“Bless my necktie!” exclaimed the odd man, when they were out of hearing distance.  “What’s up, Tom.”

“I know the way to the ruined temple.  We’ll start at once,” and he told them of the map on the image.

“Who do you suppose could have made it?” asked Ned.

“Probably whoever took the image from the city of gold.  He wanted to find his way back again, or show some one, but evidently none of the recent owners of the image understand about the map, if they know it’s there.  The lines are quite faint, but it is perfectly plain.”

“It’s lucky I saw it.  I don’t have to try to buy the image now, nor seek to learn where it came from.  Anyhow, if they told me they’d tell Delazes, and he’d be hot after us.  As it is I doubt if he can learn now.  Come, we’ll get ready to hit the trail again.”

And they did, to the no small wonder of the contractor and his men, who could not understand why Tom should start out without the image, or without having learned where it came from, for Delazes had questioned the old Mexican, and learned all that took place.  But he did not look on the base of the statue.

Due west went the cavalcade, and then a new complication arose.  Tom did not want to take the Mexicans any nearer to the plain of the temple than possible, and he did not know how many miles it was away.  So he decided on taking a longer balloon voyage than at first contemplated.

“We’ll camp to-night at the best place we can find,” he said to Delazes, “and then I’m going on in the balloon.  You and your men will stay in camp until we come back.”

“Ha!  And suppose the senors do not come back with the balloon?”

“Wait a reasonable time for us, and then you can do as you wish.  I’ll pay you to the end of the month and if you wait for us any longer I have given instructions for the bank in Tampico to pay you and your men what is right.”

“Good!  And the senors are going into the unknown?”

“Yes, we don’t know where we’ll wind up.  This hunting for relics is uncertain business.  Make yourselves comfortable in camp, and wait.”

“Waiting is weary business, Senor Swift.  If we could come with you—­” began Delazes, with an eager look in his eyes.

“Out of the question,” spoke Tom shortly.  “There isn’t room in the balloon.”

“Very well, senor,” and with a snapping glance from his black eyes the contractor walked away.

CHAPTER XVII

THE RUINED TEMPLE

Though Tom had his portable balloon in shape for comparatively quick assembling it was several days, after they went into permanent camp, before it was in condition for use.

The Mexicans were not of much help for several reasons.  Some of them were ignorant men, and were very superstitious, and would have nothing to do with the “Air Fiend” as they called it.  In consequence Tom, Ned, Mr. Damon and Eradicate had to do most of the work.  But Tom and Ned were a host in themselves, and Mr. Damon was a great help, though he often stopped to bless something, to the no small astonishment of the Mexicans, one of whom innocently asked Tom if this eccentric man was not “a sort of priest in his own country, for he called down so many blessings?”