I
will not lie to you. I did not steal. Valdez
went to your camp to steal--he is a bad Indian--
and he brought back this wrapping. It contained
something he thought was gold, but it was
not, so he----"
"Quick! Yes! Tell us!" demanded Tom
eagerly. "What did he do with the professor's
map that was in the oiled silk? Where is it?"
"Oh, Senors!" exclaimed the Indian woman,
thinking perhaps her husband was about to be
dealt harshly with when she heard Tom's
excited voice. "Tal do no harm!"
"No, he did no harm," went on Tom, in a
reassuring tone. "But he can do a whole lot of good
if he tells us what became of the map that was in
this oiled silk. Where is it?" he asked again.
"Valdez burn it up," answered Tal.
"What, burned the professor's map?" cried Ned.
"If that was in this yellow cloth--yes,"
answered the injured man. "Valdez he is bad. He
say to me he is going to your camp to see what
he can take. How he got this I know not, but
he come back one morning with the yellow pack-
age. I see him, but he make me promise not
to tell. But you save my life I tell you everything.
"Valdez open the package; but it is not gold,
though he think so because it is yellow, and the
man with no hair on his head keep it in his pocket
close, so close," and Tal hugged himself to indicate
what he meant.
"That's Professor Bumper," explained Ned.
"How did Valdez get the map out of the
professor's coat?" asked Tom.
"Valdez he very much smart.
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