ed through there on a
steamboat, and shot the rapids with the Indian guides. They were
dandies, I tell you, boys. Think of it, genuine speckled trout weighing
eight pounds, and every ounce of them fighting weight too."

Finally, when they were all ready to cry quits, having had a glorious
meal, Ned thought of what the veteran guide had said about that dead
fire.

"Now suppose you and Tamasjo take a good look at the ashes, and the lay
of the land around, so as to tell us what you can read there," he told
the voyageur.

At that some of the other boys began to stare, for they had heard
nothing up to then about the late presence of others on the spot. But
they knew Ned well enough to be sure that he had some good object in
saying what he did; and accordingly all of them flocked after the two
guides when they made for the nearby spot where even Jimmy had noticed
the remains of a fire.

The scouts remained quiet while Francois and the Cree got down on hands
and knees the better to examine into the signs. Ned and some of his
chums would themselves have been easily able to read certain things in
connection with these ashes. For instance, remembering that it had
rained most of the second day before, and there was no sign of water
about the ashes, they would have set it down as positive that the fire
had been made _afterwards_. That was an easy thing to make out; and
perhaps there were others they could figure; but when in the presence of
veterans Ned was only too willing to observe all that was done, and
profit by it.

The two men did not confine themselves to sifting the ashes through
their fingers, and comparing notes in a jargon which the boys could not
understand, but which they imagined must be Cree talk.

They moved further away, and looked the ground over.

"I noticed that there were plenty of hoof tracks around here," Jimmy up
and declared; "but say, it never flagged me that a fellow could learn a
heap from just stickin' his nose down close to such. 'Tis a safe bet
we'll know everything but the names of the gossoons before Francois and
his red pal quit."

Some of the others were feeling the same way. They too had noticed that
there were plenty of footprints around, but being more interested in the
feast then being prepared, they had not thought fit to bother about
giving the same more than a casual glance.

On Ned's part, he would have devoted some of his time to this business
only for the promise of the voya