"What are those curious things?" asked Tom, gazing at the square-shaped objects, which were arranged in one corner.
"By opening them we shall see."
"Here is one, partly opened," exclaimed Ralph in great excitement.
"Yes; that is the one I tried to get into," answered John. "Notwithstanding it was a hazardous thing to do at the time, I took the risk. The Krishnos were at that very time at the other wing which we just left."
The receptacle was brought out and examined. The wealth of gold and silver was amazing. Blakely could hardly believe the testimony of his eyes.
"Your ship, the Adventurer, is floating around in pieces on the Pacific, but I imagine there is enough here to compensate you for the loss of the vessel," remarked John, as he noticed Blakely's wondering look.
"How can we ever get all this stuff on the wagon?" asked Tom. "The boxes are all falling to pieces."
"The Krishnos have plenty of copper vessels, as well as others, which they have gathered up from the wrecks on the coast. You know the best of everything goes to them, and the chiefs are not strong enough really to prevent them on account of the superstitious fears they inculcate."
True enough, the eastern wing had a hoard of vessels, some of them of the greatest value, which were arranged about the chests of treasure, and[p. 113] the work of filling the receptacles was industriously undertaken. This occupied them for fully three hours, and the greater task of carrying them to the wagon was begun.
When they emerged from the cave at four in the morning they were tired beyond all description, but they had a mass of treasure, that did not pale in comparison with the amount taken out of the caverns near the Cataract.