e
adventurers had not been above a month upon their expedition before
misfortunes began to assail them, and he talked for long enough about
getting amongst Indians who seemed to be always on the watch to hinder
their advance."

"Yes," said Mr Bourne thoughtfully, "I have read that the Indian tribes
have had handed down to them by tradition the existence of great sacred
treasures which they are bound to protect, and which would have been
discovered long enough ago but for their watchfulness."

"Never mind the Injuns," said Griggs. "You're sure to meet them if you
go south, and, treasure or no treasure, they are always on the kill and
rob system."

"I wish they wouldn't talk so much, but let father go on," whispered
Chris.

"They had fights desperate and many with these people," continued the
doctor, "but they pushed on, to find as they plunged further into the
desert that there were worse enemies to encounter."

"Oh, that's nonsense," cried Griggs; "he must have been off his head a
bit there. It's the regular old cock-and-bull story about dragons
guarding the treasure. I know those sort of things--magic and gammon."

"No," said the doctor, smiling; "the enemies he meant were drought,
heat, and fever, all of which helped to slay his brother adventurers.
Some perished at the hands of the Indians, but more from exhaustion and
disease, so that at last, after going through the most terrible
privations, he found himself the sole survivor."

"That's bad," said Griggs, "and bad at that. But, I say, how long did
this take?"

"I don't know, and he could not explain. Time seemed to be quite out of
his calculations. It must have taken years, for he said that he was a
young and vigorous man when he started."

"But look here," said Griggs, "Murrica's a big place, and I s'pose he
joined Mexico on to it in his travels; but you could get over a deal of
ground in years. How far away was it from here?"

"Distances seemed with him to be alike," continued the doctor. "Much of
what he said in this respect seems to me to be all imagination, for he
talked of the vast unknown land that he and his companions had
penetrated, and in which they passed away, leaving him alone."

"Poor chap, to find out that the gold story was all a hatch-up, and that
he had given up the best years of his life in a great hunt after a
yellow nothing. Well, go on, doctor."

"There is not much more to tell you," was the reply.

"Then I'm right,"