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his name；〃 and he stretched out his hand to point。
〃Don't touch！〃 cried Tal。 〃Poisoned arrows snake poisonvery dead…
like and quick。〃
〃Don't worry； I won't touch；〃 said Tom grimly。 〃But go on。 You say
Valdez sneaked into our camp； took the oiled…silk package from the coat
pocket of Professor Bumper and went back to his own camp with it；
thinking it was gold。〃
〃Yes；〃 answered Tal； though it is doubtful if he understood all that Tom
said； as it was half Spanish and half English。 But the Indian knew a little
English； too。 〃Valdez； when he find no gold is very mad。 Only papers
in the yellow silk…papers with queer marks on。 Valdez think it maybe a
charm to work evil； so he burn them upall up！〃
〃Burned that rare map！〃 gasped Tom。
〃All in fire；〃 went on Tal； indicating by his hands the play of flames。
〃Valdez throw away yellow silk； and I take for my arrows so rain not wash
off poison。 I give to you； if you like； with blow gun。〃
〃No； thank you；〃 answered Tom； in disappointed tones。 〃The oiled
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silk is of no use without the map； and that's gone。 Whew！ but this is
tough！〃 he said to his chum。 〃As long as it was only stolen there was a
chance to get it back； but if it's burned； the jig is up。〃
〃It looks so；〃 agreed Ned。 〃We'd better get back and tell the
professor。 It he can't get along without the map it's time he started a
movement toward getting another。 So it wasn't Beecher； after all； who
got it。〃
〃Evidently not；〃 assented Tom。 〃But I believe him capable of it。〃
〃You haven't much use for him；〃 remarked Ned。
〃Huh！〃 was all the answer given by his chum。
〃I am sorry； Senors；〃 went on Tal； 〃but I could not stop Valdez； and the
burning of the papers〃
〃No； you could not help it；〃 interrupted the young inventor。 〃But it
just happens that it brings bad luck to us。 You see； Tal； the papers in this
yellow covering； told of an old buried city that the bald…headed professor
the…man… with…no…hair…on…his…headis very anxious to discover。 It is
somewhere under the ground；〃 and he waved to the jungle all about them；
pointing earthwards。
〃Paper Valdez burn tell of lost city？〃 asked Tal； his face lighting up。
〃Yes。 But now； of course； we can't tell where to dig for it。〃
The Indian turned to his wife and talked rapidly with her in their own
dialect。 She； too； seemed greatly excited； making quick gestures。
Finally she ran out of the hut。
〃Where is she going？〃 asked Tom suspiciously。
〃To get her grandfather。 He very old Indian。 He know story of buried
cities under trees。 Very old storywhat you call legend； maybe。 But
Goosal know。 He tell same as his grandfather told him。 You wait。
Goosal come； and you listen。〃
〃Good； Ned！〃 suddenly cried Tom。 〃Maybe； we'll get on the track of
lost Kurzon after all； through some ancient Indian legend。 Maybe we
won't need the map！〃
〃It hardly seems possible；〃 said Ned slowly。 〃What can these Indians
know of buried cities that were out of existence before Columbus came
here？ Why； they haven't any written history。〃
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〃No； and that may be just the reason they are more likely to be right；〃
returned Tom。 〃Legends handed down from one grandfather to another
go back a good many hundred years。 If they were written they might be
destroyed as the professor's map was。 Somehow or other； though I can't
tell why； I begin to see daylight ahead of us。〃
〃I wish I did；〃 remarked Ned。
〃Here comes Goosal I think；〃 murmured Tom； and he pointed to an
Indian； bent with the weight of years； who； led by Tal's wife； was slowly
approaching the hut。
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TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS
CHAPTER XXI
THE CAVERN
〃Now Goosal can tell you；〃 said Tal； evidently pleased that he had； in
a measure； solved the problem caused by the burning of the professor's
map。 〃Goosal very old Indian。 He know old storieslegendsvery
old。〃
〃Well； if he can tell us how to find the buried city of Kurzon and the
the things in it；〃 said Tom； 〃he's all right！〃
The aged Indian proceeded slowly toward the hut where the impatient
youths awaited him。
〃I know what you seek in the buried city；〃 remarked Tal。
〃Do you？〃 cried Tom； wondering if some one had indiscreetly spoken
of the idol of gold。
〃Yes you want pieces of rock； with strange writings on them； old
weapons； broken pots。 I know。 I have helped white men before。〃
〃Yes； those are the things we want；〃 agreed Tom； with a glance at his
chum。 〃That issome of them。 But does your wife's grandfather talk
our language？〃
〃No； but I can tell you what he says。〃
By this time the old man； led by 〃Mrs。 Tal〃 as the young men called
the wife of the Indian they had helpedentered the hut。 He seemed
nervous and shy； and glanced from Tom and Ned to his grandson…in…law；
as the latter talked rapidly in the Indian dialect。 Then Goosal made
answer； but what it was all about the boys could not tell。
〃Goosal say；〃 translated Tal； 〃that he know a story of a very old city
away down under ground。〃
〃Tell us about it！〃 urged Tom eagerly。
But a difficulty very soon developed。 Tal's intentions were good； but
he was not equal to the task of translating。 Nor was the understanding of
Tom and Ned of Spanish quite up to the mark。
〃Say； this is too much for me！〃 exclaimed Tom。 〃We are losing the
most valuable part of this by not understanding what Goosal says； and
what Tal translates。〃
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〃What can we do？〃 asked Ned。
〃Get the professor here as soon as possible。 He can manage this dialect；
and he'll get the information at first hand。 If Goos