some reason
for the position of these two houses."

"But it doesn't lead into the bank. How could he steal the box
out of the vault?"

"There is the real thief!" exclaimed Billie, pointing to the ape.
"He sneaked in while Strong kept the bank employes engaged. By
some mistake in his understanding he put the envelope back in the
bank the next day instead of putting back the box. It was he who
crawled through the bars into Santiago's library. He was also the
devil who scared the maid almost into fits."

"Well! Well!" exclaimed a voice from the gateway. "I never could
have believed it."

The voice was that of Don Esteban, who had entered while Billie
was speaking.

"I have come to see this strange man, Santiago Ojeda," he
explained. "What says the doctor?"

"Here comes the doctor now," announced Adrian as the physician
made his appearance in the gateway. "He can speak for himself."

CHAPTER XXXI.

THE TREASURE OF MONTEZUMA.

The shadows of evening had fallen and a cool breeze was blowing
in off the Gulf of Mexico when a group of persons, among whom
were the Broncho Rider Boys, gathered around the bedside of the
sick man.

It was as the physician had predicted, and when Santiago had
awakened after his long sleep, he had regained his senses,
although he was very weak. But as the day declined and the heat
lessened he had become stronger, and now at his own request,
Lucia and her friends drew around to listen to his tale.

At one side of the bed stood Lucia, the three boys and Don
Esteban. At the other stood Mr. Black, Josie and the physician,
while at the foot of the bed was Strong, with Ambrosio in his
arms, and a couple of soldiers who had the mountebank in
custody.

"As my daughter knows," began Santiago in a feeble voice, "I am a
direct descendant of the great Montezuma. My ancestor was the
guardian of the treasure which had been accumulated by the Aztec
kings for years. After the overthrow of my race by the Spanish
conquerors, there was given to my first great ancestor the
keeping of the secret of the source of the gold which had made
the city of Anahuac such a rich prize.

"This secret has been handed down through all these generations,
the one object being to use this knowledge in freeing Mexico from
the Spanish yoke. This secret I, as the last of my race,
possess."

The aged man paused, his strength being hardly able to the task
he had set himself.

"It is much as I suspected," whispe