“These the arrows,” explained Tal’s wife, bringing a bundle from a corner of the one-room hut.  As she held them out her husband gave a cry of fear.

“Poisoned arrows!  Poisoned arrows!” he exclaimed.  “One scratch and the senors are dead men.  Put them away!”

In fear the Indian wife prepared to obey, but as she did so Tom Swift caught sight of the package and uttered a strange cry.

“Thundering hoptoads, Ned!” he exclaimed.  “The poisoned arrows are wrapped in the piece of oiled silk that was around the professor’s missing map!”

CHAPTER XX

AN OLD LEGEND

Fascinated, Tom and Ned gazed at the package the Indian woman held out to them.  Undoubtedly it was oiled silk on the outside, and through the almost transparent covering could be seen the small arrows, or darts, used in the blow gun.

“Where did you get that?” asked Tom, pointing to the bundle and gazing sternly at Tal.

“What is the matter, Senor?” asked the Indian in turn.  “Is it that you are afraid of the poisoned arrows?  Be assured they will not harm you unless you are scratched by them.”

Tom and Ned found it difficult to comprehend all the rapid Spanish spoken by their host, but they managed to understand some, and his eloquent gestures made up the rest.

“We’re not afraid,” Tom said, noting that the oiled skin well covered the dangerous darts.  “But where did you get that?”

“I picked it up, after another Indian had thrown it away.  He got it in your camp, Senor.  I will not lie to you.  I did not steal.  Valdez went to your camp to steal—­he is a bad Indian—­ and he brought back this wrapping.  It contained something he thought was gold, but it was not, so he——­”

“Quick!  Yes!  Tell us!” demanded Tom eagerly.  “What did he do with the professor’s map that was in the oiled silk?  Where is it?”

“Oh, Senors!” exclaimed the Indian woman, thinking perhaps her husband was about to be dealt harshly with when she heard Tom’s excited voice.  “Tal do no harm!”

“No, he did no harm,” went on Tom, in a reassuring tone.  “But he can do a whole lot of good if he tells us what became of the map that was in this oiled silk.  Where is it?” he asked again.

“Valdez burn it up,” answered Tal.

“What, burned the professor’s map?” cried Ned.

“If that was in this yellow cloth—­yes,” answered the injured man.  “Valdez he is bad.  He say to me he is going to your camp to see what he can take.  How he got this I know not, but he come back one morning with the yellow pack-age.  I see him, but he make me promise not to tell.  But you save my life I tell you everything.

“Valdez open the package; but it is not gold, though he think so because it is yellow, and the man with no hair on his head keep it in his pocket close, so close,” and Tal hugged himself to indicate what he meant.