by their people. And this warrior, though invisible, has a voice that
makes the mountains quake and the rivers stand still with fear, and
in his great bow he shoots shafts that are made of gold! Do you
understand? Last night I heard Mukoki talking about it in his sleep.
Either we must hear this cry, and find out more about it, or hurry to
a place where it won't be heard again. Golden bullets and cries and
Mukoki's superstitions are going to be worse than Woongas if we don't
watch out!"

"But the whole thing is as plain as day!" declared Rod in
astonishment. "A man shot at the bear, and the same man shot at
Mukoki, and he fired gold each time. Surely--"

"It's not the man part of it," interrupted the other. "It's the cry.
There, Mukoki has his pack ready. Let's start for the chasm at once!"

This time the boys had a heavier burden than usual, for in the canoe
they placed one of the two loads carried by Mukoki, and consequently
their progress toward the chasm was much slower than that across the
plain. It was late in the afternoon when they reached the break that
led into the chasm, and as they cautiously made the descent now Rod
thought of the thrilling pursuit of the Woonga horde, and how a few
weeks before they had discovered this break just in time for Wabi and
him to save their lives, and that of the wounded Mukoki. It was with a
feeling almost of awe that the three adventurers penetrated deeper and
deeper into the silent gloom of this mystery-filled gulch between the
mountains, and when they reached the bottom they set their loads down
without speaking, their eyes roving over the black walls of rock,
their hearts throbbing a little faster with excitement.

For here, at this break in the mountain, began the romantic trail
drawn by men long dead, the trail that led to a treasure of gold.

As the three sat in silence, the gloom in the chasm thickened. The sun
had passed beyond the southwestern forests, and through the narrow
rift between the mountain walls there fell but the ebbing light of
day, dissolving itself into the shadows of dusk as it struggled weakly
in the cavernous depths. For a few minutes this swift fading of day
into night gripped the adventurers in its spell. What did the lonely
solitudes of that chasm hold for them? Where would they lead them? To
Rod's mind there came a picture of the silver fox and a thought of
his dream, when for a few miles he had explored the mysteries of this
strange, sunles