Naturally, I here expressed a desire to know more of Old Tom.

"He's the biggest cougar ever known of in these parts. His tracks
are bigger than a horse's, an' have been seen on Buckskin for
twelve years. This wrangler--his name is Clark--said he'd turned
his saddle horse out to graze near camp, an' Old Tom sneaked in
an' downed him. The lions over there are sure a bold bunch. Well,
why shouldn't they be? No one ever hunted them. You see, the
mountain is hard to get at. But now you're here, if it's big cats
you want we sure can find them. Only be easy, be easy. You've all
the time there is. An' any job on Buckskin will take time. We'll
look the calves over, an' you must ride the range to harden up.
Then we'll ooze over toward Oak. I expect it'll be boggy, an' I
hope the snow melts soon."

"The snow hadn't melted on Greenland point," replied Jones. "We
saw that with a glass from the El Tovar. We wanted to cross that
way, but Rust said Bright Angel Creek was breast high to a horse,
and that creek is the trail."

"There's four feet of snow on Greenland," said Frank. "It was too
early to come that way. There's only about three months in the
year the Canyon can be crossed at Greenland."

"I want to get in the snow," returned Jones. "This bunch of
long-eared canines I brought never smelled a lion track. Hounds
can't be trained quick without snow. You've got to see what
they're trailing, or you can't break them."

Frank looked dubious. "'Pears to me we'll have trouble gettin' a