much Andy had heard. But perhaps it wasn't much."

The time was to come, however, when Tom was to learn to his sorrow
that Andy Foger had overheard a great deal.

"Bless my bankbook!" exclaimed Mr. Damon. "I never dreamed of such a
thing! Andy had every reason in the world for not wanting us to know
he was in there! No wonder he kept quiet. I'll wager all the while
he was as close to the open door as he could get, hoping to overhear
about the location of the place, so he could help his father get
back his lost fortune. Bless my hatband! It's a good thing Mrs.
Baggert told us he was there."

They all agreed with this, and then, as there was no further danger
of being overheard, they resumed their talk about the city of gold.
It was decided that they would have to wait the arrival of another
letter from Mr. Illingway before starting for Mexico.

"Well, as long as that much is settled, I think I'd better be going
home," suggested Mr. Damon. "I know my wife will be anxious about
me."

"I'll get out the sky racer and you'll be in Waterford in a jiffy,"
said Tom, and he kept his word, for the speedy aeroplane carried him
and his guest rapidly through the night, bringing Tom safely back
home.

It was several days after this, during which time Tom and Ned had
had many talks about the proposed trip. They had figured on what
sort of a craft to use in the journey. Tom had about decided on a
small, but very powerful, dirigible balloon, that could be packed in
a small compass and taken along.

"This city may be in some mountain valley, and a balloon will be the
only way we can get to it," he told Ned.

"That's right," agreed his chum. "By the way, you haven't heard any
more about Andy; have you?"

"Not a thing. Haven't even seen him. None of us have."

"There goes Rad, I wonder if he's seen him."

"No, or he'd have mentioned it to me. Hey, Rad," Tom called to the
colored man, "what are you going to do?"

"Whitewash de back fence, Massa Tom. It's in a mos' disrupted state
ob disgrace. I'se jest natchally got t' whitewash it."

"All right, Rad, and when you get through come back here. I've got
another job for you."

"A'right, Massa Tom, I shorely will," and Rad limped off with his
pail of whitewash, and the long-handled brush.

It may have been fate that sent Andy Foger along the rear road a
little later, and past the place where Eradicate was making the
fence less "disrupted." It may have been fate or Andy may hav