dy here now. Look at the vines growing across
the door opening. Isn't this a find? I wish the Professor could see
this."

"Better wait wishing until we see it. We might find something that will
surprise us."

"All right, George; let us get up, closer; I am anxious to see the door
of the big hut. Let us go around to the other side."

Without approaching the clearing which extended out a considerable
distance from the huts, the boys made a circle, until the open door of
the large one was in sight, and they were, therefore, directly behind
the smaller hut.

"Now let us go up behind this one. If there is anybody in the large one
we can easily see him," quietly remarked Harry.

The weeds all about indicated that no one was living there at the time,
but they were still too far from the main structure to be able to judge
positively.

"What's this?" asked George, kicking at some broad-leaved specimens of
vegetables. "See, they are in rows. Some one has had a garden here; that
is sure."

"This is certainly getting to be interesting. No; I don't believe there
is any one about. Still I don't like the idea of going up to that big
hut with the open door."

The boys looked at each other inquiringly. The question was, what to do
and how to do it.

"Suppose we fire a shot; that ought to arouse them."

"That would be a good idea, Harry, but I hate to waste the shot. We
might call, and see if we can get an answer."

The plan was adopted and after each "Hello!" a slight answering echo
came back. There was no response, and they boldly marched up to the open
doorway.

There was no light within, other than that through the door, except a
little streak from an opening, due to the partially decayed coating of
the hut. There was sufficient light, however, to show that this had been
occupied by people who were very primitive, as in the interior, at one
side, was a pile of bones, scattered about, and a few broken clay
vessels, as well as several clam shells, which had been ground to a
cutting edge, the examination of which caused the boys to smile.

"Well, what do you think of this? Nothing but bones and dirt everywhere.
I suppose it must have been occupied by the savages."

The large hut was circular in form, not exceeding twelve or fifteen feet
in diameter, and its extreme height was probably eight feet. It was
built of a framework of saplings, the thickest of them not exceeding two
inches in diameter, which had been planted