These men, however, proved to be anything but friendly; they threw dowaks at the guide, and advised the whites to go back before they were killed.

Next morning they had speech with two of them, who said that the bones were those of horses, some distance to the north; they said they would come to the camp the next day and lead the whites there, but they did not fulfil their promise.

No other profitable intercourse with the blacks was possible.

One old man howled piteously all the time they were in his company, and another, who had two children with him, gave them to understand most emphatically that he had never heard of any horses having been killed, though some natives had just killed and eaten his own brother.
After vainly searching the district for many days, Forrest determined to utilise the remainder of the time at his disposal by examining the country as far to the eastward as his resources would permit.

It was now clear that the story of the white men's remains had originated in the skeletons of the horses that perished during Austin's trip.