tribe, as the headdress plainly showed me. I again
avoided capture, and in going through the hills discovered a cave, in
which I took refuge.

"To my surprise the cave was tenanted by a certain class of savages, and
I had reason to believe that it was the abode of the medicine men of
the tribe, or the Hoodoos, because the warriors avoided it as they would
a pestilence. I found some wonderful things in that cave, in which I
secluded myself as best I could to avoid detection from those within.

"But I needed food, and one night stole out, only to learn that they had
known of my entrance into the cave, and was driven back again, and
making my way into the interior, how far I do not know, lay down
exhausted, and, on awakening, not knowing which way to go, heard the
voices of the savages, and in going in the opposite direction was
surprised to see a streak of light ahead.

"Approaching near the entrance, waiting there for hours, and not seeing
or hearing them, cautiously crept out, and found that the sun had risen
several hours before, but that the opening was to the western side of
the hill and I had entered it on the eastern side."

"Won't you tell us, John, how you knew it was to the west, and that it
was morning?" The boys looked at George a little queerly, and so did the
Professor, and he quickly divined the reason, and continued: "Pardon me,
Mr. Varney, but we have been in habit of calling you John so long that I
forgot myself."

"You have been calling me John? How did you find out my name?"

"We simply took that as the most convenient name; but please go on and
forgive me for interrupting."

"No apology is necessary. I hope you will know me as John only. But you
asked me a question. I examined the moss, which in the southern
hemisphere grows more abundantly on the south side of the tree; just as
in the north it grows only on the north side. As to the sun, if it had
been afternoon it would have been to the west of the hill and not to
east of it.

"Having emerged from the cave in the vicinity of the last village
another flight was necessary, and I turned to the south, reaching a
large stream in my wanderings, and, in order to avoid capture, swam it
in the night. I still had the bows and a dozen arrows, together with a
crude hatchet, which was taken from the warrior.

"The flight was continued to the south, and thus I lived from day to day
for over three months, occasionally seeing the various tribes. Then for