"We're on the trail! We're on the trail!" cried Tom.
"Heah! Let me hab dat!" cried Eradicate. "I may not git anudder," and he reached up for the statue.
"Let it stay until we come back," suggested Mr. Damon.
"Somebody might take it," said the colored man.
"Who?" laughed Tom. "There's not a soul here but ourselves. But take it, if you want it, Rad," and Eradicate did so, stuffing the image, which was only about four inches high, into his pocket.
Then they went on, and they saw several other images, though not of gold. Several niches were lined with yellow metal, but whether it was gold or not they could not tell. They did not want to stop, as they were anxious to get to the underground city.
"Hark! What's that?" asked Tom, when they had gone about a mile along the tunnel. "Don't you hear something?"
"Sounds like a roaring," agreed Ned. "Maybe it's more of the bats."
"Doesn't sound like bats," declared Tom. "It's more like a waterfall. Come on."
They hurried forward, the strange sound increasing at every step, until it filled the tunnel with its menacing roar.