“Wha’ do yo’ fink ob leavin’ de Scorcher?” he asked.
“Shure, that will be all roight. Don’t yez have no fears about that, at all, at all!”
“A’right, I go yo’ I’sh. Jes’ yo’ lead de way an’ I follers on!”
“Which it’s proper yez should, considerin’ me superior advantages.” declared Barney, in his puffiest way. “Do yez see that big heap av sthone down yonder?”
“Well, I believe that’s some koind av a ruined temple or the loikes, an’ we’ll thry that first off!”
In a few moments they were among the ruins of a huge building, which Barney said might have been a temple.
They passed among a heap of fallen pillars, and just as the others had done found a descending stairway.
CHAPTER VII. BARNEY’S AND POMP’S ADVENTURES.
“Phwere the divil do yez suppose that goes to?” cried Barney, glancing somewhat timorously down into the place.
“Golly! I cudn’t guess so hard a one as dat, I’sh.”
“Be me sowl, I belave there’s a big treasure hid away down there! Who knows but that murtherin’ ould spalpeen, Captain Kidd, left his gould in this spot?”
“We ain’t gwine to find out unless we tries it,” he said.
“Yez are roight, naygur. Jist climb down there an’ take a look about whoile I load up me pistol.”
“Yo’ go yo’sef!” sniffed the darky. “Yo’ am de leadah. Kain’t play no tricks on dis chile!”
“Begorra, I’m not afther thryin’ to do that,” cried Barney, indignantly. “Go an wid yez fer a big coward. Shure, it’s afraid yez are!”
This was enough for Barney. He gave the darky a look of withering contempt, and then ventured down into the place.
Down the steps he blundered and soon found himself at the bottom of them. A dim light showed him the way through a long corridor.
This was paved and extended far beyond the range of his vision. The Celt halted a moment.
“Be me sowl, we kin do moighty little widout a lanthern, naygur. Wud yez go back and get one?”
So back to the Scorcher went Pomp. He soon returned with a lantern.
This aided the two explorers very materially. They were able to easily see their way now.
Along the passage they proceeded and came to another flight of steps. As they descended these ’Barney remarked: “Shure, they seem to be a bit shaky, naygur. Luk out fer thet lower one.”
In fact, it did not look to be a difficult thing to tumble the whole pile of masonry down. However, the two explorers now entered another passage.