The Pony Rider Boys in the Grand Canyon | Page 6

Ned.
"Whe---where's the civilized society? Don't you do that to me again, or
I'll-----"
"Chunky's all right. Let him alone, Ned. Mother doesn't care how much
noise we make in here. In fact, she'd think something was wrong with
us if we didn't make a big racket. Chunky, if you are so full of steam

you might go out and finish the woodpile for me. I've got to cut that
wood this afternoon."
"No, thank you. I'm willing to hunt for the colored man in the woodpile,
but I'm a goat if I'll chop the wood. Why, I'd lose my reputation in
Chillicothe if I were seen doing such a common thing as that."
"No, that would be impossible," answered Ned sarcastically.
"Eh? Impossible?" questioned Stacy.
"Oh, yes, yes, yes. I'll write it down for you so you'll understand it
and-----"
"He means that you can't lose what you don't possess," explained
Walter.
Chunky grunted his disgust, but made no reply. The boys then fell to
discussing the proposed trip. Tad got out his atlas and together they
pored over the map of Arizona. After some time at this task, Chunky
pulled a much soiled railway map from his pocket. This gave them a
more detailed plan of the Grand Canyon.
"You see, I have to show you. When it comes to doing things Stacy
Brown's the one on whom you all have to fall back."
"You are almost human at times, Stacy. I'm free to admit that," laughed
Tad. "Yes, this is just what we want."
Chunky inflated his chest, and, with hands clasped behind his back,
walked to the window and gazed out into the street, nodding
patronizingly now and then to persons passing who had bowed to him.
In his own estimation, Stacy was the most important person in
Chillcothe. So confident was he of this that several persons in the
community had come almost to believe it themselves. Chunky, by his
dignified and important bearing, had hopes of converting others to this
same belief. As for his three companions---well, a journey without
Stacy Brown would be a tame and uneventful journey at best.

The greater part of the afternoon was devoted to making plans for the
coming trip, each having his suggestions to make or his criticism to
offer of the suggestions of others. Though the arguments of the Pony
Riders at times became quite heated, the friendship they held for each
other was never really strained. They were bound together by ties that
would endure for many years to come.
Each day thereafter, during their stay at home, they met for consultation,
and when two weeks later they had assembled at the railroad station in
Chillicothe, clad in their khaki suits, sombreros, each with a red
bandanna handkerchief tied carelessly about his neck, they presented an
imposing appearance and were the centre of a great crowd of admiring
boys and smiling grown-ups. There were many exciting experiences
ahead of the Pony Rider Boys as well as a series of journeys that would
linger in memory the rest of their lives.
CHAPTER II
A VIEW OF THE PROMISED LAND
For nearly three days the Pony Rider Boys had been taking their ease in
a Pullman sleeping car, making great inroads on the food served in the
dining car.
It had been a happy journey. The boys were full of anticipation of what
was before them. At intervals during the day they would study their
maps and enter into long discussions with Professor Zepplin, the
grizzled, stern-looking man who in so many other journeys had been
their guardian and faithful companion. The Professor had joined them
at St. Louis, where the real journey had commenced.
All that day they had been racing over baked deserts, a cloud of dust
sifting into the car and making life miserable for the more tender
passengers, though the hardy Pony Riders gave no heed to such trivial
discomforts as heat and dust. They were used to that sort of thing.
Furthermore, they expected, ere many more days had passed, to be
treated to discomforts that were real.

Suddenly the train dashed from the baked desert into a green forest.
The temperature seemed to drop several degrees in an instant. Everyone
drew a long breath, faces were pressed against windows and
expressions of delight were heard in many parts of the sleeper.
They had entered a forest of tall pines, so tall that the lads were obliged
to crane their necks to see the tops.
"This is the beginning of the beginning," announced Professor Zepplin
somewhat enigmatically. "This is the forest primeval."
"I don't know," replied Chunky, peering through a car window. "It
strikes me that we've left the evil behind and got into the real thing."
"What is it, Professor?" asked Tad Butler.
"As