A tangled mass of vines clung to it, half hiding the lower part of it.
After peering carefully about, to make sure that there was no one around, our friends advanced toward the huge monument of stone.
It was a difficult matter to reach its base, for so dense was the undergrowth that the Yankee had to unsling the ax from his back and cut their way through.
At frequent intervals they came to a halt and listened, but not the least sound could they hear, save the noise they made themselves.
“It is rather queer where that dog went to,” said Dick.
“That’s so,” replied his cousin, shaking his head.
“Somethin’ funny’ll happen putty soon—see if it don’t,” put in Haypole. “I wouldn’t be much surprised to see ther ‘old boy’ jump outer that big gravestone, an’ put for us. I’ll be ding-wizzened! if I don’t begin ter feel squeamish.”
“Come; let us force our way through these vines and get at the base of the obelisk,” spoke up the professor, pushing his way forward.
A few minutes later all five stood at the foot of the immense shaft, panting and sweating from their exertions.
As they tore the vines aside, they saw it was covered, at regular intervals, with square bits of stone, exactly like the one found by Prof. Easy.