When man
with no hair on his head take coat off for a
minute to eat breakfast Valdez take yellow thing
out of pocket."
"The Indian must have sneaked into camp
when we were eating," said Tom. "Those from
Beecher's party and our workers look all alike
to us. We wouldn't know one from the other,
and one of our rival's might slip in."
"One evidently did, if this is really the piece of
oiled silk that was around the professor's map,"
said Ned.
"It certainly is the same," declared the young
inventor. "See, there is his name," and he
stretched out his hand to point.
"Don't touch!" cried Tal. "Poisoned arrows
snake poison--very 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
up--all 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.
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