looked like a ten-foot geyser, or -fountain of water. This was caused by a rock in the path of a strong -current rebounding from the shore. The water ran up on the side near -the wall, then fell on all sides. It was seldom the water had force -enough to carry to the top of a rock as large as that. This portage of -the second section was one of the easiest we had made. By rolling a -few large rocks around we could get a stream water across our small -shore large enough to float an empty boat with a little help, so we -lightened them of the cargo and floated them through our canal. While -running the third section the _Edith_ was carried up on the sloping -rock in the middle of the stream; she paused a moment, then came down -like a shot and whirled around to the side without mishap. This made -the thirteenth rapid in which both boats were lined or portaged. In -three other rapids one boat was run through and one was portaged. Half -of all these rapids were located in the Grand Canyon. - -All this time we were anxiously looking forward to a rapid which Mr. -Stone had described as being the worst in the entire series, also the -last rapid we would be likely to portage and had informed us that -below this particular rapid everything could be run with little or no -inspection. Naturally we were anxious to get that rapid behind us. It -was described as being located below a small stream flowing from the -south. The same rapid was described by Major Powell as having a bold, -lava-capped escarpment at the head of the rapid, on the right. We had -not seen any lava since leaving Diamond Creek, and an entry in my -notes reads, "we have gone over Stone's 'big rapid' three times and it -is still ahead of us." The knowledge that there was a big rapid in the -indefinite somewhere that was likely to cause us trouble seemed to -give us more anxious moments than the many unmentioned rapids we were -finding all this time. We wondered how high the escarpment was, and if -we could take our boats over its top. We tried to convince ourselves -that it was behind us, although sure that it could not be. But the -absence of lava puzzled us. After one "bad" rapid and several "good" -rapids we came to a sharp turn in the canyon. Emery was ahead and -called back, "I see a little stream"; Bert joined with "I see the -lava"; and the "Bold Escarpment Rapid," as we had been calling it for -some time, was before us. It was more than a nasty rapid, it was a -cataract! - -What a din that water sent up! We had to yell to make ourselves heard. -The air vibrated with the impact of water against rock. The rapid was -nearly half a mile long. There were two sections near its head -staggered with great rocks, forty of them, just above or slightly -submerged under the surface of the water. Our low stage of water -helped us, so that we did not have to line the boats from the ledge, -eighty feet above the water, as others had done. The rapid broke just -below the lower end of the sheer rock, which extended twenty feet -beyond the irregular shore. The _Edith_ went first, headed upstream, -at a slight angle nearly touching the wall, dropping a few inches -between each restraining stroke of the oars. Bert crouched on the bow, -ready to spring with the rope, as soon as Emery passed the wall and -headed her in below the wall. Jumping to the shore, he took a snub -around a boulder and kept her from being dragged into the rapid. Then -they both caught the _Defiance_ as she swung in below the rock, and -half the battle was won before we tackled the rapid. - -Our days were short, and we did not take the boats down until the next -day; but we did carry much of the camp material and cargo halfway down -over ledges a hundred feet above the river. For a bad rapid we were -very fortunate in getting past it as easily as we did. Logs were laid -over rocks, the boats were skidded over them about their own length -and dropped in again. Logs and boats were lined down in the swift, but -less riotous water, to the next barrier, which was more difficult. A -ten-foot rounded boulder lay close to the shore, with smaller rocks, -smooth and ice-filmed, scattered between. Powerful currents swirled -between these rocks and disappeared under two others, wedged closely -together on top. Three times the logs were snatched from our grasp as -we tried to bridge them across this current, and they vanished in the -foam, to shoot out end first, twenty feet below and race away on the -leaping water. A boat would be smashed to kindling-wood if once -carried under there. At last we got our logs wedged, and an hour of -tugging, in which only two men could take part at the same time, -landed both boats in safety below this barrier. We shot the remainder -of the rapid on water so swift that the oars were snatched from our -hands if we tried to do more than keep the boats straight with the -current. That rapid was no longer the "Bold Escarpment," but the "Last -Portage" instead, and it was behind us. - -The afternoon was half gone when we made ready pull away from the Last -Portage. There were other rapids, but scarcely a pause was made in our -two-hour run, and we camped away from the roar of water. The canyon -was widening out a little at a time; the granite disappeared in the -following day's run, at noon. Grass-covered slopes, with seeping -mineral springs, took the place of precipitous walls; they dropped to -2500 feet in height; numerous side canyons cut the walls in regular -sections like gigantic city blocks, instead of an unbroken avenue. -Small rapids continued to appear, there were a few small islands, and -divided currents, so shallow they sometimes kept us guessing which one -to take, but we continued to run them all without a pause. We would -have run out of the canyon that day but for one thing. Five -mountain-sheep were seen from our boats in one of the sloping grassy -meadows above the river. We landed below, carried our cameras back, -and spent half an hour in trying to see them again, but they had taken -alarm. - -Placer claim locations and fresh burro tracks were seen in the sand at -our last Grand Canyon camp, and a half mile below us we could see out -into open country. We found the walls, or the end of the table-land, -to be about two thousand feet high, with the canyon emerging at a -sharp angle so that a narrow ridge, or "hogs-back" lay on the left -side of the stream. Once out in the open the walls were seen to be -quite steep, but could be climbed to the top almost any place without -trouble. Saturday, January the 13th, we were out of the canyon at -last, and the towering walls, now friendly, now menacing, were behind -us. Three hundred and sixty-five large rapids, and nearly twice as -many small rapids, were behind us and the dream of ten years was an -accomplished fact. But best of all, there were no tragedies or -fatalities to record. Perhaps we did look a little the worse for wear, -but a few days away from the river would repair all that. The boats -had a bump here and there, besides the one big patch on the _Edith_; a -little mending and a little caulking would put both the _Edith_ and -_Defiance_ in first-class condition. - -There is little of interest to record of our 175-mile run to Needles, -California. It was a land of desolation--an extension of the Mojave -Desert on the south, and the alkaline flats and mineral mountains of -Nevada on the north, of Death Valley and the Funeral Mountains of -California to the northwest--a burned-out land of grim-looking -mountains extending north and south across our way; a dried-out, -washed-out, and wind-swept land of extensive flats and arroyos; a land -of rock and gravel cemented in marls and clay; ungraced with any but -the desert plants,--cactus and thorny shrubs,--with little that was -pleasing or attractive. A desert land it is true, but needing only the -magic touch of water to transform much of it into a garden spot. Even -as it was, a few months later it would be covered with the flaming -blossoms of the desert growth, which seem to try to make amends in one -or two short months for nearly a year of desolation. - -A wash ran along the base of the plateau from which we had emerged. An -abandoned road and ferry showed that this had once been a -well-travelled route. The stream had a good current and we pulled -away, only stopping once to see the last of our plateau before a turn -and deepening banks hid it from view. We wondered if the water ever -dropped in a precipitous fall over the face of the wall and worked -back, a little every year, as it does at Niagara. We could hardly -doubt that there were some such falls back in the dim past when these -canyons were being carved. - -In the middle of the afternoon we passed a ranch or a house with a -little garden, occupied by two miners, who hailed us from the shore. A -half-mile below was the Scanlon Ferry, a binding tie between Arizona, -on the south and what was now Nevada, on the north, for we had reached -the boundary line shortly after emerging from the canyon. We still -travelled nearly directly west. The ferry was in charge of a -Cornishman who also had as pretty a little ranch as one could expect -to find in such an unlikely place. A purling stream of water, piped -from somewhere up in the hills, had caused the transformation. The -ranch was very homey with cattle and horses, sheep and hogs, dogs and -cats, all sleek and contented-looking. The garden proved that this -country had a warm climate, although we were not suffering from heat -at that time. An effort was being made to grow some orange trees, but -with little promise of success; there were fig trees and date-palms, -with frozen dates hanging on the branches, one effect of the coldest -winter they had seen in this section. - -The rancher told us he could not sell us anything that had to be -brought in, for it was seventy miles to the railroad, but we could -look over such supplies as he had. It ended by his selling us a -chicken, two dozen eggs, five pounds of honey, and ten pounds of -flour,--all for $2.50. We did not leave until the next morning, then -bought another jar of honey, for we had no sugar, and two-thirds of -the first jar was eaten before we left the ferry. - -We pulled away in such a hurry the next morning that we forgot an axe -that had been carried with us for the entire journey. A five-hour run -brought us to the mouth of the Virgin River, a sand-bar a mile wide, -and with a red-coloured stream little larger than Cataract Creek -winding through it. We had once seen this stream near its head waters, -a beautiful mountain creek, that seemed to bear no relation to this -repulsive-looking stream that entered from the north. A large, -flat-topped, adobe building, apparently deserted, stood off at one -side of the stream. This was the head of navigation for flat-bottomed -steamboats that once plied between here and the towns on the lower end -of the river. They carried supplies for small mines scattered through -the mountains and took out cargoes of ore, and of rock salt which was -mined back in Nevada. - -It was here at the Virgin River that Major Powell concluded his -original voyage of exploration. Some of his men took the boats on down -to Fort Mojave, a few miles above Needles; afterwards two of the party -continued on to the Gulf. The country below the Virgin River had been -explored by several parties, but previous to this time nothing -definite was known of the gorges until this exploration by this most -remarkable man. The difficulties of this hazardous trip were increased -for him by the fact that he had lost an arm in the Civil War. - -It is usually taken for granted that the United States government was -back of this exploration. This was true of the second expedition, but -not of the first. Major Powell was aided to a certain extent by the -State College of Illinois, otherwise he bore all the expense himself. -We received $10,000 from the government to apply on the expenses of -the second trip. - -We felt that we had some reason to feel a justifiable pride for having -duplicated, in some ways, this arduous journey. It was impossible for -us to do more than guess what must have been the feelings and -anxieties of this explorer. Added to the fact that we had boats, -tested and constructed to meet the requirements of the river, and the -benefit of others' experiences, was a knowledge that we were not -likely to be precipitated over a waterfall, or if we lost everything -and succeeded in climbing out, that there were a few ranches and -distant settlements scattered through the country. - -But we had traversed the same river and the same canyons which change -but little from year to year, and had succeeded beyond our fondest -hopes in having accomplished what we set out to do. - -The Black Mountains, dark and forbidding, composed of a hard rock -which gave a metallic clink, and decorated with large spots of white, -yellow, vermilion, and purple deposits of volcanic ashes, were entered -this afternoon. The peaks were about a thousand feet high. The passage -between is known as Boulder Canyon. Here we met two miners at work on -a tunnel, or drift, who informed us that it was about forty miles to -Las Vegas, Nevada, and that it was only twenty-five miles from the -mouth of Las Vegas Wash, farther down the river, to this same town and -the railroad. - -Fort Callville--an abandoned rock building, constructed by the -directions of Brigham Young, without windows or roof, and surrounded -by stone corrals--was passed the next day. At Las Vegas Wash the river -turned at right angles, going directly south, holding with very little -deviation to this general direction until it empties into the Gulf of -California nearly five hundred miles away. The river seemed to be -growing smaller as we got out in the open country. Like all Western -rivers, when unprotected by canyons, it was sinking in the sand. -Sand-bars impeded our progress at such places as the mouth of the -Wash. But we had a good current, without rapids in Black Canyon, which -came shortly below, and mile after mile was put behind us before we -camped for the night. - -An old stamp-mill, closed for the time, but in charge of three men who -were making preparations to resume work, was passed the next day. They -had telephone communication with Searchlight, Nevada, twenty odd miles -away, and we sent out some telegrams in that way. More sand-bars were -encountered the next day, and ranches began to appear on both sides of -the river. We had difficulty on some of these bars. In places the -river bed was a mile wide, with stagnant pools above the sand, and -with one deep channel twisting between. At Fort Mojave, now an Indian -school and agency, we telephoned to some friends in Needles, as we had -promised to do, telling them we would arrive about noon of the -following day. We made a mistake in not camping at the high ground by -the "fort" that night, for just below the river widened again and the -channel turned out in the centre. It was getting dark and we had -entered this before noticing which way it turned, and had a hard pull -back to the shore, for we had no desire to camp out there in the -quicksand. The shore was little more desirable. It was a marsh, -covered with a growth of flags and tules but with the ground frozen -enough so that we did not sink. Our last camp--No. 76--was made in -this marsh. There we spent the night, hidden like hunted savages in -the cane-brake, while an Indian brass band played some very good music -for an officers' ball, less than half a mile away. - -We were up and away with the sun the next morning. On nearing Needles, -a friend met us on the outskirts of the town and informed us that they -had arranged what he called an official landing and reception. At his -request we deferred going down at once, but busied ourselves instead -at packing our cargo, ready for shipping. Our friend had secured the -services of a motion-picture operator and our own camera was sent down -to make a picture of the landing, which was made as he had arranged. - -We landed in Needles January 18, 1912; one month from the time of our -start from Bright Angel Trail, with a total of one hundred and one -days spent along the river. In that time our camps had been changed -seventy-six times. - -Our two boats, highly prized as souvenirs of our twelve hundred mile -trip, and which had carried us through three hundred and sixty-five -big rapids, over a total descent of more than five thousand feet, were -loaded on cars ready for shipment; the _Edith_ to Los Angeles, the -_Defiance_ to the Grand Canyon. - -Among other mail awaiting us was the following letter, bearing the -postmark of Hite, Utah: - - "KOLB BROS., - - "DEAR FRIENDS: - - "Well I got here at last after seventeen days in Cataract - Canyon. The old boat will stand a little quiet water but - will never go through another rapid. I certainly played - 'ring-a-round' some of those rocks in Cataract Canyon; I - tried every scheme I had ever heard of, and some that were - never thought of before. At the last rapid in Cataract I - carried all my stuff over the cliff, then tried to line the - boat from the narrow ledge. The boat jerked me into the - river, but I did not lose my hold on the chain and climbed - on board. I had no oars, but managed to get through without - striking any rocks, and landed a mile and a half below the - supplies. I hope the 'movies' are good.[7] - - "Sincerely yours, - - "CHAS. SMITH." - - - - -CONCLUSION. HOW I WENT TO MEXICO - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - - - -ON THE CREST OF A FLOOD - -A westward-bound train was bearing me across the Mojave Desert one day -in May. In a few swiftly passing hours we had made a six-thousand foot -descent from the plateau with its fir and aspen-covered mountain, its -cedar and piñon-clothed foot-hills, and its extensive forests of -yellow pine. Crimson and yellow-flowered cactus, sage and chaparral, -succeeded the pines. The cool mountains had given way to burned-out, -umber-coloured hills, rock-ribbed arroyos, and seemingly endless -desert; and the sun was growing hotter every minute. - -If the heat continued to increase, I doubted if I would care to take a -half-planned Colorado River trip down to the Gulf. Visions of the -California beaches, of fishing at Catalina and of horseback rides over -the Sierra's trails, nearly unsettled my determination to stop at -Needles, on the California side of the river. This was my vacation! -Why undergo all the discomfort of a voyage on a desert stream, when -the pleasures and comforts of the Pacific beckoned? One thing was -sure, if I was not successful in securing a boat at Needles, the very -next train would find me on board, bound for the Western Slope. By -mid-afternoon the chaparral had disappeared and only the cactus -remained--the ocotilla, covered with a million flowers, wave upon wave -of crimson flame, against the yellow earth. Violet-veiled mountains -appeared in the west, marking the southern trend of the Colorado. The -air was suffocating. The train-created wind was like a blast from a -furnace; yet with the electric fans whirring, with blinds drawn and -windows closed to keep the withering air _out_, it seemed a little -less uncomfortable in the car, in spite of the unvitalized air, than -under the scorching sun. - -We were beside the Colorado at last. I had a good view of the stream -below, as we crossed the bridge--the Colorado in flood, muddy, -turbulent, sweeping onward like an affrighted thing,--repulsive, yet -with a fascination for me, born of an intimate acquaintance with the -dangers of this stream. The river had called again! The heat was -forgotten, the visions of the coast faded, for me the train could not -reach Needles, ten miles up the river, quickly enough. - -With my brother, I had followed this stream down to Needles, through a -thousand miles of canyon. I had seen how it carved its way through the -mountains, carrying them on, in solution, toward the ocean. At last I -would see what became of all these misplaced mountains. I would see -the tidal bore as it swept in from the Gulf. I had heard there were -wild hogs which burrowed through the cane-brake. It may be that I -would learn of a vessel at some port down on the Mexican coast, which -I might reach and which would take me around the Lower California -Peninsula. I felt sure there was such a port. No doubt I could have -found books to tell me exactly what I would see, but too much -information would spoil all the romance of such an adventure. It was -all very alluring. With the spring flood on, the river could not help -but be interesting and exciting, a pretty good imitation of the -rapids, perhaps. If I could only secure a boat! - -Half an hour later I was meeting old acquaintances about the hotel, -connected with the station. The genial hotel manager, with the Irish -name, was smilingly explaining to some newcomers that this was not -hot; that "a dry heat at 110 degrees was not nearly as bad as 85 -degrees back in Chicago," "and as for heat," he continued, "why down -in Yuma"--then he caught sight of me, with a grin on my face, and -perhaps he remembered that I had heard him say the same thing two -years before, when it was even hotter; and he came over with -out-stretched hand,--calling me uncomplimentary names, under his -breath, for spoiling the effect of his explanation; all which was -belied by his welcome. It takes an Irishman to run a big hotel in the -middle of the desert. - -A few inquiries brought out the information that I was not likely to -get a boat. The stores did not keep them. I should have given my order -two weeks before to an Indian who built boats to order at $2.00 a -foot. This was a new one on me. Suppose a fellow wanted--well say, -about $15.00 worth. It would look something like a tub, wouldn't it? -Perhaps it was to be the coast, for me, after all. - -The Colorado River in flood is a terrible stream. Unlike the Eastern -rivers, there are no populous cities--with apologies to Needles and -Yuma--along its shores, to be inundated with the floods. Unlike the -rivers of the South, few great agricultural districts spread across -its bottoms. Along the upper seven hundred miles there are not a -half-dozen ranches with twenty-five acres under cultivation. But if -destructive power and untamed energy are terrible, the Colorado River, -in flood, is a terrible stream. - -After changing into some comfortable clothes I sauntered past the -railway machine shops down to the river, and up to where a fight was -being waged to save the upper part of the town from being torn away by -the flood. For a month past, car after car of rock had been dumped -along the river bank, only to disappear in the quicksands; and as yet -no bottom had been reached. Up to this point the fight was about -equal. The flood would not reach its crest until two or three weeks -later. - -Beyond a fisherman or two there were few men by the river. The workmen -had finished their day's labour. A ferryman said that I might talk an -Indian into selling his boat, but it was doubtful. My next job was to -find such an Indian. - -A big, greasy Mojave buck lay on an uncovered, rusty bed spring, slung -on a home-made frame, before his willow and adobe home, close to the -Colorado River. In answer to my repeated question he uncoiled and -stretched the full length of his six foot six couch, grunted a few -words in his native tongue to other Indians without a glance in my -direction, then indifferently closed his eyes again. A young Indian in -semi-cowboy garb,--not omitting a gorgeous silk handkerchief about his -neck,--jabbered awhile with some grinning squaws, then said in -perfectly understandable English, "He will sell his boat for $18.00. -It is worth $30.00." This was decisive for an Indian. It usually takes -a half-day of bickering to get them to make any kind of a bargain. I -told him I would take it in the morning. - -It was a well-constructed boat, almost new, built of inch pine, -flat-bottomed, and otherwise quite similar in shape to the boats my -brother and I had used on our twelve hundred mile journey through the -canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers,--but without the graceful -lines and swells that made those other boats so valuable to us in -rapids. The boat was nearly new and well worth $30.00, as boat prices -went in that town. Why he was willing to sell it for $18.00, or at the -rate of $1.00 a foot, I could not imagine. It was the first bargain an -Indian had ever offered me. But if I paid for it that evening, there -were doubts in my mind if I should find it in the morning, so I -delayed closing the bargain and went back again to inspect the boat. - -That evening I inquired among my acquaintances if there was any one -who would care to accompany me. If so I would give them passage to -Yuma, or to the Gulf of California in Mexico, if they wished it. But -no one could go, or those who could, wouldn't. One would have thought -from the stories with which I was regaled, that the rapids of the -Grand Canyon were below Needles, and as for going to the Gulf, it was -suicide. I was told of the outlaws along the border, of the firearms -and opium smugglers, who shot first and questioned afterward, and of -the insurrectos of Lower California. The river had no real outlet to -the ocean, they said, since the break into Salton Sea, but spread over -a cane-brake, thirty miles or more in width. Many people had gone into -these swamps and never returned, whether lost in the jungles or killed -by the Cocopah Indians, no one knew. They simply disappeared. It was -all very alluring. - -My preparations, the next day, were few. I had included a sleeping bag -with my baggage. It would come in equally handy whether I went down on -the Colorado or up into the Coast Range. A frying-pan, a coffee-pot a -few metal dishes and provisions for a week were all I needed. Some one -suggested some bent poles, and a cover, such as are used on wagons to -keep off the sun. This seemed like a good idea; and I hunted up a -carpenter who did odd jobs. He did not have such a one, but he did -have an old wagon-seat cover, which could be raised or dropped at -will. This was even better, for sometimes hard winds sweep up the -river. The cover was fastened to the sides of the boat. The boat, -meanwhile, had been thoroughly scrubbed. It looked clean before, but I -was not going to take any chances at carrying Indian live-stock along -with his boat. My surplus baggage was sent on to Los Angeles, and -twenty-four hours after I had landed in Needles, I was ready to -embark. - -My experience in camping trips of various sorts has been that the -start from headquarters occupies more time than any similar -preparation. Once on the road, things naturally arrange themselves -into some kind of a system, and an hour on the road in the evening -means several hours gained the next morning. Added to this, there are -always a number of loafers about railroad towns, and small things have -a way of disappearing. With this in mind, I determined to make my -start that evening, and at 7 P.M. on the 23d of May, 1913, I embarked -on a six to eight mile an hour current, paced by cottonwood logs, -carried down by the flood from the head waters in Wyoming, Utah, and -Colorado. - -When sailing on the unruffled current one did not notice its -swiftness--it sped so quietly yet at the same time with such deadly -intent--until some half submerged cottonwood snags appeared, their -jagged, broken limbs ploughing the stream exactly like the bow of a -motor-driven boat, throwing two diverging lines of waves far down the -stream. One would almost think the boat was motionless, it raced so -smoothly,--and that the snags were tearing upstream as a river man had -said, the day before, "like a dog with a bone in his teeth." A sunken -stone-boat, with a cabin half submerged, seemed propelled by some -unseen power and rapidly dwindled in the distance. - -So fascinating were these things that I forgot the approaching night. -I first noticed it when the stream slackened its mad pace and spread -over its banks into great wide marshes, in divided and subdivided -channels and over submerged islands, with nothing but willow and fuzzy -cattail tops to indicate that there was a bottom underneath. Here -there was no place to camp had I wished to do so. Once I missed the -main channel and had a difficult time in finding my way back in the -dark. After two or three miles of this quiet current, the streams -began to unite again, and the river regained its former speed. I was -growing weary after the first excitement, and began to wish myself -well out of it all and safely anchored to the shore. But I knew there -was a level bank above the river close to the bridge, which would make -a good camping place; so I rested on my oars facing down the stream -with eyes and ears alert for the treacherous snags. Then the stars -began to appear, one by one, lighting up the cloudless sky; a moist, -tropical-like breeze moved up the stream, the channel narrowed and -deepened, the snags vanished, and the stream increased its swiftness. - -And with eyes wide open, but unseeing, I dozed. It was the lights of a -passenger train crossing the bridge, just a short distance away, that -made me realize where I was. The train thundered into the darkness; -but louder than the roar of the train was that of the water directly -ahead, and hidden in the impenetrable shadow over on the right shore -was a noise much like that made by a Grand Canyon rapid. - -Wide awake now, I pulled for the left, and after one or two attempts -to land, I caught some willow tops and guided the boat to the raised -bank. Beyond the willows was a higher ground, covered with a mesquite -thicket, with cattle trails winding under the thorny trees. Here I -unrolled my sleeping bag, then went up to interview the operator and -the watchman, and to get a drink of clear water, for I had no desire -to drink the liquid mud of the Colorado until it was necessary. In -answer to a question I told them of my little ride. One of the men -exclaimed, "You don't mean to say that you came down on the flood -after dark!" On being informed that I had just arrived, he exclaimed: -"Well I reckon you don't know what the Colorado is. It's a wonder this -whirlpool didn't break you against the pier. You ought to have brought -some one with you to see you drown!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - - - -FOUR DAYS TO YUMA - -Before sunrise the following morning, I had completed my few camp -duties, finished my breakfast and dropped my boat into the whirlpool -above the bridge. My two friends watched the manoeuvre as I pulled -clear of the logs and the piers which caused the water to make such -alarming sounds the night before; then they gave me a final word of -caution, and the information that the Parker Bridge was sixty miles -away and that Yuma was two hundred and fifty miles down the stream. -They thought that I should reach Yuma in a week. It seemed but a few -minutes until the bridge was a mile up the stream. Now I was truly -embarked for the gulf. - -By the time I had reached the spire-like mountainous rocks a few miles -below the bridge, which gave the town of Needles its name, the sun was -well up and I was beginning to learn what desert heat was, although I -had little time to think of it as I was kept so busy with my boat. -Here, the stream which was spread a mile wide above, had choked down -to two hundred feet; small violent whirlpools formed at the abrupt -turns in this so-called canyon and the water tore from side to side. -In one whirl my boat was twice carried around the circle into which I -had allowed it to be caught, then shot out on the pounding flood. Soon -the slag-like mountains were passed and the country began to spread, -first in a high barren land, then with a bottom land running back from -the river. The willow bushes changed to willow trees, tall and -spindly, crowded in a thicket down to the river's edge. The Chemehuevi -Indians have their reservation here. On rounding an abrupt turn I -surprised two little naked children, fat as butterballs, dabbling in a -mud puddle close to the stream. The sight, coupled with the -tropical-like heat and the jungle, could well make one imagine he was -in Africa or India, and that the little brown bodies were the -"alligator bait" of which we read. Only the 'gators were missing. The -unexpected sight of a boat and a white man trying to photograph them -started them both into a frightened squall. Then an indignant mother -appeared, staring at me as though she would like to know what I had -done to her offspring. Farther along were other squaws, with red and -blue lines pencilled on their childlike, contented faces, seated under -the willows. Their cotton garments, of red and blue bandanna -handkerchiefs sewed together, added a gay bit of colour to the scene. - -Below this were two or three cozy little ranch houses and a few -scattered cattle ranches, with cattle browsing back in the trees. All -this time it was getting hotter, and I was thankful for my sheltering -cover. My lunch, prepared in the morning, was eaten as I drifted. -Except in a few quiet stretches I did little rowing, just enough to -keep the boat away from the overhanging banks and in the strong -current. - -The bottom lands began to build up again with banks of gravel and -clay, growing higher with every mile. The deciduous trees gave way to -the desert growths: the cholla, "the shower of gold," and the palo -verde and the other acacias. Here were the California or valley-quail; -and lean, long-legged jack-rabbits. Here too were the coyotes, leaner -than the rabbits, but efficient, shifty-eyed, and insolent. One could -admire but could hardly respect them. - -I had entertained hopes of reaching Parker that evening, but supposed -the hour would be late if I reached it at all. Imagine my surprise, -then, when at half-past four I heard the whistle of a train, and -another turn revealed the Parker bridge. I had been told by others -that it had taken them three or four days to reach this point on a low -stage of water. Evidently the high water is much better for rapid and -interesting travel. - -Here at the bridge, which was a hundred feet above the river, was a -dredge, and an old flat-bottomed steamboat, a relic of a few years -past, before the government built the Laguna dam above Yuma, and -condemned the Colorado as a navigable stream. Those were the days -which the Colorado steamboat men recall with as much fond remembrance -as the old-time boatmen of the Mississippi remember their palmy days. - -In spite of the fact that the boats were flat-bottomed and small, it -was real steamboating of an exciting nature at least. At times they -beat up against the current as far as the mouth of the Rio Virgin. In -low water the channels shifted back and forth first choked with sand -on one side of the stream, then on the other. While the total fall -from Fort Mojave, a few miles above Needles, to the Gulf is only 525 -feet, considerable of that fall came in short sections, first with a -swift descent, then in a quiet stretch. Even in the high-water stage I -was finding some such places. - -Parker stood a mile back from the river, on top of the level gravelly -earth which stretched for miles on either side of the river clear to -the mountains. This earth and gravel mixture was so firmly packed that -even the cactus had a scant foothold. The town interested me for one -reason only, this being, that I could get my meals for the evening and -the following morning, instead of having to cook them myself. After I -had eaten them, however, there was a question in my mind if my own -cooking, bad as it was, would not have answered the purpose just as -well. The place was a new railroad town on an Indian reservation, a -town of great expectations, somewhat deferred. - -It was not as interesting to me as my next stop at Ahrenburg, some -fifty miles below Parker. This place while nothing but a collection of -dilapidated adobe buildings, had an air of romance about it which was -missing in the newer town. Ahrenburg had seen its day. Many years ago -it was a busy mining camp, and the hope is entertained by the faithful -who still reside in its picturesque adobe homes that it will come back -with renewed vigour. Here at Ahrenburg I met a character who added -greatly to the interest of my stay. He was a gigantic, raw-boned -Frenchman, at that time engaged in the construction of a motor boat; -but a miner, a sailor, and a soldier of fortune in many ways, one who -had pried into many of the hidden corners of the country and had a -graphic way of describing what he had seen. I was his guest until late -that night, and was entertained royally on what humble fare he had to -offer. We both intended to renew our acquaintance in the morning, but -some prowling Mexicans near my boat, croaking frogs, and swarms of -mosquitos gave me a restless night. With the first glimmer of daylight -I was up, and half an hour later I was away on the flood. - -This was my big day. The current was better than much of that above; I -was getting used to the heat, and, instead of idly drifting, I pulled -steadily at the oars. The river twisted back and forth in great loops -with the strong current, as is usual, always on the outside of the -loops, close to the overhanging banks. I would keep my boat in this -current, with a wary lookout over my shoulder for fallen trees and -sudden turns, which had a way of appearing when least expected. At -some such places the stream was engaged at undermining the banks which -rose eight and ten feet above the water. Occasional sections, -containing tons of earth and covered with tall, slender willow trees, -would topple over, falling on the water with the roar of a cannon or a -continued salute of cannons; for the falling, once started, quite -often extended for half a mile down the stream. At one such place -eighteen trees fell in three minutes, and it would be safe to say that -a hundred trees were included in the extended fall. The trees, sixty -feet high, resembled a field of gigantic grass or unripened grain; the -river was a reaper, cutting it away at the roots. Over they tumbled to -be buried in the stream; the water would swirl and boil, earth and -trees would disappear; then the mass of leaf-covered timber, freed of -the earth, would wash away to lodge on the first sand-bar, and the -formation of a new island or a new shore would begin. - -Then again, the banks were barren, composed of gravel and clay, -centuries older than the verdure-covered land, undisturbed, possibly, -since some glacial period deposited it there. But a shifting of the -channel directed the attack against these banks. Here the swift -current would find a little irregularity on the surface and would -begin its cutting. The sand-laden water bored exactly like an auger, -in fast-cutting whirls. One such place I watched for a half-hour from -the very beginning, until the undermined section, fourteen feet high, -began to topple, and I pulled out to safety, but not far enough to -escape a ducking in the resulting wave. - -Below this, instead of a firm earth, it was a loose sand and gravel -mixture twenty feet above the river. Here for half a mile the entire -bank was moving, slowly at the top, gathering speed at the bottom. -While close to this I heard a peculiar hissing as of carbonated water -all about me. At first I thought there were mineral springs -underneath, but found the noise was caused by breaking air bubbles -carried under the stream with the sands. All this day such phenomena -continued, sliding sand-banks and tumbling jungles. In these latter -places some cattle had suffered. Their trails ran parallel with the -stream. No doubt they had one or two places where they drank cut down -to the stream Knowing nothing of the cutting underneath, they had been -precipitated into the flood, and now their carcasses were food for -swarms of vultures gathered for an unholy feast. - -What powerful, graceful birds these scavengers are, stronger than the -eagle even, tireless and seemingly motionless as they drift along -searching every nook and cranny for their provender! But aside from a -grudgingly given tribute of admiration for their power, one has about -as much respect for them as for the equally graceful rattlesnake, that -other product of nature which flourishes in this desert land. - -The bird life along this lower part of the river was wonderful in its -variety. The birds of the desert mingled with those of the fertile -lands. The song-birds vied with those of gorgeous plume. Water-birds -disported themselves in the mud-banks and sloughs. The smaller birds -seemed to pay little attention to the nearness of the hawks. -Kingfisher perched on limbs overhanging the quiet pools, ready to drop -at the faintest movement on the opaque water; the road-runner chased -the festive lizard on the desert land back of the willows. Here also -in the mesquite and giant cactus were thrush and Western meadow-larks -and mocking-birds mimicking the call of the cat-bird. Down in the -brush by the river was the happy little water-ousel, as cheerful in -his way as the dumpy-built musical canyon wren. The Mexican crossbill -appeared to have little fear of the migrating Northern shrike. There -were warblers, cardinals, tanagers, waxwings, song-sparrows, and -chickadees. Flitting droves of bush-tit dropped on to slender weeds, -scarcely bending them, so light were they. Then in a minute they were -gone. In the swamps or marshes were countless red-winged blackbirds. - -The most unobservant person could not help but see birds here. I had -expected to find water-fowl, for the Colorado delta is their breeding -place; but I little expected to find so many land birds in the trees -along the river. Instead of having a lonesome trip, every minute was -filled with something new, interesting, and beautiful and I was having -the time of my life. - -I camped that night at Picachio,--meaning the Pocket,--eighty miles -below Ahrenburg. This is still a mining district, but the pockets -containing nuggets of gold which gave the place its name seem to have -all been discovered at the time of the boom; the mining now done is in -quartz ledges up on the sides of grim, mineral-stained hills. I was -back in the land of rock again, a land showing the forces of nature in -high points of foreign rock, shot up from beneath, penetrating the -crust of the earth and in a few places emerging for a height of two -hundred feet from the river itself, forming barren islands and great -circling whirlpools, as large as that in the Niagara gorge, and I -thought, for a while, almost as powerful. In one I attempted to keep -to the short side of the river, but found it a difficult job, and one -which took three times as long to accomplish as if I had allowed -myself to be carried around the circle. - -Then the land became level again, and the Chocolate Mountains were -seen to the west. A hard wind blew across the stream, so that I had to -drop my sunshade to prevent being carried against the rocks. This day -I passed a large irrigation canal leading off from the stream, the -second such on the entire course of the Colorado. Here a friendly -ranchman called to me from the shore and warned me of the Laguna dam -some distance below. He said the water was backed up for three miles, -so I would know when I was approaching it. - -In spite of this warning, I nearly came to grief at the dam. The wind -had shifted until it blew directly down the stream. The river, nearly -a mile wide, still ran with a powerful current; I ceased rowing and -drifted down, over waves much like those one would find on a lake -driven by a heavy wind. I saw some high poles and a heavy electric -cable stretched across the stream, and concluded that this was the -beginning of the dam. I began to look ahead for some sign of a barrier -across the stream, far below, but I could see nothing of the kind; -then as I neared the poles it suddenly dawned on me that there was no -raised barrier which diverted all the water through a sluice, but a -submerged dam, over which the flood poured, and that the poles were on -that dam. - -My sail-like sunshade was dropped as quickly as I could do it, and, -grabbing the oars, I began to pull for the California shore. - -It was fortunate for me that I happened to be comparatively near the -shore when I began rowing. As it was, I landed below the diverting -canal, and about a hundred yards above the dam. On examination the dam -proved to be a slope about fifty feet long. A man in charge of the -machinery controlling the gates told me that the dam lacked seven feet -of being a mile wide, and that approximately seven feet of water was -going over the entire dam. - -Great cement blocks and rocks had been dropped promiscuously below the -dam to prevent it from being undermined. Even without the rocks it was -doubtful if an uncovered boat could go through without upsetting. The -great force of the water made a trough four or five feet lower than -the river level, all water coming down the slope shooting underneath, -while the river rolled back upstream. On two occasions boatmen had -been carried over the dam. In each case the boat was wrecked, but the -occupants were thrown out and escaped uninjured. I could not help but -be amused, and feel a little uncomfortable too, when I saw how nearly -I came to being wrecked here, after having escaped that fate in the -rapids of the canyons. - -I ran my boat back to the diverting canal, then rowed down to the -massive cement gates, which looked to me like a small replica of some -of the locks on the Panama Canal. With the help of an Indian who was -ready for a job my boat was taken out, rolled around the buildings on -some sections of pipe, and slid over the bank into the canal below the -gates. - -In spite of a desire to spend some time inspecting the machinery of -this great work,--which, with the canal and other improvements, had -cost the government over a million dollars--I immediately resumed my -rowing. It was mid-afternoon, and measured by the canal, which was -direct, it was twelve miles to Yuma. But I soon learned that great -winding curves made it much farther by the river. In some cases it -nearly doubled back on itself. The wind had shifted by this time and -blew against me so hard that it was almost useless to attempt rowing. -In another place there were no banks, and the water had spread for -three miles in broken sloughs and around half-submerged islands, the -one deep channel being lost in the maze of shallow ones. With these -things to contend with it was dusk long before I neared the town, the -twelve miles having stretched to twenty. Finally I saw a windmill -partly submerged. Some distance away was a small ranch house also in -the water. The house, with lights in the upper story, was a cheering -sight; the windmill looked out of place in the midst of all this -desolation of water. Soon other houses appeared with lights showing -through the windows. Once I lost my way and spent a half hour in -getting back to the right channel. - -Somewhere in the dark, I never knew just when, I passed the mouth of -the Gila River. In a similar way in broad daylight I had passed the -Bill Williams Fork above Ahrenburg. - -At last I neared the town. I could discern some buildings on top of a -small hill, evidently one of the back streets of Yuma. After tying my -boat, I hid my small load in some mesquite trees, then climbed the -hill and passed between two peculiar stone houses dark as dungeons. -They puzzled me from the outside, but when once past them, I was no -longer in doubt. I had entered the open gateway leading to the -courtyard of the Yuma penitentiary. No wonder the buildings looked -like dungeons. This was a new experience for me, but somehow I had -always imagined just how it would look. I was considering beating a -retreat when a guard hailed me and asked me if I was not lost. With -the assistance of the guard, I escaped from the pen and found my way -to the streets of Yuma, just four days after leaving the Needles -bridge. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - - - -ACROSS THE MEXICO BORDER - -"Mexico is a good place to keep away from just at present." This was -the invariable answer to a few casual inquiries concerning what I -would be likely to meet with in the way of difficulties, a possible -companion for the voyage to the Gulf, and how one could get back when -once there. I received little encouragement from the people of Yuma. -The cautions came not from the timid who see danger in every rumour, -but from the old steamboat captains, the miners, and prospectors who -knew the country and had interests in mineral claims across the -border. These claims they had lost in many cases because they had -failed for the last two years to keep up their assessment work. There -were vague suggestions of being stood up against an adobe wall with a -row of "yaller bellies" in front, or being thrown into damp dungeons -and held for a ransom. - -The steamboat men could give me little information about the river. -The old channel had filled with silt, and the river was diverted into -a roundabout course little more than a creek in width, then spread -over whole delta. The widely spread water finally collected into an -ancient course of the Colorado, known as the Hardy or False Colorado. -As nearly as I could learn no one from Yuma had been through this new -channel beyond a certain point called Volcanic Lake. Two or three -parties had come back with stories of having attempted it, but found -themselves in the middle of a cane-brake with insufficient water to -float a boat. With a desire to be of real assistance to me, one old -captain called a Yuma Indian into his office and asked him his -opinion, suggesting that he might go along. - -"Mebbe so get lost in the trees, mebbe so get shot by the Cocopah," -the Indian replied as he shook his head. - -The captain laughed at the last and said that the Yuma and Cocopah -Indians were not the best of friends, and accused each other of all -sorts of things which neither had committed. Some Mexicans and certain -outlawed whites who kept close to the border for different reasons, -and the possibilities of bogging in a cane-brake were the only -uncertainties. In so many words he advised me against going. - -Still I persevered. I had planned so long on completing my boating -trip to the Gulf, that I disliked to abandon the idea altogether. I -felt sure, with a flood on the Colorado, there would be some channel -that a flat-bottomed boat could go through, when travelling with the -current; but the return trip and the chances of being made a target -for some hidden native who had lived on this unfriendly border and had -as much reason for respecting some citizens of the United States as -our own Indians had in the frontier days, caused me considerable -concern. I knew it was customary everywhere to make much of the -imaginary dangers, as we had found in our other journeys; but it is -not difficult to discriminate between sound advice and the croakings -which are based on lack of real information. I knew this was sound -advice, and as usual I disliked to follow it. At last I got some -encouragement. It came from a retired Wild West showman,--the real -thing, one who knew the West from its early days. He laughed at the -idea of danger and said I was not likely to find any one, even if I -was anxious to do so, until I got to the La Bolso Ranch near the Gulf. -They would be glad to see me. He thought it was likely to prove -uninteresting unless I intended to hunt wild hogs, but that was -useless without dogs, and I would have trouble getting a gun past the -custom officers. His advice was to talk with the Mexican consul, as he -might know some one who could bring me back by horseback. - -In the consul I found a young Spaniard, all affability, bows, and -gestures; and without being conscious of it at first I too began -making motions. He deplored my lack of knowledge of the Spanish -language, laughed at any suggestion of trouble, as all trouble was in -Eastern Sonora, he said, separated from the coast by two hundred miles -of desert, and stated that the non-resident owner of the La Bolsa -cattle ranch happened to be in the building at that moment. In a -twinkling he had me before him and explained the situation. This -gentleman, the owner of a 600,000-acre grant, and the fishing -concession of the Gulf, stated that the ranch drove a team to Yuma -once a week, that they would bring me back; in the interval I must -consider myself the guest of the Rancho La Bolsa. The consul gave me a -passport, and so it was all arranged. - -In spite of the consul's opinion, there were many whispered rumours of -war, of silent automobiles loaded with firearms that stole out of town -under cover of the night and returned in four days, and another of a -river channel that could be followed and was followed, the start being -made, not from Yuma, but from another border town farther west. A year -before there had been an outbreak at this place of certain restless -spirits,--some whites included,--and they went along the northern line -of Mexico, sacking the ranches and terrorizing the people. The La -Bolsa ranch was among those that suffered. The party contained some -discharged vaqueros who were anxious to interview the ranch foreman, -but fortunately for him he was absent. Then they turned south to -Chihuahua and joined the army of Madero. War, to them, meant license -to rob and kill. They were not insurrectos, but bandits, and this was -the class that was most feared. - -Meanwhile I had not given up the idea of a possible companion. Before -coming to Yuma I had entertained hopes of getting some one with a -motor boat to take me down and back, but there were no motor boats, I -found. The nearest approach to a power boat was an attempt that was -being made to install the engine from a wrecked steam auto on a sort -of flat-bottomed scow. I heard of this boat three or four times, and -in each case the information was accompanied by a smile and some vague -remarks about a "hybrid." I hunted up the owner,--the proprietor of a -shooting gallery,--a man who had once had aspirations as a -heavy-weight prize fighter, but had met with discouragement. So he had -turned his activities to teaching the young idea how to -shoot--especially the "Mexican idea" and those other border spirits -who were itching for a scrap. - -The proprietor of the shooting gallery drove a thriving trade. Since -he had abandoned his training he had taken on fat, and I found him to -be a genial sort of giant who refused to concern himself with the -serious side of life. Even a lacing he had received in San Francisco -at the hands of a negro stevedore struck him as being humorous. He did -not seem to have much more confidence in his "power boat" than the -others, but said I might talk with the man who was putting it -together, ending with the remark "Phillipps thinks he can make her -run, and he has always talked of going to the Gulf." - -On investigation I found Al Phillipps was anxious to go to the Gulf, -and would go along if I would wait until he got his boat in shape. -This would take two days. Phillipps, as he told me himself, was a -Jayhawker who had left the farm in Kansas and had gone to sea for two -years. He was a cowboy, but had worked a year or two about mining -engines. In Yuma he was a carpenter, but was anxious to leave and go -prospecting along the Gulf. Phillipps and I were sure to have an -interesting time. He spoke Spanish and did not fear any of the -previously mentioned so-called dangers; he had heard of one party -being carried out to sea when the tide rushed out of the river, but as -we would have low tide he thought that, with caution, we could avoid -that. - -At last all was ready for the momentous trial. The river bank was -lined with a crowd of men who seemed to have plenty of leisure. Some -long-haired Yuma Indians, and red and green turbaned Papagos, gathered -in a group off a little to one side. A number of darkies were fishing -for bullheads, and boys of three colors besides the Mexicans and a -lone Chinaman clambered over the trees and the boats along the shore. - -It was a moment of suspense for Phillipps. His reputation as an -engineer and a constructor of boats hung in the balance. He also had -some original ideas about a rudder which had been incorporated in this -boat. Now was his chance to test them out, and his hour of triumph if -they worked. - -The test was a rigid one. The boat was to be turned upstream against -an eight-mile current with big sand-waves, beginning about sixty feet -from the shore, running in the middle of the river. If the engine ran, -and the stern paddle-wheel turned, his reputation was saved. If she -was powerful enough to go against the current, it was a triumph and we -would start for the Gulf at once. - -On board were Phillipps, a volunteer, and myself. Before turning the -boat loose, the engine was tried. It was a success. The paddle-wheel -churned the water at a great rate, sending the boat upstream as far as -the ropes would let her go. We would try a preliminary run in the -quiet water close to the shore, before making the test in the swift -current. The order was given to cast off, and for two men, the owner -and another, to hold to the ropes and follow on the shore. The engine -was started, the paddle-wheel revolved, slowly at first but gathering -speed with each revolution. We began to move gently, then faster, so -that the men on shore had difficulty in keeping even with us, impeded -as they were with bushes and sloping banks. Flushed with success, the -order was given to turn her loose, and we gathered in the ropes. Now -we were drifting away from the shore and making some headway against -the swift current. The crowd on shore was left behind. - -But as we left the bank the river increased in speed and the boat -gradually lost. Then she stood still, but began to turn slowly, -broadside to the current. This was something we had not foreseen. With -no headway the rudder was of no avail. There was no sweep-oar; we had -even neglected to put an oar on the boat. With pieces of boards the -stranger and I paddled, trying to hold her straight, but all the time, -in spite of our efforts, she drifted away from the land and slowly -turned. A big sand-wave struck her, she wheeled in her tracks and -raced straight for a pier, down the stream. - -About this time our engineer began having trouble with his engine. At -first we feared it would not run, now it seemed it would not stop. - -A great shout went up from the shore, and a bet was made that we would -run to the Gulf in less than a day. A darky boy fell off a boat in the -excitement, the Indians did a dance, men pounded each other and -whooped for joy. Then a bolt came loose, and the engine ran away. -Driving-rod and belts were whirled "regardless," as the passenger -afterwards said, about our heads. - -Then the crash came. Our efforts to escape the pier were of no avail. -I made a puny effort to break the impact with a pole, but was sent -sprawling on the deck. Al tumbled headlong on top of the engine, which -he had stopped at last, our passenger rolled over and over, but we all -stayed with the ship. Each grabbing a board, we began to paddle and -steered the craft to the shore. - -With the excitement over, the crowd faded away. Only two or three -willing hands remained to help us line the craft back to the landing. -The owner, who had to run around the end of the bridge, came down -puffing and blowing, badly winded, at the end of the first round. -Without a word from any one we brought the boat back to the landing. - -Al was the first to speak. - -"Well, what are you going to do?" he asked. - -"Me? I'm going to take my boat and start for the Gulf in ten minutes. -I'll take nothing that I cannot carry. If I have to leave the river I -will travel light across the desert to Calexico. I think that I can -get through. If you want to go along, I'll stick with you until we get -back. What do you think about it?" - -It was a long speech and a little bitter perhaps. I felt that way. The -disappointment on top of the three days' delay when time was precious -could not be forgotten in a moment. And when my speech was said I was -all through. - -Al said he would be ready in half an hour. Our beds were left behind. -Al had a four-yard square of canvas for a sail. This would be -sufficient covering at night in the hot desert. We had two canteens. -The provisions, scarcely touched before arriving here, were sufficient -for five days. I was so anxious to get started that I did not take the -time to replenish them in Yuma, intending to do so at the custom-house -on the Arizona side twelve miles below, where some one had told me -there was a store. I counted on camping there. After a hurriedly eaten -luncheon we were ready to start, the boat was shoved off, and we were -embarked for Mexico. - -Half an hour later we passed the abandoned Imperial Canal, the -man-made channel which had nearly destroyed the vast agricultural -lands which it had in turn created. Just such a flood as that on which -we were travelling had torn out the insufficiently supported -head-gates. The entire stream, instead of pushing slowly across the -delta, weltering in its own silt to the Gulf, poured into the bottom -of the basin nearly four hundred feet below the top of this silt-made -dam. In a single night it cut an eighty-foot channel in the unyielding -soil, and what had once been the northern end of the California Gulf -was turned into an inland sea, filled with the turbid waters of the -Colorado, instead of the sparkling waters of the ocean. Nothing but an -almost superhuman fight finally rescued the land from the grip of the -water. - -A short distance below, just across the Mexican line, on the -California side, was the new canal, dug in a firmer soil and with -strongly built gates anchored in rock back from the river. - -Half a mile away from the stream, on a spur railway, was the Mexican -custom-house. I had imagined that it would be beside the river, and -that guards would be seen patrolling the shore. But aside from an -Indian fishing, there was no one to be seen. We walked out to the -custom-house, gave a list of the few things which we had, assured them -that we carried no guns, paid our duty, and departed. We had imagined -that our boat would be inspected, but no one came near. - -The border line makes a jog here at the river and the Arizona-Mexico -line was still a few miles down the stream. We had passed the mouth of -the old silt-dammed Colorado channel, which flowed a little west of -south; and we turned instead to the west into the spreading delta or -moraine. About this time I remarked that I had seen no store at the -custom-house and that I must not neglect to get provisions at the next -one or we would be rather short. - -"We passed our last custom-house back there." Al replied, "That's -likely the last place we will see until we get to the ranch by the -Gulf." - -No custom-house! No store! This was a surprise. What was a border for -if not to have custom-houses and inspectors? With all the talk of -smuggling I had not thought of anything else. And I could tell by Al's -tone that his estimation of my foresight had dropped several degrees. -This was only natural, for his disappointment and the jibes still -rankled. - -At last we were wholly in Mexican territory. With the States behind, -all of our swiftly running water had departed, and we now travelled on -a stream that was nearly stagnant. All the cottonwood logs which had -finally been carried down the stream after having been deposited on a -hundred shores, found here their final resting place. About each -cluster of logs an island was forming, covered with a rank grass and -tules. - -Ramified channels wound here and there. Two or three times we found -ourselves in a shallow channel, and with some difficulty retraced our -way. All channels looked alike, but only one was deep. - -Then the willow trees which were far distant on either shore began to -close in and we travelled in a channel not more than a hundred feet -wide, growing smaller with every mile. This new channel is sometimes -termed the Bee River. It parallels the northern Mexico line; it also -parallels a twenty-five mile levee which the United States government -has constructed along the northern edge of this fifty-mile wide dam -shoved across the California Gulf by the stream, building higher every -year. Except for the river channel the dam may be said to reach -unbroken from the Arizona-Sonora Mesa to the Cocopah Mountains. The -levee runs from a point of rocks near the river to Lone Mountain, a -solitary peak some distance east of the main range. This levee, built -since the trouble with the canal, is all that prevents the water from -breaking into the basin in a dozen places. - -We saw signs of two or three camp-fires close to the stream, and with -the memory of the stories haunting us a little we built only a small -fire when we cooked our evening meal, then extinguished it, and camped -on a dry point of land a mile or two below. I think we were both a -little nervous that night; I confess that I was, and if an unwashed -black-bearded individual had poked his head out from the willows and -said, "Woof!" or whatever it is that they say when they want to start -up a jack-rabbit, we would both have stampeded clear across the -border. In fact I felt a little as I did when I played truant from -school and wondered what would happen when I was found out. - -Daybreak found us ready to resume our journey, and with a rising sun -any nervousness vanished. What could any one want with two men who had -nothing but a flat-bottomed boat? - -All the morning we travelled west, the trees ever drawing closer as -our water departed on the south, running through the willows, -arrow-weed, and cat-tails. Then the channel opened into Volcanic Lake, -a circular body of water, which is not a lake but simply a gathering -together of the streams we had been losing, and here the water stands, -depositing its mud. All the way across had no depth but a bottomless -mud, so soft it would engulf a person if he tried to wade across. - -On the west there was no growth. The shore was nothing but an ash-like -powder, not a sand, but a rich soil blown here and there, building in -dunes against every obstruction, ever moving before the wind. Here -were boiling, sputtering mud pots and steam vents building up and -exhausting through mud pipe-stems, rising a foot or two above the -springs. Here was a shelter or two of sun-warped boards constructed by -those who come here crippled with rheumatism and are supposed to -depart, cured. Here we saw signs of a wagon track driven toward -Calexico, the border town directly north of the lake. The heat was -scorching, the sun, reflected from the sand and water, was blistering, -and we could well imagine what a walk across that ash-like soil would -mean. Mirages in the distance beckoned, trees and lakes were seen over -toward the mountains where we had seen nothing but desert before; heat -waves rose and fell. Our mouths began to puff from the reflected sun, -our faces burned and peeled, black and red in spots. There was no -indication of the slightest breeze until about three o'clock, when the -wind moved gently across the lake. - -We had skirted the northern part of the circle, passing a few small -streams and then found one of the three large channels which empty the -lake. As it happened we took the one on the outside, and the longest. -The growth grew thicker than ever, the stream choked down to fifty -feet. Now it began to loop backward and forward and back again, as -though trying to make the longest and crookedest channel possible in -the smallest space. The water in the channel was stagnant, swift -streamlets rushed in from the tules on the north, and rushed out again -on the south. It was not always a simple matter to ascertain which was -the main channel. Others just as large were diverted from the stream. -Twice we attempted to cut across, but the water became shallow, the -tules stalled our boats, and we were glad to return, sounding with a -pole when in doubt. - -Then we began to realize that we were not entirely alone in this -wilderness of water. We saw evidence of another's passage, in broken -cat-tails and blazed trees. In many places he had pushed into the -thickets. We concluded it must be a trapper. At last, to our surprise, -we saw a telephone equipment, sheltered in a box nailed on a -water-surrounded tree. The line ran directly across the stream. Here -also we could see where a boat had forced a way through, and the water -plants had been cut with a sharp instrument. What could it be? We were -certain no line ran to the only ranch at the Gulf. We had information -of another ranch directly on the border line, but did not think it -came below the levee, and as far as we had learned, there were no -homes but the wickiups of the Cocopah in the jungles. It was like one -of those thrilling stories of Old Sleuth and Dead Shot Dick which we -read, concealed in our schoolbooks, when we were supposed to be -studying the physical geography of Mexico. But the telephone was no -fiction, and had recently been repaired, but for what purpose it was -there we could not imagine. After leaving the lake there was no dry -land. At night our boat, filled with green tules for a bed, was tied -to a willow tree, with its roots submerged in ten feet of water. Never -were there such swarms of mosquitos. In the morning our faces were -corrugated with lumps, not a single exposed spot remaining unbitten. - -The loops continued with the next day's travel, but we were gradually -working to the southwest, then they began to straighten out somewhat, -as the diverted streams returned. We thought early in the morning that -we would pass about ten miles to the east of the coast range, but it -was not to be. Directly to the base of the dark, heat-vibrating rocks -we pulled, and landed on the first shore that we had seen for -twenty-four hours. - -Here was a recently used trail, and tracks where horses came down to -the water. Here too was the track of a barefooted Cocopah, a tribe -noted for its men of gigantic build, and with great feet out of all -proportion to their size. If that footprint was to be fossilized, -future generations would marvel at the evidence of some gigantic -prehistoric animal, an alligator with a human-shaped foot. These -Indians have lived in these mud bottoms so long, crossing the streams -on rafts made of bundles of tules, and only going to the higher land -when their homes are inundated by the floods, that they have become a -near approach to a web-footed human being. - -Our stream merely touched the mountain, then turned directly to the -southeast in a gradually increasing stream. Now we began to see the -breeding places of the water-birds of which we had heard. There was a -confusion of bird calls, sand-hill cranes were everywhere; in some -cases with five stick-built nests in a single water-killed tree. A -blue heron flopped around as though it had broken a wing, to decoy us -from its nest. The snowy white pelican waddled along the banks and -mingled with the cormorants. There were great numbers of gulls, and -occasional snipe. We were too late to see the ducks which come here, -literally by the million, during the winter months. There were hawks' -nests in the same groups of trees as the cranes, with the young hawks -stretching their necks for the food which was to be had in such -abundance. And on another tree sat the parent hawks, complacently -looking over the nests of the other birds, like a coyote waiting for a -horse to die. At Cocopah Mountain a golden eagle soared, coming down -close to the ground as we rested under the mesquite. Then as we -travelled clear streams of water began to pour in from the north and -east, those same streams we had lost above, but cleared entirely of -their silt. Now the willows grew scarce, and instead of mud banks a -dry, firm earth was built up from the river's edge, and the stream -increased in size. Soon it was six or seven hundred feet wide and -running with a fair current. This was the Hardy River. We noticed -signs of falling water on the banks as though the stream had dropped -an inch or two. In a half-hour the mark indicated a fall of eight -inches or more; then we realized we were going out with the tide. A -taste of water proved it. The river water was well mixed with a weak -saline solution. We filled our canteens at once. - -We saw a small building and a flagpole on the south shore, but on -nearing the place found it was deserted. A few miles below were two -other channels equally as large as that on which we travelled, -evidently fed by streams similar to our own. There were numerous -scattered trees, some of them cottonwood, and we saw some grazing -cattle. We began to look for the ranch house, which some one had said -was at the point where the Colorado and the Hardy joined, and which -others told us was at the Gulf. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - - - -THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA - -That the head of the Gulf of California has a big tide is well known. -Choked in a narrowing cone, the waters rise higher and higher as they -come to the apex, reaching twenty-five feet or over in a high tide. -This causes a tidal bore to roll up the Colorado, and from all reports -it was something to be avoided. The earliest Spanish explorers told -some wonderful tales of being caught in this bore and of nearly losing -their little sailing vessels. - -This was my first experience with river tides. It was somewhat of a -disappointment to me that I could not arrange to be here at a high -tide, for we had come at the first quarter of the moon. Out on the -open sea one can usually make some headway by rowing against the ebb -or flow of the tide: here on the Colorado, where it flowed upstream at -a rate of from five to eight miles an hour, it was different. When we -reached the head of the tide, it was going out. Unfortunately for us -the day was gone when the current began to run strong. It hardly -seemed advisable to travel with it after dark. We might pass the -ranch, or be carried against a rock-bound coast, or find difficulty in -landing and be overwhelmed by the tidal bore. So when darkness fell we -camped pulling our boat out in a little slough to prevent it from -being carried away. Evidently we were too near the headwaters for a -tidal bore, for at eleven P.M. the waters turned and came back as -quietly as they ran out. - -We launched our boat before the break of day, and for four hours we -travelled on a good current. The channel now had widened to a -half-mile, with straight earthy banks, about fifteen feet high. Still -there was no sign of a ranch, and it began to look to us as if there -was little likelihood of finding any. - -The land was nearly level and except for a few raised hummocks on -which grew some scattered trees, it was quite bare. This was not only -because it did not get the life-giving water from the north, but -because at times it was submerged under the saline waters from the -south. Near the shores of the river, and extending back for fifty -feet, was a matted, rank growth of grass; beyond that the earth was -bare, baked and cracked by the burning sun. This grass, we found, was -a favorite resort of rattlesnakes. We killed two of them, a large one -and a vicious little flat-headed sidewinder. - -All this land was the south rim of the silt dam, which extended from -the line of cliffs or mesa on the east to the mountains on the west. -The other rim, a hundred feet higher, lay at least fifty miles to the -north. Here was the resting-place of a small portion of the sediment -carved away by the Colorado's floods. How deep it is piled and how far -it extends out under the waters of the Gulf would be hard to say. - -We felt sure that we would get to the Gulf with this tide, but when -the time came for it to turn we were still many miles away. There was -nothing to do but to camp out on this sun-baked plain. We stopped a -little after 9.30 A.M. Now that we were nearing the Gulf we were sure -there would be a tidal bore. As we breakfasted a slight rushing sound -was heard, and what appeared to be a ripple of broken water or small -breaker came up the stream and passed on. This was a disappointment. -With high water on the river and with a low tide this was all the -tidal bore we would see. - -In four hours the water rose fourteen feet, then for two hours the -rise was slower. Within three feet of the level it came. The opposite -side, rounded at the edges, looked like a thread on top of the water, -tapered to a single silken strand and looking toward the Gulf, merged -into the water. To all appearances it was a placid lake spread from -mountain to mesa. - -Our smaller canteen was still filled with the fresh water secured the -evening before. The other had been emptied and was filled again before -the return of the tide, but considerable taste of the salt remained. -What we did now must be done with caution. So far we had not seen the -ranch. We were in doubt whether it was somewhere out on the coast or -back on one of the sloughs passed the evening before. We had heard of -large sail-boats being hauled from Yuma and launched by the ranch. -This would seem to indicate that it was somewhere on the Gulf. We had -provisions sufficient for one day, one canteen of fresh water, and -another so mixed with the salt water that we would not use it except -as a last resort. - -A little after 3.30 P.M. the tide changed; we launched our boat and -went out with the flood. As we neared the mouth of the stream we found -that the inrush and outrush of water had torn the banks. Here the -river spread in a circular pool several miles across. It seemed almost -as if the waters ran clear to the line of yellow cliffs and to the -hazy mountain range. Then the shores closed in again just before the -current divided quite evenly on either side of a section of the barren -plain named Montague Island. We took the channel to the east. - -Our last hope of finding the ranch was in a dried-out river channel, -overgrown with trees. But although we looked carefully as we passed, -there was no sign of a trail or of human life. Some egrets preened -their silken feathers on the bank; sand-hill cranes and two coyotes, -fat as hogs and dragging tails weighted with mud, feasted on the -lively hermit-crabs, which they extracted from their holes--and that -was all. - -The sun, just above the lilac-tinted mountains, hung like a great -suspended ball of fire. The cloudless sky glared like a furnace. Deep -purple shadows crept into the canyons slashing the mountain range. The -yellow dust-waves and the mirages disappeared with the going down of -the sun. Still we were carried on and on. We would go down with the -tide. Now the end of the island lay opposite the line of cliffs; soon -we would be in the Gulf. - -So ended the Colorado. Two thousand miles above, it was a beautiful -river, born of a hundred snow-capped peaks and a thousand crystal -streams; gathering strength, it became the masterful river which had -carved the hearts of mountains and slashed the rocky plateaus, -draining a kingdom and giving but little in return. Now it was going -under, but it was fighting to the end. Waves of yellow struggled up -through waves of green and were beaten down again. The dorsal fins of -a half-dozen sharks cut circles near our craft. With the last -afterglow we were past the end of the island and were nearing the -brooding cliffs. Still the current ran strong. The last vestige of day -was swallowed in the gloom, just as the Colorado was buried 'neath the -blue. A hard wind was blowing, toward the shore; the sea was choppy. A -point of rocks where the cliffs met the sea was our goal. Would we -never reach it? Even in the night, which was now upon us, the distance -was deceptive. At last we neared the pile of rocks. The sound of -waters pounding on the shore was heard, and we hurriedly landed, a -half-mile above it, just as the tide turned. - -The beach was a half-mile wide, covered with mud and sloughs. There -was no high shore. But an examination showed that the tide ran back to -the cliffs. One of us had to stay with the boat. Telling Phillipps to -get what sleep he could, I sat in the boat, and allowed the small -breakers which fox-chased each other to beat it in as the tide rose. - -An arctic explorer has said that having an adventure means that -something unexpected or unforeseen has happened; that some one has -been incompetent. I had the satisfaction of knowing that the fault of -this adventure, if such it could be called, was mine. Here we were, at -our goal in Mexico, supposed to be a hostile land, with scant -provisions for one day. It was a hundred miles along the line of -cliffs, back to Yuma. So far, we had failed to find the ranch. It was -not likely that it was around the point of rocks. We knew now that the -Colorado channel was fifteen miles from the mouth of the river, and -was not a slough as we had supposed. Doubtless the ranch was up there. -Our best plan was to return to the head of the tide, going up the -Colorado, then if we did not find the ranch we would abandon the boat, -snare some birds, keep out of the scorching heat, and travel in the -morning and evening. Two active men should be able to do that without -difficulty. - -So the hours passed, with the breakers driving the boat toward the -line of cliffs. When it had reached its highest point, I pulled into a -slough and tied up, then woke Al as we had agreed. While I slept, he -climbed the cliffs to have a last look. An hour after daybreak he -returned. Nothing but rock and desert could be seen. We dragged the -boat down in the slime of the slough until we caught the falling tide. -Then Al rigged up his sail. With the rising sun a light breeze blew in -from the Gulf. Here was our opportunity. Slowly we went up against the -falling tide. Then as the breeze failed, the tide returned. Fifty feet -away a six foot black sea bass floated; his rounded back lifted above -the water. With the approach of the boat he was gone. The sharks were -seen again. - -Two hours later we had entered the mouth of the river carried by the -rising tide. Several miles were left behind. Another breeze came up as -the tide failed, and the sail was rigged up again. Things were coming -our way at last. Al knew how to handle a boat. Running her in close to -the top of the straight falling banks I could leap to the land, take a -picture, then run and overtake the boat, and leap on again. - -Then the wind shifted, the tide turned, and we tied up, directly -opposite the point where we had camped the afternoon before. It was -the hottest day we had seen Whirlwinds, gathering the dust in slender -funnels, scurried across the plains. Mirages of trees bordering -shimmering lakes and spreading water such as we had come through below -Yuma were to be seen, even out towards the sea. Then over toward the -cliffs where the old Colorado once ran we saw a column of distant -smoke. Perhaps it was a hunter; it could hardly be the ranch. As we -could do nothing with the boat, we concluded to walk over that way. It -was many miles distant. Taking everything we had, including our last -lunch, we started our walk, leaving a cloth on a pole to mark the -point where our boat was anchored. But after going four miles it still -seemed no nearer than before, so we returned. It was evening. The -water was drinkable again; that was something to be thankful for. By -ten o'clock that night the tide would come up again. After dark we -found that our boat was being beached. So we ran it down and began -pulling it along over a shoal reaching far out from the shore. As we -tugged I was sure I heard a call somewhere up the river. What kind of -a land was this! Could it be that my senses were all deceiving me as -my eyes were fooled by the mirage? I had heard it, Al had not, and -laughed when I said that I had. We listened and heard it again, -plainly this time, "Can't you men find a landing? We have a good one -up here," it said. - -We asked them to row down, advising them to keep clear of the shoal. -We waded out, guided by their voices, in the pitch darkness and neared -the boat. - -One shadowy form sat in either end of a flat-bottomed boat. There was -a mast, and the boat was fitted for two oarsmen as well. Evidently the -load was heavy, for it was well down in the water. The sail cloth was -spread over all the boat, excepting one end where there was a small -sheet-iron stove, with a pan of glowing wood coal underneath. The -aroma of coffee came from a pot on the stove. As I steadied myself at -the bow I touched a crumpled flag,--Mexican, I thought,--but I could -not see. Both figures sat facing us, with rifles in their hands, alert -and ready for a surprise. Smugglers! I thought; guns, I imagined. They -could not see our faces in the dark, neither could we distinguish -theirs. Judging by their voices they were young men. I thought from -the first that they were Mexicans, but they talked without accent. -They could see that we carried no arms, but their vigilance was not -relaxed. They asked what our trouble was and we told them of the -beached boat, what we had been doing, and why we were there. They said -they were out for a little sight-seeing trip down in the Gulf. They -might go to Tiburone Island. One of them wondered if it was true that -the natives were cannibals. He said he would not care about being -shot, but he would hate to be put in their stew-pot. We asked them how -much water they carried. A fifteen-gallon keg was all They hoped to -get more along the coast. It is quite well known there is none. They -professed to be uninformed about the country, did not know there was a -ranch or a tidal bore, and thanked us for our information about the -tides, and the advice to fill their keg when the water was lowest, -which would be in half an hour. They could not sell any provisions, -but gave us a quart of flour. - -As we talked an undermined bank toppled over, sounding like shots from -a gun. One cocked his rifle on the impulse, then laughed when he -realized what it was. Just before we parted one of them remarked, "You -came through the Bee River four days ago, near a telephone, didn't -you?" "Yes, but we didn't see any one," I replied. - -"No? But we saw you!" And we felt the smiles we could not see. - -They said the large ranch had some Chinamen clearing the highest -ground, and building levees around it to keep the water out. The -telephone and a motor boat connected the different ranches. Their -advice to us was to keep to the river, not to look for the ranch, but -to get on the telephone and raise a racket until some one showed up. - -Then we parted to go to our respective landings, with mutual wishes -for a successful journey. The boat was pulled down. The tide was on -the point of turning, but it would be an hour before there would be -any strength to it. I went to shore and built a fire of some -driftwood, for the long stand in the water had chilled me. Al stayed -with the boat. Earlier in the day, I cautiously shook the sticks loose -from the matted grass, fearing the rattlers which were everywhere. In -this case nothing buzzed. But I had no sooner got my fire well started -when a rattler began to sing, roused by the light and the heat, about -twenty feet away. My fire was built beside one of the many sloughs -which cut back through the grass and ended in the barren soil. These -sloughs were filled with water when the tide was in and made ideal -landing places, especially if one had to avoid a big tidal bore. -Getting on the opposite side of the fire, I tossed a stick -occasionally to keep him roused. Soon another joined, and between them -they made the air hum. By this time I was thoroughly warmed and felt -that the boat would be the best place for me. Carefully extinguishing -my fire, I went down to the river just as the tide returned. Without -any sign or call from the shore we were carried up with the tide. We -were both weary but I dared not sleep, so I merely kept the boat away -from the shores and drifted, while Phillipps slept. I had picked out a -guiding star which I little needed while the current was running -strong, but which would give us our course when the tide changed, for -we could be carried out just as easily. - -But an hour after we left our camp another light appeared, growing -larger and larger. It was one of two things. Either my fire was not -extinguished, or a match thrown down by one of the others had fired -the deep dry grass. I consoled myself that it could not spread, for -the sloughs and the barren soil would cut it off. I had a grim -satisfaction when I thought of the snakes and how they would run for -the desert land. This was a real guiding star, growing larger and -larger as we were carried up the stream. I slept on shore when the -tide would take us no farther. Phillipps got breakfast. We were now -about three miles from the slough. After breakfast we alternately -towed the boat, for there was no wind to carry us up this morning, and -two hours later arrived at the diverging streams. Near by we saw some -mules showing evidence of having been worked. It was clear now that -the ranch was near. There was still a chance that we would take the -wrong stream. Over on the opposite side was a tall cottonwood tree. -This I climbed, and had the satisfaction of seeing some kind of a shed -half a mile up the east stream. The land between proved to be a large -island. As we neared the building two swarthy men emerged and came -down to the shore. "Buenos días," Al called as we pulled in to the -landing. - -"Buenos días, Señor," they answered with a smile. - -They were employees of the Rancho La Bolso, which was a half-mile up -the stream. - -Did we make the big fire which had burned until morning? - -Our answer seemed to relieve their minds. - -What would we do with our boat? It was theirs to do with as they -pleased. Leading two horses from out of the building, they mounted and -told us to climb on behind, and away we rode across some water-filled -sloughs. Hidden in the trees we came to the buildings--three or four -flat-topped adobe houses. Some little brown children scattered to -announce our coming. - -As we dismounted two white men approached. "Why, hello, Phillipps!" -the ranch boss said when he saw my companion. "This is a long walk -from Yuma. You fellows are just in time to grub!" - -NOTES - -[Footnote 1: The various expeditions which are credited with -continuous or complete journeys through all the canyons and the dates -of leaving Green River, Wyoming, are as follows: - - Major Powell, 1st journey. May 24, 1869. - - Major Powell, 2nd journey. May 22, 1871. Discontinued at Kanab - Canyon in the Grand Canyon. - - Galloway. Sept. 20, 1895 and 1896. - - Flavell. Aug. 27, 1896. - - Stone. Sept. 12, 1909. - - Kolb. Sept. 8, 1911. - -For a more complete record of the earlier parties see appendix.] - -[Footnote 2: The initials E.C. apply to my brother, Emery C. Kolb; -E.L. to myself. These initials are frequently used in this text. For -several years the nick-name "Ed" has been applied to me, and in my -brothers' narratives I usually figure as Ed.] - -[Footnote 3: It is not unusual for certain individual animals to be -outlawed or to have a price set on their heads by the stockmen's -associations, in addition to the regular bounty paid by the counties. -At the time this is written there is a standing reward of $200 for a -certain "lobo," or timber wolf which roams over the Kaibab Forest -directly opposite our home in the Grand Canyon. In addition to this -there is a bounty of $10 offered by the county. This wolf has taken to -killing colts and occasional full-grown horses, in addition to his -regular diet of yearling calves.] - - -[Footnote 4: Brown-Stanton. May 25, 1889. - -Russell-Monnette. Sept. 20, 1907. - -For a more complete record of these expeditions, as well as others who -attempted the passage of the canyons below this point, see appendix.] - - -[Footnote 5: Left by the Stone expedition.] - -[Footnote 6: While Major Powell was making his second voyage of -exploration, another party was toiling up these canyons towing their -boats from the precipitous shores. This party was under the leadership -of Lieutenant Wheeler of the U.S. Army. The party was large, composed -of twenty men, including a number of Mojave Indians, in the river -expedition, while others were sent overland with supplies to the mouth -of Diamond Creek. By almost superhuman effort they succeeded in -getting their boats up the canyon as far as Diamond Creek. While there -is no doubt that they reached this point, there were times when we -could hardly believe it was possible when we saw the walls they would -have to climb in this granite gorge. In some places there seemed to be -no place less than five hundred feet above the river where they could -secure a foothold. Their method was to carry a rope over these places, -then pull the boats up through the rapids by main force. It would be -just as easy to pull a heavy rowboat up the gorge of Niagara, as -through some of these rapids. Their best plan, by far, would have been -to haul their boats in at Diamond Creek and make the descent, as they -did after reaching this point. The only advantage their method gave -them was a knowledge of what they would meet with on the downstream -run. Lieutenant Wheeler professed to disbelieve that Major Powell had -descended below Diamond Creek, and called his voyage the completion of -the exploration of the Colorado River. In a four days' run they -succeeded in covering the same distance that had taken four weeks of -endless toil, to bring their boats up to this point.] - -[Footnote 7: See appendix, History of Cataract Canyon.] - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming -to Mexico, by E. L. Kolb - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON *** - -***** This file should be named 13150-8.txt or 13150-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/1/5/13150/ - -Produced by Ted Garvin, Keith M. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - https://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/13150-8.zip b/old/13150-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 59850b4..0000000 --- a/old/13150-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/13150.txt b/old/13150.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7bcf9c1..0000000 --- a/old/13150.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8632 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to -Mexico, by E. L. Kolb - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to Mexico - -Author: E. L. Kolb - -Release Date: August 10, 2004 [EBook #13150] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON *** - - - - -Produced by Ted Garvin, Keith M. Eckrich, and the Project Gutenberg -Online Distributed Proofreaders Team - - - - - -THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON FROM WYOMING TO MEXICO - - -By E.L. Kolb - - -With a Foreword by Owen Wister - - -New Edition -With Additional Illustrations -(72 Plates) -From Photographs by the Author and His Brother - - - -1915 - - - -Dedication - -TO THE MANY FRIENDS WHO "PULLED" FOR US, IF NOT WITH US DURING THE ONE -HUNDRED ONE DAYS OF OUR RIVER TRIP, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY -DEDICATED. - - - - -FOREWORD - - -It is a dogged courage of which the author of this book is the serene -possessor--shared equally by his daring brother; and evidence of this -bravery is made plain throughout the following pages. Every youth who -has in him a spark of adventure will kindle with desire to battle his -way also from Green River to the foot of Bright Angel Trail; while -every man whose bones have been stiffened and his breath made short by -the years, will remember wistfully such wild tastes of risk and -conquest that he, too, rejoiced in when he was young. - -Whether it deal with the climbing of dangerous peaks, or the descent -(as here) of some fourteen hundred miles of water both mysterious and -ferocious, the well-told tale of a perilous journey, planned with head -and carried through with dauntless persistence, always holds the -attention of its readers and gives them many a thrill. This tale is -very well told. Though it is the third of its kind, it differs from -its predecessors more than enough to hold its own: no previous -explorers have attempted to take moving pictures of the Colorado River -with themselves weltering in its foam. More than this: while the human -race lasts it will be true, that any man who is lucky enough to fix -upon a hard goal and win it, and can in direct and simple words tell -us how he won it, will write a good book. - -Perhaps this planet does somewhere else contain a thing like the -Colorado River--but that is no matter; we at any rate in our continent -possess one of nature's very vastest works. After The River and its -tributaries have done with all sight of the upper world, have left -behind the bordering plains and streamed through the various gashes -which their floods have sliced in the mountains that once stopped -their way, then the culminating wonder begins. The River has been -flowing through the loneliest part which remains to us of that large -space once denominated "The Great American Desert" by the vague maps -in our old geographies. It has passed through regions of emptiness -still as wild as they were before Columbus came; where not only no man -lives now nor any mark is found of those forgotten men of the cliffs, -but the very surface of the earth itself looks monstrous and extinct. -Upon one such region in particular the author of these pages dwells, -when he climbs up out of the gulf in whose bottom he has left his boat -by the River, to look out upon a world of round gray humps and hollows -which seem as if it were made of the backs of huge elephants. Through -such a country as this, scarcely belonging to our era any more than -the mammoth or the pterodactyl, scarcely belonging to time at all, -does the Colorado approach and enter its culminating marvel. Then, for -283 miles it inhabits a nether world of its own. The few that have -ventured through these places and lived are a handful to those who -went in and were never seen again. The white bones of some have been -found on the shores; but most were drowned; and in this water no -bodies ever rise, because the thick sand that its torrent churns along -clogs and sinks them. - -This place exerts a magnetic spell. The sky is there above it, but not -of it. Its being is apart; its climate; its light; its own. The beams -of the sun come into it like visitors. Its own winds blow through it, -not those of outside, where we live. The River streams down its -mysterious reaches, hurrying ceaselessly; sometimes a smooth sliding -lap, sometimes a falling, broken wilderness of billows and whirlpools. -Above stand its walls, rising through space upon space of silence. -They glow, they gloom, they shine. Bend after bend they reveal -themselves, endlessly new in endlessly changing veils of colour. A -swimming and jewelled blue predominates, as of sapphires being melted -and spun into skeins of shifting cobweb. Bend after bend this trance -of beauty and awe goes on, terrible as the Day of Judgment, sublime as -the Psalms of David. Five thousand feet below the opens and barrens of -Arizona, this canyon seems like an avenue conducting to the secret of -the universe and the presence of the gods. - -Is much wonder to be felt that its beckoning enchantment should have -drawn two young men to dwell beside it for many years; to give -themselves wholly to it; to descend and ascend among its buttressed -pinnacles; to discover caves and waterfalls hidden in its labyrinths; -to climb, to creep, to hang in mid-air, in order to learn more and -more of it, and at last to gratify wholly their passion in the great -adventure of this journey through it from end to end? No siren song -could have lured travellers more than the siren silence of the Grand -Canyon: but these young men did not leave their bones to whiten upon -its shores. The courage that brought them out whole is plain -throughout this narrative, in spite of its modesty.--OWEN WISTER. - - - - -PREFACE - - -This is a simple narrative of our recent photographic trip down the -Green and Colorado rivers in rowboats--our observations and -impressions. It is not intended to replace in any way the books -published by others covering a similar journey. Major J.W. Powell's -report of the original exploration, for instance, is a classic, -literary and geological; and searchers after excellence may well be -recommended to his admirable work. - -Neither is this chronicle intended as a handbook of the territory -traversed--such as Mr. F.S. Dellenbaugh's two volumes: "The Romance of -the Grand Canyon," and "A Canyon Voyage." We could hardly hope to add -anything of value to his wealth of detail. In fact, much of the data -given here--such as distances, elevations, and records of other -expeditions--is borrowed from the latter volume. And I take this -opportunity of expressing our appreciation to Mr. Dellenbaugh for his -most excellent and entertaining books. - -We are indebted to Mr. Julius F. Stone, of Columbus, Ohio, for much -valuable information and assistance. Mr. Stone organized a party and -made the complete trip down the Green and Colorado rivers in the fall -and winter of 1909, arriving at Needles, California, on November 27, -1909. He freely gave us the benefit of his experience and presented us -with the complete plans of the boats he used. - -One member of this party was Nathan Galloway, of Richfield, Utah. To -him we owe much of the success of our journey. Mr. Galloway hunts and -traps through the wilds of Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, and has a fame -for skill and nerve throughout this entire region. He makes a yearly -trip through the upper canyons, usually in a boat of his own -construction; and in addition has the record of being the only person -who has made two complete trips through the entire series of canyons, -clear to Needles. He it is who has worked out the type of boats we -used, and their management in the dangerous waters of the Colorado. - -We have tried to make this narrative not only simple, as we say, but -truthful. However, no two people can see things in exactly the same -light. To some, nothing looks big; to others, every little danger is -unconsciously magnified out of all proportion. For instance, we can -recall rapids which appeared rather insignificant at first, but which -seemed decidedly otherwise after we had been overturned in them and -had felt their power--especially at the moment when we were sure we -had swallowed a large part of the water that composed them. - -The reader will kindly excuse the use of the first person, both -singular and plural. It is our own story, after all, and there seems -to be no other way than to tell it as you find it here. - - - - -+CONTENTS+ - - -CHAPTER PAGE - - I. PREPARATIONS AT GREEN RIVER CITY, WYOMING 1 - - II. INTERESTING SIGHTS OF SOUTHERN WYOMING 12 - - III. THE GATEWAY OF ALL THE CANYONS 22 - - IV. SUSPICIOUS HOSTS 36 - - V. THE BATTLE WITH LODORE 50 - - VI. HELL'S HALF MILE 64 - - VII. JIMMY GOES OVER THE MOUNTAIN 71 - - VIII. AN INLAND EXCURSION 83 - - IX. CANYON OF DESOLATION 93 - - X. HOSPITABLE RANCHMEN 102 - - XI. WONDERS OF EROSION 111 - - XII. COULD WE SUCCEED? 121 - - XIII. A COMPANION VOYAGER 129 - - XIV. A PATIENT AMID THE CATARACTS 142 - - XV. PLACER GOLD 156 - - XVI. A WARNING 169 - - XVII. A NIGHT OF THRILLS 178 - -XVIII. MARBLE HALLS AND MARBLE WALLS 190 - - XIX. SIGNALLING OUR CANYON HOME 203 - - XX. ONE MONTH LATER 219 - - XXI. WHAT CHRISTMAS EVE BROUGHT 235 - - XXII. SHORT OF PROVISIONS IN A SUNLESS GORGE 249 - -XXIII. THE LAST PORTAGE AND THE LAST RAPIDS 267 - - XXIV. ON THE CREST OF A FLOOD 280 - - XXV. FOUR DAYS TO YUMA 290 - - XXVI. ACROSS THE MEXICO BORDER 303 - -XXVII. THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA 321 - - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - -The Grand Canyon near the mouth of Ha Va Su Creek _Frontispiece_ - - -After a difficult picture. E. C. Kolb on rope................... 2 - -In the Grand Canyon near the Little Colorado.................... 6 - -The start at Green River, Wyoming............................... 10 - -Fire Hole Chimneys.............................................. 10 - -A typical butte formation....................................... 14 - -Boats and crew. Photo taken in the Grand Canyon................. 18 - -Skeleton found in the Grand Canyon.............................. 22 - -Inside of the first canyons..................................... 26 - -Tilted rocks at Kingfisher Canyon............................... 26 - -"Immense rocks had fallen from the cliff"....................... 36 - -Ashley Falls, looking down-stream............................... 40 - -The rocks were dark red; occasional pines grew on the ledges, - making a charming combination of colour....................... 44 - -"We stopped at one hay ranch close to the Utah-Colorado line"... 48 - -Remarkable entrance to Lodore Canyon............................ 52 - -"The river cut a channel under the walls" at Lower Disaster - Falls......................................................... 56 - -"Everything was wet"............................................ 56 - -A Colorado River salmon......................................... 60 - -Lodore Canyon as seen from Brown's Park......................... 60 - -"The Canyon was gloomy and darkened with shreds of clouds"...... 64 - -"It took nine loads to empty one boat".......................... 68 - -"An upright log was found wedged between the boulders".......... 68 - -Echo Cliffs. "This was the end of Lodore"....................... 72 - -End of Echo Cliffs. The mouth of the Yampa River is on the - right.......................................................... 72 - -Marvels of erosion.............................................. 76 - -"Here was one end of the rainbow of rock that began on the - other side of the mountains".................................. 80 - -Pat Lynch: the canyon hermit.................................... 84 - -Each bed was placed in a rubber and a canvas sack............... 90 - -"Now for a fish story" ......................................... 100 - -The centre of three symmetrical formations in the Double Bow - Knot.......................................................... 114 - -The Buttes of the Cross......................................... 118 - -"The Land of Standing Rocks was like a maze".................... 122 - -Rocks overhanging the Colorado's Gorge.......................... 122 - -Thirteen hundred feet above the Green River..................... 124 - -The junction of the Green and the Grand Rivers.................. 128 - -Looking west into Cataract Canyon............................... 132 - -Charles Smith and his boat...................................... 132 - -A narrow channel at Rapid No. 22................................ 136 - -Developing tests................................................ 136 - -Rapid No. 22 in Cataract Canyon................................. 140 - -The _Edith_ in a cataract....................................... 144 - -A seventy-five-foot drop in three-fourths of a mile............. 144 - -Camp in the heart of Cataract Canyon............................ 148 - -Lower Cataract Canyon. Boats tandem............................. 152 - -Beginning of a natural bridge. Glen Canyon...................... 152 - -Pictographs in Glen Canyon...................................... 158 - -Cliff ruins near San Juan River................................. 162 - -Rainbow Natural Bridge, looking south........................... 162 - -Rainbow Natural Bridge, looking north........................... 166 - -Glen Canyon near Navajo Mountain................................ 170 - -Upper Marble Canyon............................................. 170 - -Placer dredge at Lee's Ferry.................................... 174 - -Badger Creek Rapid.............................................. 180 - -Bands of marble in Marble Canyon................................ 180 - -A peaceful camp in Marble Canyon................................ 184 - -The Soap Creek Rapid; a little above lowest stage. Photo - published by permission of Julius F. Stone.................... 188 - -"It was too good a camp to miss"................................ 192 - -Arch in Marble Canyon........................................... 192 - -Walls of Marble Canyon.......................................... 196 - -Approaching the Grand Canyon.................................... 200 - -End of Marble Canyon, from the mouth of the Little Colorado..... 204 - -Cataracts of the Little Colorado River.......................... 204 - -End of Hance Trail. Small white line is an intrusion of quartz - in the algonkian.............................................. 208 - -Below the Sockdologer........................................... 210 - -The Rust Tramway. Span four hundred and fifty feet.............. 214 - -Bright Angel Creek and Canyon................................... 218 - -Leaving home, Dec. 19, 1911..................................... 222 - -A composite picture of Marble Canyon walls and a Grand Canyon - rapid......................................................... 222 - -The _Edith_ (on left of central rock) in Granite Falls.......... 226 - -Rough water in Hermit Creek Rapid............................... 230 - -Type of rapid in the granite near Bass Trail.................... 234 - -The inner plateau, thirteen hundred feet above the river........ 238 - -Bert Lauzon, above Separation Rapid............................. 238 - -The break in the _Edith_........................................ 242 - -Merry Christmas. The repair was made with bilge boards, canvas, - paint, and tin................................................ 242 - -Pulling clear of a rock......................................... 246 - -A shower bath................................................... 246 - -Grand Canyon at the mouth of Ha Va Su Canyon. Medium high - water. Frontispiece shows same place in low water............. 250 - -"Morning revealed a little snow," on the top.................... 252 - -New Year's Eve was spent in this section between the highest - sheer walls in the lower gorge................................ 252 - -Lava Falls. Lava on left, hot springs on right.................. 254 - -Swift water in Tapeets Creek Rapid.............................. 260 - -Lauzon, equipped with a life preserver on a rope, on guard - below a rapid................................................. 260 - -In the last granite gorge....................................... 260 - -Capt. Burro: a Ha Va Supai...................................... 266 - -The Last Portage. The rocks were ice-filmed. Note potholes...... 270 - -Mooney Falls: Ha Va Su Canyon................................... 274 - -Watching for the signal fire. Mrs. Emery and Edith Kolb......... 278 - -The granite gorge near Bright Angel Trail....................... 282 - -The Grand Canyon from the head of Bright Angel Trail............ 286 - -The Cork Screw: lower end of Bright Angel Trail................. 290 - -Zoroaster Temple from the end of Bright Angel Trail............. 298 - -Winter in the Grand Canyon from the Rim......................... 308 - -Winter in the Grand Canyon at the River......................... 308 - -A vaquero in the making......................................... 318 - -Cliff swallows' nests. Found from Wyoming to Mexico............. 318 - -Steam vents beside Volcanic Lake................................ 326 - -Cocopah Mountain, Mexico........................................ 326 - -Ten miles from the Gulf of California. Coming up on a - twenty-foot tide.............................................. 332 - -Sunset on the lower Colorado River.............................. 332 - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON FROM WYOMING TO MEXICO - - - - -CHAPTER I - - - -PREPARATIONS AT GREEN RIVER CITY, WYOMING - -Early in September of 1911 my brother Emery and I landed in Green -River City, Wyoming, ready for the launching of our boats on our -long-planned trip down the Green and Colorado rivers. - -For ten years previous to this time we had lived at the Grand Canyon -of Arizona, following the work of scenic photography. In a general way -we had covered much of the country adjacent to our home, following our -pack animals over ancient and little-used trails, climbing the walls -of tributary canyons, dropping over the ledges with ropes when -necessary, always in search of the interesting and unusual. - -After ten years of such work many of our plans in connection with a -pictorial exploration of the Grand Canyon were crowned with success. -Yet all the while our real ambition remained unsatisfied. - -We wanted to make the "Big Trip"--as we called it; in other words, we -wanted a pictorial record of the entire series of canyons on the Green -and Colorado rivers. - -The time had come at last, after years of hoping, after long months of -active preparation. - -We stood at the freight window of the station at Green River City -asking for news of our boats. They had arrived and could be seen in -their crates shoved away in a corner. It was too late to do anything -with them that day; so we let them remain where they were, and went -out to look over the town. - -Green River City proved to be a busy little place noisy with switch -engines, crowded with cattle-men and cowboys, and with hunting parties -outfitting for the Jackson Hole country. A thoroughly Western town of -the better sort, with all the picturesqueness of people and -surroundings that the name implies. - -It was busier than usual, even, that evening; for a noisy but -good-natured crowd had gathered around the telegraph office, eager for -news of a wrestling match then taking place in an Eastern city. As we -came up they broke into a cheer at the news that the American wrestler -had defeated his foreign opponent. There was a discussion as to what -constituted the "toe-hold," three boys ran an impromptu foot-race, -there was some talk on the poor condition of the range, and the party -began to break up. - -The little excitement over, we returned to the hotel; feeling, in -spite of our enthusiasm, somewhat lonesome and very much out of place. -Our sleep that night was fitful and broken by dreams wherein the -places we had known were strangely interwoven with these new scenes -and events. Through it all we seemed to hear the roar of the Rio -Colorado. - -We looked out of the window the next morning, on a landscape that was -novel, yet somehow familiar. The river, a quarter of a mile away, very -clear and unruffled under its groves of cottonwood, wound through low -barren hills, as unlike as could be to the cliffs and chasms we knew -so well. But the colours--gray, red, and umber, just as Moran has -painted them--reassured us. We seemed not so far from home, after all. - -It was Wyoming weather, though; clear and cold, after a windy night. -When, after breakfast, we went down to the river, we found that a -little ice had formed along the margin. - -The days of final preparation passed quickly--with unpacking of -innumerable boxes and bundles, checking off each article against our -lists; and with a long and careful overhauling of our photographic -outfit. - -This last was a most important task, for the success of our expedition -depended on our success as photographers. We could not hope to add -anything of importance to the scientific and topographic knowledge of -the canyons already existing: and merely to come out alive at the -other end did not make a strong appeal to our vanity. We were there as -scenic photographers in love with their work, and determined to -reproduce the marvels of the Colorado's canyons, as far as we could do -it. - -In addition to three film cameras we had 8 x 10 and 5 x 7 plate -cameras; a plentiful supply of plates and films; a large cloth -dark-room; and whatever chemicals we should need for tests. Most -important of all, we had brought a motion-picture camera. We had no -real assurance that so delicate an apparatus, always difficult to use -and regulate, could even survive the journey--much less, in such -inexperienced hands as ours, reproduce its wonders. But this, -nevertheless, was our secret hope, hardly admitted to our most -intimate friends--that we could bring out a record of the Colorado as -it is, a live thing, armed as it were with teeth, ready to crush and -devour. - -There was shopping to do; for the purchases of provisions, with a few -exceptions, had been left to the last. There were callers, too--an -embarrassing number of them. We had camped on a small island near the -town, not knowing when we did so that it had recently been put aside -for a public park. The whole of Green River City, it seemed, had -learned of our project, and came to inspect, or advise, or jeer at us. -The kindest of them wished us well; the other sort told us "it would -serve us right"; but not one of our callers had any encouragement to -offer. Many were the stories of disaster and death with which they -entertained us. One story in particular, as it seems never to have -reached print--though unquestionably true--ought to be set down here. - -Three years before two young men from St. Louis had embarked here, -intending to follow the river throughout its whole course. They were -expert canoeists, powerful swimmers, and equipped with a steel boat, -we were told, built somewhat after the style of a canoe. They chose -the time of high water--not knowing, probably, that while high water -decreases the labour of the passage, it greatly increases the danger -of it. They came to the first difficult rapid in Red Canyon, seventy -odd miles below Green River City. It looked bad to them. They landed -above it and stripped to their underclothing and socks. Then they -pushed out into the stream. - -Almost at once they lost control of the boat. It overturned; it rolled -over and over; it flung them off and left them swimming for their -lives. In some way, possibly the currents favouring, they reached the -shore. The boat, with all its contents, was gone. There they were, -almost naked, without food, without weapons, without the means of -building a fire; and in an uninhabited and utterly inhospitable -country. - -For four days they wandered, blistered by the sun by day; nearly -frozen at night, bruised by the rocks, and torn by the brambles. -Finally they reached the ranch at the head of the canyons and were -found by a half-breed Indian, who cared for them. Their underwear had -been made into bindings for their lacerated feet; they were nearly -starved, and on the verge of mental collapse. After two weeks' -treatment in the hospital at Green River City they were partially -restored to health. Quite likely they spent many of the long hours of -their convalescence on the river bank, or on the little island, -watching the unruffled stream glide underneath the cottonwoods. - -Such tales as this added nothing to our fears, of course--for the -whole history of the Colorado is one long story of hardship and -disaster, and we knew, even better than our advisors, what risks lay -before us. We told our newfound friends, in fact, that we had lived -for years on the brink of the Grand Canyon itself, a gorge deeper and -more awful, even, than Lodore; with a volume of water ten times -greater. We knew, of course, of the river's vast length, of the -terrible gorges that confined it, of the hundreds of rapids through -which a boat would have to pass. - -We knew, too, how Major Powell, undismayed by legends of underground -channels, impassable cataracts, and whirlpools; of bloodthirsty tribes -haunting its recesses,--had passed through the canyons in safety, -measuring and surveying as he went. We also knew of the many other -attempts that had been made--most of them ending in disaster or death, -a very few being successful. - -Well, it had been done;[1] it could be done again--this was our answer -to their premonitions. - -We had present worries enough to keep us from dwelling too much on the -future. It had been our intention to start two weeks earlier, but -there had been numerous unavoidable delays. The river was low; "the -lowest they had seen it in years" they told us, and falling lower -every day. There were the usual difficulties of arranging a lot of new -material, and putting it in working order. - -At last we were ready for the boats, and you may be sure we lost no -time in having them hauled to the river, and launching them. - -They were beauties--these two boats of ours--graceful, yet strong in -line, floating easily, well up in the water, in spite of their five -hundred pounds' weight. They were flat-bottomed, with a ten-inch rake -or raise at either end; built of white cedar, with unusually high -sides; with arched decks in bow and stern, for the safe storing of -supplies. Sealed air chambers were placed in each end, large enough to -keep the boats afloat even if filled with water. The compartment at -the bow was lined with tin, carefully soldered, so that even a leak in -the bottom would not admit water to our precious cargoes. We had -placed no limit on their cost, only insisting that they should be of -materials and workmanship of the very best, and strictly in accordance -with our specifications. In every respect but one they pleased us. -Imagine our consternation when we discovered that the hatch covers -were anything but water-tight, though we had insisted more upon this, -perhaps, than upon any other detail. Loose boards, with cross-pieces, -fastened with little thumbscrews--there they were, ready to admit the -water at the very first upset. - -There was nothing to be done. It was too late to rebuild the hatches -even if we had had the proper material. Owing to the stage of water it -was imperative that we should start at once. Bad as it would be to -have water in our cargo, it would be worse to have too little water in -the rock-obstructed channels of Red Canyon, or in the "flats" at -Brown's Park for instance. - -Certainly the boats acted so beautifully in the water that we could -almost overlook the defective hatches. Emery rowed upstream for a -hundred yards, against a stiff current, and came back jubilant. - -"They're great--simply great!" he exclaimed. - -We had one real cause for worry, for actual anxiety, though; and as -each hour brought us nearer to the time of departure, we grew more and -more desperate. What about our third man? - -We were convinced that a third man was needed; if not for the duties -of camp making, helping with the cooking and portaging; at least, for -turning the crank of the motion-picture camera. Emery and I could not -very well be running rapids, and photographing ourselves in the rapids -at the same time. Without a capable assistant, therefore, much of the -real purpose would be defeated. - -Our first move, accordingly, had been to secure the services of a -strong, level-headed, and competent man. Friends strongly advised us -to engage a Canadian canoe-man, or at least some one familiar with the -management of boats in rough water. It was suggested, also, that we -might secure the help of some one of the voyagers who had been members -of one of the previous expeditions. - -But--we may as well be frank about it--we did not wish to be piloted -through the Colorado by a guide. We wanted to make our own trip in our -own way. If we failed, we would have no one but ourselves to blame; if -we succeeded, we would have all the satisfaction that comes from -original, personal exploration. In other words, we wanted a man to -execute orders, not to give them. But that man was hard to find! - -There had been many applicants; some of them from distant parts of the -country. One by one they were sifted out. At length we decided on one -man; but later he withdrew. We turned elsewhere, but these -applications were withdrawn, until there remained but a single letter, -from a young man in San Francisco. He seemed in every way qualified. -We wrote accepting his application, but while waiting to hear from us -a civil service position had been offered and accepted. "He was -sorry"; and so were we, for his references proved that he was a -capable man. Later he wrote that he had secured a substitute. We -replied on the instant, by wiring money for transportation, with -instructions for the new man to report at once at Green River. We took -very much for granted, having confidence in our friends' sincerity and -knowledge of just what was required. - -The time had passed, two days before; but--no sign of our man! We -wrote, we telegraphed, we walked back and forth to every train; but -still he did not come. Had this man, too, failed us? - -Then "Jimmy" came--just the night before we were to leave. And never -was a man more heartily welcome! - -With James Fagen of San Francisco our party was complete. He was an -Irish-American, aged 22 years, a strong, active, and willing chap. To -be sure, he was younger, and not so experienced at "roughing it" as we -had hoped. But his good qualities, we were sure, would make up for -what was lacking. - -Evening found us encamped a half mile below the town, the county -bridge. Our preparations were finished--even to the final purchase of -odds and ends; with ammunition for shot-gun and rifle. We threw our -sleeping-bags on the dry ground close to the river's edge, and, all -our anxieties gone, we turned our faces to the stars and slept. - -At daybreak we were aroused by the thunder of hoofs on the bridge -above us, and the shouts of cowboys driving a large herd of -half-broken horses. We tumbled into our clothes, splashed our faces -with ice-cold water from the river, and hurried over to the hotel for -a last breakfast. - -Then we sat down--in the little hotel at Green River City--as others -had done before, to write last messages to those who were nearest and -dearest to us. A telegram to our parents in an Eastern city; and -another to Emery's wife and little girl, at Bright Angel, more than -eight hundred miles down this self-same river--these, somehow, took -longer to write than the letters themselves. But whatever we may have -felt, we finished this final correspondence in silence, and hurried -back to the river. - -Something of a crowd had gathered on the bridge to wish us _bon -voyage_. Shouting up to them our thanks for their hospitality, and -telling them to "look pleasant," we focussed the motion-picture camera -on them, Emery turning the crank, as the boat swung out into the -current. - -So began our journey, on Friday, September the 8th, 1911, at 9.30 -A.M., as entered in my journal. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - - -INTERESTING SIGHTS OF SOUTHERN WYOMING - -All this preparation--and still more, the vexatious delays--had been a -heavy tax upon us. We needed a vacation. We took it--six pleasant -care-free days--hunting and fishing as we drifted through the sixty -miles of southern Wyoming. There were ducks and geese on the river to -test our skill with the shot-gun. Only two miles below Green River -City Emery secured our first duck, a promise of good sport to follow. -An occasional cottontail rabbit was seen, scurrying to cover through -the sage-brush, when we made a detour from the boats. We saw many -jack-rabbits too--with their long legs, and exaggerated -ears--creatures swifter, even, than the coyotes themselves. - -We saw few people, though an occasional rancher hailed us from the -shore. Men of the open themselves, the character of our expedition -appealed to them. Their invitations to "come up to the ranch, and -spend the evening" were always hearty, and could seldom be refused if -the day was nearly gone. - -The Logan boys' ranch, for instance, was our first camp; but will be -one of the last to be forgotten. The two Logan boys were sturdy, -companionable young men, full of pranks, and of that bubbling, -generous humour that flourishes in this Western air. We were amused by -their kindly offer to allow Jimmy to ride "the little bay"--a -beautiful animal, with the shifty eye of a criminal. But Jimmy, though -city-bred, was not to be trapped, and declined; very wisely, as we -thought. We photographed their favourite horses, and the cabin; also -helped them with their own camera, and developed some plates in the -underground storm-cellar,--a perfect dark-room, as it happened. - -We took advantage of this pleasant camp to make a few alterations -about our boats. Certain mechanical details had been neglected in our -desire to be off, our intention being to look after them as occasion -demanded. Our short run had already shown us where we were weak or -unprepared. The rowlocks needed strengthening. One had come apart in -our first brush with a little riffle. The rowlocks were of a -little-used type, but very serviceable in dangerous waters. Inside the -usual rowlock a heavy ring was hung, kept in place by strong -set-screws, but allowing full play in every direction. These rings -were slipped over the oars; then the usual leather collar was nailed -on the oar, making it impossible for the rings to become separated -from the oars. The holes for the set-screws were too shallow, so we -went over the entire lot to deepen them. We foresaw where a break -might occur, and hung another lock of the open type on a cord, beside -each oar, ready for instant use in case of emergency. - -The Logan boys, seeing our difficulties in making some of these -changes, came to our relief. "Help yourselves to the blacksmith shop," -they said heartily. Here was an opportunity. Much time was consumed in -providing a device to hold our extra oars--out of the way on top of -the deck, but available at a moment's notice. Thanks to the Logan boys -and their blacksmith shop, these and many other little details were -corrected once for all; and we launched our boats in confidence on the -morning of September 10. - -A few miles below we came to the locally famous Fire Hole Chimneys, -interesting examples of the butte formation, so typical of the West. -There were several of these buttes, about 800 feet high, composed of -stratified rock; in colour quite similar to the rocks at Green River -City, but capped with rock of a peculiar burnt appearance, though not -of volcanic origin. Some of the buttes sloped up from the very edge of -the river; others were separated from the river by low flats, covered -with sage-brush and bunch-grass,--that nutritious food of the range -stock. At the water's edge was the usual fringe of willows, -cottonwoods, and shrubs innumerable,--all mirrored in the limpid -surface of Green River. - -At the foot of the cliffs were a number of wild burros, old and -young--fuzzy little baby-burros, looking ridiculously like -jack-rabbits--snorting their indignation at our invasion of their -privacy. Strange, by the way, how quickly these wild asses lose their -wildness of carriage when broken, and lapse into the utmost docility! - -Just below the Chimneys Emery caught sight of fish gathered in a deep -pool, under the foliage of a cottonwood tree which had fallen into the -river. Our most tempting bait failed to interest them; so Emery, ever -clever with hook and line, "snagged" one just to teach them better -manners. It was a Colorado River salmon or whitefish. That evening I -"snagged" a catfish and used this for salmon bait, a fourteen-pound -specimen rewarding the attempt. - -These salmon were old friends of ours, being found from one end to the -other of the Colorado, and on all its tributaries. They sometimes -weigh twenty-five or thirty pounds, and are common at twenty pounds; -being stockily built fish, with large, flat heads. They are not gamey, -but afford a lot of meat with a very satisfying flavour. - -On September 11, about forty miles below Green River, we passed -Black's Fork, a tributary entering from the west. It is a stream of -considerable length, but was of little volume at that time. The banks -were cliffs about 300 feet high, rugged, dark, and overhanging. Here -were a half dozen eagles and many old nests--proof enough, if proof -were needed, that we were in a little visited country. What strong, -splendid birds they were; how powerful and graceful their flight as -they circled up, and up, into the clear blue sky! - -Our next camp was at the Holmes' ranch, a few miles below Black's -Fork. We tried to buy some eggs of Walter Holmes, and were told that -we could have them on one condition--that we visit him that evening. -This was a price we were only too glad to pay, and the evening will -linger long in our memories. - -Mr. Holmes entertained us with stories of hunting trips--after big -game in the wilds of Colorado; and among the lakes of the Wind River -Mountains, the distant source of the Green River. Mrs. Holmes and two -young ladies entertained us with music; and Jimmy, much to our -surprise, joined in with a full, rich baritone. It was late that night -when we rolled ourselves in our blankets, on the banks twenty feet -above the river. - -Next morning we were shown a group of Mrs. Holmes' pets--several young -rabbits and a kitten, romping together in the utmost good fellowship. -The rabbits had been rescued from a watery grave in an irrigation -ditch and carefully nursed back to life. We helped her search for a -lame wild duck that had spurned the offer of a good home with -civilized ducklings, and had taken to the sage-brush. Mrs. Holmes' -love of wild animals, however, failed to include the bald-headed eagle -that had shown such an appetite for her spring chickens. - -A few miles below this ranch we passed Bridger Crossing, a ford on an -old trail through southern Wyoming. In pioneer days Jim Bridger's home -was on this very spot. But those romantic days are long since past; -and where this world-famous scout once watched through the loopholes -of his barricade, was an amazed youngster ten or eleven years old who -gazed on us, then ran to the cabin and emerged with a rifle in his -hands. We thought little of this incident at the time, but later we -met the father of the boy and were told that the children had been -left alone with the small boy as their only protector, and that he -stood ready to defend the home against any possible marauders. No -doubt we looked bad enough to him. - -Just below the ford the channel widened, and the river became very -shallow, the low rolling hills falling away into a wide green prairie. -We camped that night on a small island, low and treeless, but covered -with deep, rank grass. Next morning our sleeping-bags were wet with -frost and dew. A hard pull against a heavy wind between gradually -deepening rocky banks made us more than glad to pitch camp at noon a -short distance above the mouth of Henry's Fork, a considerable stream -flowing from the west. In the afternoon Emery and I decided to walk to -Linwood, lying just across the Utah line, four miles up Henry's Fork. -Jimmy preferred to remain with the boats. - -Between the river and a low mesa lay a large ranch of a different -appearance from those others which we had passed. Those past were -cattle ranches, with stock on the open range, and with little ground -fit for cultivation, owing to the elevation. Here we found great, -broad acres, fenced and cultivated, with thoroughbred stock--horses -and cattle--contentedly grazing. - -This pastoral scene, with a background of rugged mountains, appealed -strongly to our photographic instincts. After three or four exposures, -we climbed the farthest fence and passing from alfalfa to sage-brush -in one step, were at the foot of the mesa. - -Climbing to the summit, we beheld the village in the distance, in a -beautiful green valley--a splendid example of Mormon irrigation and -farming methods. Linwood proved to be the market-place for all the -ranchers of this region. Dotting the foot-hills where water was less -plentiful were occasional cabins, set down in the middle of hay -ranches. All this husbandry only emphasized the surrounding -desolation. Just beyond, dark in the southern sky, rose the great -peaks of the Uintah range, the mountains we were so soon to enter. - -Storm-clouds had been gathering about one great snow-covered peak, far -in the distance. These clouds spread and darkened, moving rapidly -forward. We had taken the hint and were already making all possible -haste toward the town, hoping to reach it before the storm broke. But -it was useless. Long before we had gained the edge of the valley the -rain had commenced in the mountains,--small local storms, resembling -delicate violet-coloured veils, hung in the dense pall of the clouds. -There were far flashes of lightning, and the subdued roar of distant -thunder, rapidly growing louder as the storm approached. Unable to -escape a drenching, we paused a moment to wonder at the sight; to -marvel--and shrink a little too--at the wild, incessant lightning. The -peaks themselves seemed to be tumbling together, such was the -continuous roar of thunder, punctuated by frequent deafening crashes. - -Then the storm came down upon us. Such torrents of rain we have seldom -witnessed: such gusts of driving wind! At times we could scarcely make -headway against it, but after most strenuous effort we neared the -village. We hoped to find shelter under a bridge, but found -innumerable muddy streams running through the planks. So we resumed -our plodding, slipping and sliding in the black, bottomless mud. - -The storm by this time had passed as quickly as it came. Wet to our -skins, we crawled into the little store and post-office combined, -and found it filled with ranch hands, waiting for the weekly mail. -We made a few purchases, wrote some letters, then went to a large -boarding-house near by and fortified ourselves with a generous, -hot supper. - -There were comments by some of the men on our venture, but they lacked -the true Green River tang. Here, close to the upper canyons, the -unreasonable fear of the rapids gave way to a reasonable respect for -them. Here we heard again of the two young men from St. Louis, and the -mishaps that had befallen them. Here too we were to hear for the first -time of the two Snyders, father and son, and the misfortunes that had -overtaken them in Lodore Canyon, twenty years before. We were to hear -more of these men later. - -We made what haste we could back to our boats, soon being overtaken by -a horseman, a big-hearted Swede who insisted on carrying our load as -long as we were going in his direction. How many just such instances -of kindliness we were to experience on our journey down the river! How -the West abounds with such men! It was dark when he left us a mile -from the river. Here there was no road to follow, and we found that -what had been numerous dry gullies before were now streams of muddy -water. Two or three of these streams had to be crossed, and we had a -disagreeable half hour in a marsh. Finally we reached the river, but -not at the point where we had left our boats. We were uncertain -whether the camp was above or below us, and called loudly for Jimmy, -but received no answer. - -Emery felt sure that camp was upstream. So upstream we went, keeping -back of the bushes that fringed the banks, carefully searching for a -sign. After a few minutes' hunt we heard a sound: a subdued rumble, -not unlike the distant thunder heard that afternoon, or of boats being -dragged over the pebbles. What could it be? We listened again, -carefully this time, and discovered that it came from a point about -thirty feet away, on the opposite side of the bushes. It could be only -one thing. Jimmy's snore had brought us home! - -Hurriedly securing some dry clothes from the rubber sacks, which -contained our sleeping-bags as well, we made a quick change, and slid -into the beds, inflating the air mattresses with our lungs after we -were inside. Then we lay down contentedly to rest. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - - -THE GATEWAY OF ALL THE CANYONS - -We awoke the next morning full of anticipation. Something new lay -ahead of us, a promise of variety. In plain sight of our camp lay the -entrance to Flaming Gorge, the gateway to the entire series of -canyons. Hurriedly finishing our camp duties, we loaded the boats, -fastened down the hatches, and shoved off into the current, eager to -be on our way. - -It was cloudy overhead and looked as if we were to have more rain. -Even then it must have been raining away to the north, for a dirty, -clay-colored torrent rushed through the dry arroyo of the night -before, a stream large enough to discolour the water of the Green -itself. But we thought little of this. We were used to seeing muddy -water in the Colorado's gorges; in fact we were surprised to find -clear water at all, even in the Green River. Rowing downstream we -found that the country sloped gently towards the mountains. The river -skirted the edge of these foot-hills as if looking for a possible -escape, then turned and entered the mountain at a sharp angle. The -walls sloped back considerably at first, and there was a little shore -on either side. - -Somewhere near this point runs the dividing line of Wyoming and Utah. - -We considered the gateway a subject worthy of a motion picture, if -taken from the deck of the boat; but doubted if it would be a success -owing to the condition of the light and the motion of the boat. Still -it was considered worthy of a trial, and the film was run through. - -The colour of the rocks at the entrance was a light red, but not out -of the ordinary in brilliancy. The rock formation was stratified, but -displaced; standing at an angle and flexed over on top with a ragged -break here and there, showing plainly the great pressure to which the -rocks had been subjected. The upheaval was not violent, the scientists -tell us, but slow and even, allowing the river to maintain its old -channel, sawing its way through the sandstone. The broken canyon -walls, when well inside the gorge, were about 600 to 700 feet high. -The mountains beyond and on either side were much higher. The growth -on the mountain sides was principally evergreen; Douglas fir, the -bull-pine and yellow pine. There was a species of juniper, somewhat -different from the Utah juniper, with which we were familiar at the -Grand Canyon. Bushes and undergrowth were dense above the steep canyon -walls, which were bare. Willows, alder-thickets, and a few cottonwood -trees lined the shores. - -Meanwhile the current had quickened, almost imperceptibly at first, -but enough to put us on our guard. While there were no rapids, use was -made of what swift water we found by practising on the method we would -use in making a passage through the bad rapids. As to this method, -unused as yet by either of us, we had received careful verbal -instruction from Mr. Stone, who had made the trip two years before our -own venture; and from other friends of Nathan Galloway, the trapper, -the man who first introduced the method on the Green and Colorado -rivers. - -Our experience on water of any kind was rather limited. Emery could -row a boat, and row it well, before we left Green River, but had never -gone over any large rapids. While he was not nearly so large or heavy -as I,--weighing no more than 130 pounds, while I weighed 170 -pounds,--he made up for his lighter weight by a quickness and strength -that often surprised me. He was always neat and clever in his method -of handling his boat, taking a great deal of pride in keeping it free -from marks, and avoiding rocks when making a landing. I had done very -little rowing before leaving Green River, so little that I had -difficulty in getting both oars in the water at the same time. Of -course it did not take me long to learn that; but I did not have the -knack of making clean landings, and bumped many rocks that my brother -missed. Still I was improving all the time and was anxious to get into -the rough water, feeling sure I would get through somehow, but doing -my best in the meantime to get the knack of handling the boat properly -before the rough water was reached. - -An occasional rock would stick up above the surface; the swift water -would rush up on it, or drive past on either side. Instead of pulling -downstream with might and main, and depending on a steersman with a -sweep-oar to keep us clear of obstructions--the method usually adopted -on large rivers, and by the earlier parties on the Colorado--by our -method the single oarsman reversed his boat so that it was turned with -the stern downstream, giving the oarsman a view of what was ahead; -then by pulling upstream the boat was held in check. We allowed -ourselves to be carried in a direct line with the rocks ahead, -approaching them as closely as we dared; then, with a pull on one oar, -the boat was turned slightly at an angle to the current, and swung to -one side or the other; just as a ferry is headed into the current, the -water itself helping to force it across. The ferry is held by a cable; -the boat, by the oarsman; the results are quite similar. - -The boats, too, were somewhat unusual in design, having been carefully -worked out by Galloway after much experience with the problem, and -after building many boats. He finally settled on the design furnished -us by Mr. Stone. The flat bottom, sloping up from the centre to either -end, placed the boats on a pivot one might say, so that they could be -turned very quickly, much more quickly than if they had had a keel. -There was a four foot skag or keel under the stern end of the boat, -but this was only used when in quiet water; and as it was never -replaced after being once removed we seldom refer to it. Being -flat-bottomed, they drew comparatively little water, a matter quite -important on low water such as we found in the Green River. While each -boat carried a weight of seven hundred pounds in addition to its own -five hundred pounds, they often passed over rocks less than ten inches -below the surface, and did so without touching. While the boats were -quite large, the arched decks made them look even larger. A -considerable amount of material could be stored under these decks. The -only part of the boat that was entirely open or unprotected from the -waves was the cockpit, or mid-section occupied by the oarsman. This -was only large enough for one man. A second man had to sit on the deck -behind the oarsman, with his feet hanging into the cockpit. Jimmy -occupied this place of honour as we drifted through the placid water; -first on one boat, then on the other, entertaining us meanwhile with -his songs. - -We encountered two splashy little rapids this day, but with no rocks, -or any dangerous feature whatever. Any method, or none at all, was -safe enough in these rapids. - -The colouring of the rocks changed as we proceeded, and at the lower -end of the short canyon we saw the flaming patch of colour that had -suggested its name to Major Powell, forty-two years before. -Intensified on that occasion by the reflected light of a gorgeous -sunset, it must have been a most brilliant spectacle. - -Two beavers slid into the water when we were close beside them, then -rose to the surface to stare curiously when we had passed. We left -them undisturbed. Some geese decoyed us into an attempt to ambush -them, but they kept always just out of reach of our guns. Wise -fellows, those geese! - -A geological fault accompanied by the breaking down of the walls marks -the division between Flaming Gorge and Horseshoe Canyon, which -immediately follows. We nooned here, opposite a deserted cabin. A -trail dropped by easy stages over the slope on the east side; and -fresh tracks showed that sheep had recently been driven down to the -water's edge. - -Passing through Horseshoe,--another very short canyon,--we found deep, -placid pools, and sheer, light red walls rising about four hundred -feet on either side, then sloping back steeply to the tree-covered -mountains. In the middle of this canyon Emery was startled out of a -day-dream by a rock falling into the water close beside him, with -never a sound of warning. Years spent in the canyons had accustomed -Emery and me to such occurrences; but Jimmy, unused to great gorges -and towering cliffs, was much impressed by this incident. After all, -it is only the unusual that is terrible. Jimmy was ready enough to -take his chances at dodging bricks hurled by a San Francisco -earthquake, but never got quite used to rocks descending from a source -altogether out of sight. Small wonder, after all! Later we were to -experience more of this thing, and on a scale to startle a stoic! - -We halted at the end of Horseshoe, early in the afternoon of September -14, 1911, one week out from Green River City. Camp No. 6 was pitched -on a gravelly shore beside Sheep Creek, a clear sparkling stream, -coming in from the slopes of the Uintah range. Just above us, on the -west, rose three jagged cliffs, about five hundred feet high, -reminding one by their shape of the Three Brothers of Yosemite Valley. -Here, again, we were treated to another wonderful example of geologic -displacement, the rocks of Horseshoe Canyon lying in level strata; -while those of Kingfisher, which followed, were standing on end. Sheep -Creek, flowing from the west, finds an easy course through the fault, -at the division of the canyons. The balance of this day was spent in -carefully packing our material and rearranging it in our boats, for we -expected hard work to follow. - -Tempted by the rippling song of the brook, and by tales of fish to be -found therein, we spent two hours fishing from its banks on the -morning of the 15th. But the foliage of overhanging trees and shrubs -was dense, making it difficult to cast our lines, or even to climb -along its shores, and our small catch of two trout, which were fried -with a strip of bacon to add flavour, only whetted our appetites for -more. - -It was a little late in the season for many birds. Here in Kingfisher -Canyon were a few of the fish-catching birds from which the canyon -took its name. There were many of the tireless cliff-swallows -scattered all through these canyons, wheeling and darting, ever on the -wing. These, with the noisy crested jays, an occasional "camp-robber," -the little nuthatches, the cheerful canyon wren with his rollicking -song, the happy water-ousel, "kill-deer," and road-runners and the -water birds,--ducks, geese, and mud-hens, with an occasional -crane,--made up the bird life seen in the open country and in these -upper canyons. Earlier in the season it must be a bird's paradise, for -berries and seeds would then be plentiful. - -We resumed our journey at 10 A.M., a very short run bringing us to the -end of Kingfisher Canyon. The three canyons passed through approximate -hardly more than ten miles in length, different names being given for -geological reasons, as they really form only one canyon. The walls at -the end were broken down, and brilliantly tinted talus of many hues -covered the slopes, the different colours intermingling near the -bottom. The canyon-walled river turned southeast here, and continued -in this general direction for many miles, but with many twists and -turns. - -We had previously been informed that Red Canyon, the next to follow, -while not considered bad when compared to others, gave one the -experience most necessary to combat the rapids farther down. It was -not without danger, however, as a review of previous expeditions -showed: some had lost their lives, still others, their boats; and one -of Major Powell's parties had upset a boat in a Red Canyon rapid. The -stage of water was so different on these previous attempts that their -experiences were of little value to us one way or the other. A -reference to pictures taken by two of these parties showed us there -was considerable more water when they went through--six, and even -eight feet higher in places. Possibly this would be the best stage on -which to make the voyage in heavy boats. The unfortunate ones had -taken the spring rise, or flood water, with disastrous results to -themselves or their boats. - -We soon found that our passage was to be hard on account of having too -little water. In the quiet water above we had been seldom bothered -with shoals; but now that we were in swifter water, there was scarcely -any depth to it at all, except in the quiet pools between the rapids. - -For a description of our passage through this upper end of Red Canyon -we refer to our journal: sketchy notes jotted down, usually in the -evening just before retiring, by the light of a camp-fire, or the -flickering flame of a candle. Under the date of Friday, September the -15th, we find the following: - - "End of Kingfisher: long, quiet pools and shoals where we - grounded a few times; several small, splashy rapids; then a - larger one near an old boat landing. Looked the rapid over - from the shore. Jim remained at the lower end with a - life-preserver on a rope, while we ran the rapid. Struck one - or two rocks, lightly; but made the run in safety." - - "At the third rapid we saw some geese--but they got away. At - noon we ate a cold lunch and because of the low water - removed the skags, carrying them in the cockpit. The scenery - in upper Red Canyon is impressive: pines and fir come down - on the sloping sides to the river's edge; the rocks are - reddish brown in colour, often broken in squares, and - looking like great building blocks piled one upon another. - The canyon is about fifteen hundred feet deep; the river is - clear again, and averages about two hundred feet in width. - We have seen a few deer tracks, but have not seen any deer. - We also saw some jumping trout in a splashy little rapid. - Doubtless they came from a little creek, close by, for we - never heard of trout being found in the Green River." - - "We made a motion picture, while dropping our boats down - with lines, over the first rapid we considered bad. Emery - remained in the boats, keeping clear of the rocks with a - pole. Powell's second party records an upset here. We passed - Kettle Creek about 5 P.M. In the fifth rapids below Kettle - Creek I got on the wrong side of the river and was carried - into a very rocky rapid--the worst so far encountered. I - touched a rock or two at the start, but made the run in - safety; while Emery ran the opposite side without trouble. - We camped beside a small stream on the south, where there - were signs of an old camp." - - "_Saturday, September 16_. Clear and cold in the early - morning. Started about 9 A.M. Lined our boats past a - difficult rapid. Too many rocks, not enough water. Two or - three miles below this I had some difficulty in a rapid, as - the pin of a rowlock lifted out of the socket when in the - middle of rough water. Emery snapped a picture just as it - happened. A little later E.C.[2] ran a rocky rapid, but had - so much trouble that we concluded to line my boat. Noon. - Just a cold lunch, but with hot coffee from the vacuum - bottles. Then at it again." - - "The scenery is wonderful; the canyon is deeper than above; - the river is swift and has a decided drop. We proceed - cautiously, and make slow progress. We camp for the day on - the north side close to a little, dry gully, on a level sage - and bunch-grass covered bottom back from the river's edge. - An abruptly descending canyon banked with small cottonwood - trees coming in from the opposite side contains a small - stream. Put up our tent for the second time since leaving - Green River, Wyoming. We are all weary, and glad to-morrow - is Sunday--a day of rest." - - "_Sunday, September 17._ E.C. and I follow a fresh deer - track up a game trail and get--a rabbit. Climb out about - 1300 feet above the river to the top of the narrow canyon. - Here is a sloping plateau, dotted with bunch-grass and - grease-wood, a fourth of a mile wide. Then rounded mountains - rise beyond the plateau, some of the peaks reaching a height - of 4000 feet above the river. The opposite side is much the - same, but with a wider plateau. We had no idea before what a - wonderful country this is. It is a picture to tempt an - artist. High on the mountain tops is the dark blue-green of - pines and firs, reds and yellows are mixed in the quaking - aspen,--for the frost comes early enough to catch the sap in - the leaves; little openings, or parks with no trees, are - tinted a beautiful soft gray; 'brownstone fronts' are found - in the canyon walls; and a very light green in the - willow-leafed cottonwoods at the river's edge, and in all - side canyons where there is a running stream. The river - glistens in the sunlight, as it winds around the base of the - wall on which we stand, and then disappears around a bend in - the canyon. Turn where we will, we see no sign of an - opening, nothing but the rounded tops of wooded mountains, - red and green, far as the eye can reach, until they - disappear in the hazy blue. Finally Emery's keen eyes, aided - by the binoculars, discover a log cabin at the foot of a - mountain, on the plateau opposite us about three miles - away." - - "We hurry back to camp and write some letters; then Jim and - I cross the river and climb out over the rocky walls to the - plateau above. In two hours we reach the cabin. It is - new--not yet finished. A woman and four children are looking - over a garden when we arrive. They are a little frightened - at first, but soon recover. The woman gladly promises to - take out our mail when they go to the nearest town, which - happens to be Vernal, Utah, forty-five miles away. Three - other families live near by, all recently moved in from - Vernal. The woman tells us that Galloway hunts bear in these - timbered mountains, and has killed some with a price on - their heads--bear with a perverted taste for fresh beef."[3] - - "Thanking the woman, we make our way back to the river. We - see some dried-out elk horns along our trail; though it is - doubtful if elk get this far south at present. A deer trail, - leading down a ravine, makes our homeward journey much - easier. It has turned quite cold this evening, after sunset. - We finish our notes and prepare to roll into our beds a - little earlier than usual." - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - - -SUSPICIOUS HOSTS - -We awoke bright and early the next morning, much refreshed by our day -of rest and variety. With an early start we were soon pulling down the -river, and noon found us several miles below the camp, having run -eleven rapids with no particular difficulty. A reference in my notes -reads: "Last one has a thousand rocks, and we could not miss them all. -My rowing is improving, and we both got through fairly well." In the -afternoon they continued to come--an endless succession of small -rapids, with here and there a larger one. The canyon was similar to -that at our camp above, dark red walls with occasional pines on the -ledges,--a most charming combination of colour. At 2.30 P.M. we -reached Ashley Falls, a rapid we had been expecting to see for some -time. It was a place of singular beauty. A dozen immense rocks had -fallen from the cliff on the left, almost completely blocking the -channel--or so it seemed from one point of view. But there was a -crooked channel, not more than twelve wide in places, through which -the water shot like a stream from a nozzle. - -We wanted a motion picture of our dash through the chute. But the -location for the camera was hard to secure, for a sheer bank of rock -or low wall prevented us from climbing out on the right side. We -overcame this by landing on a little bank at the base of the wall and -by dropping a boat down with a line to the head of the rapid where a -break occurred in the wall. Jimmy was left with the camera, the boat -was pulled back, and we prepared to run the rapid. - -We first had to pass between two square rocks rising eight feet above -the water so close together that we could not use the oars; then, when -past these, pull ten feet to the right in order to clear the large -rock at the end of the main dam, or barrier, not more than twenty feet -below. To pull down bow first and try to make the turn, would mean to -smash broadside against this rock. It could only be done by dropping -stern first, and pulling to the right under the protection of the -first rocks; though it was doubtful if even this could be -accomplished, the current was so swift. The _Defiance_ was ready -first, the _Edith_ was to follow as closely as safety allowed. - -Almost before I knew it I was in the narrow channel, so close to the -right rock that I had to ship that oar, and pull altogether on the -left one. As soon as I was through I made a few quick strokes, but the -current was too strong for me; and a corner of the stern struck a bang -when I was almost clear. She paused as a wave rolled over the decks, -then rose quickly; a side current caught the boat, whirling it around, -and the bow struck. I was still pulling with all my might, but -everything happened so quickly,--with the boat whirling first this -way, then that,--that my efforts were almost useless. But after that -second strike I did get in a few strokes, and pulled into the quiet -pool below the line of boulders. - -Emery held his boat in better position than I had done, and it looked -for a while as if he would make it. But the _Edith_ struck on the -stern, much as mine had done. Then he pulled clear and joined me in -the shelter of the large rock, as cool and smiling as if he had been -rowing on a mill-pond. We were delighted to find that our boats had -suffered no damage from the blows they had received. Striking on the -ends as they did, the shock was distributed throughout the whole boat. - -This completed our run for that day, and we went into camp just below -the "Falls." Emery painted the name _Edith_ on the bow of his boat, at -this camp. The name was given in honour of his four-year-old daughter, -waiting for us at the Grand Canyon. I remarked that as no one loved -me, I would name my boat the _Defiance_. But I hesitated about putting -this name on the bow. I would look rather foolish, I thought, if the -_Defiance_ should be wrecked in the first bad rapid. So the -christening of my boat was left until such time as should have earned -the title, although she was constantly referred to as the _Defiance_. - -We remained until noon of the following day at Ashley Falls, -exploring, repairing, and photographing this picturesque spot. The -canyon walls here dropped down to beautiful, rolling foot-hills eight -or nine hundred feet high tree covered as before but more open. The -diversity of rocks and hills was alluring. There was work to be done -and no pleasanter spot could be found in which to do it. Among other -things that had to be looked after were some adjustments to the -motion-picture camera--usually referred to by us as the M.P.C.--this -delicate work always falling to Emery, for he alone could do it. - -There was much to interest us here. Major Powell reported finding the -name "Ashley" painted under an overhanging rock on the left side of -the river. Underneath was a date, rather indistinct, but found to have -been 1825, by Dellenbaugh, after carefully tracing the career of -Colonel Ashley who was responsible for the record. Accompanied by a -number of trappers, he made the passage through this canyon at that -early day. We found a trace of the record. There were three -letters--A-s-h--the first two quite distinct, and underneath were -black spots. It must have been pretty good paint to leave a trace -after eighty-six years! - -Resuming our journey we passed into deep canyon again,--the deepest we -had found up to this time,--with steeply sloping, verdure-covered -walls about 2700 feet high. The rapids still continued. At one rapid -the remark was made that "Two feet of water would cover two hundred -rocks so that our boats would pass over them." But we did not have the -two feet needed. - -We had previously been informed that some of these mountains were the -hiding-places of men who were "wanted" in the three states which -bordered near here. Some escaping prisoners had also been traced to -the mountains in this direction; then all tracks had ceased. The few -peaceable ranchers who lived in these mountains were much alarmed over -these reports. We found one such rancher on the plateau above the -canyon, whom we will call Johnson for convenience,--living in one of -the upper canyons. He sold us some provisions. In return he asked us -to help him swim some of his horses across the river. He said the high -water had taken out his own boat. The horses were rounded up in a -mountain-hidden valley and driven into the water ahead of the boat. -After securing the horses, Johnson's welcome seemed to turn to -suspicion and he questioned our reasons for being there, wanting to -know what we could find in that wild country to interest us. Johnson's -sons, of whom there were several, seemed to put in most of their time -at hunting and trapping, never leaving the house without a gun. The -cabin home looked like an arsenal, revolvers and guns hanging on all -the walls--even his daughters being familiar with their use. Although -we had been very well treated after all, Mrs. Johnson especially -having been very kind to us, we felt just a little relieved when the -Johnson ranch was left behind. We use, in fact, a fictious name, not -caring to visit on them the suspicions we ourselves felt in return. - -Another morning passed in repairing the M.P. camera, and another -afternoon's work was necessary to get us out of the walls and the -rapids of Red Canyon. But on the evening of the 20th, we did get out, -and pulled into an open country known as Brown's Park, one week after -entering Flaming Gorge. It had not been very fast travelling; but we -were through, and with no mishap more serious than a split board on -the side of my boat. Under favourable conditions, and in experienced -hands, this distance might have been covered in three days. But -meanwhile, we were gaining a lot of experience. - -About the lower end of Red Canyon the river turned directly east, -paralleling the northern boundary of Utah, and continued to flow in -this general direction until it crossed into Colorado. - -On emerging from Red Canyon we spied a ranch house or log cabin close -to the river. The doors were open and there were many tracks in the -sand, so we thought some one must be about. On approaching the house, -however, we found the place was deserted, but with furniture, books, -and pictures piled on the floor in the utmost confusion, as if the -occupants had left in a great hurry. This surmise afterward proved to -be correct; for we learned that the rancher had been murdered for his -money, his body having been found in a boat farther down the river. -Suspicion pointed to an old employee who had been seen lurking near -the place. He was traced to the railroad, over a hundred miles to the -north; but made his escape and was never caught. - -We found Brown's Park, once known as Brown's Hole, to be a beautiful -valley several miles in width, and thirty-five or forty miles in -length. The upper end of the valley was rugged in places, with rocky -hills two or three hundred feet high. To the south, a few miles away, -were the mountains, a continuation of those we had come through. We -saw many cattle scattered over some of these rocky hills, grazing on -the bunch-grass. At one place our course led us through a little -canyon about two miles long, and scarcely more than two hundred feet -deep. This was Swallow Canyon--a name suggested by the many birds of -that species which had covered the canyon's walls with their little -clay nests. The openings of some of these nests were so small that it -scarcely seemed possible for a bird to enter. - -The water was deep and quiet in this short canyon, and a hard wind -blowing up the stream made it difficult for us to gain any headway. In -this case, too, the forms of the boat were against us. With the keel -removed and with their high sides catching the wind, they were carried -back and forth like small balloons. Well, we could put up with it for -a while, for those very features would prove most valuable in the -rough-water canyons which were to follow! - -Emerging from the canyon at last, we saw a ferry loaded with sheep -crossing the stream. On the left shore was a large corral, also filled -with sheep which a half dozen men were driving back and forth into -different compartments. Later these men told us there were 2400 sheep -in the flock. We took their word for it, making no attempt to count -them. The foreman of the ranch agreed to sell us some sugar and -honey,--these two articles being a welcome addition to our list of -supplies, which were beginning to show the effects of our voracious -appetites. - -We found many other log cabins and ranches as we proceeded. Some of -them were deserted; at others men were busily engaged in cutting hay -or the wild grass that grew in the bottoms. The fragrance of new-mown -hay was in the air. Young boys and women were among these busy -workers, some of the women being seated on large harvesters, handling -the horses with as much dexterity as any of the men. - -The entire trip through this pretty valley was full of interest. We -were hailed from the shore by some of the hay ranchers, it being a -novel sight to them to see a river expedition. At one or two of these -places we asked the reason for the deserted ranches above, and were -given evasive answers. Finally we were told that cattle rustlers from -the mountains made it so hard for the ranchers in the valleys that -there was nothing for them to do but get out. They told us, also, that -we were fortunate to get away from Johnson's ranch with our valuables! -Our former host, we were told, had committed many depredations and had -served one term for cattle stealing. Officers, disguised as -prospectors, had taken employment with him and helped him kill and -skin some cattle; the skins, with their telltale brands, having been -partially burned and buried. On this evidence he was afterwards -convicted. - -Our cool welcome by the Johnsons, their suspicions of us, the sinister -arsenal of guns and pistols, all was explained! Quite likely some of -these weapons had been trained against us by the trappers on the -chance that we were either officers of the law, or competitors in the -horse-stealing industry. For that matter we were actually guilty of -the latter count, for come to think of it, we ourselves had helped -them steal eight horses and a colt! - -The entire trip through this pretty valley was full of interest. It -was all so different from anything seen above. There were great -bottoms that gave evidence of having recently been overflooded, though -now covered with cottonwood trees, gorgeous in their autumn foliage. -We had often wondered where all the driftwood that floated down the -Colorado came from; but after seeing those unnumbered acres of -cottonwoods we ceased to wonder. - -There were many beaver slides on the banks; and in places, numberless -trees had been felled by these industrious animals. On one or two -occasions we narrowly escaped splitting the sides of our boats on -snags of trees which the beavers had buried in the bottom of the -stream. We saw no beaver dams on the river; they were not necessary, -for deep, quiet pools existed everywhere in Brown's Park. We saw two -beavers in this section. One of these rose, porpoise-like, to the top -of the water, stared at us a moment, then brought his tail down with a -resounding smack on the top of the water, and disappeared, to enter -his home by the subterranean route, no doubt. The river was gradually -losing its clear colour, for the sand-bars were beginning to "work -out," or break, making the water quite roily. In some sections of -Brown's Park we grounded on these sand-bars, making it necessary for -us to get out into the water, pushing and pulling on the boats until -deeper water was reached. Sometimes the deep water came when least -expected, the sand-bars having a disconcerting way of dropping off -abruptly on the downstream side. Jimmy stepped off the edge of one of -these hidden ledges while working with a boat and was for some time in -no condition to appreciate our ill-concealed mirth. - -Often we would be passing along on perfectly smooth water, when -suddenly a turmoil would rise all about us as though a geyser had -broken out below the surface. If we happened to be directly over it, -the boat would be rocked back and forth for a while; then all would be -peaceful again. This was most often caused by the ledges of sand, -anywhere from three to ten feet high breaking down or falling forward -as their bases were undermined. In a single night a bar of this kind -will work upstream for a distance of several feet; then the sand will -be carried down with the current to lodge again in some quiet pool, -and again be carried on as before. This action gives rise to long -lines of regular waves or swells extending for some distance down the -stream. These are usually referred to as sand-waves. These waves -increase in size in high water; and the monotonous thump, thump of the -boat's bottom upon them is anything but pleasant, especially if one is -trying to make fast time. - -So, with something new at every turn, we pulled lazily through Brown's -Park, shooting at ducks and geese when we came near them, snapping our -cameras when a picture presented itself, and observing the animal life -along the stream. - -We stopped at one hay-ranch close to the Utah-Colorado line and -chatted awhile with the workers. A pleasant-faced woman named Mrs. -Chew asked us to deliver a message at a ranch a mile or two below. -Here also was the post-office of Lodore, Colorado, located a short -distance above the canyon of the same name. Mrs. Chew informed us that -they had another ranch at the lower end of Lodore Canyon and asked us -to look them up when we got through, remarking: "You may have trouble, -you know. Two of my sons once tried it. They lost their boat, had to -climb out, and nearly starved before they reached home." - -The post-office at the ranch, found as described, without another home -in sight, was a welcome sight to us for several reasons. One reason -was that it afforded shelter from a heavy downpour of rain that -greeted us as we neared it, and a better reason still was, that it -gave us a chance to write and mail some letters to those who would be -most anxious to hear from us. - -Among the messages we mailed was a picture post-card of Coney Island -at night. In some way this card had slipped between the leaves of a -book that I had brought from the East. I sent it out, addressed to a -friend who would understand the joke; writing underneath the picture, -"We have an abundance of such scenery here." The young woman who had -charge of the office looked at the card in amazement. It was evidently -something new to her. She told us she had never been to the railroad, -and that her brother took the mail out on horse-back to Steamboat, -Colorado, 140 miles distant. - -The rain having ceased, we returned to our boats pausing to admire a -rainbow that arched above the canyon in the mountains, toward which we -were headed. We remarked, jokingly, to Jimmy that this was a good -sign. He replied without smiling that he "hoped so." Jimmy's songs had -long since ceased, and we suspected him of homesickness. With the -exception of a short visit to some friends on a large ranch, Jimmy had -never been away from his home in San Francisco. This present -experience was quite a contrast, to be sure! We did what we could to -keep him cheered up, but with little success. Jimmy had intimated that -he would prefer to leave at the first opportunity to reach a railroad, -and we willingly agreed to help him in every possible way. Emery and I -also agreed between ourselves that we would not take any unnecessary -risks with him; but would leave him out of the boats at all rapids, if -there was any passage around them. - -The river had taken a sharp turn to the south soon after passing the -post-office, heading directly towards the mountains. Camp was pitched -just above the mouth of Lodore. This twenty-mile canyon bears a very -unsavory reputation, having a descent of 425 feet in that short -distance, the greater part of the fall occurring in a space of twelve -miles. This would mean wild water somewhere! - -We were camped on a spot recently occupied by some engineers of the -United States Conservation Department, who had been trying to -determine if it was feasible to dam the river at this place. The plan -was to flood the hole of Brown's Park and divert the water through the -mountains by a tunnel to land suitable for cultivation and in -addition, allow the muddy water to settle and so prevent the vast -amount of silt from being washed on down, eventually to the mouth of -the Colorado. The location seemed admirably suited for this stupendous -project. But holes drilled beside the river failed to find bottom, as -nothing but quicksand existed even at a depth of nearly three hundred -feet; and without a strong foundation, such a dam would be utterly -useless. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - - -THE BATTLE WITH LODORE - -Camp routine was hurriedly disposed of the next morning, Saturday, -September the 23d. Everything was made snug beneath the hatches, -except the two guns, which were too long to go under the decks, and -had to be carried in the open cockpits. "Camp No. 13, at the head of -Lodore," as it is entered in my journal, was soon hidden by a bend in -the river. The open, sun-lit country, with its pleasant ranches and -its grazing cattle, its rolling, gray, sage-covered hills and its wild -grass and cottonwood-covered bottoms, was left behind, and we were -back in the realm of the rock-walled canyon, and beetle-browed, -frowning cliffs with pines and cedars clutching at the scanty ledges. - -We paused long enough to make a picture or two, with the hope that the -photographic record would give to others some idea of the geological -and scenic wonder--said to be the greatest known example of its -kind--which lay before us. Here is an obstructing mountain raised -directly in the river's path. Yet with no deviation whatever the -stream has cut through the very centre of the peak! The walls are -almost sheer, especially at the the bottom, and are quite close -together at the top. A mile inside the mountain on the left or east -side of the gorge is 2700 feet high. Geologists say that the river was -here first and that the mountain was slowly raised in its pathway--so -slowly that the river could saw away and maintain its old channel. The -quicksand found below the present level would seem to indicate that -the walls were once even higher than at present, and that a subsidence -had taken place after the cutting. - -The river at the entrance of this rock-walled canyon was nothing -alarming, four small rapids being passed without event. Then a fifth -was reached that looked worse. The _Edith_ was lined down. This was -hard work, and dangerous too, owing to the strength of the current and -the many rocks; so I concluded that my own boat, the _Defiance_, must -run the rapid. Jimmy went below, with a life-preserver on a rope. -Emery stood beside the rapid with a camera and made a picture as I -shot past him. Fortunately I got through without mishap. I refused to -upset even to please my brother. - -We were beginning to think that Lodore was not so bad after all. Rapid -followed rapid in quick succession, and all were run without trouble; -then we came to a large one. It was Upper Disaster Falls; so named by -Major Powell, for it was here that one of his boats was wrecked on his -first voyage of exploration. This boat failed to make the landing -above the rapid and was carried over. She struck a rock broadside, -turned around and struck again, breaking the boat completely in two. -This boat was built of 3/4-inch oak reenforced with bulkheads. When -this fact is taken into consideration, some idea may be had of the -great power of these rapids. The three men who occupied the boat saved -themselves by reaching an island a short distance below. - -This all happened on a stage of water much higher than the present -one, so we did not let the occurrence influence us one way or the -other, except to make us careful to land above the rapid. We found a -very narrow channel between two submerged boulders, the water plunging -and foaming for a short distance below, over many hidden rocks. Still, -there was only one large rock near the lower end that we greatly -feared, and by careful work that might be avoided. - -The _Edith_ went first and grazed the boulder slightly, but no harm -was done as E.C. held his boat well in hand. I followed, and struck -rocks at the same instant on both sides of the narrow channel with my -oars. It will be remembered that we ran all these dangerous rapids -facing downstream. The effect of this was to shoot the ends of both -oars up past my face. The operator said that I made a grimace just as -he took a picture of the scrimmage. - -We landed on the island below and talked of camping for the night, as -it was getting late; but the island so rocky and inhospitable that we -concluded to try the lower part of the rapid. This had no descent like -the upper end; but it was very shallow, and we soon found ourselves on -rocks, unable to proceed any farther. It took an hour of hard labour -to work our heavy boats safely to the shore. - -We had been hoping for a rest the next day--Sunday--but the island was -such a disagreeable place to camp that it seemed necessary to cross to -the mainland at least. A coil of strong, pliable wire had been -included in our material. Here was a chance to use it to advantage. -The stream on the left side of the island could be waded, although it -was very swift; and we managed to get the wire across and well -fastened at both ends. Elevating the wire above the water with -cross-sticks, our tent and camp material were run across on a pulley, -and camp was pitched a hundred yards below, on the left shore of the -river. - -There were fitful showers in the afternoon, and we rested from our -labour, obtaining a great deal of comfort from our tent, which was put -up here for the third time since leaving Green River City. Always, -when the weather was clear, we slept in the open. - -Monday, the 25th, found us at the same camp. Having concluded that -Disaster Falls was an ideal place for a moving picture, we sent the -balance of the material across on the pulley and wire, making a -picture of the operation; stopping often because it continued to -shower. Between showers we resumed our work and picture making. - -The picture was to have been concluded with the operation of lining -the boat across. E.C. stood on the shore about sixty feet away, -working with the camera; Jimmy was on the island, paying out the rope; -while I waded in the water, holding the bow of the boat as I worked -her between the rocks. Having reached the end of the rope, I coiled it -up, advising Jimmy to go up to a safe crossing and join my brother -while I proceeded with the boat. All was going well, and I was nearing -the shore, when I found myself suddenly carried off my feet into water -beyond my depth, and drifting for the lower end of the rapid. -Meanwhile I was holding to the bow of the boat, and calling lustily to -my brother to save me. At first he did not notice that anything was -wrong, as he was looking intently through the finder. Then he suddenly -awoke to the fact that something was amiss, and came running down the -boulder-strewn shore, but he could not help me, as we had neglected to -leave a rope with him. Things were beginning to look pretty serious, -when the boat stopped against a rock and I found myself once more with -solid footing under me. It was too good a picture to miss; and I found -the operator at the machine, turning the crank as I climbed out. - -We developed some films and plates that evening, securing some -satisfactory results from these tests. It continued to rain all that -night, with intermittent showers next morning. The rain made little -difference to us, for we were in the water much of the following day -as he boats were taken along the edge of another unrunnable rapid, a -good companion rapid for the one just passed. - -This was Lower Disaster Falls, the first of many similar rapids we -were to see, but this was one of the worst of its kind. The -swift-rushing river found its channel blocked by the canyon wall on -the right side, the cliff running at right angles to the course of the -stream. The river, attacking the limestones, had cut a channel under -the wall, then turned and ran with the wall, emerging about two -hundred feet below. Standing on a rock and holding one end of a -twenty-five foot string we threw a stone attached to the other end -across to the opposite wall. The overhanging wall was within two feet -of the rushing river; a higher stage of water would hide the cut -completely from view. Think what would happen if a boat were carried -against or under that wall! We thought of it many times as we -carefully worked our boats along the shore. - -Between the delays of rain, with stops for picture making, portaging -our material, and "lining" our boats, we spent almost three days in -getting past the rapids called Upper and Lower Disaster Falls, with -their combined fall of 50 feet in little more than half a mile. On the -evening of September the 26th we camped almost within sight of this -same place, at the base of a 3000-foot sugar-loaf mountain on the -right, tree-covered from top to bottom. - -Things were going too easily for us, it seemed; but we were in for a -few reverses. It stormed much of the night and still drizzled when we -embarked on the following morning. The narrow canyon was gloomy and -darkened with shreds of clouds drifting far below the rim. The first -rapid was narrow, and contained some large boulders. The _Edith_ was -caught on one of these and turned on her side, so that the water -flowed in, filling the cockpit. The boat was taken off without -difficulty, and bailed out. We found that the bulkheads failed to keep -the water out of the hatches. Some material from the _Edith_ was -transferred to the _Defiance_. A bed, in a protecting sack of rubber -and canvas, was shoved under the seat and we proceeded. - -Less than an hour later I repeated my brother's performance, but I was -not so fortunate as he. The _Defiance_ was carried against one rock as -I tried to pull clear of another, and in an instant she was on her -side, held by the rush of water. I caught the gunwale, and, climbing -on to the rock that caused the disaster, I managed to catch the rope -and held the boat. In the meantime Emery was in a whirlpool below, -trying to land on the right side; but was having a difficult time of -it. Jimmy stood on the shore unable to help. The bed was washed out of -the boat and went bobbing over the waves, then before I knew what had -happened, the rope was jerked from my hands and I was left stranded on -my rock. Seeing this, Jimmy ran with all his might for a pool at the -end of the rapid, bravely rescuing the boat and the bed as well, just -as the _Edith_ was landed. A rope was soon thrown to me, after the -inevitable picture was made. Then I jumped and was pulled to shore. - -On making an inventory we found that our guns were lost from the boat. -Being too long to go under the hatches, they had been left in the -cockpit. The _Defiance_ had an ugly rap on the bottom, where she -struck a rock, the wood being smashed or jammed, but not broken out. -Nearly all material in the two boats was wet, so we took everything -out and piled it on a piece of canvas, spread out on the sand. We -worked rapidly, for another storm had been threatening all the -morning. - -We were engaged in putting up our little tent when a violent wind -which swept up the canyon, followed by a downpour of rain interrupted -our work; and if anything missed a soaking before, it certainly -received it then. The sand was beaten into our cameras and everything -was scattered helter-skelter over the shore. We were fortunate in only -one respect. The wind was away from the river instead of toward it. We -finally got the tent up, then threw everything into it in an -indiscriminate pile, and waited for the storm to pass. Emery proposed -that we do a song and dance just to show how good we felt; but any -appearance of merriment was rather forced. - -Had the builders of the boats been there, we fear they would have had -an uncomfortable half-hour; for nearly all this loss could have been -avoided had our instructions regarding the hatch covers been followed. -And for the sake of their saving a few dollars we had to suffer! - -The rain soon passed and we went to work, first starting a fire and -getting a hurried lunch, for we had not eaten our noon meal, and it -was then 4 P.M. We put up our dark-room tent, then went to work to -find what was saved, and what was lost. We were surprised to find that -all our small films and plates had escaped a soaking. Protected in tin -and cardboard boxes, wrapped with adhesive tape, and covered with a -coating of paraffine melted and poured over them, they had turned the -water in nearly every instance. The motion-picture film was not so -fortunate. The paraffine had worn off the tin boxes in spots, the -water soaked through the tape in some instances, and entered to the -film. One roll, tightly wrapped, became wet on the edges; the gelatine -swelled and stuck to the other film, thus sealing the inner portion or -picture part of the film, so that roll was saved. - -The motion-picture camera was filled with water, mud and sand; and the -other cameras fared likewise. We cleaned them out as best we could, -drying them over small alcohol lamp which we had included in our -duffle. Our job seemed endless. Jimmy had retired early, for he could -help us but little in this work. It rained again in torrents, and the -wind howled about the tent. After midnight, as we still toiled, a -land-slide, loosened by the soaking rains, thundered down the mountain -side about a fourth of a mile below our camp. We hoped Jimmy would not -hear it. We retired soon after this. Smaller slides followed at -intervals, descending over the 3000-foot precipices. Thunder -reverberated through the canyon, and altogether it was a night long to -be remembered. These slides made one feel a little uncomfortable. "It -would be most inconvenient," as we have heard some one say, "to wake -in the morning and find ourselves wrapped up in a few tons of earth -and rock." - -Emery woke me the next morning to report that the river had risen -about six feet; and that my boat--rolled out on the sand but left -untied--was just on the Point of going out with the water. It had -proven fortunate for us all Emery was a light sleeper! There was no -travelling this day, as the boat had to be repaired. Emery, being the -ship's carpenter, set to work at once, while Jimmy and I stretched our -ropes back and forth, and hung up the wet clothes. Then we built a -number of fires underneath and soon had our belongings in a steam. -Things were beginning to look cheerful again. The rain stopped, too, -for a time at least. - -A little later Jimmy ran into camp with a fish which he had caught -with his hands. It was of the kind commonly called the bony-tail or -humpback or buffalo-fish, a peculiar species found in many of the -rivers of the Southwest. It is distinguished by a small flat head with -a hump directly behind it; the end of the body being round, very -slender, and equipped with large tail-fins. This specimen was about -sixteen inches long, the usual length for a full-grown fish of this -species. - -Now for a fish story! On going down to the river we found a great many -fish swimming in a small whirlpool, evidently trying to escape from -the thick, slimy mud which was carried in the water. In a half-hour we -secured fourteen fish, killing most of them with our oars. There were -suckers and one catfish in the lot. You can judge for yourself how -thick the water was, that such mudfishes as these should have been -choked to helplessness. Our captured fish were given a bath in a -bucket of rain-water, and we had a fish dinner. - -In the afternoon we made a test of the water from the river, and found -that it contained 20 per cent of an alkaline silt. When we had to use -this water, we bruised the leaf of a prickly pear cactus, and placed -it in a bucket of water. This method, repeated two or three times, -usually clears the muddiest water. We also dug holes in the sand at -the side of the river. The water, filtering through the sand, was -often clear enough to develop the tests we made with our films. - -Jimmy continued to feel downhearted; and this afternoon he told us his -story. Our surmise about his being homesick was correct, but it was a -little more than that. He had an invalid mother, it seemed, and, aided -by an older brother, he had always looked after the needs of the -family. When the proposition of making the river trip came up, serious -objections were raised by the family; but when the transportation -arrived he had determined to go, in spite of their objections. Now he -feared that his mother would not live, or that we would be wrecked, -and he would not know where to turn, or what to do. No wonder he felt -blue! - -All we could do was to promise to help him leave the river at the very -first opportunity. This would quite likely be at Jensen, Utah, still -fifty miles farther downstream. - -It continued to rain by spells that night and the next morning. About -11 A.M. we resumed our work on the river. A short distance below our -camp we saw the land-slide which we heard the night before--tons of -earth and shattered rock wrapped about the split and stripped trunks -of a half-dozen pines. The slide was started by the dislodged section -of a sheer wall close to the top of the 2700-foot cliff. We also saw a -boat of crude construction, pulled above the high-water mark; -evidently abandoned a great while before. Any person who had to climb -the walls at that place had a hard job to tackle, although we could -pick out breaks where it looked feasible; there were a few places -behind us where it would be next to impossible. We had only gone over -a few rapids when we found a long pool, with driftwood eddying -upstream, and knew that our run for the day was over--the Triplet -Rapids were ahead of us. We found this rapid to be about a fourth of a -mile long, divided into three sections as its name indicated, and -filled with great boulders at the base of a sheer cliff on the -right--another unrunnable rapid. - -Taking the camp material from the boats, we carried it down and -pitched our tent first of all, then, while Emery prepared supper, -Jimmy and I carried the remaining duffle down to camp. One of the -boats was lined down also. Then after supper we enjoyed the first rest -we had taken for some time. - -Camp Ideal we called it, and it well deserved the name. At the bottom -of a tree-covered precipice reaching a height of 2700 feet, was a -strip of firm, level sand, tapering off with a slope down to the -water, making a perfect landing and dooryard. A great mass of -driftwood, piled up at the end of the rapid, furnished us with all -fuel we needed with small effort on our part. Our tent was backed -against a large rock, while other flat rocks near at hand made -convenient shelves on which to lay our camp dishes and kettles. It -started to drizzle again that night, but what cared we? With a roaring -fire in front of the tent we all cleaned up for a change, sewed -patches on our tattered garments, and, sitting on our beds, wrote the -day's happenings in our journals. Then we crawled into our comfortable -beds, and I was soon dreaming of my boyhood days when I "played -hookey" from school and went fishing in a creek that emptied into the -Allegheny River, or climbed its rocky banks; to be awakened by Jimmy -crying out in his sleep, "There she goes over the rapids." - -Jimmy was soon informed that he and the boats were perfectly safe, and -I was brought back to a realization of the fact that I was not going -to get a "whaling" for going swimming in dog-days; but instead was -holed up in Lodore Canyon, in the extreme northwestern corner of -Colorado. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - - -HELL'S HALF MILE - -We began our work the next morning where we left off the night before -by bringing the remaining boat down along the edge of the "Triplets." -Then, while Emery cooked the breakfast, Jimmy and I "broke camp." The -beds came first. The air had been released from the mattresses before -we got up,--one way of saving time. A change of dry clothing was -placed with each bed, and they were rolled as tightly as the two of us -could do it, after which they were strapped, placed in a rubber sack, -with a canvas sack over that, both these sacks being laced at the top. -The tent--one of those so-called balloon silk compositions--made a -very small roll; the dark-room tent, with its three plies of cloth, -made the largest bundle of the lot. Everything had been taken from the -boats, and made quite a pile of dunnage, when it was all collected in -a pile ready for loading. After the dishes were washed they were -packed in a box, the smoke-covered pots and pans being placed in a -sack. Everything was sorted and piled before the loading commenced. An -equal division of nearly everything was made, so that the loss of one -boat and its cargo would only partially cripple the expedition. The -photographic plates and films, in protecting canvas sacks, were first -disposed of, being stored in the tin-lined hatches in the bow of the -boats. Two of the smaller rolls containing bedding, or clothing; a -sack of flour, and half of the cameras completed the loads for the -forward compartments. Five or six tin and wooden boxes, filled with -provisions, went into the large compartments under the stern. A box -containing tools and hardware for the inevitable repairs, and the -weightier provisions--such as canned milk and canned meats--went in -first. This served as ballast for the boats. Then the other provisions -followed, the remaining rolls of bedding and tents being squeezed in -on top. This compartment, with careful packing, would hold as much as -two ordinary-sized trunks, but squeezing it all in through the small -hatchway, or opening on top, was not an easy job. One thing we guarded -very carefully from this time on was a waterproofed sack containing -sugar. The muddy water had entered the top of this sack in our upset, -and a liquefied sugar, or brown-coloured syrup, was used in our coffee -and on our breakfast foods after that. It gradually dried out, and our -emptied cups would contain a sediment of mud in the bottom. - -Such was our morning routine, although it was not often that -everything was taken from the boats, and it only happened in this case -because we made a portage the night before. - -Our work was all undone an hour later, when we came to the sharp -descent known as Hell's Half Mile, A section of a cliff had fallen -from above, and was shattered into a hundred fragments, large and -small; gigantic rocks were scattered on both shores and through the -river bed, not an orderly array of rocks such as that found at Ashley -Falls, but a riotous mass, looking as though they had been hurled from -the sky above. The stripped trunk of an eight-foot tree, with roots -extending over the river, had been deposited by a recent flood on top -of the principal barrier. All this was found about fifty yards below -the beginning of the most violent descent in Lodore Canyon. It would -have been difficult enough without this last complication; the barrier -seemed next to insurmountable, tired and handicapped with heavy boats -as we were. - -With a weary sigh we dropped our boats to the head of the rapid and -prepared to make the portage. Our previous work was as nothing to -this. Rounded limestone boulders, hard as flint and covered with a -thin slime of mud from the recent rise, caused us to slip and fall -many times. Then we dragged ourselves and loads up the sloping walls. -They were cut with gullies from the recent rains; low scraggy cedars -caught at our loads, or tore our clothes, as we staggered along; the -muddy earth stuck to our shoes, or caused our feet to slip from under -us as we climbed, first two or three hundred feet above the water, -then close to the river's edge. Three-fourths of a mile of such work -brought us a level place below the rapid. It took nine loads to empty -one boat. - -Darkness came on before our boats were emptied, so they were securely -tied in quiet water at the head of the rapid, and left for the -morning. - -The next day found Emery and me at work on the boats, while Jimmy was -stationed on the shore with the motion-picture camera. This wild -scene, with its score of shooting currents, was too good a view to -miss. With life-preservers inflated and adjusted, Emery sat in the -boat at the oars, pulling against the current, lessening the velocity -with which the boat was carried down toward the main barrier, while I -followed on the shore, holding a rope, and dropped him down, a little -at a time, until the water became too rough and the rocks too -numerous. All directions were given with signals; the human voice was -of little avail in the turmoil. We kept the boats in the water as long -as it was safe to do so, for it greatly lessened the hard work of a -portage. With one end of the boat floating on the water, an ordinary -lift would take the other end over a rock with insufficient water -above it to float the boat. Then the boat was balanced on the rock, -the opposite end was lifted, she was shoved forward and dropped in the -water again and another threatening rock was passed. Foot by foot we -fought our way, now on the shore, now waist deep in the water below -some protecting boulder, threatened every moment by the whirling water -that struggled to drag us into the torrent. The sand and water -collecting in our clothes weighted us down; the chill of standing in -the cold water numbed our limbs. Finally the barrier was reached and -the boats were run out close to the end, and tied in a quiet pool, -while we devised some method of getting them past or over this -obstruction. - -Directly underneath and beyond the roots of the tree were large -rounded boulders, covered with slippery mud. Past this barrier the -full force of the water raced, to hurl itself and divide its current -against another rock. It was useless to try to take a boat around the -end of the rock. The boat's sides, three-eighths of an inch thick, -would be crushed like a cardboard box. If lifted into the V-shaped -groove, the weight of the boats would wedge them and crush their -sides. Fortunately an upright log was found tightly wedged between -these boulders. A strong limb, with one end resting on a rock -opposite, was nailed to this log; a triangle of stout sticks, with the -point down, was placed opposite this first limb, on the same level, -and was fastened to the upright log with still another piece; and -another difficulty was overcome. - -With a short rope fastened to the iron bar or hand-hold on the stern, -this end was lifted on to the cross-piece, the bow sticking into the -water at a sharp angle. The short rope was tied to the stump, so we -would not lose that we had gained. The longer rope from the bow was -thrown over the roots of the tree above, then we both pulled on the -rope, until finally the bow was on a level with the stern. She was -pulled forward, the ropes were loosened and the boat rested on the -cross-pieces. The motion-picture camera was transferred so as to -command a view of the lower side of the barrier, then the boat was -carefully tilted, and slid forward, a little at a time, until she -finally gained headway, nearly jerking the rope from our hands, and -shot into the pool below. - -We enjoyed the wildest ride we had experienced up to this time in -running the lower end of this rapid. The balance of the day was spent -in the same camp below the rapid. Our tent was put up in a group of -box elder trees,--the first trees of this species we had seen. Red -cedar trees dotted the rocky slopes, while the larger pines became -scarce at the river's edge, and gathered near the top of the canyon's -walls. The dark red rocks near the bottom were covered with a light -blue-tinted stratum of limestone, similar to the fallen rocks found in -the rapid above. In one land-slide, evidently struck with some rolling -rock, lay the body of a small deer. We saw many mountain sheep tracks, -but failed to see the sheep. Many dead fish, their gills filled with -the slimy mud from the recent rise, floated past us, or lay half -buried in the mud. These things were noticed as we went about our -duties, for we were too weary to do any exploring. - -The next morning, Monday, October the 2d saw us making arrangements -for the final run that would take us out of Lodore Canyon. No doubt it -was a beautiful and a wonderful place, but none of us seemed sorry to -leave it behind. For ten days we had not had a single day entirely -free from rain, and instead of having a chance to run rapids, it -seemed as if we had spent an entire week in carrying our loads, or in -lining our boats through the canyon. The canyon walls lost much of -their precipitous character as we neared the end of the canyon. - -A short run took us over the few rapids that remained, and at a turn -ahead we saw a 300-foot ridge, brilliantly tinted in many -colours,--light and golden yellows, orange and red, purple and -lavender,--and composed of numberless wafer-like layers of rock, -uptilted, so that the broken ends looked like the spines of a gigantic -fish's back. A sharp turn to the left soon brought us to the end of -this ridge, close to the bottom of a smooth, sheer wall. Across a -wide, level point of sand we could see a large stream, the Yampa -River, flowing from the East to join its waters with those of the -Green. This was the end of Lodore Canyon. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - - -JIMMY GOES OVER THE MOUNTAIN - -The Yampa, or Bear River, was a welcome sight to us in spite of its -disagreeable whitish yellow, clay colour; quite different from the red -water of the Green River. The new stream meant more water in the -channel, something we needed badly, as our past tribulations showed. -The recent rise on the Green had subsided a little, but we now had a -much higher stage than when we entered Lodore. Quite likely the new -conditions gave us six feet of water above the low water on which we -had been travelling. Would it increase or diminish our dangers? We -were willing, Emery and I, even anxious, to risk our chances on the -higher water. - -Directly opposite the Yampa, the right shore of the Green went up -sheer about 700 feet high, indeed it seemed to overhang a trifle. This -had been named Echo Cliffs by Powell's party. The cliffs gave a -remarkable echo, repeating seven words plainly when shouted from the -edge of the Yampa a hundred yards away, and would doubtless repeat -more if shouted from the farther shore of the Yampa. Echo Cliffs, we -found, were in the form of a peninsula and terminated just below this -point where we stood, the river doubling back on the other side of the -cliff. On the left side of the river, the walls fell back, leaving a -flat, level space of about twenty-five acres. Here was a little ranch -of which Mrs. Chew had told us. The Chew ranch lay back from the river -on top of the cliffs. We found no one at home here at this first -ranch, but there was evidence of recent habitation. There were a few -peach trees, and a small garden, while beyond this were two -buildings,--little shacks in a dilapidated condition. The doors were -off their hinges and leaned against the building, a few logs being -placed against the doors. Past the dooryard, coming out of a small -canyon above the ranch, ran a little brook; up this canyon was a -trail, the outlet to the ranch above. We camped near the mouth of the -stream. - -It had been agreed upon the night before, that we should endeavour to -make arrangements to have Jimmy taken out on horseback over the -mountains. Before looking for the ranch, however, we asked him if he -did not wish to reconsider his decision to leave here. We pointed out -that Jensen, Utah, was only fifty miles away, half that distance being -in quiet water, and that the worst canyon was behind us. But he said -he had enough of the river and preferred to see what could be done. -While I busied myself about camp, he and Emery left for the ranch. - -About seven o'clock that evening they returned in great spirits. They -had found the ranch without any trouble nearly three miles from our -camp. Mrs. Chew was there and gave them a hearty welcome. She had -often wondered what had become of us. She invited the boys to remain -for supper, which they did. They talked over the matter of -transportation for Jimmy. As luck would have it, Mrs. Chew was going -to drive over to Jensen, and Vernal, Utah, in two days' time, and -agreed to take Jimmy along. - -Early the next morning two boys, one about fourteen years old the -other a little older, rode down from the ranch. Some of their horses -were pastured across the river and they had come after these. After a -short visit they got into the _Edith_ with Emery and prepared to cross -over to the pasture, which was a mile or more downstream. They were -soon out of our sight. Jimmy and I remained at the camp, taking -pictures, packing his belongings, and finding many odd jobs to be -done. In about three hours the boys returned with their horses. The -horses were quite gentle, and they had no difficulty in swimming them -across. A young colt, too feeble to swim, placed its fore feet on its -mother's flanks and was ferried across in that way. Then they were -driven over a narrow trail skirting the cliff, 300 feet above the -river. No one, looking from the river, would have imagined that any -trail, over which horses could be driven, existed. - -The boys informed us that we were expected at the ranch for dinner, -and would listen to no refusal so up we went, although we would have -to make a second trip that day. The view of the ranch was another of -those wonderful scenic changes which we were to meet with everywhere -in this region. The flat on which we stood was simply a pocket, shut -in by the round-domed mountains, with a pass, or an opening, to the -east side. A small stream ran down a mountain side, spreading over the -rocks, and glistening in the sunlight. This same stream passed the -ranch, and ran on down through the narrow canyon up which we had come. -The ranch itself was refreshing. The buildings were new, some were -under construction; but there was considerable ground under -cultivation. Cattle were scattered up the valley, or dotted the rocky -slopes below the mountains. A wild spot this, on the borderland of the -three states. None but people of fortitude, or even of daring, would -think of taking up a homestead in this secluded spot. The same rumours -of the escaped prisoners had drifted in here. It was Mr. Chew who gave -us the information we have previously quoted concerning the murdered -man. He had found the body in the boat, in front of the post-office. -He further stated that others in the mountains would not hesitate at -anything to drive out those who were trying to improve a homestead as -he was doing, and that it was a common event to find the carcasses of -his own horses or cattle which had been ruthlessly slaughtered. This -was the reason for putting the horses across the river. There they -were safe, for none could approach them save by going past the ranch, -or coming through Lodore Canyon. - -Mr. Chew also told us of the Snyders, who had lost their boat in upper -Lodore Canyon, and of how he had given them a horse and provisions to -aid them in reaching the settlements. This did not prevent the elder -Snyder from coming back to trap the next year, much to Mr. Chew's -disgust. He thought one experience should be enough for any man. - -While we were talking, a very old, bearded man rode in on a horse. He -was Pat Lynch, the owner of the little ranch by the river. He was a -real old-timer, having been in Brown's Park when Major Powell was -surveying that section of the country. He told us that he had been -hired to get some meat for the party, and had killed five mountain -sheep. He was so old that he scarcely knew what he was talking about, -rambling from one subject to another; and would have us listening with -impatience to hear the end of some wonderful tale of the early days, -when he would suddenly switch off on to an entirely different subject, -leaving the first unfinished. - -In spite of his years he was quite active, having broken the horses on -which he rode, bareback, without assistance. We were told that he -placed a spring or trap gun in his houses at the river, ready to greet -any prying marauder The last we saw of him he was on his way to the -post-office, miles away, to draw his pension for service in the Civil -War. - -Returning to the transportation of Jimmy, it was settled that the -Chews were to leave early the next morning. They also agreed to take -out our exposed films and plate for us--something we had not counted -on, but too good a chance to lose. We all three returned to the boats -and packed the stuff that was to go out; then went back to the ranch -with Jimmy. It was late--after midnight--when we reached there, and we -did not disturb any one. Jimmy's blankets were unrolled in the wagon, -so there would be no question about his going out. He was to go to -Jensen, or Vernal, and there await us, keeping our films until we -arrived. We knew they were in good hands. It was with some difficulty -that we found our way back to our camp. The trail was difficult and it -was pitch dark. My boat had been taken down to where Emery left the -_Edith_ when the horses were driven across, and this extra distance -was added to our walk. - -We were laggard the next morning, and in no hurry to resume our work. -We rearranged our loads in the boats; with one less man and -considerable less baggage as well, they were lighter by far. Our -chances looked much more favourable for an easier passage. Not only -were these things in our favour, but in addition we felt that we had -served our apprenticeship at navigation in rapid water, and we were -just as capable of meeting the rapids to follow as if we had years of -experience to our record. On summing up we found that the river had -dropped 1000 feet since leaving Green River, Wyoming, and that 5000 -feet remained, to put us on a level with the ocean. Our difficulties -would depend, of course, on how this fall was distributed. Most of the -fall behind was found in Lodore and Red canyons. It was doubtful -indeed if any section would have a more rapid fall than Lodore Canyon. - -There is a certain verse of wisdom which says that "Pride goeth before -a fall," but perhaps it was just as well for us if we were a little -bit elated by our past achievements as long as we had to go through -with the balance of our self-imposed task. Confidence, in a proper -degree, is a great help when real difficulties have to be surmounted. -We were full of confidence that day when we pulled away about noon -into Whirlpool Canyon, Whirlpool Canyon being next on the list. The -camp we were about to leave was directly opposite Lodore Canyon, where -it ran against the upended cliff. The gorgeous colours were the same -as those on the opposite side, and, to a certain degree, were also -found in Whirlpool Canyon. - -Our two and a half hours' dash through the fourteen miles of rapid -water in Whirlpool Canyon put us in a joyful frame of mind. Rapid -after rapid was left behind us without a pause in our rowing, with -only a hasty survey standing on the deck of the boats before going -over. Others that were free from rocks were rowed in bow first, the -big waves breaking over our boats and ourselves. We bailed while -drifting in the quiet stretches, then got ready for the next rapids. -Two large rapids only were looked over from the shore and these were -run in the same manner. We could hardly believe it was true when we -emerged from the mountain so quickly into a little flat park or valley -sheltered in the hills. This was Island or Rainbow Park, the latter -name being suggested by the brilliant colouring of the rocks, in the -mountains to our left. Perhaps the form of the rocks themselves helped -a little, for here was one end of the rainbow of rock which began on -the other side of the mountains. Jagged-edged canyons looking almost -as if their sides had been rent asunder came out of these mountains. -There was very little dark red here except away on top, 2300 feet -above, where a covering of pines made a soft background for -light-cream and gorgeous yellow-coloured pinnacles, or rocky walls of -pink and purple and delicate shades of various hues. Large cottonwoods -appeared again along the river banks, in brilliant autumn colours, -adding to the beauties of the scene. Back from the river, to the west, -stretched the level park, well covered with bunch-grass on which some -cattle grazed, an occasional small prickly pear cactus, and the ever -present, pungent sage. Verdure-covered islands dotted the course of -the stream, which was quiet and sluggish, doubling back and forth like -a serpent over many a useless mile. Nine miles of rowing brought us -back to a point about three miles from the mouth of Whirlpool Canyon; -where the river again enters the mountain, deliberately choosing this -course to one, unobstructed for several miles, to the right. - -The next gorge was Split Mountain Canyon, so named because the stream -divided the ridge length-wise, from one end to the other. It was -short, only nine miles long, with a depth of 2700 feet in the centre -of the canyon. Three miles of the nine were put behind us before we -camped that evening. These were run in the same manner as the rapids -of Whirlpool, scarcely pausing to look them over, but these rapids -were bigger, much bigger. One we thought was just formed or at least -increased in size by a great slide of rock that had fallen since the -recent rains. We just escaped trouble in this rapid, both boats going -over a large rock with a great cresting wave below, and followed by a -very rough rapid. Emery was standing on top of a fifteen-foot rock -below the rapid when I went over, and for a few moments could see -nothing of my boat, hardly believing it possible that I had come -through without a scratch. These rapids with the high water looked -more like rapids we had seen in the Grand Canyon, and were very unlike -the shallow water of a week previous. We had only travelled a half -day, but felt as if it had been a very complete day when we camped at -the foot of a rock slide on the right, just above another big rapid. - -On Thursday, October 5, Camp No. 20 was left behind. The rapid below -the camp was big, big enough for a moving picture, so we took each -other in turns as we ran the rapid. More rapids followed, but these -were not so large. A few sharp-pointed spires of tinted rock lifted -above us a thousand feet or more. Framed in with the branches of the -near-by cottonwood trees, they made a charming picture. Less than -three hours brought us to the end of Split Mountain Canyon, and the -last bad water we were to have for some time. Just before leaving the -canyon, we came to some curious grottos, or alcoves, under the rock -walls on the left shore. The river has cut into these until they -overhang, some of them twenty-five feet or over. In one of these was a -beaver lying on a pile of floating sticks. Although we passed quite -close, the beaver never moved, and we did not molest it. - -Another shower greeted us as we emerged into the Uinta Valley as it is -called by the Ute Indians. This valley is eighty-seven miles long. It -did not have the fertileness of Brown's Park, being raised in bare -rolling hills, runnelled and gullied by the elements. The water was -quiet here, and hard rowing was necessary to make any progress. We had -gone about seven miles when we spied a large placer dredge close to -the river. To the uninitiated this dredge would look much like a -dredging steamboat out of water, but digging its own channel, which is -what it really does. - -Great beds of gravel lay on either side of the river and placer gold -in large or small quantities, but usually the latter is likely to -exist in these beds. When a dredge like the one found here is to be -installed, an opening is made in the river's bank leading to an -excavation which has been made, then a large flatboat is floated in -this. The dredging machinery is on this float, as well as most of the -machinery through which the gravel is passed accompanied by a stream -of water; then with quicksilver and rockers of various designs, the -gold is separated from the gravel and sand. - -Numerous small buildings were standing near the dredge, but the -buildings were empty, and the dredge lay idle. We saw many fresh -tracks of men and horses aid were welcomed by a sleek, well-fed cat, -but found the place was deserted. All buildings were open and in one -was a telephone. We were anxious to hear just where we were, so we -used the telephone and explained what we wanted to know. The "Central" -informed us that we were about nine miles from Jensen, so we returned -to the boats and pulled with a will through a land that was no longer -barren, but with cozy ranch houses, surrounded by rows of stately -poplars, bending with the wind, for it was storming in earnest now. -About six o'clock that evening we caught sight of the top of the -Jensen bridge; then, as we neared the village, the sun broke through -the pall of cloud and mist, and a rainbow appeared in the sky above, -and was mirrored in the swollen stream, rainbow and replica combined -nearly completing the wondrous arc. There was a small inn beside the -bridge, and arrangements were made for staying there that night. We -were told that Jim and Mrs. Chew had passed through Jensen about four -hours before we arrived. They had left word that they would go on -through to Vernal, fifteen miles distant from the river. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - - -AN INLAND EXCURSION - -Jensen was a small village with two stores and a post-office. A few -scattered houses completed the village proper, but prosperous-looking -ranches spread out on the lowland for two or three miles in all -directions on the west side of the river. Avenues of poplar trees, -fruit trees, and fields of alfalfa gave these ranches a different -appearance from any others we had passed. - -We found some mail awaiting us at the post-office, and were soon -busily engaged in reading the news from home. We conversed awhile with -the few people at the hotel, then retired, but first made arrangements -for saddle horses for the ride to Vernal. - -Next morning we found two spirited animals, saddled and waiting for -us. We had some misgivings concerning these horses, but were assured -that they were "all right." A group of grinning cowboys and ranch -hands craning their necks from a barn, a hundred yards distant, rather -inclined us to think that perhaps our informant might be mistaken. -Nothing is more amusing to these men of the range than to see a man -thrown from his horse, and a horse that is "all right" for one of them -might be anything else to persons such as we who never rode anything -except gentle horses, and rode those indifferently. We mounted quickly -though, trying to appear unconcerned. The horses, much to our relief, -behaved quite well, Emery's mount rearing back on his hind legs but -not bucking. After that, all went smoothly. - -Leaving the irrigated ranches on the bottom lands, we ascended a low, -rolling mesa, composed of gravel and clay, unwatered and unfertile, -from which we caught occasional glimpses of the mountains and the -gorge from which we had emerged, their brilliant colours softened and -beautified by that swimming blue haze which belongs to this plateau -region. Then we rode down into the beautiful Ashley Valley, watered by -Ashley Creek, a good-sized stream even after it was used to irrigate -all the country for miles above. The valley was several miles wide. -The stream emptied into the river about a mile below Jensen. All parts -of the valley were under cultivation. It is famous for its splendid -deciduous fruits, apples, pears, peaches; splendid both in appearance -and flavour. It excelled not only in fruits, however, but in all -products of the field as well. "Vernal honey," which is marketed far -and near, has a reputation for fine flavour wherever it is known. A -thick growth of the bee-blossom or bee-weed crowded the road sides and -hugged the fences. The fragrance of the flower can easily be noticed -in the sweetness of the honey. The pity of it was that bushels of -fruit lay rotting on the ground, for there were no transportation -facilities, the nearest railroad being 90 miles distant. There were -stock ranches too, with blooded stock in the fence-enclosed fields. -Some of the splendid horses paced along beside us on the other side of -the fence. We heard the rippling song of some meadow-larks this day, -the only birds of this species we remember having seen on the Western -plateaus. - -All these ranches were laid out in true Mormon style, that is, squared -off in sections, fenced, and planted with shade-trees before being -worked. The roads are usually wide and the streets exceptionally so. -Except in the business streets, a large garden usually surrounds the -home building, each family endeavouring to raise all their own -vegetables, fruits, and poultry. They usually succeed. - -The shade trees about Vernal were Lombardy poplars. They attained a -height that would give ample shade under most conditions, and too much -when we were there, for the roads were very muddy, although they had -dried in all other sections. Nearing Vernal, we passed Nathan -Galloway's home, a cozy place set back some distance from the road. We -had hoped to meet Galloway and have an opportunity of talking over his -experiences with him, but found he was absent on a hunting trip, in -fact was up in the mountains we had come through. - -On nearing the town we were greeted by a busy scene. Numerous wagons -and horses stood in squares reserved for that purpose, or were tied to -hitching posts in front of the many stores. Ranchers and their -families were everywhere in evidence; there were numerous prospectors -in their high-topped boots just returning from the mountains, and oil -men in similar garb, muddy from head to foot. Later we learned that -oil had recently been discovered about forty miles distant, this fact -accounting for much of the activity. - -The town itself was a surprise; we found it to be very much up-to-date -considering its isolated position. Two of the streets were paved and -oiled and were supplied with drinking fountains. There were two -prosperous looking banks, two well-stocked and up-to-date drug stores, -several mercantile stores, and many others, all busy. Many of the -buildings were of brick; all were substantial. - -Near a hotel we observed a group of men surrounding some one who was -evidently keeping them interested. On approaching them we found it was -Jimmy, giving a graphic description of some of our difficulties. His -story was not finished, for he saw us and ran to greet us, as pleased -to see us as we were to see him. He had little idea we would be along -for two or three days and naturally was much surprised. - -On entering the hotel we were greeted by an old Grand Canyon friend, a -civil engineer named Duff, who with a crew of men had been mapping the -mountains near Whirlpool Canyon. You can imagine that it was a -gratifying surprise to all concerned to find we were not altogether -among strangers, though they were as hospitable as strangers could be. -The hotel was a lively place that night. There was some musical talent -among Duff's men, and Duff himself was an artist on the piano. Many of -the young people of the town had dropped in that evening, as some one -had passed the word that there might be an impromptu entertainment at -the hotel. There was. Duff played and the boys sang. Jimmy was himself -again and added his rich baritone. The town itself was not without -musical talent, and altogether it was a restful change for us. - -Perhaps we should have felt even better if we had been dressed -differently, for we wore much the same clothes as those in which we -did our work on the river--a woollen shirt and overalls. Besides, -neither Emery nor I had shaved since starting, and it is quite likely -that we looked just a little uncouth. Appearances count for little -with these people in the little-settled districts, and it is a common -enough sight to them to see men dressed as we were. They did -everything they could to make us feel at ease. As one person remarked, -"The wealthiest cattle man, or the owner of the richest mine in the -country, usually looks worse than all others after a month on the -range or in the hills." - -If wealth were indicated on an inverse ratio to one's good appearance, -we should have been very wealthy indeed. We felt as if it would take -us a week to get rested and lost little time in getting to bed when -the party broke up. We imagine most of the residents of Vernal were -Mormons. It is part of their creed to give "the stranger within their -gates" a cordial welcome. This however, was accorded to us, not only -among the Mormons, but in every section of our journey on the Green -and Colorado rivers. - -The following day was a busy one. Arrangements had been made with a -local photographer to get the use of his dark room, and we proceeded -to develop all plates and many of our films. These were then to be -packed and shipped out. We were informed at the local express office, -that it might be some time before they would go, as the recent rains -had been very bad in Colorado and had washed out most of the bridges. - -Vernal had passenger transportation to the railway--a branch of the D. -& R.G. running north into Colorado--by automobile, the route lying -across the Green and also across the White River, a tributary to the -Green. A steel structure had been washed away on the White River, -making it impossible to get through to the station. The high water -below here must have been a flood, judging from all reports. About ten -bridges, large and small, were reported as being washed away on -numerous branch streams leading into the Green River. Fortunately -Vernal had another means of communication. This was a stage running -southwest from Vernal, over 125 miles of rough road to Price, -Utah--Price being a station on the main line of the D. & R.G. - -Jimmy concluded that he would take this road, in preference to the -uncertainties of the other route, and noon that day found him on board -the stage. He promised to write to us, and was anxious to hear of our -success, but remarked that when he once got home he would "never leave -San Francisco again." There was a final hand clasp, a cheer from the -small group of men, and the stage drove away with Jimmy, a happy boy -indeed. - -Our work on the developing progressed well, and with very satisfying -results on the whole, and that evening found us with all plates packed -ready for shipment to our home. The moving-picture film was also -packed and shipped to be developed at once. This was quite a load off -our minds. - -The following day we prepared to depart, but did not leave until the -afternoon. Then, with promises to let them know the outcome of our -venture, we parted from our friends and rode back to Jensen. - -We planned on leaving the following morning. The river had fallen one -foot since we had landed, and we were anxious to have the benefit of -the high water. We were told that it was six feet above the low-water -stage of two weeks before. - -On Monday, October the 9th, after loading our boat with a new stock of -provisions,--in which was included few jars of honey, and a few dozen -of eggs, packed in sawdust,--we began what might be called the second -stage of our journey; the 175-mile run to Blake or Green River, Utah, -a little west of south from Jensen. Ten miles below Jensen was a ferry -used by the auto and wagons. Here also was a ranch house, with a -number of people in the yard. We were invited to land and did so. They -had been informed by telephone of our coming and were looking for us; -indeed they had even prepared dinner for us, hoping we would reach -there in time. Not knowing all this, we had eaten our cold lunch half -an hour before. The women were busy preserving fruits and garden -truck, and insisted on us taking two or three jars along. This was a -welcome change to the dried fruit, which was one of our principal -foods. These people made the usual request--"Drop us a post card if -you get through." - -The memory of these people that we met on this journey will linger -with us as long as we live. They were always anxious to help us or -cheer us on our way. - -We passed a dredge that evening and saw a man at work with a team and -scoop shovel, the method being to scoop up the gravel and sand, then -dump it in an iron car. This was then pulled by the horses to the top -of a derrick up a sloping track and dumped. A stream of water pumped -up from the river mixed with the gravel, the entire mass descended a -long zigzagging chute. We paused a few minutes only and did not -examine the complicated process of separating the mineral from the -gravel. This dredge had been recently installed. We camped early, half -a mile below the dredge. - -Emery had been feeling poorly all this day. He blamed his -indisposition to having eaten too many good things when in Vernal--a -break in training, as it were. This was our excuse for a short run -that day. I played nurse and gave him some simple remedy from the -little supply that we carried; and, after he was in his sleeping bag, -I filled some hot-water bags for the first time on the trip, and soon -had him feeling quite comfortable. - -A hard wind came up that night, and a little rain fell. I had a busy -half-hour keeping our camp from being blown away. The storm was of -short duration, and all was soon quiet again. On the following morning -Emery felt so good that I had a hard time in keeping up with him and I -wondered if he would ever stop. Towards evening, after a long pull, we -neared the reservation of the Uinta Utes, and saw a few Indians camped -away from the river. Here, again, were the cottonwood bottoms, banked -by the barren, gravelly hills. We had been informed that there was a -settlement called Ouray, some distance down the river, and we were -anxious to reach it before night. But the river was sluggish, with -devious and twisting channels, and it was dark when we finally landed -at the Ouray ferry. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - - -CANYON OF DESOLATION - -Ouray, Utah, consisted of a large store to supply the wants of the -Indians and ranchers, a small hotel, and a few dwellings. The agency -proper was located some distance up the Uinta River, which stream -emptied into the Green, just below Ouray. - -Supper was taken at the hotel, after which we visited a young man in -charge of the store, looking over his curios and listening to tales of -his life here among these Indians. They were peaceable enough now, but -in years gone by were a danger to be reckoned with. We slept in our -own beds close to our boats by the river. - -The following morning, when we were ready to leave, a small crowd -gathered, a few Indians among them. Most of the Indians were big, fat, -and sleepy-looking. Apparently they enjoyed the care of the -government. A mile below we passed several squaws and numerous -children under some trees, while on a high mound stood a lone buck -Indian looking at us as we sped by, but without a single movement that -we could see. He still stood there as we passed from sight a mile -below. It might be interesting if one could know just what was in his -mind as he watched us. - -A mile below the Uinta River, which entered on the west, we passed -another stream, the White River, entering from the east, the two -streams adding considerable water to the Green River. We passed -another idle dredge, also some mineral workings in tunnels, and saw -two men camped on the shore beside them. We saw numerous Indian -carvings on the rocks, but judged they were recent because horses -figured in most of them. In all the open country the river was fringed -with large cottonwood trees, alders and willow thickets. A number of -islands followed, one of them very symmetrical in shape, with -cottonwood trees in the centre, while around the edge ran a fringe of -bushes looking almost like a trimmed hedge. The autumn colouring added -to its beauty. The hedge, as we called it, was dark red, brown, -yellow, and green; the cottonwoods were a light yellow. After we had -passed this island, a deer, confused by our voices, jumped into the -river fifty yards behind us, leaping and swimming as he made for the -shore. We had no gun, but Emery had the moving-picture camera at hand, -and turned it on the deer. The hour was late, however, and we had -little hopes of its success as a picture. The country back from the -river stretched in rolling, barren hills 200 or 300 feet high--a -continuation of the Bad Lands of Utah, which lay off to the west. - -With the next day's travel the hills lost some of their barren -appearance. Some cattle were seen early in the afternoon of the -following day. We passed a cattle man working at a ferry, who had just -taken some stock across, which other men had driven on ahead. He was -busy, so we did not interrupt him, merely calling to him from the -boats, drifting meanwhile with the current. Soon we saw him riding -down the shore and waited for him to catch up. He invited us to camp -with him that evening, remarking that he had "just killed a beef." We -thanked him, but declined, as it was early and we had only travelled a -short distance that day. We chatted awhile, and he told us to look out -for rapids ahead. He was rather surprised when he learned that we had -started at Green River, Wyoming, and had already come through a few -rapids. - -"Where are you going to stop?" he then asked. - -On being told that our destination was Needles, California, he threw -up his hands with an expressive gesture, then added soberly, "Well, -boys, I sure wish you luck," and rode back to his camp. - -We had difficulty in making a suitable landing that evening, as the -high water had deposited great quantities of black mud over -everything, making it very disagreeable when we left the boats. We -finally found a place with less mud to wade through than on most of -the banks seen, and tied up to the roots of a tree. - -While lying in our beds that night looking at the starlit sky--such a -sky as is found only on these high plateaus--we discovered a comet -directly above us. An astronomer would have enjoyed our opportunities -for observing the heavens. No doubt this comet had been heralded far -and wide, but we doubt if any one saw it to better advantage than did -we. - -Later, some coyotes, possibly in chase of a rabbit, gave vent to their -yodeling cry, and awakened us from a sound sleep. They were in a -little lateral canyon, which magnified and gave a weird, organ-like -echo to their calls long after the coyotes themselves had passed from -hearing. - -The nights were getting warmer as we travelled south, but not so warm -that we were bothered with insects. The same reason accounted for the -absence of snakes or scorpions, for no doubt there were plenty of both -in warm weather in this dry country. When there was no wind, the -silence of the nights was impressive, with no sound save the lapping -of the water against the banks. Sometimes a bird in the trees above -would start up with a twitter, then quiet down again. On occasions the -air chambers in our boats would contract on cooling off, making a -noise like the boom of a distant gun, every little sound being -magnified by the utter stillness of the night. - -There were other times when it was not so quiet. Hundreds of birds, -geese, ducks and mud-hens had been seen the last few days. Also there -were occasional cranes and herons, over a thousand miles from their -breeding place at the mouth of the Colorado. As dusk settled, we would -see these birds abandon their feeding in the mud, and line up on the -shore, or on an island, and go to sleep. Occasionally one of these -birds would start up out of a sound sleep with an unearthly squawk. -Possibly an otter had interrupted its dreams, or a fox had pounced on -one as it slept. It may be that it was only a bad dream of these -enemies that caused their fright, but whatever it was, that first call -would start up the entire flock and they would circle in confusion -like a stampeded herd of cattle, their discordant cries putting an end -to the stillness of the night. Finally they would settle down in a new -spot, and all would be quiet once more. - -We saw a few birds that were strangers to us,--water birds which we -imagined belonged to the salt water rather than the inland streams, -making a little excursion, perhaps, away from their accustomed haunts. -One type we saw on two occasions, much like a gull, but smaller, pure -white as far as we could tell, soaring in graceful flight above the -river. - -Camp No. 26 was close to the beginning of a new canyon. The country -had been changing in appearance from rather flat plains to small bare -hills, gradually increasing in height with smooth, rounded sides, and -going up to a point, usually of a dirty clay colour, with little -vegetation of any kind on them. The river for miles past had swept in -long graceful curves, the hills being close to the river on the -outside of the curve, leaving a big flat on the inside. This flat -gradually sloped back to hills of an equal height to those opposite. -Then the curve would reverse, and the same conditions would be met -with again, but on opposite sides from the previous bend. After -passing a creek the evening before, the hills became higher, and from -our camp we could see the first place where they came close on both -sides to the river. We felt now that our beautiful tree-covered -canyons were behind us and from now on we would be hemmed in by the -great eroded canyons of the Southwest. We were sorry to leave those -others behind, and could easily understand why Major Powell had named -this Desolation Canyon. - -As the canyon deepened the cliffs were cut into fantastic shapes, as -is usual in rocks unprotected by vegetation. There was a hard rock -near the top in places which overhung a softer formation. This would -erode, giving a cornice-like effect to the cliffs. Others were -surmounted by square towers and these were capped by a border of -little squares, making the whole look much like a castle on the Rhine. -For half a day we found no rapids, but pulled away on a good current. -The walls gradually grew higher and were more rugged; a few trees -cropped out on their sides. At noon our boats were lashed together and -lunch was eaten as we drifted. We covered about three miles in this -way, taking in the scenery as we passed. We saw a great stone arch, or -natural bridge, high on a stupendous cliff to our right, and wondered -if any one had ever climbed up to it. Our lunch was no more than -finished when the first rapid was heard ahead of us. Quickly unlashing -our boats, we prepared for strenuous work. Friday the 13th proved to -be a lucky day; thirteen large rapids and thirteen small ones were -placed behind us before we camped at Rock Creek--a splashing, laughing -mountain stream, no doubt containing trout. - -The following morning we found there was a little ranch house below -us, but, though we called from our boats, no one came out. We wondered -how any one could reach this out-of-the-way place, as a road would be -almost an impossibility. Later we found a well-constructed trail on -the right-hand side all the way through the canyon. We saw a great -many cattle travelling this trail. Some were drinking at the river -when we swept into view. Our boats filled them with alarm, and they -scrambled for the hillsides, looking after us with frightened -expressions as we left them to the rear. - -We put in a full day at running rapids, one after another, until -fifteen large ones were passed, no count being kept of the smaller -ones. Some of these rapids resembled dams from six to twelve feet -high, with the water falling abruptly over a steep slope. Others were -long and rough, with swift water in places. Above one of these we had -landed, then found we could get a much better view from the opposite -shore. Emery crossed and landed, I followed. We had been having heavy -winds all day. When crossing here I was caught by a sudden gust of -wind and carried to the head of the rapid. I heard Emery call, "Look -out for the big rock!" then over I went. The wind and water together -had turned my boat sideways, and try as I would I could not get it -turned around. I saw the rock Emery referred to straight ahead of me. -It was about fifteen feet square and about fourteen feet from the -shore, with a powerful current shooting between the rock and the -shore. It seemed as if I must strike the rock broadside, and I ceased -my struggle, but held out an oar with both hands, hoping to break the -blow. But it never came. The water struck this rock with great force, -then rebounded, and actually kept me from even touching the rock with -the oar, but it caught the boat and shot it through the narrow -channel, bow first, as neatly as it could possibly be done, then, -turned the boat around again as I scrambled to regain my hold on both -oars. No other rocks threatened however, and besides filling the -cockpit with water, no damage was done. - -Emery had no desire to follow my passage and crossed back to the other -side. Shooting over the upper end of the rapid, his boat ran up on a -rounded rock, the stern sticking high in the air; it paused a moment, -the current slowly turning it around as if on a pivot, and the boat -slid off; then down he came lurching and plunging, but with no more -difficulty. Many times in such places as these we saw the advantage of -our flat-bottomed boats over one with a keel, for these would surely -be upset when running up on such a rock. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - - -HOSPITABLE RANCHMEN - -The appearance of Desolation Canyon had changed entirely in the lower -end. Instead of a straight canyon without a break, we were surrounded -by mountain peaks nearly 2500 feet high, with many side canyon between -them and with little level parks at the end of the canyons beside the -river. The tops were pine-covered; cedars clung to the rocky slopes. -Some of these peaks were not unlike the formations of the Grand -Canyon, as seen from the inner plateau, and the red colouring was once -more found in the rocks. - -These peaks were gradually dropping down in height; and at one open -section, with alfalfa and hay fields on gently sloping hillsides, we -found a small ranch, the buildings being set back from the river. We -concluded to call and found three men, the rancher and two young -cowboys, at work in a blacksmith shop. Emery had forgotten to remove -his life-preserver, and the men looked at him with some astonishment, -as he was still soaking wet from the splashing waves of the last -rapid. - -When I joined him he was explaining that no one had been drowned, and -that we were merely making an excursion down the river. Mr. McPherson, -the rancher, we learned, owned all the cattle seen up the river. The -little cabin at our last camp was a sort of headquarters for his -cowboys. The cattle were just being driven from the mountains before -the snows came, and were to be wintered here in the canyons. Some of -these cattle were much above the usual grade of range cattle, being -thoroughbreds, although most of them ran loose on the range. This -ranch had recently lost a valuable bull which had been killed by a -bear up in the mountains--not unlike similar conflicts in more -civilized sections of the country. McPherson camped on this bear's -trail for several days and nights before he finally hung his pelt on a -tree. He was a large cinnamon-coloured grizzly. Four other bears had -been killed this same year, in these mountains. - -McPherson's home had burned down a short time before our visit, and -his family had removed to Green River, Utah. A number of tents were -erected, neatly boarded up, and we were informed that one of these was -reserved for company, so we need not think of going any farther that -day. These men, while absolutely fearless in the saddle, over these -rough mountain trails, had "no use for the river" they told us; in -fact, we found this was the usual attitude of the cattle men wherever -we met them. McPherson's respect for the river was not without reason, -as his father, with two others, had been drowned while making a -crossing in a light boat near this point, some years before. Some -accident occurred, possibly the breaking of a rowlock, and they were -carried into a rapid. McPherson's men found it necessary to cross -their cattle back and forth, but always took the wise precaution to -have on some life-preservers. The cork preservers hung in the -blacksmith shop, where they could easily be reached at a moment's -notice. - -Desolation Canyon, with a slight breaking down of the walls for a -short distance only, gave place to Gray Canyon below the McPherson -Ranch. A good sized mountain stream, part of which irrigated the ranch -above, found its way through this division. We had been told that more -rapids lay ahead of us in Gray Canyon, but they were not so numerous -in our next day's travel. What we did find were usually large, but we -ran them all without difficulty. About noon we met five men in a boat, -rowing up the stream in a long, still stretch. They told us they were -working on a dam, a mile or two below. They followed us down to see us -make the passage through the rapid which lay above their camp. The -rapid was long and rocky, having a seventeen-foot fall in a half mile. -We picked our channel by standing up in the boat before entering the -rapid and were soon at the bottom with no worse mishap than bumping a -rock or two rather lightly. We had bailed out and were tying our -boats, when the men came panting down the hill up which they had -climbed to see us make this plunge. A number of men were at work here, -but this being Sunday, most of them had gone to Green River, Utah, -twenty-one miles distant. - -Among the little crowd who came down to see us resume our rowing was a -lady and a little girl who lived in a rock building, near the other -buildings erected for the working-men. Emery showed the child a -picture of his four-year-old daughter, Edith, with her mother--a -picture he always carried in a note-book. Then he had her get in the -boat with him, and we made a photograph of them. They were very good -friends before we left. - -In a few hours we emerged from the low-walled canyon into a level -country. A large butte, perhaps 700 feet high, stood out by itself, a -mile from the main cliffs. This was Gunnison Butte, an old landmark -near the Gunnison trail. We were anxious to reach Blake or Green -River, Utah, not many miles below, that evening; but we failed to make -it. There were several rapids, some of them quite large, and we had -run them all when we came to a low dam that obstructed our passage, -While looking it over, seeing how best to make a portage, a young man -whom we had just seen remarked: "Well, boys, you had better tie up and -I will help you in the morning." - -It was 5.30 then, and we were still six miles from Green River, so we -took his advice and camped. On seeing our sleeping bags, tightly -strapped and making rather small roll, he remarked: "Well, you fellows -are not Mormons; I can tell by the size of your beds!" - -Our new friend gave the name of Wolverton. There was another man named -Wilson who owned a ranch just below the dam. Both of these men were -much interested in our experiences. Wolverton had considerable -knowledge of the river and of boats; very little persuasion would have -been necessary to have had him for a companion on the balance of our -journey. But we had made up our minds to make it alone, now, as it -looked feasible. Both Wilson and Wolverton knew the country below -Green River, Utah, having made surveys through much of the surrounding -territory. Wolverton said we must surely see his father, who lived -down the river and who was an enthusiast on motor boats. A few -minutes' work the next morning sufficed to get our boats over the dam. -The dam was constructed of loose rock and piles, chinked with brush -and covered with sloping planks,--just a small dam to raise the water -for irrigation purposes. Much of the water ran through the canal; in -places the planks were dry, in others some water ran over. The boats, -being unloaded were pulled up on these planks, then slid into the -water below. Wilson had a large water wheel for irrigation purposes, -the first of several such wheels which we were to see this day. These -wheels, twenty feet or more in height,--with slender metal buckets -each holding gallons of water, fastened at intervals on either -side,--were placed in a swift current, anchored on the shore to stout -piles, or erected over mill-races cut in the banks. There they -revolved, the buckets filling and emptying automatically, the water -running off in troughs above the level of the river back to the -fertile soil. Some of these wheels had ingenious floating arrangements -whereby they accommodated themselves to the different stages of a -rising or falling river. We took a few pictures of Wilson's place -before leaving. He informed us that he had telephoned to certain -people in Green River who would help us in various ways. Two hours' -rowing, past many pretty little ranches, brought us to the railroad -bridge, a grateful sight to us. A pumping plant stood beside the -bridge under charge of Captain Yokey, one of Wilson's friends. Yokey -owned a large motor boat, which was tied up to the shore. Our boats -were left in his charge while we went up to the town, a mile distant. -Another of Wilson's friends met us, and secured a dark room for us so -that we could do a little developing and we prepared for work on the -following day. - -That night a newspaper reporter hunted us out, anxious for a story. We -gave him what we had, making light of our previous difficulties, which -were exciting enough at times; but owing to the comparatively small -size of the stream, we seldom thought our lives were in any great -danger. The papers made the most of these things, and the stories that -came out had little semblance to our original statements. We have -since learned that no matter how much one minimizes such things, they -are seldom published as reported. - -We put in a busy day unpacking new films and plates developing all -films from the smaller cameras and sending these home. A new stock of -provisions had to be purchased, enough for one month at least, for -there was no chance of securing supplies until we reached our canyon -home, about 425 miles below. - -We had a valuable addition to our cargo in two metal boxes that had -been shipped here, as it was not possible to get them before leaving -Wyoming. These cases or trunks were sent from England, and were -water-tight, if not waterproof, there being a slight difference. Well -constructed, with rubber gaskets and heavy clamps, every possible -precaution had been taken, it seemed, to exclude the water and still -render them easy of access. They were about thirty inches long, -fifteen wide, and twelve high, just the thing for our photographic -material. Up to this time everything had to be kept under the deck -when in bad water. These boxes were placed in the open section in -front of us, and were thoroughly fastened to the ribs to prevent loss, -ready to be opened or closed in a moment, quite a convenience when -pictures had to be taken hurriedly. - -The following day we went over the boats, caulking few leaks. The -bottoms of the boats were considerably the worse for wear, owing to -our difficulties in the first canyons. We got some thin oak strips and -nailed them on the bottom to help protect them, when portaging. -Sliding the boats on the scouring sand and rough-surfaced rock was -hard on the half-inch boards on the bottom of the boats. This work was -all completed that day, and everything was ready for the next plunge. - -In passing the station, we noticed the elevation above sea-level was -placed at 4085 feet, and remembered that Green River, Wyoming, was -6080 feet, showing that our descent in the past 425 miles had been -close to 2000 feet. We had not found it necessary to line or portage -any rapids since leaving Lodore Canyon; we were hopeful that our good -luck would continue. - -Nothing was to be feared from what remained of the Green River, 120 -miles or more, for motor boats made the journey to its junction with -the Grand, and we were told even ascended the Grand for some distance. -Below this junction was the Colorado River, a different stream from -the one we were still to navigate. - -Before leaving, we ate a final hearty breakfast at the boarding-house -where we had been taking our meals. A number of young men, clerks in -some of the business houses here, were among the boarders. The -landlady a whole-souled German woman and an excellent cook, was -greatly worried over their small appetites, thinking it was a -reflection on her table. She remarked that she hoped we had good -appetites, and I am sure she had no complaint to make so far as we -were concerned. We had never stinted ourselves when on the river, but -the change and the rest seemed to give us an abnormal appetite that -could not be satisfied, and we would simply quit eating because we -were ashamed to eat more. Less than half an hour after one of these -big meals, I was surprised to see my brother in a restaurant with a -sheepish grin on his face, and with a good-sized lunch before him. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - - -WONDERS OF EROSION - -_Thursday, October the 19th_. We embarked again with two of our -new-found friends on board as passengers for a short ride, their -intention being to hunt as they walked back. They left us at a ranch -beside the San Rafael River, a small stream entering from the west. -They left some mail with us to be delivered to Mr. Wolverton, whose -son we had met above. About 20 miles below Green River we reached his -home. Judging by a number of boats--both motor and row boats--tied to -his landing, Mr. Wolverton was an enthusiastic river-man. After -glancing over his mail, he asked how we had come and was interested -when he learned that we were making a boating trip. He was decidedly -interested when he saw the boats and learned that we were going to our -home in the Grand Canyon. His first impression was that we were merely -making a little pleasure trip on the quiet water. - -Going carefully over the boats, he remarked that they met with his -approval with one exception. They seemed to be a little bit short for -the heavy rapids of the Colorado, he thought. He agreed that our -experience in the upper rapids had been good training, but said there -was no comparison in the rapids. We would have a river ten times as -great as in Lodore to contend with; and in numerous places, for short -distances, the descent was as abrupt as anything we had seen on the -Green. Wolverton was personally acquainted with a number of the men -who had made the river trip, and, with the one exception of Major -Powell's expeditions, had met all the parties who had successfully -navigated its waters. This not only included Galloway's and Stone's -respective expeditions, which had made the entire trip, but included -two other expeditions which began at Green River, Utah, and had gone -through the canyons of the Colorado.[4] These were the Brown-Stanton -expedition, which made a railroad survey through the canyons of the -Colorado; and another commonly known as the Russell-Monnette -expedition, two of the party making the complete trip, arriving at -Needles after a voyage filled with adventure and many narrow escapes. -Mr. Wolverton remarked that every one knew of those who had navigated -the entire series of canyons, but that few people knew of those who -had been unsuccessful. He knew of seven parties that had failed to get -through Cataract Canyon's forty-one miles of rapids, with their boats, -most of them never being heard of again. - -These unsuccessful parties were often miners or prospectors who wished -to get into the comparatively flat country which began about fifty -miles below the Junction of the Green and the Grand rivers. Here lay -Glen Canyon, with 150 miles of quiet water. Nothing need be feared in -this, or in the 120 miles of good boating from Green River, Utah, to -the junction. Between these two points, however, lay Cataract Canyon, -beginning at the junction of the two rivers. Judging by its unsavory -record, Cataract Canyon was something to be feared. - -Among these parties who had made short trips on the river was one -composed of two men. Phil Foote was a gambler, stage robber, and bad -man in general. He had broken out of jail in Salt Lake City and, -accompanied by another of similar character, stole a boat at Green -River, Utah, and proceeded down the river. Soon after entering -Cataract Canyon, they lost their boat and provisions. Finding a tent -which had been washed down the river, they tore it into strips and -constructed a raft out driftwood, tying the logs together with the -strips of canvas. Days of hardship followed, and starvation stared -them in the face; until finally Foote's partner gave up, said he would -drown himself. With an oath Foote drew his revolver, saying he had -enough of such cowardice and would save him the trouble. His companion -then begged for his life, saying he would stick to the end, and they -finally got through to the Hite ranch, which lay a short distance -below. They were taken care of here, and terminated their voyage a -short distance beyond, going out over land. Foote was afterwards shot -and killed while holding up a stage in Nevada. - -The Hite ranch also proved to be a place of refuge for others, the -sole survivors of two other parties who were wrecked, one person -escaping on each occasion. Hite's ranch, and Lee's Ferry, 140 miles -below Hite, had mail service. We had left instructions at the -post-office to forward our mail to one or the other of these points. -These were also the only places on our 425-mile run to Bright Angel -Trail where we could expect to see any people, so we were informed. We -were about to descend into what is, possibly, the least inhabited -portion of the United States of America. - -A party of civil engineers working here, joined us that evening at -Wolverton's home. A young man in the party asked us if we would -consent to carry a letter through with us and mail it at our -destination. He thought it would be an interesting souvenir for the -person to whom it was addressed. We agreed to do our best, but would -not guarantee delivery. The next morning two letters were given us to -mail, and were accepted with this one reservation. Before leaving Mr. -Wolverton showed us his motor boat with much pardonable pride. On this -boat he sometimes took small parties down to the beginning of the -Colorado River, and up the Grand, a round trip of three hundred miles -or more. The boat had never been taken down the Colorado for the -simple reason that the rapids began almost immediately below the -junction. - -Wolverton, while he had never been through the rapids in a boat, had -followed the river on foot for several miles and was thoroughly -familiar with their nature. On parting he remarked, - -"Well, boys, you are going to tackle a mighty hard proposition, but -I'm sure you can make it if you are only careful. But look out and go -easy." - -Wolverton was no novice, speaking from much experience in bad water, -and we were greatly impressed by what he had to say. - -Five uneventful days were spent in Labyrinth and Stillwater canyons, -through which the Green peacefully completed its rather violent -descent. In the upper end we usually found rough water in the canyons -and quiet water in the open sections. Here at least were two canyons, -varying from 300 feet at their beginning to 1300 in depth, both -without a rapid. The first of these was Labyrinth Canyon, so named -from its elaborately winding course as well as its wonderful intricate -system of dry, lateral canyons, and its reproduction in rock of -architectural forms, castles, arches, and grottos; even animals and -people were represented in every varying form. - -Our Sunday camp was beside what might be called a serpentine curve or -series of loops in the river. This was at the centre of what is known -as the Double Bow Knot, three rounded loops, very symmetrical in form, -with an almost circular formation of flat-topped rock, a mile or more -in diameter in the centre of each loop. A narrow neck of rock connects -these formations to the main mesa, all being on the same level, about -700 feet above the river. The upper half of the rock walls was sheer; -below was a steep boulder-covered slope. The centre formation is the -largest and most perfect, being nearly two miles in diameter and -almost round; so much so, that a very few minutes are necessary to -climb over the narrow neck which connects this formation to the mesa. -It took 45 minutes of hard rowing on a good current to take us around -this one loop. The neck is being rapidly eroded, two hundred feet -having disappeared from the top, and at some distant day will -doubtless disappear entirely, making a short cut for the river, and -will leave a rounded island of rock standing seven hundred feet above -the river. A bird's-eye view of the three loops would compare well in -shape to the little mechanical contrivance known as the "eye" in the -combination of "hook and eye." All women and many men will get a clear -idea the shape of the Double Bow Knot from this comparison. - -We recorded an interesting experiment with the thermometer at this -camp, showing a great variety of temperatures, unbelievable almost to -one who knows nothing of conditions in these semi-arid plateaus. A -little ice had formed the night before. Under a clear sky the next day -at noon, our thermometer recorded 54 degrees in the shade, but ran up -to 102 degrees in the sun. At the same time the water in the river was -52 degrees Far. The effect of being deluged in ice-cold waves, then -running into deep sunless canyons with a cold wind sweeping down from -the snow on top, can be easier imagined than described. This is what -we could expect to meet later. - -The colouring of the rocks varied greatly in many localities, a light -red predominating. In some places the red rock was capped by a gray, -flint-like limestone; in others this had disappeared, but underneath -the red were regular strata of various-coloured rocks, pink, brown, -light yellow, even blue and green being found in two or three -sections. - -The forms of erosion were as varied as the rock itself, each -different-coloured rock stratum presenting a different surface. In one -place the surface was broken into rounded forms like the backs of a -herd of elephants. In others we saw reproductions of images, carved by -the drifting sands--a Diana, with uplifted arm, as large as the -Goddess of Liberty; a Billiken on a throne with a hundred worshippers -bowed around. Covered with nature-made ruins and magnificent rock -structures, as this section is, it is not entirely without utility. It -is a grazing country. Great numbers of contented cattle, white-faced, -with red and white, or black and white patches of colour on their -well-filled hides, were found in the open spaces between the -sheer-walled cliffs. Dusty, well-beaten trails led down through these -wide canyons, trails which undoubtedly gained the top of the level, -rocky plateau a few miles back from the river. As is usual in a cattle -country at the end of the summer season, the bunch-grass, close to the -water supply--which in this case happened to the river--was nibbled -close to the roots. The cattle only came here to drink, then travelled -many miles, no doubt, to the better grazing on the upper plateaus. The -sage, always gray, was grayer still, with dust raised by many passing -herds. There was a band of range horses too, those splendid wild-eyed -animals with kingly bearing, and wind-blown tails and manes, lean like -a race-horse, strong-muscled and tough-sinewed, pawing and neighing, -half defiant and half afraid of the sight of men, the only thing alive -to which they pay tribute. - -It is a never ending source of wonder, to those unacquainted with the -semi-arid country, how these animals can exist in a land which, to -them, seems utterly destitute and barren. To many such, a meadow -carpeted with blue grass or timothy is the only pasture on which -grazing horses or grazing cattle can exist; the dried-out looking -tufts of bunch-grass, scattered here and there or sheltered at the -roots of the sage, mean nothing; the grama-grass hidden in the -grease-wood is unnoticed or mistaken for a weed. - -But if the land was bare of verdure, the rock saved it from being -monotonous. Varied in colour, the red rock predominated--blood-red at -mid-day, orange-tinted at sunset, with gauze-like purple shadows, and -with the delicate blue outlines always found in the Western distances; -such a land could never be called uninteresting. - -The banks of the stream, here in the open, were always green. From an -elevation they appeared like two emerald bands through a land of red, -bordering a stream the tint of the aged pottery found along its -shores. We were continually finding new trees and strange shrubs. -Beside the cottonwoods and the willows there was an occasional -wild-cherry tree; in the shrubs were the service-berry, and the -squaw-berry, with sticky, acid-tasting fruit. The cacti were small, -and excepting the prickly pear were confined nearly altogether to a -small "pin-cushion" cactus, growing a little larger as we travelled -south. And always in the mornings when out of the deep canyons the -moist, pungent odour of the sage greeted our nostrils. It is -inseparable from the West. There is no stuffy germ-laden air there, -out in the sage; one is glad to live, simply to breathe it in and -exhale and breathe again. - -In Stillwater Canyon the walls ran up to 1300 feet in height, a narrow -canyon, with precipitous sides. Occasionally we could see great -columns of rock standing on top of the mesa. Late one evening we saw -some small cliff dwellings several hundred feet above the river, and a -few crude ladders leaning against the cliff below the dwellings. A -suitable camp could not be made here, or we would have stopped to -examine them. The shores were slippery with mud and quicksands, and -there was no fire-wood in sight. From here to the end of the canyons -we would have to depend almost entirely on the drift-piles for -fire-wood. - -A landing was finally made where a section of a cliff had toppled from -above, affording a solid footing leading up to the higher bank. We -judged from our maps that we were within a very few miles of the -Colorado River. Here some footprints and signs of an old boat landing, -apparently about a week old, were seen in the sand. This surprised us -somewhat, as we had heard of no one coming down ahead of us. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - - -COULD WE SUCCEED? - -An hour or two at the oars the next morning sufficed to bring us to -the junction of the Green and the Grand rivers. We tied up our boats, -and prepared to climb out on top, as we had a desire to see the view -from above. A mile back on the Green we had noticed a sort of canyon -or slope breaking down on the west side, affording a chance to reach -the top. Loading ourselves with a light lunch, a full canteen, and our -smaller cameras, we returned to this point and proceeded to climb out. -Powell's second expedition had climbed out at this same place; -Wolverton had also mentioned the fact that he had been out; so we were -quite sure of a successful attempt before we made the climb. - -The walk close to the river, over rocks and along narrow ledges, was -hard work; the climb out was even more so. The contour maps which we -carried credited these walls with 1300 feet height. If we had any -doubt concerning the accuracy of this, it disappeared before we -finally reached the top. What we saw, however, was worth all the -discomfort we had undergone. Close the top, three branches of dry, -rock-bottomed gullies carved from a gritty, homogeneous sandstone, -spread out from the slope we had been climbing. These were less -precipitous. Taking the extreme left-hand gully, we found the climb to -the top much easier. At the very end we found an irregular hole a few -feet in diameter not a cave, but an opening left between some immense -rocks, touching at the top, seemingly rolled together. - -Gazing down through this opening, we were amazed to find that we were -directly above the Colorado itself. It was so confusing at first that -we had to climb to the very top to see which river it was, I -contending that it was the Green, until satisfied that I was mistaken. -The view from the top was overwhelming, and words can hardly describe -what we saw, or how we were affected by it. - -We found ourselves on top of an irregular plateau of solid rock, with -no earth or vegetation save a few little bushes and some very small -cedars in cracks in the rocks. Branching canyons, three or four -hundred feet in depth, and great fissures ran down in this rock at -intervals. Some were dark and crooked, and the bottom could not be -seen. Between these cracks, the rock rounded like elephants backs -sloping steeply on either side. Some could be crossed, some could not. -Others resembled a "maze," the puzzle being how to get from one point -to another a few away. The rock was a sandstone and presented a rough -surface affording a good hold, so there was little danger of slipping. -We usually sat down and "inched" way to the edge of the cracks, -jumping across to little ledges when possible, always helping each -other. - -The rock at the very edge of the main canyon overhung, in places 75 to -100 feet, and the great mass of gigantic boulders--sections of -shattered cliffs--on the steep slope near the river gave evidence of a -continual breaking away of these immense rocks. - -To the north, across the canyon up which we had climbed, were a great -number of smooth formations, from one hundred to four hundred feet -high, rounded on top in domes, reminding one of Bagdad and tales from -the Arabian Nights. "The Land of Standing Rocks," the Utes call it. -The rock on which we stood was light gray or nearly white; the river -walls at the base for a thousand feet above the river were dark red or -chocolate-brown; while the tops of the formations above this level -were a beautiful light red tint. - -But there were other wonders. On the south side of the Colorado's -gorge, miles away, were great spires, pointing heavenward, singly and -in groups, looking like a city of churches. Beyond the spires were the -Blue Mountains, to the east the hazy LaSalle range, and nearest of all -on the west just north of the Colorado lay the snow-covered peaks of -the Henry Mountains. Directly below us was the Colorado River, muddy, -swirllng, and forbidding. A mile away boomed a rapid, beyond that was -another, then the river was lost to view. - -Standing on the brink of all this desolation, it is small wonder if we -recalled the accounts of the disasters which had overtaken so many -others in the canyon below us. Many who had escaped the water had -climbed out on to this death trap, as it had proven to be for them, -some to perish of thirst and starvation, a few to stagger into the -ranch below the canyon, a week or more after they had escaped from the -water. Small wonder that some of these had lost their reason. We could -only conjecture at the fate of the party whose wrecked boat had been -found by the Stone expedition, a few miles below this place, with -their tracks still fresh in the sand. No trace of them was ever found. - -For the first time it began to dawn on us that we might have tackled a -job beyond our power to complete. Most of the parties which had safely -completed the trip were composed of several men, adding much to the -safety of the expedition, as a whole. Others had boats much lighter -than ours, a great help in many respects. Speaking for myself, I was -just a little faint-hearted, and not a little overawed as we prepared -to return to the boats. - -While returning, we saw evidences of ancient Indians--some broken -arrow-heads, and pottery also, and a small cliff ruin under a shelving -rock. - -What could an Indian find here to interest him! We had found neither -bird, nor rabbit; not even a lizard in the Land of Standing Rocks. -Perhaps they were sun worshippers, and wanted an unobstructed view of -the eastern sky. That at least could be had, in unrivalled grandeur, -here above the Rio Colorado. - -The shadows were beginning to lengthen when we finally reached our -boats at the junction. Camp was made under a large weeping willow -tree, the only tree of its kind we remembered having seen on the -journey. - -While Emery prepared a hasty meal I made a few arrangements for -embarking on the Colorado River the next morning. We were prepared to -bid farewell to the Green River--the stream that had served us so -well. In spite of our trials, even in the upper canyons, we had found -much enjoyment in our passage through its strange and beautiful -surroundings. - -From a scenic point of view the canyons of the Green River, with their -wonderful rock formations and stupendous gorges, are second only to -those of the Colorado itself. It is strange they are so little known, -when one considers the comparative ease with which these canyons on -the lower end can be reached. Some day perhaps, surfeited -globe-trotters, after having tired of commonplace scenery and foreign -lands, will learn what a wonderful region this is, here on the lower -end of the Green River. - -Then no doubt, Wolverton, or others with similar outfits, will find a -steady stream of sight-seers anxious to take the motor boat ride down -to this point, and up to Moab, Utah, a little Mormon town on the Grand -River. A short ride by automobile from Moab to the D. & R.C. railway -would complete a most wonderful journey; then the transcontinental -journey could be resumed. - -So I mused, as I contrived an arrangement of iron hooks and oak sticks -to hold on a hatch cover, from which all the thumb screws had been -lost. More than likely my dream of a line of sight-seeing motor boats -will be long deferred; or they may even meet the fate of Brown's and -Stanton's plans for a railroad down these gorges. - -As a reminder of the fate which overtakes so many of our feeble plans, -we found a record of Stanton's survey on a fallen boulder, an -inscription reading "A 81 + 50. Sta. D.C.C. & P.R.R.," the -abbreviations standing for Denver, Colorado Canyons, and Pacific -Railroad. It is possible that the hands that chiselled the inscription -belonged to one of the three men who were afterwards drowned in Marble -Canyon. - -Emery--being very practical--interrupted my revery and plans for -future sight-seers by announcing supper. The meal was limited in -variety, but generous in quantity, and consisted of a dried-beef stew, -fried potatoes and cocoa. A satisfied interior soon dispelled all our -previous apprehensiveness. We decided not to run our rapids before we -came to them. - -The water still gave indications of being higher than low-water mark, -although it was falling fast on the Green River. Each morning, for -three days previous to our arrival at the junction, we would find the -water about six inches lower than the stage of the evening before. -Strange to say, we gained on the water with each day's rowing, until -we had almost overtaken the stage of water we had lost during the -night. More than likely we would have all the water we needed under -the new conditions which were before us. - -Beginning with the Colorado River, we made our journals much more -complete in some ways, giving all the large rapids a number and -describing many of them in detail. This was done, not only for our own -satisfaction, but for the purpose of comparison with others who had -gone through, for many of these rapids have histories. - -It was often a question, when on the Green River, where to draw the -line when counting a rapid; this was less difficult when on the -Colorado. While the descent was about the same as in some of the -rapids above, the increased volume of water made them look and act -decidedly different. We drew the line, when counting a rapid, at a -descent having a decided agitation of the water, hidden rocks, or -swift descent and with an eddy or whirlpool below. Major Powell -considered that many of these drops in the next canyon were above the -ordinary rapid, hence the name, Cataract Canyon. - -At one of the camps below Green River, Utah boat had been christened -the _Defiance_, by painting the name on the bow. After leaving the -Green we referred to the boats by their respective names, being in the -_Edith_, I in the _Defiance_. - - -[Illustration: THE JUNCTION OF THE TWO RIVERS. THE GRAND RIVER IS ON -THE RIGHT. NOTE BOATS.] - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - - -A COMPANION VOYAGER - -THURSDAY morning, October the 26th, found Emery feeling very poorly, -but insisting on going ahead with our day's work, so Camp No. 34 was -soon behind us. We were embarked on a new stream, flowing -west-southwest, with a body of water ten times the size of that which -we had found in the upper canyons of the Green. Our sixteen-foot boats -looked quite small when compared with the united currents of the Green -and the Grand rivers. The Colorado River must have been about 350 feet -wide here just below the junction, with a three-mile current, and -possibly twenty-five feet deep, although this is only a guess. The -Grand River appeared to be the higher of the two streams, and had a -decidedly red colour, as though a recent storm was being carried down -its gorges; while the colour of the Green was more of a coffee -colour--coffee with a little cream in it. - -A fourth of a mile below the junction the two currents began to mix, -with a great ado about it, with small whirlpools and swift eddies, and -sudden outbursts from beneath as though a strangled current was -struggling to escape from the weight which overpowered it. The boats -were twisted this way and that, and hard rowing was necessary to carry -us down to the steadied current, and to the first rapid, which we -could hear when yet far above it. - -Soon we were running rapids again, and getting a lot of sport out of -it. There were some rocks, but there was water enough so that these -could be avoided. If one channel did not suit us, we took another, and -although we were drenched in every rapid, and the cockpit was half -filled each time, it was not cold enough to cause us any great -discomfort, and we bailed out at the end of each rapid, then hurried -on to tackle the next. Each of these rapids was from a fourth to a -third of a mile in length. The average was at least one big rapid to -the mile. When No. 5 was reached we paused a little longer, and looked -it over more carefully than we had the others. It had a short, quick -descent, then a long line of white-topped waves, with a big whirlpool -on the right. There were numerous rocks which would take careful work -to avoid. The waves were big,--big enough for a motion picture,--so -Emery remained on shore with both the motion-picture camera and the -8X10 plate camera in position, ready to take the picture, while I ran -my boat. - -At the head of this rapid we saw footprints in the sand, but not made -with the same shoe as that which we had noticed above the junction. We -had also seen signs of a camp, and some fishes' heads above this -point, and what we took to be a dog's track along the shore. - -At the head of the next rapid we saw them again, but on opposite side -of the river, and could see where boat had been pulled up on the sand. -This next rapid was almost as bad as the one above it, but with a -longer descent, instead of one abrupt drop. The following rapid was so -close that we continued along the shore to look it over at the same -time, saving a stop between the two rapids. The shores were strewn -with a litter of gigantic boulders--fallen sections of the overhanging -cliffs. We found more of this in Cataract Canyon than in any of the -canyons above. This was partly responsible for the violence of the -rapids, although the descent of the river would make rough water even -if there were no boulders. Working back along the shore, we were -suddenly electrified into quick action by seeing the _Edith_ come -floating down the river, close to the shore and almost on the rapid. -Emery was a short distance ahead and ran for the _Defiance_; I caught -up a long pole and got on a projecting rock, hoping I might steer her -in. She passed me, and was soon in the midst of the rapid before Emery -had launched the boat. Three gigantic boulders extended above the -water about fifty feet from shore, with a very crooked channel -between. Down toward these boulders came the _Edith_, plunging like a -thing possessed. How it was done I could never tell, but she passed -through the crooked channel without once touching, and continued over -the rapid. Meanwhile Emery had run the other side and had gained on -the _Edith_, but only caught her when close to the next rapid; so he -turned her loose and came to the shore for me. - -Emery had not been feeling his best and I advised him to remain on -shore while I took the boat. As we made the change we again observed -the boat, bounding through the next rapid, whirling on the tops of the -waves as though in the hands of a superhuman juggler. I managed to -overtake her in a whirlpool below the rapid, and came to shore for her -captain. He was nearly exhausted with his efforts; still he insisted -on continuing. A few miles below we saw some ducks, and shot at them -with a revolver. But the ducks flew disdainfully away, and landed in -the pool below. - -By 4.30 P.M. we were twelve miles below the junction, a very good -day's run considering the kind of water we were travelling on, and the -amount of time we spent on the shore. We had just run our twelfth -rapid, and were turning the boats around, when we saw a man back from -the shore working over a pile of boxes which he had covered with a -piece of canvas. A boat was tied to the water's edge. We called to -him, and he answered, but did not seem nearly as much interested in -seeing companion travellers as we were, and proceeded with his work. -We landed, and, to save time, introduced ourselves, as there seemed to -be a certain aloofness in his manner. He gave the name of Smith--with -some hesitation, we thought. - -Smith was about medium size, but looked tough and wiry; he had a sandy -complexion, with light hair and mustache. He had lost one eye, the -other was that light gray colour that is usually associated with -indomitable nerve. He had a shrewd, rather humorous expression, and -gave one the impression of being very capable. Dressed in a neat -whipcord suit, wearing light shoes and a carefully tied tie, recently -shaved--a luxury we had denied ourselves, all this time--he was -certainly an interesting character to meet in this out-of-the-way -place. We should judge he was a little over forty years old; but -whether prospector, trapper, or explorer it was hard to say. Some -coyote skins, drying on a rock, would give one the impression that he -was the second, with a touch of the latter thrown in. These coyotes -were responsible for the tracks we had seen, and had mistaken for dog -tracks, but of all the canyons we had seen he was in the last place -where we would expect to find a trapper. The coyotes evidently reached -the river gorge through side canyons on the left, where we had seen -signs of ancient trails. Apart from that there was no sign of animal -life. With the last of the wooded canyons, the signs of beaver had -disappeared. There were a few otter tracks, but they are wily fellows, -and are seldom trapped. While there are laws against the trapping of -beaver, they seldom prevent the trappers from taking them when they -get the chance; they are only a little more wary of strangers; the -thought occurred to us that this trapper may have secured some beaver -in the open sections above, and mistrusted us for this reason. - -It was too late to go any farther that evening, so we camped a hundred -yards below him, close to where our boats were pulled out. At this -place there was a long, wide flat in the canyon, with plenty of -driftwood, so we saw no reason why we should quarrel with our -neighbour. Smith accepted our invitation to supper, stating that he -had just eaten before we arrived, but enjoyed some pineapple which we -had kept for some special occasion, and which was served for dessert. - -Over the table we became better acquainted, and, after learning what -we were doing, he recounted his experiences. He told us he had left -Green River, Utah, a month before, and had been trapping as he came -along. He knew there was a canyon, and some rapids below, but had no -idea they were so bad, and thought they were about ended. No one had -warned him, for he had told no one what he intended doing. He had -bought an old water-logged boat that had been built by Galloway, and -seeing the uselessness of trying to run the rapids with it, worked it -down along the shores by holding it with a light chain. Once he had -been pulled into the river, twice the boat had been upset, and he was -just about dried out from the last spill when we arrived. He had heard -us shooting at the ducks, so rather expected company--this in brief -was his amazing story. - -We were surprised when we examined the boat closely. It had been well -made, but was so old and rotten that it seemed ready to fall to -pieces. In places, the nail heads had pulled through the boards. It -was entirely open on top--a great risk in such water. His boxes were -tied in to prevent loss. These boxes were now piled on the shore, with -a large canvas thrown over them. This canvas, fastened at the top and -sloping to the ground, served him for a tent; his bed was underneath. -A pair of high-topped boots, placed bottom up over two sticks, stuck -in the sand beside the camp-fire, explained the different tracks we -had seen above. - -Smith evidently was not much alarmed over his situation. About the -only thing that seemed to bother him was the fact that his smoking -tobacco had been wet several times. That evening we got out our -guide-book--Dellenbaugh's "A Canyon Voyage"--and tried to give him an -idea of what was ahead. The walls ahead grew higher, and closer -together; sometimes there was a shore on one side, sometimes on the -other, at one or two places there was no shore on either side, and the -rapids continued to get worse,--so we gathered from Dellenbaugh's -experience. Above this point there were several places where one could -climb out,--we had even seen signs of ancient trails in two side -canyons,--below here few such places existed. - -Smith listened to all this attentively, then smiled and said "I guess -there will be some way through." After a short visit he returned to -his camp. We noticed that he slept on his gun,--to keep it dry, no -doubt, for it looked like rain. - -Morning found us very sorry that we had not erected our tent, for it -rained nearly all night, but when once in our beds it was a question -which was preferable; to get out in the rain and put up our tent, or -remain in our comfortable beds. We remained where we were. As we -prepared to leave, we offered Smith a chance to accompany us through -Cataract Canyon, telling him that we would help him with his boat -until the quiet water of Glen Canyon was reached. He declined the -opportunity, saying that he would rather travel slowly and do what -trapping he could. He welcomed a chance to take a ride on the -_Defiance_, however. We took him over two small rapids, and gave him -an insight into our method of avoiding the dangers. He was very -enthusiastic about it. On reaching the next rapid we all concluded it -would be very unwise to carry any passengers, for it was violent -water, so he got out on the shore. - -Smith had once seen some moving pictures of Japanese shooting rapids, -but he said they were nothing compared to these, remarking that a -bronco could hardly buck any harder. The next rapid was just as bad, -Rapid No. 14 for Cataract Canyon, and Smith helped us secure a motion -picture. Then he prepared to return to his camp. Just before leaving -he explained rather apologetically, that ranchers, or others, were -usually very unfriendly to a stranger coming into their section of the -country. He had heard us shooting at the ducks and he imagined we -belonged in some of the side canyons or on the top. This explained his -puzzling attitude at our first meeting. If he had any beaver skins in -his pack this would make him even more suspicious of strangers. We -wished him nothing but the best of luck, and were good friends when we -parted. His decision to make the trip alone, poorly equipped as he -was, seemed like suicide to us. He promised to write to us if he got -out, and with a final wave of the hand we left him on the shore. - -The rapid just passed was possibly the scene of the disaster -discovered by the Stone expedition. They found a clumsy boat close to -the shore, jammed in a mass of rocks, smashed and abandoned. There -were tracks of three people in the sand, one track being a boy's. A -coat was left on the shore. The tracks disappeared up a box canyon. -Mr. Stone corresponded with the only settlements in all that region, -few in number, and far distant; but nothing was ever heard of them, -Two other parties have left Green River, Utah, within a year of this -find and disappeared in like manner. This seemed to be the usual -result of these attempts. In nearly every case they have started in -boats that are entirely unfitted for rough water, and, seemingly -without any knowledge of the real danger ahead, try to follow where -others, properly equipped, have gone through. - -What a day of excitement that was! We always thought we needed a -certain amount of thrills to make life sufficiently interesting for -us. In a few hours' time, in the central portion of Cataract Canyon, -we experienced nearly enough thrills to last us a lifetime. In one or -two of the upper canyons we thought we were running rapids. Now we -were learning what rapids really were. No sooner were we through one -than another presented itself. At each of them we climbed along the -boulder-strewn shores--the lower slopes growing steeper, the walls -above towering higher--clear to the end of the rapid. Looking upstream -we could pick out the submerged rocks hidden in the muddy water, and -looking like an innocent wave from above. Twice we had picked out -channels in sharp drops, after carefully observing their actions and -deciding they were free from obstructions, when suddenly the waves -would part for an instant and disclose a hidden rock--in one case as -sharp as a hound's tooth--sure disaster if we ever struck it. As soon -as we had decided on a channel we would lose no time in getting back -to our boats and running it for we could feel our courage oozing from -our finger tips with each second's delay. Time and again we got -through just by a scratch. Success bred confidence; I distinctly -remember feeling that water alone would not upset the boat; that it -would take a collision with a rock to do it. And each time we got -through. Twice I almost had reason to reverse my impression of the -power of water. First the stern rose up in front of me, as if squaring -off at the tops of the cliffs, then descended, until it seemed to be -trying to plumb the depths of the river. The waves, rolling over me, -almost knocked me out of the boat, I lost my hold on the oars and -grabbed the sides of the boat; then, regaining the oars, I finished -the run by pulling with the bow headed downstream, for the boat had -"swapped ends" in the interval, and was heavy with about three barrels -of water in the cockpit. I bailed out with a grocery box, kept under -the seat for that purpose. It had been growing quite cold, and Emery's -indisposition--or what was really acute indigestion--had weakened him -for the past two days, but he pluckily declined to stop. I was soaked -with my last immersion and chilled with the wind, so concluded there -was no use having him go through the same experience and I ran his -boat while he made a picture. We were both ready to camp then, but -there was no suitable place and we had to push on to the next rapid. -On looking it over we almost gave up our intention of running it. It -was about a fourth of a mile long; a mass of submerged rocks extended -entirely across the river; the entire rapid seemed impossible. We -finally concluded it might be run by shooting up, stern first, on a -sloping rock near the shore, then return as the current recoiled and -ran back, dividing on either side of the rock. The only clear channel -was one about twelve feet wide, between this rock and the shore. A -projecting shore above prevented a direct entrance to this channel. - -We threw logs in and watched their action. In each case they paused -when within five or six feet of the top of the slope, then returned -with the current, whirled back to the side and shot through close to -the shore. We planned to go through as close together as possible. -Emery was ready first, I held back in a protecting pool, waiting for -him to get out of the way. He got his position, facing stern -downstream, gave the slightest shove forward, and the released boat -whizzed down for fifty feet and ran up on the rock. She paused a -moment, as the water prepared to return. He gave two quick pulls, -shooting back again, slightly to the right, until he struck the narrow -channel, then reversed his course and went through stern first exactly -as we had planned it. The square stern, buoyed up by the air-chamber, -lifted the boat out of the resulting wave as he struck the bottom of -the descent. This much of the rapid had only taken a few seconds. - -I followed at once, but was not so fortunate. The _Defiance_ was -carried to the left side, where some water dropped over the side of -the rock, instead of reversing. I pulled frantically, seeing visions, -meanwhile, of the boat and myself being toppled off the side of the -rock, into the boulders and waves below. My rowing had no effect -whatever, but the boat was grabbed by the returning wave and shot, as -if from a catapult, back and around to the right, through the sloping -narrow channel,--my returning course describing a half circle. Instead -of rising, the pointed bow cut down into the waves until the water was -on my shoulders. Emery turned his head for an instant to see what -success I was having, and his boat was thrown on to a rock close to -the shore. I passed him and landed, just before going into the next -rapid. I then went back and helped him off the rock, and he continued -his course over the leaping waves. He broke a rowlock before he -landed, and had to use the substitute we had hung beside it. - -We found a good spot for a camp just above the next rapid. Our tent -was stretched in front of a large boulder. A large pile of driftwood -gave us all the fuel needed, and we soon had a big fire going and our -wet clothes steaming on the line. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - - -A PATIENT AMID THE CATARACTS - -An hour or so after making our camp, we began to doubt the wisdom of -our choice of a location, for a downpour of rain threatened to send a -stream of water under the tent. The stream was easily turned aside, -while a door and numerous boards found in the drift pile, made a very -good floor for the tent and lifted our sleeping bags off the wet sand. -We had little trouble in this section to find sufficient driftwood for -fires. The pile at this camp was enormous, and had evidently been -gathering for years. Some of it, we could be sure, was recent, for a -large pumpkin was found deposited in the drift pile twenty-five feet -above the low-water stage on which we were travelling. This pumpkin, -of course, could only have come down on the flood that had preceded -us. - -What a mixture of curios some of those drift piles were, and what a -great stretch of country they represented! The rivers, unsatisfied -with washing away the fertile soil of the upper country, had levied a -greedy toll on the homes along their banks, as well. Almost everything -that would float, belonging to a home, could be found in some of them. -There were pieces of furniture and toilet articles, children's toys -and harness, several smashed boats had been seen, and bloated cattle -as well. A short distance above this camp we had found two cans of -white paint, carefully placed on top of a big rock above the -high-water mark, by some previous voyager.[5] The boats were beginning -to show the effect of hard usage, so we concluded to take the paint -along. At another point, this same day, we found a corked bottle -containing a faded note, undated, requesting the finder to write to a -certain lady in Delta, Colorado. A note in my journal, beneath a -record of this find, reads: "Aha! A romance at last!" Judging by the -appearance of the note it might have been thrown in many years before. -Delta, we knew, was on the Gunnison River, a tributary of the Grand -River. The bottle must have travelled over two hundred miles to reach -this spot. - -A letter which I sent out later brought a prompt answer, with the -information that this bottle and four others with similar notes were -set adrift by the writer and four of her schoolmates, nearly two years -before. An agreement was made that the one first receiving an answer -was to treat the others to a dinner. Our find was the second, so this -young lady was a guest instead of the host. - -Emery took but little interest in our camp arrangements this evening, -and went to bed as soon as it was possible for him to do so. He said -little, but he was very weak, and I could tell from his drawn face -that he was suffering, and knew that it was nothing but nervous energy -that kept him at his work--that, and a promise which he had made to -build a fire, within a stated time now less than two weeks away, in -Bright Angel Creek Canyon, nearly three hundred miles below this camp, -a signal to his wife and baby that he would be home the next day. I -was worried about his condition and I feared a fever or pneumonia. For -two or three days he had not been himself. It was one thing to battle -with the river when well and strong; it would be decidedly different -if one of us became seriously ill. - -For the first time in all our experiences together, where -determination and skill seemed necessary to success, I had taken the -lead during the past two days, feeling that my greater weight and -strength, perhaps, would help me pull out of danger where he might -fail. In two or three rapids I felt sure he did not have the strength -to pull away from certain places that would smash the boats. After -running the _Defiance_ through these rapids I suggested to him that; -he would take a picture while I brought the _Edith_ down. He would -stay near the _Defiance_, ready to aid in case of emergency. After -being once through a rapid I found it quite a simple matter to run the -second boat, and the knowledge that he would save me in case of an -upset greatly lessened any danger that might have existed. He was too -nervous to sleep, and asked me to take a last look at the boats before -going to bed. They were pulled well up on the shore and securely tied, -I found, so that it would take a flood to tear them loose. The rain, -which had stopped for a while, began again as I rolled into the -blankets; the fire, fed with great cottonwood logs, threw ghostly -shadows on the cliffs which towered above us, and sputtered in the -rain but refused to be drowned; while the roar of rapids, Nos. 22 and -23 combined, thundered and reverberated from wall to wall, and finally -lulled us to sleep. - -The rain continued all night, but the weather cleared in the morning. -Emery felt much the same as he had the day before, so we kept the same -camp that day. We took some pictures, and made a few test -developments, hanging the dark-room, or tent, inside the other tent -for want of a better place to tie to. - -Sunday, October the 29th, we remained at the same place, and by -evening were both greatly benefited by the rest. On Monday morning we -packed up again, leaving only the moving-picture camera out, and -pictured each other, alternately, as the boats made the Plunge over -the steep descent in rapid No. 23. Both boats disappeared from sight -on two or three occasions in this rapid and emerged nearly filled with -water. - -The section just passed is credited with the greatest descent on the -rivers, a fall of 75 feet in 3/4 of a mile. This includes the three -rapids: Nos. 21, 22, and 23. - -Proceeding on our way the canyon narrowed, going up almost sheer to a -height of 2500 feet or over. Segregated spires, with castle-like tops, -stood out from the upper walls. The rapids, or cataracts, compared -well with those passed above, connected in some instances by -swift-rushing water instead of the quiet pools which were usually -found between the rapids. We ran ten rapids this day, but several of -these which were counted as one were a series of two or three rapids, -which might be one in high water. All had a shore on one side or the -other, but caution was imperative when crossing in the swift water -between the rapids. A mishap here meant destruction. We figured that -we had travelled about ten miles for this day's run. - -The menacing walls continued to go higher with the next day's travel, -until they reached a height of 2700 feet. The left wall was so sheer -that it almost seemed to overhang. The little vegetation which we had -found on the lower slope gradually disappeared as the walls grew -steeper, but a few scattered shrubs, sage-brush, and an occasional -juniper grew on the rocky sides, or in one or two side canyons which -entered from the south. These side canyons had the appearance of -running back for considerable distances, but we did not explore any of -them and could tell very little about them from the river. - -After our noon lunch this day, in order to keep our minds from -dwelling too much on the rather depressing surroundings, we proposed -having a little sport. On two or three occasions we had made motion -pictures from the deck of the boats as we rowed in the quiet water; -here we proposed taking a picture from the boats as we went over the -rapids. The two boats were fastened stern to stern, so that the rowing -would be done from the first boat. My brother sat on the bow behind -with the motion-picture camera in front of him, holding it down with -his chin, his legs clinging to the sides of the boat, with his left -hand clutching at the hatch cover, and with his right hand free to -turn the crank. In this way we passed over two small rapids. After -that one experience we never tried it in a large rapid. As Smith had -said a few days before the boat bucked like a broncho, and Emery had a -great deal of difficulty to stay with the boat, to say nothing of -taking a picture. Once or twice he was nearly unseated but pluckily -hung on and kept turning away at the crank when it looked as if he and -the camera would be dumped into the river. - -At one point in the lower end of Cataract Canyon we saw the name and -date A.G. Turner, '07. Below this, close to the end of the canyon, -were some ruins of cliff dwellings, and a ladder made by white men, -placed against the walls below the ruins. - -On reaching a very deep, narrow canyon entering from the south, -locally known as Dark Canyon, we knew that we were nearing the end of -the rapids in Cataract Canyon. Dark Canyon extends a great distance -back into the country, heading in the mountains we had seen to the -south, when we climbed out at the junction of the Green and the Grand. -Pine cones and other growths entirely foreign to the growth of the -desert region were found near its mouth. A flood had recently filled -the bottom of this narrow canyon to a depth of several feet, but the -water had settled down again and left a little stream of clear water -running through the boulders. The rapid at the end of this canyon was -one of the worst of the entire series, and had been the scene of more -than one fatality, we had been told. It had a very difficult approach -and swung against the right wall, then the water was turned abruptly -to the left by a great pile of fallen boulders. The cresting waves -looked more like breakers of the ocean than anything we had seen on -the river. - -We each had a good scare as we ran this rapid. Emery was completely -hidden from my view, he was nearly strangled and blinded by the waves -for a few seconds while struggling in the maelstrom; the _Edith_ was -dropped directly on top of a rock in the middle of this rapid, then -lifted on the next wave. I also had a thrilling experience but avoided -the rock. In the lower part of the rapid a rowlock pulled apart; and -to prevent the boat from turning sideways in the rapid, I threw up my -knee, holding the oar against it for a lever until I was in quieter -water, and could get the other rowlock in position. - -Separated from my brother in this instance, I had an opportunity to -see the man and water conflict, with a perspective much as it would -have appeared to a spectator happening on the scene. I was out of the -heat of the battle. The excitement and indifference to danger that -comes with a hand-to-hand grapple was gone. I heard the roar of the -rapid; a roar so often heard that we forgot it was there. I saw the -gloom of the great gorge, and the towering, sinister shafts of rock, -weakened with cracks, waiting for the moment that would send them -crashing to the bottom. I saw the mad, wild water hurled at the -curving wall. Jagged rocks, like the bared fangs of some -dream-monster, appeared now and then in the leaping, tumbling waves. -Then down toward the turmoil--dwarfed to nothingness by the magnitude -of the walls--sped the tiny shell-like boat, running smoothly like a -racing machine! There was no rowing. The oar-blades were tipped high -to avoid loss in the first comber; then the boat was buried in foam, -and staggered through on the other side. It was buffeted here and -there, now covered with a ton of water, now topping a ten-foot wave. -Like a skilled boxer--quick of eye, and ready to seize any temporary -advantage--the oarsman shot in his oars for two quick strokes, to -straighten the boat with the current or dodge a threatening boulder; -then covered by lifting his oars and ducking his head as a brown flood -rolled over him. Time and again the manoeuvre was repeated: now here -now there. One would think the chances were about one to a hundred -that he would get through. But by some sort of a system, undoubtedly -aided, many times, by good luck, the man and his boat won to land. - -After running a small rapid, we came to another, in the centre of -which was an island,--the last rapid in Cataract Canyon. While not as -bad as the one at Dark Canyon it was rather difficult, and at this -point we found no shore on either side. The south side was rendered -impassable by great boulders, much higher than the river level, which -were scattered through the channel. The opposite channel began much -like the rapid at Dark Canyon, sweeping under the wall until turned by -a bend and many fallen rocks below the end of the island, then crossed -with a line of cresting waves to the opposite side, where it was -joined by the other stream, and the left wall was swept clean in like -manner. We ran it by letting our boats drop into the stream, but -pulled away from the wall and kept close to the island, then when its -end was reached crossed the ridge of waves and pulled for the -right-hand shore. In such rapids as this we often found the line of -waves in the swift-rushing centre to be several feet higher than the -water along the shore. - -Then our thoughts reverted to Smith. What would he do when he came to -this rapid? The only escape was a narrow sloping ledge on the right -side, beginning close to the water some distance above the rapid, -reaching a height of sixty or seventy feet above the water at the -lower end, while a descent could be made to the river some distance -below here. It would be possible for him to climb over this with his -provisions, but the idea of taking his boat up there was entirely out -of the question, and, poorly equipped as he was, an attempt to run it -would surely end in disaster. The breaking of an oar, the loss of a -rowlock, or the slightest knock of his rotten boat against a rock, and -Smith's fate would be similar to those others whose bones lay buried -in the sands. - -In the next four miles we had no more rapids, but had some fine -travelling on a very swift river. It was getting dusk, but we pulled -away, for just ahead of us was the end of Cataract Canyon. We camped -by a large side canyon on the left named Mille Crag Bend, with a great -number of jagged pinnacles gathered in a group at the top of the -walls, which had dropped down to a height of about 1300 feet. We felt -just a little proud of our achievement, and believed we had -established a record for Cataract Canyon, having run all rapids in -four days' travelling, and come through in safety. - -We had one rapid to run the next morning at the beginning of Narrow -Canyon, the only rapid in this nine-mile long canyon. The walls here -at the beginning were twelve or thirteen hundred feet high, and -tapered to the end, where they rise about four hundred feet above the -Dirty Devil River. Narrow Canyon contains the longest straight stretch -of river which we remembered having seen. When five miles from its -mouth we could look through and see the snow-capped peak of Mt. -Ellsworth beyond. This peak is one of the five that composes the Henry -Mountains, which lay to the north of the river. - -Three hours' rowing brought us to the end. We paused a few minutes to -make a picture or two of the Dirty Devil River,--or the Fremont River -as it is now recorded on the maps. This stream, flowing from the -north, was the exact opposite of the Bright Angel Creek, that -beautiful stream we knew so well, two hundred and fifty miles below -this point. The Dirty Devil was muddy and alkaline, while warm springs -containing sulphur and other minerals added to its unpalatable taste. -After tasting it we could well understand the feeling of the Jack -Sumner, whose remark, after a similar trial, suggested its name to -Major Powell. - -A short distance below this we saw a tent, and found it occupied by an -old-timer named Kimball. Among other things he told us that he had a -partner, named Turner, who had made the trip through the canyons -above, and arrived at this point in safety. This was the man whose -name we had seen on the walls in Cataract Canyon. Less than two miles -more brought us to the Hite ranch, and post-office. John Hite gave us -a cordial reception. He had known of our coming from the newspapers; -besides, he had some mail for us. We spent the balance of the day in -writing letters, and listening to Hite's interesting experiences of -his many years of residence in this secluded spot. Hite's home had -been a haven for the sole survivor of two expeditions which had met -with disaster in Cataract. In each case they were on the verge of -starvation. Hite kept a record of all known parties who had attempted -the passage through the canyons above. Less than half of these -parties, excepting Galloway's several successful trips, succeeded in -getting through Cataract Canyon without wrecking boats or losing -lives. - -After passing the Fremont River the walls on the right or north side -dropped down, leaving low, barren sandstone hills rolling away from -the river, with a fringe of willows and shrubs beside the water, and -with the usual sage-brush, prickly pear, cactus and bunch-grass on the -higher ground. We had seen one broken-down log cabin, but this ranch -was the only extensive piece of ground that was cultivated. Judging by -the size of his stacks of alfalfa, Hite had evidently had a good -season. The banks of the south side of the river were about two -hundred feet high, composed of a conglomerate mass of clay and gravel. -This spot has long been a ferry crossing, known far and wide as Dandy -Crossing, the only outlet across the river for the towns of -southeastern Utah, along the San Juan River. The entire 150 miles of -Glen Canyon had once been the scene of extensive placer operations. -The boom finally died, a few claims only proving profitable. - -One of these claims was held by Bert Loper, one of the three miners -who had gone down the river in 1908. Loper never finished, as his -boat--a steel boat, by the way--was punctured in a rapid above Dark -Canyon but was soon repaired. His cameras and plates being lost, he -sent from Hite out for new ones. His companions--Chas. Russell, and -E.R. Monette--were to wait for him at Lee's Ferry, after having -prospected through Glen Canyon. Some mistake was made about the -delivery of the cameras and, as Hite post-office only had weekly -communication with the railroad, a month elapsed before he finally -secured them. Lee's Ferry had been discontinued as a post-office at -that time, and, although he tried to get a letter in to them, it was -never delivered. His disappointment can be imagined better than -described, when he reached Lee's Ferry and found his companions had -left just a few days previous. They naturally thought if he were -coming at all he would have been there long before that, and they gave -him up, not knowing the cause of the delay. They left a letter, -however, saying they would only go to the Bright Angel Trail, and the -trip could be completed together on the following year. - -Loper spent many hard days working his boat, with his load of -provisions, back against the current, and located a few miles below -the Hite ranch. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - - -PLACER GOLD - -We passed Loper's claim after resuming our journey the next day. His -workings were a one-man proposition and very ingenious. We found a -tunnel in the gravel a hundred feet above the river, and some distance -back from the river bank. A track of light rails ran from the river -bank to these workings; the gravel and sand was loaded into a car, and -hauled or pushed to the bank, then dumped into a chute, which sent it -down to the river's edge. - -Loper was not at his work however, neither did we find him at his -ranch, a mile down the river. He had a neat little place, with fruit -trees and a garden, a horse or two, and some poultry. After resuming -our rowing, when about a mile down the river, some one called to us -from the shore, and Loper himself came running down to meet us. John -Hite had requested us to stop and see his brother, Cass Hite, who -owned a ranch and placer working nearly opposite where Loper had -halted us; so Loper crossed with us, as he was anxious to know of our -passage through the canyons. - -We found, in Cass Hite, an interesting "old-timer," one who had -followed the crowd of miners and pioneers, in the West, since the -discovery of gold on the coast. He was the discoverer of the White -Canyon Natural Bridges, of Southern Utah, located between this point -and the San Juan River, and had been the first to open the ferry at -Dandy Crossings. Hite had prospected Navajo Mountain, southwest of -this point, in the early sixties, about the time of the Navajos' -trouble with the United States army, under the leadership of Kit -Carson, who dislodged them from their strongholds in the mountains -after many others had failed. Hite's life was saved on more than one -occasion by warnings from a friendly chief, or head man of the Western -Navajos, known as Hoskaninni, who regarded him as a brother, and -bestowed on him the name, Hosteen pes'laki, meaning "Silver man." He -is still known by this name, and refers to his pretty ranch as Tick a -Bo, a Ute word for "friendly." Hite proudly quoted a poem written by -Cy Warman about the theme of the Indian's regard for his white friend. -Warman had followed the crowd in to this spot at the time of the boom, -looking for local colour--human local colour, not the glitter in the -sands. It was at John Hite's home where Warman had composed the one -time popular song, "Sweet Marie." It would be safe to say that he -brought his inspiration with him, for this was decidedly a man's -country. We were told that it had only been visited by one woman in -the past twelve years. Hite insisted on our remaining until the -following morning, and we concluded that the rest would do us good. He -loaded us up with watermelons, and with raisins, which he was curing -at that time. We spent a pleasant afternoon under a shaded arbour, -listening to his reminiscences, and munching at the raisins. - -That evening Loper told us his story of their canyon expedition. He -felt a little bitter about some newspaper reports that had been -published concerning this expedition, these reports giving the -impression that his nerve had failed him, and that for this reason he -had not continued on the journey. We mollified his feelings somewhat, -when we told him that his companions were not responsible for these -reports; but rather, that short telegraphic reports, sent out from the -Grand Canyon, had been misconstrued by the papers; and that this -accounted for the stories which had appeared. His companions had -remained at the Grand Canyon for two days following their arrival at -Bright Angel Trail. They gave Loper credit, to our certain knowledge, -of being the only one of the party who knew how to handle the boats in -rough water when they began the trip, and had stated that he ran all -the boats through certain rapids until they caught the knack. They -could not know of his reasons for the delay, and at that time had no -knowledge of his arrival at Lee's Ferry, after they had gone. -Naturally they were very much puzzled over his non-appearance. - -It got quite cold that night, and we were glad to have shelter of -Hite's hospitable roof. In our trip down the river to this point we -had seemed to keep even with the first cold weather. In all places -where it was open, we would usually find a little ice accompanied by -frost in the mornings, or if no ice had frozen the grass would be wet -with dew. In the canyons there was little or no ice, and the air was -quite dry. Naturally we preferred the canyons if we had a choice of -camps. - -Loper looked as though he would like to accompany us as we pulled away -the next morning, after having landed him on the south side of the -stream. We, at least, had full confidence in his nerve to tackle the -lower Colorado, after his record in Cataract Canyon. The five -scattered peaks of the Henry Mountains were now to the north-northwest -of us, rugged and snow-capped, supreme in their majesty above this -desolate region. - -Signs of an ancient Indian race were plentiful in this section. There -were several small cliff dwellings, walled up in ledges in the rocks, -a hundred feet or so above a low flat which banked the river. At -another place there were hundreds of carvings on a similar wall which -overhung a little. Drawings of mountain-sheep were plentiful; there -was one representing a human figure with a bow and arrow, and with a -sheep standing on the arrow--their way of telling that he got the -sheep, no doubt. There were masked figures engaged in a dance, not -unlike some of the Hopi dances of to-day, as they picture them. There -were geometrical figures, and designs of many varieties. A small rock -building half covered with sand and the accumulations of many years -stood at the base of the cliff; and quantities of broken pottery were -scattered about the ruin. Farther down the river a pathway was worn -into the sandstone where countless bare and moccasined feet had -toiled, and climbed over the sloping wall to the mesa above. The ruins -in this section were not extensive, like those found in the tributary -canyons of the San Juan River, for instance, not a very great distance -from here. Possibly this people stopped here as they travelled back -and forth, trading with their cousins to the north; or the dwellings -may have been built by the scattered members of the tribe, when their -strongholds were assailed by the more warlike tribes that crowded in -on them from all sides. - -What a story these cliffs could tell! What a romance they could -narrate of various tribes, as distinct from each other as the nations -of Europe, crowding each other; and at the last of this inoffensive -race, coming from the far south, it may be; driven from pillar to -post, making their last stand in this desert land; to perish of -pestilence, or to be almost exterminated by the blood-thirsty tribes -that surrounded them--then again, when the tide changed, and a new -type of invader travelled from the east, pushing ever to the west, -conquering all before them! But like the sphinx, the cliffs are silent -and voiceless as the hillocks and sand-dunes along the Nile, that -other desert stream, with a history no more ancient and momentous than -this. - -That night we camped opposite the ruins of a dredge, sunk in the low -water at the edge of the river. This dredge had once represented the -outlay of a great deal of money. It is conceded by nearly all experts -that the sands of these rivers contain gold, but it is of such a fine -grain--what is known as flour gold--and the expense of saving it is so -great, that it has not paid when operated on such a large scale. A few -placers in Glen Canyon have paid individual operators, some of these -claims being in gravel deposits from six hundred to eight hundred feet -above the present level of the river. - -On the following day we again entered deep canyon; sheer for several -hundred feet, creamy white above, with a dark red colour in the lower -sandstone walls. That afternoon we passed a small muddy stream flowing -from the north, in a narrow, rock-walled canyon. This was the -Escalante River, a stream rising far to the north, named for one of -the Spanish priests who had travelled this country, both to the north -and the south of this point, as early as the year 1776, about the time -when the New England colonists were in the midst of their struggle -with the mother country. - -Just below the Escalante River, the canyon turned almost directly -south, continuing in this general direction for several miles. A -glimpse or two was had of the top of a tree-covered snow-capped peak -directly ahead of us, or a little to the southwest. This could be none -other than Navajo Mountain, a peak we could see from the Grand Canyon, -and had often talked of climbing, but debated if we could spare the -time, now that we were close to it. - -In all this run through Glen Canyon we had a good current, but only -one place resembling a rapid. Here, below the Escalante, it was very -quiet, and hard pulling was necessary to make any headway. We were -anxious to reach the San Juan River that evening, but the days were -growing short, and we were still many miles away when it began to grow -dusk; so we kept a lookout for a suitable camp. The same conditions -that had bothered us on one or two previous occasions were found here; -slippery, muddy banks, and quicksand, together with an absence of -firewood. We had learned before this to expect these conditions where -the water was not swift. The slower stream had a chance to deposit its -silt, and if the high water had been very quiet, we could expect to -find it soft, or boggy. In the canyons containing swift water and -rapids we seldom found mud, but found a firm sand, instead. Here in -Glen Canyon we had plenty of mud, for the river had been falling the -last few days. Time and again we inspected seemingly favourable -places, only to be disappointed. The willows and dense shrubbery came -down close to the river; the mud was black, deep, and sticky; all -driftwood had gone out on the last flood. Meanwhile a glorious full -moon had risen, spreading a soft, weird light over the canyon walls -and the river; so that we now had a light much better than the dusk of -half an hour previous, our course being almost due south. Finally, -becoming discouraged, we decided to pull for the San Juan River, -feeling sure that we would find a sand-bar there. It was late when we -reached it, and instead of a sand-bar we found a delta of bottomless -mud. We had drifted past the point where the rivers joined, before -noticing that the stream turned directly to the west, with canyon -walls two or three hundred feet high, and no moonlight entered there. -Instead, it was black as a dungeon. From down in that darkness there -came a muffled roar, reverberating against the walls, and sounding -decidedly like a rapid. There was not a minute to lose. We pulled, and -pulled hard--for the stream was now quite swift close to the right -shore, and a sheer bank of earth about ten feet high made it difficult -to land. Jumping into the mud at the edge of the water, we tied the -boats to some bushes, then tore down the bank and climbed out on a -dry, sandy point of land. At the end or sharp turn of the sheer wall -we found a fair camp, with driftwood enough for that night. Emery, -weak from his former illness and the long day's run, went to bed as -soon as we had eaten a light supper. I looked after the cooking that -evening, making some baking-powder bread,--otherwise known as a -flapjack,--along with other arrangements for the next day; but I fear -my efforts as a cook always resulted rather poorly. - -We had breakfast at an early hour the next morning and were ready for -the boats at 7.15, the earliest start to our record. Our rapid of the -night before proved to be a false alarm, being nothing more than the -breaking of swift water as it swept the banks of rocks at the turn. It -was quite different from what we had pictured in our minds. - -We had long looked forward to this day. Navajo Mountain, with bare, -jagged sides and tree-covered dome, was located just a few miles below -this camp. It was a sandstone mountain peak, towering 7000 feet above -the river, the steep slope beginning some five or six miles back from -the stream. The base on which it rested was of sandstone, rounded and -gullied into curious forms, a warm red and orange colour -predominating. The north side, facing the river, was steep of slope, -covered with the fragments of crumbled cliffs and with soft -cream-tinted pinnacles rising from its slope. The south side, we had -reason, to believe, was tree-covered from top to bottom; the north -side held only a few scattered cedar pinon We had often seen the hazy -blue dome from the Grand Canyon, one hundred and twenty miles away, -and while it was fifty miles farther by the river, we felt as if we -were entered on the home stretch; as if we were in a country with -which we were somewhat familiar. - -The Colorado and the San Juan rivers form the northern boundary of the -Navajo Indian Reservation, comprising a tract of land as large as many -Eastern states, extending over a hundred miles, both east and west -from this point. Embodied in this reservation, and directly opposite -our camp, was a small section of rugged land set aside for some Utes, -who had friendly dealings, and who had intermarried with the Navajo. -But if we expected to find the Navajo, or Utes on the shore, ready to -greet us, we were doomed to disappointment. - -We explored a few side canyons this morning, hoping to find a spot -where some of Major Powell's party--particularly those men who were -afterwards killed by the Indians--had chiselled their names, which -record we were told was to be found near the San Juan, but on which -side we were not sure. While in one of these canyons, or what was -really nothing more than a crooked overhanging slit in the rocks, -containing a small stream, Emery found himself in some soft quicksand, -plunged instantly above his knees, and sinking rapidly. He would have -had a difficult time in getting out of this quicksand without help, -for a smooth, rock wall was on one side, the other bank of the stream -was sheer above him for a few feet, and there was nothing solid which -he could reach. We had seen a great deal of quicksand before this, but -nothing of this treacherous nature. Usually we could walk quickly over -these sands without any danger of being held in them, or if -caught--while lifting on a boat for instance--had no difficulty in -getting out. When once out of this canyon we gave up our search for -the carved record. - -But it was not the hope of shortening our homeward run, or the -prospect of meeting Indians on the shores, or of finding historical -records, even, that caused us to make this early start. It was the -knowledge that the wonderful Rainbow Natural Bridge, recently -discovered, and only visited by three parties of whites, lay hidden in -one of the side canyons that ran from the north slope of Navajo -Mountain. No one had gone into it from the river, but we were told it -could be done. We hoped to find this bridge. - -The current was swift, and we travelled fast, in spite of a stiff wind -which blew up the stream, getting a very good view of the mountain -from the river a few miles below our camp, and another view of the -extreme top, a short distance below this place, not over six miles -from the San Juan. We had directions describing the canyon in which -the bridge was located, our informant surmising that it was thirty -miles below the San Juan. We thought it must be less than that, for -the river was very direct at this place, and a person travelling over -the extremely rough country which surrounded this side of the mountain -slope would naturally have to travel much farther, so began to look -for it about twelve miles below camp. But mile after mile went by -without any sign of the landmarks that would tell us we were at the -"Bridge Canyon." Then the river, which had circled the northern side -of the peak, turned directly away from it, and we knew that we had -missed the bridge. At no point on the trip had we met with a -disappointment to equal that; even the loss of our moving-picture -film, after our spill in Lodore, was small when compared with it. - -On looking back over the lay of the land, we felt sure that the bridge -was at one of the two places, where we had seen the top of the -mountain from the river. To go back against the current would take at -least three days. Our provisions were limited in quantity and would -not permit it; the canyon had deepened, and a second bench of sheer -cliffs rose above the plateau, making it impossible to climb out: so -we concluded to make the best of it, and pulled down the stream, -trying to put as many miles as possible between ourselves and our -great disappointment. This afternoon we passed from Utah into Arizona. -For the remainder of the trip we would have Arizona on one side of the -river at least. We had much the same difficulty this evening as we had -the night before in finding a camp. Judging by the evidence along the -shore, the high water which came down the San Juan had been a torrent, -much greater than the flood on the Colorado and its upper tributaries. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - - -A WARNING - -We camped that night at the Ute Ford, or the Crossing of the Fathers; -a noted landmark of bygone days, when Escalante (in 1776) and others -later followed the inter-tribal trails across these unfriendly lands. -Later marauding Navajo used this trail, crossing the canyon to the -north side, raiding the scattered Mormon settlements, bringing their -stolen horses, and even sheep, down this canyon trail. Then they drove -them across on a frozen river, and escaped with them to their mountain -fastness. The Mormons finally tired of these predatory visits, and -shut off all further loss from that source by blasting off a great -ledge at the north end of the trail. This ruined the trail beyond all -hope of repair, and there is no travel at present over the old Ute -Crossing. The fording of the river on horseback was effected by -dropping down to the river through a narrow side canyon, and crossing -to the centre on a shoal, then following a centre shoal down quite a -distance, and completing the crossing at a low point on the opposite -side. This was only possible at the very lowest stage of water. - -The morning following our arrival here, we walked about a mile up the -gravelly slope on the south side, to see if we could locate the pass -by which the trail dropped down over these 3000-foot walls. The canyon -had changed in appearance after leaving the mountain, and now we had a -canyon; smaller, but not unlike the Grand Canyon in appearance, with -an inner plateau, and a narrow canyon at the river, while the walls on -top were several miles apart, and towering peaks or buttes rose from -the plateau, reaching a height almost equal to the walls themselves. -The upper walls were cream-tinted or white sandstone, the lower -formation was a warm red sandstone. We could not discover the pass -without a long walk to the base of the upper cliffs, so returned to -the boats. - -About this time we heard shots, seeming to come from some point down -the river, and on the north side. Later a dull hollow sound was heard -like pounding on a great bass drum. We could not imagine what it was, -but knew that it must be a great distance away. We had noticed -instances before this, where these smooth, narrow canyon had a great -magnifying effect on noises. In the section above the San Juan, where -the upper walls overhung a little, a loud call would roll along for -minutes before it finally died. A shot from a revolver sounded as if -the cliff were falling. - -Our run this morning was delightful. The current was the best on which -we had travelled. The channel swung from side to side, in great half -circles, with most of the water thrown against the outside bank, or -wall, with a five-or six-mile an hour current close to the wall. We -took advantage of all this current, hugging the wall, with the stern -almost touching, and with the bow pointed out so we would not run into -the walls or scrape our oars. Then, when it seemed as if our necks -were about to be permanently dislocated, from looking over one -shoulder, the river would reverse its curve, the channel would cross -to the other side, and we would give that side of our necks a rest. -Once in a great while I would bump a rock, and would look around -sheepishly, to see if my brother had seen me do it. I usually found -him with a big grin on his face, if he happened to be ahead of me. - -We rowed about twenty miles down the river before we learned what had -caused the noises heard in the morning. On rounding a turn we saw the -strange spectacle of fifteen or twenty men at work on the -half-constructed hull of a flat-bottomed steamboat, over sixty feet in -length. This boat was on the bank quite a distance above the water, -with the perpendicular walls of a crooked side canyon rising above it. -It was a strange sight, here in this out-of-the-way corner of the -world. Some men with heavy sledges were under the boat, driving large -spikes into the planking. This was the noise we had heard that -morning. - -The blasting, we learned later, was at some coal mines, several miles -up this little canyon, which bore the name of Warm Creek Canyon. A -road led down through the canyon, making it possible to haul the -lumber for the boat, clear to the river's edge. The nearest railroad -was close to two hundred miles from this place, quite a haul -considering the ruggedness of the country. The material for the boat -had been shipped from San Francisco, all cut, ready to put together. -The vessel was to be used to carry coal down the river, to a dredge -that had recently been installed at Lee's Ferry. - -The dinner gong had just sounded when we landed, and we were taken -along with the crowd. There were some old acquaintances in this group -of men, we found, from Flagstaff, Arizona. These men had received a -Flagstaff paper which had published a short note we had sent from -Green River, Utah. They had added a comment that no doubt this would -be the last message we would have an opportunity to send out. Very -cheering for Emery's wife, no doubt. Fortunately she shared our -enthusiasm, and if she felt any apprehension her few letters failed to -show it. - -We resumed our rowing at once after dinner, for we wished to reach -Lee's Ferry, twenty-five miles distant, that evening. We had a good -current, and soon left our friends behind us. We pulled with a will, -and mile after mile was covered in record time, for our heavy boats. - -The walls continued to get higher as we neared our goal, going up -sheer close to the river. We judged the greatest of these walls to be -about eleven hundred feet high. After four hours of steady pulling we -began to weary, for ours were no light loads to propel; but we were -spurred to renewed effort by hearing the sounds of an engine in the -distance. On rounding a turn we saw the end of Glen Canyon ahead of -us, marked by a breaking down of the walls, and a chaotic mixture of -dikes of rock, and slides of brilliantly coloured shales, broken and -tilted in every direction. Just below this, close to a ferry, we saw -the dredge on the right side of the river. We were quite close to the -dredge before we were seen. Some men paused at their work to watch us -as we neared them, one man calling to those behind him, "There come -the brothers!" - -A whistle blew announcing the end of their day's labour, and of ours -as well, as it happened. There was some cheering and waving of hats. -One who seemed to be the foreman asked us to tie up to a float which -served as a landing for three motor boats, and a number of skiffs. A -loudly beaten triangle of steel announced that the evening meal was -ready at a stone building not far from the dredge. We were soon seated -at a long table with a lot of others as hungry as we, partaking of a -well-cooked and substantial meal. We made arrangements to take a few -meals here, as we wished to overhaul our outfits before resuming our -journey. - -The meal ended, we inquired for the post-office, and were directed to -a ranch building across the Paria River, a small stream which entered -from the north, not unlike the Fremont River in size and appearance. -Picking our way in the darkness, on boulders and planks which served -as a crossing, we soon reached the building, set back from the river -in the centre of the ranch. A man named Johnson, with his family, had -charge of the ranch and post-office as well. Mail is brought by -carrier from the south, a cross-country trip of 160 miles, through the -Hopi and Navajo Indian Reservations. - -Johnson informed us that an old-time friend named Dave Rust had waited -here three or four days, hoping to see us arrive, but business matters -had forced him to leave just the day before. We were very sorry to -have missed him. Rust lived in the little Mormon town of Kanab, Utah, -eighty miles north of the Grand Canyon opposite our home. In addition -to being a cattle man and rancher, he had superintended the -construction of a cable crossing, or tramway, over the Colorado River, -beside the mouth of Bright Angel Creek, not many miles from our home. -He also maintains a cozy camp at this place, for the accommodation of -tourists and hunting parties, which he conducts up Bright Angel Creek -and into the Kaibab Forest. It was while returning from such a hunting -trip that we first met Rust. Many are the trips we have taken with him -since then, Emery, with his wife and the baby, even, making the -"crossing" and the eighty-mile horseback ride to his home in Kanab, -while I had continued on through to Salt Lake City. Rust had been the -first to tell us of Galloway and his boating methods; and had given us -a practical demonstration on the river. Naturally there was no one we -would have been more pleased to see at that place, than Rust. - -In our mail we found a letter from him, stating, among other things, -that he had camped the night before on the plateau, a few hundred feet -above a certain big rapid, well known through this section as the Soap -Creek Rapid. This locality is credited with being the scene of the -first fatality which overtook the Brown-Stanton expedition; Brown -being upset and drowned in the next rapid which followed, after having -portaged the Soap Creek Rapid. Rust wrote also that there was a shore -along the rapid, so there would be no difficulty in making the -portage; and concluded by saying that he had a very impressive dream -about us that night, the second of its kind since we had started on -our journey. - -We understood from this that he had certain misgivings about this -rapid, and took his dream to be a sort of a warning. Rust should have -known us better. With all the perversity of human nature that letter -made me want to run that rapid if it were possible. Why run the rapid, -and get a moving picture as it was being done. Then we could show Rust -how well we had learned our lesson! So I thought as we returned to the -buildings near the dredge, but said nothing of what was in my mind to -Emery, making the mental reservation that I would see the rapid first -and decide afterwards. - -The foreman of the placer mines called us into his office that -evening, and suggested that it might be a good plan to go over our -boats thoroughly before we left, and offered us the privilege of using -their workshop, with all its conveniences, for any needed repairs. He -also let us have a room in one of the buildings for our photographic -work. - -This foreman mourned the loss of a friend who had recently been -drowned at the ferry. It seemed that the floods which had preceded us, -especially that part which came down the San Juan River, had been -something tremendous, rising 45 feet at the ferry, where the river was -400 feet wide; and rising much higher in the narrow portions of Glen -Canyon. Great masses of driftwood had floated down, looking almost -like a continuous raft. When the river had subsided somewhat, an -attempt was made to cross with the ferry. The foreman and his friend, -with two others, and a team of horses hitched to a wagon, were on the -ferry. When in midstream it overturned in the swollen current. Three -of the men escaped, the other man and the horses were drowned. - -A careful search had been made for the body to a point a few miles -down the river, then the canyon closed in and they could go no -farther. The body was never recovered. It is seldom that the Colorado -River gives up its dead. The heavy sands collect in the clothes, and a -body sinks much quicker than in ordinary water. Any object lodged on -the bottom is soon covered with a sand-bar. The foreman knew this, of -course; yet he wished us to keep a lookout for the body, which might, -by some chance, have caught on the shore, when the water receded. This -was as little as any one would do, and we gave him our promise to keep -a careful watch. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - - -A NIGHT OF THRILLS - -We declined the offer of a roof that night, preferring to sleep in the -open here, for the evening was quite warm. We went to work the next -morning when the whistle sounded at the dredge. Beyond caulking a few -leaks in the boats, little was done with them. The tin receptacles -holding our photographic plates and films were carefully coated with a -covering of melted paraffine; for almost anything might happen, in the -one hundred miles of rapid water that separated us from our home. - -Lee's Ferry was an interesting place, both for its old and its new -associations. This had long been the home of John D. Lee, well known -for the part he took in the Mountain Meadow Massacre, and for which he -afterwards paid the death penalty. Here Lee had lived for many years, -making few visits to the small settlements to the north, but on one of -these visits he was captured. There were six or seven other buildings -near the large stone building where we took our meals, so arranged -that they made a short street, the upper row being built against a -cliff of rock and shale, the other row being placed halfway between -this row and the river. These buildings were all of rock, of which -there was no lack, plastered with adobe, or mud. One, we were told, -had been Lee's stronghold, it was a square building, with a few very -small windows, and with loopholes in the sides. At the time of our -visit it was occupied by two men; one, a young Englishman, recently -arrived from South Africa--a remittance-man, in search of novelty--the -other a grizzled forty-niner. Much could be written about this -interesting group of men, and their alluring employment. There were -some who had followed this work through all the camps of the West--to -Colorado, to California, and to distant Alaska as well, they had -journeyed; but it is doubtful if, in all their wanderings, they had -seen any camp more strangely located than this, hemmed in with canyon -walls. To us, their dredge and the steamboat up the river seemed as if -they had been taken from the pages of some romance, or bit of fiction, -and placed before us for our entertainment. - -There were other men as well, just as interesting m their way as the -"old-timers," the sons of some of the owners of this -proposition,--clean-cut young fellows,--working side by side with the -veterans, as enthusiastic as if on their college campus. - -One feature about the dredge interested us greatly. This was a tube, -or sucker, held suspended by a derrick above a float, and operated by -compressed air. The tube was dropped into the sand at the bottom of -the river, and would eat its way into it, bringing up rocks the size -of one's fist, along with the gravel and sand. In a few hours a hole, -ten or fifteen feet in depth and ten feet in diameter, would be -excavated. Then the tube was raised, the float was moved, and the work -started again. The coarse sand and gravel, carried by a stream of -water, was returned to the river, after passing over the riffles; the -screenings which remained passed over square metal plates--looking -like sheets of tin--covered with quicksilver. These plates were -cleaned with a rubber window-cleaner, and the entire residue was saved -in a heavy metal pot, ready for the chemist. - -One day only was needed for our work, and by evening we were ready for -the next plunge. We might have enjoyed a longer stay with these men, -but stronger than this desire was our anxiety to reach our home, -separated from us by a hundred miles of river, no extended part of the -distance being entirely free from rapids. We had written to the Grand -Canyon, bidding them look for our signal fire in Bright Angel Creek -Canyon, in from seven to ten days, and planned to leave on the -following morning. Nothing held us now except the hope that the mail, -which was due that evening, might bring us a letter, although that was -doubtful, for we were nearly a week ahead of our schedule as laid out -at Green River, Utah. - -As we had anticipated, there was no mail for us, so we turned to -inspect the mail carrier. He was a splendid specimen of the Navajo -Indian,--a wrestler of note amoung his people, we were told,--large -and muscular, and with a peculiar springy, slouchy walk that gave one -the impression of great reserve strength. He had ridden that day from -Tuba, an agency on their reservation, about seventy miles distant. -This was the first sign of an Indian that we had seen in this section, -although we had been travelling along the northern boundary of their -reservation since leaving the mouth of the San Juan. These Indians -have no use for the river, being children of the desert, rather than -of the water. Beyond an occasional crossing and swimming their horses -at easy fords, they make no attempt at its navigation, even in the -quiet water of Glen Canyon. - -Some of the men showed this Indian our boats, and told him of our -journey. He smiled, and shrugged his massive shoulders as much as to -say, he "would believe it when he saw it." He had an opportunity to -see us start, at least, on the following morning. - -Before leaving, we climbed a 300-foot mound on the left bank of the -Paria River, directly opposite the Lee ranch. This mound is known as -Lee's Lookout. Whether used by Lee or not, it had certainly served -that purpose at some time. A circular wall of rock was built on top -the mound, and commanded an excellent view of all the approaches to -the junction of the rivers. This spot is of particular interest to the -geologist, for a great fault, indicated by the Vermilion Cliffs, marks -the division between Glen Canyon and Marble Canyon. This line of -cliffs extends to the south for many miles across the Painted Desert, -and north into Utah for even a greater distance, varying in height -from two hundred feet at the southern end to as many thousand feet in -some places to the north. Looking to the west, we could see that here -was another of those sloping uplifts of rock, with the river cutting -down, increasing the depth of the canyon with every mile. - -We had now descended about 2900 feet since leaving Green River City, -Wyoming, not a very great fall for the distance travelled if an -average is taken, but a considerable portion of the distance was on -quiet water, as we have noted, with a fall of a foot or two to the -mile, and with alternate sections only containing bad water. We were -still at an elevation of 3170 feet above the sea-level, and in the 283 -miles of canyon ahead of us--Marble Canyon and the Grand Canyon -combined--the river descends 2330 feet, almost a continuous series of -rapids from this point to the end of the Grand Canyon. - -After a hasty survey from our vantage point, we returned to the river -and prepared to embark. As we left the dredge, the work was closed -down for a few minutes, and the entire crowd of men, about forty in -number, stood on an elevation to watch us run the first rapid. The -Indian had crossed to the south side of the to feed his horse and -caught a glimpse of us as we went past him. Running pell-mell down to -his boat, he crossed the river and joined the group on the bank. About -this time we were in the grip of the first rapid, a long splashy one, -with no danger whatever, but large enough to keep us busy until we had -passed from view. - -A few miles below this, after running a pair of small rapids, we -reached a larger one, known as the Badger Creek Rapid, with a -twenty-foot drop in the first 250 feet, succeeded by a hundred yards -of violent water. Emery had a little difficulty in this rapid, when -his boat touched a rock which turned the boat sideways in the current, -and he was nearly overturned in the heavy waves which followed. As it -was, we were both drenched. - -About the middle of the afternoon, twelve miles below Lee's Ferry, we -reached the Soap Creek Rapid of which we had heard so much. The rapid -had a fall of twenty-five feet, and was a quarter of a mile long. Most -of the fall occurred in the first fifty yards. The river had narrowed -down until it was less than two hundred feet wide at the beginning of -the descent. Many rocks were smattered all through the upper end, -especially at the first drop. On the very brink or edge of the first -fall, there was a submerged rock in the centre of the channel, making -an eight-foot fall over the rock. A violent current, deflected from -the left shore, shot into this centre and added to the confusion. -Twelve-foot waves from the conflicting currents, played leap-frog, -jumping over or through each other alternately. Clearly there was no -channel on that side. On the right or north side of the stream it -looked more feasible, as the water shot down a sloping chute over a -hundred feet before meeting with an obstruction. This came in the -shape of two rocks, one about thirty feet below the other. To run the -rapid this first rock would have to be passed before any attempt could -be made to pull away from the second rock, which was quite close to -the shore. Once past that there was a clear channel to the end of the -rapid, if the centre, which contained many rocks, was avoided. Below -the rapid was the usual whirlpool, then a smaller rapid, running under -the left wall. This second rapid was the one that had been so fatal -for Brown. The Soap Creek rapid in many ways was not as bad as some we -had gone over in Cataract Canyon, but there were so many complications -that we hesitated a long time before coming to a decision that we -would make an attempt with one boat, depending on our good luck which -had brought us through so many times, as much as we depended on our -handling of the boat. - -It was planned that I should make the first attempt while Emery -remained with the motion-picture camera just below the rock that we -most feared, with the agreement that he was to get a picture of the -upset if one occurred, then run to the lower end of the rapid with a -rope and a life-preserver. - -After adjusting life-preservers I returned to my boat and was soon on -the smooth water above the rapid, holding my boat to prevent her from -being swept over the rock in the centre, jockeying for the proper -position before I would allow her to be carried into the current. Once -in, it seemed but an instant until I was past the first rock, and -almost on top of the second. I was pulling with every ounce of -strength, and was almost clear of the rock when the stern touched it -gently. I had no idea the boat would overturn, but thought she would -swing around the rock, heading bow first into the stream, as had been -done before on several occasions. Instead of this she was thrown on -her side with the bottom of the boat held against the rock while I -found myself thrown out of the boat, but hanging to the gunwale. Then -the boat swung around and instantly turned upright while I scrambled -back into the cockpit. Looking over my shoulder, when I had things -well in hand again, I saw my brother was still at the camera, white as -a sheet, but turning at the crank as if our entire safety depended on -it. After I landed the water-filled boat, however, he confessed to me -that he had no idea whether he had caught the upset or not, as he may -have resumed the work when he saw that I was safe. - -Then we went to work to find out what damage was done. First we found -that the case, which was supposed to be waterproof, had a half-inch of -water inside, but fortunately none of our films were wet. Some plates -which we had just exposed and which were still in the holders were -soaked. The cameras also had suffered. We hurriedly wiped off the -surplus water and piled these things on the shore, then emptied the -boat of a few barrels of water. - -This one experience, I suppose, should have been enough for me with -that rapid, but I foolishly insisted on making another trial at it -with the _Edith_, for I felt sure I could make it if I only had -another chance, and the fact that Emery had the empty boat at the end -of the rapid and could rescue me if an upset occurred greatly lessened -the danger. The idea of making a portage, with the loss of nearly a -day, did not appeal to me. - -Emery agreed to this reluctantly, and advised waiting until morning, -for it was growing dusk, but with the remark "I will sleep better with -both boats tied at the lower end of the rapid," I returned to the -_Edith_. To make a long story short I missed my channel, and was -carried over the rock in the centre of the stream. The _Edith_ had -bravely mounted the first wave, and was climbing the second comber, -standing almost on end, seemed to me, when the wave crested over the -stern while the current shooting it from the side struck the submerged -bow and she fell back in the water upside down. It was all done so -quickly, I hardly knew what had occurred, but found myself in the -water, whirling this way and that, holding to the right oar with a -death-grip. I wondered if the strings would hold, and felt a great -relief when the oar stopped slipping down,--as the blade reached the -ring. It was the work of a second to climb the oar, and I found I was -under the cockpit. Securing a firm hold on the gunwale, which had -helped us so often, I got on the outside of the boat, thinking I might -climb on top. About that time one of the largest waves broke over me, -knocking me on the side of the head as if with a solid object, nearly -tearing me from the boat. After that I kept as close to the boat as -possible, paddling with my feet to keep them clear of rocks. Then the -suction of the boat caught them and dragged them under, and for the -rest of the rapid I had all I could do to hang to the boat. As the -rapid dwindled I began to look for Emery, but was unable to see him, -for it was now growing quite dark, but I could see a fire on shore -that he had built. I tried to call but was strangled with the breaking -waves; my voice was drowned in the roar of the rapid. One of the -life-preservers was torn loose and floated ahead of me. Finally I got -an answer, and could see that Emery had launched his boat. As he drew -near I told him to save the life-preserver, which he did, then -hurriedly pulled for me. I remarked with a forced laugh, to reassure -him, "Gee, Emery, this water's cold." - -He failed to join in my levity, however, and said with feeling, "Thank -the good Lord you are here!" and down in my heart I echoed his prayer -of thanks. - -Somehow I had lost all desire to successfully navigate the Soap Creek -Rapid. - -But our troubles were not entirely over. Emery had pulled me in after -a futile attempt or two, with a hold sometimes used by wrestlers, -linking his arm in mine, leaning forward, and pulling me in over his -back I was so numbed by the cold that I could do little to help him, -after what, I suppose, was about a quarter of an hour's struggle in -the water; although it seemed much longer than that to me. - -We then caught the _Edith_ and attempted to turn her over, but before -this could be done we were dragged into the next rapid. Emery caught -up the oars, while I could do nothing but hold to the upturned boat, -half filled with water, striving to drag us against the wall on the -left side of the stream. It was no small task to handle the two boats -in this way, but Emery made it; then, when he thought we were sure of -a landing, the _Edith_ dragged us into the river again. Two more small -rapids were run as we peered through the darkness for a landing. -Finally we reached the shore over a mile below the Soap Creek Rapid. -We were on the opposite side of the stream from that where we had -unloaded the _Defiance_. This material would have to stay where it was -that night. - -While bailing the water from the _Edith_ we noticed a peculiar odour, -and thought for a while that it might be the body of the man who was -drowned at the ferry, but later we found it came from a green -cottonwood log that had become water-soaked, and was embedded in the -sand, close to our landing. It was Emery's turn to do the greater part -of the camp work that night, while I was content to hug the fire, -wrapped in blankets, waiting for the coffee to boil. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - - -MARBLE HALLS AND MARBLE WALLS - -There was little of the spectacular in our work the next day as we -slowly and laboriously dragged an empty boat upstream against the -swift-running current, taking advantage of many little eddies, but -finding much of the shore swept clean. I had ample opportunity to -ponder on the wisdom of my attempt to save time by running the Soap -Creek Rapid instead of making a portage, while we carried our loads -over the immense boulders that banked the stream, down to a swift -piece of water, past which we could not well bring the boats or while -we developed the wet plates from the ruined plate-holders. It was with -no little surprise that we found all the plates, except a few which -were not uniformly wet and developed unevenly, could be saved. It took -a day and a half to complete all this work. - -Marble Canyon was now beginning to narrow up with a steep, -boulder-covered slope on either side, three or four hundred feet high; -with a sheer wall of dark red limestone of equal height directly above -that. There was also a plateau of red sandstone and distant walls -topped with light-coloured rock, the same formations with which we -were familiar in the Grand Canyon. The inner gorge had narrowed from a -thousand feet or more down to four hundred feet, the slope at the -river was growing steeper and gradually disappearing, and each mile of -travel had added a hundred feet or more to the height of the walls. -Soon after resuming our journey that afternoon, the slope disappeared -altogether, and the sheer walls came down close to the water. There -were few places where one could climb out, had we desired to do so. -This hard limestone wall, which Major Powell had named the marble -wall, had a disconcerting way of weathering very smooth and sheer, -with a few ledges and fewer breaks. - -We made a short run that day, going over a few rapids, stopping an -hour to make some pictures where an immense rock had fallen from the -cliff above into the middle of the river bed, leaving a forty-foot -channel on one side, and scarcely any on the other. Below this we -found a rapid so much like the Soap Creek Rapid in appearance that a -portage seemed advisable. It was evening when we got the _Edith_ to -the lower end of this rapid after almost losing her, as we lined her -down, and she was wedged under a sloping rock that overhung the rapid. -We had two ropes, one at either end, attached to the boat in this -case. Emery stood below the rock ready to pull her in when once past -the rock. There was a sickening crackling of wood as the deck of the -boat wedged under and down to the level of the water, and at Emery's -call I released the boat, throwing the rope into the river, and -hurried to help him. He was almost dragged into the water as the boat -swung around fortunately striking against a sand-bank, instead of the -many rocks that lined the shore. We were working with a stream -different from the Green River, we found, and the _Defiance_ was taken -from the water the next day and slowly worked, one end at a time, over -the rocks, up to a level sand-bank, twenty-five or thirty feet above -the river. Then we put rollers under her, and worked her down past the -rapid. This work was little to our liking, for the boats, now pretty -well water-soaked, weighed considerably more than their original five -hundred pounds' weight. - -A few successful plunges soon brought back our former confidence, and -we continued to run all other rapids that presented themselves. This -afternoon we passed the first rapid we remembered having seen, where -we could not land at its head before running it. A slightly higher -stage of water, however, would have made many such rapids. Just below -this point we found the body of a bighorn mountain-sheep floating in -an eddy. It was impossible to tell just how he came to his death. -There was no sign of any great fall that we could see. He had a -splendid pair of horns, which we would have liked to have had at home, -but which we did not care to amputate and carry with us. - -On this day's travel, we passed a number of places where the -marble--which had suggested this canyon's name to Major -Powell--appeared. The exposed parts were checked, or seamed, and -apparently would have little commercial value. We passed a shallow -cave or two this day, then found another cave or hole, running back -about fifteen feet in the wall, so suitable for a camp that we could -not refuse the temptation to stop, although we had made but a very -short run this day. The high water had entered it, depositing -successive layers of sand on the bottom, rising in steps, one above -the other, making convenient shelves for maps and journals, pots and -pans; while little shovelling was necessary to make the lower level of -sand fit our sleeping bags. A number of small springs, bubbling from -the walls near by, gave us the first clear water that we had found for -some time, and a pile of driftwood caught in the rocks, directly in -front of our cave, added to its desirability for a camp. Firewood was -beginning to be the first consideration in choosing a camp, for in -many places the high water had swept the shores clean, and spots which -might otherwise have made splendid camps were rendered most -undesirable for this reason. - -So Camp Number 47 was made in this little cave, with a violent rapid -directly beneath us, making a din that might be anything but -reassuring, were we not pretty well accustomed to it by this time. The -next day, Sunday, November the 12th, was passed in the same spot. The -air turned decidedly cold this day, a hard wind swept up the river, -the sky above was overcast, and we had little doubt that snow was -falling on the Kaibab Plateau, which we could not see, but which we -knew rose to the height of 5500 feet above us, but a few miles to the -northwest of this camp. The sheer walls directly above the river -dropped down considerably at this point, and a break or two permitted -us to climb up as high as we cared to go on the red sandstone wall, -which had lost its level character, and now rose in a steep slope over -a thousand feet above us. These walls, with no growth but the tussocks -of bunch-grass, the prickly pear cactus, the mescal, and the yucca, -were more destitute of growth than any we had seen, excepting the -upper end of Desolation Canyon, even the upper walls lacking the -growth of pinon pine and juniper which we usually associated with -them. We were now directly below the Painted Desert, which lay to the -left of the canyon, and no doubt a similar desert was on the -right-hand side, in the form of a narrow plateau; but we had no means -of knowing just how wide or narrow this was, before it raised again to -the forest-covered Buckskin Mountains and the Kaibab Plateau. - -The rapid below our camp was just as bad as its roar, we found, on -running it the next day. Most of the descent was confined to a violent -drop at the very beginning, but there was a lot of complicated water -in the big waves that followed. Emery was thrown forward in his boat, -when he reached the bottom of the chute, striking his mouth, and -bruising his hands, as he dropped his oars and caught the bulkhead. An -extra oar was wrenched from the boat and disappeared in the white -water, or foam that was as nearly white as muddy water ever gets. I -nearly upset, and broke the pin of a rowlock, the released oar being -jerked from my hand, sending me scrambling for an extra oar, when the -boat swept into a swift whirlpool. Emery caught my oar as it whirled -past him; the other was found a half-mile below in an eddy. - -Some of the rapids in the centre of Marble Canyon were not more than -75 feet wide, with a corresponding violence of water. The whirlpools -in the wider channels below these rapids were the strongest we had -seen, and had a most annoying way of holding the boats just when we -thought we had evaded them. Sometimes there would be a whirlpool on -either side, with a sharply defined line of division in the centre, -along which it was next to impossible to go without being caught on -one side or the other. These whirlpools were seldom regarded as -serious, for our boats were too wide and heavy to be readily -overturned in them, although we saved ourselves more than one upset by -throwing our weight to the opposite side. A small boat would have -upset. On two occasions we were caught in small whirlpools, where a -point of rock projected from the shore, turning upstream, splitting a -swift current and making a very rapid and difficult whirl, where the -boats were nearly smashed against the walls. Below all such places -were the familiar boils, or fountains, or shoots, as they are -variously termed. These are the lower end of the whirlpools, emerging -often from the quiet water below a rapid with nearly as much violence -as they disappeared in the rapids above. These would often rise when -least expected, breaking under the boats, the swift upshoot of water -giving them such a rap that we sometimes thought we had struck a rock. -If one happened to be in the centre of a boil when it broke, it would -send them sailing down the stream many times faster than the regular -current was travelling, rowing the boat having about as little effect -on determining its course as if it was loaded on a flat-car. The other -boat, at times just a few feet away, might be caught in the whirlpools -that formed at the edge of the fountains, often opening up suddenly -under one side of the boat, causing it to dip until the water poured -over the edge, holding it to that one spot in spite of every effort to -row away. - -Then we would strike peaceful water again, a mile or perhaps, so quiet -that a thin covering of clear water over the top of the silt-laden -pool beneath, reflecting the tinted walls and the turquoise sky -beneath its limpid surface. Gems of sunlight sparkled on its bosom and -scintillated in the ripples left behind by the oars. When seated with -our backs to the strongest light, and when glancing along the top of -such a pool instead of into it, the mirror-like surface gave way to a -peculiar purplish tone which seemed to cover the pool, so that one -would forget it was roily water, and saw only the iridescent beauty of -a mountain stream. - -The wonderful marble walls--better known to the miners as the blue -limestone walls--now rose from the water's edge to a height of eight -or nine hundred feet, the surface of its light blue-gray rock being -stained to a dark red, or a light red as the case might be, by the -iron from the sandstone walls above. There were a thousand feet of -these sandstone layers, red in all its varying hues, capped by the -four-hundred foot cross-bedded sandstone wall, breaking sheer, ranging -in tone from a soft buff to a golden yellow, with a bloom, or glow, as -though illuminated from within. As we proceeded, another layer could -be seen above this, the same limestone and with the same fossils--an -examination of the rock-slides told us--as the topmost formation at -the Grand Canyon. This was not unlike the cross-bedded sandstone in -colour, but lacked its warmth and richness of tint. - -A close, examination of the rocks revealed many colours, that figured -but little in the grand colour scheme of the canyon as a whole--the -detailed ornamentation of the magnificent rock structure. A fracture -of wall would show the true colour of the rock, beneath the stain; -lime crystals studded its surface, like gems glinting in the sunlight; -beautifully tinted jasper, resembling the petrified wood found in -another part of Arizona, was embedded in the marble wall,--usually at -the point of contact with another formation,--polished by the sands of -the turbid river. - -All this told us that we were coming into our own. Four of the seven -notable divisions of rock strata found in the Grand Canyon were now -represented in Marble Canyon, and soon the green shale, which -underlies the blue limestone, began to crop out by the river as the -walls grew higher and the stream cut deeper. - -One turn of the canyon revealed a break where Stanton hid his -provisions in a cave--after a second fatality in which two more of -this ill-fated expedition lost their lives--and climbed out on top. -Afterwards he re-outfitted with heavier boats and tackled the stream -again. - -Just below this break the scene changed as we made a sharp turn to the -left. Vasey's Paradise--named by Major Powell after Dr. Geo. W. Vasey, -botanist of the United States Department of Agriculture--was disclosed -to view. Beautiful streams gushed from rounded holes, fifty yards -above the river. The rock walls reminded one of an ivy-covered castle -of old England, guarded by a moat uncrossed by any drawbridge. It was -trellised with vines, maidenhair ferns, and water-moss making a vivid -green background for the golden yellow and burnished copper leaves -which still clung to some small cottonwood trees--the only trees we -had seen in Marble Canyon. - -In our haste to push on, we left the brass motion-picture tripod head -on an island, from which we pictured this lovely spot. A rapid was put -behind us before we noticed our loss, and there was no going back -then. - -Another turn revealed a Gothic arch, or grotto, carved at the bend of -the wall by the high water, with an overhang of more than a hundred -feet, and a height nearly as great, for the flood waters ran above the -hundred-foot stage in this narrow walled section. Then came a gloomy, -prison-like formation, with a "Bridge of Sighs" two hundred feet above -a gulch, connecting the dungeon to the perpendicular wall beyond; and -with a hundred cave-like openings in its sheer sides like small -windows, admitting a little daylight into its dark interior. The -sullen boom of a rapid around the turn sounded like the march of an -army coming up the gorge, so we climbed back into our boats after a -vain attempt to climb up to some of the caves, and advanced to meet -our foe. This rapid--the tenth for the day--while it was clear of -rocks, had an abrupt drop, with powerful waves which did all sorts of -things to us and to our boats; breaking a rowlock and the four pieces -of line which held it, and flooding us both with a ton of water. We -went into camp a short distance below this, in a narrow box canyon -running back a hundred yards from the river, a gloomy, cathedral-like -interior with sheer walls rising several hundred feet on three sides -of us, and with the top of the south wall 2500 feet above us in plain -sight of our camp, the one camp in Marble Canyon where our sleep was -undisturbed by the roar of a rapid. But instead of the roar of a -rapid, a howling wind swept down from the Painted Desert above, piling -the mingled desert sands and river sands about our beds, scattering -our camp material over the bottom of the narrow gorge. - -Soon after this camp--the fourth and the last in Marble Canyon--was -left behind us, the walls began to widen out, especially on the -north-northwest, and by noon we had passed from the narrow, direct -canyon, into one with slopes and plateaus breaking the sheer walls, -the wall on the left or southeast side being much the lower of the -two, and more nearly perpendicular, rising to a height of 3200 feet, -while the northwest side lifted up to the Kaibab Plateau, one -point--miles back from the river--rising 6000 feet above us. - -We halted at noon beside the Nancoweep Valley. A wide tributary -heading many miles back in the plateau the right, with a ramified -series of canyons running into it, and with great expanses of -sage-covered flats between. Deer tracks were found on these flats, -deer which came down from the forest of the Buckskin Mountains. This -was the point selected by Major Powell for the construction of a trail -when he returned from his voyage of exploration to study the geology -of this section. The trail, although neglected for many years, is -still used by prospectors from Kanab, Utah, who make a yearly trip -into the canyons to do some work on a mineral ledge a few miles below -here. - -What a glorious, exhilarating run we had that day! From here to the -end of Marble Canyon the rapids were almost continuous, with few -violent drops and seldom broken by the usual quiet pools. It was the -finest kind of water for fast travelling, and we made the most of it. -The only previous run we had made that could in any way compare with -it was in Whirlpool and Split Mountain canyons, when the high water -was on. As we travelled, occasional glimpses were had of familiar -places on Greenland Point--that thirty-mile peninsula of the Kaibab -Plateau extending between Marble Canyon and the Grand Canyon--where we -had gone deer-hunting, or on photographic expeditions with Rust. - -Another valley from the right was passed, then a peak rose before us -close to the river, with its flat top rising to a height equal to the -south wall. This was Chuar Butte. Once more we were in a narrow -canyon, narrowing by this peak, but a canyon just the same. Soon we -were below a wall we once had photographed from the mouth of the -Little Colorado; then the stream itself came into view and we were -soon anchored beside it. This was the beginning of the Grand Canyon. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - - - -SIGNALLING OUR CANYON HOME - -How long we had waited for this view! How many memories it -recalled--and how different it seemed to our previous visit there! -Then, the high water was on, and the turquoise-tinted mineral water of -the Colorado Chiquito was backed up by the turbid flood waters of the -Rio Colorado, forty feet or more above the present level. Now it was a -rapid stream, throwing itself with wild abandon over the rocks and -into the Colorado. There was the same deserted stone hut, built by a -French prospector, many years before, and a plough that he had packed -in over a thirty-mile trail--the most difficult one in all this rugged -region! There was the little grass-plot where we pastured the burro, -while we made a fifteen-mile walk up the bed of this narrow canyon! -What a hard, hot journey it had been! A year and a half ago we sat on -that rock, and talked of the day when we should come through here in -boats! Even then we talked of building a raft, and of loading the -burro on it for a spin on the flood waters. Lucky for us and for the -burro that we didn't! We understand the temper of these waters now. - -Cape Desolation, a point of the Painted Desert on the west side of the -Little Colorado, was almost directly above us, 3200 feet high. Chuar -Butte, equally as high and with walls just as nearly perpendicular, -extended on into the Grand Canyon on the right side, making the -narrowest canyon of this depth that we had seen. The Navajo -reservation terminated at the Little Colorado, although nothing but -the maps indicated that we had passed from the land of the Red man to -that of the White. Both were equally desolate, and equally wonderful. -With the entrance of the new stream the canyon changes its southwest -trend and turns directly west, and continues to hold to this general -direction until the northwest corner of Arizona is reached. - -But we must be on again! Soon familiar segregated peaks in the Grand -Canyon began to appear. There was Wotan's Throne on the right, and the -"Copper Mine Mesa" on the left. Three or four miles below the junction -a four-hundred foot perpendicular wall rose above us. The burro, on -our previous visit, was almost shoved off that cliff when the pack -caught on a rock, and was only saved by strenuous pulling on the -neck-rope and pack harness. Soon we passed some tunnels on both sides -of the river where the Mormon miners had tapped a copper ledge. At -4.15 P.M. we were at the end of the Tanner Trail, the outlet of the -Little Colorado Trail to the rim above. It had taken seven hours of -toil to cover the same ground we now sped over in an hour and a -quarter. Major Powell, in 1872, found here the remnant of a very small -hut built of mesquite logs, but whether the remains of an Indian's or -white man's shelter cannot be stated. The trail, without doubt was -used by the Indians before the white man invaded this region. - -The canyon had changed again from one which was very narrow to one -much more complex, greater, and grander. The walls on top were many -miles apart; Comanche Point, to our left, was over 4000 feet above us; -Desert View, Moran Point, and other points on the south rim were even -higher. On the right we could see an arch near Cape Final on Greenland -Point, over 5000 feet up, that we had photographed, from the top, a -few years before. Pagoda-shaped temples--the formation so typical of -the Grand Canyon--clustered on all sides. The upper walls were similar -in tint to those in Marble Canyon, but here at the river was a new -formation; the algonkian, composed of thousands of brilliantly -coloured bands of rock, standing at an angle--the one irregularity to -the uniform layers of rock--a remnant of thousands of feet of rock -which once covered this region, then was planed away before the other -deposits were placed. All about us, close to the river, was a deep, -soft sand formed by the disintegration of the rocks above, as -brilliantly coloured as the rocks from which they came. What had been -a very narrow stream above here spread out over a thousand feet wide, -ran with a good current, and seemed to be anything but a shallow -stream at that. - -We had travelled far that day but still sped on,--with a few rapids -which did not retard, but rather helped us on our way, and with a good -current between these rapids,--only stopping to camp when a -three-hundred foot wall rose sheer from the river's edge, bringing to -an end our basin-like river bottom, where one could walk out on either -side. It was not necessary to hunt for driftwood this evening, for a -thicket of mesquite--the best of all wood for a camp-fire--grew out of -the sand-dunes, and some half-covered dead logs were unearthed from -the drifted sand, and soon reduced to glowing coals. - -Meanwhile, we were enjoying one of those remarkable Arizona desert -sunsets. Ominous clouds had been gathering in the afternoon, rising -from the southwest, drifting across the canyon, and piling up against -the north wall. A few fleecy clouds in the west partially obscured the -sun until it neared the horizon, then a shaft of sunlight broke -through once more, telegraphing its approach long before it reached -us, the rays being visibly hurled through space like a javelin, or a -lightning bolt, striking peak after peak so that one almost imagined -they would hear the thunder roll. A yellow flame covered the western -sky, to be succeeded in a few minutes by a crimson glow. The sharply -defined colours of the different layers of rock had merged and -softened, as the sun dropped from sight; purple shadows crept into the -cavernous depths, while shafts of gold shot to the very tiptop of the -peaks, or threw their shadows like silhouettes on the wall beyond. -Then the scene shifted again, and it was all blood-red, reflecting -from the sky and staining the rocks below, so that distant wall and -sky merged, with little to show where the one ended and the other -began. That beautiful haze, which tints, but does not obscure, -enshrouded the temples and spires, changing from heliotrope to -lavender, from lavender to deepest purple; there was a departing flare -of flame like the collapse of a burning building; a few clouds in the -zenith, torn by the winds so that they resembled the craters of the -moon, were tinted for an instant around the crater's rims; the clouds -faded to a dove-like gray; they darkened; the gray disappeared; the -purple crept from the canyon into the arched dome overhead; the day -was ended, twilight passed, and darkness settled over all. - -We sat silently by the fire for a few minutes, then rose and resumed -our evening's work. This camp was at a point that could be seen from -the Grand View hotel, fourteen miles from our home. We talked of -building a signal fire on the promontory above the camp, knowing that -the news would be telephoned to home if the fire was seen. But we gave -up the plan. Although less than twenty miles from Bright Angel Trail, -we were not safely through by any means. Two boats had been wrecked or -lost in different rapids less than six miles from this camp. The -forty-foot fall in the Hance or Red Canyon Rapid was three miles below -us; the Sockdologer, the Grapevine, and other rapids nearly as large -followed those; we might be no more fortunate than the others, and a -delay after once giving a signal would cause more anxiety than no -signal at all we thought, and the fire was not built. - -Particular attention was paid to the loading of the boats the next -morning. The moving-picture film was tucked in the toes of our -sleeping bags, and the protecting bags were carefully laced. We were -not going to take any chances in this next plunge--the much-talked-of -entrance to the granite gorge. A half-hour's run and a dash through -one violent rapid landed us at the end of the Hance Trail--unused for -tourist travel for several years--with a few torn and tattered tents -back in the side canyon down which the trail wound its way. We half -hoped that we would find some of the prospectors who make this section -their winter home either at the Tanner or the Hance Trail, but there -was no sign of recent visitors at either place, unless it was the -numerous burro tracks in the sand. These tracks were doubtless made by -some of the many wild burros that roam all the lower plateaus in the -upper end of the Grand Canyon. - -After a careful inspection of the Hance Rapid we were glad the signal -fire was not built. It was a nasty rapid. While reading over our notes -one evening we were amused to find that we had catalogued different -rapids with an equal amount of fall as "good," "bad," or "nasty," the -difference depending nearly altogether on the rocks in the rapids. The -"good rapids" were nothing but a descent of "big water," with great -waves,--for which we cared little, but rather enjoyed if it was not -too cold,--and with no danger from rocks; the "bad rapids" contained -rocks, and twisting channels, but with half a chance of getting -through. A nasty rapid was filled with rocks, many of them so -concealed in the foam that it was often next to impossible to tell if -rocks were there or not, and in which there was little chance of -running through without smashing a boat. The Hance Rapid was such a -one. - -Such a complication of twisted channels and protruding rocks we had -not seen unless it was at Hell's Half Mile. It meant a -portage--nothing less--the second since leaving that other rapid in -Lodore. So we went to work, carrying our duffle across deep, soft -sand-dunes, down to the middle of the rapid, where quieted for a -hundred yards before it made the final plunge. The gathering dusk of -evening found all material and one boat at this spot, with the other -one at the head of the rapid, to be portaged the next day. But we did -not portage this boat. A good night's rest, and the safeguard of a -boat at the bottom of the plunge made it look much less dangerous, and -five minutes after breakfast was finished, this boat was beside its -mate, and we had a reel of film which we hoped would show just how we -successfully ran this difficult rapid. While going over the second -section, on the opposite side of the river, Emery was thrown out of -his boat for an instant when the _Edith_ touched a rock in a -twenty-five mile an hour current, similar to my first upset in the -Soap Creek Rapid--the old story: out again; in again; on -again--landing in safety at the end of the rapid not one whit the -worse for the spill. - -This rapid marks the place where the granite, or igneous rock, -intrudes, rising at a sharp angle, sloping upward down the stream, -reaching the height of 1300 feet about one mile below. It marks the -end of the large deposit of algonkian. The granite, when it attains -its highest point, is covered with a 200-foot layer of sedimentary -rock called the tonto sandstone. The top of this formation is exposed -by a plateau from a quarter of a mile to three miles in width, on -either side of the granite gorge; the same walls which were found in -Marble Canyon rise above this. The temples which are scattered through -the canyon--equal in height, in many cases, to the walls--have their -foundation on this plateau. These peaks contain the same stratified -rock with a uniform thickness whether in peak or wall, with little -displacement and little sign of violent uplift, nearly all this canyon -being the work of erosion: 5000 feet from the rim to the river; the -edges of six great layers of sedimentary rock laid bare and with a -narrow 1300-foot gorge through the igneous rock below--the Grand -Canyon of Arizona. - -The granite gorge seemed to us to be the one place of all others that -we had seen on this trip that would cause one to hesitate a long time -before entering, if nothing definite was known of its nature. Another -person might have felt the same way of the canyons we had passed, -Lodore or Marble Canyon, for instance. A great deal depends on the -nerves and digestion, no doubt; and the same person would look at it -in a different light at different times, as we found from our own -experiences. Our digestions were in excellent condition just at that -time, and we were nerved up by the thought that we were going "to the -plate for a home run" if possible, yet the granite gorge had a -decidedly sinister look. The walls, while not sheer, were nearly so; -they might be climbed in many places to the top of the granite; but -the tonto sandstone wall nearly always overhangs this, breaks sheer, -and seldom affords an outlet to the plateaus above, except where -lateral canyons cut through. The rocks are very dark, with dikes of -quartz, and with twisting seams of red and black granite, the great -body of rock being made up of decomposed micaceous schists and gneiss, -a treacherous material to climb. The entrance to this gorge is made on -a quiet pool with no shore on either side after once well in. - -But several parties had been through since Major Powell made his -initial trip, so we did not hesitate, but pushed on with the current. -Now we could truly say that we were going home. The Hance Rapid was -behind us; Bright Angel Creek was about twelve miles away. Soon we -were in the deepest part of the gorge. Great dikes and uplifts of -jagged rocks towered above us; and up, up, up, lifted the other walls -above that. Bissell Point, on the very top, could plainly be seen from -our quiet pool. - -Then came a series of rapids quite different from the Hance Rapid, and -many others found above. Those others were usually caused in part by -the detritus or deposit from side canyons, which dammed the stream, -and what might be a swift stream, with a continuous drop, was -transformed to a succession of mill-ponds and cataracts, or rapids. In -nearly every case, in low water such as we were travelling on, the -deposit made a shore on which we could land and inspect the rapid from -below. The swift water invariably makes a narrow channel if it has no -obstruction in its way; it is the quiet stream that makes a wide -channel. But the rapids we found this day were nearly all different. -They were seldom caused by great deposits of rock, but appeared to be -formed by a dike or ledge of hard rock rising from the softer -rock--the same intrusion being sometimes found on both sides of the -stream--forming a dam the full width of the channel, over which the -water made a swift descent, with a long line of interference waves -below. But for a cold wind which swept up the stream, this style of -rapid was more to our fancy. These were "good rapids," the "best" we -had seen. There were few rocks to avoid. Some of the rapids were -violent, but careful handling took us past every danger. There was -little chance to make a portage at several of these places had we -desired to do so. We gave them but a glance from the decks of the -boats, then dropped into them. In one instance I saw the _Edith_ -literally shoot through a wave bow first, both ends of the boat being -visible, while her captain was buried in the foam. - -We had learned to discriminate by its noise, long before we could see -a rapid, whether it was filled with rocks, or was merely a descent of -big water. The latter, often just as impressive as the former, had a -sullen, steady boom; the rocky rapids had the same sound, punctuated -by another sound, like the crack of regiments of musketry. All were -greatly magnified in sound by the narrow, echoing walls. We became so -accustomed to this noise that we almost forgot it was there, and it -was only after the long, quiet stretches that the noise was noticed In -a few instances only we noticed the shattering vibration of air that -is associated with waterfalls. Still there is noise enough in many -rapids so that their boom can be heard several miles away from the top -of the canyons. - -Guided by these sounds, and aided by our method of holding the boat in -mid-stream, while making a reconnaissance, we were quite well aware of -what we were likely to find before we anchored above a rapid. We were -never fearful of being drawn into a cataract without having a chance -to land somewhere. The water is strangely quiet, to a comparatively -close distance above nearly all rapids. We usually tied up anywhere -from fifty feet to a hundred yards above a drop, before inspecting it. -If it was a "big-water" rapid, we usually looked it over standing on -the seat in the boats, then continued. By signals with the hands, the -one first over would guide the other, if any hidden rocks or dangerous -channel threatened. While we did not think much about it, we usually -noted the places where one might climb out on the plateau. Little -could be told about the upper walls from the river. - -A chilling wind swept up the river, penetrating our soaked garments. -But we paid little attention to this, only pulling the harder, not -only to keep the circulation going, but every pull of the oars put us -that much nearer home. We never paused in our rowing until we anchored -at 4.30 P.M. under Rust's tramway, close to the mouth of Bright Angel -Creek. According to the United States Geological Survey there is a -descent of 178 feet from the head of the Hance Rapid to the end of -Bright Angel Trail one mile below the creek. We would have a very -moderate descent in that mile. The run from the Hance Rapid had been -made in less than five hours. - -Our boats were tied in the shadow of the cage hanging from a cable -sixty feet above. It stretched across a quiet pool, 450 feet -across--for the river is dammed by debris from the creek below, and -fills the channel from wall to wall. Hurriedly we made our way up to -Rust's camp,--closed for the winter; for heavy snows would cover the -North Rim in a few days or a few weeks at the farthest, filling the -trails with heavy drifts and driving the cougar into the canyon where -dogs and horses cannot follow. But the latch-string was out for us, we -knew, had we cared to use the tents. Our signal fire was built a mile -above the camp, at a spot that was plainly visible on a clear day from -our home on the other side, six miles away as the crow flies. We had -often looked at this spot, with a telescope, from the veranda of our -studio, watching the hunting and sight-seeing parties ride up the bed -of the stream. We rather feared the drifting clouds and mists would -hide the fire from view, but now and then a rift appeared, and we knew -if they were looking they could see its light. Camp No. 51 was made -close to Bright Angel Creek, that evening, Thursday, October the 16th, -two months and eight days from the time we had embarked on our -journey. - -Three or four hours were spent in packing our material the next -morning, so it could be stored in a miners' tunnel, near the end of -the trail. We would pack little of this out, as we intended to resume -our river work in a week or ten days. A five-minute run took us over -the rapid below Bright Angel Creek, and down to a bend in the river, -just above the Cameron or Bright Angel Trail. Two men--guides from the -hotel--called to us as our boats swept into view. We made a quick dash -over the vicious little drop below the bend,--easy for our boats, but -dangerous enough for lighter craft on account of a difficult -whirlpool,--and were soon on shore greeting old friends. Up on the -plateau, 1300 feet above, a trail party of tourists and guides called -down their welcome. The stores were put in the miners' tunnel as we -had planned, and the boats were taken above the high-water mark; -placed in dry dock one might say. - -The guides had good news for us and bad news too. Emery's wife had -been ill with appendicitis nearly all the time we were on our journey. -We had received letters from her at every post-office excepting Lee's -Ferry, but never a hint that all was not well. She knew it would break -up the trip. Pretty good nerve, we thought! - -Ragged and weary, but happy; a little lean and over-trained, but -feeling entirely "fit,"--we commenced our seven-mile climb up the -trail, every turn of which seemed like an old friend. When 1300 feet -above the river, our little workshop beside a stream on the -plateau--only used at intervals when no water can be had on top, and -closed for three months past--gave us our first cheerless greeting. -Although little more than a hundred feet from the trail, we did not -stop to inspect it. Cameron's Indian Garden Camp was also closed for -the day, and we were disappointed in a hope that we could telephone to -our home, 3200 feet above. But the tents, under rows of waving -cottonwoods, and surrounded by beds of blooming roses and glorious -chrysanthemums, gave us a more cheerful welcome than our little -building below. We only stopped to quench our thirst in the bubbling -spring, then began the four-mile climb that would put us on top of the -towering cliff. Soon we overtook the party we had seen on the plateau. -Some of the tourists kindly offered us their mules, but mules were too -slow for us, and they were soon far below us. Calls, faint at first, -but growing louder as we advanced, came floating down from above. On -nearing the top our younger brother Ernest, who had come on from -Pittsburg to look after our business, came running down the trail to -greet us. One member of a troupe of moving-picture actors, in cowboy -garb, remarked that we "didn't look like moving-picture explorers"; -then little Edith emerged from our studio just below the head of -Bright Angel Trail and came skipping down toward us, but stopped -suddenly when near us, and said smilingly: "Is that my Daddy with all -those whiskers?" - - - - -CHAPTER XX - - - -ONE MONTH LATER - -Naturally we were very impatient to know just what success we had met -with in our photographic work. Some of the motion pictures had been -printed and returned to us. My brother, who meanwhile had taken his -family to Los Angeles, sent very encouraging reports regarding some of -the films. - -Among the Canyon visitors who came down to inspect the results of our -trip were Thomas Moran, the famous artist, with his daughter, Miss -Ruth, whose interest was more than casual. Thomas Moran's name, more -than any other, with the possible exception of Major Powell's, is to -be associated with the Grand Canyon. It was his painting which hangs -in the capital at Washington that first acquainted the American public -with the wonders of the Canyon. This painting was the result of a -journey he made with Major Powell, from Salt Lake City to the north -side of the Canyon, thirty-eight years before. In addition he had made -most of the cuts that illustrated Major Powell's government report; -making his sketches on wood from photographs this expedition had taken -with the old-fashioned wet plates that had to be coated and developed -on the spot--wonderful photographs, which for beauty, softness, and -detail are not excelled, and are scarcely equalled by more modern -plates and photographic results. The only great advantage of the dry -plates was the fact that they could catch the action of the water with -an instantaneous exposure, where the wet plates had to have a long -exposure and lost that action. - -Thomas Moran could pick up almost any picture that we made, and tell -us at once just what section it came from and its identifying -characteristics. His daughter, Miss Ruth, was just as much interested -in our trip and its results. She was anxious to know when we would go -on again and planned on making the trail trip down to the plateau to -see us take the plunge over the first rough rapid. She was just a -little anxious to see an upset, and asked if we could not promise that -one would occur. - -A month passed before my brother returned from Los Angeles. His wife, -who had remained there, was in good health again, and insisted on his -finishing the trip at once. We were just as anxious to have it -finished, but were not very enthusiastic about this last part on -account of some very cold weather we had been having. On the other -hand, we feared if the trip was not finished then it might never be -completed. So we consoled ourselves with the thought that it was some -warmer at the bottom than it was on top, and prepared to make the -final plunge--350 miles to Needles, with a 1600-foot descent in the -185 miles that remained of the Grand Canyon. - -A foot of snow had fallen two nights before we planned on leaving. The -thermometer had dropped to zero, and a little below on one occasion, -during the nights for a week past. Close to the top the trail was -filled with drifts. The walls were white with snow down to the -plateau, 3200 feet below; something unusual, as it seldom descends as -snow lower than two thousand feet, but turns to rain. But a week of -cold, cloudy weather, accompanied by hard winds, had driven all warmth -from the canyon, allowing this snow to descend lower than usual. Under -such conditions the damp cold in the canyon, while not registered on -the thermometer as low as that on top, is more penetrating. Very -little sun reaches the bottom of the inner gorge in December and -January. It is usually a few degrees colder than the inner plateau -above it, which is open, and does get some sun. These were the -conditions when we returned to our boats December the 19th, 1911, and -found a thin covering of ice on small pools near the river. - -Our party was enlarged by the addition of two men who were anxious for -some river experience. One was our younger brother, Ernest. We agreed -to take him as far as the Bass Trail, twenty-five miles below, where -he could get out on top and return to our home. The other was a young -man named Bert Lauzon, who wanted to make the entire trip, and we were -glad to have him. Lauzon, although but 24 years old, had been a quartz -miner and mining engineer for some years. Coming from the mountains of -Colorado, he had travelled over most of the Western states, and a -considerable part of Mexico, in his expeditions. There was no question -in our minds about Lauzon. He was the man we needed. - -To offset the weight of an extra man for each boat, our supplies were -cut to the minimum, arrangements having been made with W.W. Bass--the -proprietor of the Bass Camps and of the Mystic Springs Trail--to have -some provisions packed in over his trail. What provisions we took -ourselves were packed down on two mules, and anything we could spare -from our boats was packed out on the same animals. As we were about -ready to leave a friendly miner said: "You can't hook fish in the -Colorado in the winter, they won't bite nohow. You'd better take a -couple of sticks of my giant-powder along. That will help you get 'em, -and it may keep you from starving." Under the circumstances it seemed -like a wise precaution and we took his giant-powder, as he had -suggested. - -The river had fallen two feet below the stage on which we quit a month -before. A scale of foot-marks on a rock wall rising from the river -showed that the water twenty-seven feet deep at that spot. No -measurement was made in the middle of the river channel. The current -here between two small rapids flows at five and three-fourths miles -per hour. The width of the stream is close to 250 feet. The high-water -mark here is forty-five feet above the low-water stage, then the river -spreads to five hundred feet in width, running with a swiftness and -strength of current and whirlpool that is tremendous. The highest -authentic measurement in a narrow channel, of which we know, is one -made by Julius F. Stone in Marble Canyon. He recorded one spot where -the high-water mark was 115 feet above the low-water mark. These -figures might look large at first, but if they are compared with some -of the floods on the Ohio River, for instance, and that stream were -boxed in a two hundred foot channel the difference would not be great, -we imagine. - -One of the young men who greeted us when we landed came down with a -companion to see us embark. On the plateau 1300 feet above, looking -like small insects against the sky-line, was a trail party, equally -interested. They did not stand on the point usually visited by such -parties but had gone to a point about a mile to the west, where they -had a good view of a short, rough rapid, the little rapid below the -trail, while it was no place that one would care to swim in, had no -comparison with this other rapid in violence. We had promised the -party that we would run this rapid that afternoon, so we spent little -time in packing systematically, but hurriedly threw the stuff in and -embarked. Less than an hour later we had made the two-mile run and the -dash through the short rapid, to the entire satisfaction of all -concerned. - -We camped a short distance below the rapid, just opposite a grave of a -man whose skeleton had been found halfway up the granite, five years -before. Judging by his clothes and hob-nailed shoes he was a -prospector. He was lying in a natural position, with his head resting -on a rock. An overcoat was buttoned tightly about him. No large bones -were broken, but he might have had a fall and been injured internally. -More likely he became sick and died. The small bones of the hands and -feet had been taken away by field-mice, and no doubt the -turkey-buzzards had stripped the flesh. His pockets contained Los -Angeles newspapers of 1900; he was found in 1906. The pockets also -contained a pipe and a pocket-knife, but nothing by which he could be -identified. The coroner's jury--of which my brother was a -member--buried him where he was found, covering the body with rocks, -for there was no earth. - -Such finds are not unusual in this rugged country. These prospectors -seldom say where they are going, no track is kept of their movements, -and unless something about their clothes tells who they are, their -identity is seldom established. The proximity of this grave made us -wonder how many more such unburied bodies there were along this river. -We thought too of our friend Smith, back in Cataract Canyon, and -wondered if we would hear from him again. - -Our helpers got a lot of experience in motion-picture making the next -day, while we ran our boats through a number of good, strong rapids, -well known locally as the Salt Creek Rapid, Granite Falls or Monument -Rapid, the Hermit, the Bouchere, and others. This was all new to the -boys, and provided some thrilling entertainment for them. When a -difficult passage was safely made Bert would wave his hat and yell -"Hoo" in a deep, long call that would carry above the roar of the -rapids, then he and Ernest would follow along the shore with their -cameras, as these rapids all had a shore on one side or the other. The -sun shone on the river this day, and we congratulated ourselves on -having made the most of our opportunities. - -In our first rapid the next morning, we had to carry our passengers -whether we wanted to or not. There was no shore on either side. In -such plunges they would lie down on the deck of the boat behind the -oarsman, holding to the raised bulkhead, ducking their heads when an -oncoming wave prepared to break over them. Then they would shake -themselves as a water-spaniel does, and Bert with a grin would say, -"Young fellows, business is picking up!" - -Ernest agreed, too, that he had never seen anything in Pittsburg that -quite equalled it. If the rapid was not bad, they sat upright on the -deck, but this made the boats top-heavy, and as much of the oarsman's -work depended on swinging his weight from side to side, it was -important that no mistake should be made about this distribution of -weight. Often the bottom of a boat would show above the water as it -listed to one side. At such a time a person sitting on the raised deck -might get thrown overboard. - -Before starting on this last trip we had thought it would be only -right to give our younger brother a ride in a rapid that would be sure -to give him a good ducking, as his experience was going to be short. -But the water and the wind, especially in the shadows, was so very -cold that we gave this plan up, and avoided the waves as much as -possible. He got a ducking this morning, however, in a place where we -least expected it. It was not a rapid, just smooth, very swift water, -while close to the right shore there was one submerged rock with a -foot of water shooting over it, in such a way that it made a "reverse -whirl" as they are called in Alaska--water rolling back upstream, and -from all sides as well, to fill the vacuum just below the rock. This -one was about twelve feet across; the water disappeared as though it -was being poured down a manhole. - -The least care, or caution, would have taken me clear this place; but -the smooth water was so deceptive, and was so much stronger than I had -judged it to be, that I found myself caught sideways to the current, -hemmed in with waves on all sides of the boat, knocked back and forth, -and resisted in all my efforts to pull clear. The boat was gradually -filling with the splashing water. Ernest was lying on the deck, -hanging on like grim death, slipping off, first on one side, then on -the other, and wondering what was going to happen. So was I. To be -held up in the middle of a swift stream was a new experience, and I -was not proud of it. The others passed as soon as they saw what had -happened, and were waiting in an eddy below. Perhaps we were there -only one minute, but it seemed like five. I helped Ernest into the -cockpit. About that time the boat filled with splashing water and sunk -low, the stream poured over the rock and into the boat, and she upset -instantly. - -Ernest had on two life-preservers, and came up about thirty feet -below, swimming very well considering that he was weighted with heavy -clothes and high-topped shoes. The boys pulled him in before he was -carried against a threatening wall. Meanwhile, I held to the boat, -which was forced out as soon as she was overturned, and climbed on -top, or rather on the bottom. I was trying to make the best of things -and was giving a cheer when some one said, "There goes your hatch -cover and you've lost the motion-picture camera." - -Perhaps I had. My cheering ceased. The camera had been hurriedly -shoved down in the hatch a few minutes before. - -On being towed to shore, however, we found the camera had not fallen -out. It had been shoved to the side less than one inch, but that -little bit had saved it. It was filled with water, though, and all the -pictures were on the unfinished roll in the camera, and were ruined. -We had been in the ice-cold water long enough to lose that glow which -comes after a quick immersion and were chilled through; but what -bothered me more than anything else was the fact that I had been -caught in such a trap after successfully running the bad rapids above. -We made a short run after that so as to get out of sight of the -deceptive place, then proceeded to dry out. The ruined film came in -handy for kindling our camp-fire. - -We were now in the narrowest part of the upper portion of the Grand -Canyon, the distance from rim to rim at one point being close to six -miles. The width at Bright Angel varied from eight to fourteen miles. -The peaks rising from the plateau, often as high as the canyon walls, -and with flat tops a mile or more in width, made the canyon even -narrower, so that at times we were in canyons close to a mile in -depth, and little over four miles across at the tops. - -In this section of the granite there were few places where one could -climb out. Nearly all the lateral canyons ended quite a distance above -the river, then fell sheer; the lower parts of the walls were quite -often smooth-surfaced, where they were polished by the sands in the -stream. The black granite in such cases resembled huge deposits of -anthracite coal. Sections of the granite often projected out of the -water as islands, with the softer rock washed away, the granite being -curiously carved by whirling rocks and the emery-like sands. Holes -three and four feet deep were worn by small whirling rocks, and -grooves were worn at one place by growing willows working back and -forth in the water, the sand, strange to say, having less effect on -the limbs than it had on the hard rocks. - -About noon of the day following this upset we reached the end of the -Bass Trail and another cable crossing, about sixty feet above the -water. Three men were waiting for us, and gave a call when we rowed in -sight of their camp. One was Lauzon's brother, another was Cecil Dodd, -a cowboy who looked after Bass' stock, and the breaking of his horses, -the third was John Norberg, an "old timer" and an old friend as well, -engaged at that time in working some asbestos and copper claims. - -The granite was broken down at this point, and another small deposit -of algonkian was found here. There were intrusions, faults, and -displacements both in these formations and in the layers above. These -fractures exposed mineral seams and deposits of copper and asbestos on -both sides of the river, some of which Bass had opened up and located, -waiting for the day when there would be better transportation -facilities than his burros afforded. - -This was not our first visit to this section. On other occasions we -had descended by the Mystic Spring (or Bass) Trail, on the south side, -crossed on the tramway and were taken by Bass over some of his many -trails, on the north side. We had visited the asbestos claims, where -the edge of a blanket formation of the rock known as serpentine, -containing the asbestos, lay exposed to view, twisting around the head -of narrow canyons, and under beetling cliffs. We went halfway up the -north rim trail, through Shinumo and White canyons, our objective -point on these trips being a narrow box canyon which contained a large -boulder, rolled from the walls above, and wedged in the flume-like -gorge far above our heads. This trail continues up to the top, going -over the narrow neck which connects Powell's Plateau--a segregated -section of thickly wooded surface several miles in extent--with the -main extent of the Kaibab Plateau. - -Ernest, though slightly affected with tonsillitis, was loath to leave -us here. It was zero weather on top, we were told, and it looked it. -The walls and peaks were white with snow. He would not have an easy -trip. The drifted snow was only broken by the one party that we found -at the river, and quite likely it would be very late when he arrived -at the ranch. John went up with him a few miles to get a horse for the -ride home the next day. Ernest took with him a few hurriedly written -letters and the exposed plates. The film we were going to save was -lost in the upset. - -On inspecting the provisions which were packed in here we found the -grocers had shipped the order short, omitting, besides other -necessities, some canned baked beans, on which we depended a great -deal. This meant one of two things. We would have to make a quicker -run than we had planned on, or would have to get out of the canyon at -one of the two places where such an exit could easily be made. - -The M. P. as our motion-picture camera was called--and which was -re-christened but not abbreviated by Bert, as "The Member of -Parliament"--had to be cleaned before we could proceed. It took all -this day, and much of the next, to get the moisture and sand out of -the delicate mechanism, and have it running smoothly again. After it -was once more in good condition Emery announced that he wanted to work -out a few scenes of an uncompleted "movie-drama." The action was -snappy. The plot was brief, but harmonized well with the setting, and -the "props." Dodd, who was a big Texan, was cast for the role of horse -thief and bad man in general. Bert's brother, Morris Lauzon, was the -deputy sheriff, and had a star cut from the top of a tomato can to -prove it. John was to be a prospector. He would need little rehearsing -for this part. In addition, he had not been out where he could have -the services of a barber for six months past, which was all the -better. John had a kind, quiet, easy-going way that made friends for -him on sight. He was not consulted about the part he was to play, but -we counted on his good nature and he was cast for the part. Emery, who -was cast for the part of a mining engineer, arrived on the scene in -his boat, after rounding the bend above the camp, tied up and climbed -out over the cliffs to view the surrounding country. - -The hidden desperado, knowing that he was being hunted, stole the boat -with its contents, and made his escape. The returning engineer arrived -just in time to see his boat in the middle of the stream, and a -levelled rifle halted him until the boat was hidden around the bend. -At that moment the officer joined him, and a hurried consultation was -held. Then the other boat, which had been separated from its -companion, pulled into sight, and I was hailed by the men on shore. -They came aboard and we gave chase. Could anything be better? The -thief naturally thought he was safe, as he had not seen the second -boat! After going over a few rapids, he saw a fire up in the cliffs, -on the opposite side of the river. He landed, and climbed up to the -camp where John was at work. John shared his camp fare with him, and -directed him to a hidden trail. The pursuers, on finding the abandoned -boat, quietly followed the trail, and surprised Dodd in John's camp. -He was disarmed and sent across the river in the tramway, accompanied -by the deputy, and was punished as he richly deserved to be. - -This was the scenario. Bert handled the camera. Emery was the -playwright, director, and producer. All rights reserved. - -Everything worked beautifully. The film did not get balled up in the -cogs, as sometimes happened. The light was good. Belasco himself could -not have improved on the stage-setting. The trail led over the -wildest, and most picturesque places imaginable. Dodd made a splendid -desperado, and acted as if he had done nothing but steal horses and -dodge the officers all his life. A pile of driftwood fifty feet high -and with a tunnel underneath made a splendid hiding place for him -while the first boat was being tied. Being a cowpuncher, it may be -that he did not handle the oars as well as an experienced riverman, -but any rapid could be used for an insert. The deputy, though -youthful, was determined and never lost sight of the trail. The -engineer acted his part well and registered surprise and anger, when -he found how he had been tricked. John, who had returned, humoured us, -and dug nuggets of gold out of limestone rocks, where no one would -have thought of looking for them. The fact that the tramway scene was -made before any of the others did not matter. We could play our last -act first if we wanted to. All we had to do was to cut the film and -fasten it on to the end. Emery was justly proud of his first efforts -as a producer. We were sorry this film had not been sent out with -Ernest. - -This thrilling drama will not be released in the near future. One day -later we found that a drop of water had worked into the lens cell at -the last upset. This fogged the lens. We focussed with a scale and had -overlooked the lens when cleaning the camera. Nothing but a very faint -outline showed on the film. We had all the film we needed for a week -after this, for kindling our fires. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - - - -WHAT CHRISTMAS EVE BROUGHT - -In recording our various mishaps and upsets in these pages, it may -seem to the reader as if I have given undue prominence to the part I -took in them. If so, it has not been from choice, but because they -happened in that way. No doubt a great deal of my trouble was due to -carelessness. After I had learned to row my boat fairly well I -sometimes took chances that proved to be anything but advisable, -depending a good deal on luck, and luck was not always with me. My -brother was less hasty in making his decisions, and was more careful -in his movements, with the result that his boat had few marks of any -kind, and he had been more fortunate than I with the rapids. - -It is my duty to record another adventure at this point, in which we -all three shared, each in a different manner. This time I am going to -give my brother's record of the happenings that overtook us about four -o'clock in the afternoon of December the 24th, less than three hours -after we left our friends at the Bass Trail with "best wishes for a -Merry Christmas," and had received instructions from John "to keep our -feet dry" - -My brother's account follows: - - "The fourth rapid below the Bass Trail was bad, but after - looking it over we decided it could be run. We had taken - chances in rapids that looked worse and came through - unharmed; if we were successful here, it would be over in a - few minutes, and forgotten an hour later. So we each made - the attempt." - - "Lauzon had gone near the lower end of the rapid, taking the - left shore, for a sixty-foot wall with a sloping bench on - top rose sheer out of the water on the right. The only shore - on the right was close to the head of the rapid, a small - deposit or bank of earth and rock. The inner gorge here was - about nine hundred feet deep." - - "Ellsworth went first, taking the left-hand side. I picked - out a course on the right as being the least dangerous; but - I was scarcely started when I found myself on a nest of - jagged rocks, with violent water all about me, and with - other rocks, some of them submerged, below me. I climbed out - on the rocks and held the boat." - - "If the others could land below the rapid and climb back, - they might get a rope to me and pull me off the rocks far - enough to give me a new start, but they could not pull the - boat in to shore through the rough water. A person thinks - quickly under such circumstances, I had it all figured out - as soon as I was on the rocks. The greatest trouble would be - to hold the boat if she broke loose." - - "Then I saw that the _Defiance_ was in trouble. She caught - in a reverse whirl in the very middle of the pounding rapid, - bouncing back and forth like a great rubber ball. Finally - she filled with the splashing water, sank low, and the water - pouring over the rock caught the edge of the twelve-hundred - pound boat and turned her over as if she were a toy; my - brother was holding to the gunwale when she turned. Still - she was held in the whirl, jumping as violently as ever, - then turned upright again and was forced out. Ellsworth had - disappeared, but came up nearly a hundred feet below, - struggling to keep on top but going down with every breaking - wave. When the quieter water was reached, he did not seem to - have strength enough to swim out, but floated, motionless, - in a standing position, his head kept up by the - life-preservers. The next rapid was not over fifty yards - below. If he was to be saved it must be done instantly." - - "I pried the boat loose, jumped in as she swung clear, and - pulled with all my might, headed toward the centre of the - river. I was almost clear when I was drawn over a dip, bow - first, and struck a glancing blow against another rock I had - never seen. There was a crash, and the boards broke like - egg-shells. It was all done in a few moments. The _Edith_ - was a wreck, I did not know how bad. My brother had - disappeared. Lauzon was frantically climbing over some large - boulders trying to reach the head of the next rapid, where - the boat was held in an eddy. My boat was not upset, but the - waves were surging through a great hole in her side. She was - drawn into an eddy, close to the base of the wall, where I - could tie up and climb out. It seemed folly to try the lower - end with my filled boat. Climbing to the top of the rock, I - could see half a mile down the canyon, but my brother was - nowhere to be seen and I had no idea that he had escaped. I - was returning to my wrecked boat when Bert waved his arms, - and pointed to the head of the rapid. Going back once more, - I saw him directly below me at the base of the sheer rock, - in an opening where the wall receded. He had crawled out - twenty feet above the next rapid. Returning to my wrecked - boat, I was soon beside him. He was exhausted with his - struggle in the icy waves; his outer garments were frozen. I - soon procured blankets from my bed, removed the wet clothes, - and wrapped him up. Lauzon, true to our expectations of what - he would do when the test came, swam out and rescued the - _Defiance_ before she was carried over the next rapid. He - was inexperienced at the oars and had less than two hours - practice after he had joined us. It was a tense moment when - he started across, above the rapid. But he made it! Landing - with a big grin, he exclaimed, 'Young fellows, business is - picking up!' then added, 'And we're losing lots of good - pictures!'" - - "These experiences were our Christmas presents that year. - They were not done up in small packages." - - "We repaired the boat on Christmas day. Three smashed side - ribs were replaced with mesquite, which we found growing on - the walls. The hole was patched with boards from the loose - bottom. This was painted; canvas was tacked over that and - painted also, and a sheet of tin or galvanized iron went - over it all. This completed the repair and the _Edith_ was - as seaworthy as before." - - This is Emery's account of the "Christmas Rapid." - -I will add that the freezing temperature of the water and the struggle -for breath in the breaking waves left me exhausted and at the mercy of -the river. An eddy drew me out of the centre of the stream when I had -given up all hope of any escape from the next rapid. I had seen my -brother on the rock below the head of the rapid and knew there was no -hope from him. As I was being drawn back into the current, close to -the end of the sheer wall on the right, my feet struck bottom on some -debris washed down from the cliff. I made three efforts to stand but -fell each time, and finally crawled out on my hands and knees. I had -the peculiar sensation of seeing a rain-storm descending before my -eyes, although I knew no such thing existed; every fibre in my body -ached and continued to do so for days afterward; and the moment I -would close my eyes to sleep I would see mountainous waves about me -and would feel myself being whirled head over heels just as I was in -that rapid; but this rapid, strange to say, while exceedingly rough -and swift, did not contain any waves that we would have considered -large up to this time. In other words, it depended on the -circumstances whether it was bad or not. When standing on the shore, -picking a channel, it appeared to be a moderately bad rapid, in which -a person, aided with life-preservers, should have little difficulty in -keeping on top, at least half the time. After my battle, in which, as -far as personal effort went, I had lost, and after my providential -escape, that one rapid appeared to be the largest of the entire -series. - -It is difficult to describe the rapids with the foot-rule standard, -and give an idea of their power. One unfamiliar with "white water" -usually associates a twelve-foot descent or a ten-foot wave with a -similar wave on the ocean. There is no comparison. The waters of the -ocean rise and fall, the waves travel, the water itself, except in -breakers, is comparatively still. In bad rapids the water is whirled -through at the rate of ten or twelve miles an hour, in some cases much -swifter; the surface is broken by streams shooting up from every -submerged rock; the weight of the river is behind it, and the waves, -instead of tumbling forward, quite as often break upstream. Such -waves, less than six feet high, are often dangers to be shunned. After -being overturned in them we learned their tremendous power, a power we -would never have associated with any water, before such an experience, -short of a waterfall. - -There is a certain amount of danger in the canyons,--plenty of it. -Still, in most cases, with care and forethought, much of it can be -avoided. We think we are safe in saying that half of the parties who -have attempted a passage through these canyons have met with -fatalities. Most of these have occurred in Cataract Canyon, not -because it is any worse than other sections,--certainly no worse than -the Grand Canyon,--but because it is easily entered from the quiet, -alluring water of the lower Green River. Without a doubt each -successful expedition is responsible in a way for others' attempts. In -nearly every instance the unfortunate ones have underestimated the -danger, and have attempted the passage with inadequate boats, such as -Smith had for instance, undecked and without air chambers. Both of -these are imperative for safety. - -We had the benefit of the experiences of others. In addition, our -years of work in the canyons had robbed them of their imaginary -dangers, and--while we trust that we are not entirely without -imagination--much of their weirdness and glamour with which they are -inseparable to the idealist and the impressionist. Each of these -upsets could have been avoided by a portage had we desired to make -one, but success in other rapids made us a little reckless and ready -to take a chance. - -Beyond getting our flour wet on the outside, we suffered very little -loss to our cargo. We placed the two flour sacks beside the fires each -evening, until the wet flour dried to a crust. We continued to use out -of the centre of the sacks as though nothing had ever happened. - -Bert and I each had a little cough the next morning, but it -disappeared by noon. Beyond that, we suffered no great inconvenience -from our enforced bath. Sleeping in the open, with plenty of healthful -exercise, kept us physically fit. - -The cold air and the cold water did not seem to bother the others, but -I could not get comfortably warm during this cold snap. Added to this, -it took me some time to get over my scare, and I could see all kinds -of danger, in rapids, where Emery could see none. I insisted on -untying the photographic cases from the boats, and carrying them -around a number of rapids before we ran them. It is hardly necessary -to say that no upset occurred in these rapids. - -Then came a cold day, with a raw wind sweeping up the river. A coating -of ice covered the boats and the oars. We had turned directly to the -north along the base of Powell's plateau, and were nearing the end of -a second granite gorge, with violent rapids and jagged rocks. Emery -made the remark that he had not had a swim for some time. In a -half-hour we came to a rapid with two twelve-foot waves in the centre -of the stream, with a projecting point above that would have to be -passed, before we could pull out of the swift-running centre. Emery -got his swim there. I was just behind and was more fortunate. I never -saw anything more quickly done. Before the boat was fully overturned -he swung an oar, so that it stuck out at an angle from the side of the -boat, and used the oar for a step; an instant later he had cut the oar -loose, and steered toward the shore. Bert threw him a rope from the -shore, and he was pulled in. He was wearing a thin rubber coat fitting -tightly about his wrists, tied about his neck, and belted at the -waist. This protected him so thoroughly that he was only wet from the -waist down. - -If we were a little inclined to be proud of our record above Bright -Angel we had forgotten all about it by this time. We were scarcely -more than sixty miles from home and had experienced three upsets and a -smashed boat, all in one week. - -Just at the end of the second granite section we made our first -portage since leaving Bright Angel. Bert and I worked on the boats, -while Emery cooked the evening meal. - -Hot rice soup, flavoured with a can of prepared meat, was easily and -quickly prepared, and formed one of the usual dishes at these meals. -It contained a lot of nutriment, and the rice took up but little space -in the boats. Sometimes the meat was omitted, and raisins were -substituted. Prepared baked beans were a staple dish, but were not in -our supply on this last part of the trip. We often made "hot cakes" -twice a day; an excuse for eating a great deal of butter and honey, or -syrup. None of these things were luxuries. They were the best -foodstuff we could carry. We seemed to crave sweet stuff, and used -quantities of sugar. We could carry eggs, when packed in sawdust, -without trouble but did not carry many. We had little meat; what we -had was bacon, and prepared meats of the lunch variety. Cheese was our -main substitute for meat. It was easily carried and kept well. Dried -peaches or apricots were on the bill for nearly every meal, each day's -allowance being cooked the evening before. We tried several condensed -or emergency foods, but discarded them all but one, for various -reasons. The exception was Erbeswurst, a patent dried soup -preparation. Other prepared soups were carried also. I must not forget -the morning cereal. It was Cream of Wheat, easily prepared; eaten--not -served, perhaps devoured would be a better word--with sugar and -condensed cream, as long as it lasted, then with butter. Any remainder -from breakfast was fried for other meals. Each evening, we would make -some baking-powder biscuit in a frying-pan. A Dutch oven is better, -but had too much weight. The appellation for such bread is "flapjack" -or "dough-god." When I did the baking they were fearfully and -wonderfully made. Cocoa, which was nourishing, often took the place of -coffee. In fact our systems craved just what was most needed to build -up muscle and create heat. We found it was useless to try to catch -fish after the weather became cold. The fish would not bite. - -On the upper end of our journey we carried no tobacco, as it happened -that Jimmy as well as ourselves were not tobacco users. There were no -alcoholic stimulants. When Bert joined us, a small flask, for -medicinal purposes only, was taken along. The whiskey was scarcely -touched at this time. Bert enjoyed a pipe after his meals, but -continued to keep good-natured even when his tobacco got wet, so -tobacco was not absolutely necessary to him. - -Uninteresting and unromantic these things may be, but they were most -important to us. We were only sorry the supply was not larger. While -we never stinted ourselves, or cut the allowance of food, the amount -was growing smaller every day, and it was not a question any more -whether we would go out or not, to get provisions, to "rustle" as Bert -called it, but where we would go out. We might go up Cataract Creek or -Ha Va Su Creek, as it is sometimes called. We had been to the mouth of -this canyon on foot, so there would be no danger of missing it. The Ha -Va Supai Indians, about two hundred in number, lived in this lateral -canyon about seven or eight miles from the river. An agent and a -farmer lived with them, and might be able to sell us some provisions; -if not, it would be fifty miles back to our home. The trail was much -more direct than the river. The great drawback to this course was the -fact that Ha Va Su Canyon, sheer-walled, deep, and narrow, contained a -number of waterfalls, one of them about 175 feet high. The precipice -over which it fell was nothing but a mineral deposit from the water, -building higher every year. Formerly this was impassable, until some -miners, after enlarging a sloping cave, had cut a winding stairway in -it, which allowed a descent to be made to the bottom of the fall. A -recent storm had remodelled all the falls in Cataract Creek Canyon, -cutting out the travertine in some places, piling it up in others. A -great mass of cottonwood trees were also mixed with the debris. The -village, too, had been washed away and was then being rebuilt. We had -been told that the tunnel was filled up, and as far as we knew no one -had been to the river since the flood. - -The other outlet was Diamond Creek Canyon, much farther down the -river. We would decide when we got to Ha Va Su just what we would do. - -Tapeets Creek, one mile below our camp,--a stream which has -masqueraded under the title of Thunder River, and about which there -has been considerable speculation,--proved to be a stream a little -smaller than Bright Angel Creek, flowing through a narrow slot in the -rocks, and did not fall sheer into the river, as has been reported. -Perhaps a small cascade known as Surprise Falls which we passed the -next day has been confused with Tapeets Creek. This stream corkscrews -down through a narrow crevice and falls about two hundred feet, close -to the river's edge. We are told that the upper end of Tapeets Creek -is similar to this, but on a much larger scale. - -Just opposite this fall a big mountain-sheep jumped from under an -overhanging ledge close to the water, and stared curiously at us, as -though he wondered what strange things those were coming down with the -current. It is doubtful if he ever saw a human being before. This -sight sent us scrambling in our cases for cameras and firearms; and it -was not the game laws, but a rusted trigger on the six-shooter -instead, that saved the sheep. He finally took alarm and scampered -away over the rocks, and we had no mutton stew that night. - -We had one night of heavy rain, and morning revealed a little snow -within three hundred feet of the river, while a heavy white blanket -covered the upper cliffs. It continued to snow on top, and rained on -us nearly all this day. Emery took this opportunity to get the drop of -moisture out of the lens, and put the camera in such shape that we -could proceed with our picture making. A short run was made after this -work was completed. - -The camp we were just leaving was about three miles above Kanab -Canyon. The granite was behind us, disappearing with a steep descent -much as it had emerged at the Hance Trail. There was also a small -deposit of algonkian. This too had been passed, and we were back in -the limestone and sandstone walls similar to the lower end of Marble -Canyon. While the formations were the same, the canyon differed. The -layers were thicker, the red sandstone and the marble walls were -equally sheer; there was no plateau between. What plateau this canyon -contained lay on top of the red sandstone. Few peaks rose above this. -The canyon had completed its northern run and was turning back again -to the west-southwest with a great sweep or circle. Less than an -hour's work brought us to Kanab Canyon. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - - - -SHORT OF PROVISIONS IN A SUNLESS GORGE - -In the mud at Kanab Canyon we saw an old footprint of some person who -had come down to the river through this narrow, gloomy gorge. It was -here that Major Powell terminated his second voyage, on account of -extreme high water. A picture they made showed their boats floated up -in this side canyon. Our stage was much lower than this. F.S. -Dellenbaugh, the author of "A Canyon Voyage," was a member of this -second expedition. This book had been our guide down to this point; we -could not have asked for a better one. Below here we had a general -idea of the nature of the river, and had a set of the government maps, -but we had neglected to provide ourselves with detailed information -such as this volume gave us. - -Evening of the following day found us at Cataract Creek Canyon, but -with a stage of water in the river nearly fifty feet lower than that -which we had seen a few years before. The narrow entrance of this -great canyon gives no hint of what it is like a few miles above. - -The Indian village is in the bottom of a 3000-foot canyon, half a mile -wide and three miles long, covered with fertile fields, peach and -apricot orchards. It even contained a few fig trees. Below the village -the canyon narrowed to a hundred yards, with a level bottom, covered -with a tangle of wild grape vines, cactus, and cottonwood trees. This -section contained the two largest falls, and came to an end about four -miles below the first fall. Then the canyon narrowed, deep and gloomy, -until there was little room for anything but the powerful, rapidly -descending stream. At the lower end it was often waist deep and -fifteen or twenty feet wide. It was no easy task to go through this -gorge. The stream had to be crossed several times. The canyon -terminated in an extremely narrow gorge 2500 feet deep, dark and -gloomy, one of the most impressive gorges we have ever seen. The main -canyon was similar, with a few breaks on the sides, those breaks being -ledges, or narrow sloping benches that would extend for miles, only to -be brought to an abrupt end by side canyons. There are many -mountain-sheep in this section, but we saw none either time. We could -see many fresh tracks where they had followed these ledges around, and -had gone up the narrow side canyon. It was cold in the main canyon, -and no doubt the sheep could be found on the plateaus, which were more -open, and would get sun when the sun shone. This plateau was 2500 feet -above us. At the turn of the canyon we could see the other walls 2000 -feet above that. The rapids in the section just passed had been widely -separated and compared well with those of Marble Canyon, not the worst -we had seen, but far from being tame. There was plenty of shore room -at each of these rapids. - -Cactus of different species was now a feature of the scenery. The -ocotilla or candlewood with long, lash-like stalks springing from a -common centre--that cactus, which, when dried, needs only a lighted -match to set it afire--flourishes in the rocky ledges. A species of -small barrel-cactus about the size of a man's head, with fluted sides, -or symmetrical vertical rows of small thorned lumps converging at the -top of the "nigger-head," as they are sometimes called, grows in great -numbers in crevices on the walls. The delicate "pin cushion" gathered -in clusters of myriad small spiny balls. The prickly pear, here in Ha -Va Su Canyon, were not the starved, shrivelled, mineral-tinted cactus -such as we found at the beginning of our trip. Instead they were green -and flourishing, with large fleshy leaves joining on to each other -until they rise to a height of three feet or more and cover large -patches of ground to the utter exclusion of all other growth. What a -display of yellow and red these desert plants put forth when they are -in bloom! A previous visit to Ha Va Su was made in the month of May -when every group of prickly pear was a riot of pure colour. All this -prolific growth is made possible by the extreme heat of the summer -months aided in the case of those plants and trees which flourish in -the fertile soil of Ha Va Su by the sub-irrigation and the spray from -the fall. - -After making an inventory of our provisions we concluded not to try -the tedious and uncertain trip up Cataract Creek. With care and good -fortune we would have enough provisions to last us to Diamond Creek. - -With our run the next day the inner gorge continued to deepen, the -walls drew closer together, so that we now had a narrow gorge hemming -us in with 3000-foot walls from which there was no escape. They were -about a fourth of a mile apart at the top. A boat at the foot of one -of these walls was merely an atom. The total depth of the canyon was -close to 4500 feet. There is nothing on earth to which this gorge can -be compared. Storm-clouds lowered into the chasm in the early morning. -The sky was overcast and threatening. We were travelling directly west -again, and no sunlight entered here, even when the sun shone. The -walls had lost their brighter reds, and what colour they had was dark -and sombre, a dirty brown and dark green predominating. The mythology -of the ancients, with their Inferno and their River Styx, could hardly -conjure anything more supernatural or impressive than this gloomy -gorge. - -There were a few bad rapids. One or two had no shore, others had an -inclination to run under one wall and had to be run very carefully. If -we could not get down alongside of a rapid, we could usually climb out -on the walls at the head of the rapid and look it over from that -vantage point. The one who climbed out would signal directions to the -others, who would run it at once, and continue on to the next rapid. -They would have its course figured out when the last boat arrived. - -One canyon entered from the left, level on the bottom, and about one -hundred feet wide; it might be a means of outlet from this canyon, but -it is doubtful, for the marble has a way of ending abruptly and -dropping sheer, with a polished surface that is impossible to climb. - -New Year's Eve was spent in this section. The camp was exceptionally -good. A square-sided, oblong section of rock about fifty feet long had -fallen forward from the base of the cliff. This left a cave-like -opening which was closed at one end with our dark-room tent. High -water had placed a sandy floor, now thoroughly dry, in the bottom. -Under the circumstances we could hardly ask for anything better. Of -driftwood there was none, and our camp-fires were made of mesquite -which grew in ledges in the rocks; in one case gathered with a great -deal of labour on the shore opposite our camp, and ferried across on -our boats. If a suitable camp was found after 3.30 P.M., we kept it, -rather than run the risk of not finding another until after dark. - -Another day, January 1, 1912, brought us to the end of this gorge and -into a wider and more open canyon, with the country above covered with -volcanic peaks and cinder cones. Blow-holes had broken through the -canyon walls close to the top of the gorge, pouring streams of lava -down its sides, filling the bottom of the canyon with several hundred -feet of lava. This condition extended down the canyon for twenty miles -or more. Judging by the amount of lava the eruption must have -continued for a great while. Could one imagine a more wonderful -sight--the turbulent stream checked by the fire flood from above! What -explosions and rending of rocks there must have been when the two -elements met. The river would be backed up for a hundred miles! Each -would be shoved on from behind! There was no escape! They must fight -it out until one or the other conquered. But the fire could not keep -up forever, and, though triumphant for a period, it finally succumbed, -and the stream proceeded to cut down to the original level. - -Two miles below the first lava flow we saw what we took to be smoke -and hurried down wondering if we would find a prospector or a cattle -rustler. We agreed, if it was the latter, to let them off if they -would share with us. But the smoke turned out to be warm springs, one -of them making quite a stream which fell twenty feet into the river. -Here in the river was a cataract, called Lava Falls, so filled with -jagged pieces of the black rock that a portage was advisable. The -weather had not moderated any in the last week, and we were in the -water a great deal as we lifted and lined the boats over the rocks at -the edge of the rapids. We would work in the water until numbed with -the cold, then would go down to the warm springs and thaw out for a -while. This was a little quicker than standing by the fire, but the -relief was only temporary. This portage was finished the next morning. - -Another portage was made this same day, and the wide canyon where -Major Powell found some Indian gardens was passed in the afternoon. -The Indians were not at home when the Major called. His party felt -they were justified in helping themselves to some pumpkins or squash, -for their supplies were very low, and they could not go out to a -settlement--as we expected to do in a day or two--and replenish them. - -We found the fish would not bite, just as our friend, the miner, had -said, but we did succeed in landing a fourteen-pound salmon, in one of -the deep pools not many miles from this point, and it was served up in -steaks the next day. If our method of securing the salmon was -unsportsmanlike, we excused ourselves for the methods used, just as -Major Powell justified his appropriation of the Indians' squash. If -that fish was ever needed, it was then, and it was a most welcome -addition to our rapidly disappearing stock of provisions. We were only -sorry we had not taken more "bait." - -The next day we did see a camp-fire, and on climbing the shore, found -a little old prospector, clad in tattered garments, sitting in a -little dugout about five feet square which he had shovelled out of the -sand. He had roofed it with mesquite and an old blanket. A rapid, just -below, made so much noise that he did not hear us until we were before -his door. He looked at the rubber coats and the life-preservers, then -said, with a matter-of-fact drawl, "Well, you fellows must have come -by the river!" After talking awhile he asked: "What do you call -yourselves?" This question would identify him as an old-time Westerner -if we did not already know it. At one time it was not considered -discreet to ask any one in these parts what their name was, or where -they were from. He gave us a great deal of information about the -country, and said that Diamond Creek was about six miles below. He had -come across from Diamond Creek by a trail over a thousand foot ridge, -with a burro and a pack mule, a month before. He had just been out -near the top on the opposite side, doing some assessment work on some -copper claims, crossing the river on a raft, and stated that on a -previous occasion he had been drawn over the rapid, but got out. - -When he learned that we had come through Utah, he stated that he -belonged near Vernal, and had once been upset in the upper canyons, -about twenty years before. He proved to be the Snyder of whom we had -heard at Linwood, and also from the Chews, who had given him a horse -so he could get out over the mountains. Yet here was, a thousand miles -below, cheerful as a cricket, and sure that a few months at the most -would bring him unlimited wealth. He asked us to "share his chuck" -with him, but we could see nothing but a very little flour, and a -little bacon, so pleaded haste and pushed on for Diamond Creek. - -The mouth of this canyon did not look unlike others we had seen in -this section, and one could easily pass it without knowing that it ran -back with a gentle slope for twenty miles, and that a wagon road came -down close to the river. It contained a small, clear stream. The -original tourist camp in the Grand Canyon was located up this canyon. -We packed all our plates and films, ready to take them out. The -supplies left in the boats when we went out the next morning were: - - 5 pounds of flour, partly wet and crusted. - 2 pounds mildewed Cream of Wheat. - 3 or 4 cans (rusty) of dried beef. - Less than one pound of sugar. - -We carried a lunch out with us. This was running a little too close -for comfort. - -The mouth of Diamond Creek Canyon was covered with a growth of large -mesquite trees. Cattle trails wound through this thorny thicket down -to the river's edge. The trees thinned out a short distance back, and -the canyon widened as it receded from the river. A half mile back from -the river was the old slab building that had served as headquarters -for the campers. Here the canyon divided, one containing the small -stream heading in the high walls to the southeast; while the other -branch ran directly south, heading near the railroad at the little -flag-station of Peach Springs, twenty-three miles distant. -It was flat-bottomed, growing wider and more valley-like with every -mile, but not especially interesting to one who had seen the glory of -all the canyons. Floods had spoiled what had once been a very passable -stage road, dropping 4000 feet in twenty miles, down to the very -depths of the Grand Canyon. Some cattle, driven down by the snows, -were sunning themselves near the building. Our appearance filled them -with alarm, and they "high tailed it" to use a cattle man's -expression, scampering up the rocky slopes. - -A deer's track was seen in a snow-drift away from the river. On the -sloping walls in the more open sections of this valley grew the -stubby-thorned chaparral. The hackberry and the first specimens of the -palo verde were found in this vicinity. The mesquite trees seen at the -mouth of the canyon were real trees--about the size of a large apple -tree--not the small bushes we had seen at the Little Colorado. All the -growth was changing as we neared the lower altitudes and the mouth of -the Grand Canyon, being that of the hot desert, which had found this -artery or avenue leading to the heart of the rocky plateaus and had -pushed its way into this foreign land. - -Even the animal life of the desert has followed this same road. -Occasional Gila monsters, which are supposed to belong to the hot -desert close to the Mexico line, have been found at Diamond Creek, and -lizards of the Mojave Desert have been seen as far north as the foot -of Bright Angel Trail. - -But we saw little animal life at this time. There were occasional -otters disporting themselves near our boats, in one instance unafraid, -in another raising a gray-bearded head near our boat with a startled -look in his eyes. Then he turned and began to swim on the surface -until our laughter caused him to dive. Tracks of the civet-cat or the -ring-tailed cat--that large-eyed and large-eared animal, somewhat like -a raccoon and much resembling a weasel--were often seen along the -shores. The gray fox, the wild-cat, and the coyote, all natives of -this land, kept to the higher pinon-covered hills. The beaver seldom -penetrates into the deep canyons because of the lack of vegetation, -but is found in all sections in the open country from the headwaters -to the delta in Mexico. - -We went out by this canyon on January the 5th, and returned Sunday, -January the 8th, bringing enough provisions to last us to the end of -the big canyon. We imagined we would have no trouble getting what we -needed in the open country below that. We sent some telegrams and -received encouraging answers to them before returning. With us were -two brothers, John and Will Nelson, cattle men who had given us a -cattle man's welcome when we arrived at Peach Springs. There was no -store at Peach Springs, and they supplied us with the provisions that -we brought back. They drove a wagon for about half the distance, then -the roads became impassable, so they unhitched and packed their -bedding and our provisions in to the river. The Nelsons were anxious -to see us run a rapid or two. - -We found the nights to be just as cold on top as they ever get in this -section--a little below zero--although the midday sun was warm enough -to melt the snow and make it slushy. I arrived at the river with my -feet so swollen that I had difficulty in walking, a condition brought -on by a previous freezing they had received, being wet continually by -the icy water in my boat--which was leaking badly since we left Bright -Angel--and the walk out through the slush. I was glad there was little -walking to do when once at the river, and changed my shoes for -arctics, which were more roomy and less painful. - -On the upper part of our trip there were occasional days when Emery -was not feeling his best, while I had been most fortunate and had -little complaint to make; now things seemed to be reversed. Emery, and -Bert too, were having the time of their lives, while I was "getting -mine" in no small doses.[6] - -We had always imagined that the Grand Canyon lost its depth and -impressiveness below Diamond Creek. We were to learn our mistake. The -colour was missing, that was true, for the marble and sandstone walls -were brown, dirty, or colourless, with few of the pleasing tones of -the canyon found in the upper end. But it was still the Grand Canyon. -We were in the granite again--granite just as deep as any we had seen -above, it may have been a little deeper, and in most cases it was very -sheer. There was very little plateau, the limestone and sandstone rose -above that, just as they had above Kanab Canyon. The light-coloured -walls could not be seen. - -Many of the rapids of this lower section were just as bad as any we -had gone over; one or two have been considered worse by different -parties. Two hours after leaving the Nelsons we were halted by a rapid -that made us catch our breath. It was in two sections--the lower one -so full of jagged rocks that it meant a wrecked boat. The upper part -fell about twenty feet we should judge and was bad enough. It was a -question if we could run this and keep from going over the lower part! -If we made a portage, our boats would have to be taken three or four -hundred feet up the side of the cliff. The rapid was too strong to -line a boat down. We concluded to risk running the first part. Bert -climbed to the head of the second section of the rapid, where a -projecting point of granite narrowed the stream, and formed a quiet -eddy just above the foaming plunge. If we could keep out of the centre -and land here we would be safe. Our shoes were removed, our trousers -were rolled to our knees and we removed our coats. If we had to swim -there, we were going to be prepared. The life-preservers were well -inflated, and tied; then we made the plunge, Emery taking the lead, I -following close behind. Our plan was to keep as near the shore as -possible. Once I thought it was all over when I saw the _Edith_ pulled -directly for a rock in spite of all Emery could do to pull away. -Nothing but a rebounding wave saved him. I went through the same -experience. Several times we were threatened with an upset, but we -landed in safety. The portage was short and easy. Flat granite rocks -were covered with a thin coat of ice. The boats were unloaded and slid -across, then dropped below the projecting rock. The _Defiance_ skidded -less than two feet and struck a projecting knob of rock the size of a -goose egg. It punctured the side close to the stern, fortunately above -the water line, and the wood was not entirely broken away. - -Two miles below this we found another bad one. This was lined while -Bert got supper up in a little sloping canyon; about as uncomfortable -a camp as we had found. Many of the rapids run the next day were -violent. The river seemed to be trying to make up for lost time. We -passed a canyon coming from the south containing two streams, one -clear, and one muddy. The narrowest place we had seen on the river was -a rapid run this day, not over forty feet wide. Evening brought us to -a rapid with a lateral canyon coming in from each side, that on the -right containing a muddy stream. The walls were sheer and jagged close -to the rapid, with a break on the rugged slopes here and there. A -sloping rock in the middle of the stream could be seen in the third -section of the rapid. This was Separation Rapid, the point where the -two Howland brothers and Dunn parted company with Major Powell and his -party. - -From our camp at the left side we could easily figure out a way to the -upper plateau. Above that they would have a difficult climb as far as -we could tell. That they did reach the top is well known. They met a -tragic fate. The second day after getting out they were killed by some -Indians--the Shewits Utes--who had treated them hospitably at first -and provided them with something to eat. That night a visiting Indian -brought a tale of depredations committed by some miners against -another section of their tribe. These men were believed to be the -guilty parties, and they were ambushed the next morning. Their fate -remained a mystery for a year; then a Ute was seen with a watch -belonging to one of the men. Later a Mormon who had a great deal of -influence with the Indians got their story from them, and reported to -Major Powell what he had learned. It was a deplorable and a tragic -ending to what otherwise was one of the most successful, daring, and -momentous explorations ever undertaken on this continent. - -We find there is a current belief that it was cowardice and fear of -this one rapid that caused these men to separate from the party. The -more one hears of this separation, the more it seems that it was a -difference of opinion on many matters, and not this one rapid, that -caused them to leave. These men had been trappers and hunters, one -might say pioneers, and one had been with Major Powell before the -river exploration. They had gone through all the canyons, and had come -through this far without a fatality. They had seen a great many rapids -nearly as bad as this, and several that were worse, if one could judge -by its nature when we found it. They were not being carried by others, -but had charge of one boat. They did smash one boat in Disaster Rapid -in Lodore Canyon, and at that time they claimed Major Powell gave them -the wrong signal. This caused some feeling. - -At the time of the split, the food question was a serious one. There -were short rations for a long time; in fact there was practically no -food. After an observation, Major Powell informed them that they were -within forty-five miles of the Virgin River, in a direct line. Much of -the country between the end of the canyon and the Virgin River was -open, a few Mormon settlements could be found up the Virgin Valley. He -offered them half of the small stock of provisions, when they -persisted in leaving, but they refused to take any provisions -whatever, feeling sure that they could kill enough game to subsist on. -This one instance would seem to be enough to clear them of the stigma -of cowardice. The country on top was covered with volcanic cinders. -There was little water to be found, and in many ways it was just as -inhospitable as the canyon. The cook had a pan of biscuits, which he -left on a rock for them, after the men had helped the party lift the -boats over the rocks at the head of the rapid. After landing in safety -around a bend which hid them from sight, the boating party fired their -guns, hoping they would hear the report, and follow in the abandoned -boat. It is doubtful if they could hear the sound of the guns, above -the roar of the rapid. If they did, they paid no attention to it. The -younger Howland wished to remain with the party, but threw his lot -with his brother, when he withdrew. - -While these men did not have the Major's deep scientific interest in -the successful completion of this exploration, they undoubtedly should -have stayed with their leader, if their services were needed or -desired. It is more than likely that they were insubordinate; they -certainly made a misguided attempt, but in spite of these facts it -scarcely seems just to brand them as cowards. Two days after they -left, the boating party was camped at the end of the canyons. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - - - -THE LAST PORTAGE AND THE LAST RAPIDS - -The first section of Separation Rapid was run the first thing in the -morning, a manoeuvre that was accomplished by starting on the left -shore and crossing the swift centre clear to the other shore. This -allowed us to reach some quiet water near a small deposit of rock and -earth at the base of the sheer wall. Two feet of water would have -covered this deposit; likewise two feet of water would have given us a -clear channel over this second section. As it was, the rapid was -rough, with many rocks very near the surface. Directly across from us, -close to the left shore, was what looked like a ten-foot geyser, or -fountain of water. This was caused by a rock in the path of a strong -current rebounding from the shore. The water ran up on the side near -the wall, then fell on all sides. It was seldom the water had force -enough to carry to the top of a rock as large as that. This portage of -the second section was one of the easiest we had made. By rolling a -few large rocks around we could get a stream water across our small -shore large enough to float an empty boat with a little help, so we -lightened them of the cargo and floated them through our canal. While -running the third section the _Edith_ was carried up on the sloping -rock in the middle of the stream; she paused a moment, then came down -like a shot and whirled around to the side without mishap. This made -the thirteenth rapid in which both boats were lined or portaged. In -three other rapids one boat was run through and one was portaged. Half -of all these rapids were located in the Grand Canyon. - -All this time we were anxiously looking forward to a rapid which Mr. -Stone had described as being the worst in the entire series, also the -last rapid we would be likely to portage and had informed us that -below this particular rapid everything could be run with little or no -inspection. Naturally we were anxious to get that rapid behind us. It -was described as being located below a small stream flowing from the -south. The same rapid was described by Major Powell as having a bold, -lava-capped escarpment at the head of the rapid, on the right. We had -not seen any lava since leaving Diamond Creek, and an entry in my -notes reads, "we have gone over Stone's 'big rapid' three times and it -is still ahead of us." The knowledge that there was a big rapid in the -indefinite somewhere that was likely to cause us trouble seemed to -give us more anxious moments than the many unmentioned rapids we were -finding all this time. We wondered how high the escarpment was, and if -we could take our boats over its top. We tried to convince ourselves -that it was behind us, although sure that it could not be. But the -absence of lava puzzled us. After one "bad" rapid and several "good" -rapids we came to a sharp turn in the canyon. Emery was ahead and -called back, "I see a little stream"; Bert joined with "I see the -lava"; and the "Bold Escarpment Rapid," as we had been calling it for -some time, was before us. It was more than a nasty rapid, it was a -cataract! - -What a din that water sent up! We had to yell to make ourselves heard. -The air vibrated with the impact of water against rock. The rapid was -nearly half a mile long. There were two sections near its head -staggered with great rocks, forty of them, just above or slightly -submerged under the surface of the water. Our low stage of water -helped us, so that we did not have to line the boats from the ledge, -eighty feet above the water, as others had done. The rapid broke just -below the lower end of the sheer rock, which extended twenty feet -beyond the irregular shore. The _Edith_ went first, headed upstream, -at a slight angle nearly touching the wall, dropping a few inches -between each restraining stroke of the oars. Bert crouched on the bow, -ready to spring with the rope, as soon as Emery passed the wall and -headed her in below the wall. Jumping to the shore, he took a snub -around a boulder and kept her from being dragged into the rapid. Then -they both caught the _Defiance_ as she swung in below the rock, and -half the battle was won before we tackled the rapid. - -Our days were short, and we did not take the boats down until the next -day; but we did carry much of the camp material and cargo halfway down -over ledges a hundred feet above the river. For a bad rapid we were -very fortunate in getting past it as easily as we did. Logs were laid -over rocks, the boats were skidded over them about their own length -and dropped in again. Logs and boats were lined down in the swift, but -less riotous water, to the next barrier, which was more difficult. A -ten-foot rounded boulder lay close to the shore, with smaller rocks, -smooth and ice-filmed, scattered between. Powerful currents swirled -between these rocks and disappeared under two others, wedged closely -together on top. Three times the logs were snatched from our grasp as -we tried to bridge them across this current, and they vanished in the -foam, to shoot out end first, twenty feet below and race away on the -leaping water. A boat would be smashed to kindling-wood if once -carried under there. At last we got our logs wedged, and an hour of -tugging, in which only two men could take part at the same time, -landed both boats in safety below this barrier. We shot the remainder -of the rapid on water so swift that the oars were snatched from our -hands if we tried to do more than keep the boats straight with the -current. That rapid was no longer the "Bold Escarpment," but the "Last -Portage" instead, and it was behind us. - -The afternoon was half gone when we made ready pull away from the Last -Portage. There were other rapids, but scarcely a pause was made in our -two-hour run, and we camped away from the roar of water. The canyon -was widening out a little at a time; the granite disappeared in the -following day's run, at noon. Grass-covered slopes, with seeping -mineral springs, took the place of precipitous walls; they dropped to -2500 feet in height; numerous side canyons cut the walls in regular -sections like gigantic city blocks, instead of an unbroken avenue. -Small rapids continued to appear, there were a few small islands, and -divided currents, so shallow they sometimes kept us guessing which one -to take, but we continued to run them all without a pause. We would -have run out of the canyon that day but for one thing. Five -mountain-sheep were seen from our boats in one of the sloping grassy -meadows above the river. We landed below, carried our cameras back, -and spent half an hour in trying to see them again, but they had taken -alarm. - -Placer claim locations and fresh burro tracks were seen in the sand at -our last Grand Canyon camp, and a half mile below us we could see out -into open country. We found the walls, or the end of the table-land, -to be about two thousand feet high, with the canyon emerging at a -sharp angle so that a narrow ridge, or "hogs-back" lay on the left -side of the stream. Once out in the open the walls were seen to be -quite steep, but could be climbed to the top almost any place without -trouble. Saturday, January the 13th, we were out of the canyon at -last, and the towering walls, now friendly, now menacing, were behind -us. Three hundred and sixty-five large rapids, and nearly twice as -many small rapids, were behind us and the dream of ten years was an -accomplished fact. But best of all, there were no tragedies or -fatalities to record. Perhaps we did look a little the worse for wear, -but a few days away from the river would repair all that. The boats -had a bump here and there, besides the one big patch on the _Edith_; a -little mending and a little caulking would put both the _Edith_ and -_Defiance_ in first-class condition. - -There is little of interest to record of our 175-mile run to Needles, -California. It was a land of desolation--an extension of the Mojave -Desert on the south, and the alkaline flats and mineral mountains of -Nevada on the north, of Death Valley and the Funeral Mountains of -California to the northwest--a burned-out land of grim-looking -mountains extending north and south across our way; a dried-out, -washed-out, and wind-swept land of extensive flats and arroyos; a land -of rock and gravel cemented in marls and clay; ungraced with any but -the desert plants,--cactus and thorny shrubs,--with little that was -pleasing or attractive. A desert land it is true, but needing only the -magic touch of water to transform much of it into a garden spot. Even -as it was, a few months later it would be covered with the flaming -blossoms of the desert growth, which seem to try to make amends in one -or two short months for nearly a year of desolation. - -A wash ran along the base of the plateau from which we had emerged. An -abandoned road and ferry showed that this had once been a -well-travelled route. The stream had a good current and we pulled -away, only stopping once to see the last of our plateau before a turn -and deepening banks hid it from view. We wondered if the water ever -dropped in a precipitous fall over the face of the wall and worked -back, a little every year, as it does at Niagara. We could hardly -doubt that there were some such falls back in the dim past when these -canyons were being carved. - -In the middle of the afternoon we passed a ranch or a house with a -little garden, occupied by two miners, who hailed us from the shore. A -half-mile below was the Scanlon Ferry, a binding tie between Arizona, -on the south and what was now Nevada, on the north, for we had reached -the boundary line shortly after emerging from the canyon. We still -travelled nearly directly west. The ferry was in charge of a -Cornishman who also had as pretty a little ranch as one could expect -to find in such an unlikely place. A purling stream of water, piped -from somewhere up in the hills, had caused the transformation. The -ranch was very homey with cattle and horses, sheep and hogs, dogs and -cats, all sleek and contented-looking. The garden proved that this -country had a warm climate, although we were not suffering from heat -at that time. An effort was being made to grow some orange trees, but -with little promise of success; there were fig trees and date-palms, -with frozen dates hanging on the branches, one effect of the coldest -winter they had seen in this section. - -The rancher told us he could not sell us anything that had to be -brought in, for it was seventy miles to the railroad, but we could -look over such supplies as he had. It ended by his selling us a -chicken, two dozen eggs, five pounds of honey, and ten pounds of -flour,--all for $2.50. We did not leave until the next morning, then -bought another jar of honey, for we had no sugar, and two-thirds of -the first jar was eaten before we left the ferry. - -We pulled away in such a hurry the next morning that we forgot an axe -that had been carried with us for the entire journey. A five-hour run -brought us to the mouth of the Virgin River, a sand-bar a mile wide, -and with a red-coloured stream little larger than Cataract Creek -winding through it. We had once seen this stream near its head waters, -a beautiful mountain creek, that seemed to bear no relation to this -repulsive-looking stream that entered from the north. A large, -flat-topped, adobe building, apparently deserted, stood off at one -side of the stream. This was the head of navigation for flat-bottomed -steamboats that once plied between here and the towns on the lower end -of the river. They carried supplies for small mines scattered through -the mountains and took out cargoes of ore, and of rock salt which was -mined back in Nevada. - -It was here at the Virgin River that Major Powell concluded his -original voyage of exploration. Some of his men took the boats on down -to Fort Mojave, a few miles above Needles; afterwards two of the party -continued on to the Gulf. The country below the Virgin River had been -explored by several parties, but previous to this time nothing -definite was known of the gorges until this exploration by this most -remarkable man. The difficulties of this hazardous trip were increased -for him by the fact that he had lost an arm in the Civil War. - -It is usually taken for granted that the United States government was -back of this exploration. This was true of the second expedition, but -not of the first. Major Powell was aided to a certain extent by the -State College of Illinois, otherwise he bore all the expense himself. -We received $10,000 from the government to apply on the expenses of -the second trip. - -We felt that we had some reason to feel a justifiable pride for having -duplicated, in some ways, this arduous journey. It was impossible for -us to do more than guess what must have been the feelings and -anxieties of this explorer. Added to the fact that we had boats, -tested and constructed to meet the requirements of the river, and the -benefit of others' experiences, was a knowledge that we were not -likely to be precipitated over a waterfall, or if we lost everything -and succeeded in climbing out, that there were a few ranches and -distant settlements scattered through the country. - -But we had traversed the same river and the same canyons which change -but little from year to year, and had succeeded beyond our fondest -hopes in having accomplished what we set out to do. - -The Black Mountains, dark and forbidding, composed of a hard rock -which gave a metallic clink, and decorated with large spots of white, -yellow, vermilion, and purple deposits of volcanic ashes, were entered -this afternoon. The peaks were about a thousand feet high. The passage -between is known as Boulder Canyon. Here we met two miners at work on -a tunnel, or drift, who informed us that it was about forty miles to -Las Vegas, Nevada, and that it was only twenty-five miles from the -mouth of Las Vegas Wash, farther down the river, to this same town and -the railroad. - -Fort Callville--an abandoned rock building, constructed by the -directions of Brigham Young, without windows or roof, and surrounded -by stone corrals--was passed the next day. At Las Vegas Wash the river -turned at right angles, going directly south, holding with very little -deviation to this general direction until it empties into the Gulf of -California nearly five hundred miles away. The river seemed to be -growing smaller as we got out in the open country. Like all Western -rivers, when unprotected by canyons, it was sinking in the sand. -Sand-bars impeded our progress at such places as the mouth of the -Wash. But we had a good current, without rapids in Black Canyon, which -came shortly below, and mile after mile was put behind us before we -camped for the night. - -An old stamp-mill, closed for the time, but in charge of three men who -were making preparations to resume work, was passed the next day. They -had telephone communication with Searchlight, Nevada, twenty odd miles -away, and we sent out some telegrams in that way. More sand-bars were -encountered the next day, and ranches began to appear on both sides of -the river. We had difficulty on some of these bars. In places the -river bed was a mile wide, with stagnant pools above the sand, and -with one deep channel twisting between. At Fort Mojave, now an Indian -school and agency, we telephoned to some friends in Needles, as we had -promised to do, telling them we would arrive about noon of the -following day. We made a mistake in not camping at the high ground by -the "fort" that night, for just below the river widened again and the -channel turned out in the centre. It was getting dark and we had -entered this before noticing which way it turned, and had a hard pull -back to the shore, for we had no desire to camp out there in the -quicksand. The shore was little more desirable. It was a marsh, -covered with a growth of flags and tules but with the ground frozen -enough so that we did not sink. Our last camp--No. 76--was made in -this marsh. There we spent the night, hidden like hunted savages in -the cane-brake, while an Indian brass band played some very good music -for an officers' ball, less than half a mile away. - -We were up and away with the sun the next morning. On nearing Needles, -a friend met us on the outskirts of the town and informed us that they -had arranged what he called an official landing and reception. At his -request we deferred going down at once, but busied ourselves instead -at packing our cargo, ready for shipping. Our friend had secured the -services of a motion-picture operator and our own camera was sent down -to make a picture of the landing, which was made as he had arranged. - -We landed in Needles January 18, 1912; one month from the time of our -start from Bright Angel Trail, with a total of one hundred and one -days spent along the river. In that time our camps had been changed -seventy-six times. - -Our two boats, highly prized as souvenirs of our twelve hundred mile -trip, and which had carried us through three hundred and sixty-five -big rapids, over a total descent of more than five thousand feet, were -loaded on cars ready for shipment; the _Edith_ to Los Angeles, the -_Defiance_ to the Grand Canyon. - -Among other mail awaiting us was the following letter, bearing the -postmark of Hite, Utah: - - "KOLB BROS., - - "DEAR FRIENDS: - - "Well I got here at last after seventeen days in Cataract - Canyon. The old boat will stand a little quiet water but - will never go through another rapid. I certainly played - 'ring-a-round' some of those rocks in Cataract Canyon; I - tried every scheme I had ever heard of, and some that were - never thought of before. At the last rapid in Cataract I - carried all my stuff over the cliff, then tried to line the - boat from the narrow ledge. The boat jerked me into the - river, but I did not lose my hold on the chain and climbed - on board. I had no oars, but managed to get through without - striking any rocks, and landed a mile and a half below the - supplies. I hope the 'movies' are good.[7] - - "Sincerely yours, - - "CHAS. SMITH." - - - - -CONCLUSION. HOW I WENT TO MEXICO - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - - - -ON THE CREST OF A FLOOD - -A westward-bound train was bearing me across the Mojave Desert one day -in May. In a few swiftly passing hours we had made a six-thousand foot -descent from the plateau with its fir and aspen-covered mountain, its -cedar and pinon-clothed foot-hills, and its extensive forests of -yellow pine. Crimson and yellow-flowered cactus, sage and chaparral, -succeeded the pines. The cool mountains had given way to burned-out, -umber-coloured hills, rock-ribbed arroyos, and seemingly endless -desert; and the sun was growing hotter every minute. - -If the heat continued to increase, I doubted if I would care to take a -half-planned Colorado River trip down to the Gulf. Visions of the -California beaches, of fishing at Catalina and of horseback rides over -the Sierra's trails, nearly unsettled my determination to stop at -Needles, on the California side of the river. This was my vacation! -Why undergo all the discomfort of a voyage on a desert stream, when -the pleasures and comforts of the Pacific beckoned? One thing was -sure, if I was not successful in securing a boat at Needles, the very -next train would find me on board, bound for the Western Slope. By -mid-afternoon the chaparral had disappeared and only the cactus -remained--the ocotilla, covered with a million flowers, wave upon wave -of crimson flame, against the yellow earth. Violet-veiled mountains -appeared in the west, marking the southern trend of the Colorado. The -air was suffocating. The train-created wind was like a blast from a -furnace; yet with the electric fans whirring, with blinds drawn and -windows closed to keep the withering air _out_, it seemed a little -less uncomfortable in the car, in spite of the unvitalized air, than -under the scorching sun. - -We were beside the Colorado at last. I had a good view of the stream -below, as we crossed the bridge--the Colorado in flood, muddy, -turbulent, sweeping onward like an affrighted thing,--repulsive, yet -with a fascination for me, born of an intimate acquaintance with the -dangers of this stream. The river had called again! The heat was -forgotten, the visions of the coast faded, for me the train could not -reach Needles, ten miles up the river, quickly enough. - -With my brother, I had followed this stream down to Needles, through a -thousand miles of canyon. I had seen how it carved its way through the -mountains, carrying them on, in solution, toward the ocean. At last I -would see what became of all these misplaced mountains. I would see -the tidal bore as it swept in from the Gulf. I had heard there were -wild hogs which burrowed through the cane-brake. It may be that I -would learn of a vessel at some port down on the Mexican coast, which -I might reach and which would take me around the Lower California -Peninsula. I felt sure there was such a port. No doubt I could have -found books to tell me exactly what I would see, but too much -information would spoil all the romance of such an adventure. It was -all very alluring. With the spring flood on, the river could not help -but be interesting and exciting, a pretty good imitation of the -rapids, perhaps. If I could only secure a boat! - -Half an hour later I was meeting old acquaintances about the hotel, -connected with the station. The genial hotel manager, with the Irish -name, was smilingly explaining to some newcomers that this was not -hot; that "a dry heat at 110 degrees was not nearly as bad as 85 -degrees back in Chicago," "and as for heat," he continued, "why down -in Yuma"--then he caught sight of me, with a grin on my face, and -perhaps he remembered that I had heard him say the same thing two -years before, when it was even hotter; and he came over with -out-stretched hand,--calling me uncomplimentary names, under his -breath, for spoiling the effect of his explanation; all which was -belied by his welcome. It takes an Irishman to run a big hotel in the -middle of the desert. - -A few inquiries brought out the information that I was not likely to -get a boat. The stores did not keep them. I should have given my order -two weeks before to an Indian who built boats to order at $2.00 a -foot. This was a new one on me. Suppose a fellow wanted--well say, -about $15.00 worth. It would look something like a tub, wouldn't it? -Perhaps it was to be the coast, for me, after all. - -The Colorado River in flood is a terrible stream. Unlike the Eastern -rivers, there are no populous cities--with apologies to Needles and -Yuma--along its shores, to be inundated with the floods. Unlike the -rivers of the South, few great agricultural districts spread across -its bottoms. Along the upper seven hundred miles there are not a -half-dozen ranches with twenty-five acres under cultivation. But if -destructive power and untamed energy are terrible, the Colorado River, -in flood, is a terrible stream. - -After changing into some comfortable clothes I sauntered past the -railway machine shops down to the river, and up to where a fight was -being waged to save the upper part of the town from being torn away by -the flood. For a month past, car after car of rock had been dumped -along the river bank, only to disappear in the quicksands; and as yet -no bottom had been reached. Up to this point the fight was about -equal. The flood would not reach its crest until two or three weeks -later. - -Beyond a fisherman or two there were few men by the river. The workmen -had finished their day's labour. A ferryman said that I might talk an -Indian into selling his boat, but it was doubtful. My next job was to -find such an Indian. - -A big, greasy Mojave buck lay on an uncovered, rusty bed spring, slung -on a home-made frame, before his willow and adobe home, close to the -Colorado River. In answer to my repeated question he uncoiled and -stretched the full length of his six foot six couch, grunted a few -words in his native tongue to other Indians without a glance in my -direction, then indifferently closed his eyes again. A young Indian in -semi-cowboy garb,--not omitting a gorgeous silk handkerchief about his -neck,--jabbered awhile with some grinning squaws, then said in -perfectly understandable English, "He will sell his boat for $18.00. -It is worth $30.00." This was decisive for an Indian. It usually takes -a half-day of bickering to get them to make any kind of a bargain. I -told him I would take it in the morning. - -It was a well-constructed boat, almost new, built of inch pine, -flat-bottomed, and otherwise quite similar in shape to the boats my -brother and I had used on our twelve hundred mile journey through the -canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers,--but without the graceful -lines and swells that made those other boats so valuable to us in -rapids. The boat was nearly new and well worth $30.00, as boat prices -went in that town. Why he was willing to sell it for $18.00, or at the -rate of $1.00 a foot, I could not imagine. It was the first bargain an -Indian had ever offered me. But if I paid for it that evening, there -were doubts in my mind if I should find it in the morning, so I -delayed closing the bargain and went back again to inspect the boat. - -That evening I inquired among my acquaintances if there was any one -who would care to accompany me. If so I would give them passage to -Yuma, or to the Gulf of California in Mexico, if they wished it. But -no one could go, or those who could, wouldn't. One would have thought -from the stories with which I was regaled, that the rapids of the -Grand Canyon were below Needles, and as for going to the Gulf, it was -suicide. I was told of the outlaws along the border, of the firearms -and opium smugglers, who shot first and questioned afterward, and of -the insurrectos of Lower California. The river had no real outlet to -the ocean, they said, since the break into Salton Sea, but spread over -a cane-brake, thirty miles or more in width. Many people had gone into -these swamps and never returned, whether lost in the jungles or killed -by the Cocopah Indians, no one knew. They simply disappeared. It was -all very alluring. - -My preparations, the next day, were few. I had included a sleeping bag -with my baggage. It would come in equally handy whether I went down on -the Colorado or up into the Coast Range. A frying-pan, a coffee-pot a -few metal dishes and provisions for a week were all I needed. Some one -suggested some bent poles, and a cover, such as are used on wagons to -keep off the sun. This seemed like a good idea; and I hunted up a -carpenter who did odd jobs. He did not have such a one, but he did -have an old wagon-seat cover, which could be raised or dropped at -will. This was even better, for sometimes hard winds sweep up the -river. The cover was fastened to the sides of the boat. The boat, -meanwhile, had been thoroughly scrubbed. It looked clean before, but I -was not going to take any chances at carrying Indian live-stock along -with his boat. My surplus baggage was sent on to Los Angeles, and -twenty-four hours after I had landed in Needles, I was ready to -embark. - -My experience in camping trips of various sorts has been that the -start from headquarters occupies more time than any similar -preparation. Once on the road, things naturally arrange themselves -into some kind of a system, and an hour on the road in the evening -means several hours gained the next morning. Added to this, there are -always a number of loafers about railroad towns, and small things have -a way of disappearing. With this in mind, I determined to make my -start that evening, and at 7 P.M. on the 23d of May, 1913, I embarked -on a six to eight mile an hour current, paced by cottonwood logs, -carried down by the flood from the head waters in Wyoming, Utah, and -Colorado. - -When sailing on the unruffled current one did not notice its -swiftness--it sped so quietly yet at the same time with such deadly -intent--until some half submerged cottonwood snags appeared, their -jagged, broken limbs ploughing the stream exactly like the bow of a -motor-driven boat, throwing two diverging lines of waves far down the -stream. One would almost think the boat was motionless, it raced so -smoothly,--and that the snags were tearing upstream as a river man had -said, the day before, "like a dog with a bone in his teeth." A sunken -stone-boat, with a cabin half submerged, seemed propelled by some -unseen power and rapidly dwindled in the distance. - -So fascinating were these things that I forgot the approaching night. -I first noticed it when the stream slackened its mad pace and spread -over its banks into great wide marshes, in divided and subdivided -channels and over submerged islands, with nothing but willow and fuzzy -cattail tops to indicate that there was a bottom underneath. Here -there was no place to camp had I wished to do so. Once I missed the -main channel and had a difficult time in finding my way back in the -dark. After two or three miles of this quiet current, the streams -began to unite again, and the river regained its former speed. I was -growing weary after the first excitement, and began to wish myself -well out of it all and safely anchored to the shore. But I knew there -was a level bank above the river close to the bridge, which would make -a good camping place; so I rested on my oars facing down the stream -with eyes and ears alert for the treacherous snags. Then the stars -began to appear, one by one, lighting up the cloudless sky; a moist, -tropical-like breeze moved up the stream, the channel narrowed and -deepened, the snags vanished, and the stream increased its swiftness. - -And with eyes wide open, but unseeing, I dozed. It was the lights of a -passenger train crossing the bridge, just a short distance away, that -made me realize where I was. The train thundered into the darkness; -but louder than the roar of the train was that of the water directly -ahead, and hidden in the impenetrable shadow over on the right shore -was a noise much like that made by a Grand Canyon rapid. - -Wide awake now, I pulled for the left, and after one or two attempts -to land, I caught some willow tops and guided the boat to the raised -bank. Beyond the willows was a higher ground, covered with a mesquite -thicket, with cattle trails winding under the thorny trees. Here I -unrolled my sleeping bag, then went up to interview the operator and -the watchman, and to get a drink of clear water, for I had no desire -to drink the liquid mud of the Colorado until it was necessary. In -answer to a question I told them of my little ride. One of the men -exclaimed, "You don't mean to say that you came down on the flood -after dark!" On being informed that I had just arrived, he exclaimed: -"Well I reckon you don't know what the Colorado is. It's a wonder this -whirlpool didn't break you against the pier. You ought to have brought -some one with you to see you drown!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - - - -FOUR DAYS TO YUMA - -Before sunrise the following morning, I had completed my few camp -duties, finished my breakfast and dropped my boat into the whirlpool -above the bridge. My two friends watched the manoeuvre as I pulled -clear of the logs and the piers which caused the water to make such -alarming sounds the night before; then they gave me a final word of -caution, and the information that the Parker Bridge was sixty miles -away and that Yuma was two hundred and fifty miles down the stream. -They thought that I should reach Yuma in a week. It seemed but a few -minutes until the bridge was a mile up the stream. Now I was truly -embarked for the gulf. - -By the time I had reached the spire-like mountainous rocks a few miles -below the bridge, which gave the town of Needles its name, the sun was -well up and I was beginning to learn what desert heat was, although I -had little time to think of it as I was kept so busy with my boat. -Here, the stream which was spread a mile wide above, had choked down -to two hundred feet; small violent whirlpools formed at the abrupt -turns in this so-called canyon and the water tore from side to side. -In one whirl my boat was twice carried around the circle into which I -had allowed it to be caught, then shot out on the pounding flood. Soon -the slag-like mountains were passed and the country began to spread, -first in a high barren land, then with a bottom land running back from -the river. The willow bushes changed to willow trees, tall and -spindly, crowded in a thicket down to the river's edge. The Chemehuevi -Indians have their reservation here. On rounding an abrupt turn I -surprised two little naked children, fat as butterballs, dabbling in a -mud puddle close to the stream. The sight, coupled with the -tropical-like heat and the jungle, could well make one imagine he was -in Africa or India, and that the little brown bodies were the -"alligator bait" of which we read. Only the 'gators were missing. The -unexpected sight of a boat and a white man trying to photograph them -started them both into a frightened squall. Then an indignant mother -appeared, staring at me as though she would like to know what I had -done to her offspring. Farther along were other squaws, with red and -blue lines pencilled on their childlike, contented faces, seated under -the willows. Their cotton garments, of red and blue bandanna -handkerchiefs sewed together, added a gay bit of colour to the scene. - -Below this were two or three cozy little ranch houses and a few -scattered cattle ranches, with cattle browsing back in the trees. All -this time it was getting hotter, and I was thankful for my sheltering -cover. My lunch, prepared in the morning, was eaten as I drifted. -Except in a few quiet stretches I did little rowing, just enough to -keep the boat away from the overhanging banks and in the strong -current. - -The bottom lands began to build up again with banks of gravel and -clay, growing higher with every mile. The deciduous trees gave way to -the desert growths: the cholla, "the shower of gold," and the palo -verde and the other acacias. Here were the California or valley-quail; -and lean, long-legged jack-rabbits. Here too were the coyotes, leaner -than the rabbits, but efficient, shifty-eyed, and insolent. One could -admire but could hardly respect them. - -I had entertained hopes of reaching Parker that evening, but supposed -the hour would be late if I reached it at all. Imagine my surprise, -then, when at half-past four I heard the whistle of a train, and -another turn revealed the Parker bridge. I had been told by others -that it had taken them three or four days to reach this point on a low -stage of water. Evidently the high water is much better for rapid and -interesting travel. - -Here at the bridge, which was a hundred feet above the river, was a -dredge, and an old flat-bottomed steamboat, a relic of a few years -past, before the government built the Laguna dam above Yuma, and -condemned the Colorado as a navigable stream. Those were the days -which the Colorado steamboat men recall with as much fond remembrance -as the old-time boatmen of the Mississippi remember their palmy days. - -In spite of the fact that the boats were flat-bottomed and small, it -was real steamboating of an exciting nature at least. At times they -beat up against the current as far as the mouth of the Rio Virgin. In -low water the channels shifted back and forth first choked with sand -on one side of the stream, then on the other. While the total fall -from Fort Mojave, a few miles above Needles, to the Gulf is only 525 -feet, considerable of that fall came in short sections, first with a -swift descent, then in a quiet stretch. Even in the high-water stage I -was finding some such places. - -Parker stood a mile back from the river, on top of the level gravelly -earth which stretched for miles on either side of the river clear to -the mountains. This earth and gravel mixture was so firmly packed that -even the cactus had a scant foothold. The town interested me for one -reason only, this being, that I could get my meals for the evening and -the following morning, instead of having to cook them myself. After I -had eaten them, however, there was a question in my mind if my own -cooking, bad as it was, would not have answered the purpose just as -well. The place was a new railroad town on an Indian reservation, a -town of great expectations, somewhat deferred. - -It was not as interesting to me as my next stop at Ahrenburg, some -fifty miles below Parker. This place while nothing but a collection of -dilapidated adobe buildings, had an air of romance about it which was -missing in the newer town. Ahrenburg had seen its day. Many years ago -it was a busy mining camp, and the hope is entertained by the faithful -who still reside in its picturesque adobe homes that it will come back -with renewed vigour. Here at Ahrenburg I met a character who added -greatly to the interest of my stay. He was a gigantic, raw-boned -Frenchman, at that time engaged in the construction of a motor boat; -but a miner, a sailor, and a soldier of fortune in many ways, one who -had pried into many of the hidden corners of the country and had a -graphic way of describing what he had seen. I was his guest until late -that night, and was entertained royally on what humble fare he had to -offer. We both intended to renew our acquaintance in the morning, but -some prowling Mexicans near my boat, croaking frogs, and swarms of -mosquitos gave me a restless night. With the first glimmer of daylight -I was up, and half an hour later I was away on the flood. - -This was my big day. The current was better than much of that above; I -was getting used to the heat, and, instead of idly drifting, I pulled -steadily at the oars. The river twisted back and forth in great loops -with the strong current, as is usual, always on the outside of the -loops, close to the overhanging banks. I would keep my boat in this -current, with a wary lookout over my shoulder for fallen trees and -sudden turns, which had a way of appearing when least expected. At -some such places the stream was engaged at undermining the banks which -rose eight and ten feet above the water. Occasional sections, -containing tons of earth and covered with tall, slender willow trees, -would topple over, falling on the water with the roar of a cannon or a -continued salute of cannons; for the falling, once started, quite -often extended for half a mile down the stream. At one such place -eighteen trees fell in three minutes, and it would be safe to say that -a hundred trees were included in the extended fall. The trees, sixty -feet high, resembled a field of gigantic grass or unripened grain; the -river was a reaper, cutting it away at the roots. Over they tumbled to -be buried in the stream; the water would swirl and boil, earth and -trees would disappear; then the mass of leaf-covered timber, freed of -the earth, would wash away to lodge on the first sand-bar, and the -formation of a new island or a new shore would begin. - -Then again, the banks were barren, composed of gravel and clay, -centuries older than the verdure-covered land, undisturbed, possibly, -since some glacial period deposited it there. But a shifting of the -channel directed the attack against these banks. Here the swift -current would find a little irregularity on the surface and would -begin its cutting. The sand-laden water bored exactly like an auger, -in fast-cutting whirls. One such place I watched for a half-hour from -the very beginning, until the undermined section, fourteen feet high, -began to topple, and I pulled out to safety, but not far enough to -escape a ducking in the resulting wave. - -Below this, instead of a firm earth, it was a loose sand and gravel -mixture twenty feet above the river. Here for half a mile the entire -bank was moving, slowly at the top, gathering speed at the bottom. -While close to this I heard a peculiar hissing as of carbonated water -all about me. At first I thought there were mineral springs -underneath, but found the noise was caused by breaking air bubbles -carried under the stream with the sands. All this day such phenomena -continued, sliding sand-banks and tumbling jungles. In these latter -places some cattle had suffered. Their trails ran parallel with the -stream. No doubt they had one or two places where they drank cut down -to the stream Knowing nothing of the cutting underneath, they had been -precipitated into the flood, and now their carcasses were food for -swarms of vultures gathered for an unholy feast. - -What powerful, graceful birds these scavengers are, stronger than the -eagle even, tireless and seemingly motionless as they drift along -searching every nook and cranny for their provender! But aside from a -grudgingly given tribute of admiration for their power, one has about -as much respect for them as for the equally graceful rattlesnake, that -other product of nature which flourishes in this desert land. - -The bird life along this lower part of the river was wonderful in its -variety. The birds of the desert mingled with those of the fertile -lands. The song-birds vied with those of gorgeous plume. Water-birds -disported themselves in the mud-banks and sloughs. The smaller birds -seemed to pay little attention to the nearness of the hawks. -Kingfisher perched on limbs overhanging the quiet pools, ready to drop -at the faintest movement on the opaque water; the road-runner chased -the festive lizard on the desert land back of the willows. Here also -in the mesquite and giant cactus were thrush and Western meadow-larks -and mocking-birds mimicking the call of the cat-bird. Down in the -brush by the river was the happy little water-ousel, as cheerful in -his way as the dumpy-built musical canyon wren. The Mexican crossbill -appeared to have little fear of the migrating Northern shrike. There -were warblers, cardinals, tanagers, waxwings, song-sparrows, and -chickadees. Flitting droves of bush-tit dropped on to slender weeds, -scarcely bending them, so light were they. Then in a minute they were -gone. In the swamps or marshes were countless red-winged blackbirds. - -The most unobservant person could not help but see birds here. I had -expected to find water-fowl, for the Colorado delta is their breeding -place; but I little expected to find so many land birds in the trees -along the river. Instead of having a lonesome trip, every minute was -filled with something new, interesting, and beautiful and I was having -the time of my life. - -I camped that night at Picachio,--meaning the Pocket,--eighty miles -below Ahrenburg. This is still a mining district, but the pockets -containing nuggets of gold which gave the place its name seem to have -all been discovered at the time of the boom; the mining now done is in -quartz ledges up on the sides of grim, mineral-stained hills. I was -back in the land of rock again, a land showing the forces of nature in -high points of foreign rock, shot up from beneath, penetrating the -crust of the earth and in a few places emerging for a height of two -hundred feet from the river itself, forming barren islands and great -circling whirlpools, as large as that in the Niagara gorge, and I -thought, for a while, almost as powerful. In one I attempted to keep -to the short side of the river, but found it a difficult job, and one -which took three times as long to accomplish as if I had allowed -myself to be carried around the circle. - -Then the land became level again, and the Chocolate Mountains were -seen to the west. A hard wind blew across the stream, so that I had to -drop my sunshade to prevent being carried against the rocks. This day -I passed a large irrigation canal leading off from the stream, the -second such on the entire course of the Colorado. Here a friendly -ranchman called to me from the shore and warned me of the Laguna dam -some distance below. He said the water was backed up for three miles, -so I would know when I was approaching it. - -In spite of this warning, I nearly came to grief at the dam. The wind -had shifted until it blew directly down the stream. The river, nearly -a mile wide, still ran with a powerful current; I ceased rowing and -drifted down, over waves much like those one would find on a lake -driven by a heavy wind. I saw some high poles and a heavy electric -cable stretched across the stream, and concluded that this was the -beginning of the dam. I began to look ahead for some sign of a barrier -across the stream, far below, but I could see nothing of the kind; -then as I neared the poles it suddenly dawned on me that there was no -raised barrier which diverted all the water through a sluice, but a -submerged dam, over which the flood poured, and that the poles were on -that dam. - -My sail-like sunshade was dropped as quickly as I could do it, and, -grabbing the oars, I began to pull for the California shore. - -It was fortunate for me that I happened to be comparatively near the -shore when I began rowing. As it was, I landed below the diverting -canal, and about a hundred yards above the dam. On examination the dam -proved to be a slope about fifty feet long. A man in charge of the -machinery controlling the gates told me that the dam lacked seven feet -of being a mile wide, and that approximately seven feet of water was -going over the entire dam. - -Great cement blocks and rocks had been dropped promiscuously below the -dam to prevent it from being undermined. Even without the rocks it was -doubtful if an uncovered boat could go through without upsetting. The -great force of the water made a trough four or five feet lower than -the river level, all water coming down the slope shooting underneath, -while the river rolled back upstream. On two occasions boatmen had -been carried over the dam. In each case the boat was wrecked, but the -occupants were thrown out and escaped uninjured. I could not help but -be amused, and feel a little uncomfortable too, when I saw how nearly -I came to being wrecked here, after having escaped that fate in the -rapids of the canyons. - -I ran my boat back to the diverting canal, then rowed down to the -massive cement gates, which looked to me like a small replica of some -of the locks on the Panama Canal. With the help of an Indian who was -ready for a job my boat was taken out, rolled around the buildings on -some sections of pipe, and slid over the bank into the canal below the -gates. - -In spite of a desire to spend some time inspecting the machinery of -this great work,--which, with the canal and other improvements, had -cost the government over a million dollars--I immediately resumed my -rowing. It was mid-afternoon, and measured by the canal, which was -direct, it was twelve miles to Yuma. But I soon learned that great -winding curves made it much farther by the river. In some cases it -nearly doubled back on itself. The wind had shifted by this time and -blew against me so hard that it was almost useless to attempt rowing. -In another place there were no banks, and the water had spread for -three miles in broken sloughs and around half-submerged islands, the -one deep channel being lost in the maze of shallow ones. With these -things to contend with it was dusk long before I neared the town, the -twelve miles having stretched to twenty. Finally I saw a windmill -partly submerged. Some distance away was a small ranch house also in -the water. The house, with lights in the upper story, was a cheering -sight; the windmill looked out of place in the midst of all this -desolation of water. Soon other houses appeared with lights showing -through the windows. Once I lost my way and spent a half hour in -getting back to the right channel. - -Somewhere in the dark, I never knew just when, I passed the mouth of -the Gila River. In a similar way in broad daylight I had passed the -Bill Williams Fork above Ahrenburg. - -At last I neared the town. I could discern some buildings on top of a -small hill, evidently one of the back streets of Yuma. After tying my -boat, I hid my small load in some mesquite trees, then climbed the -hill and passed between two peculiar stone houses dark as dungeons. -They puzzled me from the outside, but when once past them, I was no -longer in doubt. I had entered the open gateway leading to the -courtyard of the Yuma penitentiary. No wonder the buildings looked -like dungeons. This was a new experience for me, but somehow I had -always imagined just how it would look. I was considering beating a -retreat when a guard hailed me and asked me if I was not lost. With -the assistance of the guard, I escaped from the pen and found my way -to the streets of Yuma, just four days after leaving the Needles -bridge. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - - - -ACROSS THE MEXICO BORDER - -"Mexico is a good place to keep away from just at present." This was -the invariable answer to a few casual inquiries concerning what I -would be likely to meet with in the way of difficulties, a possible -companion for the voyage to the Gulf, and how one could get back when -once there. I received little encouragement from the people of Yuma. -The cautions came not from the timid who see danger in every rumour, -but from the old steamboat captains, the miners, and prospectors who -knew the country and had interests in mineral claims across the -border. These claims they had lost in many cases because they had -failed for the last two years to keep up their assessment work. There -were vague suggestions of being stood up against an adobe wall with a -row of "yaller bellies" in front, or being thrown into damp dungeons -and held for a ransom. - -The steamboat men could give me little information about the river. -The old channel had filled with silt, and the river was diverted into -a roundabout course little more than a creek in width, then spread -over whole delta. The widely spread water finally collected into an -ancient course of the Colorado, known as the Hardy or False Colorado. -As nearly as I could learn no one from Yuma had been through this new -channel beyond a certain point called Volcanic Lake. Two or three -parties had come back with stories of having attempted it, but found -themselves in the middle of a cane-brake with insufficient water to -float a boat. With a desire to be of real assistance to me, one old -captain called a Yuma Indian into his office and asked him his -opinion, suggesting that he might go along. - -"Mebbe so get lost in the trees, mebbe so get shot by the Cocopah," -the Indian replied as he shook his head. - -The captain laughed at the last and said that the Yuma and Cocopah -Indians were not the best of friends, and accused each other of all -sorts of things which neither had committed. Some Mexicans and certain -outlawed whites who kept close to the border for different reasons, -and the possibilities of bogging in a cane-brake were the only -uncertainties. In so many words he advised me against going. - -Still I persevered. I had planned so long on completing my boating -trip to the Gulf, that I disliked to abandon the idea altogether. I -felt sure, with a flood on the Colorado, there would be some channel -that a flat-bottomed boat could go through, when travelling with the -current; but the return trip and the chances of being made a target -for some hidden native who had lived on this unfriendly border and had -as much reason for respecting some citizens of the United States as -our own Indians had in the frontier days, caused me considerable -concern. I knew it was customary everywhere to make much of the -imaginary dangers, as we had found in our other journeys; but it is -not difficult to discriminate between sound advice and the croakings -which are based on lack of real information. I knew this was sound -advice, and as usual I disliked to follow it. At last I got some -encouragement. It came from a retired Wild West showman,--the real -thing, one who knew the West from its early days. He laughed at the -idea of danger and said I was not likely to find any one, even if I -was anxious to do so, until I got to the La Bolso Ranch near the Gulf. -They would be glad to see me. He thought it was likely to prove -uninteresting unless I intended to hunt wild hogs, but that was -useless without dogs, and I would have trouble getting a gun past the -custom officers. His advice was to talk with the Mexican consul, as he -might know some one who could bring me back by horseback. - -In the consul I found a young Spaniard, all affability, bows, and -gestures; and without being conscious of it at first I too began -making motions. He deplored my lack of knowledge of the Spanish -language, laughed at any suggestion of trouble, as all trouble was in -Eastern Sonora, he said, separated from the coast by two hundred miles -of desert, and stated that the non-resident owner of the La Bolsa -cattle ranch happened to be in the building at that moment. In a -twinkling he had me before him and explained the situation. This -gentleman, the owner of a 600,000-acre grant, and the fishing -concession of the Gulf, stated that the ranch drove a team to Yuma -once a week, that they would bring me back; in the interval I must -consider myself the guest of the Rancho La Bolsa. The consul gave me a -passport, and so it was all arranged. - -In spite of the consul's opinion, there were many whispered rumours of -war, of silent automobiles loaded with firearms that stole out of town -under cover of the night and returned in four days, and another of a -river channel that could be followed and was followed, the start being -made, not from Yuma, but from another border town farther west. A year -before there had been an outbreak at this place of certain restless -spirits,--some whites included,--and they went along the northern line -of Mexico, sacking the ranches and terrorizing the people. The La -Bolsa ranch was among those that suffered. The party contained some -discharged vaqueros who were anxious to interview the ranch foreman, -but fortunately for him he was absent. Then they turned south to -Chihuahua and joined the army of Madero. War, to them, meant license -to rob and kill. They were not insurrectos, but bandits, and this was -the class that was most feared. - -Meanwhile I had not given up the idea of a possible companion. Before -coming to Yuma I had entertained hopes of getting some one with a -motor boat to take me down and back, but there were no motor boats, I -found. The nearest approach to a power boat was an attempt that was -being made to install the engine from a wrecked steam auto on a sort -of flat-bottomed scow. I heard of this boat three or four times, and -in each case the information was accompanied by a smile and some vague -remarks about a "hybrid." I hunted up the owner,--the proprietor of a -shooting gallery,--a man who had once had aspirations as a -heavy-weight prize fighter, but had met with discouragement. So he had -turned his activities to teaching the young idea how to -shoot--especially the "Mexican idea" and those other border spirits -who were itching for a scrap. - -The proprietor of the shooting gallery drove a thriving trade. Since -he had abandoned his training he had taken on fat, and I found him to -be a genial sort of giant who refused to concern himself with the -serious side of life. Even a lacing he had received in San Francisco -at the hands of a negro stevedore struck him as being humorous. He did -not seem to have much more confidence in his "power boat" than the -others, but said I might talk with the man who was putting it -together, ending with the remark "Phillipps thinks he can make her -run, and he has always talked of going to the Gulf." - -On investigation I found Al Phillipps was anxious to go to the Gulf, -and would go along if I would wait until he got his boat in shape. -This would take two days. Phillipps, as he told me himself, was a -Jayhawker who had left the farm in Kansas and had gone to sea for two -years. He was a cowboy, but had worked a year or two about mining -engines. In Yuma he was a carpenter, but was anxious to leave and go -prospecting along the Gulf. Phillipps and I were sure to have an -interesting time. He spoke Spanish and did not fear any of the -previously mentioned so-called dangers; he had heard of one party -being carried out to sea when the tide rushed out of the river, but as -we would have low tide he thought that, with caution, we could avoid -that. - -At last all was ready for the momentous trial. The river bank was -lined with a crowd of men who seemed to have plenty of leisure. Some -long-haired Yuma Indians, and red and green turbaned Papagos, gathered -in a group off a little to one side. A number of darkies were fishing -for bullheads, and boys of three colors besides the Mexicans and a -lone Chinaman clambered over the trees and the boats along the shore. - -It was a moment of suspense for Phillipps. His reputation as an -engineer and a constructor of boats hung in the balance. He also had -some original ideas about a rudder which had been incorporated in this -boat. Now was his chance to test them out, and his hour of triumph if -they worked. - -The test was a rigid one. The boat was to be turned upstream against -an eight-mile current with big sand-waves, beginning about sixty feet -from the shore, running in the middle of the river. If the engine ran, -and the stern paddle-wheel turned, his reputation was saved. If she -was powerful enough to go against the current, it was a triumph and we -would start for the Gulf at once. - -On board were Phillipps, a volunteer, and myself. Before turning the -boat loose, the engine was tried. It was a success. The paddle-wheel -churned the water at a great rate, sending the boat upstream as far as -the ropes would let her go. We would try a preliminary run in the -quiet water close to the shore, before making the test in the swift -current. The order was given to cast off, and for two men, the owner -and another, to hold to the ropes and follow on the shore. The engine -was started, the paddle-wheel revolved, slowly at first but gathering -speed with each revolution. We began to move gently, then faster, so -that the men on shore had difficulty in keeping even with us, impeded -as they were with bushes and sloping banks. Flushed with success, the -order was given to turn her loose, and we gathered in the ropes. Now -we were drifting away from the shore and making some headway against -the swift current. The crowd on shore was left behind. - -But as we left the bank the river increased in speed and the boat -gradually lost. Then she stood still, but began to turn slowly, -broadside to the current. This was something we had not foreseen. With -no headway the rudder was of no avail. There was no sweep-oar; we had -even neglected to put an oar on the boat. With pieces of boards the -stranger and I paddled, trying to hold her straight, but all the time, -in spite of our efforts, she drifted away from the land and slowly -turned. A big sand-wave struck her, she wheeled in her tracks and -raced straight for a pier, down the stream. - -About this time our engineer began having trouble with his engine. At -first we feared it would not run, now it seemed it would not stop. - -A great shout went up from the shore, and a bet was made that we would -run to the Gulf in less than a day. A darky boy fell off a boat in the -excitement, the Indians did a dance, men pounded each other and -whooped for joy. Then a bolt came loose, and the engine ran away. -Driving-rod and belts were whirled "regardless," as the passenger -afterwards said, about our heads. - -Then the crash came. Our efforts to escape the pier were of no avail. -I made a puny effort to break the impact with a pole, but was sent -sprawling on the deck. Al tumbled headlong on top of the engine, which -he had stopped at last, our passenger rolled over and over, but we all -stayed with the ship. Each grabbing a board, we began to paddle and -steered the craft to the shore. - -With the excitement over, the crowd faded away. Only two or three -willing hands remained to help us line the craft back to the landing. -The owner, who had to run around the end of the bridge, came down -puffing and blowing, badly winded, at the end of the first round. -Without a word from any one we brought the boat back to the landing. - -Al was the first to speak. - -"Well, what are you going to do?" he asked. - -"Me? I'm going to take my boat and start for the Gulf in ten minutes. -I'll take nothing that I cannot carry. If I have to leave the river I -will travel light across the desert to Calexico. I think that I can -get through. If you want to go along, I'll stick with you until we get -back. What do you think about it?" - -It was a long speech and a little bitter perhaps. I felt that way. The -disappointment on top of the three days' delay when time was precious -could not be forgotten in a moment. And when my speech was said I was -all through. - -Al said he would be ready in half an hour. Our beds were left behind. -Al had a four-yard square of canvas for a sail. This would be -sufficient covering at night in the hot desert. We had two canteens. -The provisions, scarcely touched before arriving here, were sufficient -for five days. I was so anxious to get started that I did not take the -time to replenish them in Yuma, intending to do so at the custom-house -on the Arizona side twelve miles below, where some one had told me -there was a store. I counted on camping there. After a hurriedly eaten -luncheon we were ready to start, the boat was shoved off, and we were -embarked for Mexico. - -Half an hour later we passed the abandoned Imperial Canal, the -man-made channel which had nearly destroyed the vast agricultural -lands which it had in turn created. Just such a flood as that on which -we were travelling had torn out the insufficiently supported -head-gates. The entire stream, instead of pushing slowly across the -delta, weltering in its own silt to the Gulf, poured into the bottom -of the basin nearly four hundred feet below the top of this silt-made -dam. In a single night it cut an eighty-foot channel in the unyielding -soil, and what had once been the northern end of the California Gulf -was turned into an inland sea, filled with the turbid waters of the -Colorado, instead of the sparkling waters of the ocean. Nothing but an -almost superhuman fight finally rescued the land from the grip of the -water. - -A short distance below, just across the Mexican line, on the -California side, was the new canal, dug in a firmer soil and with -strongly built gates anchored in rock back from the river. - -Half a mile away from the stream, on a spur railway, was the Mexican -custom-house. I had imagined that it would be beside the river, and -that guards would be seen patrolling the shore. But aside from an -Indian fishing, there was no one to be seen. We walked out to the -custom-house, gave a list of the few things which we had, assured them -that we carried no guns, paid our duty, and departed. We had imagined -that our boat would be inspected, but no one came near. - -The border line makes a jog here at the river and the Arizona-Mexico -line was still a few miles down the stream. We had passed the mouth of -the old silt-dammed Colorado channel, which flowed a little west of -south; and we turned instead to the west into the spreading delta or -moraine. About this time I remarked that I had seen no store at the -custom-house and that I must not neglect to get provisions at the next -one or we would be rather short. - -"We passed our last custom-house back there." Al replied, "That's -likely the last place we will see until we get to the ranch by the -Gulf." - -No custom-house! No store! This was a surprise. What was a border for -if not to have custom-houses and inspectors? With all the talk of -smuggling I had not thought of anything else. And I could tell by Al's -tone that his estimation of my foresight had dropped several degrees. -This was only natural, for his disappointment and the jibes still -rankled. - -At last we were wholly in Mexican territory. With the States behind, -all of our swiftly running water had departed, and we now travelled on -a stream that was nearly stagnant. All the cottonwood logs which had -finally been carried down the stream after having been deposited on a -hundred shores, found here their final resting place. About each -cluster of logs an island was forming, covered with a rank grass and -tules. - -Ramified channels wound here and there. Two or three times we found -ourselves in a shallow channel, and with some difficulty retraced our -way. All channels looked alike, but only one was deep. - -Then the willow trees which were far distant on either shore began to -close in and we travelled in a channel not more than a hundred feet -wide, growing smaller with every mile. This new channel is sometimes -termed the Bee River. It parallels the northern Mexico line; it also -parallels a twenty-five mile levee which the United States government -has constructed along the northern edge of this fifty-mile wide dam -shoved across the California Gulf by the stream, building higher every -year. Except for the river channel the dam may be said to reach -unbroken from the Arizona-Sonora Mesa to the Cocopah Mountains. The -levee runs from a point of rocks near the river to Lone Mountain, a -solitary peak some distance east of the main range. This levee, built -since the trouble with the canal, is all that prevents the water from -breaking into the basin in a dozen places. - -We saw signs of two or three camp-fires close to the stream, and with -the memory of the stories haunting us a little we built only a small -fire when we cooked our evening meal, then extinguished it, and camped -on a dry point of land a mile or two below. I think we were both a -little nervous that night; I confess that I was, and if an unwashed -black-bearded individual had poked his head out from the willows and -said, "Woof!" or whatever it is that they say when they want to start -up a jack-rabbit, we would both have stampeded clear across the -border. In fact I felt a little as I did when I played truant from -school and wondered what would happen when I was found out. - -Daybreak found us ready to resume our journey, and with a rising sun -any nervousness vanished. What could any one want with two men who had -nothing but a flat-bottomed boat? - -All the morning we travelled west, the trees ever drawing closer as -our water departed on the south, running through the willows, -arrow-weed, and cat-tails. Then the channel opened into Volcanic Lake, -a circular body of water, which is not a lake but simply a gathering -together of the streams we had been losing, and here the water stands, -depositing its mud. All the way across had no depth but a bottomless -mud, so soft it would engulf a person if he tried to wade across. - -On the west there was no growth. The shore was nothing but an ash-like -powder, not a sand, but a rich soil blown here and there, building in -dunes against every obstruction, ever moving before the wind. Here -were boiling, sputtering mud pots and steam vents building up and -exhausting through mud pipe-stems, rising a foot or two above the -springs. Here was a shelter or two of sun-warped boards constructed by -those who come here crippled with rheumatism and are supposed to -depart, cured. Here we saw signs of a wagon track driven toward -Calexico, the border town directly north of the lake. The heat was -scorching, the sun, reflected from the sand and water, was blistering, -and we could well imagine what a walk across that ash-like soil would -mean. Mirages in the distance beckoned, trees and lakes were seen over -toward the mountains where we had seen nothing but desert before; heat -waves rose and fell. Our mouths began to puff from the reflected sun, -our faces burned and peeled, black and red in spots. There was no -indication of the slightest breeze until about three o'clock, when the -wind moved gently across the lake. - -We had skirted the northern part of the circle, passing a few small -streams and then found one of the three large channels which empty the -lake. As it happened we took the one on the outside, and the longest. -The growth grew thicker than ever, the stream choked down to fifty -feet. Now it began to loop backward and forward and back again, as -though trying to make the longest and crookedest channel possible in -the smallest space. The water in the channel was stagnant, swift -streamlets rushed in from the tules on the north, and rushed out again -on the south. It was not always a simple matter to ascertain which was -the main channel. Others just as large were diverted from the stream. -Twice we attempted to cut across, but the water became shallow, the -tules stalled our boats, and we were glad to return, sounding with a -pole when in doubt. - -Then we began to realize that we were not entirely alone in this -wilderness of water. We saw evidence of another's passage, in broken -cat-tails and blazed trees. In many places he had pushed into the -thickets. We concluded it must be a trapper. At last, to our surprise, -we saw a telephone equipment, sheltered in a box nailed on a -water-surrounded tree. The line ran directly across the stream. Here -also we could see where a boat had forced a way through, and the water -plants had been cut with a sharp instrument. What could it be? We were -certain no line ran to the only ranch at the Gulf. We had information -of another ranch directly on the border line, but did not think it -came below the levee, and as far as we had learned, there were no -homes but the wickiups of the Cocopah in the jungles. It was like one -of those thrilling stories of Old Sleuth and Dead Shot Dick which we -read, concealed in our schoolbooks, when we were supposed to be -studying the physical geography of Mexico. But the telephone was no -fiction, and had recently been repaired, but for what purpose it was -there we could not imagine. After leaving the lake there was no dry -land. At night our boat, filled with green tules for a bed, was tied -to a willow tree, with its roots submerged in ten feet of water. Never -were there such swarms of mosquitos. In the morning our faces were -corrugated with lumps, not a single exposed spot remaining unbitten. - -The loops continued with the next day's travel, but we were gradually -working to the southwest, then they began to straighten out somewhat, -as the diverted streams returned. We thought early in the morning that -we would pass about ten miles to the east of the coast range, but it -was not to be. Directly to the base of the dark, heat-vibrating rocks -we pulled, and landed on the first shore that we had seen for -twenty-four hours. - -Here was a recently used trail, and tracks where horses came down to -the water. Here too was the track of a barefooted Cocopah, a tribe -noted for its men of gigantic build, and with great feet out of all -proportion to their size. If that footprint was to be fossilized, -future generations would marvel at the evidence of some gigantic -prehistoric animal, an alligator with a human-shaped foot. These -Indians have lived in these mud bottoms so long, crossing the streams -on rafts made of bundles of tules, and only going to the higher land -when their homes are inundated by the floods, that they have become a -near approach to a web-footed human being. - -Our stream merely touched the mountain, then turned directly to the -southeast in a gradually increasing stream. Now we began to see the -breeding places of the water-birds of which we had heard. There was a -confusion of bird calls, sand-hill cranes were everywhere; in some -cases with five stick-built nests in a single water-killed tree. A -blue heron flopped around as though it had broken a wing, to decoy us -from its nest. The snowy white pelican waddled along the banks and -mingled with the cormorants. There were great numbers of gulls, and -occasional snipe. We were too late to see the ducks which come here, -literally by the million, during the winter months. There were hawks' -nests in the same groups of trees as the cranes, with the young hawks -stretching their necks for the food which was to be had in such -abundance. And on another tree sat the parent hawks, complacently -looking over the nests of the other birds, like a coyote waiting for a -horse to die. At Cocopah Mountain a golden eagle soared, coming down -close to the ground as we rested under the mesquite. Then as we -travelled clear streams of water began to pour in from the north and -east, those same streams we had lost above, but cleared entirely of -their silt. Now the willows grew scarce, and instead of mud banks a -dry, firm earth was built up from the river's edge, and the stream -increased in size. Soon it was six or seven hundred feet wide and -running with a fair current. This was the Hardy River. We noticed -signs of falling water on the banks as though the stream had dropped -an inch or two. In a half-hour the mark indicated a fall of eight -inches or more; then we realized we were going out with the tide. A -taste of water proved it. The river water was well mixed with a weak -saline solution. We filled our canteens at once. - -We saw a small building and a flagpole on the south shore, but on -nearing the place found it was deserted. A few miles below were two -other channels equally as large as that on which we travelled, -evidently fed by streams similar to our own. There were numerous -scattered trees, some of them cottonwood, and we saw some grazing -cattle. We began to look for the ranch house, which some one had said -was at the point where the Colorado and the Hardy joined, and which -others told us was at the Gulf. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - - - -THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA - -That the head of the Gulf of California has a big tide is well known. -Choked in a narrowing cone, the waters rise higher and higher as they -come to the apex, reaching twenty-five feet or over in a high tide. -This causes a tidal bore to roll up the Colorado, and from all reports -it was something to be avoided. The earliest Spanish explorers told -some wonderful tales of being caught in this bore and of nearly losing -their little sailing vessels. - -This was my first experience with river tides. It was somewhat of a -disappointment to me that I could not arrange to be here at a high -tide, for we had come at the first quarter of the moon. Out on the -open sea one can usually make some headway by rowing against the ebb -or flow of the tide: here on the Colorado, where it flowed upstream at -a rate of from five to eight miles an hour, it was different. When we -reached the head of the tide, it was going out. Unfortunately for us -the day was gone when the current began to run strong. It hardly -seemed advisable to travel with it after dark. We might pass the -ranch, or be carried against a rock-bound coast, or find difficulty in -landing and be overwhelmed by the tidal bore. So when darkness fell we -camped pulling our boat out in a little slough to prevent it from -being carried away. Evidently we were too near the headwaters for a -tidal bore, for at eleven P.M. the waters turned and came back as -quietly as they ran out. - -We launched our boat before the break of day, and for four hours we -travelled on a good current. The channel now had widened to a -half-mile, with straight earthy banks, about fifteen feet high. Still -there was no sign of a ranch, and it began to look to us as if there -was little likelihood of finding any. - -The land was nearly level and except for a few raised hummocks on -which grew some scattered trees, it was quite bare. This was not only -because it did not get the life-giving water from the north, but -because at times it was submerged under the saline waters from the -south. Near the shores of the river, and extending back for fifty -feet, was a matted, rank growth of grass; beyond that the earth was -bare, baked and cracked by the burning sun. This grass, we found, was -a favorite resort of rattlesnakes. We killed two of them, a large one -and a vicious little flat-headed sidewinder. - -All this land was the south rim of the silt dam, which extended from -the line of cliffs or mesa on the east to the mountains on the west. -The other rim, a hundred feet higher, lay at least fifty miles to the -north. Here was the resting-place of a small portion of the sediment -carved away by the Colorado's floods. How deep it is piled and how far -it extends out under the waters of the Gulf would be hard to say. - -We felt sure that we would get to the Gulf with this tide, but when -the time came for it to turn we were still many miles away. There was -nothing to do but to camp out on this sun-baked plain. We stopped a -little after 9.30 A.M. Now that we were nearing the Gulf we were sure -there would be a tidal bore. As we breakfasted a slight rushing sound -was heard, and what appeared to be a ripple of broken water or small -breaker came up the stream and passed on. This was a disappointment. -With high water on the river and with a low tide this was all the -tidal bore we would see. - -In four hours the water rose fourteen feet, then for two hours the -rise was slower. Within three feet of the level it came. The opposite -side, rounded at the edges, looked like a thread on top of the water, -tapered to a single silken strand and looking toward the Gulf, merged -into the water. To all appearances it was a placid lake spread from -mountain to mesa. - -Our smaller canteen was still filled with the fresh water secured the -evening before. The other had been emptied and was filled again before -the return of the tide, but considerable taste of the salt remained. -What we did now must be done with caution. So far we had not seen the -ranch. We were in doubt whether it was somewhere out on the coast or -back on one of the sloughs passed the evening before. We had heard of -large sail-boats being hauled from Yuma and launched by the ranch. -This would seem to indicate that it was somewhere on the Gulf. We had -provisions sufficient for one day, one canteen of fresh water, and -another so mixed with the salt water that we would not use it except -as a last resort. - -A little after 3.30 P.M. the tide changed; we launched our boat and -went out with the flood. As we neared the mouth of the stream we found -that the inrush and outrush of water had torn the banks. Here the -river spread in a circular pool several miles across. It seemed almost -as if the waters ran clear to the line of yellow cliffs and to the -hazy mountain range. Then the shores closed in again just before the -current divided quite evenly on either side of a section of the barren -plain named Montague Island. We took the channel to the east. - -Our last hope of finding the ranch was in a dried-out river channel, -overgrown with trees. But although we looked carefully as we passed, -there was no sign of a trail or of human life. Some egrets preened -their silken feathers on the bank; sand-hill cranes and two coyotes, -fat as hogs and dragging tails weighted with mud, feasted on the -lively hermit-crabs, which they extracted from their holes--and that -was all. - -The sun, just above the lilac-tinted mountains, hung like a great -suspended ball of fire. The cloudless sky glared like a furnace. Deep -purple shadows crept into the canyons slashing the mountain range. The -yellow dust-waves and the mirages disappeared with the going down of -the sun. Still we were carried on and on. We would go down with the -tide. Now the end of the island lay opposite the line of cliffs; soon -we would be in the Gulf. - -So ended the Colorado. Two thousand miles above, it was a beautiful -river, born of a hundred snow-capped peaks and a thousand crystal -streams; gathering strength, it became the masterful river which had -carved the hearts of mountains and slashed the rocky plateaus, -draining a kingdom and giving but little in return. Now it was going -under, but it was fighting to the end. Waves of yellow struggled up -through waves of green and were beaten down again. The dorsal fins of -a half-dozen sharks cut circles near our craft. With the last -afterglow we were past the end of the island and were nearing the -brooding cliffs. Still the current ran strong. The last vestige of day -was swallowed in the gloom, just as the Colorado was buried 'neath the -blue. A hard wind was blowing, toward the shore; the sea was choppy. A -point of rocks where the cliffs met the sea was our goal. Would we -never reach it? Even in the night, which was now upon us, the distance -was deceptive. At last we neared the pile of rocks. The sound of -waters pounding on the shore was heard, and we hurriedly landed, a -half-mile above it, just as the tide turned. - -The beach was a half-mile wide, covered with mud and sloughs. There -was no high shore. But an examination showed that the tide ran back to -the cliffs. One of us had to stay with the boat. Telling Phillipps to -get what sleep he could, I sat in the boat, and allowed the small -breakers which fox-chased each other to beat it in as the tide rose. - -An arctic explorer has said that having an adventure means that -something unexpected or unforeseen has happened; that some one has -been incompetent. I had the satisfaction of knowing that the fault of -this adventure, if such it could be called, was mine. Here we were, at -our goal in Mexico, supposed to be a hostile land, with scant -provisions for one day. It was a hundred miles along the line of -cliffs, back to Yuma. So far, we had failed to find the ranch. It was -not likely that it was around the point of rocks. We knew now that the -Colorado channel was fifteen miles from the mouth of the river, and -was not a slough as we had supposed. Doubtless the ranch was up there. -Our best plan was to return to the head of the tide, going up the -Colorado, then if we did not find the ranch we would abandon the boat, -snare some birds, keep out of the scorching heat, and travel in the -morning and evening. Two active men should be able to do that without -difficulty. - -So the hours passed, with the breakers driving the boat toward the -line of cliffs. When it had reached its highest point, I pulled into a -slough and tied up, then woke Al as we had agreed. While I slept, he -climbed the cliffs to have a last look. An hour after daybreak he -returned. Nothing but rock and desert could be seen. We dragged the -boat down in the slime of the slough until we caught the falling tide. -Then Al rigged up his sail. With the rising sun a light breeze blew in -from the Gulf. Here was our opportunity. Slowly we went up against the -falling tide. Then as the breeze failed, the tide returned. Fifty feet -away a six foot black sea bass floated; his rounded back lifted above -the water. With the approach of the boat he was gone. The sharks were -seen again. - -Two hours later we had entered the mouth of the river carried by the -rising tide. Several miles were left behind. Another breeze came up as -the tide failed, and the sail was rigged up again. Things were coming -our way at last. Al knew how to handle a boat. Running her in close to -the top of the straight falling banks I could leap to the land, take a -picture, then run and overtake the boat, and leap on again. - -Then the wind shifted, the tide turned, and we tied up, directly -opposite the point where we had camped the afternoon before. It was -the hottest day we had seen Whirlwinds, gathering the dust in slender -funnels, scurried across the plains. Mirages of trees bordering -shimmering lakes and spreading water such as we had come through below -Yuma were to be seen, even out towards the sea. Then over toward the -cliffs where the old Colorado once ran we saw a column of distant -smoke. Perhaps it was a hunter; it could hardly be the ranch. As we -could do nothing with the boat, we concluded to walk over that way. It -was many miles distant. Taking everything we had, including our last -lunch, we started our walk, leaving a cloth on a pole to mark the -point where our boat was anchored. But after going four miles it still -seemed no nearer than before, so we returned. It was evening. The -water was drinkable again; that was something to be thankful for. By -ten o'clock that night the tide would come up again. After dark we -found that our boat was being beached. So we ran it down and began -pulling it along over a shoal reaching far out from the shore. As we -tugged I was sure I heard a call somewhere up the river. What kind of -a land was this! Could it be that my senses were all deceiving me as -my eyes were fooled by the mirage? I had heard it, Al had not, and -laughed when I said that I had. We listened and heard it again, -plainly this time, "Can't you men find a landing? We have a good one -up here," it said. - -We asked them to row down, advising them to keep clear of the shoal. -We waded out, guided by their voices, in the pitch darkness and neared -the boat. - -One shadowy form sat in either end of a flat-bottomed boat. There was -a mast, and the boat was fitted for two oarsmen as well. Evidently the -load was heavy, for it was well down in the water. The sail cloth was -spread over all the boat, excepting one end where there was a small -sheet-iron stove, with a pan of glowing wood coal underneath. The -aroma of coffee came from a pot on the stove. As I steadied myself at -the bow I touched a crumpled flag,--Mexican, I thought,--but I could -not see. Both figures sat facing us, with rifles in their hands, alert -and ready for a surprise. Smugglers! I thought; guns, I imagined. They -could not see our faces in the dark, neither could we distinguish -theirs. Judging by their voices they were young men. I thought from -the first that they were Mexicans, but they talked without accent. -They could see that we carried no arms, but their vigilance was not -relaxed. They asked what our trouble was and we told them of the -beached boat, what we had been doing, and why we were there. They said -they were out for a little sight-seeing trip down in the Gulf. They -might go to Tiburone Island. One of them wondered if it was true that -the natives were cannibals. He said he would not care about being -shot, but he would hate to be put in their stew-pot. We asked them how -much water they carried. A fifteen-gallon keg was all They hoped to -get more along the coast. It is quite well known there is none. They -professed to be uninformed about the country, did not know there was a -ranch or a tidal bore, and thanked us for our information about the -tides, and the advice to fill their keg when the water was lowest, -which would be in half an hour. They could not sell any provisions, -but gave us a quart of flour. - -As we talked an undermined bank toppled over, sounding like shots from -a gun. One cocked his rifle on the impulse, then laughed when he -realized what it was. Just before we parted one of them remarked, "You -came through the Bee River four days ago, near a telephone, didn't -you?" "Yes, but we didn't see any one," I replied. - -"No? But we saw you!" And we felt the smiles we could not see. - -They said the large ranch had some Chinamen clearing the highest -ground, and building levees around it to keep the water out. The -telephone and a motor boat connected the different ranches. Their -advice to us was to keep to the river, not to look for the ranch, but -to get on the telephone and raise a racket until some one showed up. - -Then we parted to go to our respective landings, with mutual wishes -for a successful journey. The boat was pulled down. The tide was on -the point of turning, but it would be an hour before there would be -any strength to it. I went to shore and built a fire of some -driftwood, for the long stand in the water had chilled me. Al stayed -with the boat. Earlier in the day, I cautiously shook the sticks loose -from the matted grass, fearing the rattlers which were everywhere. In -this case nothing buzzed. But I had no sooner got my fire well started -when a rattler began to sing, roused by the light and the heat, about -twenty feet away. My fire was built beside one of the many sloughs -which cut back through the grass and ended in the barren soil. These -sloughs were filled with water when the tide was in and made ideal -landing places, especially if one had to avoid a big tidal bore. -Getting on the opposite side of the fire, I tossed a stick -occasionally to keep him roused. Soon another joined, and between them -they made the air hum. By this time I was thoroughly warmed and felt -that the boat would be the best place for me. Carefully extinguishing -my fire, I went down to the river just as the tide returned. Without -any sign or call from the shore we were carried up with the tide. We -were both weary but I dared not sleep, so I merely kept the boat away -from the shores and drifted, while Phillipps slept. I had picked out a -guiding star which I little needed while the current was running -strong, but which would give us our course when the tide changed, for -we could be carried out just as easily. - -But an hour after we left our camp another light appeared, growing -larger and larger. It was one of two things. Either my fire was not -extinguished, or a match thrown down by one of the others had fired -the deep dry grass. I consoled myself that it could not spread, for -the sloughs and the barren soil would cut it off. I had a grim -satisfaction when I thought of the snakes and how they would run for -the desert land. This was a real guiding star, growing larger and -larger as we were carried up the stream. I slept on shore when the -tide would take us no farther. Phillipps got breakfast. We were now -about three miles from the slough. After breakfast we alternately -towed the boat, for there was no wind to carry us up this morning, and -two hours later arrived at the diverging streams. Near by we saw some -mules showing evidence of having been worked. It was clear now that -the ranch was near. There was still a chance that we would take the -wrong stream. Over on the opposite side was a tall cottonwood tree. -This I climbed, and had the satisfaction of seeing some kind of a shed -half a mile up the east stream. The land between proved to be a large -island. As we neared the building two swarthy men emerged and came -down to the shore. "Buenos dias," Al called as we pulled in to the -landing. - -"Buenos dias, Senor," they answered with a smile. - -They were employees of the Rancho La Bolso, which was a half-mile up -the stream. - -Did we make the big fire which had burned until morning? - -Our answer seemed to relieve their minds. - -What would we do with our boat? It was theirs to do with as they -pleased. Leading two horses from out of the building, they mounted and -told us to climb on behind, and away we rode across some water-filled -sloughs. Hidden in the trees we came to the buildings--three or four -flat-topped adobe houses. Some little brown children scattered to -announce our coming. - -As we dismounted two white men approached. "Why, hello, Phillipps!" -the ranch boss said when he saw my companion. "This is a long walk -from Yuma. You fellows are just in time to grub!" - -NOTES - -[Footnote 1: The various expeditions which are credited with -continuous or complete journeys through all the canyons and the dates -of leaving Green River, Wyoming, are as follows: - - Major Powell, 1st journey. May 24, 1869. - - Major Powell, 2nd journey. May 22, 1871. Discontinued at Kanab - Canyon in the Grand Canyon. - - Galloway. Sept. 20, 1895 and 1896. - - Flavell. Aug. 27, 1896. - - Stone. Sept. 12, 1909. - - Kolb. Sept. 8, 1911. - -For a more complete record of the earlier parties see appendix.] - -[Footnote 2: The initials E.C. apply to my brother, Emery C. Kolb; -E.L. to myself. These initials are frequently used in this text. For -several years the nick-name "Ed" has been applied to me, and in my -brothers' narratives I usually figure as Ed.] - -[Footnote 3: It is not unusual for certain individual animals to be -outlawed or to have a price set on their heads by the stockmen's -associations, in addition to the regular bounty paid by the counties. -At the time this is written there is a standing reward of $200 for a -certain "lobo," or timber wolf which roams over the Kaibab Forest -directly opposite our home in the Grand Canyon. In addition to this -there is a bounty of $10 offered by the county. This wolf has taken to -killing colts and occasional full-grown horses, in addition to his -regular diet of yearling calves.] - - -[Footnote 4: Brown-Stanton. May 25, 1889. - -Russell-Monnette. Sept. 20, 1907. - -For a more complete record of these expeditions, as well as others who -attempted the passage of the canyons below this point, see appendix.] - - -[Footnote 5: Left by the Stone expedition.] - -[Footnote 6: While Major Powell was making his second voyage of -exploration, another party was toiling up these canyons towing their -boats from the precipitous shores. This party was under the leadership -of Lieutenant Wheeler of the U.S. Army. The party was large, composed -of twenty men, including a number of Mojave Indians, in the river -expedition, while others were sent overland with supplies to the mouth -of Diamond Creek. By almost superhuman effort they succeeded in -getting their boats up the canyon as far as Diamond Creek. While there -is no doubt that they reached this point, there were times when we -could hardly believe it was possible when we saw the walls they would -have to climb in this granite gorge. In some places there seemed to be -no place less than five hundred feet above the river where they could -secure a foothold. Their method was to carry a rope over these places, -then pull the boats up through the rapids by main force. It would be -just as easy to pull a heavy rowboat up the gorge of Niagara, as -through some of these rapids. Their best plan, by far, would have been -to haul their boats in at Diamond Creek and make the descent, as they -did after reaching this point. The only advantage their method gave -them was a knowledge of what they would meet with on the downstream -run. Lieutenant Wheeler professed to disbelieve that Major Powell had -descended below Diamond Creek, and called his voyage the completion of -the exploration of the Colorado River. In a four days' run they -succeeded in covering the same distance that had taken four weeks of -endless toil, to bring their boats up to this point.] - -[Footnote 7: See appendix, History of Cataract Canyon.] - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming -to Mexico, by E. L. Kolb - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON *** - -***** This file should be named 13150.txt or 13150.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/1/3/1/5/13150/ - -Produced by Ted Garvin, Keith M. 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