CHAPTER XX
THE CITY OF TOWERS
At the Pirates' Cave, the task of getting out the treasure proved very difficult, but it was done at last.
The Committee's camp in the forest had supplied abundance of provisions, and a great number of animals; the Committee traveled in luxury.
On the level ground where Mr. Hanlon had given his exhibition of head-work, the toilers were now resting in the hot sun, and drying their garments, thoroughly soaked by their trips in and out of the cave, under the water-fall. They looked with intense delight on the boxes and bags which lay before them.
"What I say is," said Toby, "let's divide the treasure now, so we won't have to bother about it when we get to the City of Towers."
"How beautiful is nature!" said the Sly Old Codger. "Behold that wide expanse of field and forest resting so—so—expansively beneath the orb of day! A true, true work of nature! At such a moment as this, dear friends, a warm feeling invades my heart, a feeling of—of—Did I hear a suggestion to divide the treasure?"
The division was carefully made, and when it was done, and each person had declared himself well satisfied, each share was packed separately, and the treasure loaded on the backs of the extra mules. It was a princely fortune.
"Do you suppose," said the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg, "that—er—I shall be able to obtain, in