None appeared, however, and two more days went by.  At last Uncle Donald began to hope that they, supposing we had taken another route, were on their way back.  We accordingly, seeing no one the next morning, embarked, and the river here expanding into a lake, we were able to paddle on without impediment across it, and a short distance up another stream, when we came to a fall of several feet, beyond which our canoes could not proceed.  This was the spot where we had expected to find the horses, but they had not arrived.  We were greatly disappointed, for, having been much longer than we had calculated on coming up, we naturally expected that they would have been ready for us.  Winter was rapidly approaching, and in the autumn before the streams are thoroughly frozen the dangers of crossing the mountains are greater than at any other period.