“The old one the Spaniards and the early English voyagers were always seeking.”
“But that was only an old fable.”
“I don’t know,” said Briscoe thoughtfully. “They had it, I suppose, from native reports, and they never found it.”
“Of course not. It was only a travellers’ tale.”
“Perhaps so, but the wealth of Mexico and of Peru did not turn out to be a travellers’ tale.”
“Well, no,” said Brace slowly.
“And there is plenty of room out here in the mountains or beyond the forest for such a golden city.”
“Oh, yes, plenty of room,” said Brace.
“There is gold in the upper waters of the rivers, for I have found it. We shall find some in this, I’ll be bound—some day when we’ve sailed up as far as we can, and then pushed on up the shallows in a boat right away towards the mountains.”
“What mountains?” asked Brace.