; one day, therefore, they buried their goods and stores in a
convenient place, intending to dig them up on their return, and
meanwhile turned aside into a country which promised to afford them a
good supply of fresh provisions for the voyage north.

Here an adventure befell them which brought their voyage of discovery,
at that time, to an abrupt close.

CHAPTER TWO.

TERRIBLE DISCOVERIES AND ALTERED PLANS.

"Ho!" ejaculated Swiftarrow.

"Smoke!" exclaimed Reuben Guff.

Both men spoke at the same moment,--their discovery having been
simultaneous. At the same time Lawrence pointed with the blade of his
paddle to a thin line of smoke which rose above the tree-tops into the
blue sky, and was faithfully mirrored in the lake on which they floated.

"Injins!" said Reuben, resting his steering paddle across the canoe for
a few seconds.

Swiftarrow assented with another "Ho," and Lawrence moved his gun into a
handy position to be ready for an emergency; but there was no other sign
of man's presence than the wreath of smoke. All was perfectly silent.
The air too was quite still, and the surface of the lake resembled a
sheet of glass.

"Strange," observed Reuben, "red-skins ain't usually so shy. If they
mean mischief they don't ever let smoke be seen, an' when they don't
mean mischief they generally show themselves. Come, push on, lads;
we'll go see what's i' the wind."

"I'll show them the muzzle, father," said Lawrence, laying down his
paddle and taking up his gun: "it may be well to let 'em see that we
have arms."

"No need for that, boy. If they know anything at all, they know that
white men don't go about in the wilderness empty-handed. Put down the
piece, and use your paddle."

Thus reproved, Lawrence flushed slightly, but obeyed the order and
resumed paddling.

In a few minutes they were on shore. Still all was silent as the grave.
Hauling the bow of the canoe on the beach to keep it fast, the three
men took their weapons, and, entering the woods in single file, walked
cautiously but swiftly in the direction of the smoke. They soon reached
the spot, and the scene which met their eyes was one which, while it
accounted for the silence that reigned around, filled their minds with
sadness and horror.

In an open space, where a number of trees had been cut down, stood about
a dozen skin tents or Indian lodges, some with the curtain-doors closed,
others open, exposing the interiors, on the floors o