第40章

AN OLD LEGEND

Fascinated, Tom and Ned gazed at the package the Indian woman held out to them.Undoubtedly it was oiled silk on the outside, and through the almost transparent covering could be seen the small arrows, or darts, used in the blow gun.

"Where did you get that?" asked Tom, pointing to the bundle and gazing sternly at Tal.

"What is the matter, Senor?" asked the Indian in turn."Is it that you are afraid of the poisoned arrows? Be assured they will not harm you unless you are scratched by them."Tom and Ned found it difficult to comprehend all the rapid Spanish spoken by their host, but they managed to understand some, and his eloquent gestures made up the rest.

"We're not afraid," Tom said, noting that the oiled skin well covered the dangerous darts."But where did you get that?""I picked it up, after another Indian had thrown it away.He got it in your camp, Senor.I will not lie to you.I did not steal.Valdez went to your camp to steal--he is a bad Indian-- and he brought back this wrapping.It contained something he thought was gold, but it was not, so he----""Quick! Yes! Tell us!" demanded Tom eagerly."What did he do with the professor's map that was in the oiled silk? Where is it?""Oh, Senors!" exclaimed the Indian woman, thinking perhaps her husband was about to be dealt harshly with when she heard Tom's excited voice."Tal do no harm!""No, he did no harm," went on Tom, in a reassuring tone."But he can do a whole lot of good if he tells us what became of the map that was in this oiled silk.Where is it?" he asked again.

"Valdez burn it up," answered Tal.

"What, burned the professor's map?" cried Ned.

"If that was in this yellow cloth--yes," answered the injured man."Valdez he is bad.He say to me he is going to your camp to see what he can take.How he got this I know not, but he come back one morningwith the yellow pack- age.I see him, but he make me promise not to tell.But you save my life I tell you everything.

"Valdez open the package; but it is not gold, though he think so because it is yellow, and the man with no hair on his head keep it in his pocket close, so close," and Tal hugged himself to indicate what he meant.

"That's Professor Bumper," explained Ned.

"How did Valdez get the map out of the professor's coat?" asked Tom."Valdez he very much smart.When man with no hair on his headtake coat off for a minute to eat breakfast Valdez take yellow thing out of pocket.""The Indian must have sneaked into camp when we were eating," said Tom."Those from Beecher's party and our workers look all alike to us.We wouldn't know one from the other, and one of our rival's might slip in.""One evidently did, if this is really the piece of oiled silk that was around the professor's map," said Ned.

"It certainly is the same," declared the young inventor."See, there is his name," and he stretched out his hand to point.