A few feet further down the canon are a pair of twisted wings that show the animal to have perished in company with its mate, while trying to escape from a sudden flood that rushed down the canon like a moving wall.

After some uneasy discussion about the means of entering the new cave, it was finally decided that the available rope was too short and not of sufficient strength.  This was, of course, a disappointment but not a surprise, as a very peculiar quality in the rope used to enter caves of this kind had come to notice before.  The peculiarity is, that a rope entirely above suspicion for the safety of a two hundred pound man, at once weakens and must be condemned when threatened with one hundred pounds of woman’s weight, yet there is an implied compliment hidden somewhere about this protective system that tends to reduce the sting of disappointment.

So it was agreed to spend the afternoon in the White Onyx Cave, which is generally spoken of simply as the Upper Cave because it occupies a higher level than the Onyx Cave already described, and is supposed to be an extension of the same although no connecting passage has been discovered.

The accompanying friend had not been costumed for caving, but was persuaded to accept a full suit of overalls, which needed the addition of a pick and pipe to make the picture perfect.  Unfortunately a snap shot failed.

The entrance is in a perpendicular portion of the canon wall, but a narrow path that starts some distance away and appears in eminent danger of falling off, makes most of the ascent comparatively easy; and the balance is completed by a short ladder whose rounds dip toward the canon bed in a rather alarming manner, but this only proves the folly of giving too much heed to appearances, for it is strong and firmly fastened to the rocks.

Just within the entrance there is height sufficient for standing, but the roof descends suddenly and the walls come near together, reducing the passage to a crawl, and showing that in past times water poured in at this opening and not out as might be supposed.  The first chamber entered is the Crystal Gallery, but it is so nearly filled with great masses of pure white onyx no standing room remains.  Drops of water on portions of the onyx ceiling here are the only moisture remaining in this cave.  When Mac’s[5] head came in contact with the roof he called to the guide:  “See here, little boy, you ought to sing out ‘low bridge’ at that sort o’ places, ’cause when I’m busy hunting a spot to set my foot in, I can’t see what my head’s coming to, and I like to mined a lot o’ this rock with it.”

Slowly, and with no danger and less comfort, we creep over, under and between great massive beds of the fine white crystalline rock until at length we enter the Ghost Chamber where no onyx has been deposited, but where numerous mountain rats have evidently been at home for many years, if we may judge from the enormous quantity of pine needles with which they have carpeted the floor.  The walls show small box work crumbling to dust, and Ray climbed high into the chimney-like opening above our heads, but reported that it ended suddenly and had no attractions to offer.