ey were passing the borders of a thick wood, nearly knee-deep
in grass, when Roger felt his foot strike against a hard substance which
emitted a hollow sound, as it gave way before him. Stooping down, he
rose with a human skull in his hand, white and clean. He and Vaughan
examined it: the top showed a deep cleft. Others at the same time cried
out that they were walking among bones.

"Some Indian battle has taken place here," observed Roger.

"That is no Indian skull," said Vaughan, "but that of a round-headed
Englishman. The blow which killed him, it is clear, was inflicted by an
Indian tomahawk."

The men, who had been searching about, now brought up from among the
grass several other skulls, each one giving the same indubitable
evidence of the manner in which the owner had been slain.

"This must be the very place where Batten saw the crew of the _Sally
Rose_ slaughtered," observed Vaughan. "It proves that we are on the
right track, and should warn us to be cautious in our advance, lest the
natives play us the same trick."

Further search produced altogether ten skulls, the number, it was
concluded, of the unfortunate party cut off. Their clothing and arms
had evidently been carried away, the bodies alone being left as a feast
for the vultures and armadillos. The incident was not encouraging;
Roger, however, quickly revived the spirits of his party by remarking
that all they had to do was to keep a watch on every side, and not to be
cajoled by any tricks the Indians might attempt to play them.

Having already provisions for a couple of days, they pushed on bravely,
and would have continued even longer than they had intended, had they
not unexpectedly arrived on the banks of a broad river, to cross which
without a boat would prove a difficult matter and a dangerous one,
should Indians attempt to stop their landing on the opposite bank. They
agreed therefore that their best course was to proceed up the river, and
to borrow canoes, should they find them--as they had no doubt that it
was the river at the mouth of which their ship lay, they could without
difficulty return to her, provided they could find canoes of sufficient
burden to carry them; and if not, they might descend the stream by a
raft--no very hazardous undertaking to men such as they were.

It was high time to meet with Indians, and they hoped soon to do so,
provided they could establish friendly relations with them, for by their
means only cou