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We had left the enchanted land。
The trail was very steep and very long； and took us finally into the
country of dry brown grasses； gray brush； waterless stony ravines； and
dust。 Others had traveled that trail； headed the other way； and evidently
had not liked it。 Empty bottles blazed the path。 Somebody had
sacrificed a pack of playing… cards； which he had stuck on thorns from
time to time； each inscribed with a blasphemous comment on the
discomforts of such travel。 After an apparently interminable interval we
crossed an irrigating ditch； where the horses were glad to water； and so
came to one of those green flowering lush California villages so startlingly
in contrast to their surroundings。
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By this it was two o'clock and we had traveled on horseback since four。
A variety of circumstances learned at the village made it imperative that
both the Tenderfoot and myself should go out without the delay of a single
hour。 This left Wes to bring the horses home； which was tough on Wes；
but he rose nobly to the occasion。
When the dust of our rustling cleared； we found we had acquired a
team of wild broncos； a buckboard； an elderly gentleman with a white
goatee； two bottles of beer； some crackers and some cheese。 With these we
hoped to reach the railroad shortly after midnight。
The elevation was five thousand feet； the road dusty and hot； the
country uninteresting in sage… brush and alkali and rattlesnakes and
general dryness。 Constantly we drove； checking off the landmarks in the
good old fashion。 Our driver had immigrated from Maine the year before；
and by some chance had drifted straight to the arid regions。 He was
vastly disgusted。 At every particularly atrocious dust…hole or unlovely
cactus strip he spat into space and remarked in tones of bottomless
contempt：
〃BEAU…ti…ful Cal…if…or…nia！〃
This was evidently intended as a quotation。
Towards sunset we ran up into rounded hills； where we got out at
every rise in order to ease the horses； and where we hurried the old
gentleman beyond the limits of his Easterner's caution at every descent。
It grew dark。 Dimly the road showed gray in the twilight。 We did
not know how far exactly we were to go； but imagined that sooner or later
we would top one of the small ridges to look across one of the broad
plateau plains to the lights of our station。 You see we had forgotten； in
the midst of flatness； that we were still over five thousand feet up。 Then
the road felt its way between two hills；and the blackness of night opened
below us as well as above； and from some deep and tremendous abyss
breathed the winds of space。
It was as dark as a cave； for the moon was yet two hours below the
horizon。 Somehow the trail turned to the right along that tremendous
cliff。 We thought we could make out its direction； the dimness of its
glimmering； but equally well； after we had looked a moment； we could
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THE MOUNTAINS
imagine it one way or another； to right and left。 I went ahead to
investigate。 The trail to left proved to be the faint reflection of a clump
of 〃old man〃 at least five hundred feet down； that to right was a burned
patch sheer against the rise of the cliff。 We started on the middle way。
There were turns…in where a continuance straight ahead would require
an airship or a coroner； again turns…out where the direct line would
telescope you against the state of California。 These we could make out
by straining our eyes。 The horses plunged and snorted； the buckboard
leaped。 Fire flashed from the impact of steel against rock； momentarily
blinding us to what we should see。 Always we descended into the
velvet blackness of the abyss； the canon walls rising steadily above us
shutting out even the dim illumination of the stars。 From time to time
our driver； desperately scared； jerked out cheering bits of information。
〃My eyes ain't what they was。 For the Lord's sake keep a…lookin'；
boys。〃
〃That nigh hoss is deef。 There don't seem to be no use saying
WHOA to her。〃
〃Them brakes don't hold fer sour peanuts。 I been figgerin' on tackin'
on a new shoe for a week。〃
〃I never was over this road but onct； and then I was headed th' other
way。 I was driving of a cor？？e。〃
Then； after two hours of it； BING！ BANG！ SMASH！ our tongue
collided with a sheer black wall； no blacker than the atmosphere before it。
The trail here took a sharp V turn to the left。 We had left the face of the
precipice and henceforward would descend the bed of the canon。
Fortunately our collision had done damage to nothing but our nerves； so
we proceeded to do so。
The walls of the crevice rose thousands of feet above us。 They
seemed to close together； like the sides of a tent； to leave only a narrow
pale lucent strip of sky。 The trail was quite invisible； and even the sense
of its existence was lost when we traversed groves of trees。 One of us
had to run ahead of the horses； determining its general direction； locating
the sharper turns。 The rest depended on the instinct of the horses and
pure luck。
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It was pleasant in the cool of night thus to run down through the
blackness； shouting aloud to guide our followers； swinging to the slope；
bathed to the soul in mysteries of which we had no time to take
cognizance。
By and by we saw a little spark far ahead of us like a star。 The smell
of fresh wood smoke and stale damp fire came to our nostrils。 We gained
the star and found it to be a log smouldering； and up the