The tender and vivid tones of the evergreen trees that cover it
render it a restful and attractive feature of the landscape.
Havasu Creek. Havasu Creek flows above ground for several miles, then
disappears to make a subterranean stream, which finally emerges in
wonderful volume, in a thousand springs, in the heart of Havasu Canyon,
just above the village of the Indians of the same name. Crossing it, four
miles from Williams, the railway enters a belt of cedars and junipers,
passes Red Lake, - a volcanic sink-hole, which, at rare intervals, is filled
with water.
Deer and Antelope. For a dozen miles the road passes through a series of
charming parks, where deer and antelope are sometimes seen. While driving
his train through one of these parks, early in December, 1907, S. O.
Miller, one of the engineers of the Grand Canyon Railway, saw a majestic
black-tailed deer running a little ahead of his engine. Suddenly the
beautiful creature turned, tried to cross the track, and was instantly
killed. Stopping the train, Miller got help, and it took four men to lift
the dead animal and place it on the engine. The skin and head were mounted.
The animal is so perfect and royal a specimen that the owner says a
thousand dollars could not purchase it from him.
Miller rather enjoys the distinction of being the only known deer hunter of
the West who has chased his game and killed it with a locomotive.
Surrounding Mountains. One should not fail to look back, as the train
journeys along, for fine, full views of the Volcanic Mountains, - the San
Franciscos, Kendricks, Sitgreaves and Williams. The two former are sharp,
pyramidal-shaped masses, towering from nine thousand to twelve thousand
feet into the blue, while the two latter are well wooded and rounded,
though volcanic, - Williams Mountain having seven distinct crests at
different altitudes.
When about ten miles out, Mount Floyd, another volcanic pile, rises above
the plain on the west. Two sharp peaks come in sight, and later, long
ridges of deep blue stretch away to the north. These are the Blue Ridge,
and are formed of lava which has flowed from Mount Floyd.
Ant-Hills. To many it is a novel sight to see the ant-hills that dot the
plain all the way along. These tiny creatures build their homes
underground, carrying out all the small pieces of rock that are in their
way. By and by they build up quite a mound of these stones, and, it is on
these that the Navaho Indians often find the garnets, rubies and peridots
they offer for sale. Around the mounds the ground is stripped bare by the
busy ants, who remove every particle of vegetation in a radius of two or
three feet.
Desert Rains. If it is early summer when you ride over this region, do not
be deceived by the barrenness of the thirsty country (as you leave the
cedars), and the dry, cloudless sky, and imagine that it never rains.
