"

"How could you get the head off?" asked Mr. Damon.

"Oh, pull the statue down or overturn it, as the American patriots
did to the Bowling Green, New York, lead statue of King George III
during the Revolutionary days," answered Tom. "I think that's what
I'll do."

"I say, look here!" called Ned, who had made a circuit of the
statue. "There's some sort of an inscription here. See if you can
read it, Tom."

They went around to the front of the big, golden image where Ned
stood. On a sort of a plate, with raised letters, was an inscription
in a strange language. Part of it seemed to be the name of the
person or god whom the statue represented, and what followed none
could make out.

"It's something like the ancient Greek or Persian language,"
declared Mr. Damon, who was quite a scholar. "I can make out a word
here and there, and it seems to be a warning against disturbing the
statue, or damaging it. Probably it was put there to warn small boys
thousands of years ago, if they ever allowed small boys in this
place."

"Does it say what will be done to whoever harms the statue?" asked
Tom with a laugh.

"Probably it does, but I can't make out what it is," answered Mr.
Damon.

"Then here goes to see if we can't overturn it and hack off the
head," went on Tom. "I've got a sharp little hatchet, and gold is
very soft to cut. Over she goes."

"You never can upset that statue," declared Ned.

"Yes, I can," cried the young inventor. "I brought a long, thin, but
very strong rope with me, and I think if we all pull together we can
do it."

Tom made a noose and skillfully threw it over the head of the
statue. It settled about the neck, and then, all taking hold, and
walking away a short distance, they gave a "long pull, a strong
pull, and a pull altogether."

At first the statue would not move, but when they strained on the
rope, the image suddenly tilted, and, a moment later it tumbled to
the stone pavement. But the fall was not as heavy as should have
resulted from a statue of solid metal. There was a tinkling sound.

"That's queer!" cried Tom. "It didn't make half the fuss I
expected," and he hurried up to look at the fallen statue. "Why!" he
cried in astonishment, "it's hollow--the big golden statue is
hollow--it's a fake!"

And so it was. The big image was only a shell of gold.

"Not so valuable as it looked," commented Ned. "We could take that
with us in the balloon, if it wasn't so big."

"Well, here go