Aunt Jane's Nieces and Uncle John

by L. Frank Baum

  CHAPTER IX

  NATURE'S MASTERPIECE

  From the reservation to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado was not far,but there was no "crosscut" and so they were obliged to make a widedetour nearly to Williams before striking the road that wound upwardto the world's greatest wonder.

  Slowly and tediously the big car climbed the miserable trail to therim of the Grand Canyon. It was night when they arrived, for they hadtimed it that way, having been told of the marvelous beauty of thecanyon by moonlight. But unfortunately the sky filled with cloudstoward evening, and they came to Bright Angel, their destination, in adrizzling rain and total darkness. The Major was fearful Wampus mightrun them into the canyon, but the machine's powerful searchlightsshowed the way clearly and by sticking to the road they finally drewup before an imposing hotel such as you might wonder to find in soremote a spot.

  Eagerly enough they escaped from the automobile where they had beenshut in and entered the spacious lobby of the hotel, where a merrythrong of tourists had gathered.

  "Dinner and bed," said Patsy, decidedly. "I'm all tired out, and poorMyrtle is worn to a frazzle. There's no chance of seeing the canyonto-night, and as for the dancing, card playing and promiscuous gaiety,it doesn't appeal much to a weary traveler."

  The girls were shown to a big room at the front of the hotel, havingtwo beds in it. A smaller connecting-room was given to Myrtle, whilePatsy and Beth shared the larger apartment. It seems the hotel, bigas it was, was fairly filled with guests, the railway running threetrains a day to the wonderful canyon; but Uncle John's nieces didnot mind occupying the same room, which was comfortably and evenluxuriously furnished.

  A noise of footsteps along the corridor disturbed Patsy at an earlyhour. She opened her eyes to find the room dimly lighted, as by thefirst streaks of dawn, and sleepily arose to raise the window shadeand see if day was breaking. Her hand still upraised to guide theshade the girl stood as motionless as if turned to stone. With a longdrawn, gasping breath she cried: "Oh, Beth!" and then stood staring atwhat is undoubtedly the most entrancing, the most awe inspiring and atthe same time the most magnificent spectacle that mortal eye has everbeheld--sunrise above the Grand Canyon of Arizona.

  The master painters of the world have gathered in this spot in a vainattempt to transfer the wondrous coloring of the canyon to canvas.Authors famed for their eloquent command of language have striven asvainly to tell to others what their own eyes have seen; how theirsenses have been thrilled and their souls uplifted by the marvel thatGod's hand has wrought. It can never be pictured. It can never bedescribed. Only those who have stood as Patricia Doyle stood thatmorning and viewed the sublime masterpiece of Nature can realize whatthose homely words, "The Grand Canyon" mean. Grand? It is well named.Since no other adjective can better describe it, that much abused onemay well be accepted to incompletely serve its purpose.

  Beth joined her cousin at the window and was instantly as awedand absorbed as Patsy. Neither remembered Myrtle just then, butfortunately their friend had left the connecting door of theirrooms ajar and hearing them stirring came in to see if anything hadhappened. She found the two cousins staring intently from the windowand went to the second window herself, thus witnessing the spectaclein all its glory.

  Even after the magnificent coloring of sunrise had faded the sight wasone to rivet the attention. The hotel seemed built at the very edge ofthe canyon, and at their feet the ground appeared to fall away and agreat gulf yawned that was tinted on all its diverse sides with huesthat rivaled those of the rainbow. Across the chasm they could clearlysee the trees and hills; yet these were fully thirteen miles distant,for here is one of the widest portions of the great abyss.

  "I'm going to dress," said Beth, breaking the silence at last. "Itseems a sin to stay cooped up in here when such a glorious panorama isat one's feet."

  The others did not reply in words, but they all began to dresstogether with nervous haste, and then made their way down to thecanyon's brink. Others were before them, standing upon the ampleporches in interested groups; but such idleness would not content ourgirls, who trooped away for a more intimate acquaintance with thewonderful gorge.

  "Oh, how small--how terribly small--I am!" cried Patsy, lost inthe immensity of the canyon's extent; but this is a common cry oftravelers visiting Bright Angel. You might place a baker's dozen ofthe huge Falls of Niagara in the Grand Canyon and scarcely notice theywere there. All the vast cathedrals of Europe set upon its plateauwould seem like pebbles when viewed from the brink. The thing issimply incomprehensible to those who have not seen it.

  Presently Uncle John and the Major came out to join them and they allwandered along the edge until they came to a huge rock that juttedout far over the monster gulf. On the furthermost point of this rock,standing with his feet at the very brink, was a tall, thin man, hisback toward them. It seemed a fearful thing to do--to stand where theslightest slip would send him reeling into the abyss.

  "It's like tempting fate," whispered Patsy, a safe distance away. "Iwish he would step back a little."

  As if he had overheard her the man half turned and calmly examined thegroup. His eyes were an almost colorless blue, his features destituteof any expression. By his dress he seemed well-to-do, if notprosperous, yet there was a hint of melancholy in his poise and abouthim a definite atmosphere of loneliness.

  After that one deliberate look he turned again and faced the canyon,paying no attention to the interested little party that hovered farenough from the edge to avoid any possible danger.

  "Oh, dear!" whispered Myrtle, clinging to Beth's arm with tremblingfingers, "I'm afraid he's going to--to commit suicide!"

  "Nonsense!" answered Beth, turning pale nevertheless.

  The figure was motionless as before. Uncle John and the Major startedalong the path but as Beth attempted to follow them Myrtle broke awayfrom her and hobbled eagerly on her crutches toward the stranger. Shedid not go quite to the end of the jutting rock, but stopped some feetaway and called in a low, intense voice:

  "Don't!"

  The man turned again, with no more expression in his eyes or face thanbefore. He looked at Myrtle steadily a moment, then turned and slowlyleft the edge, walking to firm ground and back toward the hotelwithout another glance at the girl.

  "I'm so ashamed," said Myrtle, tears of vexation in her eyes as sherejoined her friends. "But somehow I felt I must warn him--it was animpulse I just couldn't resist."

  "Why, no harm resulted, in any event, my dear," returned Beth. "Iwouldn't think of it again."

  They took so long a walk that all were nearly famished when theyreturned to the hotel for breakfast.

  Of course Patsy and Beth wanted to go down Bright Angel Trail into thedepths of the canyon, for that is the thing all adventurous spiritslove to do.

  "I'm too fat for such foolishness," said Uncle John, "so I'll stay uphere and amuse Myrtle."

  The Major decided to go, to "look after our Patsy;" so the threejoined the long line of daring tourists and being mounted on docile,sure-footed burros, followed the guide down the trail.

  Myrtle and Uncle John spent the morning on the porch of the hotel. Atbreakfast the girl had noticed the tall man they had encountered atthe canyon's edge quietly engaged in eating at a small table in a farcorner of the great dining room. During the forenoon he came from thehotel to the porch and for a time stood looking far away over thecanyon.

  Aroused to sympathy by the loneliness of this silent person, UncleJohn left his chair and stood beside him at the railing.

  "It's a wonderful sight, sir," he remarked in his brisk, sociable way;"wonderful indeed!"

  For a moment there was no reply.

  "It seems to call one," said the man at length, as if to himself. "Itcalls one."

  "It's a wonder to me it doesn't call more people to see it," observedMr. Merrick, cheerfully. "Think of this magnificent thing--greater andgrander than anything the Old World can show, being here right in theheart of America, almost--and so few rush to see
it! Why, in time tocome, sir," he added enthusiastically, "not to have seen the GrandCanyon of Arizona will be an admission of inferiority. It's--it's thebiggest thing in all the world!"

  The stranger made no reply. He had not even glanced at Uncle John. Nowhe slowly turned and stared fixedly at Myrtle for a moment, till shecast down her eyes, blushing. Then he re-entered the hotel; nor was heagain seen by them.

  The little man was indignant at the snub. Rejoining Myrtle he said toher:

  "That fellow wasn't worth saving--if you really saved him, my dear. Hesays the canyon calls one, and for all I care he may go to the bottomby any route he pleases."

  Which speech showed that gentle, kindly Mr. Merrick was reallyannoyed. But a moment later he was all smiles again and Myrtle foundhim a delightful companion because he knew so well how to readpeople's thoughts, and if they were sad had a tactful way of cheeringthem.

  The girls and the Major returned from their trip to the plateau fullof rapture at their unique experiences.

  "I wouldn't have missed it for a million dollars!" cried the Major;but he added: "and you couldn't hire me to go again for two million!"

  "It was great," said Patsy; "but I'm tuckered out."

  "I had nineteen narrow escapes from sudden death," began Beth, but hercousin interrupted her by saying: "So had everyone in the party;and if the canyon had caved in we'd all be dead long ago. Stop yourchattering now and get ready for dinner. I'm nearly starved."

  Next morning they took a farewell view of the beautiful scene and thenclimbed into their automobile to continue their journey. Many of thetourists had wondered at their temerity in making such a long tripthrough a poorly settled country in a motor car and had plied themwith questions and warnings. But they were thoroughly enjoying thisouting and nothing very disagreeable had happened to them so far. I amsure that on this bright, glorious morning you could not have hiredany one of the party to abandon the automobile and finish the trip bytrain.