gh about to exhibit some, precious jewel, he loosened
the oiled-silk wrappings and showed a large map, on thin but tough
paper.

"This is drawn from the old charts," the professor explained. "I
worked on it many months, and it is the only copy in the world. If it
were to be destroyed I should have to go all the way back to New York
to make another copy. I have the original there in a safe deposit
vault."

"Wouldn't it have been wise to make two copies?" asked Tom.

"It would have only increased the risk. With one copy, and that
constantly in my possession, I can be sure of my ground. Otherwise
not. That is why I am so careful of this. Now I will show you why I
believe we are about over the ancient city of Kurzon."

"Over it!" cried Mr. Damon. "Bless my gunpowder! What do you mean?"
and he looked down at the earthen floor of the tent as though expecting
it to open and swallow him.

"I mean that the city, like many others of Central and South America,
is buried below the refuse of centuries," went on the professor. "Very
soon, if we are fortunate, we shall be looking on the civilization of
hundreds of years ago--how long no one knows.

"Considerable excavation has been done in Central America," went on
Professor Bumper, "and certain ruins have been brought to light. Near
us are those of Copan, while toward the frontier are those of Quirigua,
which are even better preserved than the former. We may visit them if
we have time. But I have reason to believe that in this section of
Copan is a large city, the existence of which has not been made certain
of by any one save myself--and, perhaps, Professor Beecher.

"Certainly no part of it has seen the light of day for many centuries.
It shall be our pleasure to uncover it, if possible, and secure the
idol of gold."

"How long ago do you think the city was buried?" asked Tom.

"It would be hard to say. From the carvings and hieroglyphics I have
studied it would seem that the Mayan civilization lasted about five
hundred years, and that it began perhaps in the year A. D. five
hundred."

"That would mean," said Mr. Damon, "that the ancient cities were in
ruins, buried, perhaps, long before Columbus discovered the new world."

"Yes," assented the professor. "Probably Kurzon, which we now seek,
was buried deep for nearly five hundred years before Columbus landed at
San Salvadore. The specimens of writing and architecture heretofore
disclosed indicate that