They passed the place where
Tom had slain the jaguar, but nothing was left
but the bones; the ants, vultures and jungle animals
having picked them clean in the night.
On the arrival of Tom and his friends at the
Indian's hut, Goosal told, in language which
Professor Bumper could understand, the ancient
legend of the buried city as he had had it from his
grandfather.
"But is that all you know about it, Goosal?"
asked the savant.
"No, Learned One. It is true most of what I
have told you was told to me by my father and
his father's father. But I--I myself--with these
eyes, have looked upon the lost city."
"You have!" cried the professor, this time in
English. "Where? When? Take us to it!
How do you get here?"
"Through the cavern of the dead," was the
answer when the questions were modified.
"Bless my diamond ring!" exclaimed Mr.
Damon, when Professor Bumper translated the reply.
"What does he mean?"
And then, after some talk, this information
came out. Years before, when Goosal was a
young man, he had been taken by his grandfather
on a journey through the jungle. They
stopped one day at the foot of a high mountain,
and, clearing away the brush and stones at a
certain place, an entrance to a great cavern was
revealed. This, it appeared, was the Indian burial
ground, and had been used for generations.
Goosal, though in fear and trembling, was lead
through it, and came to another cavern, vaster
than the first.
Pages:
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142