"Are you sure the map is gone?" asked Tom. "I know how easy it is to mislay anything in a camp of this sort. I couldn't at first find my safety razor this morning, and when I did locate it the hoe was in one of my shoes. I'm sure a rat or some jungle animal must have dragged it there. Now maybe they took your map, Professor. That oiled silk in which it was wrapped might have appealed to the taste of a rat or a snake."
"It is no joking matter," said Professor Bumper. "But I know you appreciate the seriousness of it as much as I do, Tom. But I had the map in the pocket of this coat, and now it is gone!"
"When did you put it there?" asked Ned.
"This morning, just before I came to breakfast."
"Oh, then you have had it since last night!" Tom ejaculated.
"Yes, I slept with it under my clothes that I rolled up for a pillow, and when it was my turn to stand guard I took it with me. Then I put it back again and went to sleep. When I awoke and dressed I put the packet in my pocket and ate breakfast. Now when I look for it—why, it's gone!"
"The map or the oiled-silk package?" asked Mr. Damon, who, once having been a businessman, was sometimes a stickler4 for small points.
"Both," answered the professor. "I opened the silk to tie it more smoothly5, so it would not be such a lump in my pocket, and I made sure the map was inside."
"Then the whole thing has been taken—or you have lost it," suggested Ned.
"I am not in the habit of losing valuable maps," retorted the scientist. "And the pocket of my coat I had made deep, for the purpose of carrying the long map. It could not drop out."
"Well, we mustn't overlook any possible chances," suggested Tom. "Come on now, we'll search every inch of the ground over which you traveled this morning, Professor."
They all went into the tent where the professor and Mr. Damon had slept when they were not on guard. The camp was a busy place, with the Indians finishing their morning meal, and getting ready for the work of the day. For word had been given out that there would be no more long periods of travel.
In consequence, efforts were being directed by the head men of the bearers to making a more permanent camp in the wilderness7. Shelters of palm-thatched huts were being built, a site for cooking fires made, and, at the direction of Mr. Damon, to whom this part was entrusted8, some sanitary9 regulations were insisted on.
Leaving this busy scene, the four, with solemn faces, proceeded to the tent where it was hoped the map would be found. But though they went through everything, and traced and retraced10 every place the professor could remember having traversed about the canvas shelter, no signs of the important document could be found.
"I don't believe I dropped it out of my pocket," said the scientist, for perhaps the twentieth time.
"Then it was taken," declared Tom.
"That's what I say!" chimed in Ned. "And by some of Beecher's party!"
"Easy, my boy," cautioned Mr. Damon. "We don't want to make accusations11 we can't prove."
"That is true," agreed Professor Bumper. "But, though I am sorry to say it of a fellow archaelogist, I can not help thinking Beecher had something to do with the taking of my map."
"But how could any of them get it?" asked Mr. Damon. "You say you had the map this morning, and certainly none of them has been in our camp since dawn, though of course it is possible that some of them sneaked12 in during the night."
"It does seem a mystery how it could have been taken in open daylight, while we were about camp together," said Tom. "But is the loss such a grave one, Professor Bumper?"
"Very grave. In fact I may say it is impossible to proceed with the excavating13 without the map."
"Then what are we to do?" asked Ned.
"We must get it back!" declared Tom.
"Yes," agreed the scientist, "we can not work without it. As soon as I make a little further search, to make sure it could not have dropped in some out-of-the-way place, I shall go over to Professor Beecher's camp and demand that he give me back my property."
"Suppose he says he hasn't taken it?" asked Tom.
"Well, I'm sure he either took it personally, or one of his party did. And yet I can't understand how they could have come here without our seeing them," and the professor shook his head in puzzled despair.
A more detailed14 search did not reveal the missing map, and Mr. Damon and his friend the scientist were on the point of departing for the camp of their rivals, less than a mile away, when Tom had what really amounted to an inspiration.
"Look here, Professor!" he cried. "Can you remember any of the details of your map—say, for instance, where we ought to begin excavating to get at the wonders of the underground city?"
"Well, Tom, I did intend to compare my map with the configuration15 of the country about here. There is a certain mountain which serves as a landmark16 and a guide for a starting point. I think that is it over there," and the scientist pointed17 to a distant snow-capped peak.
The party had left the low and marshy18 land of the true jungle, and were among the foothills, though all about them was dense19 forest and underbush, which, in reality, was as much a jungle as the lower plains, but was less wet.
"The point where I believe we should start to dig," said the professor, "is near the spot where the top of the mountain casts a shadow when the sun is one hour high. At least that is the direction given in the old manuscripts. So, though we can do little without the map, we might make a start by digging there."
"No, not there!" exclaimed Tom.
"Why not?"
"But they know anyhow, for they have the map," commented Ned, puzzled by his chum's words.
"Maybe not," said Tom slowly. "I think this is a time for a big bluff21. It may work and it may not. Beecher's crowd either has the map or they have not. If they have it they will lose no time in trying to find the right place to start digging and then they'll begin excavating.
"Very good! If they do that we have a right to dig near the same place. But if they have not the map, which is possible, and if we start to dig where the professor's memory tells him is the right spot, we'll only give them the tip, and they'll dig there also."
"I'm sure they have the map," the professor said. "But I believe your plan is a good one, Tom."
"Just what do you propose doing?" asked Ned.
"Fooling 'em!" exclaimed Tom quickly. "We'll dig in some place remote from the spot where the mountain casts its shadow. They will think, if they haven't the map, that we are proceeding22 by it, and they'll dig, too. When they find nothing, as will also happen to us, they may go away.
"If, on the other hand, they have the map, and see us digging at a spot not indicated on it, they will be puzzled, knowing we must have some idea of where the buried city lies. They will think the map is at fault, perhaps, and not make use of it. Then we can get it back."
"Bless my hatband!" cried Mr. Damon. "I believe you're right, Tom. We'll dig in the wrong place to fool 'em."
And this was done. Search for the precious map was given up for the time being, and the professor and his friends set the natives to work digging shafts23 in the ground, as though sinking them down to the level of the buried city.
But though this false work was prosecuted25 with vigor26 for several days, there was a feeling of despair among the Bumper party over the loss of the map.
"If we could only get it back!" exclaimed the professor, again and again.
Meanwhile the Beecher party seemed inactive. True, some members of it did come over to look on from a respectful distance at what the diggers were doing. Some of the rival helpers, under the direction of the head of the expedition, also began sinking shafts. But they were not in the locality remembered by Professor Bumper as being correct.
"I can't imagine what they're up to," he said. "If they have my map they would act differently, I should think."
"Whatever they're up to," answered Tom, "the time has come when we can dig at the place where we can hope for results." And the following day shafts were started in the shadow of the mountain.
Until some evidence should have been obtained by digging, as to the location beneath the surface of a buried city, there was nothing for the travelers to do but wait. Turns were taken in directing the efforts of the diggers, and an occasional inspection27 was made of the shafts.
"What do you expect to find first?" asked Tom of Professor Bumper one day, when the latter was at the top of a shaft24 waiting for a bucket load of dirt to be hoisted28 up.
"Potsherds and artifacts," was the answer.
"What sort of bugs29 are they?" asked Ned with a laugh. He and Tom were about to go hunting with their electric rifles.
"Artifacts are things made by the Indians—or whatever members of the race who built the ancient cities were called—such as household articles, vases, ornaments30, tools and so on. Anything made by artificial means is called an artifact."
"And potsherds are things with those Chinese laundry ticket scratches on them," added Tom.
"Exactly," said the professor, laughing. "Though some of the strange-appearing inscriptions31 give much valuable information. As soon as we find some of them—say a broken bit of pottery32 with hieroglyphics33 on—I will know I am on the right track."
And while the scientist and Mr. Damon kept watch at the top of the shaft, Tom and Ned went out into the jungle to hunt. They had killed some game, and were stalking a fine big deer, which would provide a feast for the natives, when suddenly the silence of the lonely forest was broken by a piercing scream, followed by an agonized34 cry of "El tigre! El tigre!"
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1
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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bumper
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| n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的 | |
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3
countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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stickler
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| n.坚持细节之人 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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8
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sanitary
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| adj.卫生方面的，卫生的，清洁的，卫生的 | |
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retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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11
accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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12
sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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13
excavating
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| v.挖掘( excavate的现在分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘 | |
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14
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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configuration
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| n.结构，布局，形态，(计算机)配置 | |
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landmark
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| n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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prosecuted
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| a.被起诉的 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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30
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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31
inscriptions
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| （作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记 | |
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32
pottery
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| n.陶器，陶器场 | |
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hieroglyphics
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| n.pl.象形文字 | |
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34
agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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