"Good luck! I wish I could help you."
"I don"t need help now. There is no further danger. Are my friends down there hungry?"
"Stacy Brown is thinking of nibbling rocks."
Tad laughed, then began climbing up the trail. Nance, watching him narrowly, saw that the boy was very weary, being scarcely able to drag himself along. After a time Tad pa.s.sed out of sight up what was left of Bright Angel Trail. Nance, with a sigh, turned to begin retracing his steps down to the Pony Rider Boys" party.
"Well, he made it, didn"t he?" cried Ned. "We have been watching him all the time."
"There"s a real man," answered the guide, with an emphatic nod. "Pity there aren"t more like him."
"There is one like him," spoke up Chunky.
"Who?"
"Little me," answered the fat boy, tapping his chest modestly.
"That"s so; Chunky did jump into the raging flood," said Walter. "We mustn"t forget that he acted the part of a brave man while we were standing there shivering and almost gasping for breath."
"Brave?" drawled Ned sarcastically.
"Ned Rector, you know you were scared stiff," retorted Walter.
"Well, I"ll be honest with you, I was. Who wouldn"t have been? Even the Professor"s mustache changed color for the moment."
The afternoon pa.s.sed. It was now growing dark, for the night came on early down there in the Canyon. On the tops of the peaks the lowering sun was lighting up the red sandstone, making it appear like a great flame on the polished walls.
"Isn"t it time Tad were getting back?" asked the Professor anxiously.
"Well, it"s a long, hard climb, you know. All of seven miles the way one has to go. That makes fourteen miles up and back, and they"re real miles, as you know."
"I hope nothing has happened to the boy."
"Leave it to him. He knows how to take care of himself."
No one thought of lying down to sleep. In the first place, all were too hungry. Then, again, at any moment Tad might return. Midnight arrived. Suddenly Nance held up his hands for silence.
"Whoo-oo!"
It was a long-drawn, far-away call.
"That"s Tad," said Nance. "We"d better gather up our belongings and get up to the break in the trail."
The guide answered the call by a similar "whoo-oo," after which all began climbing cautiously. In the darkness it was dangerous business, but a torch held in the hands of Jim Nance aided them materially. Far up on the side of the Canyon they could see three flickering points of light.
"It"s the kid. He"s got somebody with him. I thought he"d do that.
He"s a wise one," chuckled the guide.
The climb was made in safety. The party ar rived at the base at last, the boys shouting joyously as they saw Tad waving a torch at them. At least they supposed it was Tad.
"What do you think about waiting until daylight for the climb?" shouted Butler.
"I"ll see what they say," answered Nance. "What about it, gentlemen?"
"I think it perhaps would be safer." This from the Professor.
"What, spend another night in this hole?" demanded Stacy. "No, sirree."
"Please let us go on up, Professor," begged Walter.
"Yes, we don"t want to stay down here. We can climb at night as well as in daylight," urged Chunky.
"What have you got, ropes?" called Nance.
"I"ve brought down some rope ladders, which I have spliced-----"
"I hope you"ve done a better job on the splicing than you did on your own rope when you sailed across the horseshoe bend," shouted Stacy.
"If you haven"t, I refuse to trust my precious life to your old rope."
"Too bad about your precious life," laughed Ned. "Well, Professor, what do you say?"
"Is it safe, Nance?"
"As safe now as at any other time."
"All right."
"Let down your ladder," called the guide. "Be sure that it is well secured. How many have you with you?"
"Three men, if that is what you mean."
"Very good."
The rope ladder was let down. Those below were just able to reach it with their hands. It came within less than a foot of being too short.
"Who is going up first?" asked the guide.
"The Professor, of course," replied Chunky magnanimously.
"That is very thoughtful of you, Stacy," smiled Professor Zepplin.
"Yes, you are the heaviest. If the rope doesn"t break with you, it"s safe for the rest of us," answered Chunky, whereat there was a general laugh.
"Very good, young man. I will accommodate you," announced the Professor grimly, grasping the rope and pulling himself up with the a.s.sistance of Nance and the boys.
The rope swayed dizzily.
"Hold it there!" shouted the Professor.