with a spare one in reserve, and with their weapons in readiness the party descended the stone steps.
Their footfalls echoed solemnly as they went down—down into the unknown blackness. They kept their bright lights playing here and there, but even these did not dispell the gloom. On every side was stone—stone walls—stone steps. It was like going down into some vast stretch of catacombs.
"Say, will we ever get to the bottom?" asked Ned, when they had counted several hundred steps. "Maybe this goes down to the middle of the earth."
"Well, ef it do I'm gwine right along!" called Eradicate. "I's gwine t' hab one ob dem gold images er bust!"
"And I'm with you!" cried Tom. "We'll have to get to the bottom sooner or later."
Hardly had he spoken than he came to the last step, and saw stretching off before him a long tunnel, straight and level, lined on both sides, and top and bottom, with smooth stones that gleamed like marble.
"Now we are really in the tunnel," declared Ned. "I wonder what's at the end?"
"The city of gold, of course," answered Tom confidently.
Eagerly they hurried on. There was a slightly
