direction they had first taken, and although they appeared to pay little attention to the great structure they were traveling, their eyes and ears were alert. They reached the stairway, which was higher and narrower than the lower ones, but as they neared the top, it curved wide and brought them to an enormous circular platform. Here they paused and stood taking in the strange, wild scene.

Behind the boys were two more terraces which appeared larger than those they had ascended, while in front of them stretched the ruins of the once flourishing city which had been built with amazing skill in the shadow of the Temple. Here and there giant stones remained standing defiantly in spite of centuries of storms, winds and rains; and in spite of destructive hands which had sought to tear them from their foundations. A slight breeze was blowing. Just enough to make the cactus creak and crackle; dead grasses rustled softly, slender trees swayed slightly, the leaves of the stronger ones waved like beckoning hands as if they would recall the lost wonders of the past.

“I hear that tapping again,” Jim whispered. They listened for a moment and then Caldwell also heard the sound.

“It might be a woodpecker,” he remarked.

“We might believe that if our snooping friend had not shown himself,” said Jim. “Seems to be on the further side. Let’s try to work around on the further side, but first we best get higher and build that fire. Wonder if there is any wood up there.”

“Reckon there must be. This sure is the sort of place that makes one feel creepy; the place and Mills together are enough to give a fellow the heaves. Seems to me I smell something to eat—” They sniffed the air and as the breeze was coming toward them they made out the fragrance of bacon being toasted.

“Guess our friend is going to eat—” Just then Mills tugged on the rope, he raised himself to his full height, his nostrils expanding as he breathed deeply.

“He must be empty as a drum. Wonder if it would be safe to feed him one of those pellets—I—” But the sentence was not finished. With a wild leap, Mills broke away, tore furiously up the nearest stairway and disappeared at an astonishing rate of speed over the higher terrace.

“We must go after him, but keep your gun handy.”

The Sky Buddies ran as fast as their legs could carry them, but they both knew that Mills was setting a much swifter pace. When 

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