ave told."

We did not stop to cut steps up the precipitous sandstone to the village
in the cliff, because we had no time to stop for antiquities.

"Let's divide here in two parties," said Juarez.

"All right," said Jim. "I imagine that this slit may be a very narrow
lateral canyon."

"Maybe," Juarez replied. "I take Tom, you and Jo go together. The one
finding it first will fire as a signal to the other party."

This was agreed on and we separated. Jim and I took the wall to the
north and Tom and Juarez went south. Jim had his rifle and Juarez a
pistol.

We made our way carefully, but saw nothing but the blank wall of red
sandstone.

"What was that?" I asked twenty minutes after we had left Tom and
Juarez. We stopped and listened intently. There was the faint sound of
a distant report.

"They have found it," exclaimed Jim.

We took the back trail and we made good time too. In a short while we
saw the two of them way down the wall of the canyon. They waved their
hands to us.

"We have got it," yelled Tom when we came within hearing.

"What, the treasure?" cried Jim.

"No, the side canyon," replied Tom.

"My! how narrow," exclaimed Jim, as he got a first view of it.

"It looks just as if someone had taken an axe and split the wall right
down," I remarked.

That expresses it. It was only a few feet across, extending the whole
height of the cliff. In most places the light was shut out as in a cave,
in other places there was just a narrow piece of blue ribbon for the sky
and a little white sunshine spilt along one upper edge.

We went single file--in many places there was no other choice.

"This is what they call Fat Man's Nursery," said Jim. "Fortunately we
are a lean and hungry lot."

"How are we ever going to get out of this lateral?" asked Tom. "The
gold chest will be high up."

"I tell you, Tom," said Jim. "Just put a foot on one side and the other
on the other side and straddle up."

This really looked possible in some places. The floor of "Lean Canyon"
was mostly of solid rock, worn into hollows and curves by running water.
Occasionally we came to places where our way was blocked by some huge
boulder that had fallen from the cliff above.

Or there would be one wedged in half way down from the top. It was a
curious sort of a place.

"If you see an old woman's face in the rock," said Juarez, "tell me;
that is one sign on this trail."

We then realized that Juarez had not told us all his s