GOING DOWN THE CANYON TRAIL
"Was I right?" asked Frank, after the half-breed had disappeared.
"I should say yes," replied his chum, who had followed the vanishing
figure of Abajo with staring eyes.
"He got the precious paper, all right, eh?" Frank went on, chuckling.
"He sure did, and bribed our friend the waiter to let him carry it off.
Shows how you can trust anybody in the tourist country, where they are
nearly all out for the money," Bob declared, indignation struggling hard
with a sense of humor.
"But just stop and think how easy Abajo, sharp rascal that he is, rose
to my little bait?" laughed Frank. "Just as I expected, he was watching
us all the time we examined that wonderful paper, and of course he
believed it to be something for which his employer would reward him
heavily, if he could only lay hands on it."
Bob himself was laughing now, as the full sense of the ridiculous
character of Frank's little joke broke upon him.
"Oh! my, think what will happen when Mr. Warringford tears open that
envelope, and sees how his spy has been fooled!" he exclaimed.
"There's only one bad thing about it, Bob!"
"What is that?" inquired the other.
"Eugene is, I take it, a clever fellow," said Frank, seriously; "and
he'll understand that this was done with a purpose. It will make him
suspect that we're onto the game, and that we know he has the half-breed
watching our every move."
"Well, what of that, Frank?"
"Nothing, only after this we may expect they'll change their tactics
more or less, and play on another string of the fiddle," the other
saddle boy replied.
"All right," Bob remarked. "Forewarned is forearmed, they say; and if we
know Eugene is laying low for us, we can be on our guard."
"Yes, that's all very good," Frank went on, shaking his head; "but once
we get into the big canyon it may pay us to keep an eye out for
overhanging rocks."
"Say, you don't mean to tell me you think Eugene would go that far?"
demanded Bob, startled at the very idea of such a thing.
"I don't like to think he would; but you never can tell," Frank replied.
"When a man like Eugene Warringford sells his soul, and with a chance of
getting a big stake, he is generally ready to shut his eyes, and go the
limit."
"But, Frank, that would be terrible! One of those rocks, coming down
from the face of a high cliff, would seriously injure us!"
"Sure it would, and on that account we must keep on the watch all the
time," Frank continued. "But I don't see Abajo anywhere about the piazza
of the hotel; do you?"
"He's gone, and I reckon to carry that wonderful find of his to the man
who employs him," Bob remarked. "Wouldn't I give a dollar to be hiding
close by when he runs across Eugene, and they open the envelope you
sealed! Wow! it will be a regular circus! Can't you imagine that yellow
face of the half-breed turning more like saffron then ever when he
learns that we played him for a softy?"
"Well, if you were near by, Bob, I wouldn't be surprised if you just had
to stick your fingers in your ears," chuckled Frank.
"I reckon they will have a heap to say about it; and Abajo, after this,
won't take us for easy marks, will he?" Bob remarked, in a satisfied
tone.
A short time later they were in their room.
"You don't suppose now, Frank, that we'll be bothered to-night?" Bob
observed, as he stood there by the window looking out toward the Grand
Canyon.
At that the other laughed quite merrily.
"Don't give yourself any uneasiness about that, Bob," he remarked. "In
the first place nobody would bother trying to get up here, even if they
could, when so many better chances of reaching us will crop up after we
start into the canyon to-morrow. Then again, we haven't anything to be
stolen but our rifles, and what little cash we brought along for
expenses."
"Oh! I suppose I am silly thinking about it," admitted Bob, "but some
way that half-breed seems to be on my nerves. His face is so sly, and
his black eyes just glitter as I've seen those of a snake do when he's
going to strike. But, just as you say, it's foolish to borrow trouble,
and I must get those notions out of my head."
"That's the talk, Bob," his chum declared, heartily. "Morning will find
us in fine trim to make a start into this big ditch. And before another
night you'll be so filled with wonder over what you see that these other
things will take a back seat."
"But do you think we ever can find the hermit of Echo Cave?" asked Bob.
"I think we've got a pretty good chance, if we're left alone," came the
ready reply.
"Meaning if this Eugene Warringford keeps his hands off; and nothing
else turns up to balk us?" Bob asked.
"Yes, all of that, and more," Frank admitted.
"But already I find myself wishing we had somebody along with us, like
Old Hank Coombs for instance, Frank."
"Well, who knows what may happen?" said the other, a little
mysteriously. "D'ye know, Bob, I saw my dad winking at Hank when he
thought I wasn't looking; and on that account I've got half an idea he
meant to send the old man, perhaps with a second cowboy, along on our
trail. We may run across friends here when we least expect it."
"I hope it turns out that way," declared the Kentucky boy; "because Hank
is just what you might call a tower of strength when he's along.
Remember how fortunate it was he turned up when he did, at the time we
wanted to follow that plague of the cattle ranges, the wolf, Sallie? I
reckon we'd have had a much harder time bagging our game if Hank hadn't
been along."
"Well, get to bed now," Frank counseled; "and let to-morrow look out for
itself."
"All right, I'll be with you in three shakes of a lamb's tail," declared
Bob.
But before he left the window Frank noticed that he thrust his head out,
as if desirous of making sure that no one could climb up the face of the
wall, and find entrance there while they slept.
Bob was not a timid boy as a rule; in fact he was deemed rather bold;
but just as he said, that dark face of Abajo had impressed him
unfavorably; and he felt that the young half-breed would be furious when
he learned how neatly he had been sold.
Nor did anything happen during that night as they slept upon the border
of the Wonderland. Both lads enjoyed a peaceful sleep, and awoke feeling
as "fresh as fish," as Bob quaintly expressed it.
Breakfast not being ready they walked about, viewing the astonishing
features of the canyon as seen from the bluff on which the hotel stood.
Down in the tremendous gap mists were curling up like little clouds, to
vanish as they reached the line where the sunlight fell. It was a sight
that appalled Bob, who declared that he felt as though looking into the
crater of some vast volcano.
"Well," remarked Frank, "they did have volcanos around here, after this
canyon was pretty well formed, though perhaps thousands of years ago.
Great beds of lava have been found down in the bottom of the hole, so my
little guide book tells me. But look away off there, Bob, and see that
peak standing up like the rim of a cloud. Do you know what that is?"
"I heard one man say," Bob replied, quickly, "Navajo Peak could be seen
on a clear morning, and perhaps that's the one; but Frank, just think,
it's about a hundred and twenty miles off. Whew! they do things on a big
scale around here; don't they? I'd call it the playground of giants."
"And you'd about hit the bulls eye," his chum observed; "but there goes
the call for breakfast."
"I feel as if I could stow away enough for a crowd, this mountain air is
so fresh and invigorating," Bob remarked, as they headed for the dining
room.
Half an hour later they were once more in front of the hotel, and
interviewing a guide who had been recommended by the manager as an
experienced canyon man. It ended in their making terms with John Henry,
as the fellow gave his name; though of course Frank was too wise to tell
him what their real object was in exploring the tremendous gap. That
could come later on.
At about nine o'clock they started down the trail that led from Grand
View into the depths of the fearful dip. And as they descended,
following their guide, Bob found himself realizing the colossal size of
everything connected with the rainbow-hued canyon walls.
Nor was his mind made any easier when Frank took occasion, half an hour
later, to bend toward him, and say in the most natural manner possible,
though in low tones:
"They're on the job again, Bob--Abajo and Eugene--because I happened to
see them watching us start down the trail; and they had some one along
with them, perhaps a guide; so we'll have to take it for granted that
they mean to dog us all the time, hoping to steal our thunder, if we
make any lucky find!"