“My father,” asked Bruce, “how long ago did the white men sleep here?”
“They slept here about twelve moons ago,” replied Ganawa after he had closely examined a few chips and ax-cuts near the fire.
Then the lads took up the dried balsam boughs of the campers’ bed; they examined every inch of ground near the camp, but they found no further clue as to the purpose or identity of the men who had made the camp. [[193]]
CHAPTER XXV
A MYSTERY
When the three campers had explored the shore of Lake Anjigami, they decided to extend their search to a smaller lake now called Pickerel Lake, which is connected with Anjigami by a short channel. This latter lake is crescent-shaped, and at its western end Bruce discovered signs of a camp, which had been made by the same men that had camped near the outlet of Anjigami. “How do you know that they were the same men?” Ray asked. “You are just guessing at it, Bruce.”
“No, I am not guessing,” replied Bruce. “Come here, I shall convince you. Look, the ax that made this cut had two nicks in its blade. The nick marks here are exactly the same as those we found on Anjigami.”
“I’m convinced,” Ray admitted. “Bruce, you are a real scout.” [[194]]
Ganawa agreed with Bruce as to the identity of the campers on the two lakes. “The two camps were both made about twelve moons ago,” he asserted, “and they were made by two white men.”