It was apparent that the latter made an abrupt turn, and the cause of the noise was but a brief distance beyond.
Fred reached back his hand and touched his companion, as a warning for the most extreme care on his part, but the admonition was not needed.
Johnston understood the situation too well.
Sure enough, less than a couple of rods further, and the path turned almost at right angles.

Passing guardedly around this, the explorers came upon a striking scene.
There was an open space with an area of perhaps three or four acres; it was as clear of trees as a stretch of western prairie.

It was triangular in shape, the boundary being so regular that there could be no doubt it was artificially made.
Around three sides of this space were erected huts or cabins, the excellence and similarity or their structure suggesting that the natives were the superior in intelligence of any that had yet been encountered during the ascent of the Xingu.

The huts were a dozen feet square, half as high, and each had a broad open entrance in the middle of the front.

They seemed to be built of logs or heavy limbs, the roofs being flat and composed of the branches of trees, overlaid with leaves and earth.
In the middle of the open square was a tall pole, like an immense flag-staff.