In the Heart of the Rockies: A Story of Adventure in Colorado

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER XVI

  AFLOAT IN CANOES

  The two Indians were off long before daylight, and just as the otherswere having a wash at the edge of the river they heard the crack of arifle some distance up the cliff.

  "Bear!" Jerry exclaimed; "and I reckon they have got it, else we shouldhave heard another shot directly afterwards. That will set us up in foodfor some time. Get the fire made up, Tom, you won't have to eat horsesteak for breakfast unless you like."

  The Indians returned half an hour later laden with as much bear-flesh asthey could carry.

  "I vote we stop here for two days," Harry said. "We have got a lot ofmeat now, but it won't keep for twenty-four hours in this heat, so Ivote we cut it up and dry it as the Indians do buffalo-meat; it willkeep any time. Besides, we deserve a couple of days' rest, and we canpractise paddling while the meat dries. We got on very well yesterday,but I do want us to get quite at home in the boats before we get to abad bit."

  The proposal was agreed to, and as soon as breakfast was over the wholeof the meat was cut up into thin slices and hung up on cords fastenedfrom tree to tree.

  "It ought to take three days to do it properly, and four is better,"Harry said. "Still, as we have cut it very thin, I should think two daysin this hot sun ought to be enough."

  "Are there any fish in the river, uncle?"

  "I have no doubt there are, Tom, grists of them, but we have got nohooks."

  "Jerry has got some, he told me he never travelled without them, and wecaught a lot of fish with them up in the mountains just after we startedbefore. I don't know about line, but one might unravel one of theropes."

  "I think you might do better than that, Tom. The next small animal weshoot we might make some lines from the gut. They needn't be above fiveor six feet long. Beyond that we could cut a strip of thirty or fortyfeet long from one of the hides. However, we can do nothing at presentin that way. Now let us get into the canoes and have a couple of hours'paddling. After dinner we will have another good spell at the work."

  By evening there was a marked improvement in the paddling over that ofthe previous day, and after having had another day's practice all feltconfident that they should get on very well. By nightfall on the secondday, the meat was found to be thoroughly dried, and was taken down andpacked in bundles, and the next morning they started as soon as it waslight. It was agreed that the boats should follow each other at adistance of a hundred yards, so that the leader could signal to the onebehind if serious difficulties were made out ahead, and so enable it torow to the bank in time. Were both drawn together into the suck of adangerous rapid they might find themselves without either boats orstores, whereas if only one of the boats was broken up, there would bethe other to fall back upon. Harry's boat was to take the lead on thefirst day, and Tom, as he knelt in the bows, felt his heart beat withexcitement at the thought of the unknown that lay before them, and thatthey were about to make their way down passes probably unpenetrated byman. Passing between what had seemed to them the entrance to a narrowcanyon, they were surprised to rind the river widen out. On their right agreat sweep of hills bent round like a vast amphitheatre, theresemblance being heightened by the ledges running in regular linesalong it, the cliff being far from perpendicular.

  "I should think one could climb up there," Tom said, half-turning roundto his uncle.

  "It looks like it, Tom, but there is no saying; some of those steps maybe a good deal steeper than they look. However, I have no doubt onecould find places where it would be possible to climb if there were anyuse in doing so, but as we should only find ourselves up on bad lands weshould gain nothing by it."

  "I don't mean we should want to climb up now, uncle; but it seemed asort of satisfaction to know that there are places where one could climbin case we got the boats smashed up."

  "If we had to make our way up, lad, it would be much better to go by oneof the lateral canyons like the one we came down by. I can see at leasthalf a dozen of them going up there. We should certainly find water, andwe might find game, but up on the plateau we should find neither one northe other."

  On the left-hand bank of the river the cliffs fell still farther back inwide terraces, that rose one behind the other up to a perpendicularcliff half a mile back from the river. There was a shade of green hereand there, and the chief pointed far up the hill and exclaimed "Deer!"

  "That is good," Harry said. "There are sure to be more of these places,and I should think we are not likely to starve anyhow. We can't sparetime to stop now; we want to have a long day's paddle to see what it isgoing to be like, and we have got meat enough for the present. If wehappen to see a deer within rifle-shot, so that we can get at himwithout much loss of time, we will stop, for after all fresh meat isbetter eating than dry."

  "I should think it would be, uncle," Tom said. "From the look of thestuff I should think it would be quite as tough as shoe leather and astasteless."

  "It needs a set of sharp teeth, Tom, but if you are hard set I have nodoubt you will be able to get through it, and at any rate it constitutesthe chief food of the Indians between the Missouri and the Rockies."

  For the next three hours they paddled along on the quiet surface of theriver. The other canoe had drawn up, since it was evident that here atleast there was no reason why they should keep apart.

  "I didn't expect we should find it as quiet as this, Harry," JerryCurtis said. "It is a regular water-party, and I should not mind howlong I was at it if it were all like this."

  "We shall have rough water enough presently, Jerry, and I expect weshall look back on this as the pleasantest part of the trip. It seems tome that the hills close in more towards the end of this sweep. It hasmade a regular horseshoe."

  "I reckon it depends upon the nature of the rock," Ben put in.

  "That is it, you may be sure, Ben. Wherever it is soft rock, in time itcrumbles away like this; where it is hard the weather don't affect itmuch, and we get straight cliffs. I expect it is there we shall find therapids worst. Well, we shall soon make a trial of them, I fancy. Itlooks like a wall ahead, but the road must go through somewhere."

  A quarter of an hour later Harry said: "You had better drop back now,Jerry, there is the gap right ahead. If you see me hold up my paddle yourow ashore. When we come to a bad rapid we had better all get out, andmake our way down on the rocks as far as we can, to see what it is like.It will never do to go at it blind. Of course we may find places wherethe water comes to the wall faces on both sides, and then there isnothing to do but to take our chance, but I don't propose to run anyrisks that I can avoid."

  There was a perceptible increase in the rate of the current as theyneared the gorge, and when they came within a short distance of it Harrygave the signal to the boat behind, and both canoes made for the shore.As they stepped out on to the rocks the chief pointed to a ledge farabove them. "There will be time for Hunting Dog to shoot a deer," hesaid, "while we go down to see canyon."

  Tom in vain endeavoured to make out the object at which the Indian waspointing. Hunting Dog had evidently noticed it before landing, and uponHarry giving a nod of assent, started off with his rifle. The otherswaited until Jerry and his companions joined them, and then startedalong the rocks that had fallen at the foot of the cliffs. They weresoon able to obtain a far better view of the gorge than they had donefrom the canoe. The river ran for a bit in a smooth glassy flood, but ashort distance down, it began to form into waves, and beyond that theycould see a mass of white foam and breakers. They made their way alongthe rocks for nearly two miles. It seemed well-nigh impossible to Tomthat the boats could go down without being swamped, for the waves wereeight or ten feet high, with steep sides capped with white. At last thegorge widened again, and although the cliff to the right roseperpendicularly, on the other side it became less steep, and seemedlower down to assume the same character as that above the gorge.

  "It looks pretty bad," Harry said, speaking for almost the first timesince they had started, for the roar of the water against
the rocks,echoed and re-echoed by the cliffs, rendered conversation animpossibility. "It looks bad, but as far as I can see there are no rocksthat come up near the surface, and the canoes ought to go through thebroken water safely enough."

  "It is an all-fired nasty-looking place," Jerry said; "but I have heardmen who had been in the north talk about rapids they had gone through,and from what they said about them they must have been worse than this.We have got to keep as near the side as we can; the waves ain't as highthere as they are in the middle, and we have got to keep the boat's headstraight, and to paddle all we know. If we do that, I reckon the canoeswill go through."

  They retraced their steps up the gorge. Hunting Dog was standing by theboat with the dead deer at his feet. Jerry picked it up. "I had bettertake this, I reckon, Harry. You have got one man more than we have;" andhe and his two companions went on to their boat.

  "Now, what do you think, Tom?" his uncle said. "Can you trust your headto keep cool? It will need a lot of nerve, I can tell you, and if herhead swerves in the slightest she will swing round, and over she willgo, and it would want some tall swimming to get out of that race. Youpaddle as well as the chief,--better, I think,--but the chief's nervesare like iron. He has not been practising steering as you have, but asthere seem to be no rocks about, that won't matter so much. I ought tobe able to keep her straight, if you three paddle hard. It may need aturn of the paddle now and then in the bow, but that we can't tell. Soit shall be just as you like, lad. If you think your nerves can stand ityou take your usual place, but if you have doubts about it, it were bestto let the chief go there."

  "I think I could stand it, uncle, for I have been out in wherries insome precious rough seas at Spithead; but I think it would be best forthe chief to take my place this time, and then I shall see how I feel."

  Harry said a few words to the chief in his own language, and LeapingHorse without a word stepped into the bow, while Tom took the seatbehind him.

  "We sha'n't be long going down," Harry said, "I reckon the stream isrunning ten miles an hour, and as we shall be paddling, it will take usthrough in ten minutes. We had all better sit farther aft, so as to takeher bow right out of water. She will go through it ever so much easierso."

  They shifted their seats until daylight could be seen under the keel afoot from the bow.

  "I think that is about the right trim," Harry said. "Now paddle all."

  The boat shot off from the shore. A minute later it darted into thegorge, the Indian setting a long sweeping stroke. There were two orthree long heaves, and then they dashed into the race. Tom held hisbreath at the first wall of water, but, buoyant and lightly laden as thecanoe was, with fully a foot of free board, she rose like a feather overit, and darted down into the hollow beyond. Tom kept his eyes fixed onthe back of the chief's head, clinched his teeth tightly, and paddledaway with all his strength. He felt that were he to look round he shouldturn giddy at the turmoil of water. Once or twice he was vaguelyconscious of Harry's shouts, "Keep her head inshore!" or "A littlefarther out!" but like a man rowing a race he heeded the words butlittle. His faculties were concentrated on his work, but he could see aslight swerve of the Indian's body when he was obeying an order.

  He was not conscious of any change of motion, either in the boat or inthe water round, when Harry shouted, "Easy all!" and even then it wasthe chief's ceasing to paddle rather than Harry's shout which caused himto stop. Then he looked round and saw that the race was passed, and thatthe canoe was floating in comparatively quiet water.

  "She is a daisy!" Harry shouted; "we could not do better if we had beenall Canadian half-breeds, chief. Now, we had better set to and bale herout as quickly as we can."

  Tom now for the first time perceived that he was kneeling in water, andthat the boat was nearly half-full.

  Their tea pannikins had been laid by their sides in readiness, andHunting Dog touched him and passed forward his tin and the chief's, bothof which had been swept aft. The Seneca at once began to throw out thewater, but Tom for a minute or two was unable to follow his example. Hefelt as weak as a child. A nervous quivering ran through his body, andhis hand trembled so that he could not grasp the handle of the tin.

  "Feel bad, Tom?" his uncle asked cheerily from behind. "Brace up, lad;it was a pretty warm ten minutes, and I am not surprised you feel it.Now it is over I am a little shaky myself."

  "I shall be all right presently, uncle." A look at the chief's back didmore to steady Tom's nerves than his own efforts. While he himself waspanting heavily, and was bathed in perspiration, the chief's breath cameso quietly that he could scarce see his shoulders rise and fall, as hebaled out the water with perfect unconcern. With an effort the boy tookhold of his dipper, and by the time the boat was empty his nerves weregaining their steadiness, though his breath still came quickly. As helaid down his tin he looked round.

  "Heap water," Hunting Dog said with a smile; "run like herd of buffalo."

  The other boat lay twenty yards behind them, and was also engaged inbaling.

  "All right now, Tom?"

  "All right, uncle; but it is lucky you put the chief in the bows. Ishould have made a mess of it; for from the time we got into the wavesit seemed nothing but confusion, and though I heard your voice I did notseem to understand what you said."

  "It was a trial to the nerves, Tom, but we shall all get accustomed toit before we get through. Well, thank God, we have made our first runsafely. Now paddle on, we will stop at the first likely place and have ameal."

  A mile farther they saw a pile of drift-wood on the left bank, and Harryat once headed the canoe to it, and drawing the boat carefully alongsidethey got out. A minute later the other canoe joined them.

  "Jee-hoshaphat, Harry!" Jerry exclaimed as he stepped out; "that wasworse nor a cyclone. I would rather sit on the back of the worst kind ofbucker than jump over those waves again. If we are going to have much ofthis I should say let us find our way back and ask the Utes to finish usoff."

  "It was a rough bit, Jerry; but it might have been a deal worse if therehad been rocks in the stream. All we had to do was to keep her straightand paddle."

  "And a pretty big all, too," Jerry grumbled. "I felt skeered pretty nighout of my wits, and the other two allow they were just as bad. If ithadn't been for your boat ahead I reckon we should never have gonethrough it, but as long as you kept on straight, there didn't seem anyreason why we shouldn't. I tell you I feel so shaky that if there were agrizzly twenty yards off I am blamed if I could keep the muzzle of myrifle on it."

  Tom had been feeling a good deal ashamed of his nervousness, and wasmuch relieved at hearing that these seasoned men had felt somewhat thesame as he had done.

  "What do you say, boys," Harry asked when breakfast had been cooked andeaten, "if we stop here for to-day? Likely enough we may get some game,and if not it won't matter, for the deer will last us a couple of days."

  "You bet," Ben Gulston said; "I think we have had enough of the waterfor to-day. I don't feel quite sure now I ain't going round and round,and I don't think any of us will feel right till we have had a night'ssleep. Besides, all the rugs and blankets are wet and want spreading outin the sun for a bit, and the flour will want overhauling."

  "That settles it, Ben; let us get all the outfit out of the boats atonce."

  After the things had been laid out to dry the two Indians went off insearch of game; but none of the others felt any inclination to move, andthey spent the rest of the day lying about smoking and dozing. TheIndians brought back a big-horn, and the next morning the canoes droppeddown the stream again. For some miles the river flowed quietly along awide valley. At the end of that time it made an abrupt turn and enteredthe heart of the mountains. As before, Harry's canoe went in advance.The canyon was here a deep gloomy chasm, with almost perpendicular sides,and for some distance the river ran swiftly and smoothly, then whitewater was seen ahead, so the two boats rowed in to the rocks at the footof the precipice, and the occupants proceeded to explore the pass ahea
d.It was of a different character to the last. Black rocks rose everywhereabove the surface, and among these the river flowed with extraordinaryforce and rapidity, foaming and roaring.

  All agreed that it was madness to think of descending here, and that aportage was necessary. The contents of the boats were lifted out, andthen one of them was carried down over the rocks by the united strengthof the party. They had gone half a mile when they came to a spot wherethey could go no farther, as the water rushed along against the rockwall itself. Some fifty yards further down they could see that the ledgeagain began.

  "We must go and fetch the other boat," Harry shouted above the din ofthe water, "and let them down one by one. There is no other way to doit."

  The second boat was brought down, and another journey was made to bringdown the stores. The lariats were then tied together.

  "Let us sit down and smoke a pipe before we do anything more," Jerrysaid. "Three times up and down them rocks is worse nor thirty miles on alevel."

  All were glad to adopt this suggestion, and for half an hour they satwatching the rushing waters. As they did so they discussed how they hadbetter divide their forces, and agreed that Harry's boat should, asbefore, go down first. Three men would be required to let the boat down,and it would need at least four to check the second boat when it cameabreast of them. Although all felt certain that a single line of theplaited hide would be sufficient, they determined to use two lines toensure themselves against risk.

  "I should let them run out fast at first, Jerry, only keeping enoughstrain on them to keep her head well up stream. Begin to check hergradually, and let her down only inch by inch. When you see we are closeto the rocks, hold her there while we get her alongside, and don't leavego till we lift her from the water. Directly we are out, fasten theropes to the bow of your canoe, then launch her carefully; and whateveryou do, don't let go of the rope. Launch her stern first close to thewall, then two get in and get well towards the stern, while the otherholds the rope until the last moment. Then those two in the boat mustbegin to paddle as hard as they can, while the last man jumps in andsnatches up his paddle. Keep her head close to the wall, for if thecurrent catches it and takes her round she would capsize in a momentagainst those rocks. Paddle all you know; we shall haul in the rope asfast as you come down. When you come abreast two of us will check her,and the others will be on the rocks to catch hold of her side as sheswings in."

  The first canoe was launched stern foremost, the four men took theirseats in her and began to paddle against, the stream with all theirstrength, while Jerry and his companions let the lines run through theirfingers. The boat glanced along by the side of the wall. The men aboveput on more and more strain, giving a turn of the ropes round a smoothwater-worn rock they had before picked out as suitable for the purpose.The water surged against the bow of the canoe, lifting it higher andhigher as the full strain of the rope came upon it. The chief waskneeling in the stern facing the rocks below, and as the canoe cameabreast of them he brought her in alongside. Harry held up his paddle,the men above gave another turn of the ropes round the rock, and thecanoe remained stationary. Hunting Dog sprang out on to the rocks, andtaking hold of the blade of the chief's paddle, brought the canoe in soclose that the others were able to step ashore without difficulty. Thebaggage was taken out, and the canoe lifted from the water, turnedupside down, and laid on the rocks.

  Harry held up his hand to show that they were ready, having before hedid so chosen a stone round which to wind the lariats. The other boatwas then launched. Sam and Ben took their places astern and began topaddle against the stream. As they were in the back-water below theledge of rock they were able to keep her stationary while Jerry took hisplace and got out his paddle. When all were ready, they paddled her outfrom the back-water. As soon as the current caught her she flew past thecliff like an arrow, although the three men were now paddling at the topof their speed. Harry and the chief pulled in the rope hand over hand,while Hunting Dog and Tom went a short way down the rocks.

  "Don't check her too suddenly, chief," Harry shouted. "Let the rope runout easy at first and bring the strain on gradually."

  "The ropes will hold," the chief said. "One stop buffalo in gallop, twostop boat."

  "Yes, but you would pull the head out of the canoe; chief, if youstopped her too suddenly."

  The chief nodded. He had not thought of that. In spite of the efforts ofthe oarsmen the canoe's head was swerving across the stream just as shecame abreast of them. A moment later she felt the check of the rope.

  "Easy, chief, easy!" Harry shouted, as the water shot up high over thebow of the canoe. "Wait till she gets a bit lower or we shall capsizeher."

  The check of the bow had caused the stern to swerve out, and when theyagain checked her she was several lengths below them with her headinclined to shore. More and more strain was put on the ropes, until theywere as taut as iron bars. A moment later Tom and Hunting Dog seized twopaddles held out to them, and the boat came gently in alongside.

  "Gosh!" Ben exclaimed, as he stepped ashore, "it has taken as much outof me as working a windlass for a day. I am blamed if I did not thinkthe hull boat was coming to pieces. I thought it was all over with usfor sure, Harry; when she first felt the rope, the water came in rightover the side."

  "It was touch and go, Ben; but there was a rock just outside you, and ifwe had not checked her a bit her head would have gone across it, and ifit had, I would not have given a red cent for your lives."

  All day they toiled on foot, and by nightfall had made but four miles.Then they camped for the night among the rocks. The next four days werepassed in similar labour. Two or three times they had to cross thetorrent in order to get on to fallen rocks on the other side to thatwhich they were following. These passages demanded the greatest caution.In each case there were rocks showing above water in the middle of thechannel. One of these was chosen as most suited to their purpose, and bymeans of the ropes a canoe was sheered out to it. Its occupants thentook their places on the rock, and in turn dropped the other boat downto the next suitable point, the process being repeated, step by step,until the opposite bank was reached.

  At the end of the fourth day the geological formation changed. The rockwas softer, and the stream had worn a more even path for itself, andthey decided to take to the boats again. There was no occasion forpaddling now, it was only when a swell on the surface marked some hiddendanger below that a stroke or two of the paddle was needed to sweep themclear of it. For four hours they were carried along at the rate of fullytwelve miles an hour, and at the end of that time they shot out frombetween the overhanging walls into a comparatively broad valley. With ashout of delight they headed the boats for shore, and leapt out on to aflat rock a few inches above the water.

  "If we could go on at that pace right down we should not be long beforewe were out of the mountains," Tom said.

  "We could do with a bit slower, Tom; that is too fast to be pleasant.Just about half that would do--six miles an hour. Twelve hours a daywould take us out of the canyons in a fortnight or so. We might do thatsafely, but we could not calculate on having such good luck as we havehad to-day, when going along at twelve miles an hour. The pace for thelast four days has been just as much too slow as this is too fast. Fourmiles a day working from morning till night is heart-breaking. In spiteof our run to-day, we cannot have made much over a hundred miles sincewe started. Well, there is one comfort, we are in no great hurry. Wehave got just the boats for the work, and so far as we can see, we arelikely to find plenty of food. A job like this isn't to be reckonedchild's play. So far I consider we have had good luck; I shall be wellcontent if it averages as well all the way down. The fear is we may getto falls where we can neither carry nor let the boats down. In that casewe should have to get out of the canyon somewhere, pack as much flour aswe could carry, and make our way across country, though how far we mighthave to travel there is no knowing. I hope it mayn't come to that; butat any rate I would rather go through even worse places tha
n that canyonabove than have to quit the boats."

  "Right you are, Harry," Jerry agreed. "I would rather tote the canoe onmy back all the way down to Mexico, than have to try and make my wayover the bad lands to the hills. Besides, when we get a bit farther weshall be in the Navahoe country, and the Utes ain't a sarcumstance tothem. The Ute ain't much of a fighter anyway. He will kill white men hefinds up in his hills, 'cause he don't want white men there, but he hasto be five or six to one before he will attack him. The Navahoe killsthe white man 'cause he is a white man, and 'cause he likes killing. Heis a fighter, and don't you forget it. If it had been Navahoes insteadof Utes that had caught us up in the hills, you may bet your bottomdollar our scalps would be drying in their lodges now."

  "That is so, Jerry," Ben put in. "Besides, the Navahoes and the Apacheshave got no fear of white men. They have been raiding Mexico forhundreds of years, and man to man they can whip Mexikins out of theirboots. I don't say as they haven't a considerable respect for westernhunters; they have had a good many lessons that these can out-shoot themand out-fight them; still they ain't scared of them as plain Indiansare. They are a bad lot, look at them which way you will, and I don'twant to have to tramp across their country noways. It was pretty hardwork carrying that boat along them rocks, but I would rather have to doso, right down to the plains, then get into a muss with the Navahoes."

  "How far does the Navahoe country come this way?"

  "There ain't no fence, Tom, I expect. They reckon as it's their countryjust as far as they like to come. They don't come up as far north asthis, but where they ends and where the Utes begin no one knows butthemselves; and I reckon it shifts according as the Navahoes are busywith the Mexicans in the south, or have got a quiet spell, and take itinto their heads to hunt this way."

  For many days they continued their journey, sometimes floating quietlyalong a comparatively wide valley, sometimes carrying their boats pastdangerous rapids, sometimes rushing along at great speed on the black,deep water, occasionally meeting with falls where everything had to betaken out of the canoes, and the boats themselves allowed to shoot overthe falls with long ropes attached, by which they were drawn to shorelower down. It was seldom that they were without meat, as severalbig-horns and two bears were shot by the Indians. They had no doubt thatthey could have caught fish, but as a rule they were too tired when theyarrived at their halting-place to do more than cook and eat theirsuppers before they lay down to rest.

  "I reckon it won't be very long before we come upon a Mexican village,"Harry said one day, after they had been six weeks on their downwardcourse. "I have heard there is one above the Grand Canyon."

  The scenery had varied greatly. In some of the valleys groves of treesbordered the river; sometimes not even a tuft of grass was to be seen.Occasionally the cliffs ran in an even line for many miles, showing thatthe country beyond was a level plateau, at other times rugged peaks andpinnacles resembling ruined castles, lighthouses, and churches could beseen. Frequently the cliffs rose three or four thousand feet in analmost unbroken line, but more often there were rounded terraces, whereit would have been easy to ascend to the upper level. Everywhere thevarious strata were of different colours: soft grays and browns, orange,vermilion, purple, green, and yellow. They soon learned that when theypassed through soft strata, the river ran quietly; where the rocks werehard there were falls and rapids; where the strata lay horizontal thestream ran smoothly, though often with great rapidity; where they dippedup stream there were dangerous rapids and falls.

  Since the start the river had been largely swollen by the junctions ofother streams, and was much wider and deeper than it had been where theyembarked; and even where the rapids were fiercest they generally foundcomparatively quiet water close to the bank on one side or the other.Twice they had had upsets, both the boats having been capsized bystriking upon rocks but an inch or two below the surface of the water.Little harm was done, for the guns and all other valuable articles werelashed to the sides of the boats, while strips of hide, zigzagged acrossthe ends of the canoes at short distances apart, prevented the blanketsand rugs and other bulky articles from dropping out when the boatcapsized.

  Since the river had become wider and the dangers less frequent, theboats always kept near each other. Upsets were therefore only theoccasion for a hearty laugh; for it took but a few minutes to right thecanoe, bale it out, and proceed on their way. Occasionally they hadunpleasant visitors at their camp, and altogether they killed ten ortwelve rattle-snakes. In some of the valleys they found the remains ofthe dwellings of a people far anterior to the present Indian races. Someof these ruins appeared to have been communal houses. At other pointsthey saw cliff-dwellings in the face of the rock, with rough sculpturesand hieroglyphics. The canyons varied in length from ten to a hundred andfifty miles, the comparatively flat country between them varying equallyin point of appearance and in the nature of the rocks. As they got lowerthey once or twice saw roughly-made rafts, composed of three or fourlogs of wood, showing where Indians had crossed the river. The journeyso far had been much more pleasant than they had expected, for as theriver grew wider the dangers were fewer and farther apart, and moreeasily avoided; and they looked forward to the descent of the GrandCanyon, from which they knew they could not be far distant, without muchfear that it would prove impracticable.