ir electric flash lamps. On and on they went,
hoping every minute to reach their goal.

"Dish suah am a mighty long tunnel," remarked Eradicate. "Dey ought
t' hab a trolley line in yeah."

"Bless my punching bag!" cried Mr. Damon, "so they had! Now if those
ancients were building to-day--"

He stopped suddenly, for Tom, who was in the lead, had uttered a
cry. It was a cry of joy, there was no mistaking that, and
instinctively they all knew that he had found what he had sought.

All confirmed it a moment later, for, as they rushed forward, they
discovered Tom standing at the place where the tunnel broadened
out--broadened out into a great cave, a cave miles in extent, for all
they could tell, as their lamps, powerful as they were, only
illuminated for a comparatively short distance.

"We're here!" cried Tom. "In the city of gold at last!"

"The city of gold!" added Ned. "The underground city of gold!"

"And gold there is!" fairly shouted Mr. Damon. "See it's all over!
Look at the golden streets--even the sides of the buildings are
plated with it--and see, in that house there are even gold chairs!
Boys, there is untold wealth here!"

"An' would yo' all look at dem golden statues!" cried Eradicate,
"dey mus' be millions ob 'em! Oh, golly! Ain't I glad I comed
along!" and he rushed into one of the many houses extending along
the street of the golden city where they stood, and gathered up a
fairly large statue of gold--an image exactly similar to the one he
already had, except as to size.

"I never would have believed it possible!" gasped Tom. "It's a city
of almost solid gold. We'll be millionaires a million times over!"

CHAPTER XVI

THE BIG IMAGE

Could the light of day have penetrated to that mysterious and
ancient underground city of gold our friends might have had some
idea of its magnificence. As it was they could only view small parts
of it at a time by the illumination of their electric torches. But
even with them they saw that it was a most wonderful place.

"I don't believe there's another city like it in all the world,"
spoke Tom in awed accents, "there never was, and never will be
again. Those Aztecs must have brought all their treasures of gold
here."

"Bless my cake box! that's so," agreed Mr. Damon.

"Let's take a look around," advised Ned, "and then we can decide on
what will be best to take away."

"It won't take me long t' make up mah mind," spoke Eradicate. "I's
goin' t' take