“Now, go on in farther before you light another,” Don suggested. “He may have made a hiding-place of the next angle.”
The flame of the match revealed a shallow niche in the north wall. In the niche lay a metal box the size of a sardine box. It was covered with rust, and did not open readily when Clay drew at the cover.
It came open after a time, however, and both boys bent over it.
“This isn’t a treasure!” Don exclaimed. “This is a clue! A sure enough clue in the rocks! And only paper!”
Clay put the box, closed, into a pocket and moved toward the entrance. Don followed on behind, gloomily enough. He had expected so much of the discovery they had made, and a tin box had been the only product of it!
“Just our luck!” he complained, as the two stumbled along.
“Never you mind!” Clay said. “How do you know what this box contains? It is only a paper, but even a paper may tell where a million is hidden! Wait until we get out into the sunshine, and we’ll see what it says. Your Uncle David certainly was an odd one! The idea of any one in his right mind hiding a paper in a dreary place like that!”
At last the boys reached the ledge again. Mr. Frost, Alex and Tom were still on the level dump in front of the old mine. They motioned to Clay and Don as they came out, indicating that they were going away to look for the Rambler. Clay held up the box, drew the paper out, and held that up, too. There was excitement across the great chasm!
Alex seemed to be pointing the way down, and Banker Frost was motioning to Clay to be careful of the box and the paper.
“If those natives got down from here, we can!” Don exclaimed. “We can go anywhere they can! How we are going to get across the river is what gets me! Can you swim it?”