A marked difference of opinion appeared in the company, but at last it was decided that Pete and John should go for additional supplies while all the other members of the party were to remain where they then were.

Sharp directions were given by the departing Pete that no one should leave the camp during his absence.

The Go Ahead Boys promised faithfully to follow his suggestion and within an hour Pete, who was nearly as tall as John, and his companion had disappeared from sight.

A renewed search for evidences of the men who had taken the boats was made, and Zeke and Fred even went down the stream a mile vainly hoping that they might find the boat stranded somewhere in the region.  Their search was unavailing and when they returned to the camp it was with a fixed opinion that the sole solution of their difficulties was to be found in patiently remaining in camp until Pete and John had made their long journey across the desert.

That evening while they were seated about the campfire conversation turned upon the mighty river near which they had found their resting place.

“Yes, air,” Zeke was saying, “the first man an’ about the only man that ever went the whole length of the Colorado was Major Powell.”

“Did he go in a little boat?” inquired Fred.

“Yes, he had four boats?” replied Zeke.  “They were all small, but every one was built for the voyage.”

“Did he go alone?” inquired George.

“No.  Nine men went with him.”

“When was it?” asked Grant.

“In 1869.  It took a lot of nerve to start on that trip too, let me tell you.  Even the Indians were afraid of the river and every one of them said he didn’t know really what the river was.”

“What do you mean?” asked Fred.

“Why the redskins had all sorts of stories about the Colorado from the place where the Grand and the Green join to make it.  And they had a lot to make them afraid, too.  You see no one ever knew, when his boat got caught in the currents or whirlpools, whether there might be ahead o’ him some great underground passage where the river had cut its way and the boat might be carried in there and never get out.  Then too when they started on a swift current no one could tell when the water got rougher and swifter whether they were goin’ head on for some great, roarin’ cataract.  Yes, sir, it was a very ticklish trip that Major Powell took, and what made it still worse for him was the fact that he had only one arm.”

“What did he do with the other one?” inquired Fred.

“Had it shot away in the Civil War.  I tell you he had more nerve than any man that ever came out to these parts.  Unless p’raps it was Bill Williams, whose grave is away over yonder more than fifty miles beyond the Grand Canyon.”

“Did the men who were with Major Powell come through all right?” asked Fred.

“All those that stayed with him did.  There were four that got discouraged, and cleared out and left the very day when Major Powell floated clear of the Grand Canyon.  It’s strange about that.  The exploring party came out all right, but not one of the four men that deserted was ever afterwards heard of.  Probably they tried to make their way up some o’ these cliffs and tumbled and fell.”