tly white in the starlight.

The decisive moment had arrived.

If they should be seen by a single person the alarm would be given, for
the clothing as well as the skin of all the party, save Poyor, would
proclaim the fact that these newcomers belonged to the hated race, and
the end could not be long delayed.

Assuring himself that there was no one in sight, Poyor quickened his
pace, leading the way toward a small building on the outskirts of the
town, and ten minutes later, the strangers were inside the dwelling;
but although successful in the undertaking, were virtually prisoners.

The house was very small as compared with the majority of those seen by
the boys when they gazed from a distance, and had evidently been
unoccupied a long while.

The one room which comprised the entire lower floor was destitute of
anything in the way of furniture, and the sides, ceiling and floor were
formed of the same soft-looking white stone which appeared to be the
only building material in the city.

Poyor did not give his companions much time in which to inspect this
portion of the building. With an impatient gesture to the boys who were
gazing around them in evident disappointment, he led the way up a narrow
flight of stairs to a sort of attic hardly more than six feet high, and
with only two narrow slits in the wall to serve as windows.

Here five hammocks had been slung, and on one of them the Indian threw
himself without a word of rejoicing or comment upon the ease and safety
with which they had entered the city.

"Now what is to be done?" Neal asked as Cummings started toward the
stairway.

"I wish to bar the lower door, for it would be exceedingly inconvenient
if we should have callers."

"It strikes me that there will be very little chance to get gold if we
are to stay shut up here."

"That's just what has been puzzlin' me ever since I saw the place," Jake
added. "We're not even in the city, only on the edge, and so far as
seein' what's goin' on is concerned, the big tree in the swamp would
have been a better place."

"You may find that we are too near the heart of the town," Cummings
replied with a grimace. "To-morrow, after Poyor has looked around some,
we will decide on a plan. You had better go to sleep while there is a
chance, for no one can say when we may be obliged to beat a hasty
retreat."

The boys followed this advice for the simple reason that there was
nothing else to be done. Teddy had looked thro