Girl Scouts in the Rockies Part 26

"Betty find him! Come see!" shouted he.

The others galloped across the park and stared at the deeply scarred pine, while Tally read its meaning to them.

"It must have been blazed in the days of the First People," said Julie.

But little attention was paid her remark, as every one was eager to go on. Tally broke a way through the jungle of bush and young timber, and finally they all came out to the silent woods again.

They rode through twilight forests of gigantic red-spruce trees, measuring from three to six feet in diameter and towering over a hundred feet in height. The ground under these was carpeted with pine needles, which lay, year after year, until no sound echoed from the hoofbeats upon them.

Looking in any direction, the scouts could see only dense forests, with not a crevice in their vaulted roofs of green where the sun might filter through. These pines seemed to waft down virgin incense upon the heads of the riders, who fully appreciated the still beauty of the place, and the velvety corridors they went along.

Then the trail became steeper, and the trees grew smaller, allowing great splashes of sunshine to bask here and there upon the pa.s.sive treetrunks, or to sprawl out upon the thick pine needles that covered the ground.

After riding for several hours, the scouts left the pine forest behind, and rode out upon a faint trail that ran through aspen brakes.

Now and then they came to parks where the trail lost itself, and every one had to seek for it again.

A great deal of time was lost in each park they came to, over thus finding the trail, as so many misleading ones were made in the thick buffalo gra.s.s by wild animals that came to graze there. The only thing Tally relied upon for the right way was by finding a blaze upon an old tree nearby.

During the climb, the horses often came upon sudden precipitous descents that had to be zigzagged down through loose stone and debris, then up again on the other side. When the riders reached the highest alt.i.tude of the Gore Range and looked about, they found themselves among sheer cliffs, that obstructed any distant views.

"Feels like lunchtime to me," ventured Anne.

"I should think you'd say dinnertime--that's the way it feels to me,"

laughed Julie.

"I was afraid to say that, because I am always credited,--unjustly of course,--with being the gourmand of the Troop," retorted Anne.

Tally now led along a trail that ran through a small park, that lay between two towering cliffs which shut off all sight of anything on either side of them. Along the bottom of this ravine-like park a clear stream of water gurgled noisily.

"Shall we camp here for luncheon?" asked the Captain, seeing the sweet green gra.s.s and cooling stream.

"Oh, no, Verny! Let's find some woods to stop in. It's not very inviting to feel shut in so far down," returned Julie.

So they rode on, the horses picking their careful way over stones and roots, and their riders having to pay strict attention to the trail.

The trail wound about upthrusts of rock, where other streams ran to fall down the sides of the ravine, causing it to widen as it needed more s.p.a.ce to carry the added waters. And at last, the scouts could see, in the distance, that the cliffs ahead ended and the stream also pa.s.sed from view.

"Where the cliffs end will be a dandy spot for camp. We shall be able to sit and gaze over the park that most likely is to be found there,"

suggested Joan, eagerly.

"If you don't camp somewhere soon, you'll find me ended there!" sighed Anne, comically.

Before they reached this "end" however, the Captain held up a hand for silence, as she said, "That's a queer sound I hear!"

The others reined in their horses and listened. They then heard it, also. Mr. Vernon said, "Sounds like thunder, I think."

"No, it sounds more like a stampede of cattle on a ranch. If you've ever heard the hoofbeats of a herd of steer, you'd know that this is like it," came from Mr. Gilroy.

Tally grinned at both men. "Him waterfall!"

"Waterfall! All that volume of sound?" asked Mr. Gilroy, skeptically.

"Him _big waterfall_," repeated Tally.

"Let's hurry to find it, then!" declared Julie, urging her horse forward and gaining the corner of the cliff at the end of the ravine, ahead of her companions.

The crags completely hid all that might be beyond them; but as the riders went along, the volume of sound increased until the roaring of water convinced every one that the Indian must be right in his surmise. Then they pa.s.sed around the obstructing crag, and sat spellbound at the panorama spread out before them.

The first glimpse of this tremendous waterfall was that of tawny green water bounding headlong over the precipice. Its dynamic vehemence had cleft a fearful way through the crags on either side of it, and adown its course one could see black hulks of rock that projected out from the swirling flood. The roar and thunder of this tremendous stream prevented any one from hearing other sounds.

The group of riders sat enthralled by the sight, then they next permitted their eyes to wander beyond the immediate falls to the magnificent view spread out in such s.p.a.ce below and beyond. In the far distance the snow-capped peaks lay, one behind the other, until they were lost to sight in the drifting clouds on the horizon. But, as if loath to merge so quickly with the clouds, here and there one or more peaks would appear with their sharp points above the mist, and there reflect the glory of the shining sun.

From the far horizon and its peaks, the eyes now dropped gradually from one height to the next lower down, until they rested upon a valley that lay fully fifteen hundred feet below the crags where the scouts stood. The panorama was so vast in extent and so impressive in its sense of infinitude, that the spectators scarcely drew their breath.

The whole scene shimmered through the soft clouds that hung above the waterfalls and made it look like the reflections in a soap-bubble, with iridescent colors shining on the sphere. So ethereal appeared the picture that it seemed as if a slight vibration would surely shatter the bubble. This grand painting had existed here for centuries before the coming of the scouts to admire it, and there it promised to remain intact for centuries more after mortals should pa.s.s from the earth.

Here and there across this valley a ribbon of water wound a silent course away out of sight. From the great falls a mighty river flowed for miles until that, too, appeared like a silver ribbon, tying the land fancifully in its loops.

The silence was broken at last by Anne. "Can we find a better place for dinner than this grand cliff?"

The tension broke with a snap, and the others glared at the perplexed scout. Finally Julie cried, scornfully, "Can you find anything in that scene besides patches where food is grown?"

Good-natured Anne laughed, and shrugged her shoulders. "I think it is as beautiful as the Great Spirit ever made, but unfortunately I am not yet entirely spiritual. I find I must eat a bite now and then, to enable me to enjoy these pictures."

Her excuse for the interruption made every one laugh, and Mrs. Vernon then added, "I think Anne's suggestion very good,--to camp here and have dinner."

"Let Hominy lead the horses back to the gra.s.sy ravine to graze, while Tally cooks dinner," added Mr. Vernon.

So Omney rode back, leading the rest of the horses and the two pack-mules. Tally soon had the dinner cooking, but there was no chance of catching fish in that swift water, so they were satisfied that day with pork and beans, bread and jam for dinner.

After descending the last rampart of the Gore Range, the scouts heard Tally speak confidently of the locality they were in, but Mr. Gilroy seemed to differ with the guide.

"Me think us mos' here," insisted the Indian.

"Maybe you're right! I was mistaken before, so I'll give in," laughed Mr. Gilroy.

"What is it, Gilly?" asked some of the scouts.

"Tally says we are nearly at Steamboat Springs, and I say we are not.

Now we will see who is right!"

They had not gone much farther along the trail, however, before the scouts discovered strawberries! Great luscious wild berries they were, and growing profusely everywhere in the gra.s.s.

"I guess Tally was right," admitted Mr. Gilroy. "We're in the wonderful strawberry belt that is so famous about Steamboat Springs."

Colorado strawberries are as famous, throughout the West, as the Rockyford melons are in the East; so the scouts made the most of their opportunity to eat the delicious berries while they were at the Springs. They visited the plants where berries are packed and shipped, and also visited a factory where jams were prepared.

This progressive little town, although so young, compared favorably with the larger cities of the East. It was equipped with electric light, telephones, paved streets, first-cla.s.s public service, and other modern welfare improvements.