Perry looked at him searchingly.
“Oh, I mean it,” said Cyril. “Father has often talked about it, and he says that the Indians consider it a religious duty to protect the hiding-places of these treasures. There was a man took a party with him up into the mountains on purpose to search for them.”
“Well? Did he find anything?”
“Don’t know. Nobody ever did know.”
“How was that?”
“He never came back. Nor any of his people.”
“Why? What became of them?”
“I tell you they went up into the mountains and never came back. The Indians know what became of them.”
“But was no search made for them—no examination made of the Indians?” cried Perry, looking aghast.
“Search! Where? Indians! What Indians?” said Cyril sharply. “You forget how big the place is, and what great forests and wilds there are over the other side.”