mountains.

Sometimes war-parties of the tribes mentioned encountered each other in
the gorge, and passed each other in sullen silence, or, perchance, they
dashed together like so many wild beasts, fighting with the fury of a
thousand Kilkenny cats. It was as the whim happened to rule the leaders.

The rocks rose perpendicularly on both sides to the height of fifty and a
hundred feet, the upper contour being irregular, and varying in every
manner imaginable. Along the upper edge of the pass grew vegetation, while
here and there, along the side, some tree managed to obtain a precarious
foothold, and sprouted forth toward the sun. The floor of the canon was of
a varied nature--rocks, boulders, grass, streams of water, gravel, sand,
and barren soil, alternating with each other and preventing anything like
an accurate description of any particular section. A survey of this
curious specimen of nature's highway suggested the idea that the solid
mountain had been rent for many leagues by an earthquake, which, having
opened this great seam or rent, had left it gradually to adjust itself to
the changed order of things, and to be availed of by those who were
seeking a safe and speedy transit through the almost impassable mountains.

Mickey and Fred checked their mustangs and carefully scrutinized the line
of smoke. It was several hundred yards in advance, on their left, while
they were following a trail that led close to the right of the canon. They
could distinguish nothing at all that could give any additional
information.

The fire which gave rise to the vapor had been kindled just far enough
back to cause the edge of the gorge to protrude itself in such a way as to
shut it off from the eyes of those below. Indeed, it was not to be