“This doesn’t leave a doubt,” said Wabi at last.  “We’ve struck the right place!”

“The gold is somewhere—­very near—­”

Rod could not master the tremble in his voice.  As though hoping to see the yellow treasure heaped in a pile before his eyes he turned to the waterfall, to the gloomy walls of the chasm, and finally extended an arm to where the spring torrent, leaping over the edge of the chasm above, beat itself into frothing rage among the rocks between the two mountains.

“It’s there!”

“In the stream?”

“Yes.  Where else near this cabin would they have found pure nuggets of gold?  Surely not in rock!  And gold-dust is always in the sands of streams.  It’s there—­without a doubt!”

Both Indians went with him to the edge of the water.

“The creek widens here until it is very shallow,” said Wabi.  “I don’t believe that it is more than four feet deep out there in the middle.  What do you say—­” He paused as he saw Mukoki slip back to the dead stub again, then went on, “What do you say to making a trip to the canoe after grub for our dinner, and the pans?”

The first flash of enthusiasm that had filled Wabigoon on reading the paper discovered by Rod was quickly passing away, and the white youth could not but notice the change which came over both Mukoki and his young friend when they stood once more beside the smooth white stub that reached up to the floor of the chasm above.  He controlled his own enthusiasm enough to inspect more closely the dead tree which had affected them so strangely.  The discovery he made fairly startled him.  The surface of the stub was not only smooth and free of limbs, but was polished until it shone with the reflecting luster of a waxed pillar!  For a moment he forgot the paper which he held in his hand, forgot the old cabin, and the nearness of gold.  In blank wonder he stared at Mukoki, and the old Indian shrugged his shoulders.

“Ver’ nice an’ smooth!”

“Ver’ dam’ smooth!” emphasized Wabi, without a suggestion of humor in his voice.

“What does it mean?” asked Rod.

“It means,” continued Wabigoon, “that this old stub has for a good many years been used! by something as a sort of stairway in and out of this chasm!  Now if it were a bear, there would be claw marks.  If it were a lynx, the surface of the stub would be cut into shreds.  Any kind of animal would have left his mark behind, and no animal would have put this polish on it!”

“Then what in the world—­”

Rod did not finish.  Mukoki lifted his shoulders to a level with his chin, and Wabi whistled as he looked straight at him.

“Not a hard guess, eh?”

“You mean—­”

“That it’s a man!  Only the arms and legs of a man going up and down that stub hundreds and thousands of times could have worn it so smooth!  Now, can you guess who that man is?”

In a flash the answer shot into Rod’s brain.  He understood now why this old stub had drawn his companions away from their search for gold, and he felt the flush of excitement go out of his own cheeks, and an involuntary thrill pass up his back.