hat is where you are right," Cummings replied approvingly. "We shall
be worth any number of dead men for some time to come, and won't discuss
even the possibility of capture. When are you going to start, Poyor?"

"When I have bound more guaco leaves on this man's wound," was the
answer, and now the boys noticed that he had brought a fresh supply of
the wonderful shrub.

After preparing it as before the bandage was removed, and by the light
of a splinter of fat wood which Cummings fired with a match, it could be
seen that the edges of the gash had already united.

"To-morrow there will be no reason for keeping it tied up."

"That is to say, the wound will be healed, and you'll have a souvenir of
the Silver City which can never be lost," Cummings added.

"I won't complain, for I came out of the scrape much better than I
deserved," the engineer replied with a laugh.

Poyor was now ready to go on the scout, and he delayed only long enough
to say:

"There must be no talking while I am away, for one who speaks cannot
listen, and if the enemy should come here again his approach will be
like that of a serpent."

"You shan't have any cause to complain," Cummings replied, and an
instant later the Indian had left the cave.

Teddy now thought the time had come when he should settle the question
of whether there were any fish in the stream, and after gaining
Cummings' permission to make the attempt he and Neal brought out the
lines and flies which had been saved from the wreck of the Sea Dream.

"We shall need bait," he whispered. "If there were a million fish there
they couldn't see a fly in the dark, and, besides, if this river runs
underground entirely not one of them knows anything about insects."

"A piece of roasted toh will be the very best we could have," and Neal
soon brought out some of the toughest portions of the remnants left from
the last meal.

Cummings would not listen to their proposition that a fire be lighted,
therefore it was necessary to work in the dark, and they experienced
considerable difficulty in beginning the task.

Then, while Jake sat near by deeply interested in the experiment, the
boys moved their lines to and fro, forced to wade quite a distance into
the water, and ten minutes passed before there was any sign that their
efforts would be rewarded by success.

"I've got a bite," Teddy whispered excitedly. "By the way he pulled it
must have been a big fel---- Hello, he's taken hook and a