“This devoted band called itself the Eldorado Exploring Expedition, and I believe they were sworn to secrecy. Their talk, however, was the talk of sordid buccaneers: it was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage; there was not an atom of foresight or of serious intention in the whole batch of them, and they did not seem aware these things are wanted for the work of the world. To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no more moral purpose at the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe. Who paid the expenses of the noble enterprise I don’t know; but the uncle of our manager was leader of that lot. “This invasion called itself the Eldorado Exploring Expedition. They were sworn to secrecy about their mission, so naturally they talked like pirates, bragging and cruel and greedy. None of them seemed to take anything seriously. Their only desire was to tear treasure out of the ground like burglars breaking into a safe. I don’t know who was funding the expedition, but their leader was our manager’s uncle.