THE COWARDLY COUGAR 



stranger to death. Ever since then I always 

 tell visitors to climb a wagon wheel." 



Our horses had fared badly during the 

 night, for there was no grass hereabout; 

 hence it was slow work threading our way up 

 the canon. We had supposed that the worst 

 of our climbing was over, but, as usual, we 

 were mistaken. During the entire trip, I 

 don't think we ever congratulated ourselves 

 on any subject without discovering that we 

 had been premature. Up we went on foot, 

 creeping over bowlders, pawing our way 

 through bramble and bush, and dragging our 

 horses by their bridles, until we reached the 

 white limestone cliff that tremendous ribbon 

 of rock which bands the canon so prominently. 

 Under this we worked our way along a narrow 

 path which looks out over twenty miles of 

 vacant space, until we emerged upon a narrow 

 saddle connecting Powell's Plateau with the 

 main mesa of the Buckskin Range. 



Powell's Plateau is an isolated table-land, 

 an aerial isthmus; it stands forth boldly, like 

 a gigantic layer cake, and round it the 

 Colorado folds. Its sides fall away perpen- 

 dicularly, except at the narrow neck which 

 joins it to the North Wall; its top is covered 



12 171 



