iling together the half decayed wood and wringing
their clothes as dry as they could, they were in a fair way of
recovering from the ducking, and as they apprehended no further danger
from their enemies, they concluded to make a short halt and examine the
locality around them. The cave in this place was no more than twenty
five feet high, but was very wide, as well as they could determine over
a hundred feet, thirty of which was water, and beyond which they could
not distinguish the appearance of the cave. But the other side was as
singular as wonderful. Eight feet from the floor it was smooth and even
as hewn rock could be made; then there was a vast niche cut in,
extending to the top of the cave, thirty feet wide and sixteen deep.
This niche was ascended by a flight of six very steep steps cut in the
rock in the centre of the front of the rock below the niche and were as
perfect and uniform as if just made. Ascending these steps they
discovered a chair of graceful form cut out of a huge stone,
fantastically carved, which they found themselves unable to move by
reason of its great weight, but being of a different material than the
rock of which the cave was composed they supposed it to be separate
from it. On each side of this curious chair there arose a tripod three
feet high and two in diameter, the top being scooped out concavously,
like a basin, in the centre of which was a round orifice, half an inch
in diameter, out of which bubbled up a clear liquid, which, filling the
basin, ran down its sides into a drain cut in the rock, and was
conveyed into the lake in which the chief and Jane had fallen.

"Astonishing!" cried the trapper, examining the curiosities as well as
his light would permit.

"The place of refuge of the lost people!" said the chief. "Our
traditions say that they were mighty and strong, and, like the tall
trees for strength; they had skill in cutting stone, and digging copper
from its bed, and making it into armor and utensils."

"And these were their fountains: well, I think they were people of
taste. That chair is good enough for the president, and I suspect he
has not got one half as curious. We will take a drink at their
fountain, replenish our light, and see if there is anything else
around."

Bending his head to take a drink in a primitive way, he drew a mouthful
of the clear and transparent liquid, but quickly discharged it, with a
grimace. "Whew! they must have been a strong people to dri