"What is it?" asked Harry.
"The letter is from Blakely," he said as he passed[p. 34] the papers to John. "And what do you think it is about?"
All eagerly peered at the letter and then at the brown missive, whatever it was.
"Read it aloud," said the Professor.
John handed it to George, and this is Blakely's letter:
"South Mountain,
Below Illya.
"My Dear Professor:
"I felt sure that my view as to the character of the mountain range below the town was correct. Copper outcroppings were found as far south as the range can be seen, and there is also silver in abundance. This will surely be a profitable field for the natives. Yesterday, while prospecting on the southeastern side of the main ridge, I was surprised to find a part of a metal pot, evidently of cast iron. Quite a number of articles, of no particular value were lying near, but within the fragment of the pot, and protected by a shale of rock, was the enclosed scrap, which I thought might interest you, as you have a leaning in the direction of finding out hidden and abstruse things. Probably, you can decipher what it says. All the men are well, and are feeling jolly. We may be ready to return in a week. I hope the old ship is coming along all right.
"Hurriedly, as ever,
"Blakely."
"That is satisfactory. Blakely is the right man for his job," remarked John.