“I am.  But he is here in the cave, and will speak for himself if you desire it.  But I represent him, and I order you to leave.  If you do not go peaceably we will use force.  We have plenty of it,” and he glanced back at the Indians grouped behind him—­scowling savage Indians.

“We have no wish to intrude,” observed Professor Bumper, “and I fully recognize the right of prior discovery.  But one member of our party (he did not say which one) was in this cave many years ago.  He led us to it.”

“Ours is a government concession!” exclaimed Professor Hylop harshly.  “We want no intruders!  Go!” and he pointed toward the direction whence Tom’s party had come.

“Drive them out!” he ordered the Indians in Spanish, and with muttered threats the dark-skinned men advanced toward Tom and the others.

“You need not use force,” said Professor Bumper.

He and Professor Hylop had quarreled bitterly years before on some scientific matter, and the matter was afterward found to be wrong.  Perhaps this made him vindictive.

Tom stepped forward and started to protest, but Professor Bumper interposed.

“I guess there is no help for it but to go.  It seems to be theirs by right of discovery and government concession,” he said, in disappointed tone.  “Come friends”; and dejectedly they retraced their steps.

Followed by the threatening Indians, the Bumper party made its way back to the entrance.  They had hoped for great things, but if the cavern gave access to the buried city—­the ancient city of Kurzon on the chief altar of which stood the golden idol, Quitzel—­it looked as though they were never to enter it.

“We’ll have to get our Indians and drive those fellows out!” declared Tom.  “I’m not going to be beaten this way—­and by Beecher!”

“It is galling,” declared Professor Bumper.  “Still he has right on his side, and I must give in to priority, as I would expect him to.  It is the unwritten law.”

“Then we’ve failed!” cried Tom bitterly.

“Not yet,” said Professor Bumper.  “If I can not unearth that buried city I may find another in this wonderland.  I shall not give up.”

“Hark!  What’s that noise?” asked Tom, as they approached the entrance to the cave.

“Sounds like a great wind blowing,” commented Ned.

It was.  As they stood in the entrance they looked out to find a fierce storm raging.  The wind was sweeping down the rocky trail, the rain was falling in veritable bucketfuls from the overhanging cliff, and deafening thunder and blinding lightning roared and flashed.

“Surely you would not drive us out in this storm,” said Professor Bumper to his former rival.

“You can not stay in the cave!  You must get out!” was the answer, as a louder crash of thunder than usual seemed to shake the very mountain.

CHAPTER XXIII