Presently the mirage faded away as suddenly as it came.

For days again they marched and voyaged on, seeing still no human being.

At last they came to a lake, which they crossed in their canoes; then they entered the mouth of a small river, travelling northward.

The river narrowed at a short distance from its mouth, and at a certain point the stream turned sharply.

As the first canoe rounded the point it came full upon half a hundred canoes blocking the river, filled by Indians with bended bows.