"Yes. I believe the distance from here to the first fall will give us a
key to the whole thing."

Rod had produced a pencil from one of his pockets and was figuring on
the smooth side of a chip.

"The gold is a long way from here at the best, Wabi. I explored the
chasm for ten miles. Say that we find the first fall within fifteen
miles. Then, according to the map, the second fall would be about twenty
miles from the first, and the third forty miles from the second. If the
first fall is within fifteen miles of this cabin the third fall is at
least seventy-five miles away."

Wabi nodded.

"But we may not find the first fall within that distance," he said. "By
George--" He stopped and looked at Rod with an odd look of doubt in his
face. "If the gold is seventy-five or a hundred miles away, why were
those men here, and with only a handful of nuggets in their possession?
Is it possible that the gold played out--that they found only what was
in the buckskin bag?"

"If that were so, why should they have fought to the death for the
possession of the map?" argued Rod.

Mukoki was turning the steak. He had not spoken, but now he said:

"Mebby going to Post for supplies."

"That's exactly what they were doing!" shouted the Indian youth. "Muky,
you have solved the whole problem. They were going for supplies. And
they didn't fight for the map--not for the map alone!"

His face flushed with new excitement.

"Perhaps I am wrong, but it all seems clear to me now," he continued.
"Ball and the two Frenchmen worked their find until they ran out of
supplies. Wabinosh House is over a hundred years old, and fifty years
ago that was the nearest point where they could get more. In some way it
fell to the Frenchmen to go. They had probably accumulated a hoard of
gold, and before they left they murdered Ball. They brought with them
only enough gold to pay for their supplies, for it was their purpose not
to arouse the suspicion of any adventurers who happened to be at the
Post. They could easily have explained their possession of those few
nuggets. In this cabin either Langlois or Plante tried to kill his
companion, and thus become the sole possessor of the treasure, and the
fight, fatal to both, ensued. I may be wrong, but--by George, I believe
that is what happened!"

"And that they buried the bulk of their gold somewhere back near the
third fall?"

"Yes; or else they brought the gold here and buried it somewhere near
this very