Grand Canyon of the Colorado?" repeated Tad, his eyes sparkling.
"Isn't that fine? Do you know, I have always wanted to go there, but
I hardly thought we should get that far away from home again. But what
plans has Mr. Perkins made?"

"Well, he has been writing to arrange for guides and so forth. He knows
a good man at Flagstaff with whom Mr. Perkins hunted a few years ago.
What did he say the name was, Walt?"

"Nance. Jim Nance, one of the best men in that part of the country.
Everybody knows Jim Nance."

"I don't," declared Chunky, suddenly coming to life again.

"There are a lot of other things you don't know," retorted Ned Rector
witheringly.

"If there are you can't teach them to me," returned Stacy promptly.

"As I was saying when _that_ interrupted me, Mr. Perkins wrote to this
man, Nance, and engaged him for June first, to remain with us as long
as we require his services."

"Does Mr. Perkins think we had better take our ponies with us?"

"No."

"Then we shall have to buy others. I hardly think I can afford that
outlay," said Tad, with a shake of the head.

"That is all arranged, Tad," interrupted Walter. "Father has directed
Mr. Nance to get five good horses or ponies."

"Then Professor Zepplin is to accompany us?"

"Yes."

"Poor Professor! His troubles certainly are not over yet," laughed Tad.
"We must try not to annoy him so much this trip. We are older now and
ought to use better judgment."

"That's what I've been telling Ned," spoke up Stacy. "He's old enough
to-----"

"To---what?" demanded Ned.

Chunky quailed under the threatening gaze of Ned Rector. He mumbled
some unintelligible words, settled back in his chair and made himself
as inconspicuous as possible.

"Pooh! Professor Zepplin enjoys our pranks as much as do we ourselves.
He just makes believe that he doesn't. He's a boy himself."

"But an overgrown one," muttered Stacy under his breath.

"Where do we meet the Professor?" asked Tad.

"How about it, Walt?" asked Ned, turning to young Perkins.

"I don't think father mentioned that."

"We shall probably pick him up on the way out," nodded Tad.

"Well, what do you think of it?" demanded Ned.

"Fine, fine!"

"You don't seem very enthusiastic about it."

"Don't I? Well, I am. Has Mr. Perkins decided when we are to start?"

"Yes, in about two weeks."

"I don't know. I am afraid that is too soon for me. I don't even know
that I shall be able to go," said