Unexplored!

t have been in mid-ocean, stranded on a desert is

d seen deer by the dozen feeding in the brush of the lower country,-graceful, big-eyed creatures who allowed them to approach to within a stone's throw before they went bounding to cover. They had thrown crumbs to the grouse and quail that came hesitatingly to inspect their camp site, protected at

ce on his part he enforced with a pair of the swiftest heels the boys had ever seen. There was old Lazybones, as Pedro had named the one who, presenting the greatest girth, had to carry the largest pack. There was Trilby, of the dainty hooves, who never made a misstep. He-for the cognomen had been somewhat misplaced-was entrusted with the things they valued most, their personal kit and the trout rods. The Bird was the one who did the most singing,-though they all joined in on the ch

eased, the long ears were flattened along the backs of their necks. If browse was good, they remained in the home meadow,-after first circling it to make sure there was no foe in ambush. If

ere started up current and left to guide themselves. They would not slip on smooth rock ledges, they could hop up or down bow

n with the first light of dawn,-and though by ten they would have covered half of their average twelve miles a day, the old guide never watered them till the sun was warm, which was generally not t

ninety pounds, and about ten pounds of personal equipment, besides the axes and aluminums and such incidentals as soap and matches. Ease

pair of buckskin gloves, six good pairs of all wool socks,-worn two at a time to pad the feet against stone-bruise,-extra shoe laces, and a pair of sneakers to rest his feet around camp. Norris carried a pocket telescope, and Long Lester a hone made of the side of a cigar box with fine emery cloth pasted on

y in not leaving Long Lester to do the lion's share,-they were obliged, each in turn, even N

ables into boil

(peas and beans) into

d fruit o

the pan just

t it boil over, then hang it up to dry. Jab greasy

out in a pan if you

t boil beans in the higher altitudes unless you use soft water. They may be best cooked overnight i

ndefinitely in those cool heights, and salt and sugar traveled well in waterproof tent silk bags. Long Lester had figured on

tin of matches, made waterproof with a strip of adhesive tape. For the snow f

ng one of the double-bitts he saw the lumbermen using, but the old guide vetoed

r one for himself. These he had had ground thin, but so that the blade would be thickest

d thinking to get a few points from them. They noted, for one thing, that the professional choppers struck rhythmically, landing each blow w

ay all brush and vines within axe reach before begin

they could not turn the thing over to get at the under side; but to stand on the log with feet as far apa

oing, every time, for, he said, he knew a man who had lost an eye by failing to observe this precaution. He also barely saved the boys' axe from being driven into the ground by the well-meaning tenderfoot and nicked on some buried stone. But when he fo

und, for their back-log, but for a quick fire to select fir balsam, spruce or aspen

r hitching tie. As the burros were always turned out at night, without even a hobble save for the leader, it became necessary to be able to lasso them in the morning if they failed to

phistopheles, in whose kyacks he had-much against Long Lester's teachings-entrusted the entire remainder of their food. Pepper carried their personal equipment, and now that half their supplies were eaten, the Bird and Lazybones carried firewood for them from the wooded slopes below, that

istopheles gave a sudden shrill squeal, and before any one knew what it was all about, went hurtling over the edge. The boys stared speechless as the luckless an

mainder of their food,-they did not mourn the burro-three thousand feet below, or m

eir trout rods, and one rifle. The game laws could be disregarded in their extremity. But they

nd giant tables,-dwarfed and twisted trees rooted in rock crevices, white waters roaring against the canyon wall like a storm-wind in the tr

o and unpacking the kyacks, they hobbled the animals with a neat loop about their fore-legs. Then they cut, each of them, a good armful of browse for his bed. Lo

over when his pack scraped the rising wall. Almost a sheer drop, and the rapids roared in tor

heese, smoked ham, dried fruit, coffee, canned beets and spinach, tinned jams, and other compact and ri

ure. Ted used the crudest kind of hook and line for bait

wind never blow,' when we went fis

ed to say, 'When the wind is in the South,

d out here except the west wind. And if we wait for a cloud

ins, because, don't you see, the big fellows lie on the bott

ise to a fly

d think they couldn't see the fly up on the surface,

they when the

wind cloud to-day."-And yet, even as he gazed argumentatively at the horizon, a pink-

nset already,"

his wrist watch, then held it to hi

off there," contributed Norris.

!-Where

k it mu

, I'll bet," Ted surmised. "And short a coupla fi

ed to follow it upstream with his Brown Hackles, which he dropped on the water with the most delicate ca

h fallen log, careful lest his shadow fall betrayingly across his miniature hunting grounds. He kept a good ten feet from the bank. And befo

stiff willow rod, cut for the occasion with his good old jack-knife. His bait was the remnant of the ham sandwich he had s

came to a bend. Here, he knew, there would likely be a pool. He approached warily from above, lengthening his line. He cast well above the bend

tump awoke his sporting blood. Safe refuge for a trout in more ways than one, it offered a 50-50

another upturned stump, (on these wind-swept mountain side

tch of river for his operations. It had meant stiff going, and would mean more before he made his

s plainly visible, he could see the fat old patriarchs lazing the late afternoon away. But he was soon rousing them to find out what that little shining

(with time between jerks for the scaly ones to think it over), soon began to get results. As the trout were all on the bottom resting till

fancy. For some time he dangled the lure before he felt the heavy fish. Then a long rush, that sent his line whistling out like lightni

Ted were already jubilantly comparing notes. Lon

salt, and later listened to Long Lester telling tales with his boots to the bon-fire, bronze faced, nonchalant. At 8,000 feet, the air grew noticeably cooler with the turning of the wind down-ca

ughs they finally slept, all thoug

Sanchez, a Mexican, with his son and an old man who had been his servant, to lay ties for the narrow gauge railway that was to zig-zag up the canyon walls for a lumber com

d seen a pin-point of light the night before that sh

unds of duffle divided between them that they might make faster time, as well as a safe-guard against further accidents). A committee of the whole now decided they must c

scoured the woods for game birds, rabbits,-anything and everything he might find. Th

e. Progress in that direction was effectually checked. They found themselves with a view of such miles of snow-capped p

at, twisted, with branches reaching along the ground as if for additional foot-hold against

, suddenly, "mountain-building is s

o be an earthquak

aused any marked dislocation, was in 1872, though, so we have nothing to worry about. But I'm going t

these 14,000 foot peaks attained their pr

lt-capped mass. Just see how the whole story is revealed right there in this gorge! You can see the streaks of ba

, in words of one syllable? I calc'late it must be a mighty interesting

ell it, Mr. Norris, so's

e valleys was gouged out by the glaciers, a good long spell ago. Now there's one thing I'm a-

med, away back before man appeared on earth,-before there

s steamy, when the swampy forests were composed of giant ferns and club mo

now all thet?" ga

scientists who reason these things out use what has been discovered by

minutes, Mr. Norris? Those burros were about winded. Can't get 'em to budge yet. Come on, fellows, snuggle up," as

come from in the fir

that. Some larger star, in passing the sun, by the pull of its own greater gravity, separated some large fragme

red the old man, who appeared divided between wide-eyed am

maller particles which were attracted to the earth by earth gravity and which increased the size of the earth till it was far larger than it is now.

ot cooled, while the inside was still a mass of molten metal and gas,

got th

he hot place!" chu

heavier substances sank, while the lighter ones rose as

the ground is hot and breaks through with one even now,-I was there severa

lt of the lighter granite, chiefly, whil

d we were on a chunk o

now you see these peaks, as the high lands have

ocean come from in the first pla

ings, geysers and volcanoes. The water vapor was alway

ught I knew something about rocks, but-thi

eed. "You just wai

ament we are in?" and shading his eyes with a lowered hat brim, he peered off across

er moment a sound that increased to a hum like that of a giant motor-boat des

at can we signal them with? Get