Consequently there was both time and scenery for his project.
Late in the afternoon the train crossed a narrow _mesa_ or plateau, and approached a sublime terrace of rock which was the face of a second table-land.

This terrace was cleft by several of those wonderful grooves which are known as canons, and which were wrought by that mighty water-force, the sculpturer of the American desert.

In one place two of these openings were neighbors: the larger was the route and the smaller led nowhere.
"Let the train pass on," suggested Coronado to Clara.

"If you will ride with me up this little canon, you will find some of the most exquisite scenery imaginable.

It rejoins the large one further on.