s, all crushed into
shapelessness, furnished indubitable proof that the carcasses had
fallen from a great height. Most remarkable of all was the skeleton of
a cougar lying across that of a horse. I believed--I could not help but
believe that the cougar had fallen with his last victim.

Not many rods beyond the lion den, the rim wall split into towers,
crags and pinnacles. I thought I had found my pipe organ, and began to
climb toward a narrow opening in the rim. But I lost it. The
extraordinarily cut-up condition of the wall made holding to one
direction impossible. Soon I realized I was lost in a labyrinth. I
tried to find my way down again, but the best I could do was to reach
the verge of a cliff, from which I could see the canyon. Then I knew
where I was, yet I did not know, so I plodded wearily back. Many a
blind cleft did I ascend in the maze of crags. I could hardly crawl
along, still I kept at it, for the place was conducive to dire
thoughts. A tower of Babel menaced me with tons of loose shale. A tower
that leaned more frightfully than the Tower of Pisa threatened to build
my tomb. Many a lighthouse-shaped crag sent down little scattering
rocks in ominous notice.

After toiling in and out of passageways under the shadows of these
strangely formed cliffs, and coming again and again to the same point,
a blind pocket, I grew desperate. I named the baffling place Deception
Pass, and then ran down a slide. I knew if I could keep my feet I could
beat the avalanche. More by good luck than management I outran the
roaring stones and landed safely. Then rounding the cliff below, I
found myself on a narrow ledge, with a wall to my left, and to the
right the tips of pinyon trees level with my feet.

Innocently and wearily I passed round a pillar-like corner of wall, to
come face to face with an old lioness and cubs. I heard the mother
snarl, and at the same time her ears went back flat, and she crouched.
The same fire of yellow eyes, the same grim snarling expression so
familiar in my mind since Old Tom had leaped at me, faced me here.

My recent vow of extermination was entirely forgotten and one frantic
spring carried me over the ledge.

Crash! I felt the brushing and scratching of branches, and saw a green
blur. I went down straddling limbs and hit the ground with a thump.
Fortunately, I landed mostly on my feet, in sand, and suffered no
serious bruise. But I was stunned, and my right arm was numb for a
moment. Wh