a fire-fly.

"Seen any one, Tom?" I whispered.

"Not a soul, sir."

"Have you got all we want?"

"I believe you, Mas'r Harry. Two spades, two mules, plenty to eat and
drink, plenty of powder and lead, and coffee-bags enough--brand-new ones
of your uncle's--to put in all the treasure we shall find."

I could not see Tom's face, but I felt sure that he was indulging in a
good grin. However, I said nothing; but enjoining caution, we each took
the bridle of a mule and began to thread our way cautiously amongst the
trees, taking the precaution of setting off in an opposite direction to
that we intended afterwards to pursue.

It was a strange and a weird journey, but we went on hour after hour,
and nothing molested us. About midnight we halted to let the beasts
graze for half an hour in a grassy vale, while we did what Tom called
the same; our pasture being cake, and our drink spirit and water.

Refreshed by our short halt, we again journeyed, and from time to time,
after giving Tom the bridle of my mule, I stayed back to listen and try
to discover whether we were followed; but, save the cry of some beast,
there was nothing to be heard.

About two hours after midnight we struck the little stream, and soon
after were well in the ravine, when, for the purpose of exercising
greater caution, and, as Tom said, running the risk of being stung, we
each took the bridle of our mule over one arm and went down on all
fours, crawling forward; and so slow was our progress that, were we
watched and a glimpse of us obtained, I felt certain that we must be
taken for a little herd slowly grazing towards the mouth of the great
cavern.

We reached the rocky pass at last, and then, muffling the feet of the
mules with the coffee-bags, we took them cautiously on--the intelligent
beasts clambering carefully and with hardly a sound--when we led them
right in for some distance, gave them the maize we had brought, and then
sat down in the darkness listening to their crunching of the grain and
the loud cries of the guacharo birds as they flew in and out, fortifying
ourselves the while with a hearty meal--Tom foregoing his pipe for
reasons of cautious tendency.

According to my calculations the day would break in about an hour's
time; and during that hour, but always on the alert, we stretched
ourselves upon the sand to rest, listening to every sound; for there was
the possibility, we knew, of there being enemies, biped or quadruped,
w