“I’ll speak to father about that,” said Walter.  “I don’t know just what arrangements he has made with the guide.”

“We can no doubt get what ammunition we need after we get to Flagstaff, if that is to be our railway destination.  Folks usually have ammunition in that country,” added Tad, with a faint smile.  “Our uniforms or clothes we know about.  We shall no doubt need some good tough boots for mountain climbing-----”

“Do we have to climb mountains?” demanded Stacy.

“Climb up and fall down,” answered Walt.

“Oh, dear me, dear me!   It’ll be the death of me, I know,” wailed the
fat boy.   “I’d rather ride---up.   I can get down all right, but-----”

“Yes, you certainly can get down,” laughed Ned.

“Then we shall want quite a lot of soft, strong rope, about quarter-inch Manila.  I don’t think of anything else.  We ought to be able to pick up whatever else we need after we get out there------”

“I guess that’s all, fellows, isn’t it?” asked Ned.

“All but the shouting,” answered Stacy.

“You are well able to do that.  You’d better practise up on those favorite exclamations of yours—–­”

“What are they?”

“Y-e-o-w and W-o-w!”

“Who-o-o-p-e-e!” answered Chunky in a shrill, high-pitched voice.

Ned Rector clapped a hand over the fat boy’s mouth with a resounding smack.  Chunky was jerked backward, his head striking the chair with a bump that was audible all over the room.

“You stop that business.  Do you forget where you are?  That’s all right out in the wilds, but not in civilized society,” declared 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.”