the spades. There must not be a
trace of this night's work left at daybreak."

Tom's hard breathing was the only response, as, seizing his spade and
giving me mine, he forced back the sand, helping me to shovel it in
until the floor was once more pretty level, and we knew the water would
do the rest, even to removing the traces of our running to and fro,
unless the sharp Indian eye should be applied closely to the floor of
the cavern.

We toiled on, working furiously in our excitement, feeling about so as
to compensate as well as we could for the want of sight, till I knew
that no more could be done, when, retreating inward to where we had
dammed the stream, we let the water flow swiftly back into its old
channel, leaving the bits of rock where they were, save one or two whose
loosening soon set the water free, so that it swept with a rush over the
place where we had so lately toiled; and then, dripping with
perspiration and water, we went and sat down to eat and rest just as the
first faint streaks of dawn began to show in the valley, and we could
see that there was a barrier across the mouth of the cave.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

EXCITING TIMES.

Light--more light, but still not enough to tell of what our treasure was
composed. If we had been at the mouth of the cave it would have been,
possible, but where we were the darkness was still thick darkness.

Twice I had impatiently gazed at the metal I had been fingering with all
a miser's avidity, when my attention was taken by an object upon a rock
close by where we had worked during the night--a toil that I had been
ready to declare a dream, time after time, but for the solid reality
beneath my hands.

Tom caught sight of the object at the same moment as myself; and
together, moved by the same impulse, we raced down, secured it, and then
ran panting back with a gloriously-worked but battered _golden_ cup,
that we had placed upon the rock above us, and which had thus escaped
our search.

The next minute we were gazing tremblingly back to see whether we had
been observed, for to lose now the wondrous treasure in our grasp seemed
unbearable.

But no--all was still; and, for my part, I could do nothing but pant
with excitement as the truth dawned more upon me with the coming day,
that I was by this one stroke immensely rich. The treasure was gold--
rich, ruddy gold, all save one of the great round shields, and that was
of massive silver, black almost as ink