"Why not? Why won't we?" piped Stacy.

"Because there isn't any Bright Angel Trail to go up," returned the
guide grimly. "The bad place in the trail was all torn out by the
ripping boulders last night. Nothing short of a bird could make its
way over that stretch of trail now."

"Then what are we going to do?" cried the Professor.

"Do? We're going to stay here. Escape is for the present wholly cut
off-----"

"Can't we climb up a trail lower down?" asked Ned.

"Ain't no trail this side of the wall by the river, and the river is
just as bad as the wall. I reckon we'll stay here for a time at least."

The Pony Rider Boys looked at each other solemnly. Theirs was, indeed,
a serious predicament, much more so than they realized.




CHAPTER XI

A TRYING TIME


For a moment following the announcement no one spoke.