"Why, don't you value your dear brother?" grinned Jim. "He's your guide, philosopher and friend."
"Never mind about that," said Tom. "Let's get to work."
Jim took the hammer and sounded all over the surface of the rock, but found no hollow place.
"I'm going to put a blast right in the center of that letter," declared Jim.
Juarez shook his head dubiously. It was evident that he was in dread of something. But Jim went ahead and drilled a hole in the center of the sign, and put a fuse to it. We drew back a ways down the rock but not far.
We saw the smoke, a mere thread, and an occasional spark. Then an explosion that sent pieces of red rock flying up and around us. A big hole was torn in the center of the letter.
Jim was the first to reach the place.
"This is it," he cried.
He took the pick and began digging, and we saw that there was a round opening into a natural hollow in the rock. Jim was able to crawl partially in and he made a careful search, lighting several matches. Then he crawled out, shaking his head.
"Empty is the cradle," he said. "There's only a few flakes of gold and you can see the place where the box has stood."