emerald-blue, the air was full of the sweetest perfumes, while birds of
the most gorgeous plumage flew continually across their path. They had
no regard, however, for nature's beauties. The craving for wealth was in
their hearts, rendering them blind to everything else. They crossed the
stone bridge, passed through the outer portion of the city, proceeded
over the second moat, and at last, with the familiarity of old friends,
made their way up the steps towards the courtyard of the king's palace.

"Now, my friends, listen to me," said Kitwater, as he spoke throwing
down the tools he had been carrying, "what we have to do is to
thoroughly sound the whole of this courtyard, inch by inch and stone by
stone. We can't be wrong, for that this is the courtyard of the Three
Elephants' Heads, there can be no doubt. You take the right-hand side,"
he went on addressing Hayle; "you, Coddy, must take the left. I'll try
the middle. If we don't hit it to-day we'll do so to-morrow, or the next
day, or the day after that. This is the place we were told about, and if
the treasure is to be found anywhere, it will be here. For that reason
we've got to set about the search as soon as possible! Now to work!"

Using the iron bars they had brought with them for the purpose, they
began their task, bumping the iron down upon each individual stone in
the hope of eliciting the hollow sound that was to reveal the presence
of the treasure-chamber. With the regularity of automatons they paraded
up and down the walled enclosure without speaking, until they had
thoroughly tested every single stone; no sort of success, however,
rewarded their endeavours.

"I expected as much," said Hayle angrily, as he threw down the bar.
"You've been humbugged, and our long journey is all undertaken for
nothing. I was a fool ever to have listened to your nonsensical yarn. I