uction in the use of firearms went on
continually under Tamas, who now, in his father's old age, was the
virtual chief of the people.

It was on the fourth morning that at length, all their preparations
being completed, the actual search for the treasure began. First,
the Molimo was closely interrogated as to its whereabouts, since they
thought that even if he did not know this exactly, some traditions of
the fact might have descended to him from his ancestors. But he declared
with earnestness that he knew nothing, save that the Portuguese maiden
had said that it was hidden; nor, he added, had any dream or vision come
to him concerning this matter, in which he took no interest. If it was
there, it was there; if it was not there, it was not there--it remained
for the white men to search and see.

For no very good reason Meyer had concluded that the gold must have been
concealed in or about the cave, so here it was that they began their
investigations.

First, they bethought them of the well into which it might possibly
have been thrown, but the fact of this matter proved very difficult
to ascertain. Tying a piece of metal--it was an old Portuguese
sword-hilt--to a string, they let it down and found that it touched
water at a depth of one hundred and twenty feet, and bottom at a depth
of one hundred and forty-seven feet. Therefore there were twenty-seven
feet of water. Weighting a bucket they sank it until it rested upon this
bottom, then wound it up again several times. On the third occasion it
brought up a human bone and a wire anklet of pure gold. But this proved
nothing, except that some ancient, perhaps thousands of years ago, had
been thrown, or had fallen, into the well.

Still unsatisfied, Jacob Meyer, who was a most intrepid person,
determined to investigate the place himself, a task of no little
difficulty and danger, since proper ladders were wanting, nor, had they
existed, was there anything to stand them on. Therefore it came to this:
a seat must be rigged on to the end of the old copper chain, and be
lowered into the pit after the fashion of the bucket. But, as Benita
pointed out, although they might let him down, it was possible that they
would not be able to draw him up again, in which case his plight must
prove unfortunate. So, when the seat had been prepared, an experiment
was made with a stone weighing approximately as much as a man. This
Benita and her father let down easily enough, but, as they an