king his way back to the machine, empty handed and evidently dejecte

essary noise there, for he believ

ucted from Paraguay; that he had been closely guarded and comfortably provided for, the

l the appearance of the Nelson, when he had been removed by his a

not say, but of one thing he was certain. That was

robably to prevent getting mixed up in the crooked game, the plotters in Paraguay had orde

s of Peru. It might also account for the presenc

the fact that the conspirators knew that the Nelson was heading for that city as a base

aited for Jimmie to make his way up the fa

ed above the level of the floor of the hiding pl

o as to conceal

e of tins of pork and beans?" h

k for any amount!

d, and handed Jimmie a small hatchet

it!"

desert. Like finding milk in the heart of a rock. Like uncovering snowbal

on the outside. Then he cut one open with the hatchet and b

oment. "They're all rig

ir breakfast. Then, fearful that the owners of the food might seek to remove it before another meal time

days," Jimmie said, when

k you before, but, somehow, I couldn't keep my

have blundered on the country r

for?" asked the little fell

s in that crooked little country wanted to get him out of the way, so

anywhere around

on exhibition, and that

inned, "we'd better

ss, he could l

f that," Ne

of the Nelson. The machine lay shining in the sunlight, seeming to look reproa

troking the motors. "We'll get y

ed, studying the grou

ver somewhere and wat

nts close up to the m

ing the impressions

boy exclaimed, in a minute. "We never left these t

men who work in mines wear? Big ones, looking more like a mud scow than a

will it take Pe

s no bad luck-if they let him

back at all if they have anything to say about it!" th

ed's reply. "We shall, as I have already said, have to guard it night and day.

he other," Jimmie grunted. "We've left Leroy in trouble at Lima, and we've g

ed Ned. "The wors

once have been white fluttered above a boulder not far away, held aloft and

out!" Ned

low wore a suit of clothes which was much too small for him, so that his wrists and ankles protruded a good six inches. The clothes

d the machine. Ned thought he had neve

Calamity!" J

d the stranger, rubbing his palms over th

o eat!" Jimmie put in. "How long you

eply, in a slow, sobe

ountain not so

is head, "you haven't got anything on me. I'm q

had anything to eat,"

hat I could eat

ut of fried griddles, but we've go

in the mountains for more than a week, and am so empty that it wil

can of beans, which he opened with the hatche

erved, me lu

emove the beans from the can and convey them to his mouth without the aid of such artificial ai

to know how any one could have the nerve to face a

he mother lode,

your pocket?" aske

had a fool idea that these people were on the track of a big gold find, and so just naturally sneaked along. They had an automobile. I walked. They had plenty of provisions. I had no one t

ind gold?"

ger shook

a, and up the Yukon, and over Death Valley, but I have never foun

American touri

oveling coal to pay for the rottenest grub I ever ate. When we got up the river to Asunci

d went to Sicua

ttle business all right, but I had to mov

t was Horace M. Lyma

American, and

him if you stick around here. They geezled hi

ranger. "Well, there's a pair of us, then, that don't

e're on the trail. If you had one more can of be

e. I'll do that with

strength, just now, to do much looking

the stranger started off in that direction without a word of explanation. Ned wonde

med. "Suppose you tell us

lied the other. "Don

n you've never lived

e, pard, and my privat

he party that

ot far away,

wer him?" aske

he little fellow adv

itted rang through the valley and came b

anger explained. "He knows that Old Mose Jackson is right on th

" was th

being in Mexico, and in the Canal Zone. Strange I should bum

tle fellow replied.

bullet came zipping through the air. It struck

n plain with redskins popping away at me I've dug a hole in the ground

, "We've got nothing to dig with, so we'll just have t

o the edge of the trench-like depression, and then th

heard, and then the fl

lins appeared on

ing both hands aloft. "I want

trick in that!