“I’ve told you all I know about him, and I’ll tell you that in my opinion it will be dangerous to meddle with his gold, even if you found it.”

“Could that old Mexican speak English?”

“A little.”

“Only a little?” repeated Desmond.

“Yes.”

“Then it’s just as I suspected; I tell you I was scared at first, but when the old ghost answered me—­”

“When the ghost answered you?” demanded Creedon.

“Yes.”

“Did you see the ghost?”

“I heard him—­that is, I thought I did—­and I spoke to him, but he gave me back such good English I made up my mind that you didn’t know how to play a joke.  Next time stick to the broken English; you might have scared the life out of me then.”

Brooks and Creedon laughed, and the latter said: 

“Well, you are smart, you are; but, lad, let me tell you something:  don’t spend time looking for the Mexican’s gold.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve explored every nook and cranny in this mountain, and there is no treasure hidden here.”

“But I found some gold.”

“You did?”

“Yes.”

Creedon and Brooks stared.

“Are you in earnest?”

“I am.”

“Where did you find it?”

“Well, I am going to consider awhile before I tell.”

Brooks looked Desmond straight in the face, and asked: 

“Boy, honest, did you really find gold?”

“Yes, I did.”

The matter began to assume a very serious aspect, for Desmond spoke seriously.

“If you found any gold, lad, you’ve beat me.”

“I did find gold.”

“On your honor?”

“Yes.”

“Well, here we are on shares; tell us all about it.”

Desmond laughed in turn; they had had their laugh and he had his laugh, as he said: 

“Here is what I found.”

The lad produced the little nugget he had picked up and then Creedon laughed, and said: 

“By George! that is the bit of gold I lost, and I had a good hunt for it.”

Our hero had been impressed by Creedon’s statement that he had examined every nook and corner in the mountain, and yet he did feel a sort of hankering notion that he could find the gold, and he said: 

“I want to explore again.”

“All right; it can do no harm, but I will relinquish all claim now to any gold that you may find in this cave.”

“I’ll take you at your word,” said Desmond.

Of course the youth had no real hope of ever finding any gold, but it is a known fact that such finds have been made, and sometimes the skeletons of the owners have been found bleaching beside their gold.

CHAPTER V.

Boy’s determination—­going through A crevice—­the
movable rock—­aid to discover—­up through
A hole—­the Golden heap—­Desmond’s great
triumph—­the old Mexican’s secret exposed.