at they
had nothing to fear at present. It was not inhabited. The warriors
merely came here for the burnings, and then it was quite likely that
they departed at once.

Henry examined further. On the bushes beyond the stakes he found amulets
and charms of bone or wood, evidently hung there to ward off evil
spirits, and among these bushes he saw more bones of victims. Then he
noticed two paths leading away from the place, each to a small inlet,
where the boats landed. Calculating by the moon and stars he could now
obtain a general idea of the direction in which they had come and he was
sure that the nearest part of the mainland lay to the west. He saw a
dark line there, and he could not tell whether it was the shore or a low
bank of mist.

Then he made a diligent exploration of all this part of the island,
assuring himself further that it had never been occupied permanently. He
saw at one place the ruins of a temporary brush shelter, used probably
during a period of storm like that of the night before, and on the beach
he found the shattered remains of a large canoe. Henry looked down at
the broken canoe thoughtfully. It may have been wrecked while on its way
with a victim for the stake, and if the warriors had perished it might
have been due to the wrath of the Great Spirit.

He walked slowly back over the ridge through the forest and down to the
boat. Tom saw him coming but said nothing until he stepped into the boat
beside him.

"You stayed a long time," he said, "but I see you've brought nothing
back with you."

"It's true that I've brought nothing with me, but I've found a lot."

"What did you find, Henry?"

"I found many bones, the bones of human beings."

"Men's bones?"

"Yes. I'm sure that it is an island to which Indiana come to burn their
prisoners, and although none are here now--I've looked it all over--I
don't like it. There's something uncanny about it."

"An' yet it's a pretty little islan', too," said Tom Ross, thoughtfully,
"an' mighty glad we wuz to see it yes'day, when we wuz druv before that
howlin' an' roarin' storm, with but one chance in a hundred uv livin'."

"That's so," said Henry. "We owe the island a debt of gratitude if
others don't. I've no doubt that if it were not for this little piece of
land we should have been drowned. Still, the sooner we get away the
better. How have the others been getting on, Tom?"

"Sleepin' ez reg'lar an' steady ez clocks. It's wuth while to see
fel