Page:Young Hunters in Porto Rico.djvu/167

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SEARCH FOR THE SPANISH TREASURE.
163

be worth something," observed Bob. "They would make beautiful house ornaments, were they properly cleaned."

"They wouldn't stand the outer air long," answered Dick. "Such rock never does."

"Great Caesar! what a cave!" exclaimed Don, after they had been travelling for a mile or more. "This is a regular underground world."

"You have not seen it all yet, senor," replied Carlos Remora. "Da werry long, werry broad."

All had their eyes open as they advanced, looking for a long, flat stone, with a cross cut upon it and the initials M. M. M.

Robert Menden had questioned Remora on this point, but the Porto Rican had assured him that he had never seen such a stone, and added that he doubted if there were any carvings in the cave. "Only werry few come here," he had concluded. "Most men afraid of de dark."

"It would be very beastly down here without a light," said Menden, as they paused in front of a yawning hole a dozen or more feet in diameter. "Where does that lead to, Remora?"

The native shook his head. "Can't say about dat. Nobody ever go down dem. Hark!"

He picked up a loose stone and hurled it down the opening. They heard it rebound from one wall to another a dozen times, the sound growing fainter and fainter until it died out altogether.