第9章
These，then，weretheboyswhocampedwithmethatsummernightuponthesandbar。
Afterwefinishedoursupperwebeatthewillowthicketfordriftwood。Bythetimewehadcollectedenough，nighthadfallen，andthepungent，weedysmellfromtheshoreincreasedwiththecoolness。WethrewourselvesdownaboutthefireandmadeanotherfutileefforttoshowPercyPoundtheLittleDipper。Wehadtrieditoftenbefore，buthecouldneverbegotpastthebigone。
“Youseethosethreebigstarsjustbelowthehandle，withthebrightoneinthemiddle？“saidOttoHassler；“that’sOrion’sbelt，andthebrightoneistheclasp。“IcrawledbehindOtto’sshoulderandsighteduphisarmtothestarthatseemedpercheduponthetipofhissteadyforefinger。TheHasslerboysdidseine-fishingatnight，andtheyknewagoodmanystars。
PercygaveuptheLittleDipperandlaybackonthesand，hishandsclaspedunderhishead。“IcanseetheNorthStar，“heannounced，contentedly，pointingtowarditwithhisbigtoe。
“Anyonemightgetlostandneedtoknowthat。“
Wealllookedupatit。
“HowdoyousupposeColumbusfeltwhenhiscompassdidn’tpointnorthanymore？“Tipasked。
Ottoshookhishead。“MyfathersaysthattherewasanotherNorthStaronce，andthatmaybethisonewon’tlastalways。I
wonderwhatwouldhappentousdownhereifanythingwentwrongwithit？“
Arthurchuckled。“Iwouldn’tworry，Ott。Nothing’sapttohappentoitinyourtime。LookattheMilkyWay！TheremustbelotsofgooddeadIndians。“
Welaybackandlooked，meditating，atthedarkcoveroftheworld。Thegurgleofthewaterhadbecomeheavier。Wehadoftennoticedamutinous，complainingnoteinitatnight，quitedifferentfromitscheerfuldaytimechuckle，andseeminglikethevoiceofamuchdeeperandmorepowerfulstream。Ourwaterhadalwaysthesetwomoods:theoneofsunnycomplaisance，theotherofinconsolable，passionateregret。
“Queerhowthestarsareallinsortofdiagrams，“remarkedOtto。“Youcoulddomostanypropositioningeometrywith’em。
Theyalwayslookasiftheymeantsomething。Somefolkssayeverybody’sfortuneisallwrittenoutinthestars，don’tthey？“
“Theybelievesointheoldcountry，“Fritzaffirmed。
ButArthuronlylaughedathim。“You’rethinkingofNapoleon，Fritzey。Hehadastarthatwentoutwhenhebegantolosebattles。Iguessthestarsdon’tkeepanyclosetallyonSandtownfolks。“
Wewerespeculatingonhowmanytimeswecouldcountahundredbeforetheeveningstarwentdownbehindthecornfields，whensomeonecried，“Therecomesthemoon，andit’sasbigasacartwheel！“
Wealljumpeduptogreetitasitswamoverthebluffsbehindus。Itcameuplikeagalleoninfullsail；anenormous，barbaricthing，redasanangryheathengod。
“Whenthemooncameupredlikethat，theAztecsusedtosacrificetheirprisonersonthetempletop，“Percyannounced。
“Goon，Perce。YougotthatoutofGoldenDays。Doyoubelievethat，Arthur？“Iappealed。
Arthuranswered，quiteseriously:“Likeasnot。Themoonwasoneoftheirgods。WhenmyfatherwasinMexicoCityhesawthestonewheretheyusedtosacrificetheirprisoners。“
AswedroppeddownbythefireagainsomeoneaskedwhethertheMound-BuilderswereolderthantheAztecs。WhenweoncegotupontheMound-Buildersweneverwillinglygotawayfromthem，andwewerestillconjecturingwhenweheardaloudsplashinthewater。
“Musthavebeenabigcatjumping，“saidFritz。“Theydosometimes。Theymustseebugsinthedark。Lookwhatatrackthemoonmakes！“
Therewasalong，silverystreakonthewater，andwherethecurrentfrettedoverabiglogitboileduplikegoldpieces。
“Supposethereeverwasanygoldhidawayinthisoldriver？“Fritzasked。HelaylikealittlebrownIndian，closetothefire，hischinonhishandandhisbarefeetintheair。Hisbrotherlaughedathim，butArthurtookhissuggestionseriously。
“SomeoftheSpaniardsthoughttherewasgoldupheresomewhere。
Sevencitieschuckfullofgold，theyhadit，andCoronadoandhismencameuptohuntit。TheSpaniardswerealloverthiscountryonce。“
Percylookedinterested。“WasthatbeforetheMormonswentthrough？“
Wealllaughedatthis。
“Longenoughbefore。BeforethePilgrimFathers，Perce。Maybetheycamealongthisveryriver。Theyalwaysfollowedthewatercourses。“
“Iwonderwherethisriverreallydoesbegin？“Tipmused。
Thatwasanoldandafavoritemysterywhichthemapdidnotclearlyexplain。OnthemapthelittleblacklinestoppedsomewhereinwesternKansas；butsinceriversgenerallyroseinmountains，itwasonlyreasonabletosupposethatourscamefromtheRockies。Itsdestination，weknew，wastheMissouri，andtheHasslerboysalwaysmaintainedthatwecouldembarkatSandtowninfloodtime，followournoses，andeventuallyarriveatNewOrleans。
Nowtheytookuptheiroldargument。“Ifusboyshadgritenoughtotryit，itwouldn’ttakenotimetogettoKansasCityandSt。
Joe。“
Webegantotalkabouttheplaceswewantedtogoto。TheHasslerboyswantedtoseethestockyardsinKansasCity，andPercywantedtoseeabigstoreinChicago。Arthurwasinterlocutoranddidnotbetrayhimself。
“Nowit’syourturn，Tip。“
Tiprolledoveronhiselbowandpokedthefire，andhiseyeslookedshylyoutofhisqueer，tightlittleface。“Myplaceisawfulfaraway。MyUncleBilltoldmeaboutit。“
Tip’sUncleBillwasawanderer，bittenwithminingfever，whohaddriftedintoSandtownwithabrokenarm，andwhenitwaswellhaddriftedoutagain。
“Whereisit？“
“Aw，it’sdowninNewMexicosomewheres。Therearen’tnorailroadsoranything。Youhavetogoonmules，andyourunoutofwaterbeforeyougetthereandhavetodrinkcannedtomatoes。“
“Well，goon，kid。What’sitlikewhenyoudogetthere？“
Tipsatupandexcitedlybeganhisstory。
“There’sabigredrocktherethatgoesrightupoutofthesandforaboutninehundredfeet。Thecountry’sflatallaroundit，andthishererockgoesupallbyitself，likeamonument。
TheycallittheEnchantedBluffdownthere，becausenowhitemanhaseverbeenontopofit。Thesidesaresmoothrock，andstraightup，likeawall。TheIndianssaythathundredsofyearsago，beforetheSpaniardscame，therewasavillageawayupthereintheair。Thetribethatlivedtherehadsomesortofsteps，madeoutofwoodandbark，bungdownoverthefaceofthebluff，andthebraveswentdowntohuntandcarriedwaterupinbigjarsswungontheirbacks。Theykeptabigsupplyofwateranddriedmeatupthere，andneverwentdownexcepttohunt。Theywereapeacefultribethatmadeclothandpottery，andtheywentuptheretogetoutofthewars。Yousee，theycouldpickoffanywarpartythattriedtogetuptheirlittlesteps。TheIndianssaytheywereahandsomepeople，andtheyhadsomesortofqueerreligion。UncleBillthinkstheywereCliff-Dwellerswhohadgotintotroubleandlefthome。Theyweren’tfighters，anyhow。
“Onetimethebravesweredownhuntingandanawfulstormcameup——akindofwaterspout——andwhentheygotbacktotheirrocktheyfoundtheirlittlestaircasehadbeenallbrokentopieces，andonlyafewstepswerelefthangingawayupintheair。Whiletheywerecampedatthefootoftherock，wonderingwhattodo，awarpartyfromthenorthcamealongandmassacred’emtoaman，withalltheoldfolksandwomenlookingonfromtherock。Thenthewarpartywentonsouthandleftthevillagetogetdownthebestwaytheycould。Ofcoursetheynevergotdown。Theystarvedtodeathupthere，andwhenthewarpartycamebackontheirwaynorth，theycouldhearthechildrencryingfromtheedgeofthebluffwheretheyhadcrawledout，buttheydidn’tseeasignofagrownIndian，andnobodyhaseverbeenuptheresince。“
Weexclaimedatthisdolorouslegendandsatup。
“Therecouldn’thavebeenmanypeopleupthere，“Percydemurred。
“Howbigisthetop，Tip？“
“Oh，prettybig。Bigenoughsothattherockdoesn’tlooknearlyastallasitis。Thetop’sbiggerthanthebase。Thebluffissortofwornawayforseveralhundredfeetup。That’sonereasonit’ssohardtoclimb。“
IaskedhowtheIndiansgotup，inthefirstplace。
“Nobodyknowshowtheygotuporwhen。Ahuntingpartycamealongonceandsawthattherewasatownupthere，andthatwasall。“
Ottorubbedhischinandlookedthoughtful。“Ofcoursetheremustbesomewaytogetupthere。Couldn’tpeoplegetaropeoversomewayandpullaladderup？“
Tip’slittleeyeswereshiningwithexcitement。“Iknowaway。MeandUncleBilltalkeditover。There’sakindofrocketthatwouldtakearopeover——lifesaversuse’em——andthenyoucouldhoistaropeladderandpegitdownatthebottomandmakeittightwithguyropesontheotherside。I’mgoingtoclimbthattherebluff，andI’vegotitallplannedout。“
Fritzaskedwhatheexpectedtofindwhenhegotupthere。