Indians since
coming to the Grand Canyon. They did not know that there were Indians
ranging through that rugged territory, red men who were as familiar
with the movements of the Pony Rider Boys as were the boys themselves.

They arrived at the Cataract Canyon on the morning of the second day,
having visited another part of Bright Angel Gulch for a day en route.

At the entrance to the beautiful canyon the guide paused to tell them
something about it.

"I will tell you," he said, "how the Havasupais came to select this
canyon for their home. When the several bands of red men, who
afterwards became the great tribes of the south-west, left their
sacred Canyon---mat-aw-we'-dit-ta---by direction of their
Moses---Ka-that-ka-na'-ve---to find new homes, the Havasupai family
journeyed eastward on the trail taken by the Navajos and the Hopi.
One night they camped in this canyon. Early the next day they took
up their burdens to continue on their journey. But as they were
starting a little papoose began to cry. The Kohot of the family,
believing this to be a warning from the Great Spirit, decided to
remain in the canyon.

"They found this fertile valley, containing about five hundred acres of
level land. They called the place Ha-va-sua, meaning 'Blue Water,' and
after a time they themselves were known, as Havasupai---'Dwellers By the
Blue water'. They have been here ever since."

"Most interesting, most interesting," breathed the Professor. "But how
comes it that this level stretch of fertile land is found in this rugged,
rocky canyon, Nance?"

"That's easily answered. During hundreds of years the river has
deposited vast quantities of marl at the upper ends of this valley. Thus
four great dams have been built up forming barriers across the canyon.
These dams have quite largely filled up, leaving level stretches of land
of great richness."

"Do they work the land?" asked Tad.

"In a primitive way, they do, probably following the methods they
learned from the cliff dwellers, who occupied the crude dwellings you
have seen all along these walls in the canyons here."

The Cataract Canyon proved to be the most interesting of all that the
boys had seen for variety and beauty. The Havasu River, foaming in
torrents over Supai and Navajos Falls, fifty and seventy-five feet high,
respectively, they found gliding through a narrow canyon for half a
mile, in a valley matted with masses of trees, vines and ferns, the
deli