all dem images I kin find."

"I was going to say we'd have plenty of time to look about and pick
what we wanted," said Tom, "but I think perhaps we'd better hurry."

"Why?" asked Mr. Damon.

"There's no telling when Delazes and his gang may find this place,
and even the Fogers may be nearer than we think. But I believe our
best plan would be this: To take some gold now, and several of the
statues, go back to our balloon, and make some kind of big lamps, so
we can light this place up. Then, too, I think we'd better move the
balloon into the old temple. It will be safer there. Then we can
come back here, pack up as much gold as we can carry, and be off. I
don't like to think of being underground when Delazes and the Fogers
are on the surface. It might not be altogether safe for us."

"Bless my insurance policy!" cried the odd man. "Now YOU'RE giving
me the cold shivers, Tom. But I believe you're right. We must look
ahead a bit."

With all their electric flash lamps turned on, the four advanced
farther into the underground city of gold. As they went on they saw
the precious yellow metal on every side of them. It was used
lavishly, showing that to the ancients it was as common as iron or
steel is to-day. But they did not use the gold merely as common
material in the construction of buildings or objects of use.
Instead, the gold seemed to be brought into play to beautify the
city. An artistic scheme was carried out, and while it was true that
in many buildings common objects were made of gold, yet each one was
beautiful in itself.

"What a wonderful place this must have been when it was lighted up,"
spoke Tom.

"Do you think it was ever lighted up?" asked his chum.

"It must have been," declared the young inventor. "My idea is that
this city was the home of the priests of the temple, and their
friends. I don't believe the common people ever came here. Perhaps
the officers of the army, the rulers and the royal family were
admitted, but not the ordinary people. That's why it's so far
underground, and so well guarded by the river."

"Probably the priests and others collected so much gold they didn't
know what to do with it, and built this city to use it up, and, at
the same time have a safe place to store it. And they must have had
some means of lighting the place, for they couldn't go about in
darkness--they couldn't have seen the gold if they did. Yes, this
must have been wonderfully beautiful then. The priests p