and finish.

They attempted to force their way over this irregular pile of rubbish;
but found it a dangerous undertaking, as the blocks on which they
placed their feet yielded to their weight, and slipping from their
beds, threw them on the sharp edges of the stones--a proceeding they
did not at all relish. After receiving three or four such falls apiece,
and preferring the longer route as the safest, they started to go
around it, in order to investigate the forest beyond as they caught a
glimpse of some buildings still standing, through the leaves, that hid
the main structure from sight.

Taking their way around the western side of the obstruction, they came
to a long wide avenue, on which nothing but moss and small dwarf shrubs
grew, and which was perfectly smooth and level.

"This is singular," said the trapper. "I wonder why it is not overgrown
like the rest?"

"Perhaps it is a road," said the chief. "Sometimes they covered their
highways with stones, and laid them so close together, that a tree
could not take root in them."

"Did you ever meet with one?" asked the trapper.

"No: but tradition speaks of them, as once having been quite common. We
can soon see whether this is one by scraping away the leaves and dirt
that have accumulated over it." So saying, he commenced digging away
the accumulated earth, which was no easy task, as the rain the night
before had saturated the surface, making it adhere tenaciously to
whatever it came in contact with. Scraping away about four inches in
depth of forest mould, they came to a layer of stone blocks, the only
one which they laid bare being twelve feet long, and eight wide, the
thickness of which they could not ascertain, as it was so closely
fitted to the adjoining one, that the blade of a knife could not be
inserted between them.

Following this avenue, it led them around a graceful curve for half a
mile, and there terminated at a flight of stone steps, which ascending,
they found themselves on a high elevation of earth, that contained as
near as they could calculate, about five acres of ground, in the centre
of which, on another elevation of about half an acre, which was also
mounted by stone steps, stood a large imposing structure, still
magnificent in its ruins. This building they found likewise laid with
the dark cement, as indeed all the buildings were which they found
standing. The ingenuity of man had cheated time of its prey.

Entering this pile, they were