THE GO AHEAD BOYSANDSIMON'S MINE

BYROSS KAY

 Author of "Dodging the North Sea Mines, " "With Joffre on the Battle Line, " "The Search for the Spy, " "The Go Ahead Boys on Smugglers' Island, " "The Go Ahead Boys and the Treasure Cave, " "The Go Ahead Boys and the Racing Motor Boat, " etc. , etc. 

_ILLUSTRATED BY R. EMMETT OWEN_

 _I leave this rule for others when I'm dead: Be always sure you're right--THEN GO AHEAD

 Davy Crockett's Motto_

NEW YORK BARSE & HOPKINS PUBLISHERS

=BOOKS FOR YOUNG MEN=

 * * * * *

=THE GO AHEAD BOYS By Ross Kay=

_12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, 75 cents, postpaid_. 

 1 THE GO AHEAD BOYS ON SMUGGLERS' ISLAND 2 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE TREASURE CAVE 3 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE MYSTERIOUS OLD HOUSE 4 THE GO AHEAD BOYS IN THE ISLAND CAMP 5 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE RACING MOTOR BOAT 6 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND SIMON'S MINE

(_Other volumes in preparation_)

BARSE & HOPKINS

PUBLISHERS NEW YORK

1917

 * * * * *

_The Go Ahead Boys and Simon's Mine_

[Illustration: In spite of their recent exertions and the loads they werecarrying they all began to run. Page 203]

PREFACE

In this book the writer has endeavored to relate a story of stirringadventure and at the same time eliminate all sensationalism and improbableelements. The thread of the story was given him by a man who was familiarwith the life and experiences of prospectors. Indeed, there is warrant foralmost every event recorded in these pages. 

The author has no desire to make his young heroes either preternaturallybrilliant or possessed of too precocious brains. They are normal, healthyAmerican boys fond of travel and adventure and naturally are meetingexperiences such as come to men doing what they were doing in certainparts of our country. Self-reliance, determination, the ability to decidequickly and to act promptly, the strength of will which prevents one fromabandoning too easily a course of action which has been decided upon, --allthese are foundations upon which any successful life must rest. If thesequalities can be acquired in the early years then life is just that muchstronger and better. 

The Go Ahead Boys, in spite of their many experiences are typical boys ofAmerica, and as such wish to express to the many friends they have madetheir hearty appreciation of the interest which has been expressed intheir wanderings and adventures. 

 Ross Kay. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

 I A GHASTLY DISCOVERY 11

 II A CLUE 21

 III TWO UNBIDDEN GUESTS 30

 IV TWO THIEVES IN THE NIGHT 40

 V A START AND A LOSS 48

 VI DIVIDED 57

 VII TWO NAVAJOS 65

 VIII WAITING 75

 IX DOWN THE RUSHING RIVER 84

 X A RATTLER 92

 XI A PERILOUS FALL 101

 XII A WRECK 109

 XIII ALONE IN THE CANYON 118

 XIV CLIMBING 126

 XV THE SEARCH 134

 XVI A STARTLING ARRIVAL 143

 XVII A DEPARTURE BY NIGHT 151

XVIII RESTORING THE MAP 160

 XIX A JOYOUS RETURN 169

 XX TWO CROW TREE 178

 XXI THE RETURN OF THE STRANGERS 187

 XXII SPLIT ROCK 196

XXIII ON THE RIM 205

 XXIV A SMALL CLOUD 214

 XXV CIRCLES 224

 XXVI CONCLUSION 234

THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND SIMON'S MINE

CHAPTER I

A GHASTLY DISCOVERY

"Look at that!"

Instantly Fred Button and his companion halted and the two boys stared atthe sight to which their attention had been directed. 

Even their guide, who at that time was several yards behind, hastened tojoin them and was almost as shocked by the sight as was his youngcompanions. 

"What is it? What is it?" whispered John. 

"Can't you see?" retorted Fred. "It's a skeleton of a man. The skull isover there, " he explained as he pointed to his right. "The other boneshave been scattered. Probably some wolves or buzzards have been at workhere. "

For a brief time no one spoke. The bones before them were unquestionablythose of a man. They had been bleached by the sun and their very whitenessincreased the ghastly impression. 

"What do you think has happened?" inquired John in a low voice. 

Fred shook his head and turned questioningly to the guide. 

Zeke, the name by which the guide was commonly called, also shook his headas if the mystery was not yet solved. Without speaking he approached theplace where the skeleton had been discovered, and a moment later with hisfoot unearthed a sleeve of a coat which had been buried from sight bydrifting sands of the desert. 

Stooping, Zeke pulled hard and soon drew forth the coat. The garmentitself was somewhat torn, but still was in a fair state of preservation. 

Turning to his companions Zeke said abruptly, "Better look around, boys, and see if you can find something else. My impression is that you'll finda set of prospector's tools not far away. "

In response to the suggestion the two boys at once busily began theirsearch. A shoe, worn and plainly torn by strong and savage teeth, wasbrought to Zeke. Later a pick ax, spade and hammer also were discoveredand added to the pile. 

Meanwhile Zeke had been searching the garment which he had discovered andin one pocket he had found a small book which evidently interested himgreatly. 

Thrusting his discovery into his pocket, Zeke turned to the boys and said. "What do you think? Shall we bury these bones or shall we try to take themback?"

"Back where?" inquired Fred. "To our camp or back to civilization?"

"I shouldn't do either, " suggested John. "We can bury the bones here andmark the spot so that if we ever find out who the man was we can tell hisfriends where they will find what is left of him. What do you think?" headded, turning to the guide as he spoke. 

"I think that's the best thing to do, " replied Zeke quietly. "Personally Ihaven't any strong feeling about what happens to my carcass after I haveleft it. "

"Have you any idea who or what this man was?" Fred asked. 

"I found this in his pocket, " responded Zeke, displaying the little bookhe had taken from the coat. 

"What is it? What is it?" inquired Fred eagerly. 

"It looks to me like it was a diary. Some of it is missing and some isfaded, but it looks to me on the whole as if the man was keeping anaccount every day of what he was doing and where he went. "

"Can't you find his name in there somewhere?" inquired John. 

"I haven't yet. I have a suspicion that these bones belong to old SimonMoultrie. He was an odd stick and I guess was more than half crazy. He wasprospecting most of his life, leastwise as soon as he came out to theseregions. The funny part of it all was that he wouldn't go with anybody andwouldn't let anybody go with him. Once or twice he thought he had struckit rich, but I never heard that anything panned out. "

"What makes you think the dead man was Simon Moultrie?"

"Mostly because he hasn't been heard from of late. It must be seven oreight months since he has shown up. You see he used to come in twice ayear for supplies and then he would start out prospecting and not show upagain for six months, or until his supplies ran low. "

"How old a man was he?" inquired John. 

"Sixty-three or sixty-six, I should reckon, " replied Zeke glibly. "He wasa bit off, same as I was telling you, and had just gone dippy on thesubject of finding a mine. "

"And you say he did find one or two?"

"He thought he did find one or two, but when he came to follow them up, why the stuff didn't assay worth a cent, or else it was just a littlepocket he had happened to find. What do you think ought to be done withthese bones?" again inquired the guide. 

"The best thing to do is to bury them and mark the spot just as Johnsaid, " said Fred. 

The suggestion was speedily acted upon and taking the spade which had beenfound Zeke soon digged a grave in the soft soil. Then carefully andsilently the bones of the unfortunate man were collected and covered. Ableached limb of a mesquite tree which had doubtless been torn away andbeen carried far from its location by one of the terrific wind storms thatoccasionally sweep over the region, was thrust into the ground at the headof the little grave. Next a piece of paper was taken from his pocket byJohn. Upon it he wrote, "The grave of an unknown man, supposedly SimonMoultrie. The bones were found July 13, 1914, by Fred Button, John Clemensand Zeke Rattray. "

"Don't you think, " inquired John, "that I had better put our addresses onthis paper too?"

"Good scheme, " replied Fred. 

Accordingly the permanent address of each member of the party was added tothe brief statement. 

"Do you suppose we'll ever hear from anybody?" inquired John in a lowvoice. 

"I don't know, " answered Fred, shaking his head as he spoke. "It's one ofthose things you never can tell about. "

Fred Button was one of the four boys who among their friends andthemselves, for the matter of that, were commonly known as the Go AheadBoys. They were schoolmates and classmates and were nearly of the sameage, John being the only one who was eighteen, while his three companionswere each seventeen years old. 

In various parts of their country they had been spending their recentvacations together. The list of books given at the beginning of this storywill indicate the various parts of the country in which they had met theiradventures. 

At the present time, however, when this story opens, they were nearly twothousand miles from home. 

Across the continent they had journeyed together and together also theyhad spent ten days viewing the wonders of the Grand Canyon of theColorado. The apparently perilous ride on the backs of donkeys down BrightAngel Trail had been greatly enjoyed, as well as certain other inspiringexpeditions which the boys had made, sometimes in company with others andsometimes with a single guide for the quartet. 

So enthusiastic had the young travelers become over their experiences thatat last they had obtained the consent of their parents to make anexpedition of their own. Two guides were secured who were familiar withthe entire region and two strong skiffs were purchased. In these boats theboys had planned to follow a part of the dangerous Colorado River. Theyhad no desire to incur the perils that belonged to many of its swirlingrapids and tossing waters. In other places, however, the river wascomparatively safe and there the boys planned to follow the course of thestream with their strong and heavy little boats. 

Inasmuch as Fred's father was a prominent railway official he had obtainedfor the boys certain privileges which otherwise they might not have had. Fred himself was the most enthusiastic member of the party. Shorter thanany of his comrades his weight was still nearly as great as any of thefour. His solid, sturdy little frame was capable of great endurance andthere were few experiences he enjoyed more than tiring his long, lankycomrade John, who as one of his friends brutally expressed it was as muchtoo tall as Fred was too short. 

Out of consideration for Fred's physique, among his friends he was knownas Pigmy and Pee Wee, the former title sometimes being shortened into Pyg. 

John, however, rejoiced in his name, or if he did not rejoice, at leastwas accustomed to respond to the appellation, String. 

The remaining members of the little band were George Washington Sanders, one of the most popular boys in the school in which all four werestudents. Frequently he was referred to as Pop, a distinction by which hisfriends indirectly expressed their admiration for one who was laughinglyreferred to as the "Papa of his Land, " just as the great man for whom hewas named was the "Father of his Country. "

Grant was the member of the Go Ahead Boys who easily led in whatever heattempted. In the hundred yards dash he had established the record of theschool. His standing in scholarship was high, while his fund of generalinformation was so extensive that he had received the appellation, Socrates. This nickname, however, recently had been shortened by thetime-saving lads and Grant was more frequently called Soc than by the namewhich his parents had given him. His ability as an athlete was scarcelyless than his success in the classroom. And yet Grant by no means was onewho withdrew from out-of-door life, or enjoyed less than his friends thestirring adventures in which they all had shared. 

Zeke Rattray, the guide, was a tall, bronzed, powerful young fellow abouttwenty-five years of age. For several years he had dwelt in the region, serving as guide for various exploring parties or prospectors. The GoAhead Boys had smiled incredulously when Zeke had informed them that whenhe came originally to the state because he was expected to die "backeast, " (in Iowa) of tuberculosis. "I weighed just one hundred and nineteenpounds when I landed out here, " he explained, and then as he stood erectand threw back his powerful shoulders his young companions laughed. It didnot seem possible that the strapping young giant, who now weighed at leasttwo hundred pounds, ever had been reduced to such a condition as hedescribed. 

The immense strength of Zeke had never impressed the Go Ahead Boys morethan when he finished his simple task of interring the bones which hadbeen discovered by Fred and John. 

"If I should meet him on the street alone, " whispered Fred to John, "Ishould kindly give him the whole sidewalk. I believe that he could dowhat Grant says he can. Just look at those hands. "

"What does Grant say he can do?"

"Why he declares that Zeke can bend the barrel of a rifle. "

CHAPTER II

A CLUE

The thoughts of the two boys speedily were withdrawn from the physicalprowess of their guide. At that moment he had again taken the little bookhe had found in the pocket of the coat of the dead man, and, opening it, said, "I'm not sure, boys, whether this man was Simon Moultrie or not. Itsounds just like him, but there's so little writing that I can't tell. "

"What does it say?" inquired John eagerly. 

"Why, it's a diary. Some days he didn't write anything and other days whenhe did write, the pages are torn and the writing is so blurred that no onecan make out what he means. "

"Let me see it, " said Fred, extending his hand as he spoke. 

Taking the little book Fred saw that it apparently was a diary as Zeke hadsuggested. It was for the year 1914. One entry was quite distinct whereinthe unfortunate man had recorded the story of his journey to Tombstonefor fresh supplies. 

When he commented upon this fact, Zeke said, "That's what makes me thinkit might have been Simon. As I said to you he only came in twice each yearand then stayed just long enough to get supplies to last him for the nextsix months. Of course he may have come in when I didn't know anythingabout it. "

"When did be make his trips?" inquired Fred. 

"Usually about October and. April He didn't like to lose much time fromhis prospecting so he would come in just about the time the snow was goneand get fitted out for his work that summer. "

"If he wont in last April, " suggested John, "he must have lost some of hissupplies. "

"Nobody knows just where he made his head quarters. It's more'n likelythough that the coyotes, if they could talk, might be able to tell youmore about what became of old Simon's bacon than any living man could. "

"Here's something!" exclaimed Fred excitedly. "This is worth while, " headded, after he had looked carefully through the various pages of thediary and in the back part of the book, distinct from the numbered pages, he had found the following entry:

 "June 1st. 

 At last I have found it. It seems good after twenty-three years of disappointment to be able to say that I have found a good lead and that there is a sure enough vein here. I thought I was on the right trail when I was in the middle of Thorn's Gulch and I found pretty soon that I had struck it just right. I followed the lead four days and every day I was more convinced that I had found something at last worth while. The assay will be great. Soon I shall have all the money I need, and my poor old sister will no longer be broken hearted for me. I was determined to find a mine and now I have one that is worth all my long working and waiting. "

"Any name signed to that?" inquired Zeke quickly when Fred ceased reading. 

"No. "

"Then you can't be sure it's Simon's. "

"Yes, you can, if the book belonged to him, as you think it did. It'splain this Simon, if that was his name, was an educated man. "

"How do you know that?" inquired John. 

"Why, the words are all spelled as they ought to be and his penmanship isgood. The only thing is that there isn't a name signed nor any sign thatwill show who wrote it. Hello!" he added quickly, "here's something on thenext page that ought to interest us. "

"What is it?" inquired John, approaching and looking over the shoulder ofhis friend. 

"It looks to me like a map, " said Fred thoughtfully. "Here's a place thatis marked Thorn's Gulch and over here on one side is a spot marked TwoCrow Tree, and a little further up on the same side is Tom's Thumb. Acrossthe Gulch is a place marked Split Rock. Not far away from it is anothermark which he calls his stake. Then right opposite it are three othermarks, --1/2 m N. E. , 1/4 m S. E. , 1/4 m N. N. E. Here's a picture of it, " Fredadded. 

 X Two Crow Tree. X Tom's Thumb. . ---------------------------------------------- . Thorn's Gulch . . --------------------------------------------- . . X Split Rock. / / Stake 1/2 m N. E. | | o 1/4 m S. E. | | 1/4 m N. N. E. 

[Illustration: Map]

"That's interesting, " said Zeke thoughtfully. "I know where Thorn's Gulchis. "

"How far is it from here?" inquired Fred. 

"Oh, I should say it is a good forty miles. "

"Is it hard to get there?"

"I haven't ever been this way, " replied Zeke, "but I'm thinkin' we canmake it. "

"In which direction does the Gulch run?"

"It's a funny place, " explained Zeke; "it runs mostly north and south. Ittakes a sharp turn at the lower end. "

"Probably that was to let out the water that had been caught in there. "

"Probably, " said Zeke scornfully. The guide had slight confidence in theexplanations which the boys had to give for the formation of the greatchasms found near the Colorado River and its tributaries. "I'm thinkin'that the One who made that Canyon could just as well make it the way it isas the way you say. "

"No doubt about that, " Fred laughingly had conceded. "It isn't a questionof ability, it is simply how it was done. "

"According to what I can find out, " said Zeke, "there seems to be stylesin explainin' things, same as there is in clothes. My wife doesn't want towear the dress she had two years ago even if it isn't worn out very much. When I ask her what's the matter with it she says it's out o' style. It'sthe same way with explaining how this great hole in the ground came here. There seems to be a sort of 'style' about it. Some people say it'serosion, others say it's the work of a big glacier. Then too I have heardsome say as how it was neither and some said it was both. That doesn'tmake any difference though, but I know where Thorn's Gulch is and I can gothere if you want to. "

"If Simon found a mine what was it?"

"Can't say, " replied Zeke sharply. "It might be gold, it might be zinc andmore likely might be copper. Most likely of all though is that he didn'tfind no mine 't all. "

"There isn't anything more in the diary about it anyway, " said Fred, whonow had looked through all the pages without discovering any furtherdescription. "How long is Thorn's Gulch?"

"Somewhere between fifteen and twenty miles, " answered Zeke. 

"Whew!" whistled John. "If we're going to look up the lost mine we'll havesome 'looking' to do I'm thinking. "

"Right you are, " said Fred soberly. "Do you think we had better try tofind this place?"

"That's for you to say, " said Zeke. "It's all one to me whether I help youfind a copper mine or whether I keep you from, tipping over in the boat. I'm inclined to think the boat business is a good deal safer than theother. "

"But we can't throw away a clue like this, " protested Fred. "Here it is, "he added, again looking at the map. "Two Crow Tree and Tom's Thumb andthen across the Gulch about half way between the two places on the otherside is Split Bock and then back of that is the stake. I don't know whatthese figures mean. "

"I do, " said John confidently, "it's a half-mile northeast, then you go aquarter of a mile southeast and then you turn and go a quarter of a milenorth northeast. Why, it's just as simple as the multiplication table. "

Zeke smiled and shook his head and although he did not speak it was plainthat he did not accept John's explanation of the somewhat mysteriousfigures as correct. 

"Did you ever hear of Two Crow Tree?" asked John. 

"I never did, " said Zeke solemnly. 

"Well, did you ever hear of Tom's Thumb?"

"Can't say that I have. "

"Then, it's plain, " said John, winking at Fred as he spoke, "that we'llhave to get somebody who is more familiar than you are, Zeke, with thispart of the country. "

"Huh!" snorted Zeke. "Don't you believe it. There ain't nobody in thesediggin's that knows the country like I do. "

"But you don't know where Two Crow Tree is or Tom's Thumb, to say nothingabout Split Rock on the opposite side of the canyon. "

"That doesn't mean that I can't find them, " retorted Zeke. "You mustn'tforget either that those names may be the ones that Simon gave the places. They may not be on the map at all and nobody else may ever have calledthem by those names. "

"Well, shall we try to find the place? That's the question, " said Johnsomewhat impatiently. 

"Not until the other boys and Pete come back here. "

Pete was the name of the second guide and on most occasions Zeke professedto despise his judgment and belittle his information. 

"Oh, Pete will do just what you say is the thing to be done, " said Fred, winking at John as he spoke. 

"That 's likely, " assented Zeke. "All the same I'm not going to start offwith you two boys and leave the other two here for Pete to look after. I'mafraid Pete couldn't keep off the coyotes, to say nothing of thebuzzards. "

"Zeke, " said Fred abruptly, "how long do you think it took the coyotes andthe buzzards to strip those bones that we found?"

"Not more than a half-hour. "

"What?"

"That's right, " said Zeke positively. "A job like that doesn't take ahalf-dozen coyotes any time at all. And I'm thinkin' they had to dividewith the buzzards anyway. "

John, who apparently for a few minutes had not been taking much interestin the conversation now looked up from the place where he was standingand said sharply, "I'm for looking for that lost mine. "

"That's a good one, " laughed Zeke. 

"What is a good one?" demanded John tartly. 

"Your lost mine. There wasn't any mine anyway. All there was to it was aprospect. Old Simon maybe thought he had found a lead, but unless 'twas agood deal surer than any other one he ever found, it wasn't worth much, but all the same I'm for tryin' to find it if the other boys and Peteagree to it. "

CHAPTER III

TWO UNBIDDEN GUESTS

By this time the boys and their guide had returned to the place where theyhad left their companions. Their two companions already were there and thereturn of their friends was greeted by a shout from both Grant and George. 

Other things, however, speedily were forgotten when Fred related the storyof their gruesome discovery in the sheltered place or cave on the slopingside of the mountain. 

Both George and Grant at once united in declaring that the decision whichtheir friends already had made to seek for the lost mine was to be highlycommended. Again and again the diary was inspected and the part whereinSimon Moultrie had recorded his discovery of the great lead was read aloudagain and again. 

Pete, the guide, a silent, bronzed man of thirty, openly scoffed at theidea that any discovery worth while would follow their attempts to findthe spot indicated in the diary of the lost prospector. 

"Nobody knows, " declared Pete, "whether you found the bones of SimonMoultrie or not. "

"That doesn't make any difference, " declared Fred sturdily, "if we canonly find the place he spoke of. Zeke says he knows where Thorn's Gulchis--"

"Huh!" interrupted Pete. "I guess ev'rybody in this part o' th' countryknows where Thorn's Gulch is. "

"But, " continued Fred, winking at John as he spoke, "he doesn't know whereTwo Crow Tree is nor just where Tom's Thumb is located. Of course youknow, so we came back to the camp. "

"If I don't know I can find 'em, I guess, " assented Pete sturdily. 

"That's just what Zeke said, " laughed Fred. "What we're looking for isn'tsomebody who can _find_ them, but somebody who knows where they are. "

"Don't you worry none about that, " said Pete. "We'll find the spot ifthere's any such place. "

The camp was located in a most attractive spot, high above the roaringriver. It was on the sloping side of the towering border. A naturalpathway lead to the plateau above, while a spring of clear water wasconveniently near for their needs. 

In spite of the July day the air was cool and the smoke of their camp-firewas carried swiftly down the canyon. The sublime sight of the Grand Canyonwas before them, although from their camp they were unable to see thelargest of all the great gulches. 

The sides of the various canyons, which the swiftly flowing Colorado hadmade, were carved and fretted almost beyond belief. The various strata ofrock and soil that had been exposed to view by the centuries of action ofthe mighty river were marvelously tinted. Indeed, George declared that theblues, the grays, and reds and mauves were only less impressive than theoverwhelming size of the Grand Canyon itself. Grant, however, was positivethat the sculptured sides of the vast hole were equal in interest to thecoloring and the glory of the canyon itself. 

With every changing angle of the sun the colors and shadings also changed. Again and again the boys had marked the shadows formed every morning andevening and they laughingly announced and described the variousresemblances which they had traced. 

The Grand Canyon itself is only a part of the long canyon, in places amile deep and in certain places a score of miles from side to side, through which the mighty river has forced its way. 

The Colorado River starting in Southern Utah is formed by the junction ofthe Green and the Grand Rivers. The former rising in Northern Utah, traverses also a part of Wyoming, while the latter river traces thewestern Rockies in Colorado. 

Of this wonderful stream Major Powell, the first to descend the river, wrote, "Ten million cascade brooks unite to form a hundred rivers. Besidethat, cataracts and a hundred roaring rivers unite to form the Colorado, amad turbid stream. "

One distinguished writer, describing the mighty canyon, said it is "mostmysterious in its depth than the Himalayas in their height. It is truethat the Grand Canyon remains not the eighth but the first wonder of theworld. There is nothing like it. "

Our special interest, however, is in the four boys and their two guides, who now were assembled in the camp. Every boy was bronzed and toughened byhis exposure and labors. Packs were to be seen which had been brought intocamp on the backs of the various members of the party. Each pack containedabout sixty pounds of food and materials necessary for the expedition. Inaddition, guns had been brought, fishing rods were visible and otherimplements, which were a part of the camp life were on every side. 

Burros had been used to carry some of the burdens until the boys hadentered within the canyon itself. Then the burros with the Indian boy whohad accompanied them as far as the border, turned back to the place fromwhich they had come. It was not believed that sufficient material would beleft after the expedition was completed to require again the services ofthe donkeys. 

After supper the boys stretched themselves on the ground near the firewhich was still burning. 

"We have kept together all the way as far as this, " suggested Fred, "butI'm wondering now if we wouldn't do better if we divided into twoparties. "

"What for?" demanded Grant, sitting quickly erect. 

"I've just been talking to Zeke and asking him whether he didn't think wewould need more supplies than we have before we came back. "

"Nonsense, " said John. "We have all we want. It isn't going to take usmore than a year to find that place Simon Moultrie told about. If we don'tget some trace of it within a few days I'm not in favor of keeping up thesearch and for that reason I don't believe we'll want any more supplies. "

"Nobly spoken!" laughed George. "It sounds like the supreme wisdom of Soc. What do you say about it?" he added, turning to Grant as he spoke. 

"I know just enough to know that I don't know anything about it, " answeredGrant. 

"But what do you think?" protested Fred. 

"I think we may need more than we have. What does Zeke say about it?"replied Grant. 

"Zeke doesn't think we had better divide again. He says that if we needsupplies we can go in for them, but the probabilities are that we shall beback long before any such lack comes. He thinks we had better all keeptogether. There's safety in numbers sometimes, you know. "

"I agree, " said Grant, "if that is Zeke's opinion. Still when we get onthe ground where our real search begins I'm of the opinion that we'll getalong better and faster if we make two parties instead of one. "

"There will be time enough to talk about that when we have to, " laughedFred. "Look yonder, " he abruptly added, pointing as he spoke to two menwho could be seen coming down the natural approach to the camp. "Where didthey come from? Who are they? What do you suppose they want? You don'tsuppose it is somebody coming in with a message of bad news for us, doyou?"

No one replied to the questions of the startled boy, but every member ofthe party at once turned and keenly watched the approaching men. Both werewalking, although Zeke explained in a low voice that doubtless they hadburros somewhere not far away. 

In a brief time the two strangers approached the camp and immediately madethemselves known. 

"I've seen both those men before, " whispered Fred excitedly. 

"Where?" inquired John. 

"They were on the train when we came. They sat right across the aisle fromus. I'm sure they are the same men for I never shall forget the scar onthe left cheek of that short one. "

The two approaching strangers were now so near that it was possible forJohn to confirm the statement of his friend. A long livid scar, extendingalmost entirely across his left cheek, was visible on the face of theyounger man. His companion was taller, evidently at least ten years olderand had a face which was not altogether prepossessing at first sight. 

"Yes, sir, " repeated Fred. "I saw both those fellows on the car the daybefore we left the train. "

"Evenin', " called the man with the scar. 

"Same to you, " retorted Zeke. 

"We're doin' a bit o' prospecting or at least we expect to do some and gotcaught up here in a gully which we can't very well get across where weare. We saw the smoke of your fire and thought we might come down andperhaps you would invite us to spend the night with you. "

"You're entirely welcome, " said Zeke. The guide's manner was quiet andthere was nothing to belie the apparent cordiality of the statement he hadjust made. 

The young campers, however, were by no means convinced that their unbiddenvisitors were parties whom they could welcome. 

Already the sun was below the western cliffs, although its beams incertain places still flashed between the mountains and tinged the sides ofthe adjacent canyon with myriad dancing and delicate colors. 

Hospitality, however, was a part of the life on the plains and seldom wasany unexpected guest turned away from a human habitation or company. Suspicious though the boys certainly were they did not offer any protestand in response to their invitation to share in the remnants of theirevening meal, the two strangers at once accepted and seated themselves notfar from the camp-fire. 

It was not until they had eaten that they explained more in detail whoand what they were. Not long before this time they had come from Tombstoneto search for a mine of whose existence they declared they had receivedinformation from certain somewhat vague reports. 

"The trouble is, Mr. Stranger, " one of them explained, "that we don't knowjust where this mine is. There was a report in Tombstone that an oldprospector up here had struck it rich, but that he died or at least hadn'tbeen heard from since the report started. The Indians say that he waslooking for his mine in a part of the country where the Great Spirit hasforbidden the children o' men to come. They declare that this prospectordidn't die a natural death. "

"What did he die of?" inquired Zeke. 

"Why they say that no man ever goes into that region and comes out alive, or if he does happen to succeed in that, he can't dodge the bad luck whichis sure to catch him. "

"And do you want to find the place?" inquired Fred quizzically. 

"We do and if there is any such place we're going to find it. "

The four boys meanwhile had glanced apprehensively at one another whenthey heard the reference to the discovery of a mine which soon had beenlost. The statement too that the original prospector was dead increasedthe mystery as well as the interest of the Go Ahead Boys. 

What would these strangers say if they knew that already in the possessionof the Go Ahead Boys was the statement of an old prospector who verylikely was the very one to whom the unwelcome guests had frequentlyreferred?

CHAPTER IV

TWO THIEVES IN THE NIGHT

The question was speedily answered when, to the dismay of his companions, John said abruptly, "That must be something like the man whose body wefound to-day. "

Instantly both strangers were staring at the boy who had spoken. Even inthe dim light their intense interest was plainly manifest. Zeke was doinghis utmost by absurd motions to impress upon the mind of John the factthat he must say nothing more. 

The two visitors at the camp, however, were too deeply interested to losethe opportunity. Speaking slowly and as if he was not especiallyinterested, the man with the scar on his face said in a drawling manner, "Where was that, sonny?"

"I don't know just where it was, " replied John. "We found the body orrather the bones of a man to-day. "

"What did you do with them?"

"Buried them, of course. " John was aware now that his friends were angryat his uncalled-for statements. His obstinacy, however, had been arousedand he was ignoring all the signs and motions that were given him fromevery side. 

"Wasn't there anything besides the bones?" inquired the visitor. 

"They had been picked clean. Zeke here thought that the coyotes andbuzzards had been at work. "

"Probably had. You didn't find any clothes?"

"I believe we did get a coat and a pair of shoes. "

"Would you mind letting me look at them?"

John turned to the guide and said, "Let them see that coat, Zeke. There'sno harm in that, " he said loudly as he turned to his companions. 

Reluctantly the guide displayed the coat which he had dug from the sandand eagerly both visitors inspected it. 

For a moment no one spoke and then the man with the scar said abruptly, "I'm sure that's old Sime Moultrie's coat. "

Again there was a brief silence before the man continued, "He was astrange duffer. I have seen him off an' on the last fifteen year. He nevergave up his search for a mine and I guess he never found one. Strange howa man will keep on as if he was all possessed when he has once got startedprospecting. "

"What do you suppose happened to him?" inquired Fred. 

"There's no tellin' as long as I didn't see the skeleton. Zeke here oughtto know. "

"I don't know anything 'bout it, " said Zeke gruffly. 

"Well, the possibilities are, " said the man with the scar, "that he tooksick an' died. He must have been all alone and nobody can tell how long hemay have been sick. As I rec'lect, he used to come in about ev'ry Springand Fall for fresh supplies. He wouldn't 'low any one to go with him andhe didn't have much to say to any one when he came in to the town. "

"Did you find any papers in the coat?" inquired the second stranger, whoup to this time had seldom spoken. 

"Not very much. We couldn't find anything with his name on it, " explainedZeke, "so we couldn't be sure whose bones they were. "

"You didn't find any papers at all?" again inquired the man. 

"We didn't find anything that showed who he was, " said Zeke slowly, "sameas I told you. "

"The coat then is the only thing you have got to identify him with?"

"We found a pick-axe and spade and hammer, " explained Zeke. 

"Have you got them here?"

"Yes, they're somewhere about the camp. I don't know just where we did putthem. "

"Better let us have a look at them. "

"It's too dark to see them now. Wait 'till mornin'. "

"We aren't going to wait until morning, " laughed the man with the scar. "We've got a long hike and we thought we would make part of it beforesun-up. It's a good deal cooler travelin' at night, and especially whenthere's a good moon, than it is to crawl across those tablelands when thethermometer is about a hundred and ten in the shade; and there isn't anyshade. "

"Better wait until mornin', " said Zeke abruptly. 

"No, we're goin' now. Come on, Jim, " the man added, as he turned to hiscompanion. "It's time for us to be movin'. "

Without further words the two strange visitors departed from the camp andsoon disappeared along the winding way that lead to the summit. 

"That's a nice thing you did, Jack!" exclaimed Fred angrily as soon as thetwo men were gone. 

"What's the harm?" retorted John. "I didn't tell them anything about anylost mine. "

"You didn't have to, " retorted Fred, "after what they said. They hadheard about a man dying, though how they ever knew beats me. And theybelieved that he was the man who was reported to have found a great lead. "

"What of it?"

"A good deal of it, " joined in Grant. "You have given them an idea andthey won't forget it. "

"What good is an idea?" demanded John. "They haven't any paper and theycan't find the place without it. "

"All the same, " said Fred, "I'm sorry you said anything about SimonMoultrie. "

"But I didn't say anything about him, " protested John. "They were the onesthat did most of the talking. I thought if I told them about the bones wefound this afternoon that perhaps they would talk some more and saysomething that would help us. "

"Great! Great!" laughed George scornfully. "You 'done noble, ' Jack. Ifthose men don't find the place, you may rest easy that they will keeptrack of us for a while. "

"Why will they?"

"Because they'll want to see if we found anything in the pocket of SimonMoultrie's coat that would give us any clue to the place where he had madehis great discovery. They'll watch us for a while anyway and if we don'tdo anything, they may make up their minds that we haven't found anything;but if we begin to do anything like making a search among the mountains, you mark my words those two fellows will show up again just as sure asyou're born. "

"We'll know about that later, " said John. 

For an hour the boys remained seated about their camp-fire, talking overthe unexpected visit of the two strangers and the marked interest they hadmanifested in John's story. Conversation gradually ceased and for a timethe Go Ahead Boys were chiefly interested in the fantastic figures cast bythe flames and in the marvelous tints of the clouds as the moonlight wasshining through them. Nearby was the bottomless gulf. They were unable tosee the mighty chasm, but the knowledge that they were near its brinkproduced a feeling all its own. 

At last however, Fred declared it was time for the Go Ahead Boys to turnin. His own example was speedily followed and in a brief time silencerested over the camp. 

The motionless figures on the blankets, with every boy sleeping with hisfeet turned toward the fire, which now had died down, presented a sightwhich would have appealed strongly to their distant friends in the easthad they been able to see it. Seldom did any figure stir and the weirdsilence was unbroken save by an occasional sigh of the wind as it sweptpast the dwarfed trees on the mountain side. 

How much time had elapsed Fred did not know when he was suddenly arousedand quickly sat erect. For a moment he was unable to determine just wherehe was but the sight of his sleeping companions soon recalled the eventsof the preceding day, and, satisfied, he was about to resume his place onhis blanket when he was startled by the sight of two crouching figuresapproaching the camp. They came from behind the buttress of rock aboutthirty feet from the fire. Both figures were crouching low and movingslowly and with extreme caution. 

Hastily Fred resumed his place on the blanket, having instantly decidednot yet to awaken his comrades. He was eager to discover what the purposeof the men in visiting the camp was. 

His heart was beating rapidly as he peered intently at the men. They hadnow drawn close to the camp and again had stopped to make certain thattheir approach had not been discovered. 

Still moving silently they began to circle the place, moving in oppositedirections. Several times each stopped to examine what he had discoveredin the pockets of a coat he had found. Apparently, however, the searchwas not altogether satisfactory. After they had completely circled thecamp, noiselessly as they had approached the two men withdrew. 

It was evident that they had taken nothing of value and Fred indeed wasalmost ready to conclude that he had been dreaming or that his eyes haddeceived him. The silence was still unbroken save by the occasional sighof some heavy sleeper. The passing clouds were still reflecting the lightof the moon and in the dim light Fred again thought he perceived theapproach of the two crouching men. 

In a moment, however, he was convinced that he was mistaken. Had he madethe same mistake before? Had he thought he had seen, without actuallyseeing, two men creep into the camp? Almost convinced that he had beendreaming, Fred did not awaken any of his comrades, thereby escaping anyridicule that might be heaped upon him for disturbing their slumbers andin a few minutes was himself again soundly asleep. 

CHAPTER V

A START AND A LOSS

When morning came Fred was still uncertain whether his experience of thepreceding night had been a dream or a reality. As he glanced at theenthusiastic countenances of his friends he was almost convinced that whathe had seen had been the shadowy figures of a dream. Besides he wasfearful of the bantering which the Go Ahead Boys might bestow upon him ifit was discovered that there was no basis for his statement. 

However, as Fred deemed the matter too important to be entirely ignored, he said while the boys were seated about the improvised table, "Were anyof you fellows up last night?"

"Not guilty, " laughed George. "I was asleep almost before I had stretchedout. "

The other two boys also declared that their slumbers had not beendisturbed and that neither had wandered about the camp. 

"What's the trouble, Freddie?" laughed Grant. "You act either as if youdon't believe us or something happened. "

"Well, I'm not sure, but something did happen, " said Fred slowly. 

"What was it? Tell us your story, " demanded John. 

"Either I dreamed or else I surely saw two men moving about the camp. There was a moon and the place was almost as light as day. "

"Who were the men?" demanded Grant. 

"Perhaps they weren't 'men' at all, " replied Fred, who was certain nowthat he was safe from ridicule. 

"Do you think they were our visitors?"

"Yes, " replied Fred promptly, "that's exactly what I do think. "

"What were they doing?" asked John. 

All the Go Ahead Boys were now deeply interested in Fred's statement andeager to hear what more he might say. 

"I saw the two figures moving about the camp and at first I thought theywere some of you. Pretty soon, however, I made up my mind that theyweren't. I turned over on my side and pretended to be asleep, though I waswatching these men all the time. "

"Why didn't you wake us up?" demanded John. 

"Because I wasn't sure that I myself didn't need waking up. "

"You're a great lad, " said John scornfully. "Zeke, " he called, turning tothe guide, "Fred thinks he saw those two men that were in our camp lastnight come back. "

The guide looked keenly at Fred, and it was plain he instantly wasinterested and perhaps alarmed. 

"What were they doin'?" he asked slowly. 

"Why, they were moving about the camp, " replied Fred. "It didn't seem tome they were here more than five or ten minutes but just as I was about tocall you or the boys they disappeared. "

Zeke said no more as he turned at once to the place where the garments andimplements of Simon Moultrie had been placed. 

The four boys were aware now that the guide was somewhat alarmed andinstantly all four ran to join him. 

"You see it is gone, " said Zeke blankly as he displayed the empty pocketsin the coat of the dead prospector. 

"Gone!" exclaimed the Go Ahead Boys together. 

"It isn't here anyway. "

"You mean his diary?" demanded Fred. 

"That's exactly what I mean. Your dream was a nightmare and it's likelyto be a still bigger one for us. "

"Do you think those men took that diary?" asked Grant. 

"You can see for yourself, " retorted Zeke gruffly. 

"Maybe you put it somewhere else, " suggested George. 

"Huh!" snapped the guide. "I left it right in the pocket. Eight in thatthere pocket, " he added as he again displayed the coat. 

"What did they want of it?" inquired John. 

"They wanted what you told them about. "

"I didn't tell them anything about anything, " said John angrily. 

"The trouble with you, Jack, is that you can't read between the lines. Yousee, those men were not born yesterday and they could put two and twotogether. "

"But I didn't give them anything to put together, " protested John. 

"If I recollect aright, " suggested Grant, "there was something said aboutthe coat and the tools that the prospector had with him. If I'm correct itseems to me that the men wanted to see the coat and the axe and the spadeand the hammer. "

"What of it?" demanded John. 

"Everything, " retorted Grant. "They probably suspected that if there wasa coat there were pockets in it. And if there were pockets then there wassomething in them. "

"They guessed right, all right, " laughed George. 

"Never you mind, " said John. "I remember exactly what the diary said and Ican draw another picture of that Gulch with just exactly the places markedon it that the prospector had marked. "

"Try it, " suggested Fred. 

"That's just what I'll do, " said John as he turned to the tent from whichhe speedily returned with a pad and pencil. 

For a moment no one spoke while John busily made his drawing. 

"There, " he said as he held it forth to view. "That's just as good as theoriginal. "

"It's a mighty pretty picture, " scoffed George. "The only trouble with itis that no one knows whether it is correct or not. "

"Zeke, isn't that drawing all right?" demanded John as he held forth thepaper to the guide. 

"It isn't so far wrong, " acknowledged Zeke cautiously, "but I guess we'llbe able to do something whether we have any paper or not. I'm more afraidof those two men than I am that we shan't be able to draw th' picture thatold Sime had in his diary. "

All four boys looked keenly into the face of the guide but no one inquiredconcerning the meaning of his words. 

"Well, the little book is gone, anyway, " continued Zeke. "We've got todecide what we'll do without it. When do you boys want to start?"

"What do you mean? For the lost mine?" demanded Fred. 

"That's what I thought you wanted to do. "

"Well, we do all right, " said Fred quickly. "Are we ready to start?"

"We can be in a few minutes, " said Zeke. "I think we can drop down theriver in the two boats. That will be easier than climbing up the cliffs. "

"Great!" exclaimed Fred enthusiastically. "How far can we go with theboats?"

"Ten or twelve miles, " answered Zeke. "And when we stop we'll be more thanhalf way to Thorn's Gulch. It's so much quicker to go by the river thanover land. "

"That will be fine, " repeated Fred. "Let's get started. "

"It's going to be hot in the middle of the day, " suggested Zeke warningly. 

"All the more reason then for starting right away, " said Grant. 

"All right, " assented Zeke. "We'll put things to rights here in the campand then we'll go down to start on our voyage. "

The light tent was folded and concealed under the projecting rock nearby. Most of the cooking utensils also were hidden or at least placed wherethey would not attract the attention of any chance visitor. It wasextremely unlikely that any one would come to the place, although amongthe parties visiting the Grand Canyon there might be some who would beattracted by the safe landing place, just as the Go Ahead Boys and theirguides already had been. 

"We had better plan to be gone about four days!" spoke up Pete who up tothis time had taken no part in the morning conversation. 

"I should think we ought to have supplies for more than that, " said Fred. 

Pete, however, insisted that the time he had named would be ample fortheir first attempt. "If we don't strike anything, " he explained, "weshan't need to stay any longer and if we do we can mark the spot or leavesomeone there on guard and the rest can come back for more supplies. "

"What do you think, Zeke?" asked Fred. 

"I think Pete is all right, " replied the guide. "We want to leave oursupplies here pretty well protected and we don't want to take enough withus to tire us out carrying them. We'll have to measure it down prettyfine. We want just enough but not an ounce more than we ought to have. "

Zeke's word carried the day and in a brief time the Go Ahead Boys werebusily engaged in packing the few belongings they planned to take withthem on their expedition. These were conveniently arranged so that theymight be carried upon the backs of the boys, making a burden that did notexceed twenty-five pounds in weight for each boy when the arrangement wasat last completed. 

"Everything all ready now?" inquired Zeke when at last the packages, implements and knapsacks had all been prepared. 

"How is the river right below us?" asked John. 

"It's a bit rough and pretty swift for a spell, " replied Zeke. 

"Any danger of capsizing?" asked Fred nervously. 

"There's always that danger, " replied Zeke solemnly. "Nobody knows whenthe boat may turn squarely over. If you think you would rather walk acrosscountry we can try it that way, " he added, winking solemnly at Fred'scompanions as he spoke. 

Cautiously the party made their way down the canyon and at last afterseveral exciting experiences arrived on the shore of the rushingColorado. 

Zeke's statement that the river here was rough was speedily confirmed. Thetossing waves seemed to be rushing at break-neck speed past the littlepoint. There was a bend in the channel a half-mile below and a projectingpoint there was plainly seen. 

"I don't like the look of that, " muttered Fred as he first saw the rushingstream. 

"There's something I like still less, " said Grant. 

"What do you mean?" demanded Fred. 

"Why there's only one boat there. "

"What!" exclaimed George and Fred together. 

"That's right, " repeated Grant. "One of the boats is gone. "

CHAPTER VI

DIVIDED

For a moment the boys stood and stared blankly at the one boat and at theplace on the shore where the other had been drawn from the water. Therewas no question now as to their loss. Every member of their party waspresent and yet only one boat was to be seen. 

Certain of their supplies also were missing and the discovery served toincrease the feeling of dismay. 

"Do you suppose that boat got loose?" inquired Fred, who was the first tospeak. 

"I don't 'suppose it got loose, '" retorted Grant somewhat gruffly. 

"Do you think somebody took it?" again Fred asked. 

"If it didn't get loose, please tell me why it's gone? There's only oneway the boat could get into the river. One was for it to get loose and theother for somebody to work it loose. "

"Then the question is, " said George, "who took it?"

"And there isn't much question about that, " said Fred confidently. 

"Do you think those two men stole the boat? I mean the two that were inour camp last night?"

"I don't know who else could take it, " said John. "And it's my fault too, isn't it?"

"In a way it is your fault, all right, " said Grant. "You started those menon the trail. If you had kept still no one would have known anything aboutit. "

"That's right, " said John, closing his eyes and doing his utmost to assumethe expression of a martyr. "If anything goes wrong, put the blame onlittle Johnnie. Cock Robin wasn't in the same class with little Johnnie--"

"You've talked enough, " broke in Zeke. "All your talkin' isn't goin' tobring back our boat. The question is what are we goin' to do, now that oneof the boats is gone. "

"Can't we all get into one boat?" inquired George. 

"You can, " snapped Zeke, "but you won't stay in very long. She would nevercarry six. "

"What shall we do, then?" asked Fred. 

"I think the first thing for us to do is to look around and see if we canfind anything that will give us a clue to the takin' o' the boat. "

Acting upon the suggestion the boys at once began a search along theshore, Fred and John steadily moving back from the river. 

Not one of them, however, was able to discover any signs of the presenceof the men whom they suspected. The plain fact was that the heavy boat wasgone and with it had gone many of their supplies. 

It was true that one boat was still left, but the guide's statement thatit could not carry six left only one way out of the present difficulty. 

"We can do one of two things, " suggested Pete when the members of theparty assembled again. "We can leave some o' you here and the rest o' uscan strike out across the country for more supplies. It won't be so hardcomin' back as it will be goin'. We'll get some burros to carry the stuffback for us and then they can go back with the drivers. "

"If we don't do that what else can we do?" inquired Grant. 

"Some of us can go down the river in the boat and then strike out forThorn's Gulch while the others are coming overland. "

"It will take two days to do that, " said Fred ruefully. 

"And the other will take four and maybe five, " retorted Zeke. 

A marked difference of opinion appeared in the company, but at last it wasdecided that Pete and John should go for additional supplies while all theother members of the party were to remain where they then were. 

Sharp directions were given by the departing Pete that no one should leavethe camp during his absence. 

The Go Ahead Boys promised faithfully to follow his suggestion and withinan hour Pete, who was nearly as tall as John, and his companion haddisappeared from sight. 

A renewed search for evidences of the men who had taken the boats wasmade, and Zeke and Fred even went down the stream a mile vainly hopingthat they might find the boat stranded somewhere in the region. Theirsearch was unavailing and when they returned to the camp it was with afixed opinion that the sole solution of their difficulties was to be foundin patiently remaining in camp until Pete and John had made their longjourney across the desert. 

That evening while they were seated about the campfire conversation turnedupon the mighty river near which they had found their resting place. 

"Yes, air, " Zeke was saying, "the first man an' about the only man thatever went the whole length of the Colorado was Major Powell. "

"Did he go in a little boat?" inquired Fred. 

"Yes, he had four boats?" replied Zeke. "They were all small, but everyone was built for the voyage. "

"Did he go alone?" inquired George. 

"No. Nine men went with him. "

"When was it?" asked Grant. 

"In 1869. It took a lot of nerve to start on that trip too, let me tellyou. Even the Indians were afraid of the river and every one of them saidhe didn't know really what the river was. "

"What do you mean?" asked Fred. 

"Why the redskins had all sorts of stories about the Colorado from theplace where the Grand and the Green join to make it. And they had a lot tomake them afraid, too. You see no one ever knew, when his boat got caughtin the currents or whirlpools, whether there might be ahead o' him somegreat underground passage where the river had cut its way and the boatmight be carried in there and never get out. Then too when they started ona swift current no one could tell when the water got rougher and swifterwhether they were goin' head on for some great, roarin' cataract. Yes, sir, it was a very ticklish trip that Major Powell took, and what made itstill worse for him was the fact that he had only one arm. "

"What did he do with the other one?" inquired Fred. 

"Had it shot away in the Civil War. I tell you he had more nerve than anyman that ever came out to these parts. Unless p'raps it was Bill Williams, whose grave is away over yonder more than fifty miles beyond the GrandCanyon. "

"Did the men who were with Major Powell come through all right?" askedFred. 

"All those that stayed with him did. There were four that got discouraged, and cleared out and left the very day when Major Powell floated clear ofthe Grand Canyon. It's strange about that. The exploring party came outall right, but not one of the four men that deserted was ever afterwardsheard of. Probably they tried to make their way up some o' these cliffsand tumbled and fell. "

"Did you say that the Indians knew all about the Grand Canyon?" askedGrant. 

"No, I didn't say no sech thing, " said Zeke sharply. "What I said was thatthe Indians were afraid of the place. They had any number of stories aboutthe region. "

"What were they?" asked Fred eagerly. 

"Oh, I don't know, " answered Zeke, "There was one, I understand, aboutthe Indians believin' or at least reportin' that the Grand Canyon was theroad to heaven. They had a story that one time one of their big chiefslost his wife. He was very fond of her and when she died it seemed to takethe heart right out o' him. He spent most o' his time mournin' for her andpretty soon the life o' the tribe was beginnin' to suffer. 

"At last, at least so the Indians say, the god, Tavwoats, offered to proveto the big chief that his wife was happier than she had been even when shewas livin' 'long with him. The chief took him at his word and Tavwoatsstarted right away to take the chief where he could look on the happinessof his wife. It seems the trail he made to the Happy Land was what we nowcall the Grand Canyon. They say that there were more bright colors andpretty places to be seen there then than one can find now. 

"When Tavwoats and the big chief came back through the trail among themountains, the god rolled a wild and roaring river into it to keep outthose who did not deserve to go to the Happy Land. That's the way theColorado River was formed, at least accordin' to th' Indian story. Ofcourse they didn't know what we know now that the Grand and Green joinedforces to make up the big stream. "

"That's a very pretty story, " said Grant, rising as he spoke. "The Indiansmust have had a lot of poetry in them to make up so many wonderfullegends. "

"You would have thought they had poetry in them, " said Zeke, "if you everhappened to be out here when there was a Navajo or Apache uprising. I tellyou the air is full of poetry then, the same as it is full of rows andyells and shouts, and you can see the redskins full of poetry, --somepeople out here call the stuff they drink by another name, --ridin' likemad 'round the desert shooting every man, woman and child they can find. Oh, yes, " he added, "it's a whole lot o' poetry. "

The hour, however, had arrived when the Go Ahead Boys were ready to retirefor the night. Fred was the first to set an example but in a brief timethe other Go Ahead Boys had followed, the fire had been extinguished andsilence rested over the region. 

CHAPTER VII

TWO NAVAJOS

Early the following morning, while the boys were preparing breakfast, theywere startled by the approach of two men. 

"Look yonder!" exclaimed Fred, who naturally was the first to discover theapproach of the strangers. "Are those the two men that were in the campthe other day?"

"No, " replied Zeke quickly after he had gazed long and earnestly at themen who could be seen coming down the pathway from the top of the cliff. "They're Indians. "

"Is that so?" demanded George who was instantly excited. "What are they?"

"Navajoes, " replied Zeke after another inspection. 

"What do you suppose they want?" asked Grant. 

"Everything you have got and some things besides, " answered Zeke, hisaffection for the redmen being not very strong. "The first thing they'llask us for will be the breakfast. "

"We'll give them some breakfast, " said Fred promptly. 

"I didn't say nothin' about _some_ breakfast, " spoke up Zeke. "I said thebreakfast. They'll want it all and some besides. "

"Then the only thing for us to do, " laughed Fred, "is to begin rightaway. "

Fred's example was speedily followed by his friends, who quickly tookpieces of the sputtering bacon on sharpened sticks which they held intheir right hands while with their left they grasped pieces of the cookedcereal which Zeke had been frying for breakfast. 

All were busily engaged in this pleasing occupation when the two Indiansapproached the camp. The redmen were the first to speak and to thesurprise of the Go Ahead Boys they addressed them in excellent English, atleast the one who appeared to be the leader was able to express himselfclearly and in correct form. 

"We would like some breakfast, " said the spokesman, who was a young Indianperhaps twenty-one years of age. 

"All right, sir, " spoke up Fred before any one else could respond to therequest. "We'll fix you some in a minute. "

Fortunately the supply was ample for the present meal at least, and bothNavajos, seating themselves upon a projecting rock, almost devoured thefood which was given them. 

The Go Ahead Boys were eager to talk with the redmen, but silence restedover the camp. Zeke was particularly gruff in his manner and apparentlyignored the presence of the strangers. 

At last the Indian who had been chief spokesman said, "We have come to askif two white men have come to your camp within a few days. "

"What do you want to know for?" asked Zeke quickly. 

Whatever his reasons may have been for inquiring the Navajo did not offerany explanations. 

"Yes, there were two men here but they have gone, " said Zeke slowly. 

"Did one of them have a scar across his cheek that reached almost from hisnose to his ear?"

"Yes. "

"Was the other man larger and heavier?"

"That's right, " said Fred, aware that both his companions were as deeplyinterested as he in the conversation. 

"Where did they go?"

"We do not know, " spoke up Zeke. "We didn't invite them to come here andthey didn't stop to say good-by when they left. "

"Do you know their names?"

"I can't say that we do, " replied Zeke. "Was there anything special thatyou wanted o' them?"

The Navajo glanced quickly at his companion, who plainly understood thequestion and then said, "Yes, we want very much to see them. "

"Well, I'm afraid then that you'll have to go where they are. "

"Did they go down the river or did they go up the cliffs?"

"The last we saw of them they were headed for the sky, " said Zeke glumly. 

"Did they have ponies?"

"We didn't see any. They may have left them up yonder, but they didn'tbring any into the camp. "

The Navajo again turned to his companion and carried on a conversation ina low voice, apparently ignoring the presence of the others. 

"If there was any message you wanted left, " suggested Zeke, "we might takeit and tell them that two Navajoes are waiting for them. "

"No, " replied the Indian abruptly. "Say nothing. Do you know whether theyare coming back to your camp or not?"

"I hope not, " said Zeke. 

"Have you any reason to think they were bad men?"

"I don't know nothin' about them, just as I told you, " responded Zekegruffly. "As I said, the only way you can find that out is to go wherethey are. "

"And do you know whether they started toward Thorn's Gulch?"

"Where?" demanded Fred quickly. 

"Thorn's Gulch. "

"What makes you think they were headed for Thorn's Gulch?" demanded Zeke. 

"I didn't say we knew, " said the Indian solemnly. "I asked you if youknew. "

"Well, we don't, " said Zeke. "What is there about Thorn's Gulch that makesyou think they might want to go there?"

Instead of replying to the question the Navajo again turned to hiscompanion and carried on another conversation with him in still lowertones than before. Then abruptly rising, the Indian, who had been actingas chief spokesman, said, "I don't think we need to trouble you any more. "

"Hold on a minute, " said Fred. "What's your hurry?"

Both Indians had turned as if they were about to retrace their way alongthe steep incline by which they had approached the camp. Halting abruptlyat the question, before either could speak Fred continued, "You talk agood deal like a man who has not been trained as most of the Indians Ihave seen around here have been. "

"Yes, " said the Indian, a broad smile appearing on his face as he spoke, "My name is Thomas Jefferson, in the white man's language. "

"Thomas Jefferson?" demanded Grant. "Where in the world did you get thatname?"

"When I went to the white man's school they gave me a white man's name. "

"Where were you in school?"

"Pennsylvania. "

"Is that so?" exclaimed Grant, who was especially interested in suchmatters. 

"Yes, " explained the Indian, "I was sent east by some missionaries to beeducated. As I told you they gave me a white man's name and I was therethree years in the school. "

"So that is where you learned to speak such good English is it?" saidGeorge. 

"Yes. "

"Do you find that your education helps you a good deal out here in yourlife among the Navajos?"

For a moment the young Indian stared blankly at the inquirer and thenwithout replying to the question, once more turned to his companion andafter a brief conversation he again faced the boys and said, "We thank youfor the breakfast you have given us. We must go now. "

"Shall I tell those men if they come back, " spoke up Zeke, "that ThomasJefferson and another Navajo have been here to see them?"

There was a gleam in the eyes of the namesake of the great statesman whenhe answered, "Say nothing. "

"Yes, " said Zeke, "but I would like to know if they are looking for you. "

"We are looking for them, " retorted the Navajo. 

"Well, all I can say, " said Zeke, "is that I hope you'll find them. Maybeyou'll find them too before they find the claim staked by old SimeMoultrie. "

Plainly the Navajo was startled by the guide's suggestion for he stoppedabruptly and said, "Is Simon Moultrie dead?"

"Yes, and his bones have been buried, " answered Zeke. 

"Where?"

"Not far from where he died. "

"When did he die?"

"That I can't say. "

"And did he stake a claim?"

"Did I say he did? Did you know him?"

"Everybody knew Simon Moultrie, " said the Indian. "He came to Tombstonemany times for supplies. "

"That's right, he did, " acknowledged Zeke. "He was a great oldprospector. He kept it up all his life but I never knew of his findinganything worth staking. "

"He did not stake any claim?"

"I can't say. "

The Indian looked keenly at the guide and then turning looked with equalkeenness at the boys who were greatly enjoying the conversation. He didnot say any more, however, and in company with the other Navajo at oncedeparted from the camp. 

Silently the Go Ahead Boys watched the departing redmen until their formshad been hidden from sight by one of the numerous projecting cliffs. Thenthe tension was somewhat relieved and Fred turned to Zeke and said, "Whatdo you think those Indians wanted?"

"My opinion is that they have gotten wind somehow that those two men arelooking for the claim that old Sime Moultrie may have staked. "

"What will happen, " inquired Grant, "if the Navajos begin to look for theclaim and come upon those two white men there?"

"It will depend on which party can draw his gun first, " replied Zekedryly. 

"Do you think it's as bad as that?" demanded Fred excitedly. 

"I don't think nothin' about it. I haven't much use for those white men, and when it comes to a Navajo--why you have heard what the only kind of agood Indian is, haven't you?"

"A dead Indian, " answer Grant with a laugh. 

"Well, I didn't say it. You said it. Did I ever tell you about the Navajosquaw that some of the women up here, stopping over at Albuquerque, fittedout for her wedding?"

"No, " replied the boys together. "What did they do?"

"Why they gave her six dresses and a lot of other things they thought shewould need as soon as she was in her own house. Some of them stopped therea year or two afterward and looked her up. The squaw was wearing one ofthe dresses that the white women had given her, but they found out thatwhen one dress had become so old and torn that the squaw couldn't wear itmuch longer she would just put another dress right on over it and wearthat until it was worn out, and then she put on number three and thennumber four. She was wearing six altogether when this white woman foundher. "

"That's a fine story, Zeke, " laughed Fred. 

"It's almost good enough to be true. "

"No, sir, it's too good to be true, " spoke up George. 

"That doesn't make any difference, " said Zeke sturdily. "I'm telling youwhat was told me. That's all I know about it. "

"Zeke, " said Grant, who up to this time had taken little part in theconversation, "if you really think those Indians are after those two whitemen and that something may happen if they happen to meet, don't you thinkwe ought to get word to them somehow?"

A grin appeared on the face of the guide as he replied, "That's a good'un! That's a good 'un! The chances are ten to one that if you interferedwith them in their little game you would have all four o' 'em turn againstyou. But that hasn't anything to do with what's facin' us. We've got tomake up our minds pretty quick what we'll do. "

CHAPTER VIII

WAITING

"What do you mean?" inquired Fred. 

"Why, I mean that if we're goin' to be fools enough to try to find oldSime Moultrie's stake then we'll have to take whatever comes to us. "

"And you think we're likely to have trouble with the Indians or the twowhite men if we begin to look up the place?"

"We may not see either of 'em, " replied Zeke evasively. 

"Yes, but if we do see them, " said Fred persistently. "Do you think we'regoing to have any trouble?"

"That remains to be seen. "

"But do you think we will?" persisted Fred. 

"A good deal will depend on which party strikes what he thinks is theclaim first. If we get it I don't believe they will bother us and if theyget it I'm mighty sure we shan't bother them. But there, " he added, "Ithink I'm takin' a good deal more trouble than I need to. The chances areone hundred to one that there isn't any such thing as Moultrie's stake, and if there isn't, why then of course we're all safe anyway. " Zeke threwback his head and laughed noisily, a recreation which he seldom permittedhimself to enjoy. The joke, however, which he had just perpetrated wassuch a rarity that even the boys were compelled to join in his mirth. 

Meanwhile there was a long and weary waiting before they could expect thereturn of their companions. There were times when the boys worked theirway along the shore, or, with Zeke in supreme command, used the one skiffthat remained They did not, however, venture far in the little boatbecause they were compelled to tow it back one or two of the boysremaining in the boat, while their companions dragged it along the rockyor projecting shore. It was easier when they first dragged the boat up thestream and then descended at a speed which in places outdid that of theswiftest horse. 

There were expeditions also to be made along the sides of the cliff, butthese were cautiously undertaken for Zeke was unduly fearful for his youngcharges. 

Fred most of all the members he specifically watched. He declared thatFred "usually acted and then did his thinking afterward. "

When night fell the boys assembled about the camp fire and occasionallyprevailed upon their gruff guide to relate some of his own experiences onthe desert or among the mountains. 

"Yes, " said Zeke one night in reply to a question by Fred, "I've had sometroubles with bad men. Over in Nevada there was a time when a gang ofrobbers tried to waylay everybody that set out from Reno. It happened thatI was at Reno with my mother one time and I had to drive about forty milesto my aunt's where she was going to visit. The houses out there aren't sothick that anybody gets over-afraid of being crowded out or bein' botheredby the neighbors. On the stretch where I was goin' there were three orfour shacks but I didn't find many choosin' that part of the country for adwellin' place. "

"Did they have a good road?" inquired George. 

"Fairly good. It was the only one that led over the mountains in that partof the world. Well, I had my mother along, as I was sayin', and when wehad gone about eighteen miles from Reno, right in a narrow little gorge Isaw two men comin' toward us. They were in a buggy and I knew right awayfrom the looks of their horses that they could make good time. Besides, when I saw the men I knew they were both strangers and, to tell the truthI didn't like the way either one o' 'em acted. 

"When they came pretty close to where we were I turned out to give themmost of the road for I didn't want any trouble as long as I had my motheralong. Perhaps I told you she was with me. 

"Well, the first thing I knew the men all of a sudden swung over toward meand before I knew what was going on they had locked their buggy wheel withmine. They pretended to be mad, but I knew right away that this was a parto' their game. It was worse than two to one for I not only had to fightfor myself, but for my mother. However, she is pretty game and she sawwhat was up so she turned to me and said, said she, 'Zeke, you hand me thereins and I'll look after the horses and you get out and help untanglethose wheels. ' When I got out of the buggy both the men laughed and thatrather stirred me. 'You seem to be mighty easy to please, ' I said. You seeI was younger then than I am now, and didn't have so much sense. "

"Where did you get the new sense?" inquired Grant solemnly. 

"Oh, once in a long time I run up against a fellow that come from theEast. He usually gave me all the advice I needed and never charged me acent for it either. "

The boys laughed at Grant's confusion, but ignoring the interruption Zekecontinued with his tale, "I tried to appear unconcerned like and I said toone of the men, 'Take hold here and give me a lift, I'm 'most afraid toback down any further for fear I'll tip my mother out. ' They didn't eitherof 'em offer to help me, in fact neither one of them got out of the buggyand when I took hold of my horse's head and tried to back away they justmoved up their horses so that the wheels kept locked just as they had beenbefore. I looked at the wheels and pretty quick I made up my mind thatmine were a good deal stronger than theirs. I had told my mother when Itook the reins that she had better get out while we were tryin' to breakloose there. Of course she did what I told her. I was afraid the men mightdraw their guns, but still I thought maybe the fact that I had my motheralong with me might make 'em hesitate a little. There are mighty few meneven in the mines that will do anything to frighten a good woman, andnobody had to look very long into my mother's face to make up his mindthat that was what she was, sure enough good. 

"Well, we backed and filled for a spell and I see that things were gettin'worse so I waited until we worked out away a few yards up a little rise onthe side of the mountain. The men all the while pretended that theythought it was a joke, and then when I got just to the right place, quickas a wink I jumped up and yelled at my horse in the loudest tones I couldmuster, and when little Zeke really tries hard to make himself heard thereisn't usually much trouble in hearing him. I struck my horses with my whipat the same time and all together we had considerable of a ruction, but itturned out just as I thought it would. Their horses were scared worse thanmine and when they all four jumped ahead going in opposite directions, ofcourse something had to give way and it wasn't my wheels either, let metell you. I didn't wait to investigate how much damage I really had done, but I put my horses into their best licks and stopped just long enough totake in my poor, old, frightened mother, and then I didn't stop, let metell you, until I was out o' sight of those men. "

"Did they try to chase you?"

"No, they didn't. I'm thinkin' they were having troubles enough of theirown just then. At all events I never see any more of them. "

"Do you really believe they meant to rob you?" asked George. 

"Sure, as you're born!" replied Zeke. "That was just what they were therefor. The only thing that saved me was my havin' my mother along. 'Twasn'tlong afterward before I heard of a man being held up just as I was. Twomen came along in a buggy and locked wheels with him and while he wastrying to help himself out of the fix one of them dropped him with thebutt of his gun and went through his pockets and all his belongings. That's one reason why I have always remembered Jump Off Joe Creek. "

"Remembered what?" laughed Fred. 

"Jump Off Joe Creek, " repeated Zeke. "That was the name of the mountainbrook right near where I had my fight with the robbers. "

"But I didn't see that you had any fight, " persisted Fred. 

"Not exactly a fight, but it's where I would have had a tough fight if ithadn't been for me havin' my mother 'long with me. Perhaps I told you shewas in the buggy with me when those wheels locked. "

"I believe you did remark something about that, " said Fred so drolly thathis companions laughed. 

"And you think, " inquired Grant, "that we're likely to have trouble withthese two men the same way?"

"No, I didn't say 'the same way, '" replied Zeke. "I'm just tellin' youwhat's going on 'round here so that you'll be a bit prepared for it whenthe proper time comes. "

"Do you really think we'll have any trouble with those two men?" inquiredGeorge anxiously. 

"I've given you my opinion, " replied Zeke. "You won't have no trouble ifyou don't find no claim, and if there ain't no claim then you won't haveno trouble. So it's just as broad as it is long, you see, and I'm hopefulwe'll get out again with our lives. "

"Yes, I hope so too, " said George so solemnly that his friends laughedaloud. 

Zeke's stories were as numerous as they were quaint after he had oncebegun to relate them. To beguile the slowly moving hours the boys insistedupon his recounting many of his adventures, some of which were exceedinglythrilling, so thrilling indeed that none of the boys accepted them astrue. 

But all things at last come to an end and the waiting of the Go Ahead Boyswas drawn to a close late one afternoon when Pete and John entered thevalley. They were heavily laden with packs and explained that up on thecliff other possessions which they had secured had been left with theIndian boy who had come with them and was to take back the burros afterthey had been relieved of their burdens. 

Speedily all the Go Ahead Boys were engaged in the task of bringing in thesupplies. Twice the difficult climb had to be made and even the return tothe camp, although the trail led down the steep incline at times, was evenmore difficult than the ascent had been. 

The same night after all the supplies had been brought to the camp and theboys had begun to make up their packs, for they planned to start on theirexpedition early the following morning, they were startled by the returnof the two Navajos who had visited the camp soon after the departure ofPete and John. It was quickly manifest that both Indians in spite of theirquiet manner were keenly excited and when they had related a discoverythey had made that very day, the excitement of the Go Ahead Boys was onlyless than their own. 

CHAPTER IX

DOWN THE RUSHING RIVER

"We saw where the two white men camped last night, " explained ThomasJefferson. "They are working' their way into Thorn's Gulch. "

"And do you think they are looking for Simon Moultrie's claim the same aswe are?" demanded John, who was not fully aware of the events which hadoccurred during his absence. 

The Navajo smiled slightly and replied, "Yes, they both are trying to findthe place. "

"Do you know where it is? Have you anything to show where he found the newmine?"

"Not very much, " replied the Indian. 

His manner, however, impressed the Go Ahead Boys strongly that ThomasJefferson possessed information concerning the object of their searchwhich he was not willing to communicate. 

The mystery surrounding the place had deepened. The fact that two whitemen as well as two Indians, in addition to the Go Ahead Boys and theirguides, were convinced at the same time that the dead Simon Moultrie haddiscovered a lead of great promise, increased their interest. Already Fredand John had discussed what they would do with the fortune which they wereconvinced soon would be theirs as soon as the claim of the dead prospectorhad been located. 

John and Pete, thoroughly wearied by their long journey for supplies, weresoon ready for bed. Their example was contagious and in view of the longand difficult journey awaiting them on the morrow all the Go Ahead Boysspeedily followed their example. 

Daylight had appeared, though the light of the rising sun had not yetshone above the towering cliffs, when the guides were busily preparingbreakfast the next morning. 

In spite of the prospect awaiting them the appetites of the Go Ahead Boyswere all keen and a hearty breakfast was disposed of before any onesuggested that the hour for their departure had arrived. 

A few of their belongings were left behind, after they had been carefullystowed away among the various cliffs and hidden from the sight of anychance passerby. It was seven o'clock when at last Zeke declared the partywas ready to depart. 

Every boy had his kit strapped upon his back in addition to the riflewhich he carried while Zeke led the way and Pete served as a rear guard. 

Since the missing boat had not been recovered it had been decided to tryto make the journey overland. However, just as the party left the campPete said decidedly, "I think this is all fool business. "

"What do you mean?" demanded Fred, who was next before him. 

"I think it's foolishness for all six of us to go overland when we have aboat that will bring us within a few miles of Thorn's Gulch. Some of ourheaviest supplies can be taken that way, and, if we have to, Zeke and Ican make two trips from the place where we can land to the opening toThorn's Gulch. Hold on, " he called to Zeke. 

The little party abruptly halted and after Pete had warmly urged his viewsZeke reluctantly consented to a change in their plans. Pete, accompaniedby Fred and John were to return and use the boat as far as they were ableto make their way safely toward Thorn's Gulch. They would then land, drawthe boat up on the shore, where it would be safe from storms, and at oncestart for the entrance of Thorn's Gulch where they were to await thecoming of their companions. Naturally it was expected that the party ledby Pete would arrive at the Gulch before the others. In that event Petewas to select a camp and make such provisions as were in his power forspending the second night. 

Zeke had explained that he was not planning to rush his party across thedesert. Rather he explained he would move leisurely, finding some placefor rest and refuge in the middle of the day. In no place would he departfar from the rim of the Grand Canyon. He was confident that even withthese expected delays he would easily arrive at their destination bysunset of the second day. 

The two Navajos had not been included in either party; the truth of thematter being that neither Zeke nor Pete wanted the young Indians among hisfollowers. 

The feeling of the boys, however, was markedly different, but they did notmake any objections, relying upon the need of assistance later to warrantthem in inviting Thomas Jefferson and his friend to become members oftheir party at that time. Indeed Fred had expressed himself in this mannerto the Navajos, and Thomas Jefferson, indicating that he understood fullythe conditions, promised to report later after the party had enteredThorn's Gulch. 

There was no further delay and George and Grant following Zeke soondisappeared from the sight of their companions. 

Meanwhile Fred and John assisted Pete in packing in their boat thesupplies which they were to carry down the Colorado. 

Both George and Grant had protested against their companions attemptingthe passage of the river. They were aware of the perils that awaited themand were fearful that they would not be able to land all their cargosafely. 

"That's the way of it, " said Fred in mock solemnity when he had respondedto George's protest. "You don't care anything about us, but you'remightily afraid that some of the things we have on board may be lost inthe river. "

"We don't want to lose either the crew or the cargo, " retorted George. 

"There's no more danger going down the stream where we are than there isin trying to climb the cliffs and strike out overland, " declared Pete. 

No further protest had been made and not long after the departure of thedivision which was to climb the rugged pathway that led to the table-landthe sailors were ready to embark. 

Fred and John were both skillful in handling the boat, a form of knowledgein which even Grant was proficient. It was for this reason largely thatPete had selected Fred and John to accompany him. 

Before he stepped on board, John, who was to push at the stern, looked outover the broad river. The current made in toward the shore where he wasstanding and was clearly defined. The swift waters bore around a bend notmore than fifty yards below them. It is true that the passage here hadalready been made and the boat hauled back, but the very fact that aprevious voyage had been tried although it allayed certain fearsnevertheless made both Go Ahead Boys aware of the places where peril wouldconfront them. 

Pete was in the bow holding a long pole in his hands, while Fred was totake his friend's place whenever the latter desired him to. 

In a brief time the strong heavy skiff was caught in the sweep of thechannel and was borne swiftly down the rushing Colorado. 

There was an excitement in the attempt that manifested itself clearly inthe faces of all three. At one place where for a brief time the waterswere stiller Pete turned to his fellow voyagers and shouted, "My, I mustsay you're the two nerviest boys I ever see. "

John and Fred stared blankly at each other at the compliment, neither infact having been unduly alarmed or suspecting that they were passingthrough any unusual peril. 

Twice the boat had been swept in close to a projecting ledge butfortunately had escaped without any serious crash. 

At the end of ten minutes the boys were aware that they were approachingthe place which they dreaded most of all in their descent. The riverbecame somewhat narrower here and the waters consequently were muchdeeper. A shoal or some huge hidden ledge rose in mid-stream and the swiftcurrent, divided by the obstacle, roared and sang as it rushed forward onits way on either side. One hundred yards below the projecting rock thedivided channel was reunited. There was a great peril, however, that thelittle boat, as it was driven forward by one part of the stream, might becaught in the eddies that were formed when the waters united. 

For a time the rocky shores seemed to be flying past the advancing boat. Occasional glimpses of the sky far above them added to the picture. Beforethem extended a long, narrow defile through which the deep water seethedand boiled as it sped forward. The grave peril here was that the boatmight strike some of the projecting rocks or be grounded on one of thehidden projections. It was impossible for any one to use his pole hereand Fred had passed the paddle to John while he himself insisted upontaking his place in the bow and ordering Pete to seat himself amidship. 

The boat was moving at least ten miles an hour. Two-thirds of the passagehad been safely made. The expression on Fred's face was tense asoccasionally he caught a glimpse behind him of his long friend workingdesperately with his paddle. 

Every ounce of strength each boy possessed was required for the effort. Occasionally the guide shouted his direction first to one boy and then toanother and then to both alike. Neither Fred nor John, however gave muchheed to their advisor nor indeed was it possible for them to hear what hesaid. The sound of the noisy water filled their ears, the peril of theprojecting rocks continued to face them and a glance at the dark coloredstream below was sufficient to warn them of dangers to be avoided there. 

Fred, who, as has been said, was paddling from the bow turned for a momentto glance back at John. At that moment, however, the heavy boat suddenlystruck an unseen rock. The force of the current was sufficient to drivethe boat safely over the place of peril, but Fred as he had nearly losthis balance glanced again behind and to his horror he saw the long legs ofJohn disappearing over the side of the boat. 

CHAPTER X

A RATTLER

Meanwhile the other party which had started for Thorn's Gulch was alsohaving its own experiences no less thrilling than the mishap which hadbefallen John. Zeke was the leader of the trio while George had takenPete's place as rear guard. 

Steadily climbing the way which previously they had used as a path, stopping frequently for rest, for their breathing was somewhat moredifficult in the high altitude than on the lower levels, they at lastsucceeded in gaining the crest of the canyon. 

Zeke then led the way across the table-land, at times moving far from theborder and then again approaching almost within sight of the great canyon. The Canyon of Arizona extends for hundreds of miles, becoming vast andwide in what is commonly known as the Grand Canyon. It winds through thecountry at times visible and sometimes concealed from sight by interveningcliffs or trees. 

Before the noon-hour arrived the party halted, seeking the shelter of asmall cleft in the rim where they were able to start a fire and cook someof the food they had brought with them. 

The heat was so intense that Zeke commanded the expedition to wait untillate in the afternoon before the journey was resumed. Although neitherGeorge nor Grant acknowledged that he was tired, both Go Ahead Boys wereentirely willing to heed the advice that was given them. 

Late in the afternoon the three explorers again resumed their journey. Abrief halt for supper was made, but soon afterward the boys once more werefollowing Zeke as he led the way in the moonlight. The air was cool nowand although the altitude was still high the boys found less difficulty inbreathing. 

In a sheltered spot well known to Zeke a camp was pitched for the nightand soon after they had cast themselves upon their blankets all three weresoundly sleeping. 

It was long before sunrise when Zeke's stentorian call summoned the boysto the task of the coming day. It was with some difficulty that both youngprospectors responded. As soon, however, as breakfast had been preparedand eaten, although it was still an hour before sunrise, they started oncemore on their journey to Thorn's Gulch. 

Steadily, monotonously they kept on their way, walking in single file andin the same way which had been observed the preceding day. 

It was not long after sunrise when Zeke suddenly jumped to one sideshouting to the boys as he did so to keep away. 

Before either of them was aware of any peril Zeke drew his revolver andfired several shots at an object in front of him, which as yet was unseenby the boys. 

"There!" shouted Zeke. "I guess that'll get you, you rascally varmint!" Ashe spoke he seized his long knife and hurled it savagely. "How do you likethat?" he shouted, "I guess you won't do any more harm to anybody. "

The curiosity of George and Grant had been so thoroughly aroused by thestrange calls and actions of their guide that in spite of his warning bothcrept forward to see what had aroused his anger. 

And both soon were aware of the cause. A few feet before them was a hugerattlesnake still twisting and turning in its last agonies. 

Zeke secured his knife, and again and again hurled the weapon at the snakealthough now they were safe from any attack by the reptile. Its skin wasglossy and the dark folds had a certain beauty of their own. Both boys, however, were unaware of the colors of the great snake. At last Zekesucceeded in severing the body. In a moment he grasped the tail and flungthe part to which it was attached several yards away. 

"Better count the rattles, " he said. 

"I don't want to touch the thing, " said George with a shudder. 

"The tail can't bite you, " suggested Grant as he advanced boldly andgrasped the part of the body to which the rattles were attached and heldit up to view. It was still squirming somewhat and George turned away indisgust. "I don't like snakes, " he explained. 

"I can't say that I'm very fond of them, " said Grant, "but I think if youdon't want them, Pop, I'll take these rattles home with me. "

"Did you count them?" demanded Zeke, who now approached the spot where theboys were standing. 

"Not yet, " replied Grant. "I'll do it now. "

There were thirteen rattles found in the snake and when Grant held them upand shook them George was unable to repress the shudder that crept overhim. 

"How was it, Zeke, " he asked, turning to the guide, "did the fellow strikeat you?"

"No, I happened to see him moving across the rock. He's a big fellow. Hemust be eight feet long, " answered the guide. 

"Aren't you afraid of them?" inquired George, shuddering again as hespoke. 

"Afraid? No. Why should I be afraid? They give you warning before theystrike and that's what the rattles are for. "

"I wonder if that is what they are for, " said Grant thoughtfully. "I don'tsee why nature should have provided a snake with a means of scaring offthe animals he wants to get for his breakfast. "

"That's what it is, " said Zeke. "It can't be for nothin' else. "

"I've heard it said that shaking the rattles had a strange effect oncertain animals. A canary bird sings and a rattler rattles. Perhaps theyboth think they are improving the music of the spheres. "

"Fine music!" snorted Zeke. 

"I have heard it said that the snakes and owls and prairie dogs are greatfriends, " suggested Grant. "They all live together in the same hole. "

"I don't know nothin' about their being friends, " retorted Zeke. "I'mthinkin' the prairie dog does most of the work any way you fix it. He'sthe one that digs the hole, then along comes the snake and makes his homein it, and then the owl creeps in and there you have it. "

"I should think they would eat one another, " laughed George. 

"Maybe they do for all I know, " said Zeke. "Now if you've had enough tosatisfy you with this rattler we'll start ahead again. "

"But I don't see, " persisted Grant, "why he didn't bite you. "

"Huh!" snapped Zeke. "He didn't get a chance to coil himself. They arejust like a hair-spring. They have to get a little purchase before theycan do anything, then they do a good deal too, if they try real hard. Idon't like them, but I never do what a good many guides out here do. "

"What's that?" asked Grant. 

"Why, they're so afraid of rattlesnake bites that they keep loaded up withwhisky all the time. That's the best antidote for the snake bite and thesefellows must have been bitten about three times a day, most of them. "

Zeke said no more and in a brief time all three were moving steadilyacross the table-land. 

Late in the afternoon Zeke stopped and pointed to a place far in thedistance, "Yonder is right near Thorn's Gulch, " he explained. "We ought toget there in about three hours. "

"Three hours!" exclaimed George. "Why how far is it from here?"

"About eleven miles. "

It was almost impossible for either of the boys to believe that the spotto which Zeke had pointed was so far distant. The air was so clear thatthe place appeared to be much nearer than it really was and if they hadbeen asked each boy would have stated his opinion that the interveningdistance could be covered within an hour. 

"There are two ways now which we can take, " explained Zeke. 

"You mean we can take them both, or either of them?" laughed George. 

Ignoring the question which the guide gruffly referred to as "smart, " Zekeexplained that they could go down into the canyon a short distance inadvance of them and follow the course until they came to the entrance toThorn's Gulch. 

"That will be about where John and Fred will come in, won't it?" inquiredGrant. 

"I guess that's so, " admitted Zeke. "Perhaps it will be better for us togo down the slope and strike Thorn's Gulch from that side. "

Accordingly the direction was changed and advancing toward a slope thatled to the valley below, the boys prepared to follow the lower course andmeet their friends at the opening where it had been agreed the meetingshould take place. 

Each boy still carried upon his back the pack which had been placed therewhen they had broken camp. The descent was consequently hampered somewhatby the weight which rested upon their shoulders. Much of the way wasdifficult and the three members of the party no longer were able to keepclosely together. 

George, who still was the rear guard, steadily dropped behind hiscompanions until he was no longer able to discern them before him. 

The way by which Zeke was leading now led along a side of the canyon wherethe walking was increasingly difficult. The broken stone crumbled beneaththeir feet and they were in constant danger of slipping or falling. 

Aware that he had lost sight of his companions and was steadily fallingbehind, George increased his pace, hoping to overtake his companionswithin a few minutes. 

In his zeal he approached nearer the edge of a ledge than he was aware. Suddenly the broken stone gave way beneath his feet and in spite of hisefforts George was thrown from the ledge and began a swift descent on theside of the cliff. 

Fortunately the cliff-side was not as steep as in certain other places, but the desperate boy was unable to check his flight. 

He had given one wild call to his friends when first he had slipped overthe border. After that all his strength was required to prevent himselffrom falling headlong. 

In spite of his utmost endeavors his foothold soon became more insecureand suddenly as the ground beneath him gave way George was thrown forwardon his face. 

The heavy pack on his shoulders prevented him from rising or recoveringthe ground he had lost. Rolling, slipping, sliding, the terrified boycontinued on his way down the side of the cliff. 

CHAPTER XI

A PERILOUS FALL

Fortunately the side of the cliff down which George was slipping was notsheer all the way. It was steep; indeed, so steep that it was impossiblefor the frightened boy in spite of his desperate attempts to check hisflight, to gain a foothold. In his descent some of the loose ground gaveway and whenever he tried to seize a small projecting point that too fellbefore him. 

George was aware that far below him was the valley or bottom of the gulch. There were possibilities that at any moment he might slide over some cliffbeneath which there was nothing to interfere with his fall to the groundfar below, a descent of at least two hundred feet. 

George was amazed at the coolness with which his mind was working. Fullyaware of the peril confronting him, nevertheless he thought calmly of hiscompanions and the surprise they would experience when his absence wasdiscovered. If he fell to the bottom of the gulch doubtless they wouldnever learn the fate which had befallen him. 

When he had gone about sixty feet down the cliff-side his progressabruptly was halted when he came to a heavy projection of rock. Upon thisa stunted tree was growing close to the side of the mountain. Almostinstinctively George grasped this tree and his heart almost ceased to beatwhen he found that his progress was effectively stopped. His first fearwas that the projection might give way under the force with which he hadstruck it. For a moment he simply clung to the trunk of the tree andclosed his eyes waiting for the crash to come. 

When several moments had elapsed and he found that he was still safe heopened his eyes and looked all about him. Above him he could see the marksthat indicated the trail he had followed in his descent. It was, however, almost impossible for him to retrace his way. He was now painfully awarethat he had severely bruised his left leg in his fall. Otherwise he wasnot seriously hurt as far as he was able to ascertain. It would bedifficult, if not entirely impossible for him, in the condition in whichhe now found himself, to make his way up the sloping side of the cliff, while to slip or fall would be fatal. 

Rejoicing at his narrow escape George seated himself with his backagainst the side of the mountain as far as it was possible for him to movealong the edge of the rocky shelf. His first feeling of rejoicing at hisnarrow escape soon gave way to anxiety. He had been so far behind Zekewhen he had fallen that he was doubtful now that his absence would bediscovered until Grant and the guide had gone a considerable distanceahead. And when his disappearance should be discovered his companionswould have no knowledge where to begin their search. 

Keenly excited, he shouted in his loudest tones, "Grant! Grant!"

Not even an echo greeted his prolonged appeal. He shouted again and again, but it soon was plain to him that he had not made himself heard. 

Thoroughly alarmed now he was almost ready to attempt the perilous ascent, having decided that it was better for him to do so while he was stillstrong and before his leg should become helpless. 

A glance toward the border of the cliff, however, was terrifying. So highwas it above the gulch below that his peril was great. 

Almost in an agony of fear he renewed his shouts and though he waitedanxiously after every appeal there was no answer to his calls. 

It was impossible for him to estimate the time that was passing. Theslowly moving minutes seemed to the Go Ahead Boy almost like hours. Therewere moments when it seemed to the terrified boy that he must let go hishold upon his insecure protection. He had passed his left arm around thetrunk of the small tree and it was not difficult for him to maintain hisposition. 

Again he renewed his frantic appeals, the thought having come to him thatGrant and the guide might retrace their way and at some place hear hiscalls for help. 

As a matter of fact less than an hour had elapsed when at last George wasstartled by the sound of a voice directly above him. Peering over theborder was a face which he soon discovered was that of Thomas Jefferson, the young Navajo Indian who with his companion had previously come totheir camp. Plainly the young Indian had heard the cry and was striving todiscover the source from which it had come. 

Once more George shouted, this time almost hoarse from his efforts. Ananswering call, however, revealed the fact that the Navajo had discoveredhim. Indeed it was possible now for him to hear the words of the Indian. 

"Stay right where you are, " called Thomas Jefferson. "Don't try to doanything for yourself. "

The face disappeared from the border of the cliff and anxiously Georgewaited to discover what means would be used for his rescue. That he wouldbe left in his predicament he was convinced was not to be thought of. 

Nevertheless the anxious boy became troubled when a time that seemed tohim inordinately long passed and still no word was heard from above him. Almost frantic he was about to renew his shouts when he discovered theNavajo crawling over the edge and slowly and cautiously descending thesloping side of the cliff. 

Almost fascinated by the sight George watched every movement. Themoccasin-clad feet of the Navajo did not once fail to find a secure hold. Almost like the rattler which had been killed that morning he crawled andsquirmed, steadily making his way toward the place where George wasawaiting his coming. 

Abruptly a new fear seized upon the Go Ahead Boy. If Thomas Jeffersonshould succeed in gaining the place where he was awaiting his coming, would the shelf be sufficiently strong to support the weight of both? Thesuggestion was alarming and the perspiration stood out on George'sforehead as he thought of the new danger. 

He was aware now that under the shoulders of the Navajo there was a lariatmade fast and that this was being paid out from above as he slowlydescended. 

It was evident now that Thomas Jefferson's companion was above the gulchand that he was assisting in the descent of his companion. 

In the nervous condition in which George now found himself a thousand newfears possessed him. Perhaps the lariat would not be long enough. AsThomas Jefferson proceeded, his foot might slip and his entire weight bethrown upon the slender rope or strap. Even if the Indian should succeedin attaining the shelf where George was standing, would the slender stripof leather be strong enough to support the weight of both?

Meanwhile, as if he were devoid of all fear, the young Navajo slowly andsteadily continued his descent. He was not more than fifteen feet from theboy whom he was seeking to rescue, when, with his foot braced against asmall projection and the lariat clasped tightly in his hands, he paused ashe said, "Don't be scared. Just keep hold of that tree and you'll be allright. "

As soon as he had spoken, the descent was renewed and in a brief time theNavajo had taken his place beside George. 

"Look out!" warned George, his voice trembling as he spoke. "I'm afraidthis tree isn't strong enough to hold both of us. I don't think the shelfis, either. "

The peril was so great and the fear of George so keen that for a moment hetrembled violently. The Navajo, however, quickly passed his arm under thatof the trembling boy and said soothingly, "There's no need to be scared. This place is plenty strong to hold us both. Just be careful and do what Isay. "

As he spoke Thomas Jefferson removed the noose from beneath his arms andplaced it under the arms of the frightened boy. 

"You get hold, " he explained. 

"I'm afraid I can't help very much, " said George. "I've hurt my leg. "

The Indian made a hasty examination and then shaking his head said, "Notmuch hurt. You can climb all right. "

"When shall we start?" demanded George. 

"As soon as you're ready. "

"I'm more ready now than I shall be later, I suspect, " said Georgeruefully. "It's the only thing to be done, and, if it is, why, the soonerI begin it the better. "

Carefully George turned and lying against the ground looked up at theborder of the cliff. "Is the rope strong enough to hold us both?" heasked, turning again to the Indian. 

"Plenty strong, " replied Thomas Jefferson. "I shall not take hold. You'llhave it all. "

"How then will you get up there?" demanded George, aghast at thesuggestion. 

"I shall climb. It's not new work for me. I shall be close behind you sothat if you fall I may help. "

"If I fall or the lariat breaks, " declared George, "there will be nostopping me. Both of us will go straight to the bottom of the gulch. "

"Look up all the time, " suggested the Indian. "Don't once look behind you. You need not fear for me for I have no fear for myself. Besides Kitoni isvery strong. He has taken a purchase around a tree and the rope cannotslip. You are perfectly safe. "

"Shall I try to climb by using the rope or shall I dig in my fingers andtoes and try that way?"

"Don't pull on the rope too much, " answered the Navajo. "There will beplaces where you may have to do that. It will be safe to do so for Kitoniwill take in all slack, but it will be better if you try to climb. "

"Here goes then, " said George in a low voice as he turned and began theperilous ascent. 

CHAPTER XII

A WRECK

John was an expert swimmer but his skill was not of much avail when heplunged headlong into the rushing waters of the Colorado. The boat wasmoving swiftly when he met with his accident and it was impossible for theGo Ahead Boy to retrace his course and swim directly toward the shore. 

The horror of Fred and Pete when they saw the long legs of John justdisappearing beneath the surface of the river may well be imagined. It wasimpossible for them to check the speed of the boat and equally impossibleto change its course. Almost as helpless as if it had been a chip it wascarried forward by the swift current. 

"He's going faster than we are, " said Fred in a low voice as he discoveredthe head of his friend several yards in advance of the skiff. 

"Then he must be swimming, " said Pete. "Is he a good swimmer?"

"I never saw a better, " replied Fred, not once turning away his eyes fromthe sight of John. "He has the Australian crawl and all the fancystrokes. "

"I don't know nothin' about them crawls, " answered Pete, "but he'sswimmin' like a duck. He'll reach that point below us long before we getthere. "

The guide's surmise was correct for John was exerting himself strongly togain a low point which he had seen in the distance and around which theswift waters of the current were swept forward. 

Before the conversation in the boat was renewed both the guide and Fredwere aware that John had succeeded in his attempt. 

He had gained the low lying shore, but in his efforts to rise, althoughthe water where he was standing did not come above his waist, he severaltimes was thrown back into the stream and once nearly lost his foothold. 

However, at last the sturdy lad succeeded in gaining the shore. As soon ashe had shaken the water from his head he turned to look in the directionfrom which the skiff was coming. The boat now was not more than onehundred feet away. 

"Come in here! Stop here!" shouted John in his loudest tones. 

Whether or not his words were heard he saw that his friends were doingtheir utmost to follow his directions. Still borne onward by the rushingcurrent they nevertheless succeeded in gaining the outer edge and when thesharp bend around the point was made they came sufficiently near the shoreto enable Pete with the painter in his hand to leap into the shallowwater. 

Although the guide braced himself strongly and exerted all his strength, his attempt would have failed, if John, instantly aware of the predicamentof his companion, had not leaped to his aid. While Pete was struggling andstriving to regain a firm standing John seized the painter and as he wasbraced for the sudden strain he succeeded in checking the speed of theboat and drawing it within the more sheltered waters of the little bay. 

Meanwhile Pete had succeeded in grasping the gunwale of the skiff andpromptly shouted, "Run her up on the beach, boys! One, two, three! Nowthen, all together!"

By their united efforts they succeeded in bringing the boat up on theshore to a place where it was not in danger of being swept away by theswiftly flowing river. 

"That's what I call a close call, " exclaimed Fred with a sigh of relief, when at last he was certain not only that his friend was safe but thatall the cargo and the skiff itself had been landed. "What happened toyou?" he inquired of John. 

"I didn't have time to find out very much, " replied John demurely. "I lostmy balance and the first thing I knew I was making as graceful a dive asever you saw. I went up like a rocket. "

"You looked very much like a rocket, " sniffed Pete. "We saw your long legshanging down and thought that something must have pulled you out of theboat. "

"Something did, " replied John dryly. 

"What was it?" demanded Pete. 

"The force of gravitation. I had all I could do to make this shore, let metell you. I had on sneakers and I put in my best work, for I wanted to geton this side of the channel. At first I thought I was not going to make itbut I did at last and here I am. "

"Are you hurt any?" asked Fred. 

"Hurt? No. I'm as sound as I was when we started. "

"You may be as sound, " laughed Fred, relieved now by the assurance thatJohn was not injured, "but you're a woe-be-gone looking specimen. I thinkeven you would laugh, String, if you could see yourself. You're like thedefinition of a line that Mr. Strong gave us in mathematics. You're theshortest distance between two points, a length without breadth orthickness. "

"I've heard those words before, " said John sharply. "I wish somebody couldget up something new if he wants to make remarks concerning my physique. I'm not the one to blame if it doesn't suit you. "

"Nobody blames you, Johnnie, " laughed Fred. "We're just trying to face thecold facts. "

"That's what I'm trying to do too, " said John demurely. "I had in mypocket a copy we made, or at least what we thought was a copy, of therecords from old Simon Moultrie's diary and they are gone now. "

"Are you sure?" asked Fred, startled by the unexpected statement. 

"Yes, I'm sure, " replied John, turning the pockets inside out as he spoke. "I put them right in here, " he explained as he placed his hand upon onepocket. 

"I guess there won't be a great deal of harm done, " spoke up Pete. "It wasall done from memory anyway, at least that's what I understood you tosay. "

"That's right, it was, " said John, "but if you have a piece of paper inyour pocket, Fred let me have it and I'll write it out again. I'll do itnow. It will be easier and safer to fix it up before we start than itwill to let it all get dim in our minds. "

Accordingly John took the diary which Fred handed him and tearing a leaffrom the back of it at once proceeded to draw from memory an outline ofthe picture in Simon Moultrie's diary. To this he added the puzzlingdirections which they had found indicated near the stake. "I think we'reall right, " he said with satisfaction as he glanced at the drawing he hadmade. 

"There's one thing about it, " said Pete, "it won't do no harm. Now then, if you're rested, I think we'd better start on, only I think I'll chainyour long legs to the boat so that if you decide to leave us the way youdid before, we can haul you in the same as we would an anchor. "

"You won't have to haul me in, " retorted John. "I'm going to stay by youthis time. "

"See that you do, " said Pete sharply. 

In a brief time the boat had been pushed out once more into the stream andagain the three passengers with their poles had taken their stations andwere prepared to do their utmost to guide the course down the river. 

For a considerable distance the waters were not so turbulent as they hadbeen farther up the stream. Occasional rocks were passed and several timesthe points rising almost to the surface of the river were discovered. However, the current was so strong that it carried the boat safely aroundthe threatening danger, and almost with the speed of a race horse thelittle party again turned down the stream. 

It was not long before the spot which Pete had declared was to be theirlanding-place was seen before them. Here there was no great difficulty ingaining the shore and in a brief time the three passengers and the skiffwere safely on the bank. 

"What shall we do with the skiff?" inquired John after the cargo had beenunloaded. 

"We'll leave it here and let some one else take it up the stream or use itif he goes down. I think it will carry clear to the Gulf of California ifhe wants to try it. "

"How about that map, String?" demanded Fred as he turned again to his tallcompanion. 

"Right in my pocket, " declared John promptly, "and dry too. I told you Iwas not going overboard this time, and I kept my promise, didn't I?"

"You certainly did, " laughed Fred. "Now, then, what are we to do next?" headded, turning to the guide as he spoke. 

Pete, however, did not reply. He had advanced several yards up the shoreand was drawing from the loose soil several pieces that evidently wereparts of a boat that had been wrecked. 

"Do you see those?" he inquired, holding up some of the parts he hadfound. 

"Yes, " answered Fred. "It looks as if a boat had been wrecked down here, doesn't it?"

"It was 'wrecked' all right, " answered Pete, "but I'm wondering if eitherof you boys knows what boat it was?"

"What boat was it?" inquired John, advancing to the place where the guidewas standing. 

"It's our lost skiff, " replied Pete. 

"What!"

"It's just as I'm tellin' you, " Pete repeated. "That skiff we lost theother night didn't get loose. It was taken by somebody who knew what hewas doing and brought down here. Here's where the party landed, " he added, as he pointed to the shore. "But the boat wasn't 'wrecked, ' unless youcall smashing it wrecking it. "

"What do you mean? How do you know?" demanded Fred in keen excitement. 

"I know because I can see with both eyes, " replied Pete sharply. "I don'thave to have it all written out for me when I see what's happened to thatboat. "

"Why should anybody want to wreck it?" inquired Fred. 

"It might be safer for some people if they started down the stream fromhere not to have any boats around that could follow. "

"Do you think those two men who were in our camp took the boat?" Fredinquired abruptly. 

"That's exactly what I think. And I think too, " the guide added as hestopped to examine other parts of the boat, "that this skiff was wreckedas well as smashed. There's a hole stove in the bottom and then there areplaces that have been cut by an axe so I guess both parts of the story aretrue. "

"Do you suppose they went up Thorn's Gulch from here?" asked Fred in a lowvoice. 

"That's just what I think they did, " replied Pete. 

"Do you think we may meet them somewhere in the Gulch?"

"I shouldn't be a bit surprised. "

"Then we may have pretty serious trouble before we're done. "

"Right you are, " assented Pete. "But it's time for us to be moving, boys, "he added. "Here, I'll help each of you with his pack and we'll start out. If those two men are ahead of us we'll know it before they know that we'refollowing them. "

CHAPTER XIII

ALONE IN THE CANYON

For a considerable distance the way along which the guide was leading wasnot difficult. The footing was fairly strong and there were not manyobstacles to be met. 

Both boys in spite of the exciting experiences of the morning were deeplyinterested in the marvelous sights which greeted them as they advancedinto the gulch. 

On the sides of the canyon layers of rock and earth of different colorswere plainly to be seen. Occasionally there were strange formations thatextended from the rim of the cliff to the bottom of the valley that werelike huge buttresses fashioned by the hands of men. 

"Look at that!" exclaimed Fred, calling the attention of John to one ofthese peculiar formations. "That looks exactly as if it had been cut outby a mason. "

"It certainly does, " acknowledged John, stopping and gazing at theinteresting sight. "Indeed, if we had this place back east, " he continued, "it would not be difficult to make some people believe that it had beenespecially designed so that they could charge a dime a head to come in tosee it. What do you suppose Coney Island would do with the Grand Canyon?"

"I guess Coney Island, if it had the Grand Canyon, would hide in somelittle corner. You wouldn't see much of the Island in a place like that. "

Pete was not leading his young charges at a rapid pace. In spite of thefact that they were at the bottom of the gulch the altitude was still sohigh that breathing was somewhat difficult. 

They steadily continued on their way for two hours, making only occasionalstops. Then they halted for the midday rest and the preparation of theluncheon which Pete at once began to get ready. 

The fire was kindled under the lea of a projecting shelf of rock and soonthe odor of broiling bacon appealed strongly to the Go Ahead Boys, whoseappetites already needed no stimulant. 

"This is the life!" exclaimed John a few minutes later when he and Fredwere seated on rocks under the shade of the over-hanging cliffs. 

John was holding a strip of broiled bacon on the end of the stick which hegrasped in one hand, while with the other he was holding a huge piece ofjohnny-cake, in the making of which Pete was an expert. 

"We couldn't find anything better than this, " responded Fred, "even afterwe have dug out our mine. I wonder what we'll do with all the money we'llget. "

"I know what I shall do with mine, " laughed John. 

"What?"

"Spend it in carfare coming out to the Colorado River. I would likenothing better than to start in where the Green and Grand Rivers join andtry to do what Major Powell did. Indeed, I would like to go clear throughto the lower part of the Gulf of California. "

"You don't want very much, do you?" laughed Fred. 

"Not very much, " retorted John. "This simple life appeals to me allright. "

"You certainly looked simple this morning when you disappeared in theriver. "

"You mean I looked simple _before_ I disappeared, " retorted John. "I don'tknow what I can do to make you more careful in your use of the Englishlanguage. You certainly did not see me _after_ I disappeared. "

"We certainly did, " retorted Fred. "I saw your head away down the streamthough your feet weren't very far in front of the boat. You were goinglike mad. "

"I don't deserve any credit for that, " laughed John as he extended hisstick for more bacon. 

"Did you notice how many branches there are to this gulch?" inquired Johnas he resumed his repast. "I've counted four or five canyons that openinto the right side of this gulch and I guess there are as many on theother side although I can't see. "

"Yes, it's all broken up, " acknowledged Fred as he looked in the directionindicated by his companion. "It's a mighty interesting place. "

"That's no news, " laughed John. "Where are you going?"

Fred had arisen and throwing his gun over his shoulder he had startedtoward one of the canyons that opened on the opposite side of the greatgulch. 

"Where are you going?" called out Pete sharply as he discovered the actionof the Go Ahead Boy. 

"Not very far, " replied Fred. 

"You had better not, " warned Pete. "Look out for snakes. "

Fred stopped abruptly at the reference to the reptiles, but as Johnlaughed loudly he decided to continue on his way. "Come along, Jack, " Fredcalled. 

"Nay verily, not so. I've had all the hike I want to-day. "

Fred laughed and made no further response. Without waiting for his friendto join him he turned into the canyon and in a few minutes was unable tosee the camping place which he had left behind him. 

Fred, who had a keen eye for color, was examining the marvelous shadesthat were to be seen along the sides of the canyon. Rock and soil wereclearly distinguished and the comparison which John had made the precedingday, when he had said that the sides of the canyon looked like a greatpiece of layer-cake, caused Fred to smile at the recollection. 

He stopped abruptly when for a moment he fancied he saw a huge livingcreature behind a sage bush a few yards before him. Pete had related manystories of the savage mountain lion and the peril of encounters which hehad with the savage beasts. Since he had started, the fiercest animal Fredhad seen had been the noisy little coyote. After night fall the sly, little beasts often came within sound of the camp and their weird barks orcries made the silence of the night appear even more intense. Of bearsFred had not seen one. Pete had related the story of the fate which hadbefallen a friend of his who, making his way through the forest one dayhad jumped upon a log which appeared in his pathway and without any delaythen had leaped down upon the ground before him. The "ground" however, hadproved to be a she-bear with her two cubs nearby. "They found only thebones of poor Jim Hyde, " Pete had remarked at the end of the story. 

"I don't see how you know that Jim jumped upon a log, " suggested John whenthe guide's story had been told. 

"That was easy, " declared Pete. "We saw the prints of his feet leadingright up to the log and marks where he stood on the top and then over onthe other side there was nothing but the bones of the poor fellow. "

Fred recalled the somewhat gruesome tale as he entered further within theshades of the canyon. 

The sight, however, was so fascinating that he still continued on his way. The vivid coloring of the sides seemed to be more marked most of the wayjust a little in advance. Led on by the continued hope of discovering someplace of special beauty, Fred was astonished when at last he looked at hiswatch and saw that more than an hour had elapsed since he had left hisfriends. 

The Go Ahead Boy was less interested in the sights which greeted him onhis return than when he at first entered the canyon. Occasionally hestopped before some sight that was unusually impressive, but he was eagerto retrace his way for he was aware that the guide would soon want toresume their journey. 

When he came nearer the place he was seeking, Fred's thoughts were turnedonce more to the mine for which the search was to be made. At the thoughthis eagerness again increased and he began to walk more rapidly. 

It was strange that he did not discover the place before him where hisfriends were awaiting his coming. He steadily continued on his way, walking occasionally with increased speed. 

At last really puzzled by his failure to discover the camp he stopped andlooked keenly about him in all directions. Why was it that he had notfound the place where they had stopped for their noonday meal? Indeed, ashe now looked about him on all sides he failed to recognize the region. 

There was a sinking of Fred's heart and yet the boy refused to believethat he had lost his way or that he was really in peril. There were manysmall canyons or gulches, as has been said, which opened into the largergulch. Into several of these Fred entered, hoping to discover somethingthat would convince him that he was moving in the right direction. 

His alarm increased, however, when he soon discovered that he was movingthrough a region that was entirely unknown. Not a familiar object was tobe seen. 

The fear in his heart deepened and again the troubled boy stopped to lookkeenly about him. 

As Fred tried to obtain his bearings his confusion apparently increased. The stream in the bottom of the gulch was wider than the one he had seenin the first part of his journey. He peered in one direction in his searchfor landmarks only to fail and then turn and try the same experiment inanother gulch. All his efforts were alike unavailing and a great fear nowwelled up in the heart of the troubled boy. 

He looked up to the rim and saw the passing clouds that seemed to be closeto the ground. There was no help to be found from that direction andsuddenly he laughed aloud as he thought of his rifle. He would fire thegun and as soon as he heard the response of John he would know in whichdirection to move. 

Accordingly he discharged his gun and then as there was no immediateresponse, he waited in suspense until he was convinced that no answeringreport had been given. Again he fired and once more he waited for theanswering shot. No answer, however, was given and now thoroughly alarmedFred again turned and retraced his way. 

CHAPTER XIV

CLIMBING

After he had advanced several hundred yards Fred was by no means certainthat he really was retracing his way. Either he was greatly confused orthe places by which he was passing were strange. 

By this time the Go Ahead Boy was thoroughly alarmed. The thought of beinglost in Thorn's Gulch, or in some one of the myriad branches of themajestic chasm that extended for hundreds of miles in the course of themighty Colorado, was alarming. Fred had a momentary glimpse of his home. He even pictured to himself what would occur there when the report wasbrought that he had been lost in one of the canyons. Doubtless his threefriends would tell how they had searched for days and perhaps weeks, andwith all their efforts had been unable to find any trace of his presence. 

Finding almost a pleasure in his picture of misery, Fred nevertheless wasaware that, unless he aroused himself at once, all the horrors of whichhe had dreamed might become a terrible reality. 

Stepping within the shadow of a great cliff he did his utmost to be calmand try to think out what his problem was. He pictured to himself thesights of Thorn's Gulch through which he and John had been led severalmiles by the guide. Closing his eyes he endeavored to fix accurately inhis mind the direction in which Thorn's Gulch extended. 

Having satisfied himself as to this he next tried to think of the anglesin which the various branches extended. As he recalled his own actions itseemed to him that he had gone in a half-dozen different directions. Itwas therefore now well nigh impossible to fix accurately the direction inwhich he ought to move. 

Again he looked keenly all about him, trying to find his bearings. 

At last he turned back over part of the way by which he had come. At timesthe frightened boy ran swiftly and then frequently stopped to glance atthe sky far above the rim of the canyon. More and more his mind becameconfused and in his terror he increased the speed at which he was running. 

Soon breathless from his endeavors, he was compelled to halt and once morehe did his utmost to calm himself. He recalled the time which had elapsedsince he had left his friends. Glancing at his watch he saw that more thantwo hours had passed and that now it was late in the afternoon. 

Darkness would soon be at hand and would come suddenly when it arrived. Already Fred fancied he could feel the chill of the night air. He had nofood anywhere about him and visions of hunger increased the suffering ofthe troubled boy. Besides he was afraid of what might occur in the hoursof darkness. 

When at last night came Fred had not found his way back to the spot wherehe had left his friends so many hours before. He was convinced now that hewould be compelled to pass the night alone in the canyon. Whether or nothe ever would be able to escape from the gulch was more than a question inhis mind. 

Chilled and hungry as well as alarmed, Fred did not dare look for a placewhere he might sleep. In the darkness it would be impossible for him totell whether or not rattlesnakes were near or the eyes of some prowlingbeast might already be fixed upon him. 

It was a night of agony. How the long and weary hours at last passed Fredhad no conception. There were times when he felt numb as if all power ofsensation had entirely left his body. Again he tried resolutely to assurehimself that safety would come with the morning light and that soon eitherhe would find his friends or they would discover him. Somehow he wasconvinced that neither Pete nor John would search together for him. It waslikely also that one of them would remain in the spot from which Fred hadstarted so that if the lost boy in some way should be able to make his wayback he would not be tempted to depart again under the impression that hisfriends already were gone. 

When at last the morning came, almost with the suddenness with whichdarkness had fallen upon the canyon, Fred's spirits revived in a measure. 

Above the rim of the great gulch he saw a huge bird circling high in theair. He was unable to determine whether or not the bird was an eagle butit certainly reminded him of one. 

The sight of the circling bird recalled the emblem of his country, --themajestic eagle. With what powerful wings the great birds had been endowed. What wonderful and graceful sweeps they took in their encircling flights. For a moment he almost envied the great bird he saw above him. If he toohad wings he might be able to escape from the place in which he waspractically imprisoned. 

A moment later he was almost ashamed of his complaint. If the bird wasable to make its way not only up the canyon but also far above it whyshould not a man be able at least to gain the rim?

The very fact that there were difficulties to be solved was what made thework of a man worth while. The difference between a man and a lump ofearth was that one was living and was able to use his will and brain, while the other was a clod always to remain a diminishing bit of thesurface of the earth. 

"I'll be a man!" declared Fred resolutely. As he spoke he sprang to hisfeet and drew his belt more closely about him. He recalled stories of Zekein which that worthy guide had explained that the feeling of hunger wasgreatly assuaged by drawing one's belt more tightly. 

Convinced that he had been helped already, Fred raised his rifle to hisshoulder and fired. He was eager to give some token to his friends if theywere nearby that he was not far away and in good condition. 

He fired three shots, but no answering shot was heard. 

For a moment he thought of the anxiety of John and the guide. The pictureof the distress of his friend was not inspiring and almost in desperationFred again raised his rifle and fired. 

Still no response was made and the troubled boy was convinced that he wasindeed lost. 

He was aware too that the lack of food and loss of sleep had combined tomake him weaker. He was still following the course of the stream but hishalts were longer and more frequent. Whenever he came to a steep place thedifficulty of climbing became more manifest. 

And yet the determined boy did not abandon hope. Resolutely he continuedin his efforts and at times was surprised to find how rapidly he wasmoving. 

It was long since he had taken any thought of his surroundings. His solepurpose now was to keep on until he should come to some place that wouldenable him to gain the plateau above. Once there, he believed he would beable to discover where he was and perhaps be able to find his friends. 

He had no conception of distance or direction. He might be moving fartherand farther all the time from his companions, but there was nothing elseto be done and so he doggedly held to his purpose and continued on hisway. 

He was convinced that he was steadily climbing all the time. The rimappeared to be nearer and although the brook was not much below him itsswifter current indicated that it was passing over ground much higherthan it had been when Fred first had followed it. 

Fred had been unable to obtain anything to eat. He had not seen any livingcreatures except a few hideous and huge lizards and the birds which hadbeen flying far above the border of the canyon. 

He now had approached a part of the canyon where the way appeared to bemuch more open than before. For some strange reason which he was unable toexplain he had been able to follow what appeared to be almost a pathway. Seldom had he been compelled to climb from rock to rock or make manydetours. 

He was aware that far away was the steadily rising rim of the canyon fromwhich he had made his ascent. He saw the sloping side of the hill beforehim which extended perhaps two hundred feet. On the opposite side of thecanyon the colored rocks took on very vivid tints but whether or not therewas a sheer fall on his side just beyond the portion he could see he wasunable to determine. 

Suddenly Fred stopped and stared in amazement before him. For a moment hewas fearful that hunger and weariness had combined to make him seevisions. He pinched his arm to assure himself that he was awake. There wasno mistaking the object at which he was looking. At that very moment itturned and he saw a man rise from the rocky side of the canyon and peereagerly down at the sloping border. 

Fred's amazement increased when a moment later he discovered two objectsin the distance apparently crawling up the hillside. He stared blankly atthe sight but there was no escape from the impression he had firstreceived. 

Three men were plainly before him. It was also evident to the Go Ahead Boya moment later that the one whom he had first discovered was assisting theother two. He saw the long lariat or leather rope several times rise andfall above the ground and then he was convinced that an accident hadoccurred and that the two whom he saw slowly making their way up the sideof the mountain had been the victims. He was unable to determine whetherthey were friends or foes, they were so far before him. He hesitated afterhe had raised his gun to his shoulder to proclaim his presence by a shot, and then lowered his rifle. A shot might startle the unsuspecting men whowere struggling to gain the rim and the report of his rifle might increasetheir danger. At the same time, however, he began to advance more rapidlyand in a brief time was able to recognize the men whose actions he hadbeen so keenly watching. 

CHAPTER XV

THE SEARCH

A strange feeling of excitement now possessed Fred. He already hadrecognized George and a moment later was certain that the two Indians whohad entered their camp were the ones who now were assisting his friend. 

Pushing forward as rapidly as he was able, Fred had not gone far before inhis loudest tones he shouted, "I'm coming! I'm coming!"

At the sound instantly all three of the persons he had seen turned andlooked blankly in the direction from which the unexpected hail had come. For a moment Fred was startled for fear that the surprise might harmGeorge who might lose his grip on the steep and loose side of the gulch. His one thought, however, had been that by the announcement of his cominghe might encourage all three to use their utmost endeavors until he shouldarrive at the place where he might help the Indian. 

His alarm, however, was unfounded. Fred, desperately fighting his feelingof weariness and hunger, pushed forward rapidly on his way and wasgreatly relieved when he saw that George and both Indians also wererenewing their efforts. Slowly and yet steadily George was making theascent. Occasionally he stopped for rest, but not once had he lookedbehind him. The advice of Thomas Jefferson to look only above him when hewas climbing had been strictly followed. 

It was nearly at the same time when Fred and George arrived at the placeon the brink of the canyon where Kitoni, the Indian, was standing. Eachboy was aware of the emotions that filled the heart of his friend. For amoment they were both unable to speak and then Fred, whose tongue wasseldom silent long, said eagerly, while his eyes filled with tears, "Youmust have had a close call, George. "

"I did, " replied George. "Somehow I slipped over the edge here and wentsliding down that incline. I tried to stop myself but I couldn't get anybrace or foothold until I came to the little shelf down there. That smalltree saved my life. "

"Were you alone?" inquired Fred. 

"Yes, " replied George foolishly. "I must have dropped behind Grant andZeke. We were pretty well spread out here anyway. "

"How long ago did it happen?"

"About fifty years, I should judge by my feelings, " replied George dryly. "I fancy it really was about an hour or two. "

"Why didn't Grant and Zeke come back and look for you?"

"Perhaps they did. They may have passed the place without knowing that Iwas anywhere near. But how is it that you are here alone? Where are Stringand Pete?"

"That's what I don't know, " said Fred. 

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I say, I haven't the slightest idea where they are. "

"Where did you leave them?"

"Way back near the entrance of Thorn's Gulch. We stopped in the middle ofthe day yesterday and after we had eaten our luncheon I began to make someinvestigations of my own. That's the last I've seen of either Pete or Jackand besides I haven't had a mouthful to eat since yesterday noon. "

"You haven't?" exclaimed George. "I'm afraid we can't do anything for youuntil we find Grant and Zeke. They have most of the supplies. Let me getinto my pack and see what I've got. "

George's pack which Thomas Jefferson had insisted upon taking when herescued the Go Ahead Boy was now opened but there was no food in it. 

"There's nothing else to be done, " said George, shaking his head. 

"Yes, there is something to be done, " said Fred tartly. "We've got to dosomething. You don't know where Soc and Zeke are and I don't know whereString and Pete may be. We've got to find them. "

"We'll find them, " suggested Thomas Jefferson quickly. 

Both young Indians had been silent during the conversation although theywere intensely interested in the conversation of the two boys. 

"I shall go to look up the two who went ahead of you--" began ThomasJefferson. 

"But they may have passed this place and gone in the other direction, "interrupted George. 

"I shall see, " said the Navajo quietly. "I shall go in that direction andKitoni will go in the other looking for the other two. "

"But he may not find them, " suggested George quickly. "They probablythought Fred was lost and they have been staying where they were when heleft them. "

"We shall see, " was the laconic reply of Thomas Jefferson. 

"But what makes you think they will be where Fred left them?" demandedGeorge. 

"I do not know, " replied the Indian. "One may look and one may stay. Ifthey think he is lost one may stay in the camp so that he will know wherehe is if he finds his way back to it. You must both stay right here whereyou are, " he added. "Do not move even if no one comes for a day and anight. It is your only hope. "

"Hi! Hi!" exclaimed George abruptly. "I've found something in my pack!It's good to eat. "

George, greatly alarmed for his friend, had renewed his search among hisbelongings hoping to discover some food that might be prepared for thehungry lad. Strips of bacon quickly were cut and the boys, in spite ofGeorge's lameness and Fred's hunger, insisted upon making a fire andcooking the food. They were eager for the Indians to begin their searchfor their missing friends as speedily as possible. 

It was not long before the two Navajos started on their expeditions, Thomas Jefferson moving in the direction in which Grant and Zeke had gone, while his companion retraced his way in the hope of discovering John andthe other guide. 

It had been agreed that neither should remain away longer than thefollowing evening. If the Indians were not back in camp by that time itwas agreed that the meeting place which previously had been selected forthe two parties should be the spot which all should seek when theyreturned with the lost members of the party. 

It was also agreed that neither of the boys should try to withdraw fromthe place where they then were. The overhanging ledge protected them fromthe heat of the sun, and if they should be compelled to spend the nightthere they would be safer from the attacks of any prowling beasts thanwould likely be the case in a more open or exposed spot on the way theyhad followed. 

"George, " said Fred when the light had faded and the silence that restedover the great cliff was tense, "do you really think there's anything inwhat the Navajo said?"

"What did he say?"

"Why, don't you remember that he said that whoever tried to come in hereto find the lost mine was certain to get into trouble? It seems to haveworked pretty well with us so far. I lost my way and you fell and bruisedyour leg, to say nothing about trying to slide over the precipice and landin the valley below. "

"I guess what Thomas Jefferson said didn't make you lose your way, "replied George. 

"I know, " acknowledged Fred thoughtfully. "But how do you account for itthat he should have said what he did and then before we get very far onour way into the Gulch something happens to both of us and something mayhave happened to John, to say nothing about Grant and Zeke. "

"I guess you're tired and nervous, Pee Wee, " said George, who was aware ofthe feeling in the heart of his friend. 

"Well, all I can say, " declared Fred, "is that I hope there won't beanything worse happen to us than has come already. "

"Why should there be anything worse?"

"There shouldn't, that's just what I mean. "

"Of course we've got a job ahead of us. It isn't any easy thing to locatea valuable claim. If it was there wouldn't be anything in the copper, orsilver, or gold, or whatever the metal is that we want to get. That's whymen use gold for money. It's so scarce and so hard to find and then afteryou have found it it's harder still to mine it. Hark, " he added abruptly, "it seems to me I heard somebody speak. "

Both boys listened intently and a moment later Fred declared, "You'reright, Pop, there is somebody coming. "

The sound of voices was faintly heard coming from the direction in whichThomas Jefferson had gone in his search for Grant and Zeke. 

The sound became steadily clearer and in a brief time the dim outlines ofthe three approaching men were seen not far away. 

"Hello, there!" called George. 

"Hello, yourself!" came back the reply which both boys recognized at onceas the voice of their missing comrade, Grant. A few minutes later allthree arrived at the place where George and Fred were awaiting theircoming. 

"You're a great fellow!" exclaimed Grant to George. "Why didn't you keepup with us?"

"Why didn't you come back and look for me?" retorted George. "It's a greatidea that a man slips down the side of the canyon and almost falls over aprecipice and nobody cares enough about it even to stop and say good-by tohim. "

"We did come back, " explained Grant, "and then we decided that you musthave gone on again, so we turned back, then we stopped for we didn't knowwhat to do. That was just about the time when the Navajo caught up with usand told us that you and Fred were back here together. He told us tooabout Fred's wandering around the canyons trying to see if he too couldn'tget lost. According to Thomas Jefferson he came mighty near succeedingtoo. "

Fred did not reply although it was plain that his feeling of relief at thereturn of Grant was as great as that of his companion. 

The conversation speedily turned upon the exciting experiences throughwhich all three boys had passed that day. Zeke declared gruffly that therewasn't one of them fit to be in the canyon. "I'm tellin' you, " he said, "this is no place for a kid or a tenderfoot. It's a man's job to workone's way up this gulch, let me tell you, and we ought not to have anyinfants along with us. "

"We're not 'infants, '" spoke up Fred. "Except in the eyes of the law, " headded. "We're able to do the job and there isn't any one of us that'strying to back out. "

"No, I wish some of you would, " growled Zeke. "What with your getting lostand trying to slide over the edge of the Gulch there isn't much time tolook for any lost claim or find any prospect. "

"How long do you think it will be before Jack and Pete come here?"inquired Fred. 

"Nobody knows, " replied Zeke. "Maybe an hour, maybe a day, and maybe aweek and maybe never. "

CHAPTER XVI

A STARTLING ARRIVAL

Whether the gruff words of the somewhat crusty guide cast a spell over theboys or they themselves shared in the dark vision presented by him no oneknew. At all events silence soon rested over the little camp and in abrief time all were asleep. 

Now that Fred and George had been cared for and the immediate peril intowhich they had fallen was gone a feeling of relief had come to the threeGo Ahead Boys. They were still anxious concerning their missing companion, but their confidence in Pete and their knowledge that John was not likelyto incur any unnecessary risks, to say nothing of the search which Kitoniwas making, all combined to strengthen their hope that the missing GoAhead Boys would soon be with them. 

When the light of the following morning appeared the camp was astir andZeke, who was awake before his young charges had opened their eyes, wasalready preparing a simple breakfast. It had been difficult for him toobtain wood with which to kindle the fire but after a diligent search inthe barren region where they had halted he at last obtained a sufficientnumber of dead and dried branches that had fallen from the few trees onthe side of the canyon. 

When breakfast had been prepared and eaten, the courage of the boyspromptly revived. Frequently each turned and looked far down the greatgulch, hoping to obtain a view of John or the absent guide, but as yetnothing was seen to indicate that the young Navajo had found the missingmember of the party. 

Already in the sunlight the air was Intensely warm. In the shade, however, it was so cool that Fred declared an overcoat would not be uncomfortable. 

"I'm getting in a hurry, " he said. 

"It won't do you any good if you be, " said Zeke solemnly. "You'll have totake things as they come. "

"The trouble is they don't come, " laughed Fred. "I want Pete and Johnhere. "

"I guess you'll have to put up with those of us that haven't got lost ortried to fall over the rocks, " growled Zeke, his eyes twinkling as hespoke. "Here's Thomas Jefferson, " he added, "he'll help you pass thetime. "

The Navajo had not passed the night near the spot which the boys hadselected. No one was aware whether he had departed to rejoin his friend orhad merely sought another resting place. 

"They always show up about breakfast time, " growled Zeke under his breath. Nevertheless the guide at once prepared some food for the Indian who nowhad rejoined the party. 

"Did you see anything of our friends?" inquired Grant eagerly. 

"I saw nothing, " replied the Navajo. "I do not expect all people here tobe safe. "

"Why not?" demanded George. 

"I have explained already, " replied the Indian. "This is no place forwhite men. It belongs to the Indians, and the spirits of those who livehere do not love to have white men come. I have never heard of one whotried to enter who did not have bad luck before long. "

"Yes, " laughed Fred, "but I have known people to have bad luck who neverheard of Thorn's Gulch. "

"They may have bad luck without coming here, " said Thomas Jefferson, "butthey are sure to have it if they do come. "

"Why don't you go and help find your friend?" spoke up Zeke, addressingthe Navajo as he spoke. 

"Kitoni will come. "

"Do you think he will find John and Pete?" inquired Fred eagerly. 

"He will find them, " answered the Navajo. "It may take two days, it maytake more. "

"Why I couldn't have been as many miles away as that, " declared Fred. 

"It's not the number of miles, it's the difficulty of finding the gulchinto which they have gone while they were looking for you. "

"Do you think they separated?" asked Fred. 

The Navajo nodded affirmatively, but did not speak. 

"In course they separated, " spoke up Zeke. "One looked for you and theother stayed in camp so that you wouldn't be making any mistake when youcame back and passed the place. "

"Thomas Jefferson, " spoke up Grant, "why do you think the spirits of theIndians live here in Thorn's Gulch?"

Whatever the opinion of the Navajo may have been he did not explain. Indeed he did not even reply to the question. It was manifest that hehimself thoroughly believed in what he had said. Even his three years inthe Eastern school had not been sufficient to deprive him entirely of thesuperstitions which he had inherited from his ancestors. 

"Do you think we'll find that mining claim?" inquired George. 

"I don't know, " replied the Indian. 

"But what do you think?" persisted George. 

"I don't know, " again said the red man. 

Convinced that it was useless to attempt to obtain any opinion from theyoung Indian, the boy ceased to question him. 

Striving to possess their souls in patience they waited while the sunclimbed higher into the heavens and still its light did not betray anysigns of the coming of their missing friends. By turning and leaning a fewfeet over the way, the three boys were able to see much farther into thegulch behind them. 

Patiently they kept watch but the slow minutes moved on and still John didnot come. 

It was late in the afternoon when Grant suddenly sprang to his feet andafter gazing long and earnestly in the direction in which the guide waslooking, he said excitedly, "Zeke, isn't that two men coming up thetrail?"

"Yes, " replied the guide shortly. 

Instantly the three Go Ahead Boys were standing and peering excitedly inthe direction indicated by Grant. 

"That can't be String and Pete, " said George in a low voice. "They wouldcome from the other direction, wouldn't they, Zeke?"

"Yes, " replied the guide abruptly. 

"Then who are these men?"

"Not knowing, I can't tell you. I can say though that I hope you'll bequiet and not forget that children are to be seen and not heard. In courseI mean if those two men come here, as I think they will. "

The unexpected discovery of two men in the gulch was of itself startling. Seldom had the foot of man trod these weary wastes. There was an air ofcomplete desolation that rested over the entire region. The discoverytherefore of two men coming along the side of the canyon and following theway over which Zeke had gone was doubly surprising. 

Conversation lagged while all four carefully watched the actions of theapproaching men. 

Whoever the strangers might be it was evident that they were not entirelyunfamiliar with the region. They picked their way with confidence and madesurprisingly good time as they advanced. 

When they had come within fifty yards of the place where the boys werestanding, Fred excitedly seized George by his arm and said, "Do you seewho those two men are?"

"Who are they?" asked George. 

"They are the same two white men that came into our camp over on thecanyon. "

"Is that so, Zeke?" demanded George in surprise as he turned to the guide. 

"Yes, " answered Zeke sharply. "Now see if you can keep from talking toomuch. "

In a brief time the two white men advanced to the camp. From their actionsit was apparent that they had not been aware of the presence of the youngprospectors. Their surprise consequently was as great as that of the GoAhead Boys. 

When they entered the camp the long, livid scar on the cheek of thesmaller man convinced the boys that their visitors were indeed the samemen who previously had come to their camp and to whose actions they hadattributed the loss of the diary of Simon Moultrie, as well as the strangedisappearance of the second boat. 

The visitors were the first to speak as the taller man said, "What are youfolks doing here?"

"Just now we're doing nothin', " replied Zeke brusquely. "Can't you see?"

"That's about the same job we've got, " laughed the man with the scar. 

"We've been busy enough, " growled Zeke. 

"Doing what, may I ask?" inquired the larger of the visitors. 

"Oh, looking for a lost boat--"

"Nice place to look for a boat, " replied the man with the scar as helaughingly pointed to the desert wastes all about them. 

"That makes no difference, we've found it just the same, " declared Zeke. 

For a moment the two white men stared blankly at him, and then bothlaughed as one said, "If you don't mind I wish you'd tell us where youfound a boat up here. "

"I didn't say it was up here, " explained Zeke. "I said we'd found a boatwhere the men who took it had smashed. "

"How do you know it was smashed?" inquired the man with the scar. 

"Tell him, " said Zeke abruptly, turning to Fred, "I wasn't myself in theparty, " he explained, "but this boy was and he knows all about it. "

"Pete was the one who found the boat, " exclaimed Fred, "but we all sawit. "

"We likewise also are looking for a lost diary, " broke in Zeke. 

"It's a nice place to look for that, too, " said the man with the scar. 

For a moment the two visitors looked keenly at each other while neitherspoke. 

"I tell you, " said Fred excitedly in a whisper to George, "they are bothbad men and I wish we were out of this. "

CHAPTER XVII

A DEPARTURE BY NIGHT

"If only John and Pete were here, " said Fred in a low voice to hiscompanions as they withdrew to the border of the camp. 

"But they aren't here, " laughed George, "and there isn't any use inwasting any time crying over their absence. "

"That's right, " joined in Grant. "We're doing everything we can do to findthem, and if we don't find them it won't be our fault. "

"Do you really think, " demanded Fred, "that they won't be found?"

"No, I don't think anything of the kind, " said Grant. "I'm very sure theywill be found. All I'm saying is that it's foolish to waste your timelamenting over what can't be helped. "

"I'm not crying, " retorted Fred somewhat sharply. 

"Yes, you are, " rejoined his friend. "You're wailing over the fact thatJohn and Pete aren't here. "

"Well, they aren't here, and that's one fact. "

"If you cry about it, that's another. My mother told me there are only twothings a fellow never ought to worry about in this world. "

"What are they?" inquired Fred interested at once. 

"The things you can help and the things you can't. There isn't any use inworrying over things you can change, for if you're able to change them, stop worrying and get at them and make them different. If you can'tpossibly change them, then all the worrying in the world won't do you anygood. "

"I'm wondering, " inquired Fired, turning as he spoke and glancing again attheir uninvited visitors, "if those men are planning to stay here. "

"They certainly look the part now, " said George in a low voice. 

"What can we do to get rid of them?" asked Fred. 

Grant shook his head as he said, "I don't want the contract myself ofgetting rid of them. If you want to try it you're welcome. "

"But I don't see, " continued Fred, "why we're bound to take them in andtreat them as if they were our long lost brothers. I would a good dealrather see John and Pete come marching into the camp. "

"So would I, " acknowledged Grant, "but they'll come when they're foundand not before. These fellows are here now and Zeke says it's the law ofthe desert that a man who drops into your camp at nightfall is entitled toshare everything you have, --supplies, tents, beds and everything. "

"Then I suppose we shall have to put up with it, " said George somewhatglumly. "I don't like the appearance of either one of them, " he added asagain he glanced at the men who now were seated at one side of the camp. 

Zeke, apparently was not paying any undue attention to either of thevisitors. He was busying himself in certain camp duties though it wasplain to his young friends that throughout his task he was keenlyobservant of the actions of their unwelcome visitors. 

Darkness now was creeping over the land and already outlines of the greatgulch were becoming confused with the clouds and the trees. It was almostimpossible to determine where the rim of the gulch was. The silence, too, that rested over the region was almost oppressive. It was a silence moreintense than anything any of the Go Ahead Boys ever before hadexperienced. Their difficulties were multiplied too by the arrival of thetwo men whose bearing and actions certainly increased the probability thatFred's statement concerning them that they were "bad men" was true. 

The two visitors had eagerly accepted the supper which was given them andthen they did not indicate any desire to depart. They did not disturbconditions nor did they strive to enter into conversation with thecampers. Occasionally Zeke or one of the boys had spoken to the men, butotherwise they had mostly been left to their own devices. 

When time for retiring had come and John and Pete had not come back norhad any word been heard from the young Navajo who had gone in search ofthem, even Zeke became somewhat serious when the boys spoke to himconcerning the failure of the other members of their party to join them. 

"I'm thinking" Zeke remarked, "that Kitoni will be able to find 'em, thatis, if they're still in the land of the livin'. "

"But don't you think they are?" demanded Fred, aghast. 

"In course I think they are, " said Zeke testily. "There wouldn't be no usein tryin' to find 'em if they weren't. "

"But Thomas Jefferson says this valley is a place where the spirits of thedead Indians come and they don't like to be disturbed. He says that anyone who tries to come into this valley is certain to have trouble. "

"I reckon we've had our share of trouble, " growled Zeke, "and we haven'tgot very far into the Gulch yet either, but I don't believe no red-skinspirit has nothin' at all to do with it. "

The guide's meaning, in spite of his failure to express himself, was clearto his young companions and they strove to be content, although all threewere aware that Zeke was becoming increasingly uneasy over the continuedabsence of John and Pete. 

True to Grant's opinion the two strangers remained for the night at thecamp. 

They had not expected to be invited nor had Zeke or any of the Go AheadBoys bidden them go on. It was taken as a matter of course that they wouldbe permitted to share the camp which they had found in the desert region. 

"We've had a hard time, " murmured Grant when at last the boys werepreparing for the night. "It's been one thing after another. We've lost aboat, lost Simon Moultrie's diary, lost John and Pete, and I'm not surethat we haven't lost a good deal more by having these two tough-lookingmen come here and join the band as they have. "

"Why don't you keep watch on them to-night?" suggested George. 

"Because that's one of the two things I can't worry about, " replied Grantdemurely. "If they are going to shoot us I can't help it and if theyaren't then there's no need of lying awake nights. "

In spite of the anxiety of the Go Ahead Boys not many minutes had elapsedbefore all three were sleeping soundly. 

Fred was utterly wearied by his efforts of the day and was the first toclose his eyes. George's bruised leg was annoying though not especiallypainful, and it was not his suffering that caused him to lie awake longafter his friends were sleeping. 

His accident had made the boy somewhat home-sick. Again and again visionsof his faraway home now arose before him and he was almost willing toblame his father for permitting him to take this trip to the Grand Canyonwithout older members of the family going with him. Indeed, the longerGeorge thought over the matter the more he was inclined to pity himselfand to blame some one else for his present misfortune. 

He was well aware that there was nothing serious in the bruise he hadreceived and that in all probability within two or three days he would beas well able to walk as ever he had been. But he was tired and anxious andunder such conditions his feelings naturally were somewhat depressed. Atlast, however, George's eyes slowly closed and he too was asleep besidehis companions. 

It was not so with Zeke, the guide, however. Without betraying his fear hehad been suspicious of the two men since they had first come to the camp. Unknown to them he was mindful of their every act and frequently while hewas engaged in his tasks he listened and overheard parts of theirconversation which he was desirous of hearing. 

Zeke had stretched himself upon the dry, warm ground near the Go AheadBoys, but it was long before sleep was to come to him. The slow momentspassed and nothing was heard to break the tense silence of the wonderfulregion. Indeed, the silence itself was almost oppressive. It was Georgewho had declared that "the silence was something you could hear. " Strangeas the expression is it is almost descriptive of the conditions underwhich the Go Ahead Boys now found themselves. 

Zeke, however, had little sentiment and in no way had been governed by thefeeling which had influenced the Go Ahead Boys. Although he was lying onthe ground and his breathing was deep and regular his eyes all the timewere sufficiently open to enable him to see what the men of whom he wassuspicious were doing. 

The hours passed slowly, but none of Zeke's fears were confirmed. Midnight came and the denseness of the silence became even more markedthan before. 

Now, however, the suspicions of the guide were to be confirmed and hisfear proved not to be altogether groundless. 

Zeke saw one of the white men suddenly and silently sit erect. While theman was looking about him, Zeke's position was unchanged, but his littleeyes were peering out through half-opened eyelids and his right handsuddenly had clutched the pistol which he carried in his belt night andday. 

The white man whom he was watching was the one whose face was scarred. Forseveral minutes he sat erect and motionless, until he plainly wassatisfied that all the other parties in the camp were asleep. 

Then Zeke saw the man slowly rise. Even after he was standing erect hestill remained motionless. 

Then apparently satisfied that no one in the camp was aware of his actionthe man slowly and stealthily moved toward the border of the camp wherethe packs carried by the boys had been deposited. 

Glancing behind him once, the man, still apparently convinced that he wasnot seen, stealthily drew one of the packs toward him and as soon as hehad grasped it at once started from the camp over the way by which he hadcome. 

Zeke now was fully awake. He too glanced keenly about him to satisfyhimself that the others were not aware of his actions. Apparentlysatisfied that he had not been seen, he took his rifle and silentlyfollowed in the direction in which the unwelcome guest had departed. 

For some strange reason Fred also was aroused directly after the departureof the guide, and somewhat startled, sat up. As he did so he saw thetaller white man slowly rise from the ground where he had been lying andbegin to move rapidly in the direction in which his comrade haddisappeared. 

CHAPTER XVIII

RESTORING THE MAP

Fred was not aware of the departure of Zeke nor that he had followed thefirst of the white men to leave the camp. As a consequence when he saw thestranger rise and slowly walk from the place, he had not been disturbed byany fear of mishaps. Indeed, he did not even look about the camp carefullyto ascertain whether or not the other man was still there. Apparently toothis man when he had gone had departed empty-handed. 

For a brief time Fred hesitated, almost deciding to awaken his companionsand inform them of his discovery, but at last, convinced that such actionwas unnecessary and still unaware that the guide also had gone, he oncemore stretched himself upon the dry ground and soon was soundly sleeping. 

He was aroused the following morning by Grant who was shaking him as heshouted, "Wake up, Fred!"

"Is it time to get up?" yawned Fred sleepily. 

"It's time for every one of us to be wide awake, " declared Grant. "Do youknow what has become of Zeke and the two men that were here last night?"

"Have they gone? Aren't they here now?" demanded Fred at once thoroughlyawake. 

"No, sir, there's not one of them here, " replied Grant. 

"That's strange, " said Fred. "I waked up in the night and saw one of thewhite men leaving the camp. "

"Didn't you see the others?"

"No. "

"Did the man take anything with him?"

"I didn't see that he did. "

"Well, one of the packs is gone anyway. "

"Then the other man must have taken it, " said Fred positively. "I'm surethe one I saw leaving didn't carry anything with him. "

"He may have come back, " suggested Grant. 

"That's true, " said Fred thoughtfully. "I hadn't thought of that. ThomasJefferson, " he added as the young Navajo now approached the place wherethe two Go Ahead Boys were standing, "what do you make of this?"

"All three gone, " replied the Indian. 

"We know that already, " replied Fred sharply, "but we don't know wherethey have gone nor why nor who. What time was it, " he demanded of Grant, "when you first found this out?"

"About ten minutes ago when I first waked up. "

"I saw one of the men leaving, " Fred explained, "but I haven't any ideawhat time it was. It was in the night sometime. "

"Did he go alone?" inquired the Indian. 

"Yes, " Fred answered. 

"In which direction did he go?" asked the Navajo. 

Fred pointed to his right and without a word the young Navajo instantlyran to that side of the camp and began to inspect closely the footprintsof the men who had gone. 

In a brief time he returned and said simply, "No two of the men wenttogether. The man with the scar went first. If the man you saw did nothave any pack then it was the short man that took it. "

"How do you know they didn't go together?" inquired Grant. 

"I can see their footprints. If they had gone together they would havewalked side by side or one would have been directly behind the other. Thatis not the way it is. "

"But how do you know that the scarred man went first?"

"Because I find a place where Zeke crossed over from one side of the wayto the other. He stepped in the footprint of the other man in one place. Zeke's foot is bigger so I'm sure it was his print. He could not step onthe other's footprint unless he was behind him. "

"But what makes you think that they both went before the man that Fredsaw?"

"Because that man did not have a pack. The pack is gone. "

"But I don't see how that proves they went before. They may have leftafter the other man. "

The Navajo shook his head, however, and said, "They go first. "

"What are we to do now?" demanded George as he joined his companions. 

"The first thing we want is some breakfast and then we'll decide what nextto do, " said Grant, who in spite of Fred's greater readiness to talk, nownaturally assumed the place of the leader of the three Go Ahead Boys. 

At that moment, however, the Navajo again turned to the young campers andsaid, "I'll go to find out where Zeke and the two men went. If I go youthree boys must stay here until I come back. "

"But suppose you don't come back?" suggested Fred. 

"I shall come, " said the Navajo confidently. 

"But suppose you don't?" said Fred again. 

"If I do not come by to-morrow morning, " explained Thomas Jefferson, "thenyou will know that something has happened to me and you will go back ifyou can find your way. "

"Not much!" declared Fred. "If you don't come we shall try to find outwhat has happened to you. "

"No. No, " said Thomas Jefferson abruptly. "But I shall come back. "

"You're not going until after breakfast, " suggested Grant quickly as theIndian apparently was about to depart. 

"I will get breakfast when I come back, " said Thomas Jeffersonlaconically. 

Without any further conversation he at once departed, closely followingthe footprints of the three whom he believed had gone before him. 

"Well, what's to be done now?" inquired George after the three Go AheadBoys had remained silent while they watched the departing Navajo as longas he remained within sight. 

"We'll get breakfast, " replied Grant. 

For a time conversation ceased while the boys were busily engaged in thepreparation of their morning meal. In spite of the mystery surroundingthem and the anxiety that more or less every one felt, they were allhungry. As a consequence the simple breakfast speedily was prepared and itwas not until it had been eaten that the boys once more turned to theproblem which now confronted them. 

"I'm telling you, " said Grant positively, "that Thomas Jefferson is allright. The only thing for us to do is to stay right here where we areuntil he comes back or John and Pete are brought here by Kitoni. "

"I'm afraid something has happened to String, " said Fred slowly. 

"So you have said before, " remarked Grant dryly. "Now the thing for youand for us all to do is just to hang on to ourselves and wait. We mustn'tlet this get on our nerves. If we do no one knows what we shall be upagainst. "

Grant's companions did their utmost to carry out his suggestion, but therewas little activity in which they could indulge and the time draggedheavily on their hands. 

"How far do you think we've come into Thorn's Gulch?" asked Fred whenseveral hours had elapsed. 

"Six or eight miles, " replied Grant promptly. 

"Then we ought to be able to find our way out all right, " said Fred. 

"Of course we can, " said Grant quietly, "though after we find our way outwe haven't gotten to the end of our troubles. "

For a time the suggestion made all three boys silent and serious. Theywere more than two thousand miles from home. One of their companions hadnot been seen for many hours and in spite of what he was willing toacknowledge every one of the Go Ahead Boys was now anxious concerning thesafety of the missing John. 

Not even a guide was left them and the continued failure of Zeke to returnincreased their fears. 

Fred, the most easily discouraged of the Go Ahead Boys had been the mosteager of all to enter upon the expedition. It was plain to his comradesnow that his spirits were sinking and both were fearful of what the effectwould be if Fred entirely lost hope. 

"I tell you what we'll do, " suggested Grant at last. "We'll try to make acopy of the map that Simon Moultrie had of the place where he had stakedhis claim. "

"We can't make any copy, " said Fred disconsolately, "we haven't anythingto copy. "

"Then we'll make it from memory, " said Grant quietly. "Let me see, " hecontinued, as he took a note book from his pocket and at once began todraw on a blank page. "Here's Thorn's Gulch, " he added as he drew linesto indicate the great canyon. "We have come about six miles so we'll putour camp about here, " he explained as he marked the location. "Now as Iremember, Simon Moultrie had marked Two Crow Tree on this side of theGulch and about so far from the place where the Gulch runs into the GrandCanyon. Then about so much further on the same side of the Gulch was Tom'sThumb. About half way between Two Crow Tree and Tom's Thumb on the otherside of the Gulch was Split Rock. Then a little to the right in back herewas the place he marked as the stake. Now, let me see, what were thefigures and the letters he had there?"

"The first one, " said Fred interested now in what Grant was saying, "was'1/2 m. N. E. '"

"That's right, " said Grant, "and right below it was '1/4 m. S. E. '"

"And the last one at the bottom, " joined in George, "was '1/4 m. N. N. E. '"

"There, " Grant said with satisfaction as he held his drawing up forinspection. "I think we have reproduced Simon Moultrie's map closelyenough to tell us about where we are and where we've got to go. "

"Are we still going on?" inquired Fred. 

"Of course we are going on, " declared Grant. "We'll start just as soon asthe others join us. Look yonder!" he said, abruptly leaping to his feetas he spoke and pointing to a distant spot on the side of the Gulch. "There's something moving over there. "

CHAPTER XIX

A JOYOUS RETURN

Keenly excited, the three boys instantly arose and advanced nearer the rimof the Gulch. Around the bend of the next great buttress or projectionthey saw two forms moving slowly which they instantly recognized as men. 

"That's Zeke and Thomas Jefferson!" exclaimed Grant in a low voice. 

"What has become of the other two men?" inquired George. 

"You'll have to ask them, --or Zeke and T. J. ; perhaps they will be able totell you something after they get back here. "

Grant's surmise proved to be correct. Within a half-hour both Zeke and theIndian returned to the camp. 

Neither was willing to describe the details of very much of his effort toovertake the two white men who had gone from the camp. It was manifest, however, that both white men had disappeared and that along with them hadgone one of the packs, now doubly valuable in the eyes of the boys. 

"Didn't you see the men anywhere, Zeke?" inquired Fred. 

"Not a sign. "

"Did you find out where they went?"

"Not exactly. "

"What do you mean by that?"

"Why not seein' 'em, I'm not sure where they are nor where they went. "

"But you think they went--"

"I'm not doin' very much 'thinkin'' just now, " replied Zeke as he at oncebegan his preparations for the evening meal. 

Fred however, was not to be turned aside so easily. 

Approaching the place where Zeke was working he said, "Do you think thosemen have tried to go to the place where Simon Moultrie staked his claim?"

"I don't know nothin' 'bout it, " replied Zeke, without looking up from histask. "My only 'pinion is that if there's any such claim and we don't getthere pretty soon there won't be much for us to look for. "

"Why do you suppose John and Pete don't come back?"

"Because they have not returned. "

"Don't you think that Kitoni found them?"

"I don't know much about it. I'm thinkin', however, that if they are to befound, the Navajo will be as likely to find 'em as anybody. "

"I wish I never had started on this trip!" exclaimed Fred manifestlydowncast at the outlook. 

"It doesn't make any difference what you 'wish', " said Zeke gruffly. "Youhave started and you're here. I don't know of any way of gettin' out ofThorn's Gulch outside of flyin' or walkin'. "

"I guess you're right, " replied Fred dolefully. "Hello, what's that?" headded abruptly. From far away had come a faint shout. Fred was positivethat he had heard a call, but Zeke, ignoring the words of the Go Aheadboy, abruptly arose and ran to a place far to the left of the camp. 

His startling action when it was seen by the Go Ahead boys at once causedevery one to follow his example. 

Again the faint call was heard and this time it was answered abruptly byThomas Jefferson, whose voice carried far and was almost as sharp as thereport of a pistol. 

"Who is it? Who is it?" demanded Fred. 

The Indian made no reply, but as the distant call was heard again herepeated his call, which this time was distinctly answered. As yet no onewas able to see the place from which the cry had come. 

"Do you think anyone is in trouble?" inquired Grant anxiously of theguide. 

"No, " replied Zeke. 

"Do you think any one is in trouble?" inquired

"That's more than I can tell. "

"Why don't you call Pete?"

"No use. Thomas Jefferson has answered the call and there isn't anythingmore to be done except to wait until they get here, then we'll see whetherany one is missin' or not. "

"Come on, fellows, let's go down and see!" shouted Fred to his companions, who at once prepared to obey the suggestion. 

"Here, stop that!" ordered Zeke sternly. "You're not goin' to do anythingof the kind. We've got one boy lost now and that's enough. My dad used totell me that one boy was a boy and two boys was half a boy. I don't knowjust how much four would be, " he added quizzically, as he glanced at hisyoung companions. "We've got troubles enough now. Just hold your horsesand wait, and we'll soon find out what we all of us want to know. "

Striving to possess their souls in patience the Go Ahead Boys waited whilethe minutes slowly dragged on. Again and again Fred impatiently shouted, but for some reason there was no further answering cry. It might be thatthe little party had passed under some projecting shelf of rock which cutoff all sounds from above. 

Just as the sun set, however, to the great delight of the boys theydiscovered three men slowly climbing the side of the gulch almost directlybelow them. 

Instantly the Go Ahead Boys cheered and shouted, although no replies weremade to their hails. 

From what they were able to see they concluded that not one of the threemissing members of the party was disabled. They were all toiling slowly upthe sloping side, and it was soon manifest that every one was able to makethe effort for himself. 

Twenty minutes later John, Pete and Kitoni gained the place where theirfriends were awaiting their coming. 

"You never had any one so glad to see you in all your life, " shouted Fredas he ran to John and tried to throw his arm around his neck. As Fred wasthe "pigmy" of the party his efforts were ridiculous, but theynevertheless served to remove a part of the tension under which all werelaboring. 

"Are you all right, Jack?" demanded Grant. "I am now, " replied the tallGo Ahead Boy somewhat ruefully. 

"What happened to you?" asked Fred. 

"I got lost too. We waited for you to come back and when you didn't comeafter a long time, I started out to look for you. Pete told me not to doit, but of course I knew better than he did and nothing would do but Imust try it. It's lucky I'm here, let me tell you. "

"Did you find your way back to the place where Pete left you?"

"I did not. He found me. Now then, what happened to you? We didn't knowbut that you might have fallen over some rim or been bitten by arattlesnake or swallowed by a mountain lion. The first thing we knew waswhen Kitoni came along and told us. "

"Did you go back to the place where you were when I left you?"

"What do you think we'd do? Of course we went back. We didn't know but bysome kind of fool-luck you might have gone back there and if we weren't onhand we knew you wouldn't know the place and most likely would go on pastit and then be lost on the other side. You see we were in a tight box. "

"I'm sorry, " said Fred ruefully. "All I can say is that from this time onI'm going to stick so close to the crowd that nobody can lose me. "

"You'd better!" said John threateningly. "I thought I was done for, when Igot lost too. I thought of Fremont and Kit Carson and the Forty-niners andall the old chaps that came out over the Santa Fe trail. I have heard myfather tell what fights they had with the Indians and how their water andsupplies ran low and all that, but if any of them had any harder time thanI had then I'm sorry for him, that's all. There was just one thing thatmade me hang to it. "

"What was that?" inquired Grant. 

"Why it was what my father had told me. He said that the differencebetween men isn't very much, --I mean what makes one man succeed andanother man fail. He says it's just that little difference though thatcounts. I remember he told me about one of his classmates in college whowas the brightest fellow in the class. He started in all right on any lineof work, but just before the job was all ready to be clinched he usuallygave up. My father says that is the way it is with men. They may be allright up to the last point, but that last point is the one that counts. That's the 'final punch' that counts most. "

"Well, I'm glad you got out of it all right anyway, " said Fred cordially. "Did you see any bears or mountain lions or snakes. "

"Not one, but I saw some lizards which scared me almost as much as if theyhad been rattlers. They were ten or twelve inches long. They had a funnyway of running and every few steps would turn around and look at me. "

"I'm not surprised, " said Grant soberly, breaking in upon theconversation. "I understand precisely the feeling of those lizards. There's only one of your kind in all the world. "

"You're right for once in your life, " retorted John. "Now tell me, " headded, "what your plans are. What is the next thing to be done?"

"Now that little Johnnie has arrived, " laughed Grant, "I think the bestthing we can do, if Zeke and Pete agree, is to stay here to-night andstart on early to-morrow morning. "

"Start where?" demanded John. 

"Why for Simon Moultrie's claim. "

"I had almost forgotten about that, " laughed John, "but I guess that's asgood a trip as we can make. "

By this time Zeke had supper prepared and the boys responded to hisannouncement with a zeal that caused the guide to say, "You boys must notforget that one of our packs is gone. We may have to go short on ourrations. "

The statement at once led to the story of the coming of the two white menand their strange departure. Grant explained how Zeke and Thomas Jeffersonhad each made a search, but the two men had disappeared. It was suspected, however, that they had gone farther into Thorn's Gulch and were determinedto make their own search for the lost claim of Simon Moultrie. 

"If they get there first, " said Zeke dryly, "we may have our troublesstaking any claim when we come. "

"Well, we shan't get there unless we start, " declared Fred, whose mood nowhad changed completely. "I'm for starting as early as we can get John upto-morrow morning. "

"Never you mind your Uncle John!" declared that worthy individual. "Ishall be ready before you are. "

Whether or not it was the rivalry of the boys that caused them to riseearly the following morning is not known, but the sun had not yet appearedabove the eastern horizon when after a breakfast, prepared by Zeke andPete, the Go Ahead Boys, together with the guides and the two Navajos, whonow by common consent had become members of the party, once more begantheir search for the claim which Simon Moultrie had staked. 

CHAPTER XX

TWO CROW TREE

The party was compelled to move somewhat slowly as Fred and George had notyet entirely recovered from their recent experiences. Their spirits, however, were high, and in the bracing air of the early morning thetroubles of the preceding night were forgotten. 

Zeke and Thomas Jefferson led the way while Pete and the other Navajoformed a rear guard. The packs had been rearranged so that now the burdenswere lighter for every one. Indeed, the loss of the pack which their whitevisitor had taken had made the guides somewhat anxious concerning theoutlook for supplies. A journey of one hundred miles at least would berequired to obtain fresh provisions and at least a week would be necessaryif one of the guides should be sent to obtain them. There might bedifficulty too in bringing in the supplies even if they should beobtained. 

In a measure the boys reflected the feeling of their leaders, but theirconfidence in the speedy outcome of their quest was keen and as aconsequence other things were ignored or forgotten. 

As the morning waned the conversation lagged somewhat and the hour wasnear when they planned to stop for their noonday meal and rest. They werenow walking along the rim of the great Gulch. Their pathway had led upwardand indeed there were places immediately below them where it was more thandoubtful if they would be able to proceed. 

At a sudden sharp call from Zeke the remaining members of the partyhastened forward to the place where the guide was standing. 

"Look ahead of you, " said Zeke. "Do you see anything?"

"I see rocks and the rim of the Gulch, plenty of sand and lots of sky, "replied Fred glibly. 

"Look along the rim, " suggested Zeke, ignoring the flippant manner of theGo Ahead Boy. "What do you see about a mile ahead of us?"

"I don't see anything different from what I said, " laughed Fred. 

The other boys, however, were silent for a time while they peered intentlyin the direction indicated by the guide. 

Suddenly Grant said in a low voice, "Zeke, do you mean that tree yonder?"

"That might be it, " replied the guide. 

As he spoke two large, black birds suddenly arose from a branch of thedistant tree and flying lazily disappeared beneath the rim of the Gulch. 

"That's it!" exclaimed John eagerly. "That's it! That's the tree SimonMoultrie marked out in his diary. Zeke, " he added excitedly, "isn't thatthe Two Crow Tree?"

"It may be, " replied Zeke. 

"Then let's go ahead and not stop until we get there. It isn't more than amile or two away, is it?"

"About that, " replied Zeke. 

The suggestion of the Go Ahead boy was at once adopted. The entire partyincreased their speed and rapidly moved forward. 

Twenty minutes had elapsed when they stood beneath the tree which had beendiscovered by Zeke. 

"What kind of a tree is it?" inquired Fred. 

"It's a Two Crow Tree, " retorted George glibly. 

"I wish I was dead sure of that, " spoke up Zeke. 

"Don't you think it is?" demanded Grant. 

"Yes, I think it is, but of course I can't be sure. "

"What shall we do now?" demanded Fred. 

"Cook our dinner here and decide what we'll do next. "

As soon as the simple meal had been prepared the young prospectors weresummoned to the repast. Their interest was so keen, however, in the treeunder whose branches they were seated that all the Go Ahead Boys wereready to declare that the first landmark indicated by Simon Moultrie hadbeen found. 

"The only thing for us to do, " said Zeke after he had listened to all thatthe boys had to say, "is for Thomas Jefferson and myself to leave you herewhile we go ahead to see if we can find anything that looks like Tom'sThumb. If we find it then we may be pretty sure that we're on the righttrack. "

"How will you know?" inquired John. 

"Have to use our common sense, " said the guide sharply. 

"Did you ever see Tom's Thumb?"

"If I did I didn't know it by that name, " said Zeke. "What do you boysthink we had better look for?"

"I say a rock shaped like a man's thumb, " said Fred. 

"I don't, " spoke up John. "What I would look for would be a place in themountains ahead. "

"I suggest a formation in the rim of the Gulch, " said George. 

"What do you say?" demanded Zeke as he turned to Grant. 

For some reason the guide manifested greater confidence in the judgment ofGrant than in the opinions of the other boys. 

"It seems to me, " said Grant slowly, "that I should be on the lookout forall of them. I'm inclined to think, however, that if you find it, it'slikely to be something in the shape of the ground that makes one think ofa man's thumb. "

"Don't none of you boys stir from this tree, " ordered Zeke abruptly. "Jeffand I will go ahead and--"

"For a time you'll be the Go Ahead Boys, " laughed Fred. 

"I don't care much 'bout what you call us, but if we can get there you'llhear from us before a great while. "

The interest of the Go Ahead Boys was still keen after the departure ofthe guide and the Indian. Silently they watched the two men as theysteadily proceeded on their way until at last they were lost to sight byan elevation around which they were making their way. 

"Soc, " asked John, "why do you suppose there were two crows in thattree?"

"Because they had stopped for rest or observation, " laughed Grant. 

"That isn't what I mean, " retorted John. "You know when crows alight theyusually station one of their number as a guard on a tree or fence or someplace of elevation, that is supposed to give warning. Now, I don't think Iever saw two on observation, did you?"

"I don't know that I ever did, " said Grant. "Now that you speak of it, I'mnot sure they were crows anyway. "

"They were crows all right, " declared Fred confidently. 

"My, Pee Wee!" said John in mock admiration. "If I only knew just half asmuch as you think you know I would be a wise man. "

"That's all right, String, " retorted Fred glibly. "Don't you remember whatI told you about that great Englishman who said that Nature never made anyman seven stories high without leaving the top loft empty?"

"I believe I have heard you refer to that fact some three thousand, eighthundred and sixty-one times. In fact I have almost learned it by heart. Ihaven't any doubt the man who said it was a little runt not much biggerthan you are. "

Fred's face flushed as the Go Ahead Boys laughed and conversation ceasedfor a time. 

The boys had given their word not to leave the region of the big tree. There was therefore nothing to be done except to endure the waiting untilZeke and the Navajo returned. 

Occasionally the conversation turned on the subject of the claim whichSimon Moultrie plainly had believed he had discovered. 

Fred, who was the most enthusiastic of the Go Ahead Boys, was positive thelost claim would be found and that the future wealth of the four boys wastherefore certain. 

The others may have been as eager as Fred to find the place for which theywere seeking, but they were more restrained in their manner and inclinedto tease their enthusiastic comrade. 

"Zeke told me, " suggested Grant soberly, "that really this Simon Moultriewas crazy. "

"Is that so?" retorted Fred. "Then I suppose you're ready to say next thateverything he saw was crazy too. "

"Not quite as bad as that, " laughed Grant, "but I do say that it'spossible, if Simon Moultrie really was insane, he may have imagined he sawthings or found them when he didn't see them at all. "

Even Fred was somewhat sobered by the declaration of his companion andonce more the party lapsed into silence. 

It was now past mid-afternoon and the Go Ahead Boys were becomingimpatient over the failure of the guide and the Indian to return. 

"If they haven't found any thing, " said Fred irritably, "then they oughtto come back and tell us so. We don't want to stay here forever. "

"Nay, verily, we do not, " said George, shaking his head soberly. "I agreewith Pyg. If Zeke doesn't come back within an hour I say we start afterhim. "

"You want your turn in being lost in the canyon, do you?" said Johngrimly. "Well, all I can say is that if you do, you can try it, but as forlittle Johnnie he stays right here where he is. I've had all I want oflost Go Ahead Boys in Thorn's Gulch or any other canyon. "

Although they did not share in John's fear nevertheless the boys allremained in their camp. 

It was about four o'clock when Kitoni called their attention to two tinyfigures in the distance. 

The glasses revealed that they were men and that they apparently werecoming across the Gulch. How they would be able to make their way up thesteep side no one could explain. 

"That must be Zeke and Thomas Jefferson, " suggested Fred at once ready toform and express an opinion. 

The Navajo, however, shook his head as he said, "It is not Zeke and it isnot Thomas Jefferson. "

"Then who is it?" demanded Fred. "It seems to me we're all the whilehaving two or three men come into our camp when we've been told that therewasn't a human being in these parts. They told us in Tombstone that wewouldn't see a strange face in this part of the world. "

"I see one now, " declared John, turning and staring at his diminutivefriend. 

The Go Ahead Boys laughed but their interest was too keen in the men whonow in the distance could be seen more distinctly. 

"You don't suppose those two strange white men can be coming back here, doyou?" inquired Grant in a whisper. 

"Yes, that is just who they are, " replied Kitoni. "Look yonder!" he addedas he pointed in the direction in which Zeke and the Navajo had departed. 

Two other men also were seen coming from that direction and no effort wasrequired to induce the Go Ahead Boys to believe that Zeke and hiscompanion were returning to the camp. 

CHAPTER XXI

THE RETURN OF THE STRANGERS

The excitement among the Go Ahead Boys at once became intense. Convincednow that the two men, whose presence whenever they had visited the camphad created trouble, were now returning and the fact that the belligerentZeke and the Navajo were also likely to arrive at about the same time, convinced the boys that some exciting scenes were to be witnessed. 

As yet it was manifest that neither party of approaching men had becomeaware of the coming of the others. 

"There they go!" exclaimed George excitedly when Zeke and his companiondisappeared from sight. "Maybe they won't be back here until after theother fellows have left. "

"Don't you worry, " spoke up Fred. "The other fellows aren't going to leaveand that's the worst of it. What shall we do?"

"We shan't do anything until we have to, " said Grant. "It will be moneyin our pockets to keep silent in seven languages. "

"There they are now!" exclaimed Fred in a low voice as the two white menapproached the camping place. 

"We're hungry, " explained the man with the scar. "Give us something toeat. "

"You haven't eaten all there was in that pack already, have you?" demandedFred. 

"What are you talking about? What pack do you mean? We haven't got anypack, " replied the visitor. 

"You haven't now. What did you do with it?"

"You'll have to explain what you mean. You 're talking in riddles, as thepoet says, " sneered the stranger. "All we want is something to eat and I'mthinking you'll cook it for us pretty quick. "

"I understand it's the law of the desert, " spoke up Grant, "that any onewho comes into your camp has to be fed. "

"Sure it is, " said the man glibly. 

"But there isn't anything in that law, " continued Grant, "which says whatkind of stuff we've got to feed you. My advice to you is to keep right onyour way and not stop here. "

"That's just what we're not going to do, " laughed the other man loudly. "We're hungry and you're going to feed us. "

"Is that so?" retorted Fred. "Perhaps you'll tell us when we're going toget the meal. "

"You 're going to get it now and there isn't going to be any fooling aboutit either. "

"Do you want your ice cream before your dinner or after?" inquired Fredmockingly. "How about your coffee?" he added. "Will you have a demitasseor a bowl?"

For a moment the man stared blankly at Fred and then apparently convincedthat his demand was not to be complied with he advanced savagely upon theGo Ahead Boy as he said, "We don't want no more fooling. You get ussomething to eat. "

At that moment Grant nodded positively to Fred, an action which was notseen by their visitors. Puzzled by the direction of Grant, Fred hesitateda moment and then without a further word began hasty preparations for ameal. 

A fire was kindled, although all the wood in the camp was required for thepurpose and in a brief time he poured into the boiling water the remainingcontents of a broken box of cereal. 

It was plain that the visitors both were as hungry as they declaredthemselves to be. They were watching the actions of the boys so keenlythat they were neither of them aware of the approach of Zeke or ThomasJefferson. 

Grant, however, already had discovered the approach of the guide and theNavajo, who now were not more than forty yards distant from the placewhere the boys were standing. 

"I wonder if these men are hungry too, " said Grant dryly. As he spoke heturned toward the approaching guide, an action which was immediatelyfollowed by all the camp. 

For a moment the two unwelcome visitors appeared to be about to flee fromthe place. They turned toward the Gulch, but soon their courage apparentlyreturned and they came back to the place near the fire. 

By this time Zeke and Thomas Jefferson had arrived at the camp and in hismost surly manner the guide turned to the two uninvited guests and said, "What are you two fellows doing here?"

"We stopped to get something to eat, " explained the man with the scar, who, as usual, was the spokesman. 

"Well, you aren't going to get it here, " said Zeke sharply. "The thing foryou to do is to vamoose. Get out of here and get out right away! None ofthat, " added Zeke in a low voice as he saw one of the men reach toward hiship pocket. "There's going to be no shootin' done here exceptin' I am th'one to do it. "

Zeke, who was a powerful man, now grasped the hands of the man with thescar and in spite of his efforts twisted his wrists until he compelled himto drop the weapon which he had drawn from his pocket. 

"Leave it there, " said Zeke quietly. "It won't do any harm. Now you twoget and don't you wait for me to say it again!"

There was something in Zeke's manner that convinced the two men that itmight be dangerous for them to delay. Glancing hastily at each other theyat once turned from the camp. 

When they had gone fifty feet, the smaller man stopped and turned about sothat he once more faced the camp, as he shouted, "You think the game is inyour hands, don't you? Well, you'll have another think. All I can say toyou is that you've got a big surprise coming. "

As no one responded to his threat the stranger quickly turned about andsoon overtook his companion. 

Silently the Go Ahead Boys watched the departing men until they haddisappeared below the rim of the great Gulch. Then Fred said, "Zeke, whatdo you suppose that fellow meant?"

"There's no tellin', " replied Zeke in his most non-committal manner. 

"But what do you think?"

"I'm not thinkin' very much. I'm watchin' this stuff to see that itdoesn't burn. "

"That's all right, Zeke, " said Fred impatiently. "But what I want to knowis whether or not you think those two men are going to be waiting for uswhen we find the claim which Simon Moultrie staked. "

"I'll have to tell you later about that. "

"Look there! They are coming back!" abruptly exclaimed Fred. 

The Go Ahead Boy's words were true for the two men were seen clamberingupon the rim and once more approaching the camp. 

"Will you give me my pistol?" demanded the man with the scar. "There's noknowing what we may run up against and I don't like to go down into theGulch without anything to protect me. "

"No, sir, I won't, " said Zeke. "That pistol is as dangerous in your handsas it would be in the hands of an Apache. There's just one thing we'll dofor you. "

"What's that?"

"I'll take back what I said and we'll give you something to eat if you'llagree to leave and never come back. "

"In course we'll do it, " laughed the man. "I didn't believe that you'dturn us away without giving us even a spoonful of that stuff you'recooking. "

Other articles of food had been prepared by Zeke, who was desirous ofeconomizing in the fire. Wood was scarce and so difficult to obtain thatthe guide was unwilling to waste a fire just for the sake of theiruninvited guests. 

As soon as he was convinced that the men were busy in their repast Zekesolemnly winked at Grant and in a manner which was seen by all who were inthe camp motioned for him to follow. 

Grant at once obeyed the suggestion and as soon as they had withdrawn toone side Zeke in a low voice said, "Did those two fellows come across theGulch?"

"Yes, " replied Grant. 

"Then it looks likely to me that they have been looking for that claim. "

"What makes you think so?"

"They have been gone 'bout long enough to cover the distance. "

"Do you think they have found it?"

"I can't say. "

"But do you think they have?"

"It looks a bit like it, judging from the fact that they have come backhere so soon. Now I want you to see which way they go when they leave. "

"Are you sure they're going to leave?"

"Perfectly sure, " remarked Zeke as a slight grin appeared for a momentupon his face, "and they're goin' to be in a hurry when they go, too. Haveyou got plenty of soap in the camp?"

"Yes, I think so. "

"Well, then I want you to take some of it and go down there at the head ofthe path they follow when they leave us and grease those rocks. Don'tcover them all, but put enough on them so that the rocks will beslippery. "

"But you don't want to hurt them, do you?" protested Grant. 

"Don't you worry none about hurtin'. All I'm goin' to do is to 'acceleratetheir departure, ' as the poet says. "

"What poet says that?" inquired Grant laughingly. 

"I don't just remember his name, " said the guide demurely. "He said itthough and that's enough. "

"I'll do what you say, " said Grant, as they both turned back to rejointheir companions. 

Beckoning to Fred, after he had secured a bar of soap and taking with hima small pan of water, Grant led the way to the spot which the guide hadindicated. 

There, unseen by the others they thoroughly carried out the directionswhich Zeke had given them and in a brief time turned back to the camp. 

"I guess we'll be goin' on, as we agreed, " said the man with the scar whentheir simple repast had been eaten. 

No one interposed any objections, and the two men, after Zeke had oncemore refused to restore the pistol which he had taken from them, arose andstarted toward the path which before they had followed when they hadreturned to the camp. 

CHAPTER XXII

SPLIT ROCK

"Well, boys, " said Zeke when the men had departed, "my advice to you is towatch out for those two fellows. I told 'em they would go in a hurry whenthey left camp. You watch 'em! There they are now!"

As he spoke the feet of each of their recent visitors suddenly flew outfrom under him and both men slid rapidly forward on their backs. 

"Haw! Haw!" roared Zeke, who was seldom heard to laugh. "That's a good'un! Come back here, " he shouted, "and I'll pick you up!"

The Go Ahead Boys, however, did not wait for the men to rise. Runningswiftly to the place where they had disappeared from sight they peereddown the sloping side of the Gulch and saw both men still moving rapidlyin their descent. 

Apparently neither was in any special difficulty, although both weremoving swiftly in their descent. They had gone down the shelving and softside of the Gulch a hundred feet or more before either of them regainedhis footing. The man with the scar, who was in advance of his companion, first attempted to rise, but his effort was intercepted by his largercompanion who slid against him with full force, again sending both menrolling down the cliff side. 

Inasmuch as there was no special danger connected with their descent, forthe ground was soft, the amusement of the Go Ahead Boys became keen. Theylaughed and shouted their words of approval, and Zeke's words were theloudest of all. 

The two men, when at last they succeeded in regaining an upright position, turned and savagely shook their fists at the laughing party on the rim ofthe Gulch and then resuming their descent, continued on their way untilboth disappeared from sight. 

"I'm thinkin', " said Zeke as the party returned to the camp, "that thosefellows won't come back here again, at least in the daytime. "

"If they come at night, " suggested Fred, "it won't do us any good, I'mafraid. "

"No more it won't, " acknowledged the guide, "but if my plans work out, when they come back here we shall be gone. "

"Did you find Tom's Thumb?" asked Grant

"We did, " answered the guide quietly. 

"You did?" exclaimed Grant. "If you had never seen it before how did youknow it was the place for which you were looking?"

"You couldn't miss it, " explained Zeke. "There's a stretch of rock therealmost as big as a house that is shaped exac'ly like a man's fist, onlythe thumb stands straight up. "

"Did it really look like a thumb?" inquired Fred excitedly. 

"It did. We both saw it about the same time and there wasn't any mistakingit either. "

"That's all right then, " said Grant. "If we've found Two Crow Tree andTom's Thumb then it ought not to be very hard for us to find Split Rock. We know just about where it is placed, according to the map that SimonMoultrie drew. "

"It's on the other side of the Gulch though, " suggested George. 

"You don't mean it?" exclaimed Fred laughingly. "What a wise chap youare. " As Fred spoke Grant drew from his pocket the paper on which he hadretraced the outlines of the map drawn by Simon Moultrie. 

"In course we're not sure, " said Zeke, "but we can get an idea about whereto look. "

"When shall we start?" asked Grant. 

"First thing in the morning" replied the guide. "We wouldn't take anychances starting by night, though now that I've got that chap's revolverI'm thinkin' we wouldn't have anything very much to fear from him. "

"But the other man may have a pistol, " suggested George. 

"That's right, " acknowledged Zeke. "All the more reason for waitin' untilmornin' afore we start. "

"Well, there's one thing, " laughed Grant, "and that is that we shan't tryto go down the Gulch the same way those two men started. "

"They did sit down hard, didn't they?" chuckled Zeke. 

Again the Go Ahead Boys laughed at the recollection of the ludicrous sightpresented by the two white men when they had unexpectedly started swiftlyon their descent of the Gulch. 

When the following morning dawned, the guides and the two Navajos were thefirst to be stirring in the camp. Before breakfast had been prepared, however, the Go Ahead Boys were awake and preparing for their expedition. 

The packs were to be restrapped and all their various belongings secured. This task was completed by the time breakfast was ready and when the boysseated themselves on the ground they were thoroughly ready to receive thefood which Zeke and Pete now served them. 

"Zeke, " inquired Grant, "do you really think those two men found the claimwhich Simon Moultrie staked?"

"I don't really think so, " answered the guide slowly, "but I shouldn't besurprised if they did. "

"If they have got it, " said Grant, "what can we do?"

"Nothin'. "

"Do you mean to say that we can't claim it?"

"That's just what I mean. You can take up some other claims right close byif you want to, but first come first served. "

"But that isn't their claim. It belonged to Simon Moultrie. "

"Well, if it did, " said Zeke dryly, "then I reckon they have as much rightto it as we have. "

"I hadn't thought of that, " said Grant blankly. "However, I haven't muchidea that old Sime ever filed his claim. If he didn't, why we stand asgood a chance as any one. I do say, " he added, "that the sooner we getstarted and the faster we go the less trouble we're likely to have. "

"Then why don't we start right away?" demanded Fred as he leaped to hisfeet. 

In a brief time the party with their packs on their backs started towardthe Gulch. As has been said, the sides of the canyon at this place werenot unduly steep, and, though the descent in places was difficult, none ofthe Go Ahead Boys had met with any mishap when at last they all safelyarrived in the valley below. 

There they halted for a rest and before they resumed their journey Zekesaid, "It's so warm here in the middle of the day that I feel as if I wassuffocated. I guess we'd better stay here where we be 'till we've cookedour dinner. "

The descent had required so much effort on the part of every one of the GoAhead Boys that they were all willing to accede to the guide's suggestion. 

"Zeke, how far do you think we'll have to go before we begin our search?"inquired Fred. 

"We'll have to go until we come to the claim, " replied the guide dryly. 

"But when shall we begin to look?"

"Keep lookin' all the while. I'm thinkin', though, " Zeke added, "that weshan't have to go more than three or four miles from the rim. "

"You don't suppose he has staked his claim right on the top of the ground, do you?" inquired George. 

"What put that notion into your head?" laughed the guide. 

"Why it looks so on Simon's map. "

"That's all right, " acknowledged Zeke. "That map doesn't show manygulches, does it? But I'm not lookin' for a claim right on the flat partof the rim. "

"You'll tell us when to begin to look for the stakes, won't you?" askedFred who was deeply interested in the project which now was distinctlybefore him. 

"Don't you worry none about that, " replied Zeke. "When you boys are readyto start you say the word and we'll leave. "

"I guess we're all ready to go now, " suggested Grant. 

"Off we go then, " said Zeke, as he promptly arose and swung his pack tohis back. 

The party by this time was moving in single file, Zeke still leading theway and Pete following as the rear guard. 

The two young Navajos had not remained in the line for any continuedlength of time. They were moving back and forth, the expression of theirshining eyes betraying their keen interest. Indeed, the possibility ofdiscovering a mine had so aroused every member of the party that even theguide who was leading could not entirely conceal his excitement by hismanner. 

For nearly three hours the little expedition continued on its way. Climbing proved to be more difficult than the descent had been, but atlast the party was near the rim. 

There they halted once more while Zeke directed the Navajoes to move alongthe side of the gulch beneath the rim while the others continued on theirway across the plateau. 

"Yonder is Split Rock, I'm thinkin', " abruptly said Zeke as he stopped andpointed to a huge rock unlike any others which the boys had seen in theregion. The stone had been cut almost as if by some huge knife. Severalinches of the space between the halves had been filled in by the dustwhich the winds had deposited. 

In the midst of the soil thus obtained a tree was growing which now hadshot up at least twenty feet above the top of the great rock. 

"What do you suppose that is?" inquired George lightly. "Is the treetrying to keep those rocks apart or are the rocks trying to keep the treein between them?"

No one replied to the query of the Go Ahead Boy, for all were keenlyaroused, now that they had found the third object which Simon Moultrie hadindicated on his map. 

So eager were all the members of the party that in spite of their recentexertions and the loads they were carrying they all began to run. In abrief time they arrived at the destination they were seeking and as theyswung their packs from their shoulders Grant hastily drew again from hispocket the map which he had made in his attempt to recall the one whichSimon Moultrie had drawn in the diary that the Go Ahead Boys had found. 

CHAPTER XXIII

ON THE RIM

The little assembly crowded closely about Grant and looked with eagerinterest at the drawings he had made. 

"What does it mean?" inquired Fred, "when it says you have to go ahalf-mile northeast?"

"I'm not sure that it says that, " replied Grant. "There's simply a markhere, 1/2 m. N. E. "

"Well, any lubber knows that that means a half-mile northeast. "

"Not being a 'lubber, '" retorted Grant, "of course I'm not sure. I'm notvery much impressed by a 'lubber's' knowledge anyway. "

The Go Ahead Boys laughed at the retort, but their interest in theirimmediate problem was too keen to permit other matters to enter theirthoughts. 

"Now how do we know that those letters don't refer to the stake itself?"asked George. 

"A brilliant remark, " said Grant scornfully. "All you have to do is tolocate the claim that Simon Moultrie staked and then prove that it is ahalf-mile northeast, a quarter-mile southeast, and a quarter of a milenorth northeast from some place that you don't care anything about. "

"That's not it, " said Zeke, shaking his head as he spoke. "It's the claimitself. My opinion is that you go a half-mile northeast from Split Rock. Then turn and go one-quarter of a mile southeast and then a quarter of amile north northeast. "

Both the Navajos were present, standing on the border of the assembly andtheir shining eyes betrayed their keen interest in the discussion. 

"If I recollect aright, " said John, "in that diary of Simon Moultrie's hewrote that he was in the middle of Thorn's Gulch when he struck the veinjust right. "

"That's so, " spoke up Grant quickly, "I do remember that. "

"Yea!" continued John, elated by the response which had greeted his words, "and that isn't all. He says he followed it up and found the place he waslooking for. Didn't he say too that he had already had an assay made andthat it was great?"

"Wonderful, String!" said Fred. "You have proved yourself to be a greatman. That's exactly what was in the diary as I recall it. The only thingthen for us to do is to follow along the middle of Thorn's Gulch until westrike the vein. "

"Huh!" retorted Zeke, "you had better make arrangements to have breakfastwith the man in the moon than try any such plan as that. "

"What shall we do then?" demanded John. 

"We've got to decide first of all, " explained Zeke, "about this claim thatold Sime staked. "

"That's what we're trying to do, " interrupted Fred glibly. 

"Be patient with the child, Zeke, " said Grant dryly. "He rides on ahalf-fare ticket yet. "

"Quit your fooling, " spoke up John. "We want to find out about this. "

"Well, " said Zeke, "I've got a compass here, of course, but I haven't anychain. How are we going to tell when we have covered the distance!"

"The only way, " responded Grant, "will be for us to pace the distanceuntil we come to what we think is about the spot which Simon found. "

"That will take a month of Sundays, " spoke up George. 

"It will take some time, " acknowledged Grant, "but I don't know any otherway. Do you, Zeke?" he inquired, turning to the guide. 

"Where are you going to start with your measurements?" demanded Zeke. 

"Why, at Split Rock, of course, " said Grant promptly. 

"From the middle of the Rock, or the edge? From the near side or the farside? From the top of it or--"

"I say, " broke in Fred, "that we start from the edge of the Rock where ittouches the sand. Then we can follow the compass and we know just how manypaces there will be in a half-mile. "

"It will depend on who does the pacing, I guess, " said John drolly. "Mylegs are longer than Fred's and I guess my steps wouldn't be more thanhalf as many as his. "

"The best thing for us to do, " said Grant confidently, "is to measure offas nearly as we can do it just what a yard is. Then John, who can coverany distance from two inches to two yards, can try to take steps just therequired length. "

"We can try that, " assented Zeke dubiously, "though I'm inclined to thinkthe better plan will be for us to get a stick that will measure a yard asnearly as we can make it. Then we had better measure it off. We can followthe compass all the way and needn't go very far aside even if we don'tcome to the exact spot. "

"It's a long job, " remarked Fred dolefully. "You see we've got to turn. We've got to make the half-mile, then stop and change our directions andgo a quarter-mile southeast and then stop again and go a quarter of a milenorth northeast. I wonder why old Sime didn't make it a straight lineanyway. "

"We may find out, " said Grant, "that he had to go this way. What shall wedo, Zeke?" he added, turning to the guide. 

"Whichever you say, " replied Zeke. 

"Then, I say we try first to let John pace a half-mile. We'll all go alongwith him and when he comes to the end of his eight hundred and eightyyards why all there is for us to do is to stop and change the directionaccording to the compass and start out again. "

"We haven't anything to measure with, " said John dolefully. 

"We can strike it pretty close, " said Zeke. 

"I'll tell you what we can do, boys, " said Fred. "The first joint in mythumb is just three-quarters of an inch. We can measure it with that. "

Securing a piece of string Grant carefully measured according to the rulesuggested by the diminutive Go Ahead Boy and soon he held up his stringsaying, as he did so, "If Fred is right that is exactly a yard. "

"Let me see it, " said Zeke, taking the string. Making his own measurementshe soon declared that Grant was almost correct in his statement. "We can'tget within a half-inch of it anyway, " he said. 

"A half-inch on a yard would mean four hundred and forty-four inches for ahalf-mile, " said Grant. "Now four hundred and forty inches is thirty-sixand three-quarter feet. If we get as far as that out of our way it willtake us from now until Christmas to find old Simon Moultrie's lost mine. "

"It doesn't make any difference, " said John, "that's the best we can doand that's all we've got to work on. "

The elongated Go Ahead Boy already had measured twenty yards of the groundand after every yard had been indicated he was walking over the distancetrying to see how closely he could adjust his footsteps to themeasurements which had been made. 

"We'll try it anyway, " said Grant. "There's nothing else to be done, butit won't be safe to start until to-morrow morning, will it, Zeke?"

"That's what it won't, " said the guide quietly. "We'll stay here at SplitRock until sunrise to-morrow morning. "

In accordance with the directions of the guide preparations were at oncemade for passing the night at the place where they had halted. Thoroughlytired by their exertions the Go Ahead Boys were ready for bed soon aftertheir supper had been prepared and eaten. Indeed, it was not long afterdark before silence rested over the entire camp and apparently everymember of the party was sleeping soundly. 

Some time later Fred suddenly sat erect and looked keenly all about him. He was unable to decide what had awakened him so abruptly for the silencewhich rested over the place was unbroken. 

Uneasy over his sudden awakening, Fred, after delaying a few minutes, silently arose and doing his utmost not to disturb his other comradesmoved cautiously toward the rim of the Gulch. 

The stars in the sky above him were shining so brightly and appeared to beso near that to the boy it seemed almost possible that they might beplucked from their setting. Not a cloud was visible in the sky. Thesilence that rested over the entire region was so tense that Fred's nerveswere tingling as he stopped for a moment to look about him and listen. What a marvelous experience it was. Alone with a few of his friends on thelimitless plains, thoughts of the busy scenes in the great city in whichhe had his home were almost impossible under such conditions. The wholeworld seemed to be barren, while over all were the shining stars whoselights were visible thousands of miles away. 

Suddenly Fred's thoughts were diverted from the sublimity of the sightwhich had claimed his attention. At that moment he saw the form of someone peering just above the rim of the great Gulch. 

Startled by the sight Fred dropped upon the ground and excitedly waitedfor events to develop. 

The man before him turned for a moment and apparently was speaking to someone who was hidden from Fred's sight. The boy was confident that heoverheard several words although he was not able to distinguish anythingthat was said. 

Fred saw the man whose approach he had discovered now turn again andsilently approach the camp. 

Greatly surprised Fred speedily was aware that the approaching man wasThomas Jefferson. It was not possible to deny that he had left the campand in all probability had been talking to some one in the Gulch. Who orwhat the man was, it was impossible for Fred to conjecture. Troubled andperplexed by the strange occurrence he started swiftly toward the camp. Ashe drew near, abruptly the Indian arose and advanced. 

"Is that you, Thomas Jefferson?" whispered Fred. 

"What you do?" replied the Indian. The Navajo spoke in low tones, but hisexcitement was revealed in the trembling of his voice. 

"Me? I haven't done anything. What have you been doing?"

"What you see?" inquired the Indian. 

Ignoring the question, Fred said, "Who was talking to you?"

"Where? What you see? What you hear?" demanded the Navajo now plainlyaroused by the question of the Go Ahead Boy. 

"I have told you, " replied Fred. "What were you doing out there with thatfellow below the rim of the canyon?"

Before Thomas Jefferson could reply a thought flashed into Fred's mindwhich nearly staggered him. Was it possible that the Navajo had beenmeeting the two white men who had made so much trouble? And if he had metthem what had he told them? Was he revealing what every one in the campnow was expected to keep secret? And why were the two white men stillfollowing the party if they had already discovered the location of SimonMoultrie's claim?

The questions were so troublesome that Fred decided that it was necessaryfor him to consult Zeke at once and tell him about the exciting experiencethrough which he had just passed. 

CHAPTER XXIV

A SMALL CLOUD

Fred was relieved when he discovered that Thomas Jefferson was eager to goback to the camp and avoid all further questioning. 

The actions of the Navajo, however, increased Fred's feeling of anxiety. He watched the Indian until he was convinced that he was trying to avoidany further interview. Then the Go Ahead Boy moved silently around thecamp to the place where the guide was sleeping. 

Fred's hand placed lightly upon the face of Zeke at once aroused the guidewho quickly sat erect. Fred meanwhile had dropped on the ground by hisside and as he did so he said, "Don't move, Zeke. Don't get up. I've gotsomething I want to tell you. "

"What is it, lad?" whispered Zeke, at once complying with the suggestion. 

Thus bidden Fred related his discovery of Thomas Jefferson returning fromthe rim of the Gulch. He also gave his reasons for believing that theNavajo had been having an interview with some one on the sloping side ofthe Gulch. He expressed fully his suspicions that the unseen man was oneof the two unwelcome white men who had visited the camp several times. 

In low voices Fred and the guide conversed for several minutes. When theconversation at last was ended and all of Zeke's questions had beenanswered the guide said to Fred, "Now see that you keep this to yourself. I'm hopin' that we shan't have any serious trouble, but I don't like theway it looks. Don't tell any of your pals about it. "

Fred promised to carry out the suggestion although he had expected to tellJohn at least of the discovery he had made. 

It was long before the excited boy was able to sleep, but when at last hiseyelids closed they did not open until the party was already astir. 

When breakfast had been eaten Zeke approached the place where Fred wasworking on his pack and said in a low voice, "I want you to come with me. "

"Where?" inquired Fred. 

The guide did not reply to the query, but without any delay Fred arose andfollowed him as he led the way to a place below the rim. There to hissurprise Fred saw Thomas Jefferson, evidently awaiting their coming. 

As soon as the guide and the Go Ahead boy arrived, Zeke said to theIndian, "Now then, Thomas Jefferson, I want you to tell us what you weredoing last night. I don't want any nonsense about it either. You answer myquestions straight or there'll be trouble for both of you Navajoes. "

Fred was certain there was a sharp gleam in the eyes of the Indian but hedid not respond to the suggestion of the guide. Quietly seating himself hefaced them both and evidently was waiting for Zeke to begin his crossexamination. 

"Thomas Jefferson, " said Zeke sternly, "weren't you sent east to beeducated in the schools?"

"Yes, " replied the Indian simply. 

"And weren't all your expenses paid?"

"Yes. "

"Didn't they treat you white?"

"They thought they did. "

"Don't you _know_ they did? They paid all your traveling expenses. Theypaid for your board and your clothes. There wasn't anything that cost youa cent. What do you mean then by saying 'they thought they did'?"

"It was hard for me when I come back to the Navajo people. They laugh atmy clothes. They think what I have learned is no good and pretty soon Iam ready to give up all I have learned so that the Navajo shan't laugh atme some more. "

"That isn't it, Thomas Jefferson, " said Zeke tartly. "You're expected tocome back to your tribe and show them how to live. That's the way a goodmany do. I never saw an Indian who had been educated and then came back tohis tribe and give up because he was afraid some silly girl was going tolaugh at him for his clothes or his new education, that, if he let go, hedid not swing twice as far in the other direction. There's no Indian likea bad Indian. And no bad Indian is as bad as the one I'm telling youabout. "

The Navajo did not respond though his manner betrayed that his anger wassteadily rising. 

"Now, then, I want to know, Thomas Jefferson, what you were doing withthose men down on the side of the Gulch last night, " continued Zeke. 

"I did not see men. "

"Well, _man_, then. Have it your own way. Perhaps there was only one ofthem. Was it that fellow with the scar on his face?"

"I did not say. "

"Well, that's what you must do. You've got to tell us who he was. "

"If I do not tell what will you do?"

"Drive you out of camp the same as I would drive a rat out of his hole. "

The Indian laughed but made no other response. 

"Now, then, Thomas Jefferson, " said Zeke, angered by the apparentindifference of the young Indian, "did you see that white man or didn'tyou?"

"I did not see him. "

"Are you talking straight?"

"I am. "

"It is 'good talk' you're giving me, is it?"

"I did not see the man. "

"Well, then, who was there?"

"I did not see any one. "

"But Fred here says you were talking to somebody. "

"Let him say. "

"All right, T. J. , " said Zeke abruptly. "We'll stop here for a while. I'mnot done with you yet. Now, what I want you to do is to take Kitoni withyou and go along the side of the Gulch keeping your eyes open for any signof a vein. If you find it you let me know right away. "

"What you do?" inquired the Navajo. 

"We shall keep up above the rim and try to find out what is there. Nowmark you, T. J. , don't try any of your tricks on us. If you do, the firstthing you know you'll be thrown out and there'll be no cure for it. "

The guide now rejoined the other members of the party and plans were soonmade for the day. 

It finally was decided that while the two Indians were making their wayalong the side of the Gulch, all the others should be divided into twoparties. Each of these two parties was to spread out in such a manner thatat least ten feet intervened between any two men. 

It was decided also that the Indians should precede the others by at leastan hour. 

Meanwhile it was agreed that the center of the rock should be made thestarting place for the new expedition. Slow progress was certain, but allwere more eager now to avoid mistakes than they were to make haste. 

John, who declared he had now acquired an accurate stride which coveredexactly a yard, led the way. Directly behind him was Zeke, while the boyswere scattered on either side. Pete again formed the rear guard, althoughno danger now was feared unless the actions of Thomas Jefferson impliedthat they were being watched by others. Zeke had declared positively toFred that he thought the Indian was not telling him the truth. "There'sall the more reason, " he explained, "why we must keep our eyes open. I'msure that the Navajo is being paid for his work and I shouldn't besurprised if that man with the scar was the treasurer of the fund. "

Even Fred now ignored any peril that might arise from the supposedinterview of Thomas Jefferson with other enemies, for the excitement ofthe last part of their investigations was strong upon him. 

Slowly the little band advanced over the broken surface. There weregullies so deep that at first it seemed impossible to gain the oppositeside. Most of these, however, were narrow and consequently thedifficulties of John in measuring the distance were not greatly increased. 

Grant had explained that if they did start from the wrong place they wouldsteadily swing more and more away from the spot they were seeking. However, there was nothing to be done except to try and the eagerness ofthe boys clearly showed how willing they were to make the attempt. 

As the distance covered by John steadily increased, the boys became moresilent though they were steadily watching for some object that mightindicate the end of the first part of their search. No object, however, was seen and when at last John halted, declaring that he had coveredexactly the distance required, he was standing on an elevation so slightthat no one believed it was a landmark. 

"Now, from here, " said Grant, "we turn and go southeast a quarter of amile. "

"From where?" demanded Zeke. 

"From where String is standing. "

"Might as well start from there as anywhere, " growled Zeke. "It's a kindof fool's journey anyway. "

The sun was now pouring its beams directly upon the heads of the youngexplorers and there was no relief to be had. Across the desert stretch nota place of refuge was within sight. 

"There's nothing else to be done, " said Grant resolutely. "Jack will haveto keep on and follow the compass just as closely as he did on the wayhere. "

The declaration of the Go Ahead Boy was so evidently true that without aprotest from any one the entire party resumed its march. 

They were now at least a half-mile from the rim of the great Gulch. Inchanging the direction in which they were moving they still were followingthe line made by the huge chasm. 

They had gone only half the distance of the second stage of their journey, when they all halted abruptly as Zeke said in a low voice, pointing as hespoke toward the canyon, "Is that smoke off there?"

For a moment all in the party were silent, but Pete and Grant were strongin their opinion that a thin line of smoke was visible just above theborder of Thorn's Gulch. 

"Huh, " muttered Zeke, "that's more or less what I expected. "

"What was it you were expecting?" demanded Fred. 

"Just what I see. "

"Yes, but what do you see?"

"The same as you do, " said the guide sharply. 

"I don't see anything but a little smoke. It may not be anything but acloud, " said Fred. 

"Well, you see the same thing that I do and you're as free as I am toexplain what it means. I'm very free to say that I don't like it. "

"Here I am, " exclaimed John, who had closely been following the compass. 

"Where is that?" laughed George. 

"Right here where I am is the end of that quarter-mile that we were tofollow to the southeast. "

"Stay where you are then, " said Grant quickly. "We've got to measure fromthat spot to find anything like the stake we're looking for. We're nowgoing a quarter-mile north northeast from here. "

Again at the second halt John was standing on another small elevation, although it too was so slight that it would not have called attention toitself from any chance passer-by. 

"We're on our last lap, now, " said Fred gleefully. "In a few minutes we'llknow whether we've struck oil or gold. Come on, fellows!" he shouted inhis excitement. 

The little band at once renewed their journey and their excitementsteadily increased as John's pace led them, as they believed, in thedirection which had been indicated in the diary of Simon Moultrie. 

CHAPTER XXV

CIRCLES

The determination of the Go Ahead Boys now was more manifest than at anytime since they had left the Grand Canyon. The different ways in, whichthis feeling expressed itself was marked, for Fred's face was flushed andJohn's was eager as they pressed steadily forward. George was sometimeshopeful and sometimes in despair, while Grant was the only one whosecountenance was unmoved. 

Conversation did not thrive now for several reasons. The face of every onewas turned toward the distance and as they pressed forward John's paceunconsciously became swifter. Indeed, the tall Go Ahead Boy was sointerested now in arriving at the end of his journey that unconsciously hewas giving less heed to the paces he was making. 

Abruptly John stopped, declaring that he had come to the end. He hadcarefully followed the direction of the compass and had covered the lastquarter-mile. 

Blankly the Go Ahead Boys looked all about them. They now found themselveson the side of a low hill which itself seemed to be part of a mountain. Attheir left were ledges and great rocks that had been worn away by stormsor the action of the air and sun. In whichever direction they looked, however, they were unable to discover anything that seemed to indicate aclaim. 

"I tell you we've come to the wrong place, " said George, easily the mostdiscouraged of the band. "There isn't anything here and I knew therewasn't all the while. "

"Why did you come then?" demanded John irritably. 

"I didn't want to break up the party, " responded George. 

"What shall we do now?" asked Fred, whose distress of mind was manifest inthe tones of his voice. 

"There's nothing to do but quit, " said George. "It's a wise man that knowswhen he has had enough and I've had all I want. "

"Q. E. D. , " said Grant dryly. 

"What do you mean by that?" demanded George. 

"You know what it stands for, " answered Grant. "All I meant was that youproved what you started out to prove. "

"What is that?" demanded George. 

"Why that you're a wise man and know when to quit. "

"But honestly, Soc, isn't that the way you feel about it, too?" demandedFred disconsolately. 

"'Honestly, ' Fred, " retorted Grant mockingly, "it's _not_ the way I feelabout it. I'm not going to give up. Did you ever hear the story of Bruceand the spider?"

"Only a few times, " laughed John. "I think you have told us about how hewas hiding in a cave and how he watched a spider that kept on trying toswing himself across a corner. I believe that he failed a good many timesbut finally succeeded. "

"Good for you, String, " laughed Grant. "I wasn't quite sure that you gotthe point. "

"I get the point, all right, " retorted John, "when you're able to make itplain. All the same, " he added, "what are we going to do next?"

"I'm not so sure, " said Grant slowly. "Probably we'll have to stay here afew weeks and keep on trying to find the right spot. "

"What are you talking about?" demanded Fred blankly. "I wouldn't stay herea few weeks for all the money there is in every mine in Arizona!"

"This is the time and this is the place when the majority have got torule, " said Grant quietly. 

"If the majority want to stay here and look a little longer for SimonMoultrie's claim then I guess the others will have to stay too. There'sgoing to be no journeying across the desert or back up the gulch and thecanyon by any party of one or two. We've had enough Go Ahead Boys getlost. "

"Don't be so proud, " retorted Fred. "_You_ haven't been lost, but itwasn't any fault of yours. It was simply your good luck. "

"I'm not denying that, " said Grant. "I am quite sure I should have beenlost if I had been where you were. All I'm saying is that we aren't goingto lose any more. "

"Well, what _are_ we going to do?" asked George. 

"We've got to decide what we'll do first, " said Grant. "What do youthink?" he added, turning to the guide as he spoke. 

Zeke had been silent throughout the conversation. It was plain that he wasperplexed and perhaps downcast at the outcome of their first attempt. However, the expression of his face was unchanged when he said, "I'vedecided one thing and that is that you boys are going to stay right hereand watch a little while. "

"'Watch'?" repeated Grant. "What do you mean? What are we going to watch?"

"You're going to be on the lookout, " was all that Zeke was willing toexplain. "There's going to be some things goin' on around here worthseein', in my opinion, " he added, "but I don't know just what and I'm notsure just where. I do know though the first thing that's going to bedone. "

"What's that?" inquired Grant. 

"I'm going to get under the shadow of that big rock yonder and then I'mgoing to cook some dinner. "

"But it isn't more than eleven o'clock, " protested Fred. 

"I don't care what time it is. I'm going to cook the dinner if it'sseventeen o'clock to-morrow mornin'. "

"And after dinner what?" asked Grant. 

"What I told you, " said Zeke. "I'm going to leave you boys here on thelookout while I go down over the rim. "

"What are you going for?" asked Fred. 

"Two things, " replied Zeke. "I'm going to look first for those two peskyNavajos and then I'm going to have an eye on that ledge that SimonMoultrie referred to in his diary. "

"If you have one eye in one direction and the other in another, Zeke, "laughed Fred, "you'll be getting cross-eyed the first thing you know. "

Fred's laugh relieved the tension somewhat and when dinner had beenprepared by the guides the spirits of all had risen once more. 

"I'm suggesting, " said Grant before the boys arose from their seats, "thatwe form five big circles here, about twenty-five feet apart. We'll have acommon center and then from there we will start out, every one coveringthe part that has been given him. In this way we'll be able to cover agood deal of this ground and find out whether there's anything here toshow that Simon Moultrie ever struck a claim. "

"Better not try that until I come back, " suggested Zeke. "I will be backalong about supper time and I may have somethin' to report when I come. IfI do, it may change all your plans. "

"What do you expect to report, Zeke?" asked George. 

"Just exactly what I find, " answered the guide solemnly, whereat the GoAhead Boys all laughed loudly. 

"Now, you mind what I say, " said Zeke a few minutes later. "Don't none ofyou go more'n a hundred yards from this spot. It may be I shall need thehelp of every one of you and need it in a hurry too. If I do, I want youon hand. Besides, there isn't any use in any more of you wanderin' offinto the gullies trying to lose yourselves. "

Zeke arose and after he had carefully looked to his person to assurehimself that his revolver was in his hip pocket and that the pole he hadtaken would stand a severe test, quickly started toward the rim. Not oncedid he glance behind him and in a brief time he stepped lightly over therim of the Gulch and disappeared from the sight of the Go Ahead Boys. 

For a few minutes after the departure of the guide the boys remained inthe camp, obedient to the suggestion of Zeke, and perhaps all alikefearful of being lost if they ventured far from the locality. Theirrestlessness, however, returned in a brief time and Grant said to hiscompanions, "Boys, why don't we try out my plan?"

"What plan is that?" asked Fred. 

"Why, that we use this place where we have camped as a center and thatevery one of us, as I told you, a few feet from the others try to make abig circle about it. "

"I think that's a good scheme, " said John excitedly. "It will give ussomething to do and it will help us in finding what we're after. "

"That's right, " joined in George. 

As a consequence the boys speedily began their new task. 

Fred was stationed about twenty-five feet from the camp, George wasfifteen feet beyond him, John was stationed an equal distance beyondGeorge, while Grant, who was about sixty feet from the camp, made theouter circle. 

At a given signal the boys began their search. They did their utmost toretain the same relative positions, although such action required greaterexertion on the part of Grant than of the other Go Ahead Boys. 

When at last the circles had been completed the Go Ahead Boys decided torepeat the experiment, following a similar plan and at equal distancesbeyond the circles already made. 

"We must look out, " suggested Fred as the boys lined up the second time, "not to go too far away. You know Zeke told us not to leave this place. "

"I guess we shan't have any trouble, " declared John. "We shan't be beyondhailing distance from one another anyway. "

The second attempt when it was completed had met with no better successthan had crowned their former efforts. No one had found a trace orindication of any spot that had been staked out as a claim. 

The third time the strange wheels revolved about the camping place, although by this time the distance that had to be covered was greatlyincreased. 

When the boys at last assembled once more and the reports were made theywere all plainly disheartened. Perhaps the fact that they were tired alsohad much to do with their feeling. Even Fred, however, did not suggestthat they should abandon their main purpose, for the excitement of thesearch in spite of his disappointment was still strong upon him. 

"I'm not just sure, " said George when the boys stretched themselves uponthe ground, "that I'm looking for the right thing anyway. "

"What do you expect?" demanded Fred. 

"I'm looking for Simon Moultrie's claim, that's all, " remarked Georgesimply. 

"Yes, and probably you expected to stumble over a mine with the men all atwork. You expected to find a shaft and mules and men on every side. Howabout it, Pop?"

"I'm not quite as bad as that, " replied George, joining in the laugh thatgreeted Fred's words, "but I'll have to own up I don't know exactly what Iwas looking for. "

"You're hopeless, " laughed his friend, but for some reason silence soonrested over the little group. 

The afternoon was waning and the night would soon be at hand. Alreadyshadows were creeping over the gulches and canyons and the reflectionswere weird and in places fantastic. In the fading light the vivid colorsof the sides of the canyons became softer. The coming of the night seemedto cast its spell over all. 

The Go Ahead Boys had become quiet. Even the stories of Pete, who a fewminutes before had joined the band, seemed to be as unreal as the emptyshells. Few questions were asked and it was not plain that all the boyswere listening. 

Suddenly John arose and exclaimed, "There comes Zeke! I wonder what he hasto report. "

In a moment John's companions had joined him and all four were advancingto meet the guide who was returning from the rim of the Gulch. 

CHAPTER XXVI

CONCLUSION

"Where have you been, Zeke?" called John. 

"Down, 'n the Gulch, " replied the guide gruffly. 

"What did you find? Did you see any one?"

"Nothing to speak of, " retorted Zeke, who plainly was not disposed torecount the story of his recent adventures. 

Without halting, the guide said, "The Navajos will be coming soon. "

"What do you mean?" demanded John excitedly. 

"Just what I say, " said Zeke. 

"Do you mean the whole Navajo tribe or just the two that we've seen?"

"You certainly be the most innocent chap I've ever seen, " remarked Zekeirritably, as for a moment he halted and looked sternly at the two boys. "Of course I mean Thomas Jefferson and Kitoni. "

"What are they coming up for?" demanded Fred. 

"Children should be seen and not heard, " retorted Zeke. 

John laughed, but the face of his diminutive friend flushed angrily thoughhe did not reply to the statement of the leader. 

Plainly Zeke was not inclined to talk. In silence he led the way back tothe camp without referring again to his visit or explaining what hisfuture plans were to be. 

Neither would he talk after he had arrived, except to remark that it wouldbe time enough to talk when the Navajos came. 

Two hours later Thomas Jefferson arrived in camp. The time had beenhanging heavily upon the hands of the Go Ahead Boys and the coming of theIndian provided a sharp relief. 

"Where's Kitoni?" demanded George as Thomas Jefferson alone entered thecamp. 

"I cannot say. "

"Are you expecting him pretty soon?"

"I expect him to be here when he shall come. "

"That's quite a remarkable statement, isn't it?" said John lightly, as theIndian turned away and approached the place where Zeke was lying on hisback. 

An extensive conversation between the Navajo and the guide followed butthe Go Ahead Boys were unable to hear anything that was said. 

At last, however, Zeke arose and approaching the place where the Go AheadBoys were standing, he said, "I hear you boys didn't do what I told you?"

"What was that?" inquired Grant. 

"I told you not to leave this camp. "

"We didn't go very far away, " laughed Grant. "Every one of us got busy andwe made some circles around the place here where we're stopping. We triedit three times, but we didn't find any signs of the claim which SimonMoultrie had staked. "

"What did you expect to find?" demanded Zeke, a broad grin appearing onhis face for a moment. 

"The claim, " reported Grant sharply. 

"Did you think there was a big sign up there stating that this was oldSimon Moultrie's property and warning everybody to keep off?"

Without waiting for a reply Zeke turned away, nor were the Go Ahead Boysable to induce him to renew his conversation. No reference was made to theplans for the following day and all four boys were greatly mystified whenat last they retired for the night. 

The failure of the guide to be interested in the attempts the boys hadmade to discover the claim for which they were searching was somewhatmortifying. Indeed, Fred was inclined to break out in open rebellion. Itwas Grant, however, who soothed his feelings and prevailed upon his friendnot to speak again to Zeke concerning the efforts they had made. 

Early the following morning the missing Navajo and the white man whoseface was scarred, who had been an occasional unwelcome visitor in thecamp, together approached the place where the boys were awaiting theircoming. 

"Do you see who that is?" demanded Fred in a low voice. 

"Not being aged and infirm and my memory not having failed me as yet, "said Grant solemnly, "I do recollect our distinguished visitor. "

No more was said although with deep interest the boys watched the approachof the two men, wondering all the time what the coming of the white manimplied. 

Their curiosity was still further increased when Zeke without waiting forthe men to enter the camp met them thirty feet away and at once enteredinto a low and earnest conversation. 

"What's the meaning of all this?" demanded Fred again. "I don't see whatthat fellow is doing back here and I don't understand why Zeke appears tobe so friendly with him. You don't suppose, " he added cautiously, "thatthe guide has decided to go in with the other fellows, do you?"

"Don't you remember what Zeke told you a good many times?" spoke up Grantsharply. "He said that children should be seen and not heard. "

Fred's face was expressive of his anger, but he wisely did not respond tothe suggestion of his friend. 

It was not long before Zeke and the two newcomers entered the camp wherebreakfast was hastily prepared for the Indian and his companion. 

"Zeke, " spoke up John, "we don't understand what's going on. What does allthis mean?"

"What does all what mean?" retorted Zeke blankly. 

"You know just as well as I do. What is this man doing here in our campagain?"

"You'll have to ask him. "

"Well, I don't want to ask him. I don't want anything to do with him. Hestole Simon Moultrie's diary, he smashed one of our boats, he took one ofour packs and no one knows how much more damage he has done. I don't thinkhe ought to be here. "

"You might tell him so, " suggested Zeke, smiling slightly as he spoke. 

"I'm not going to tell him, " retorted John. "I'm telling you and you areresponsible for this party. "

"That's right, so I be, " spoke up Zeke as if it was the first time he hadheard the statement. "There isn't much use, " he continued, "in my lookingafter you when I find that you don't pay any 'tention to what I tell you. I left word for not one o' you boys to leave the camp while I was gone andwhen I come back I find that all four of you have been up to all sorts oftricks. "

"What are those men waiting for?" demanded Fred, glancing as he spoke atthe Navajo and the white man, who were frequently looking toward the rimof the Gulch. 

"I think you'll have to ask them, " said Zeke as he at once withdrew andjoined the men whose actions had caused Fred to ask his question. 

Fred's confusion returned when he found that Zeke and the white manapparently were on the best of terms. His anger increased as he becameconvinced that he was the topic of their conversation, for each frequentlyglanced in his direction and both laughed as if the reference to the GoAhead Boy was highly amusing. 

Fred's conviction that they were awaiting the coming of some one wasstrengthened when he joined his friends. 

"I'm telling you, fellows, there's something strange about all this, " hesaid positively. "Nobody knows what those men have in mind. I'm gettingworried. "

"What are you afraid of, Pee Wee?" laughed George, who thus far apparentlywas unmoved by the anxiety of his friend. 

"I'm afraid something will happen that won't do us any good, " said Fred. 

The fears of the Go Ahead Boy were not expressed, however, for at thatmoment above the rim of the Gulch appeared the tall form of the white manwho had been the companion of the man with the scar. 

Blankly the Go Ahead Boys stared at this latest addition to their party, but not one of them was able to offer any explanation of his coming. Itwas plain, however, that the arrival of this man had been expected, forboth the Indians and the man with the scar at once advanced to meet himand the long conversation that followed indicated that his approach wasnot a surprise. 

The confusion in the minds of the Go Ahead Boys increased when a fewminutes later Zeke conducted the two white visitors to the place where theboys were standing. As he drew near he doffed his hat and said, "Boys, Iwant to make you acquainted with Mr. Moultrie. This is the man, " headded, as he slapped the tall stranger on his shoulder. 

The boys somehow murmured their appreciation of the introduction thoughthe blank manner in which they stared at the visitor indicated that theywere more mystified than before. 

A moment later Zeke beckoned to the man with the scar to approach. As hecame near the place, again Zeke doffed his hat and making a low bow saidto the boys, "I want to make you 'quainted with Mr. Pratt. We have beenwaiting for Moultrie to come, " he explained, "and I'm thinking we're aboutready to start. "

"Where?" demanded Grant. 

"You come along and you'll see, " was all the explanation Zeke gave. 

Dubious as the Go Ahead Boys were they nevertheless decided to follow thesuggestion of their guide and in a brief time the entire party, includingthe two Navajos, set forth from the camp. 

The tall stranger was the leader now and silently and swiftly he led theway. Apparently he was fully aware of the destination he was seeking andthe most direct method of approaching it. Across the little plateau overwhich they were moving he led his followers until at last they came to adeep gulch or gully that had been worn into the side of the mountain. Doubtless the torrents which had swept down the hill-side had worn theirway into the mountain-side, leaving this deep gulch as the evidence oftheir power. 

The excitement of the boys increased when Mr. Moultrie entered the gully. It was manifest that he was no stranger here and as he swiftly advanced, his followers found difficulty in keeping up with the pace that he set. 

For fifteen minutes not a word was spoken although the excitementincreased with every passing minute. Indeed, it was manifest that theinterest of Zeke and the Navajoes was steadily increasing as they movedfarther into the gulch. 

Fifteen minutes later the man who had been introduced to the boys asMoultrie abruptly halted and said, "It is right here. "

"What is here?" demanded Grant, who was now the spokesman for the Go AheadBoys. 

"Simon Moultrie's claim, " said the man simply. 

"What!" demanded Grant. "Where is it? I don't see it. What have you to dowith it?"

"It's right before you, " said the tall man, smiling as he spoke, "and thereason why I am here is because that claim belongs to me. I am JamesMoultrie, Simon's younger brother. After he found this place and filed hisclaim he wrote me what he had done and said that he had made his will, leaving the whole thing to me. "

"And who is this man?" demanded Grant, turning to Moultrie's companion. 

"His name is Pratt. Didn't Zeke introduce him?"

"Yes, " answered Grant. "I know who he is but what is he?"

"He's a prospector who has been working around here not far from mybrother more or less for five years. My brother was almost insane andPratt knew it. He tried to keep a little watch over him, but Sime wouldn'thave him around. He was about here, however, when my brother died and hehelped me locate the claim. "

"Were you the man who took our diary?" spoke up John. 

"'Your' diary is good, " laughed Mr. Moultrie. "Do you think it really wasyours?"

"We found it, " said John doggedly. 

"By the same rule, " said Mr. Moultrie, "the man that found this boy whenhe was lost in the gulch ought to own him. We took the diary all right, but it belonged to us anyway. We were only appropriating what was ours. "

"What about that boat that was stove in?"

"That was an accident. We took one of the boats fully expecting to give itback to you within a day or two. We struck a rock and that's all there isto the story. "

"But what about that pack?"

"Our supplies were all gone so we took the pack, " laughed the man. 

"Did Zeke know about it?" suddenly inquired Fred. 

"I reckon he wasn't altogether lacking in information, " laughed Moultrie. 

"Then, why did you bring us all here?" demanded Fred, turning angrily uponthe guide. 

"I thought you wanted to come here, " responded Zeke solemnly. 

"We wanted to find the claim, " retorted Fred. 

"Well, you have found it, haven't you?" inquired Zeke as most of the partylaughed loudly. 

"We have found what you _say_ is the claim, " acknowledged Fred, "but--"

"We have found what _is_ the claim, " said Mr. Moultrie quietly. "Now, Iappreciate the zeal of the Go Ahead Boys and I don't intend to forget it. This claim may be worth a hundred million dollars and it may not be worthone red cent. I'm going to give one hundred shares, if a company isorganized and we put out the stock, to every one of the Go Ahead Boys. "

"How much does Zeke get?" laughed Grant. 

"He doesn't get anything, " said Mr. Moultrie, "unless we develop a minehere and that means a lot of work and a long wait. Then, if the prospectlooks good, we may organize a development company, and if the developmentshows up well, then we'll organize a mining company. But no one knows nowwhether he's rich man, poor man, beggar man or thief until all that hasbeen done. "

THE END THE GO AHEAD BOYS

BY ROSS KAY. 

 _I leave this rule for other's when I'm dead: Be always sure you're right--THEN GO AHEAD. --Davy Crockett's Motto_. 

[Illustration]

The love of adventure is inborn in all normal boys. Action is almost asupreme demand in all the stories they read with most pleasure. Here ispresented a series of rattling good adventure stories which every live "goahead" boy will read with unflagging interest. There is action, dash andsnap in every tale yet the tone is healthful and there is an underlyingvein of resourcefulness and strength that is worth while. 

 * * * * *

1 THE GO AHEAD BOYS ON SMUGGLERS' ISLAND. 2 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE TREASURE CAVE. 3 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE MYSTERIOUS OLD HOUSE. 4 THE GO AHEAD BOYS IN THE ISLAND CAMP. 5 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE RACING MOTOR BOAT. 6 THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND SIMON'S MINE. 

(Other volumes in preparation)

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For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage paid) on receipt of price bythe publishers. 

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BARSE & HOPKINSPublishers 28 West 23rd Street New York

THRILLING STORIES OF

THE BIG EUROPEAN WAR

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THE BIG WAR SERIES

(Trade Mark Registered)

BY ROSS KAY

[Illustration]

The big European War, one of the greatest epoch-making events in theworld's history, has been chosen by one of the best-known writers ofjuvenile fiction as the scene of a series of thrilling stories of thesestirring times. 

Not a description of battles, nor the study of strategical campaigns, butgood whole-some fiction with a little of the historical interwoven. Theseare authentic, instructive and exciting narratives on the greatest war inhistory. 

THE SEARCH FOR THE SPY. THE AIR SCOUT. DODGING THE NORTH SEA MINES. WITH JOFFRE ON THE BATTLE LINES. FIGHTING IN FRANCE. BATTLING ON THE SOMME. WITH PERSHING AT THE FRONT. SMASHING THE HINDENBURG LINE. 

=_Cloth, Large 12mo. , Illustrated, Per vol. 75 cents_=

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage paid) on receipt ofprice by the publishers. 

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BARSE & HOPKINS

Publishers 28 West 23rd Street New York

THE BOY SCOUT LIFE SERIES

Published with the approval of The Boy Scouts of America

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[Illustration]

In the boys' world of story books, none better than those about boy scoutsarrest and grip attention. In a most alluring way, the stories in the BOYSCOUT LIFE SERIES tell of the glorious good times and wonderful adventuresof boy scouts. 

All the books were written by authors possessed of an intimate knowledgeof this greatest of all movements organized for the welfare of boys, andare published with the approval of the National Headquarters of the BoyScouts of America. 

The Chief Scout Librarian, Mr. F. K. Mathiews, writes concerning them: "Itis a bully bunch of books. I hope you will sell 100, 000 copies of eachone, for these stories are the sort that help instead of hurt ourmovement"

THE BOY SCOUT FIRE FIGHTERS--_CRUMP_

THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE TROOP--_McLANE_

THE BOY SCOUT TRAIL BLAZERS--_CHELEY_

THE BOY SCOUT TREASURE HUNTERS--_LERRIGO_

BOY SCOUTS AFLOAT--_WALDEN_

BOY SCOUTS COURAGEOUS--_MATHIEWS_

(Other volumes in preparation. )

=_12mo. , Cloth, Illustrated, Per vol. 75 cents postpaid_=

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage paid) on receipt of priceby the publishers. 

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BARSE & HOPKINS

Publishers 28 West 23rd Street New York

THE SOMEWHERE SERIES

BY MARTHA TRENT

Cloth, 12mo. Illustrated With picture inlay and wrapper

Per volume, 60 cents postpaid

[Illustration]

Around a central figure, "half girl, half boy, and the better half ofeach, " the author has written a fascinating story laying the plot first inAmerica and subsequently, in the other stories, in other countries. Theauthor's intimate knowledge and deep insight into the life andsurroundings of the young heroines in the various countries add distincteducational value to the pronounced charm and quaintness of the stories. Apeculiarly timely series of books for young readers who have beenfollowing the progress of the war. 

1 HELEN CAREY: SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA

2 MARIEKEN DE BRUIN: SOMEWHERE IN BELGIUM

3 ALICE BLYTHE: SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND

4 VALERIE DUVAL: SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE

5 LUCIA RUDINI: SOMEWHERE IN ITALY

6 PHOEBE MARSHALL: SOMEWHERE IN CANADA

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage prepaid) on receipt of priceby the publishers. 

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BARSE & HOPKINS

PUBLISHERS

28 West 23rd Street New York

"As Popular as the Game Itself"

THE BIG LEAGUE SERIES

(_Trade Mark Registered_)

BY BURT L. STANDISH. 

[Illustration]

Endorsed by such stars of baseballdom as Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb andWalter Johnson. 

An American boy with plenty of grit--baseball at its finest--and the girlin the case--these are the elements which compose the most successful ofjuvenile fiction. You don't have to be a "fan" to enjoy these books; allyou need to be is really human and alive with plenty of red blood in yourveins. 

The author managed a "Bush League" team a number of years ago and isthoroughly familiar with the actions of baseball players on and off thefield. Every American, young or old who has enjoyed the thrills andexcitement of our national game, is sure to read with delight thesesplendid stories of baseball and romance. 

1 LEFTY O' THE BUSH. 

2 LEFTY O' THE BIG LEAGUE. 

3 LEFTY O' THE BLUE STOCKINGS. 

4 LEFTY O' THE TRAINING CAMP. 

5 BRICK KING, BACKSTOP. 

6 THE MAKING OF A BIG LEAGUER. 

7 COURTNEY OF THE CENTER GARDEN. 

8 COVERING THE LOOK-IN CORNER. 

9 LEFTY LOCKE, PITCHER-MANAGER. 

10 GUARDING THE KEYSTONE SACK. 

=_Cloth, Large 12mo. , Illustrated, Per vol. 75 cents_=

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage paid) on receipt off price bythe publishers. 

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BARSE & HOPKINS

Publishers 28 West 23rd Street New York

BOOKS FOR BOYS

From eight to twelve years old

THE BOBBY BLAKE SERIES

BY FRANK A. WARNER

True stories of life at a modern American boarding school. Bobby attendsthis institution of learning with his particular chum and the boys have noend of good times. The tales of outdoor life, especially the excitingtimes they have when engaged in sports against rival schools, are writtenin a manner so true, so realistic, that the reader, too, is bound to sharewith these boys their thrills and pleasures. 

1 BOBBY BLAKE AT ROCKLEDGE SCHOOL, Or, Winning the Medal of Honor. 

2 BOBBY BLAKE AT BASS COVE, Or, The Hunt for the Motor Boat Gem. 

3 BOBBY BLAKE ON A CRUISE, Or, The Castaways of Volcano Island. 

4 BOBBY BLAKE AND HIS SCHOOL CHUMS, Or, The Rivals at Rockledge. 

5 BOBBY BLAKE AT SNOWTOP CAMP, Or, Winter Holidays in the Big Woods. 

6 BOBBY BLAKE ON THE SCHOOL NINE, Or, The Champions of the Monatook Lake League. 

7 BOBBY BLAKE ON A RANCH, Or, The Secret of the Mountain Cave. 

(Other volumes in preparation. )

=_Cloth, Large 12mo. , Illustrated, Per vol. 75 cents_=

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage paid) on receipt ofprice by the publishers. 

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BARSE & HOPKINS

Publishers 28 West 23rd Street New York

STORIES FOR CHILDREN

(From four to nine years old)

THE KNEETIME ANIMAL STORIES

BY RICHARD BARNUM

[Illustration]

In all nursery literature animals have played a conspicuous part; and thereason is obvious for nothing entertains a child more than the antics ofan animal. These stories abound in amusing incidents such as childrenadore and the characters are so full of life, so appealing to a child'simagination, that none will be satisfied until they have met all of theirfavorites--Squinty, Slicko, Mappo, Tum Tum, etc. 

1 SQUINTY, THE COMICAL PIG. 

2 SLICKO, THE JUMPING SQUIRREL. 

3 MAPPO, THE MERRY MONKEY. 

4 TUM TUM, THE JOLLY ELEPHANT. 

5 DON, A RUNAWAY DOG. 

6 DIDO, THE DANCING BEAR. 

7 BLACKIE, A LOST CAT. 

8 FLOP EAR, THE FUNNY RABBIT. 

9 TINKLE, THE TRICK PONY. 

10 LIGHTFOOT, THE LEAPING GOAT. 

11 CHUNKY, THE HAPPY HIPPO. 

12 SHARP EYES, THE SILVER FOX. 

13 NERO, THE CIRCUS LION. 

14 TAMBA, THE TAME TIGER. 

=_Cloth, Large 12mo. , Illustrated, Per vol. 60 cents_=

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage paid) on receipt ofprice by the publishers. 

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BARSE & HOPKINS

Publishers 28 West 23rd Street New York

THE POLLY PENDLETON SERIES

BY DOROTHY WHITEHILL

[Illustration] Polly Pendleton is a resourceful, wide-awake American girlwho goes to a boarding school on the Hudson River some miles above NewYork. By her pluck and resourcefulness, she soon makes a place for herselfand this she holds right through the course. The account of boardingschool life is faithful and pleasing and will attract every girl in herteens. 

1 POLLY'S FIRST YEAR AT BOARDING SCHOOL

2 POLLY'S SUMMER VACATION

3 POLLY'S SENIOR YEAR AT BOARDING SCHOOL

4 POLLY SEES THE WORLD AT WAR

(Other volumes in preparation. )

_Cloth, Large 12mo. , Illustrated, Per vol. 75 cents_

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage paid) on receipt of priceby the publishers. 

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BARSE & HOPKINS

Publishers 28 West 23rd Street New York

ENTERTAINING STORIES FOR CHILDREN

From 4 to 9 years old

THE ANIMAL SERIES

BY FRANCES TREGO MONTGOMERY

[Illustration]

The best way to entertain children is to tell them a story. The better thestory, the more lasting the impression on the young mind. These tales, told in the simple and charming style for which this authoress is noted, will serve a two-fold purpose--entertainment for the children and anacquaintance with many well-known facts concerning animal life. 

The ever increasing sale of these books attests to their growingpopularity. Has your boy or girl read them? If not, now is the time to geta copy. 

1 COWS AND CALVES

2 HORSES AND COLTS

3 PIGS AND PIGGIES

4 CHICKENS AND CHICKS

5 DOGS AND PUPPIES

6 CATS AND KITTIES

=_Cloth, Quarto, Illustrated with eight colored illustrationsand six pen and ink drawings, Per vol. 50 cents_=

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage paid) on receipt of price bythe publishers. 

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BARSE & HOPKINS

Publishers 28 West 23rd Street New York

THE MARY JANE SERIES

BY CLARA INGRAM JUDSON

Cloth, 12mo. Illustrated. 

With picture inlay and wrapper

Per volume, 60 cents

[Illustration]

Mary Jane is the typical American little girl who bubbles over with funand the good things in life. We meet her here on a visit to hergrandfather's farm where she becomes acquainted with farm life and farmanimals and thoroughly enjoys the experience. We next see her going tokindergarten and then on a visit to Florida. 

Exquisitely and charmingly written, these are four books which everylittle girl from five to nine years old will want to read. 

1 MARY JANE--HER BOOK

2 MARY JANE--HER VISIT

3 MARY JANE'S KINDERGARTEN

4 MARY JANE DOWN SOUTH

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage prepaid) on receipt of priceby publishers. 

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BARSE & HOPKINS

PUBLISHERS

28 West 23rd Street New York