heir companions did not
return, the others took fright and returned to the vessel. Juan Guiterez
was the name of the sole survivor of the first expedition. The
adventurers who accompanied him declared that he and his company had
lured them to the strange isle, in order to destroy them, and on the
return to the first Spanish port, he was cast into prison, and remained
a prisoner for nearly twenty years.

"This chart, or what remains of it, or from which this copy was made was
written by him while in prison, but the singular thing is, that while he
was explicit in many things, he did not leave a clue as to the location
of the island. Many of the things on it, as you see, are very faint."

The boys now examined the chart for the first time. Harry started back
in surprise, as he pointed to the chart, and looked up at John. "Why,
there are the same marks we found on the skull at Wonder Island!" he
exclaimed in great excitement.

"Quite true! and do you now wonder why I have been so much interested to
find the location? Chance has thrown this opportunity our way. It is
true we might be mistaken, but the description fits."

It would require pages to tell about what they found in the recesses of
the cavern. Hundreds and hundreds of skeletons were discovered, and the
most curious tablets and carvings in hieroglyphics were scattered in the
adjoining chamber.

Peculiarly-formed tools, implements of warfare, also of metal, small
slabs of uniform size, and with characters on both sides, which might
have been the historical books of the singular people who lived here
ages ago, were in profusion not only in the large chamber, but in the
most unexpected places.

To John it was a vast storehouse of archeological wealth. To the boys it
was much more. There were still some things that John did not explain,
and which they wanted to know.

"Do you believe that the different parties went in and never came back
again?" asked George.

"I have no doubt but the account was true."

"What became of them?"

"They probably met the fate that almost overtook us when we first went
in," was the answer.

The parchment was correct in the main details, as to the records within
the cave, but there were no treasure, nor could any trace be found of
them. They spent several days in the search, but to no avail. The boys
were not much disappointed, it may be said, but they were gratified to
know that John had accomplished the one desire of his life