Fortunately, our whole party is
of the latter class.
Yesterday morning early we all started for a tramp down the canon. I
do not mean that we were in the canon by the river, for that would
have been impossible, but that we went along the path that runs close
to the edge of the high cliff. We carried our luncheon with us, so
there was no necessity for haste, and every now and then we sat upon
the thick carpet of pine needles to rest, and also study the marvelous
coloring of the cliffs across the river. The walls of the canon are
very high and very steep--in many places perpendicular--and their
strata of brilliant colors are a marvel to everyone. It was a day to
be remembered, and no one seemed to mind being a little tired when we
returned late in the afternoon. The proprietor of the little log hotel
that is only a short distance up the river, told Captain Spencer that
we had gone down six good miles--giving us a tramp altogether, of
twelve miles. It seems incredible, for not one of us could walk one
half that distance in less rarefied air.
Just below the big falls, and of course very near our camp, is a
nature study that we find most interesting. An unusually tall pine
tree has grown up from between the boulders at the edge of the river.
The tree is now dead and its long branches have fallen off, but a few
outspreading short ones are still left, and right in the center of
these a pair of eagles have built a huge nest, and in that nest, right
now, are two dear eaglets! The tree is some distance from the top of
the cliff, but it is also lower, otherwise we would not have such a
fine view of the nest and the big babies.
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