d save that caused by heavy breathing could have
been heard from the boat.

Then, when darkness came again, Poyor, who had remained almost without
motion during the entire time of the halt, aroused himself, ate half a
dozen bananas, and took up the paddle.

The precautions against being discovered by those who might be on the
watch were now redoubled. Before rounding a bend the Indian waited in a
listening attitude to assure himself no one was moving in the immediate
vicinity, and when it became necessary to work the canoe along by aid of
the foliage the utmost care was exercised to prevent the branches from
rustling.

As the hours wore on and no attack was made Cummings appeared to be
highly elated, and Jake's gloomy forebodings were dispelled in the
thought of the treasure which they might be able to bring away.

Once, about midnight, when they halted a moment for Poyor to
reconnoiter, Neal whispered to the leader:

"How many nights of this kind of traveling is necessary before we reach
the city?"

"When we next halt it will be to leave the boat and continue the journey
on foot. It was the possible difficulties, not the distance, which
rendered the undertaking formidable."

The Indian returned, stepped into the canoe without speaking, and took
up the paddle as if to say there was nothing to prevent them from going
ahead.

From this time until faint streaks of light caused by the approach of
the sun could be seen in the sky there was no lengthy interruption to
the advance, and then as the boat was pulled out of the channel into a
sort of basin or break of the bank which led among the more dense
portions of the forests, Cummings said to Neal:

"In two hours you shall have a full view of the Silver City, and then
there can be no doubt as to the truth of what I have told you."

CHAPTER XII.

THE SILVER CITY.

To Neal and Teddy the thought that they were so near the wonderful place
described by Cummings overshadowed everything else, and the probable
danger was but a secondary consideration.

Jake was in a perfect fever of excitement, and so great was his desire
to see the city from which he fully expected to bring away enormous
amounts of gold that more than once did the leader caution him in an
impatient tone to remain quiet.

Impassive, apparently unmoved by the fact that the plan which he and his
white companion had spent so many months in perfecting was about to be
proven successful, or a fai