Cataract came in sight before six in the evening,
and the Professor was on hand to welcome them.

"Did you have a good time?" he inquired; but as he looked over the
tailboard and saw the fruit of the hunt, exclaimed: "You must have
gotten everything over there."

"Yes, and something else besides that," said Harry in such a tone that
the Professor anxiously asked:

"What; have you made any discoveries?"

"Look at that," replied George, as he carefully drew out the discolored
paper with the writing on it. "We not only found this, but we discovered
some huts--two of them, fully six miles or more southwest of the falls."

The Professor's eyes opened wide. "This is, indeed, interesting. But
never mind about telling me now. Let us get the team unhitched and
examine this when we get inside. I had a suspicion that the other side
of the river would give us some clue."

While Harry and the Professor were putting up the team George prepared
several of the pheasants for the evening meal, and they were soon in the
oven. By common consent the meal was of more importance than the new
finds, and when the dishes were removed the paper was carefully
examined.

"If I knew just what was used for the writing, I might suggest something
that would bring it out more clearly. It is evident that the writer did
not use ink."

"Why do you think so?"

"Simply for the reason that this name, Rogers, which is the most plainly
written, has the words only on the surface of the paper. If ink had been
used it would have penetrated the fiber, and the writing would thus have
been preserved."

"Where did you find the paper?"

"It was among a mass of rubbish, which, on account of the poor light,
was raked out to a point nearer the door, so we could examine the
material better, and I don't know whether it was with the pile of bones
or with the stuff on the other side."

"Was the grass about the hut as high as the grass round about the
place?"

"It seemed to be. We made a pretty careful examination all over, so as
to give us a fair idea of the condition of things."

"How far was the spring from the hut?"

"Less than a hundred feet."

"By the way," remarked Harry, "we forgot to say that close to the small
hut we found some vegetables growing in several rows, and weeds all over
the place and between the vegetables."

"Do you think," asked George, "that the vegetable garden is any sign
that white people have been living there?"

"It may b