"
"It's a chance worth taking," said Mr. Damon.
"Of course it is a chance. But then everything
connected with this expedition is; so one is no
worse than another. As you say, we may find
the entombed men more easily this way than any
other."
"I wonder," said Tom slowly, "if, by any
chance, we shall find, through this passage, the
lost city we are looking for."
"And the idol of gold," added Ned.
"Goosal, do you know anything about this?"
asked Professor Bumper. "Did you ever hear
of another passage leading to the cave where you
saw the ancient city?"
"No, Learned One, though I have heard stories
about there being many cities, or parts of a big
one, beneath the mountain, and when it was
above ground there were many entrances to it."
"That settles it!" cried the professor in
English, having talked to Goosal in Spanish.
"We'll try this and see where it leads."
They entered the stone-lined passage. In
spite of the fact that it had probably been buried
and concealed from light and air for centuries,
as evidenced by the growth of the giant trees
above it, the air was fresh.
"And this is one reason," said Tom, in
commenting on this fact, "why I believe it leads to
some vast cavern which is connected in some
fashion with the outer air. Well, perhaps we
shall soon make a discovery."
Eagerly and anxiously the little party pressed
forward by the light of the pocket electric lamps.
They were obsessed by two thoughts--what they
might find and the necessity for aiding in the
rescue of their rivals.
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