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。