“And then we will come to the rescue!” exclaimed Jerry. “Between then and now we will form our plans. Can you come out to us again, so that we can tell them to you?”
“I’ll try,” answered the old man. “I think I will be able to do so. And another thing: you will be well paid for your trouble, for we captives, unknown to the Indians, have a fortune in gold nuggets hidden away.”
[CHAPTER XXVII]
IN DISGUISE
For a moment after the announcement of Mr. Deering about the gold no one spoke. Then Mr. Bell said:
“That is the story told by Loftus, but I feared his mind was wandering.”
“No, it is true,” went on the professor’s cousin. “One of the huts assigned to us happened to be over a rich deposit of gold. I and some others discovered it when we were digging a tunnel to escape in the early days of our captivity. We soon gave up the plan of tunneling out of the valley, and dug for the gold. We found plenty, which we hid, but we never imagined it would be of any service to us, for we had given up hope of escaping.”
“And now you’ll soon have a chance to spend some of it,” observed Nestor with a laugh. “If everything goes well, and I don’t see why it shouldn’t, you’ll soon be in civilization again, with your friends, and can see something of the world.”
“To go back into the world again!” cried the old man, with emotion. “How strange it sounds to hear those words! We expected to die and be buried in Lost Valley, with never a sight of our friends or relatives again. Now I have hope!” He paused for an instant, as if overcome by his thoughts, and then added: “I must hurry back now, or I shall be missed, as it is getting late. But I will return here the first chance I get.”