Young's face wore a melancholy expression as we stood upon the shore of
the lake, and looked out across it towards the faintly seen western
shore. "If this is th' place we're huntin' for," he said, "I guess our
treasure stock is pretty badly watered, unless somebody's had th' sense
t' keep th' treasure dry over on th' other side. We'd better move over
there, I reckon, an' take a look for it, especially as we've got t' go
that way anyhow in order t' get out. There ought t' be some sort of a
path around th' lake, between th' edge of th' water and th' cliffs."

But when we came to examine into this matter we found that there was no
path at all. On each side of the valley the walls of rock rose directly
from the water, sharp and sheer.

"Well," said Rayburn, when we had finished our inspection, "we've got
to get across somehow. I guess we'll have to sail in, the first thing
to-morrow morning, and build a raft. These pine-trees down here by the
water will cut easy and float well, and there's some comfort in that,
anyway. But what I'm after right now is my supper."

Pablo already had started a fire, having first unpacked El Sabio, that
he might refresh himself by rolling on the soft, green grass and by
eating his fill of it, and Young presently had some ham fried and some
coffee boiled. We had counted upon having fresh meat for supper that
night, for there was everything in the look of the valley to promise
that we would find game there; but, so far, not a four-footed thing nor
a bird had we seen, nor even signs of fish in the lake.

In the morning we got out the axes and went to work at the building of
the raft; and, notwithstanding what Rayburn had said in regard to the
ease of cutting them, I must confess that for my part I found the
cutting of pine-trees very wearying and painful. My hands were blistered
by it, and the muscles of my back were made extremely sore by it for
several days. Indeed, the construction of a raft big enough to float us
all, and our heavy packs, and El Sabio, was a serious undertaking. We
spent two days and a half over it, and I never in my life was more
thankful for anything than I was when at last that wretched raft was
done. As Young observed, as he regarded our finished work critically,
there was no style about it--for it was only a lot of rough logs, of
which the upper and lower layers ran fore and aft and the middle layer
transversely, the whole bound together by our pack-ropes--but it was