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diff --git a/old/69515-0.txt b/old/69515-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 76e3689..0000000 --- a/old/69515-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6655 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of In the tiger's lair, by Leo E. Miller - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: In the tiger's lair - -Author: Leo E. Miller - -Illustrator: Paul Bransom - -Release Date: December 9, 2022 [eBook #69515] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE TIGER'S LAIR *** - - - - - -IN THE TIGER’S LAIR - - - - -BY THE SAME AUTHOR - - _Illustrated by Paul Bransom_ - THE HIDDEN PEOPLE - A Story of a Search for Hidden Treasure - -CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS - - - - -[Illustration: “Quizquiz, Inca, Child of the Sun ... commands that you -appear before his sacred person” - [_Page 95_] - - - - - IN THE TIGER’S LAIR - - BY - LEO E. MILLER - - AUTHOR OF - “IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA,” - “THE HIDDEN PEOPLE” - - ILLUSTRATED BY PAUL BRANSOM - - NEW YORK - CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS - 1921 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY - CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS - - COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY THE CURTIS PUBLISHING CO. - - THE SCRIBNER PRESS - - - - - TO THE MEMORY - OF - LITTLE ROBERT - - - - -PREFACE - - -“In The Tiger’s Lair” is the story of the return of Stanley Livingston -and Ted Boyle to the Andes Mountains of Peru to complete their search -for the hidden treasure of the Incas. It is a separate and complete -story in itself--one may read and understand it without having read -“The Hidden People.” - - LEO E. MILLER. - FLORAL PARK, - STRATFORD, CONN., - Sept. 1, 1921. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. THE END OF THE UNDERGROUND RIVER 1 - - II. SKY HIGH 11 - - III. THE RETURN TO THE LAND OF THE INCAS 24 - - IV. THE RIVALRY OF THE AIRMEN 32 - - V. IN QUEST OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE 43 - - VI. THE CROWNING MISFORTUNE 55 - - VII. IN THE TIGER’S LAIR 66 - - VIII. THE INCA’S THREAT 80 - - IX. SONCCO’S SHREWDNESS 92 - - X. THE PRISONERS CAPTURE THE KING 105 - - XI. THE COUNSEL OF THE WISE MEN 116 - - XII. THE VILLAINY OF VILLAC UMU 128 - - XIII. STANLEY’S PLAN 140 - - XIV. SONCCO’S AID TO THE PLOTTERS 151 - - XV. THE TERROR OF DARKNESS AT MIDDAY 165 - - XVI. THE COMING OF THE TIGERS 180 - - XVII. ANIMALS OF A BYGONE AGE 193 - - XVIII. THE MAN IN THE CRATER 205 - - XIX. THE BREACH IN THE MOUNTAIN IS CLOSED 221 - - XX. THE KING IS CROWNED 233 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - “Quizquiz, Inca, Child of the Sun ... commands that you - appear before his sacred person” _Frontispiece_ - - FACING PAGE - - Very obviously the Inca had carefully planned to impress - the visitors 82 - - It was a bushmaster, the deadliest and the most feared of all - South American snakes 170 - - An instant later a huge, dark form catapulted past the crouching - men 210 - - - - -IN THE TIGER’S LAIR - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE END OF THE UNDERGROUND RIVER - - -Two years had passed since that day when Stanley Livingston and Ted -Boyle, accompanied by the giant negro, Moses, faced the perils of the -underground river rather than suffer a lingering death on the dismal -shores of the lagoon beyond the wall at Uti. - -Having finished their course at college, Livingston and Boyle, or -Stanley and Ted, as they were better known, had decided upon a novel -way of spending a few months’ vacation before entering their more -serious professional careers. They went to look for the hidden treasure -of the Incas that was known to lie somewhere in the vast ranges of -the Andes Mountains of Peru. They well understood the difficulties of -such an undertaking; there were snow-clad peaks to climb and steaming -jungles to penetrate, and dangerous animals and still more formidable -wild people to combat. But all these things simply added to the -attraction of the venture. - -They had gone in quest of adventure, and their desire was gratified -beyond their wildest expectations. Shipwreck, the burning thirst of a -desert land, battles with fierce monkey-men, and the dread fevers of -the lowlands were their lot during the first months of the journey. -Then--the Hidden Valley where the Inca Huayna Capac lived and ruled -the remnant of the once-great nation in all the magnificence and -splendor of ancient times. The great king received them, not unkindly, -made them princes, and surrounded them with every luxury. From the -beginning, however, Quizquiz, son of the Inca and heir to the throne, -had conspired against them, and in the end he had succeeded in securing -their conviction on the charge of treason. They were condemned to exile -beyond the great wall that divided the valley from Uti, the abode of -the evil spirits. It was Timichi, previously banished to the dismal -place, who showed them the gold-filled cavern where the vast treasure -reposed and who later pointed out to them the underground river -just as all hope of escape seemed gone. They had accepted the last, -desperate chance and had emerged in the outer world rich in gold and in -experience. - -And now, after a period of two years, they found themselves back in -the drooping wilderness, encamped at the outer end of the underground -river, preparing to remove the vast treasure their former efforts had -revealed. - -“We might have left this place only yesterday, so far as appearances -are concerned,” Stanley said as they stood on the edge of the open, -park-like place flanked by the abrupt cliffs on one side and the -heavy jungle on the other. “Everything looks just the same as it -did then. The deer are grazing just as peacefully and--I distinctly -remember seeing that one with the lame fore leg. It speaks well for the -neighborhood; the monkey-men have not invaded it yet, or the deer would -not be so tame.” - -“Yes, it surely does not seem as if two years have passed since we -were here. The only thing lacking is Moses, but that is not our fault. -We tried our best to find him. But, I wish we had him just the same, -because we need him.” - -“Poor old Moses. I miss him too. He saved our lives, and no one but a -giant like him could have done it. But for him we should never have -gotten out of the valley. If we ever succeed in locating him we shall -have to divide up the gold we are going to get now. He shared all the -hardships and he is entitled to a share of the spoils.” - -“You are right, and no matter how much we give him we shall always be -in debt to him for what he did for us.” - -They started across the open plot toward the little stream that wended -its way through the centre. The deer stopped grazing, looked up at them -with startled eyes, and then bounded into the protecting forest. When -the men reached the watercourse, they followed it to the base of the -stone escarpment, the top of which was hidden by the belt of yellowish, -poisonous vapor that served as such an effectual barrier between the -outer world and the Hidden Valley. Laving the foot of the stone wall -was the pool, and opening into it was the black cavern that in reality -was the mouth of the underground river. - -“One would hardly suspect it of being such a magic river to-day,” -Ted said, throwing himself on the short grass; “the water is flowing -neither way; it is standing still. Wonder what Timichi would say to -that, were he alive; but I have no doubt he has been dead a good many -months.” - -“He clung to life a number of years even in that awful place, but I, -too, think he must be dead now. He was nearly gone when we left him. -Too bad there was nothing we could do for the poor fellow.” - -They returned to camp and began to prepare supper. - -“Our provisions should last several weeks, not counting on the game -we can get here,” Stanley observed as he looked over the supplies. -“In that length of time we can bring out all the gold any one could -possibly desire. We have only to hide it inside of sacks of ivory nuts, -of which the jungle is full around here, cache it, and then one of us -can stay on guard while the other goes back to Cuzco for peons to carry -them out. No one will ever suspect.” - -“It’s all so simple. And there is not a chance of failure,” Ted -remarked between mouthfuls. “Just think, there are millions in gold on -the other side of that wall, and it is all ours for the mere taking. -Let’s do the job as quickly as possible; I want to get back home to -make use of my wealth.” - -“Don’t be too sure,” Stanley cautioned. “You know we haven’t got it -yet.” - -“But it is there. We know that, because we saw it and helped ourselves -to all we could carry. And we know how to get in and out of the place -too. So this one time I am dead sure that as much gold as we want -will be ours in a few weeks, and I for one am going to treat myself -generously.” - -Remembering Moses’ experience with the deadly bushmaster, they made -no attempt to sleep on the ground. But, going into the forest, cut a -number of stout poles and, tying the tops together to form tripods, -slung their hammocks between them for the night. - -Their first thought on the following morning was to see if there was -any perceptible current in the river; but to their disappointment they -found that the water was stationary, as before. - -“Looks as if we might have to paddle the rafts through. We could do -that easily enough if necessary, but it would help a good deal if the -water were flowing in the right direction. But why worry? It will take -at least two days to make the rafts, and by that time the current will -doubtless set in again.” - -They now began to work in earnest. Near the lower end of the open -space where the river entered the forest, clumps of tall bamboo dotted -both banks. Some of the great, jointed stems were fully eight inches -in diameter and fifty feet high. Chopping them down and cutting them -into ten-foot lengths was hard work, for they had only their machetes, -or brush-knives, with which to work. Also, as each joint was full of -water it had to be tapped and drained, after which the openings had to -be plugged up again with gum; this made the stalks light and buoyant. -They carried them to the water, one at a time, and lashed them together -to form rafts. This required more time than they had anticipated; in -fact, four days passed before the two were completed. - -“How much gold do you intend to take from the cave?” Ted asked one day -when their task was nearly finished. - -“As much as I can, of course. These rafts will carry several hundred -pounds each in addition to our own weight, and we can make a dozen -trips, or even more.” - -“A ton for each is not too much. It is remarkable how much the yellow -metal is worth. When we were here before, you guessed that each of our -packs contained about ten thousand dollars’ worth, and you were nearly -right. We got almost eleven thousand apiece, and the emerald necklaces -were appraised at double that. I should not wonder but that there are -many precious stones in the cave, too, hidden among the gold.” - -“All the better for us. They are not so bulky or heavy. Think of all -the good we can do when we get back home.” - -“Yes! I intend to be very liberal with a certain college I think a lot -of.” - -“Hospitals is my hobby. You shall see.” - -When the rafts were all ready they pushed them along the bank, and up -to the mouth of the underground river. - -“It is strange that the water does not move,” Ted said, looking -puzzled. “It looks black and stagnant--as if it has been standing still -a long time.” - -“Do not let that trouble you. If it does not flow by to-morrow morning -we shall paddle through the tunnel. We have been through it before and -know the way. Besides, we are well supplied with flash-lights now. -There is nothing to it, so why worry?” - -They hewed short, broad-bladed paddles out of a cottonwood branch and -carefully covered all the things they did not intend to take with them -on the following day with broad palm-leaves, to protect them if it -rained. - -When dawn came, it found them on their rafts, paddling into the mouth -of the cave. Once inside, Stanley switched on one of the lights that -had been tied to the front of his raft, and the bright glare revealed a -passage from ten to twenty feet wide with an uneven ceiling of jagged -rock fifteen feet above their heads. Swarms of bats, frightened by the -unusual visitors, left their hiding-places overhead, and with a flutter -of wings dashed out of reach of the circle of light and disappeared. - -“We have been going over half an hour now,” Ted said, looking at his -watch. “Of course we have not made very good time, but we should be -nearing the end. Can you see daylight ahead?” - -“No! The opening is not in sight. But, what is this? Slow up so you -won’t bump into me! The water seems to stop here.” - -“Stop? There must be a bend in the river.” - -“I can see none.” - -“Still there must be some open channel. Didn’t we come through here -before? Give me the light; perhaps the turn is back here.” - -They focussed the bright rays in all directions, but to no avail. - -“Ted!” Stanley cried in sudden consternation. “This _was_ the opening, -right here, but it is not here now. It has been blocked up.” - -“Impossible,” Ted returned in dismay. “Do you mean that we cannot get -back into the valley?” - -“Come ahead and see for yourself.” - -Ted pushed his way to the front of Stanley’s raft. The latter’s words -were all too true, for the opening into the valley was filled with -earth and stones of large size. - -“They learned of our escape from Timichi,” Ted said bitterly, “and knew -we would come back. Well, I am not ready to admit that all my visions -and hopes are dead; but just now there is nothing but darkness ahead.” - -“How about dynamite?” Stanley asked suddenly. “We could blast away the -rocks in the entrance and get in after all.” - -“But what could we do against the Inca’s hordes once we were inside?” - -“Come to think of it, I do not believe they had anything to do with -this. They would not dare venture beyond the wall. There must have been -a landslide on the slope above. In a region like this earthquakes occur -frequently on account of the many volcanoes, and that would explain all -this.” - -They paddled back through the tunnel silently and sadly. All their -dreams of wealth had suddenly vanished. It had never occurred to them -that something might prevent them from securing the enormous treasure -they had discovered. They knew its exact location; its value was so -great that no man could estimate it, and to secure it required no -further effort than to take it and carry it away. And then--their great -disappointment. - -“That is just what we will do,” Stanley said that night as they were -eating their supper. “We have not lost a thing, only there will be a -slight delay in carrying out our original plans. To-morrow we shall -start back to Cuzco for the dynamite. The rest will be easy.” - -Stanley had never been more mistaken in his life. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -SKY HIGH - - -When the two reached Cuzco, after the long, difficult climb up the -mountain-sides, they found news of a startling character awaiting them. -Their own country had become involved in the World War. And with this -intelligence came to them the realization of their duty. - -The two lost no time in returning to the coast, and took the next -steamer bound northward. Arrived in their homes, Ted applied for and -was accepted in one of the officers’ training-camps, while Stanley -enlisted in the aviation branch of the service. - -Before long Ted began to regret his decision to join the infantry. It -happened late one October afternoon when the company was returning, -under full packs, from a lengthy hike into the country. The dust rose -in clouds that threatened to suffocate the men and the sun still blazed -unrelentingly on the weary, tramping forms. But even as they marched -along the men sang with a good deal of spirit, although any one who -had heard them outward bound that morning could have easily recognized -the difference in the vigor of their song. - -From afar came a droning, buzzing sound, hard to locate but drawing -rapidly nearer. A moment later some one shouted “airplane,” and a -hundred and fifty pairs of eyes were eagerly scanning the sky; soon -they succeeded in making out a small, dark speck high in the heavens, -and as they gazed it grew larger and larger, until finally the trim -outlines of the graceful craft could be distinguished clearly. -Something seemed to go wrong with the machine when it was directly -overhead. The steady purr of the motor stopped and the great speed -at which the ship had been travelling began to slacken. Every one -held his breath in anticipation of the tragedy that was about to take -place. After a second’s pause, during which the airplane seemed to -stand still, it plunged toward the earth in a bewildering succession -of turns, nose down, tail pointed into the sky. Its antics gave one -the impression that it might be sliding down some gigantic aerial -corkscrew, and how long the craft continued in its spinning fall to -destruction no one knew, but to the spectators below it seemed like -minutes. Just as it appeared as if the next few turns must bring the -fatal crash the machine stopped spinning, started into a graceful, -straight dive, and then with a startled roar of the exhausts swooped -upward and away. - -“I’d give anything in the world to be able to fly like that,” Ted -confided to the cadet by his side. - -“You are covering a lot of territory,” he replied. “The ground is good -enough for me.” - -“It will have to be for me, too, I guess, but think of those fellows -playing among the clouds while we swallow dust on the road or wallow -in knee-deep mud in the trenches. Think of the glory of fighting miles -above the earth!” - -“What’s the matter? Not feeling sorry for yourself, are you?” - -Ted ignored this remark. His thoughts were high above in the ethereal -blue, where the airplane had been manœuvring with such graceful ease -but a few minutes before. - -“I want to fly and do my fighting up there,” he said to himself more -than to any one else in particular. - -“And be shot down and hit the ground so hard it would take the whole -police squad a week to dig you out,” Ted’s neighbor, whose name was -Carter, interrupted. “Not for me! I’ll take mine down here, where I -know there is something safe and solid under my two feet.” - -The company reached the barracks with just fifteen minutes in which to -brush up for retreat. There was no time for discussion or conversation, -but that night, just before taps, it was reported that a commission -had arrived whose object it was to select men for the air service; -several would be accepted from each company. That accounted for the -sudden appearance of the air-ship that afternoon; it was part of the -advertising plan to secure the necessary number of men. - -Ted called on his captain immediately, and was told to report to the -major in charge of the commission on the following morning. - -There was no sleep for him that night. The hours dragged as he tossed -restlessly on his hard bunk and listened to the heavy breathing of -the other men, and when morning came he was so excited he was sure he -should be rejected on that very account. But the major was inclined -to make allowances, and informed Ted that he might expect to be -transferred at no far-distant date. - -The order releasing him from duty with the company and sending him -southward to the ground school in Texas came two weeks later. And two -days after that Ted was speeding toward his new station. - -Then followed three months of the hardest kind of work; there were long -lectures and hours of study upon the organization of foreign armies, -interspersed with periods of calisthenics and infantry drill; also -instructions on topics connected with flying, such as motors, rigging, -gunnery, and wireless. Every one worked at top speed to assimilate as -much as possible of the knowledge with which he was being crammed; that -occupied all the hours of daylight and part of the night, too, so there -was little time to form close and lasting friendships. Everybody was so -busy with his own problems that it was impossible to pay much attention -to the other fellow. - -But the three months were up at last, and Ted, standing near the head -of his section, was promptly sent to flying school. Those who were not -so fortunate in their marks were sent to concentration camps to wait -weeks, even months, for their turn. - -“Attention to orders,” called the section leader the morning after Ted -and a number of others had reported for their new class of instruction. -“Boyle, Currier, Davis, and Edwards report to Lieutenant Livingston, -Ship Number 188. Green, Hammond, Jones, and Murphy report to Lieutenant -Talbot, Ship Number 210,” and so on down the line, ending with a final -“Fall out.” - -Ted could not believe his ears. Was it possible that the Lieutenant -Livingston who was to be his instructor was Stanley? They had not -communicated with one another since entering the service. - -Ted hurried to Ship Number 188, which had been pointed out to him by -one of the mechanics. - -“Lieutenant Livingston, sir?” he inquired of the officer evidently in -charge of the ship. - -“Yes, what can I do for you? Why--if it isn’t Ted. What are you doing -here? I am certainly glad to see you.” - -Ted explained how he had been transferred from the infantry and had -just completed his course at ground school; also that he had been -assigned to Stanley for flying instruction. - -“This is luck. Let’s get at it right away; we can talk more to-night. -Hop into the rear seat and we’ll start right off.” - -“What do I have to do?” Ted asked excitedly. - -“This is just going to be a joy ride around the field. Don’t do or -touch anything; sit as comfortably as you can and look around; watch -the ground and the air and the other ships.” - -So saying he helped Ted into his place and showed him how to adjust the -buckle of his safety-belt across his lap. “You will hardly ever need -the belt,” he said, “but it is just as well to get into the habit of -fastening it.” - -Then he climbed into the forward cockpit and opened and closed the -throttle a number of times, while the motor roared and slowed down -alternately. At a signal to the crew chief, the men removed the blocks -from under the wheels, and taking hold of the lower wings swung the -ship around until it faced the flying-field, which was into the wind. - -An instant later, with an increasing roar, the machine was tearing -across the ground at a terrific speed. Ted looked down over the edges -of the cockpit, and saw the grass rushing backward in a blurred, green -streak. A frightful wind struck his face, cutting off his breath and -making his eyes water. He ducked his head behind the little celluloid -wind-shield to adjust his goggles more snugly, and when he looked again -they had left the ground. He closed his eyes for a moment; there was no -sensation of motion whatever; they seemed to be standing stock-still, -like a kite at the end of a string, facing a cyclone of wind, but the -thunder of the engine was deafening. - -After climbing a thousand feet, they made a number of circuits of the -field. Then Stanley throttled the motor and dipping the ship down at a -steep angle, began the glide back to the landing-place. The propeller -moved so slowly that the blades could easily be distinguished, and the -wind shrieked through the wires with a shrill wail. They levelled -off at a few feet above the ground, and after skimming along a short -distance, touched so gently that there was scarcely any shock; after -that they slowed down and rolled up to the dead-line from which they -had started. - -The course of instruction continued daily, and under Stanley’s capable -guidance Ted learned rapidly. When he had had six hours in the air -he could fly the ship in a manner satisfactory to his teacher; so -Stanley took it upon himself to include a few of the more commonly used -stunts in the course. For this purpose, however, they always went some -distance from the field, where they were safe from the observation from -below of the officers in charge. - -“I am going to show you a new one to-day,” Stanley said one afternoon, -as they were taking their places for the flight. “Be doubly sure the -belt is fastened; you will need it for once.” - -“I can stand anything you can,” Ted replied. “Go as far as you like.” - -Soon they were leaving the field behind, mounting as they soared into -the distance. The aneroid needle pointed to two thousand, then three, -four, five, and finally six thousand feet. Ted had never been so high -before in the plane, and the earth below seemed new and strange. The -patches of woods looked like clusters of dark, green dots, and the -fields reminded him of the squares of a checker-board. Banks of white, -fluffy clouds rolled past, their upper edges tinted with glowing silver -by the brilliant sunlight. - -Stanley shut down the engine. “Is everything all right?” he called back. - -“Yes!” - -“I am going into a whip-stall. Be sure your belt is tight.” - -He opened wide the throttle and nosed the plane down so that they -attained a terrific speed; then he suddenly pulled it almost straight -upward and shut off the engine. For a moment the ship seemed to stand -still in the air in an upright position; then it whipped downward with -tremendous force, sliding on the tail. Ted felt himself raised off his -seat, but, thank heaven, the belt held, or he would have remained in -mid-air while the plane hurtled away from beneath him. After falling -some little distance Stanley again turned on the power and they swung -out of the dive and levelled off gracefully. - -But at that instant a burst of smoke was swept back by the blast of -the propeller. The engine slackened its speed and a series of sharp, -pistol-like reports came from the exhausts. - -Ted was seized with consternation, for a thin streamer of flame shot -back from under the hood; the plane was afire. - -Stanley saw the danger at the same moment and dove in an attempt to -put out the fire, but this manœuvre, frequently successful in such an -emergency, proved to be the worst possible thing in this case. With a -roar the flame struck him full in the face; he tried to pull the ship -out of the dive, but the fiery blast stifled him; the ground below, the -sky above, and even the wings on either side of him seemed wrapped in a -haze, and in an instant he was enveloped in complete darkness. - -Ted saw the wilting figure in front of him droop out of sight; at -the same time the plane began to quiver and lurch from side to side. -Without a guiding hand to direct it the heretofore graceful craft -became converted into a mass of steel and wood and cloth hurtling -through space to certain destruction. He realized the frightfulness of -the situation in a flash; Stanley had either fainted or was dead. - -“I must get him down; I must save him,” he gasped, frantically grasping -the controls in his own cockpit. He thought little of his own danger; -it was his companion who filled his mind. He must get him to the ground -and save him if it was not already too late. - -The blaze was sweeping back directly over the top of the twenty-gallon -container resting between the engine and the front cockpit. “I must fan -the flames to one side,” Ted thought. “If the gas catches, it will be -the end.” - -Responding to a savage turn of the wheel, the ship turned on edge and -the streamer of fire darted out to one side. If only he could keep it -there! Perhaps the rudder would help; he gave it a sharp kick, then -felt that he had made a mistake, for he had pushed it in the direction -opposite to the wheel. But the ship, tilted at a steep angle, started -into a side-slip toward the ground, and that was exactly what he -wanted. He must keep on slipping from side to side, like a falling leaf. - -The wind shrieked through the rigging with a terrifying scream and -threatened to tear away the side of Ted’s face. He straightened out the -plane, reversed his controls, and then began falling in the opposite -direction. Back and forth they darted; the ground was rushing up to -meet them at a furious speed. It was fascinating, this sight of the -ground rushing upward, and as he looked at it he suddenly realized -that they were almost directly above an open field--the landing-field, -it must have been, for there were the white hangars in which the -ships were kept; and the machines that had been out in the open were -scurrying in all directions. Vaguely he wondered how long it would be -before they should crash in their midst. - -After what seemed like ages, but which was in reality a matter of -seconds, the ground loomed up close to them. The moment for the supreme -test had come. Throwing the controls into neutral he brought the ship -into an even glide. The hot blast struck his face and the fumes of -burning oil made him cough and choke. But not for an instant did he -relax to lower his head for a breath of air; he must see the thing -through if it was the last thing he ever did. - -Her speed gone, the ship settled rapidly; it was but ten feet from the -ground. Ted pulled back the wheel cautiously to keep her nose up, as -he had been told so often by Stanley, and the plane responded ever so -feebly. The ship struck with a jolt, bounded, settled again, rolled -forward a short distance, and came to a stop. - -Ted snatched at the buckle of his belt, tore off his goggles, and -jumped to the ground. His head was reeling and his throat was parched. -The flames now extended in back of the hood and were reaching for the -fuel-tank. It was only a question of seconds before the explosion that -would deluge them with a shower of burning gasolene. - -There was not time to try to rescue Stanley by pulling him over the -rim of the cockpit, and, besides, Ted had not the strength left for -such an undertaking. So he clambered up on one wing and kicked in the -linen side of the fuselage, after which he dragged the unconscious form -of his companion through the hole. Then he tottered away with the limp -body in his arms, how far he never knew. - -A chorus of excited voices reached his ears in a confused murmur -and helping hands relieved him of his burden. His head burned and a -thousand needles seemed to stab through his chest. He clutched the air -wildly and, gasping for breath, plunged headlong into darkness. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE RETURN TO THE LAND OF THE INCAS - - -The exploits of Stanley and Ted in the great World War form no part -of this story. It is enough to say that they saw extensive service on -the Western Front and that they acquitted themselves in an entirely -creditable manner. - -The armistice was signed at last and the two, in common with thousands -of others, were returned to their own country. They had attained the -rank of first lieutenant. Now, their services being no longer urgently -required, they tendered their resignations and received honorable -discharges. - -“I am beginning to feel as if I have had enough of a rest,” Ted said -one night a few weeks afterward when Stanley dropped in at his home for -one of his visits. They saw one another almost daily. “What do you say -to making another attempt to get the treasure?” - -“You know what I think about it,” Stanley replied. “If the folks had -not been urging me to remain with them a while longer, I should -have suggested starting before now. They cannot forget what we went -through on our first visit to the Hidden Valley; but they know we are -determined to return to it. They are not discouraging me at all; only -trying to put it off as long as possible.” - -“We are losing a lot of time. The sooner we go back to Peru and have -it over with the better. Think of the tons of gold lying in the cave -waiting for us to carry them away.” - -“I know. How do your people feel about it? I suppose they are not eager -to have you go?” - -“The situation is the same with me as with you. But I think we should -start without further delay. There are so many things to be done when -we get back, and time flies.” Then, after a moment’s thought: “I have -been looking up the sailing dates. There is a good steamer for Panama -next Tuesday--that is, a week from to-day. It will get us to the -isthmus just in time to connect with the _Panela_ of the Peruvian Line -for Mollendo. Can you be ready then, or is that too soon?” - -“I could be ready to-morrow. Waiting a whole week, now that we have -actually decided to go, will seem like a year!” - -“And,” said Ted as Stanley was leaving, “we had better not take -anything with us from here. We can get all the supplies and outfit we -need in Cuzco.” - - * * * * * - -Arrived in Colon, they found the _Panela_ scheduled to sail that -same afternoon. There was barely sufficient time to transfer their -baggage, comply with the customs formalities, and secure passage on the -departing steamer. - -Before long they had entered the muddy water of the canal, and soon -after that the ship entered the locks and in an almost incredibly short -time was raised to the level of Gatun Lake, with its vast expanse of -murky water and its fringe of tree skeletons that stood like black -monuments to mark the graveyard of the inundated forest. Darkness -prevented the completion of the trip through the canal, so the ship was -tied up for the night. - -There was no moonlight, but the thousands of scintillating stars shed -a soft radiance upon the torpid earth. The water was black and smooth -as glass, save for the myriad points of reflected starlight. But in -spite of the unruffled appearance of the surface the black depths were -charged with life. One had only to drop some object overboard in order -to excite to action the millions of jelly-fish that lurked below. -When the water was agitated by the missile, no matter how lightly, -it blazed with patches and circles of greenish phosphorescence, so -that the surface seemed aflame with a weird, unearthly fire. And -occasionally there was a streak of the same uncanny light as one of the -larger inhabitants of the deep cut the surface in a burst of speed in -pursuit of some of the lesser fry. - -With the coming of daylight the _Panela_ was lowered through the locks -at the far end of the canal and headed for the open ocean. - -“No wonder this is called the Pacific,” said Ted as they stood on deck -looking over the broad expanse of dark-blue water. The surface was so -smooth that it might have been a sheet of glass; into this the prow of -the ship cut a furrow crested with hissing white foam. Overhead the -man-o’-war birds described great circles on motionless wings; they were -marvels of grace and endurance, spanning the limitless blue day after -day without stopping to rest. In the distance a number of whales rolled -lazily in the briny water and blew thin jets of spray high into the air. - -“If I were not so eager to finish our job down there I should say that -this is the only life. I could keep sailing on forever. I certainly -intend to do my share of travelling if this venture proves successful,” -Stanley said. - -“_If?_” Ted queried in surprise. “You mean _when_ the job is finished. -There is no question in my mind but that we shall get the gold this -time. We know exactly how to overcome the one little barrier that lies -between us and the hidden millions.” - -“You are right. When are we due to reach Mollendo?” - -“Six days from now. Then three more days in which to get to Cuzco. Two -or three days in which to gather our outfit together, and then for the -trail. In a month from now, at the most, we shall be ferrying out the -gold that has been concealed for so many centuries. The underground -river will hum as we dash back and forth through it.” - -“After that we shall be up against the hardest work of all; that is to -get the gold out of the country and back home safely. But let’s not -cross any bridges before we get to them. The future must take care of -itself,” said Stanley. - -“While we are so near to it, I wish we could take a peep into the -Hidden Valley. Perhaps Huayna Capac, the Inca, is dead, and Quizquiz is -king now. I am sorry for everybody in the valley if he is their ruler. -The old king at least tried to be kind and generous, the best he knew -how, but Quizquiz will be a tyrant in every sense of the word. He is -conceited, arrogant, and cruel. I should hate to fall into his hands.” - -“And I, too,” said Stanley. “But there is no chance. He would not -dare enter Uti, where the gold is hidden, and we shall certainly not -trespass in his kingdom beyond the great wall. So we can simply guess -at what is taking place in the Hidden Valley, and I am content to let -it go at that.” - -Stanley spoke with conviction, but he had no way of knowing what the -future had in store for him. Just as the past years had brought the -momentous events due to the World War, so there had been events of -importance in the Hidden Valley, also. If Ted and Stanley could in -some manner have obtained an inkling of what had happened behind those -silent and unscalable mountains that surrounded the retreat of the -last of the Incas, they doubtless should have refrained from making -another attempt to secure the fabulous wealth that this same barrier -also protected. Firmly resolved though they were not to enter the -Hidden Valley proper again, it was not impossible that circumstances -beyond their control might take them into the very region they were so -eager to shun. And then--the terrible reckoning, with the pitiless, -triumphant, and all-powerful Quizquiz as their captor and judge. - -They landed in Mollendo just in time to take the early afternoon -train into the mountains, and night found them in the upland city of -Arequipa. It required the greater part of another day to cover the -distance to Puno, and on the morning after that the journey to Cuzco -began. - -As the train crept wearily over the high plateau and entered the -outskirts of the city, Ted, who was gazing interestedly through the -little window of their compartment, gave a cry of surprise. - -“Things have certainly been happening here since we last saw this -place,” he said. “Look!” - -Stanley, too, peered through the window. A number of long, wide, wooden -buildings had been erected along one side of a level field. There were -also narrower and higher structures and a small cluster of tents. Men -in uniform were drilling near the group of buildings; and a detachment -of other soldiers was signalling with large white panels that were -spread out on the ground. - -“Ted,” he said suddenly, “that aviation-field has been put there for a -purpose. It may mean that the war fever has spread even to these remote -countries; or it may be only the beginning of a preparedness campaign. -I can’t say why, but I feel in my bones that we are going to get mixed -up in whatever it is before very long.” - -“I hope not. We can’t afford to let anything sidetrack us from getting -that gold. If we keep putting it off something may happen to prevent -our getting it altogether.” - -“But that is just what I am thinking,” Stanley protested. “Everything -we do must be a step toward the big goal.” - -“I don’t see the connection.” - -“Well, then, let me tell you. It takes many days of walking over the -most difficult trail to reach the underground river. And heaven only -knows how hard it will be to carry the gold back up the mountainside. -Now, in an airplane the distance cannot be very great, and instead of -work it would be fun. Now do you see what I mean?” - -“Stanley!” Ted’s face beamed. “Do you think we could arrange it?” - -“There is nothing impossible if you do not want it to be. We are going -to get into the treasure-ground by the air-route this time, even if we -have to steal one of those planes to do it.” - -Just then the train rolled into the station and Ted and Stanley -gathered up their baggage and followed the crowd along the platform and -out into the street. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE RIVALRY OF THE AIRMEN - - -“Sir, the colonel presents his compliments and commands you to report -to him at once.” - -Ted and Stanley had just finished breakfast and were crossing the open -little courtyard between the dining-room of the inn and their own -quarters when the orderly stepped briskly in their path, saluted, and -delivered his message. - -“What?” Ted asked, stopping in his tracks. - -“Colonel who?” from Stanley, “and what does he want with us?” - -“Colonel José Antonio de Estrella, commanding officer of the First Aero -Squadron.” - -“Why this great honor? We do not know the colonel and cannot imagine -why he wishes to see us. But of course if he insists, we shall be happy -to pay him a visit. Only he should invite, not command, us; we have put -up with enough ‘commanding and ordering’ in our own army to last us a -long, long time.” - -“Are not the _señores_ the flyers who have been expected the past -month? The colonel has been very impatient of the delay.” - -“No, we know nothing of the gentlemen you mention, but perhaps we can -be of service, anyway. Take us to the colonel. I guess we can see him -right away.” - -The youth saluted and started away at a fast walk, the two Americans -following. - -“I told you we were going to get mixed up in that aviation -proposition,” Stanley said. “I knew it the minute I saw that field.” - -“Who knows what it may lead to? but I cannot see much to it just yet. -We are being mistaken for some one else, and that is about all that -is clear so far. So soon as the colonel sees us he will recognize his -mistake, apologize profusely, and tell us to go our way.” - -“Now that is exactly what we must avoid. We have an opening to do the -very thing that will help us and we must manage to take advantage of -it. Instead of our going to them to beg for a job, they have sent for -us in error, it is true, but what is to prevent us from profiting by -it?” - -“You are right, and I only hope we can see the thing through. How much -hard work it would save us if we could fly to the Hidden Valley, to say -nothing of the time we should save!” - -They reached the camp in a little over half an hour and were -immediately taken to headquarters, where the adjutant, a second -lieutenant in a brilliant uniform, lost no time in ushering them into -the colonel’s office. - -The latter officer was of rather short build but of distinguished -appearance. His hair and long mustaches were snowy white; his eyes were -black. A number of medals and military decorations were pinned to his -coat in a neat row, but one of the first things the Americans observed -was that the wings of a flying officer were lacking. - -“It is I who have made a big mistake,” he said as the two entered. “For -the last four weeks I have been expecting two officers from Europe, -but they do not come. Last night, when I heard that two strangers -had arrived in the city, I concluded it must be they. I now see and -acknowledge my mistake and I apologize for troubling the gentlemen.” - -“The colonel owes us no apology,” said Stanley in a respectful manner. -“Quite the contrary. It is a great pleasure for us to visit him. If we -can be of service it will please us to help in any way we can. Both my -companion and I have had considerable experience with airplanes.” - -“You mean to say you are aviators?” the colonel asked, rising from his -chair. “When and where did you learn to fly and what has been your -experience? Sit down and tell me all about it.” - -Ted and Stanley did as they were asked, and for an hour they related -to the officer their various experiences so far as aeronautics were -concerned. He listened intently to all they had to say and asked many -questions. - -“It is indeed fortunate for me that you came,” he said when they had -finished, “for I need your help and can offer you good positions. The -manœuvres take place in two months and we must have ships in the air -by that time. Now, when can you begin work? Remember, there is need of -great haste.” - -“Will you tell us exactly what is expected of us?” Ted asked. “And then -we shall want to talk the matter over between ourselves. And what is -the remuneration?” - -“Your work will be to assemble the machines and to test them thoroughly -before turning them over to the instructors. That will not be an easy -undertaking and, as you know, it is not without danger, for I shall -insist that the test flights be very conclusive; they will include -trips across country of several hours’ duration. I want the planes to -be as safe as possible before we begin taking up students. You will be -subject to my orders only as civilian employees. And the pay is five -hundred _soles_ a month, which is about two hundred and fifty dollars -in the money of your country.” - -They thanked the colonel for his offer and returned to the inn. - -“What do you think of that for luck?” Ted fairly shouted. “Things are -coming our way so fast it is hard to keep track of them.” - -“We could not wish for a better arrangement,” Stanley agreed. “It is -almost too good to be true. Every time we make one of those long test -flights the colonel insists upon, we can drop into Uti and bring out a -load of gold, as much as the ship will carry, and that is considerable. -When we have enough we can resign and go home. We have not been asked -to enlist for any given period of time, so we can quit when we want to, -provided, of course, we give them reasonable notice, so they can get -some one else to take our places.” - -That afternoon they sent word to the colonel that they should be ready -to start work on the following morning, and shortly after daybreak a -cart arrived to take their effects to camp, as they were henceforth to -occupy quarters on the military reservation. - -The two reported to the officer soon after, and were at once sent to -the hangars, where a number of crates and boxes were stored. These -containers held wings, bodies, and motors, just as they had been packed -for shipment by the manufacturers in the United States. A detachment -of some twenty odd mechanics were placed at their disposal. These men -had been well trained in the theory of aeronautics, and while they -lacked practical experience, showed unbounded enthusiasm for the work, -combined with intelligence and adaptability. Before long the tasks in -hand began in earnest. - -Ted and Stanley went about the matter in a systematic, businesslike -way. They called the men together and then divided them into sections, -or crews, and explained in detail what the duties of each would be. A -leader or chief was appointed for each crew. The Americans were to give -orders to the chiefs, and the latter would be held responsible that -these orders were carried out promptly by the men in their charge. - -First they examined the bills of lading and invoices. Then they -selected certain of the boxes, checked them off the lists, and had them -removed to the largest hangar, which stood not far away. This required -all of the first day. - -The second day they opened the packages and removed the various parts, -subjecting them to inspection, checking them against the lists, and -noting minor breaks that had to be repaired. They also visited the -supply-tent, looked over the tools and materials available, and made -out requisitions for such things as would be needed but which were -lacking. - -“It’s beginning to look like business now,” Stanley commented that -night. “The first thing is always to work out a system; after that -everything is easy.” - -“Two days is a short time, but it is surprising how many things one can -do. Of course we had a good foundation to build on, for the colonel -had made a good beginning. Too bad there is not a flying officer in -charge of the field; he could understand the whole proposition more -clearly and make allowances for the difficulties we are up against,” -Ted returned. - -“So far the colonel has been a prince. He has given us a free hand, and -so long as he continues in that spirit we shall get along all right. If -he were a flyer he would want to boss everything and show us how to do -things, probably in a way different from the one we are accustomed to.” - -“Right. I never thought of that.” - -It was exactly four weeks later that the first of the planes had been -assembled ready to roll out of the hangar for the final adjustments -and tuning up. The ships were of the two-seater type, similar -to the JN4H’s so commonly used on American flying-fields, and of -sturdy, dependable construction. They had two-hundred-horse-power -eight-cylinder engines, and were rated as capable of making an -air-speed of ninety miles an hour. There were radio sets and -machine-guns, the latter mounted one above the engine and the other on -a turret in the rear cockpit. - -Ted and Stanley surveyed their work with pride. The motor roared with -an even, steady purr, or snorted and banged as the mechanician opened -and closed the throttle, while the graceful machine tugged impatiently -in its efforts to free itself from the grasp of the men clinging to the -wings, and to leap the blocks that had been placed under the wheels. - -“When shall we take the first spin?” Ted asked as he inspected the -turnbuckles and hit the wire braces with his hand to gauge their -tautness. - -“To-morrow, if nothing goes wrong. Think of what a wonderful experience -it will be to soar over the peaks of the Andes; and the first chance -we get we will hop off to the Valley. All our dreaming and planning is -about to bear fruit.” - -Just then the colonel accompanied by two officers in strange uniforms -approached. - -The colonel introduced the new arrivals to the Americans. “At last -they are here,” he added. “They will have entire charge of the cadets. -You gentlemen will work together in perfect harmony, I hope, in the -best interests of the service.” - -Ted and Stanley showed genuine pleasure at making the acquaintance of -the two lieutenants, but the latter seemed cool and reserved, and after -a casual examination of the throbbing ship followed the colonel into -one of the hangars. - -A moment later Ted went to the rear of the structure to get a wrench -from the tool-box, and while pawing through the miscellaneous -collection the chest contained, the sound of voices from within reached -his ears. - -“I have investigated them thoroughly,” the colonel was saying, “and I -have learned that they have been in Cuzco at least twice before this. -Each time they disappeared on some secret mission into the mountains, -and it is said that they are searching for a lost mine or hidden -treasure. But that is nothing against them; we should do the same if -we had a reason to hope for success in such a venture. I have also -examined their pilot’s books, for which they cabled voluntarily, and -they showed an unusually large number of hours in the air and a record -above reproach. Their work here has been done well. And, besides, they -came to my assistance when I needed them. I sent for them; they did not -beg me for the places.” - -“If the colonel will pardon my saying so, the lieutenant and I can -now assume full charge of the work. We do not need the Americans. We -ourselves should supervise the rigging of the ships we are to fly.” - -“It is a part of their agreement that they must test the machines -first, so they, not you, will take all the risks. There are enough -duties to keep all of you occupied. Never forget that I am commanding -officer and I shall not tolerate interference with my plans.” - -With these words the colonel strode angrily away. For a minute neither -of the two foreigners spoke. - -“Those Americans are in everything,” one said finally. “What chance -do we stand while they are here? They do not know the meaning of the -word fear; I have often watched them on the battle-front and I know. -If these two give such exhibitions here as their countrymen did over -there, they and not we will attract all the attention. We must manage -to keep them out of the air.” - -“That is easy,” the other replied. “If we cannot keep them from going -up, we can see to it that they come back down in an unexpected way. A -loose pin, a defective strut, or any one of a dozen other things, and -they will not stand in our way again. And no one will ever suspect!” - -Ted did not wait to hear more. With a face white with anger he hastened -to where Stanley was clamping the Lewis gun to the iron bars of the -turret. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -IN QUEST OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE - - -Ted’s first impulse was to tell Stanley immediately of the conversation -he had heard in the hangar. But the roar of the motor made this -impossible. Then it occurred to him that the two officers might be -watching them, so he decided to withhold the information until they -were safely in their own quarters. - -Stanley’s face was a puzzle as he listened to the story. He did not -interrupt until the recital was completed. - -“I am surprised that they should resent our presence here,” he said -finally. “There is room enough for all of us, but these fellows must -have come bent on being the whole show and are determined to have their -way. Still, it is almost impossible to believe they were altogether in -earnest. Perhaps they knew you were listening and tried to frighten us.” - -“That is what they said, no matter what their real intention. I think -the thing ought to be reported to the colonel.” - -“Perhaps we should report it, but that would only make matters worse. -Why not wait until we have some proof of their intentions? Then we -shall have a fair case against them. In the meantime I guess we can -take care of ourselves.” - -“We must take every precaution. There is too much at stake for us to -make a break one way or the other.” - -“Yes, we will be very careful. And we will let it go at that. I -think we shall be able to tell without trouble if there has been any -tampering with the ships. A strict watch must be kept, for one thing, -and we shall make a most thorough inspection of our machine before each -flight,” said Stanley. “Above all, we must work fast; that is, get -into and out of our destination as soon as possible, and then we shall -be at liberty to leave the country. If we speed up we may be able to -forestall our rivals.” - -“How about a test flight to-morrow? And then an attempt to reach the -hidden place a few days later?” - -“The very thing. Have a first trial flight to-morrow and then spend a -few days making adjustments while we also make our other preparations. -After that the dash for the mountains. But we may have to alter our -plans greatly. With the opposition and competition we have now it -will not be possible to make an unlimited number of flights. We might -succeed in going once or twice without trouble, but if we went too -often and remained away for long periods of time they would become -suspicious and either stop us or try to follow to see what we were -doing.” - -“I have a scheme we could try. Why not take a load of equipment on -the first trip and cache it in one of the caves; then open up the -underground river and take out as much gold as we want that way. If we -have to discontinue flying before we bring out very much in the plane -we can go back by the overland route and pick up what we have hidden in -the forest. That will save a lot of time and trouble.” - -“We could not improve on that if we tried,” Stanley agreed -enthusiastically. “While I do the final tinkering on the machine you -can be gathering the things together. Bring them to our hangar, load -them at night, and we can hop away early the next morning.” - -Somehow the news had spread that there was to be a trial flight on the -following day, and a huge crowd, composed mostly of Indians, gathered -on the outskirts of the field at daybreak. It was not until shortly -after noon, however, that everything was in readiness for the initial -attempt. The two donned their leather coats, helmets, and goggles, and -climbed into the cockpits. At a signal from Stanley the crew removed -the wooden blocks from under the wheels and swung the ship around into -the wind. Stanley gradually opened the throttle, and as the roar of -the engine increased in volume the machine gathered speed and raced -over the even ground. In a moment it had left the earth and was soaring -upward at an appreciable angle. The crowd of onlookers waved their hats -and burst into a wild cheer, and Ted, who was standing in the rear pit, -leaned over the rim and waved his hand toward the ground as they sped -into the distance. - -Stanley carefully watched the braces, struts, and wings, but as there -was no unusual vibration, he tried a number of turns, banking gently, -dived and zoomed, and in other ways tested the craft. Its stability -and balance were to his entire satisfaction. Then they ascended to a -height of five thousand feet and performed a series of stunts that -even the birds would not dare attempt. They side-slipped, dived, and -spiralled, did wing-overs, and ended in a series of loops. After that -they descended to the field in a long tail-spin, levelling off just in -time to land easily and gracefully in front of their hangar. - -The colonel was most enthusiastic and congratulated them heartily, but -the two lieutenants kept in the background and offered no comments. - -“There are only a few wires to tighten a little,” Stanley informed the -commanding officer. “They are always liable to slacken somewhat during -the first flights. The fuselage is lined up perfectly. If the colonel -so desires, we shall be glad to make a long cross-country flight next -Sunday. That could serve as a final test, after which the ship would be -ready to go into commission for the regular work of training cadets.” - -“Splendid!” the colonel replied. “Go anywhere you like. Give the -machine a most thorough trial. The instructors and pupils are waiting -impatiently for their turn.” - -Two days later, as they were going over the ship for a final -inspection, Stanley suddenly noticed that the keys had been removed -from the pins that fastened the right upper wing to the body. With a -slight motion of his hand he indicated the fact to Ted. - -“Now we shall find out who is responsible for that,” he said to Ted -between his teeth. - -They had the ship rolled out on the line and started the engines. The -colonel and the two lieutenants were on the field as usual, watching -the operations. - -“Perhaps the lieutenants would like a flight to-day?” Stanley suggested -pleasantly, approaching the trio. “With the colonel’s consent, and so -far as we are concerned, the ship is at your disposal.” - -The two began to look uncomfortable, and one of them stammered an -excuse about not being prepared with the proper clothing. The colonel -promptly suggested that they might use the outfits of the Americans if -they desired, but upon this the other one pleaded illness. - -“Well,” Stanley said, looking straight at the two, “we thought we might -go up for a few minutes, but I guess we had better not. If it is not -safe for you, it is not safe for us.” - -The colonel understood that there was some difficulty, but said nothing -until the two instructors had gone. Then he questioned the Americans as -to the meaning of the affair. They showed him the pins with the missing -keys. - -“But you have no evidence against any one!” he said slowly. “This is -most serious, but I cannot accuse any one of such an act without proof.” - -“No, but in the future the hangars must be guarded day and night. No -one must be permitted to enter without a written pass from you.” - -“That is a good idea. It shall be done. I shall immediately issue an -order to that effect.” - -The damage was soon repaired and the ship rolled back into the hangar. - -Ted spent the greater part of the next morning making purchases in -the city, and the packages were delivered to the field early in the -afternoon. They had been compelled to buy numerous things connected -with their work during the previous weeks, so the arrival of the boxes -caused no comment. Ted stored them in a corner of the hangar and -covered them with a tarpauling. - -That night they carefully studied their map, on which the location -of the Hidden Valley had been marked as accurately as possible, as -they had done so many times before. And at daybreak on the following -morning Ted loaded the packages into the ship, while Stanley went for -a conference with the colonel. When the latter, too, arrived on the -field, the plane was on the line with the engine roaring. - -Although the guards assured them that none had approached the hangar -during the night, the two spent considerable time in a minute -inspection of the machine. And when the sun was an hour high in the -heavens they left the ground, circled the field until they had reached -an altitude of several thousand feet, then headed straight to the north. - -If their calculations were right, they should reach the valley in an -hour, unless they encountered a strong head-wind. Allowing another -hour for the return, there would be a leeway of a third hour, for the -fuel-supply, counting that contained in the emergency-tank overhead, -was ample for three hours. - -From directly above, the mountain-peaks appeared flattened out exactly -like the plateaux and valleys, but they could be distinguished from the -latter by the patches of snow and fields of black rocks. A wind from -the south added greatly to their speed, so that the landscape beneath -them moved back at a rapid pace. To their right, and far, far below, -lay the sea of dark-green Amazonian jungle. - -Here and there among the bleak mountain-peaks lay little green valleys -with square, blocklike dots scattered about singly and in groups. To -the casual observer they might have been mistaken for stones. But to -the trained eye they were clearly Indian huts, distinguishable from the -other objects by their regular outlines. And if Ted looked closely he -could make out minute specks moving toward the houses; they were the -Indians running to shelter, terrified, no doubt, by the roaring spectre -in the sky. - -“Keep your eyes open wide,” Stanley shouted back to his companion -after he had throttled down the motor so that its roar did not drown -the sound of his voice. “Look for the yellow vapor and the ring of -volcanoes. The wall, too. What was that?” - -A black form had passed them at great speed, its shadow blanketing one -side of the craft. - -Ted looked back, knowing that it could not have been a cloud, for the -sky was clear. - -“It’s a condor,” he called at the top of his voice, just as Stanley -opened the throttle. Even as he spoke the great bird was wheeling -gracefully and heading in their direction. Master of the desolate -mountain tops and of the air above them, the huge bird was evidently -investigating or challenging this newcomer into its realm. - -Ted pounded the linen side of the fuselage frantically with his gloved -hand, and at the signal Stanley automatically pushed the control -forward, ever so slightly, and the ship went into a steep dive. It was -part of their old code, originated on the Western Front, and in the -emergency both remembered it instantly. - -They were not a moment too soon. The great bird shot past above -them with a rush of wings audible above the slow throbbing of the -throttled-down motor. - -Just as Stanley brought the plane to a level keel, the bird wheeled, -and again came toward them, from the front, but this time the pilot -saw it in time. He must avoid collision with the audacious creature, -for the impact of the heavy body against the struts of propeller would -be enough to shatter them and send them crashing to the ground. His -first impulse was to use the machine-gun in an attempt either to kill -the bird or to cause it to swerve; but a second thought seemed better. -He waited until the black form was a scant hundred yards away; then -he pulled hard on the control, and instantly the bird seemed to drop -into space below them. What had really happened was that the ship had -bounded upward in a steep zoom, passing high above the attacker, and -before the latter could turn, Stanley had resumed the level course and -opened wide the throttle. The ship started forward at such great speed -that the bird, swift of wing though it was, could not overtake them; -and they soon lost it in the distance, a black speck growing constantly -smaller in the unclouded sky. - -After that they flew at a lower altitude, so as not to arouse the ire -of other condors that might be soaring at that dizzy height. - -Ted was carefully scanning the ground, on which everything now appeared -with startling distinctness. Below was an Indian trail on which a -caravan of llamas had been wending its leisurely way. The leader of -the file stopped and evidently sounded an alarm of some kind, for -in a moment the panic-stricken animals were dashing down the trail, -leaving a cloud of dust in their wake and scattering their packs by the -wayside. After leaping a stone wall they disappeared into the doorway -of a hut. At the same time a number of Indians, wearing bright-colored -blankets, darted out of the rear doorway, routed from their abode by -the onrushing beasts, but no sooner had they gained the open than one -of the group discerned the strange monster above them, and back they -dashed into the hut. - -Ted was watching the spot long after to see if any of the occupants of -the shelter would appear after they had passed, when the engine again -slowed down. - -“That looks like the spot over there,” Stanley shouted, nodding toward -the landscape in front of them. - -Ted looked in that direction and nodded assent. Far ahead, and to one -side, lay a circle of yellow vapor; it seemed to hug the earth in a -solid ring, while columns and whisps rose into the sky to a great -height. That could mean but one thing. It was the impenetrable barrier -of poisonous gases arising from the chain of volcanoes surrounding the -Hidden Valley. A quarter of an hour later they had crossed the margin -of the ring. There it was, directly beneath them--the long valley -with its winding river, Uti with the dismal lagoon glistening in the -sunlight, and the great wall that separated the two places showing -like a narrow gray ribbon. To the left was another valley with high, -steep walls of rock hemming it in on all sides, but there was no vapor -clinging to the rim of that enclosure. - -Stanley shut down the power and they began a rapid and almost noiseless -descent in a series of graceful spirals. When down to five hundred feet -above the ground, he again opened the throttle and circled a few times, -while both craned their heads over the sides of the cockpits, looking -for a suitable place to land. In a moment they recognized the level -strip of beach on the border of the lake, the very spot, in fact, where -their canoe had been stranded several years before; another spiral, -then a long glide, and they had landed on the hard sand. - -At last they were in the region of gold-filled caves, a mere stone’s -throw from the place where the vast treasure of the Incas had lain -untouched for so many centuries. The two scrambled out of their cramped -quarters and jumped to the ground. Then, dashing their helmets and -goggles aside, they started in a wild rush toward the cave. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE CROWNING MISFORTUNE - - -Upon reaching the entrance to the underground chamber they stopped. The -vision of Timichi, the demented, self-styled king they had encountered -on their previous visit, loomed up before them. What if he were still -alive and had observed their approach? It was not probable, for even -years ago he had been very old and in ill health; but it was just -barely possible that he still lived. In that event he would be awaiting -them in the darkened passageway with some heavy weapon with which to -attack them. He had every advantage, and that he would submit to the -seizure of the treasure without putting up a fight was out of the -question. - -“Let’s call to him,” Ted suggested. “Perhaps he will recognize our -voices or his name and come out--if he is in there.” - -They called “Timichi,” then “Loco,” which latter was the name he had -liked and which applied to him so well. But there was no response. -Then they advanced slowly, but no sinister figure dashed out of the -blackness to dispute their way. - -A few steps and they had entered the treasure-chamber. The light from -the openings in the ceiling shone full upon their faces. They broke -into a run in their eagerness to reach the shining heaps of yellow -metal. Then they slackened their pace, stopped, and stared hard--first -straight ahead and then at one another. Was it true? Could it be -possible? Or were they dreaming? For a moment they were speechless, but -Stanley finally managed to force the fateful words through his lips. - -“It’s gone, it’s gone!” he cried hoarsely. “The gold is gone!” - -“Yes, it’s gone!” Ted echoed. “There is not a speck of it left. All our -trouble is for nothing.” - -Stanley burst into a laugh almost hysterical in its sudden shrillness. - -“Why, what a pair of chumps we are! Timichi must have taken it away. He -was the only one this side of the wall. He got some foolish notion or -other into his head and so carried away the treasure.” - -“Of course! And being old and feeble, he could not have taken it very -far. He took it to one of the neighboring caves, where we shall find -it in a few minutes. It did give me a scare, though, to find the place -empty.” - -“Same here,” agreed Stanley. “For a minute I was thunderstruck. I could -not even think straight.” - -They hurried from the cavern and began a systematic exploration -of the numerous openings that led to subterranean chambers in the -mountainside. Some were so dark that they had to make constant use of -their flash-lights in finding their way about. Others were illuminated -by shafts of daylight that entered through crevices overhead. Most of -the caves bore no evidence of ever having been occupied; others had -evidently been used as lairs by curious wild beasts of a bygone age, -and their bones, mingled with those of the creatures on which they had -preyed, strewed the earthen floor. - -At last they came to the cave where Timichi had pointed out to them -the rows of his silent subjects. They had avoided this place until the -last, because they did not want to look upon the rows of dead. Now, -as they had half expected, they found the remains of Timichi, dressed -in his gorgeous finery, and sitting on a stone with his head resting -against the wall, as if surveying his little kingdom of the departed. -It was weird and pathetic and they did not stay long. - -As for the gold, it had not been found. It had disappeared as -completely as if the rumbling craters had opened and engulfed it with -their fiery mouths. - -“It’s the most mysterious thing I ever heard of. There were tons of -it, and it does not seem possible that Timichi could have carried it -away at all.” - -“I’ll bet he didn’t. Some one else has been here since we left. Let’s -look around,” Ted replied. - -The underground river occurred to them first of all. It was by this -means that they had made their escape during their previous visit to -the dismal place, just as it seemed they were condemned to a living -death in company with the demented Timichi. - -When, after a tedious journey along the murky margin of the lagoon, -they finally reached the mouth of the subterranean stream, they found -the entrance blocked by a mass of stones. Nor was the barrier the -result of a landslide, as they had supposed when they tried to force -their way through from the other side; the stones had been placed there -by human hands. Some one had indeed anticipated their return and had -tried to forestall them in every way. - -Then they returned to the cave in which the gold had been concealed and -carefully looked around for traces or clews of the one who had removed -the treasure, and after a lengthy search their efforts were rewarded. A -faint trail led from the entrance toward the great wall. They followed -the indistinct path, breathless with anticipation; it ran straight to -the point where the wall joined the abrupt mountainside. And there, -under the massive structure, a hole had been dug large enough for men -to pass freely to and fro. The gold had been carried back into the -Hidden Valley. - -“Quizquiz!” both shouted in one breath. “It was he. No one else -would have thought of it or had the cunning to put through such an -undertaking.” - -The hole had been partially blocked with a heap of earth and stones. - -“Not even this place, which had the reputation of being the home of -the devils, could stop Quizquiz,” Stanley said. “I see through it now. -After our escape in the canoe he planned to get us back. He had the -hole dug and found that we were gone. Then they saw the underground -river. Putting two and two together, he could easily figure out how we -got away. He knew we should return, so he had the river blocked and -carried away the gold.” - -“We are stumped, all right,” Ted admitted. “All my wonderful plans -have gone soaring. We might as well go back and forget about the whole -thing. But it is a bitter pill to swallow.” - -They made their way to the plane slowly and suffering all the agony -of keenest disappointment; their hopes and ambitions were not to be -realized. Their dreams of the future had vanished in thin air. - -“Let’s have a bite to eat,” Stanley suggested. “I feel faint and weak. -Then we can fly back to the field, give up our jobs, and get back -home--soon, I hope; the sooner the better.” - -“What about all the stuff we brought with us?” Ted asked. “We shall not -need it.” - -“No! We might as well dump it. No use to carry back the extra weight. -And, by the way, what is in those boxes? They are awfully heavy. I -could tell we had a big load aboard because I could not get the ship to -climb fast.” - -“That is the dynamite,” Ted said calmly. - -“What?” in consternation. - -“Dynamite. About a hundred pounds of it!” - -“Do you mean to tell me those boxes are full of dynamite?” - -“Certainly. We should have needed it to blow open the entrance to the -underground river.” - -“Good heavens!” Stanley fairly shrieked. “Think of carting along a load -of dynamite in a country like this. If we had had a forced landing we -should have blown into bits.” - -“I thought of that. But a forced landing in a mountainous country would -have meant our finish anyway. So what is the difference?” - -“I guess you are right, but if I had known it I should not have -attempted to fly a single inch until we had taken it out. It is a good -thing you did not tell me about it.” - -“What shall we do with it?” - -“Get rid of it as soon as we can.” - -“But if any one from the valley should come here he would find it,” -said Ted. “I have an idea. Let’s mark the boxes for Quizquiz and leave -a note saying that if he hits them with his golden sceptre he will see -all his forefathers; then shove the boxes through the hole under the -wall.” - -“It would serve him right, but they cannot read. Besides, we do not -want to kill any one. We shall have to hide it or throw it into the -lake.” - -“No, not throw it into the lake,” Ted said, with a peculiar shudder. -“We are not out of here yet; we might need it!” - -“Are you predicting more trouble? Hasn’t enough happened to us already?” - -“I don’t know. But something tells me not to throw it away. I feel -queer; it might be my imagination, but it is true just the same.” - -“All right; do anything you like with it. But we will take it out of -the ship this very minute; and the other things, too. We cannot be -bothered with useless baggage.” - -They unlashed and unloaded the boxes. Then they ate a light lunch. - -“We can hide everything in one of the smaller caves,” Ted decided. -“No one will go prowling around in any of them. And if--I almost said -when--we need the things we shall know where to find them.” - -When they had disposed of the packages they prepared to depart. It -was mid-afternoon and they must lose no more time in returning to the -field. The colonel, no doubt, was anxious about them already. - -In order to take off properly they were compelled to head toward the -great wall because a current of air came from that direction. But the -distance was sufficient to enable them to clear it by an ample margin. -They also wanted to circle above the valley a few times for a farewell -glimpse of the hiding-place of the last of the once powerful Incan -nation, for soon they should leave it, never to return. - -With a steadily increasing roar of the engine the ship raced over the -ground, and when it had gained enough headway Stanley pulled back the -stick and the plane leaped into the air. In a moment they had cleared -the wall by a hundred feet. Now they were skimming above the depression -concealing the Inca’s stronghold. - -Ted leaned out over the rim of the gunpit in order to have a good view -of the fleeting ground below them. There was the river down which -Moses had steered their plunging canoe to safety on the night of -their escape, spread across patches of velvet green; stone huts that -looked like toy blocks were scattered over the barren places, some in -rows, others in groups and villages. People, terrified by the monster -thundering over their heads, were scurrying to cover behind stone walls -and into doorways. Far, far in the distance was a great city; Ted -recognized it as the Patallacta, or City on the Hill, where they had -first met Huayna Capac, the old king. Nearer was another collection of -buildings covering a large territory; that was the City of Gold, with -its palaces, gardens, and the great temple of the sun. Ted remembered -it, too, only too well, for it was there they had been tried and -condemned because of Quizquiz’s treachery. But they had escaped, thanks -to Moses! And here they were again, safe, high in the air, out of reach -of their enemy. - -Without warning there came a few loud explosions from the exhausts, the -engine hesitated, picked up again for a moment, slowed down, faltered, -and stopped. Stanley realized immediately that the fuel in the main -tank was exhausted, so he quickly shut off the feed-valve and turned on -the supply from the second reservoir, after which he dived at a steep -angle, so that the rush of air might spin the propeller and thus crank -the engine. But the expected roar did not come. Apparently the gasolene -did not flow, for while the propeller was turning, there was only the -coughing sound of a dead engine. He looked at the indicator in alarm; -the tank was full, there was no mistake about that. - -Almost before he knew it he was so near the ground that there was not -time for further efforts to determine the cause of the trouble. He -barely succeeded in straightening out the diving craft before it struck -the earth with a thud. They cavorted along over a rock-strewn field -beside the river, bounding and threatening to upset, and when the ship -finally came to a stop the two were too dazed for speech. For, in their -wild sprint over the uneven ground the propeller had struck a boulder -and one of the blades was shattered. - -They were indeed in an unenviable predicament. Not for all of the gold -of the Incas should they have entered the Hidden Valley voluntarily. -Yet fate had decreed that they should find themselves there, and under -the most distressing circumstances. The ship was as useless as if it -had been broken into bits, and there was no other means of escape. - -They were as good as in the hands of Quizquiz, their enemy, who did -not know the meaning of the words fair play or mercy. He would come to -them soon with his hordes of followers, overwhelm them, and gloat over -them as a beast of prey might do over its victim, exulting over their -helplessness and over his own unlimited power. At last his day had -arrived when he could repay them for the humiliation they had caused -him during the athletic contests, where they had made such a superior -showing against him and the other picked youths of the nation. And -their escape--that rankled, too. - -As they thought of these things they grew pale and shuddered. There -could be but one outcome of the misadventure, and they knew only too -well what that end should be. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -IN THE TIGER’S LAIR - - -With each passing minute the helplessness of their position was more -firmly driven home upon Ted and Stanley. They expected momentarily to -be attacked by the horde of Indians, many of whom they had seen from -above. But not a human being came within range of their vision. - -“What fools we were,” Ted observed dejectedly, “not to let well enough -alone. We _would_ come back, and now----” - -“That is only human nature, I guess. Never satisfied and always eager -to take a chance. Well, we are like the pitcher that went to the well -once too often.” - -“Why don’t they come after us, I wonder!” - -“Superstitious, perhaps. But they will be here in due time. Count on -that!” - -Ted changed the unpleasant subject. - -“Whatever could have happened that the engine died that way? Did I -neglect to fill the second tank?” - -“No. It’s full. There is something mysterious about it. We might try -to find out what the trouble is while we are waiting.” - -They examined the tank for air-leaks that would reduce the pressure to -the point where the fuel would not feed. But the gauge registered five -pounds--more than enough. Then they began tracing the slender feed-pipe -from the tank to the carburetor. Almost immediately the trouble was -found. Some one had disconnected one of the joints and had stopped up -the pipe with soap, so of course the gasolene could not flow. - -“We have our friends, the lieutenants, to thank for that,” Stanley said -bitterly. “It’s hard to believe that any one could do such a thing.” - -“They did a good job. I guess we shall never stand in their way again.” - -“If we had only brought a spare stick there would be a good chance of -getting out of here. We could make the change in a little while and -leave before any one had the courage to come near us.” - -“But the fact is we did not bring a spare stick. We knew better than -that, too. Luck has been against us from the very start; and it’s -getting worse.” - -“We might rig up the wireless outfit and send out a call for help. -That is the only thing I can think of,” Stanley suggested without -enthusiasm. - -“It can do no harm, anyway.” - -They unreeled the long wire antenna and removed the lead weight, or -“fish,” from the end, replacing it with a bottle from the emergency -kit. In flight the purpose of the fish was to keep the wire trailing -out behind as straight as possible; but now they stretched the slender -braided metal thread to the top of a tree near the river and tied the -bottle to the highest branch. In this manner a message could be flashed -into space, they did not know how far, but none could be taken in -answer, as there was no receiving equipment in the plane. - -Ted switched on the battery and placed his fingers on the key. - -“S. O. S., S. O. S.,” the spark was flashed into the ether; “stranded -one hour north of Cuzco, in valley surrounded by ring of yellow vapor. -Need propeller. Notify aviation-field, Cuzco.” - -The message was repeated a number of times. - -“We are wasting time and energy,” Ted said suddenly, releasing the -key and cutting the switch. “In the first place, I doubt if the spark -will carry beyond the valley. And I just remembered that even if they -should pick it up at the flying-field, they could not possibly help us. -There is no other ship in commission, and even if there were, the only -persons who could handle it are the lieutenants, who certainly would -not come to help us.” - -“I don’t look for help from the field, but I thought there might be -a station somewhere near here in the mountains, a secret government -outfit. And if the facts were known, it might be possible that a ship -would be sent from some other camp, perhaps even from Bolivia.” - -“All right. I’ll send it again and add our names to the end of it.” - -Once more the appeal was wafted into space. - -“I have it,” Ted shouted, jumping from his seat. “We will get a new -stick right here!” - -“Get one here?” - -“Yes. When the Indians show up it is as likely as not that they will -be overawed and treat us like gods instead of starting trouble, for -didn’t we come from the sky? We can keep on our goggles and helmets as -a disguise; then put them to work.” - -“I fail to see what good that would do.” - -“People who can build walls and houses of large stones that fit -together so perfectly they stand for centuries; who put up temples -and palaces, and who make such wonderful textiles and ornaments, -must be pretty skilful with their hands, and also have a good deal -of intelligence to back them up. We will get them to make a new -propeller, under our direction and with our help. Then we can leave the -way we came.” - -“It sounds wild and impracticable.” - -“Wait and see. Leave the matter to me.” - -It was not until the next day that they saw signs of life in the -valley. They had eaten the last of their food and had spent a miserable -night huddled up in the seats of the stranded plane. - -A long column of Indians, marching in orderly manner, appeared from -the direction of the river that flowed through the centre of the -depression. At first the advancing throng was too far distant to -distinguish its character, but as it drew nearer the two watchers -saw by the gorgeous dress and glittering ornaments that many of the -marchers belonged to the nobility. - -“What are we going to do?” Ted asked, breaking the suspense. - -“The machine-guns are in good order and there are over five hundred -rounds of ammunition in the magazines.” - -“Shall we open fire?” - -“No; at least not yet. We could do that only as a last resort. It would -rout them in terror, but they would come back. There are many thousands -of them, you know. If gaining a few hours’ or days’ time alone would -help us, I should be in favor of standing them off with the guns. But -that would be of no use whatever to us. As you suggested, we need their -help, and the way to get it is to play on their superstitious natures -and put them to work. It seems like a flimsy bulwark right now that the -mob is bearing down on us; but let’s try it and trust to luck. I will -do the parleying and you supervise the work when the time comes. I can -see no other way out of it.” - -“Nor I,” Ted agreed. - -The Indians had halted while still some distance away and were -obviously holding a discussion as to whether or not they should -advance. A few minutes later they again started forward, then stopped -for a second conference. This time they reached a definite conclusion, -for they now approached in an unfaltering manner. - -Ted and Stanley put on their helmets and goggles and, at least to -outward appearances, calmly awaited the coming of the mob. When the -Indians had reached a point a hundred feet from the airplane they -stopped. - -Two files of soldiers stepped forward, halted, and turned to face one -another, forming a wide lane. Scarcely had they taken their station -when a procession began to advance through this formation. Ted and -Stanley watched with pounding hearts and bated breath. - -First came a group of menials sweeping the ground with branches of -evergreens; then a number of officers or high officials garbed in -brilliant robes and bearing various insignia of rank in their hands, -such as silver staffs and bundles of rods. Following these, several -score of youths, walking backward and singing in a monotonous cadence, -strewed the ground with flowers. - -A sedan of gold borne on the shoulders of twenty-five of the highest -nobles came next. The curtains, heavily embroidered in colors and -threads of gold, were drawn so that the occupant of the conveyance -could not be seen. - -When the men who carried the precious burden reached the end of the -lane formed by the soldiers they halted and lowered the fitter to the -level of their knees. The curtains were drawn aside and an elderly man -wrapped in a mantle of black-and-white and wearing numerous amulets, -bracelets, and anklets stepped out upon the rug that had been spread -on the ground for him and stood with outstretched hands. Apparently he -belonged to the religious order, or perhaps he was a witch-doctor, for -he made mysterious passes with his hands and shook a rattle of dried -seeds. After a moment he came forward a dozen paces, bowed to the -ground, and throwing one corner of his mantle over his shoulder in an -impressive manner, spoke. - -“Benevolent spirits, demons or men,” he began in a loud voice, “I know -not which you may be, so know not how to receive you.” - -“And who are you who dares question us?” Stanley returned, pitting his -own strategy against the Indian’s. - -“If you are spirits or demons, you must know that; for I am Villac Umu, -one of the obedient servants of the great Inca, and High Priest of the -Temple of the Sun. And you?” - -“We have come from the sky. That is all you shall know until it pleases -us to tell you more.” - -“Yes, yes; even the king saw the great bird swoop into the valley. It -filled him with amazement and joy, for might it not be a messenger from -heaven with tidings to the greatest of the Incas? If you are brothers -of the moon or children of the sun, you may confide in me; the king -demands to be told, so that he may prepare to receive you according to -your rank.” - -“Why did not the king come in person?” Stanley abruptly changed the -subject. - -“The king is far away.” - -“Villac Umu, you dare say that? For all you know we may be able to -read your most secret thoughts and to separate the truth from the -untruth.” - -“Then you must know that I speak truly. The king is not here. If he -were, you should feel his very presence, though you could not see him. -He is great and powerful and so terrible that he is called the Tiger.” - -“Go back to your people,” Stanley commanded, “and return when I wave my -hand like this.” - -The man bowed and turned without a word. - -“What do you make of it?” Ted asked when he was out of hearing. “It -looks like a plot of some kind.” - -“Certainly. Quizquiz sent him on a spying mission, to find out who or -what we are. He dared not come himself, the coward, but I would bet he -is concealed somewhere in the background, at a safe distance. No doubt -he connects this occurrence with our previous visit, but does not quite -trust his own judgment.” - -“So much the better. We do not want to see him.” - -“I will call back the old man and tell him what we need and ask him to -send it to us.” - -“Good! Tell him to come on.” - -Stanley waved his hand and the waiting figure approached. - -“For the present we shall need food, water, and shelter,” he began, -“and as soon as possible thereafter twenty of the most skilled workers -in wood, who must bring with them their implements; also a dozen -boards of the finest, hardest wood that grows in the valley, of these -dimensions.” Here he threw to the priest a ball of cord, into which he -had tied knots to show the required length, breadth, and thickness of -the boards. “Let them bring an abundance of glue, also.” - -“But there is no shelter near by,” the spokesman of the Indians -interposed. “Let the visitors accompany me to the villa at the baths -where the Inca sojourns, and where there is comfort and refreshment.” - -“That is impossible. We shall remain here.” - -“The king will want to know to whom these supplies are to be given.” - -“Tell him they are for visitors from the sky who are disappointed and -grieved at the suspicion with which they have been received, and who -will therefore depart again after a short rest.” - -“The great king will be pained to receive such a message, for in -addition to being terrible he is also generous and kind. He would -welcome the visitors from the sky in his palace.” - -“Will you kindly convey our requests to him?” - -“With pleasure. And in the meantime tents and food will be provided -without delay.” Then, after a moment’s silence: “The king will be sad -and disappointed because you will not accept the hospitality of his -villa. Will you not go, later perhaps, when you are rested?” - -“Later, perhaps.” - -“Possibly the king may consent to come here as a special favor to----” - -“No! It is not necessary. Urge him not to expose his sacred person to -the hardships of the trail. Plead with him. We could fly to the palace -later, so why subject the great Inca to any inconvenience.” - -Without a word the priest returned to his followers and immediately -departed in the direction from which the column had come. - -“He is a shrewd old fellow,” Ted said when they were gone. - -“But he did not find out much. You don’t think he recognized our -voices?” - -“I hope not. You should be an actor. You played your part very -impressively. I almost forgot who was talking.” - -A number of soldiers arrived before nightfall. They brought tents and -baskets of food. After putting up the shelters, two of their number -volunteered to remain to do the cooking, but Stanley ordered all of -them to depart. - -“We must use the greatest caution. We will be surrounded by spies. -Instead of using the tents we had better take the blankets and sleep on -the ground under the wings.” - -“I wish the carpenters would get here, although I doubt if they can -make a usable propeller. There is nothing like trying, though, and we -will pretend that they can; that will be more cheerful and will give us -time to look for some other possible opening for escape.” - -“No telling! Something _may_ turn up sooner than we expect. That has -always been the way here. New things happen suddenly every so often. -Let’s eat.” - -The carpenters did not arrive until the third day. They brought all -the articles that had been asked for and were at once put to work. -Their first task was to shave down the boards until their surfaces were -absolutely smooth. Then they were all glued together face to face, -forming a thick block, after which heavy stones were placed on top to -press them firmly together while the glue set. The dexterity with which -the Indians plied their tempered copper tools was remarkable. And the -hopes of the two Americans rose accordingly, for they saw that the -shaping of a new propeller was a possibility after all. - -These hopes, however, were badly shaken a few days later. A herald -arrived to announce the coming of the Inca on the following morning. -The youth was dressed in a tunic made of small golden disks linked -together, and comported himself in an arrogant, even impudent, manner. - -“I have never known it to fail,” Ted exploded. “Just when things are -beginning to run smoothly a new calamity happens.” - -“I knew he would come. They have given him a good description of us and -of the plane, and as we refused to visit him, he decided to come here. -You remember how curious he was.” - -“Yes, and you know what curiosity did.” - -“I only wish Quizquiz had been the cat.” - -“Well, if he is determined to pay his respects to us, we shall return -the compliment in due time, count on that.” - -“I have just thought of something,” Ted said solemnly. “The way Pizarro -conquered the whole Incan nation of many millions was to capture the -king. Without a leader they were like so many sheep. We will capture -Quizquiz.” - -“I should like to lay my hands on him for a few minutes at least. But -how are we going to do it?” - -“Induce him to take a ride after the ship is repaired.” - -“He would never do it. He’s too big a coward.” - -“We will tell him he can soar above the clouds and absorb some of the -radiance of the sun. That will flatter his vanity and he will accept -eagerly in spite of his fears. Then we can land him outside the valley -and hold him prisoner while we come back to continue our search for -the gold. His people will do anything to help us and will give us -everything they have if we will but give them back their king.” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE INCA’S THREAT - - -When the Inca hove in sight the following morning Ted and Stanley were -filled with wonder and dismay. It seemed as if the whole population of -the valley had come with him. Long lines of soldiers marched in advance -and at the rear of the procession. In the centre were the members of -his court, the nobles, and a numerous body of the clergy. The pomp and -splendor affected by the youthful monarch were surprising to the two -Americans, who on their previous visit had become accustomed to the -gorgeous attire of Huayna Capac and to the lavish display of wealth -with which he surrounded himself. - -A horde of menials swept the roadway in advance of the royal party; -youths in snowy garments sprinkled it with scented water and strewed -the petals of orchids and other rare flowers over the way the ruler -must pass. - -The golden litter in which the king rode was not the one used by his -father, for, according to custom, upon the death of an Inca, all those -things connected intimately with his use accompanied his remains to -their final resting-place or were destroyed. Quizquiz had a more -massive one, encrusted with emeralds, which were ingeniously mounted -in the pale, pure gold, so as to form figures of the sun rising above -the mountain tops, of llamas and of condors. And while fifty of his -subjects of the highest rank trudged along under the oppressive weight -of the litter and its occupant, Quizquiz, reclining on soft cushions, -amused himself by striking at them with a long-lashed whip. The -carriers seemed not to resent this abuse; they deemed it an honor thus -to serve their sovereign, knowing all the while that to trip or fall -while bearing the sacred burden would constitute a crime punishable by -death. - -Very obviously the Inca had carefully planned to impress the visitors -with his power and magnificence. When the throng reached the helpless -airplane and its equally helpless occupants, it formed a circle around -them, leaving a space in the centre not over a hundred feet across. The -golden litter was carried much nearer, so that the monarch could have a -clear view of what was in front of him. - -Ted and Stanley, their faces well concealed by their helmets, goggles, -and upturned collars, returned the insolent stare of Quizquiz, and at -the same time took in the colorful display of his trappings. On his -head he wore the scarlet fringe, or _borla_, that fell down to his -eyes, with two slender, glittering feathers standing up in front; that -was his crown. His mantle, falling loosely about his rather well-knit -body, was a mass of shimmering folds of rich brocade, gold and silver -threads woven upon a white ground. His arms, which were exposed to -view, were bedecked with bracelets; rings covered his fingers. - -“I am Quizquiz, Child of the Sun, most illustrious of all the Incas -that have honored the earth with their presence,” he announced -haughtily, toying with his whip as he spoke. “My authority is -unquestioned and unlimited. My subjects do my bidding. At a word from -me they die, if it suits my pleasure. Indeed, I am called the Tiger.” - -“None disputes the glory or the power of the great king,” Stanley -replied promptly. - -“Then make known your mission. The valley is sacred ground. Intruders -are not welcome, as two men from the outer world learned during the -reign of Huayna Capac, my father.” - -At the latter words the two Americans detected a shade of hatred in the -speaker’s voice, while his eyes flashed fire. - -“We desire food, shelter, and rest until it suits our convenience to -return to the sky whence we came. That is a small request to make of a -king.” - -[Illustration: Very obviously the Inca had carefully planned to impress -the visitors] - -“You came from the sky! I saw that with my own eyes. Are you gods -that you travel through space like the spirits of the departed?” - -“We are masters of the air,” Ted said. He did not like the attitude of -the questioner, and Stanley was visibly uneasy. - -For a moment Quizquiz surveyed them. His face, while handsome, bore a -sullen expression, and the beady black eyes and drooping mouth bespoke -a cruel and cunning disposition. - -“Yes, yes,” he said impatiently. “But are you gods? Are you brothers of -the sun, or companions of the moon? You speak with the voices of men. -You ask for food and rest, like mortals.” - -“All who would make known their thoughts must speak with the voices of -men. The Inca is no exception.” - -Quizquiz was plainly puzzled. - -“And the thing that carries you through the air,” he asked, “is it -bird, beast, or devil?” - -“That you shall hear for yourself. It speaks with the voice of thunder.” - -According to a prearranged plan, Ted sprang to the ground and spun the -propeller, while Stanley operated the switch and throttle. With a snort -the engine was under way and rapidly picked up speed, until the hand -of the indicator registered five hundred revolutions a minute, the -shattered blade of the propeller adding a whining shriek to the roar of -the exhausts. - -The Indians stared wide-eyed at the marvellous performance, and many, -no doubt, would have liked nothing better than to turn and flee, -but the knowledge that a show of fright would bring dire punishment -restrained them from following their impulse. - -Stanley cut the switch and the engine stopped. - -“Now you have heard,” he said. “Let your priests and wise men interpret -the message.” - -Quizquiz called Soncco and a number of other sages and after they had -all admitted that they were unable to interpret the strange sound he -dismissed them in anger with a flick of his whip. - -“Twenty strokes of the lash for each one,” he shouted, and a body of -soldiers promptly stepped forward to obey the order. - -“Mercy, great and glorious father,” one of the older men cried out, -falling upon his knees and extending his hands in supplication. - -“An additional ten strokes for the beggar! Take him away,” Quizquiz -ordered. “And if any one of them so much as sigh while the lash is -falling on his back, run him through with a lance.” - -“If it pleases the king, I will explain the message,” Stanley -announced. - -“I will hear your words, but let your speech be brief, for I am weary.” - -“The great vehicle would carry the Inca into the sky, high above the -tallest mountain-peaks, where the air is pure and where not even the -condor dares venture; out of reach of the contaminating earth, to play -among the clouds and to bask in the bright sunlight; it would take him -so high that the radiance of the sun could descend upon his sacred -person; men would be blinded by the dazzling splendor of the great -king,” Stanley announced solemnly. - -“Is that the message?” - -“That is my interpretation. A few days are needed for preparations for -the momentous event. And then, the flight into the heavens which even -an Inca has never visited.” - -If these speeches were calculated to flatter the vanity of Quizquiz, -the two were doomed to disappointment. For a moment he regarded them -with narrowing eyelids while his hands toyed nervously with the whip. -Then he flew into a violent rage. - -“Now indeed do I know that you are not gods, nor even the messengers -of gods,” he shrieked, rising from his cushions and raising his whip -as if to strike in their direction, “for else you must know that I, -Quizquiz, mightiest of all the great kings, never touch my foot upon -the contaminating earth; I honor my highest nobles by permitting them -to carry my holy person from place to place. I need not the radiance -of the sun, for I am already more resplendent than his brightest rays; -is it not through my benevolence that the sun shines at all, and the -stars come forth at night? It is I who permits the wind to blow and the -rain to fall. Your words are blasphemy to my ears. All who live are my -slaves, and to them my words are laws. Depart at once or you remain -here forever!” - -The two had no time to ponder the quandary in which this unexpected -turn of affairs had placed them, and for a moment they were speechless. - -“Villac Umu!” Quizquiz called. “Come to my side!” - -Attendants brought forward the sedan containing the high priest, which -had been kept a few paces to the rear previously. It was the same -conveyance in which he had appeared some days before to interrogate -them. - -“How may I serve my revered father?” Villac smirked, with a great show -of humility. “My one hope, my one desire is that I may one day give my -unworthy life to please the king.” - -“Speak not of death, Villac Umu, for I have need of you alone among all -men. You, who relieve me of the burden of communing with the gods and -with the spirits, tell me, who are these insolent ones who dare invade -my kingdom, and who disobey me when I command them to depart.” - -The high priest languidly raised his hands to his eyes, and for a full -minute appeared to be lost in thought. Then he stood up and pointed -toward Ted and Stanley with one hand. “I have divined the mystery,” he -announced. - -“Then speak, good Villac,” Quizquiz said indulgently. “Wisdom such as -yours is given to few men. I knew I could depend on you.” - -“The visitors from the sky are no other than the two strangers from the -outer world who came into the valley during the reign of Huayna Capac, -your father, and then escaped after having been condemned to death for -their treason against the king. The great bird on which they ride is a -contrivance of the evil one, and I know not the limits of its power. -But as for the men, I recognize their voices, even though they feign -hoarseness, and the color of their eyes is not unfamiliar to me. Seize -them, great king, before they escape.” - -“He talks like a madman,” Stanley quickly interrupted, quivering with -apprehension. - -“Still, I am inclined to believe his words. Uncover your heads and -faces.” - -“When the Inca removes his crimson fringe, for, as the _borla_ is the -emblem of his position, so does this head-dress proclaim ours.” - -The crowd began to surge forward at this bold defiance hurled at their -sovereign, whose eyes blazed as he raised his jewelled hands to heaven. -It was a signal to the soldiers. Like an avalanche they swept upon the -plane. The engine not running, Stanley’s gun was useless, but Ted swung -his weapon and pulled the trigger. Three shots rattled out in quick -succession; then the gun jammed and was worthless. The mob was upon -them in a flash. Ted and Stanley fought valiantly, but the fight was -of short duration. Numerous hands clutched them; they struck back with -wrenches, but so soon as one of the soldiers dropped another jumped -into his place. The odds against them were too great to be overcome. - -In a short time the two had been dragged from their stronghold, their -clothes nearly torn from their bodies, and barely conscious of the fact -that they were being carried to the Inca’s litter. - -Quizquiz’s eyes gleamed with a triumphant and malicious fire. He -gloated over his prisoners, and could scarcely keep from leaping from -his seat to pounce upon them. - -“Ever since the day I caused the hole to be dug under the wall and -learned of your escape, I knew you would return; that your greed for -gold would overcome your better sense, and that you would again fall -into my power. The great day has arrived. You are here, my captives, -and I, Quizquiz, am king now! You shall suffer for those insults to me, -and for your treachery to Huayna Capac when you protected the youth he -had condemned to die. You shall not get away this time, be assured of -that. You shall know what it is to suffer bitter agony, and when death -comes to relieve you from the torture you will welcome it. Nor shall -you long be kept in ignorance of the fate that awaits you, for the -knowledge will add to your torment. The highest intellect of the nation -shall pass the sentence. The valley will be rid of you forever and -we shall live in peace, knowing well that your secret ends with your -lives,” he roared. - -“Quizquiz,” said Stanley, recovering his senses sufficiently to speak, -and shaking his clenched fists up at the Inca before the guards roughly -grasped his arms. “You cannot frighten us with your threats; it is you -who are afraid, not we. We got the better of you once and we can do it -again. If you are a man, come down and fight me now. I will show you -up for the weakling you are, depending on that villainous creature -called Villac Umu for every word that comes out of your mouth. You -haven’t a thought of your own; if a bird had so little sense it would -fly backwards. You may kill us if you dare, but so surely as you do our -friends in the outer world will come in search of us; they will find -the Hidden Valley and enter it as we did, from the sky. Your crimson -crown will be dragged in the mud and your people exterminated. Now do -your worst and the responsibility for what follows will rest on your -own head.” - -The throng stood silent as death, hardly daring to breathe. No one had -thought it possible that any human being could utter such a tirade -against the Inca and live. In awe, they expected the speaker to be -struck to the ground by a hand from heaven, for had he not insulted a -divinity? Even the king was speechless and waited for the miracle that -he felt sure must happen, and that would vindicate his position. But -nothing occurred. Then the people began to stir; into their minds had -come the first suspicion that Quizquiz was not a god, but very human -like the rest of them. - -“I am waiting.” Stanley broke the spell with the sound of his voice. -“Will you come down and fight, or do you admit before all your people -that you are a coward and afraid of me?” - -In response Quizquiz flicked his whip and the nobles holding his litter -turned and started away. - -The multitude, however, did not go away; it broke up into small groups -and in hushed voices discussed the momentous events of the day. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -SONCCO’S SHREWDNESS - - -The two prisoners were closely guarded by a double circle of soldiers -until the day drew to a close; then the guards tied their hands -securely behind their backs, but not without a struggle, and lashed -their feet with tough thongs and fastened the ends to stakes driven -into the ground. A small shelter-tent was erected over them. - -There they remained throughout the long hours of the night, helpless -and suffering from the numerous bruises they had received in the -encounter and from the cramped position of their limbs. Added to -these tortures were hunger and a burning thirst, for they had been -given neither food nor drink. And during all this time they heard the -monotonous tramp of many sentinels walking around their prison. - -In the morning the thongs were loosened and coarse bread and a basin of -water were placed before them. As they ate Stanley tried to engage the -guards in conversation. - -“What is all the noise outside?” he asked. - -The soldiers did not reply. - -“Is the Inca still here? Tell him to call; I have thought of several -other things I should like to say to him.” But still no reply, so -Stanley concluded that further attempts would be futile. - -When the two had eaten, the guards gathered up the empty bowls and -departed. Ted looked through the opening in the tent; what he saw made -him stare in wonder. There was great activity in the direction he could -see. Tents in hundreds were being put up and groups of soldiers, led by -gaily dressed officers, were marching back and forth. The surrounding -country was assuming the aspect of a vast encampment. - -Stanley, too, came up to the opening. - -“Looks like preparations for a battle,” he said. - -“And it is all for our benefit, no doubt. I wonder what Quizquiz -intends to do?” - -“We shall find out soon enough. I wonder where he is?” - -They tried to venture out of their tent, but the guards pounced upon -them immediately and forced them back into the prison. - -Days passed slowly for the two confined within the narrow space of -their shelter; but, fortunately, they were not again bound. Evidently -their captor had no fear that they might escape--the place was too -well guarded. The suspense was terrible. They knew only too well that -all the preparations going on around them were directly connected with -their fate; but what that fate was to be they could not even surmise. - -One day Ted noticed that Stanley was counting a number of knots that -he had tied in a string. “Poor fellow,” he thought as he watched him -sadly, “his mind is going, but I cannot blame him. It’s enough to drive -any one mad. Sometimes I think I feel myself slipping, too”; the latter -was uttered half aloud. - -“What are you mumbling about?” Stanley asked, looking up. “I guess I -know; it is enough to drive anybody crazy.” - -“I was just thinking the same thing about you when I saw you playing -with that string. What are you doing?” - -“What, this? Take a good look and see if you can’t guess.” - -After a while Ted was compelled to admit that he could not make out the -meaning of the string. - -“Well,” Stanley informed him, “this is my calendar. I am keeping track -of the days. Each morning I tie another knot. We left Cuzco on the 12th -of the month; it is the 26th to-day.” - -“How the days pass, even if the hours drag! I would not have thought -it is so long since we got into this. By now we have been given up for -lost. I can only hope the colonel suspects what happened and starts an -investigation. One of the sentinels must have been in the plot and may -talk if he is cornered.” - -Further conversation was checked by the entrance of an officer of the -guard attended by a score of soldiers. He looked at them haughtily and -elevated his dagger to the waist-line, point outward. - -“Quizquiz, Inca, Child of the Sun, greatest king that ever came from -heaven to rule the earth, commands that you appear before his sacred -person. Prepare at once to face the mighty sovereign,” he announced in -a loud voice. - -“Did he tell you to say that?” Stanley asked. - -“He did. You will come at once. The king waits on no man.” - -“I thought so. It sounds like him. Tell Quizquiz, Inca, and biggest -coward that ever lived that we are ready to fight at any time he -desires.” - -“You dare be insolent! You shall pay for this,” the officer retorted. -“Come with me at once.” - -“Suppose we refuse?” - -“Refuse the king’s command?” incredulously. - -“Why not? He is nothing to us.” - -“Then you will be carried forcibly.” - -“Not a bad idea. Being carried is better than walking. The king rides -from place to place, so why not we?” - -At a word of command from their leader the soldiers seized the two, -raised them to their shoulders and passed quickly out of the tent. - -An encampment of great size had sprung up on the level floor of the -valley. It was well laid out. The tents were placed in straight rows -with wide streets between them, and there seemed to be armed guards and -soldiers everywhere. - -The Inca’s quarters, covering a large plot of ground, were easily -distinguishable on account of the brilliantly colored tapestries that -adorned the sides of the tents. In the rear was a spacious courtyard, -and it was there that the monarch awaited them, sitting in a raised -chair covered with a silky brown vicuna robe. His nobles and amautas, -or wise men, formed groups on each side. In front was a double row of -soldiers with spears held in a horizontal position, the points outward, -similar to the “on guard” position of bayonet drill. - -The prisoners were brought close to the rows of spear-points and -unceremoniously deposited on the ground. Quizquiz cast one scornful, -triumphant glance in their direction, but without one word to them -turned and addressed the officials at his sides. - -“Many, many months ago, as you are all aware, I, Quizquiz the Great, -commanded you, my abject servants to devise the means of punishment -for these two creatures from the outer world upon their return to my -kingdom, for my unfailing wisdom told me that they should one day -return to complete the plunder of my treasure. They are here; they are -in my hands. I am impatient to mete out to them their justly deserved -fate. But the modes of execution that have been placed before me are -too mild, too lenient; they must be more severe, more terrible, and -death must come only after a period of lingering horror and fear of -a very apparent end. You have not justified my confidence in your -intelligence. If you have not the knowledge to better serve me, I would -be well rid of your presence also. Therefore, I have selected twelve -of the highest in rank from among you, and do hereby command you to -appear before me to-morrow to make known to me the method of punishment -you have devised. But,” and he slowly turned his head to look first at -one, then the other of the groups of silent officials, “in order that -I may not be further annoyed with your stupidity, I shall cause to be -inflicted upon each one of you the mode of torture he prepares for the -prisoners, if I deem it too mild for them. Villac Umu, High Priest of -the Temple of the Sun, will now announce the names of the twelve whom -it has been my pleasure to honor. Proceed, good Villac!” - -The throng stood in awe, while Villac Umu walked ceremoniously to the -front and, first kneeling, kissed both the sovereign’s feet with a -show of great humility. Then the high priest took up his position at -one side of the king. Aged men inclined their heads forward and pushed -back their snowy locks with trembling hands to hear the better; others -looked stolid or indifferent, while in the eyes of not a few appeared a -gleam of resentment and defiance. - -The high priest, in a loud and officious voice, called a dozen names in -rapid succession, and finished by admonishing the chosen ones to think -well before they spoke or they should pay dearly for their haste. After -bestowing a look of approval on Villac Umu, the Inca was carried into -his apartments, which was the sign of dismissal for the assembly. - -Not a word was spoken by any one as the crowd dispersed. A pall had -fallen over all, for the officials whose names had been announced -were the highest, the most respected, and the best beloved in the -nation. For the twelve it was a virtual sentence; according to the -terms announced, only one of them had a possible chance of escape, and -Quizquiz was to be their judge. - -As Ted and Stanley were being taken back to their prison tent, walking -this time by preference, they realized that Quizquiz had had some deep, -ulterior motive when he called the assembly. It was but a flimsy way of -finding an excuse to rid himself of the most popular of his officials. -He envied them their knowledge and ability and the just esteem in which -they were held by the populace. But even he, powerful as he was, did -not dare condemn them without some pretext to his people. And, judging -by the saddened looks of the unfortunate ones, they, too, understood -his true motives. However, so accustomed were they to obeying without -question the mandates of their ruler, that apparently they would rather -suffer death than question an action of a Child of the Sun. - -Quizquiz was indeed developing all the unjust, tyrannical, and evil -tendencies of which he had shown symptoms in his youth. Added to these -was his colossal conceit. If he continued to govern his people in his -present manner he must, before long, succeed in destroying all the -sacred traditions of the nation, and the nation itself, unless there -should be a revolution against his despotism. - -That night Ted and Stanley had a visitor. They could not see his face -in the darkness, but they knew that he must be a person of distinction, -for at his word of command the guards withdrew to a distance at which -their footfalls were scarcely audible. - -The curtained end of the shelter parted, and a stooped figure entered -hastily. That much but no more they could see in the semi-darkness. - -“I am Soncco,” a tremulous voice announced without ceremony. “Do you -not remember me? I was one of the two amautas who instructed you in -preparation for your position as princes when you were here before. -You cannot see my face, and a light is forbidden you, but do you not -remember my voice?” - -The two feared some new trap, so were on the alert. - -“If you are Soncco, give some proof of the fact,” Ted demanded. - -“I can soon prove that I am no other. If you will but recall, one day -when your fare was reduced to almost nothing, you complained to me -about it. I told you that others, including Quizquiz, son of the Inca, -were undergoing the same ordeal. You replied that ‘if the others can -do it we can.’ Those words impressed me. I admired your courage and -nobleness of spirit, and I felt that the nation would be honored in -admitting you to the lofty station you were about to occupy. I was more -sad than I can express when the council condemned you, for I knew in my -heart that you were guiltless of any intention of doing wrong. Men of -your character could not commit treason against the good Huayna Capac, -who had been so generous to you. And now I regret that your punishment -must be so terrible, for I feel that again you are innocent of evil -intentions against us.” - -“We thank you, Soncco, and assure you that your confidence is not -misplaced. We did not intend to visit this place again. An accident -brought us here. We had no choice in the matter. We would have given -anything to have avoided it. But why talk of it? When we were here -before you taught us how to live; now you have come to instruct us how -to face the ordeal that is being prepared for us! Am I right?” - -“No. This time I seek your advice. Tell me how I may meet my fate.” - -“You, Soncco? What makes you talk like that?” - -“Because I am compelled to. Was not my name called to-day by Villac -Umu, High Priest of the Temple of the Sun? It means that I and all -the other luckless ones must perish by the means we suggest for your -punishment, for Quizquiz will heed none of us. It is merely a pretext -for getting rid of those of us who have won his disfavor.” - -“We thought the same thing. And while Quizquiz is bad enough, there is -another who is infinitely worse; that one is Villac Umu, who is the -real ruler. You know that as well as we do. Then why do you meekly -submit, like a flock of brainless llamas? Why not be men and fight for -your rights and your lives?” - -“Quizquiz is king. The Inca always has been looked upon as a holy -being. In all the history of the nation none has ever resisted him -because he is a Child of the Sun, and no one dares question his actions -now. He cannot do wrong. If his will seems unjust to us it is only -because we lack the wisdom to see the higher aims that are clear to -him. We are as nothing compared to his magnificence.” - -“Soncco, it is hard to believe that you really think that. You seem -to be a man of intelligence, but if you are really in earnest it is -time you knew better. The Inca is a person like any one else, and is -great only because the people make him so. Strip him of his crown, his -jewels, and his finery, and he would look exactly like any other human -being. Dress him in the rags of a menial, and he would not even be -recognized in the street. He eats, drinks, and sleeps just as we do; he -is a king because the people are ignorant enough to want some one to -worship and to bow to,” Stanley said. - -“If you were to choose your own mode of punishment, what would it be?” -Soncco evaded. - -“I understand now why he came,” Stanley whispered to Ted. “He knows -we should pick out something easy, so he figures on getting off easily -himself, for he is to receive what he proposes for us. Let’s humor -him. Who knows what it may lead to?” Then to Soncco: “Nothing could be -more terrible than to keep us in the valley the rest of our natural -lives and to do everything possible to make us live a long, long time. -We should be given full liberty, of course, to come and go as we -please, and should live in state, like princes. But still we should be -prisoners of the Inca.” - -Soncco appeared to be surprised. - -“What would be so terrible about that?” he asked. - -“Just think of it, prisoners in this small place, when we have been -accustomed to the outer world. We long to travel its vast lands, its -great rivers, and the mighty oceans. We have even conquered the air and -can fly from place to place like the birds. Here we are far from home -and all those we hold dear; we should never see them again, nor would -they know what had befallen us. What could be more horrible?” - -“I understand now,” Soncco replied with enthusiasm. “You speak wisely. -I shall suggest it at the meeting to-morrow, and I can only hope that -my words will be heeded. And now I must go. Good night, my friends.” - -As he stole away they heard him mutter to himself: “I am afraid -Quizquiz will never let them off so easily, for they might escape; -but, at any rate, he can do nothing worse to me, for if he refuses the -request for them he will be compelled to grant it to me. I am safe. And -the proposition offers the one chance to----” - -They could hear no more, for he had passed into the night. Soon the -guards were back at their posts and the steady tramp of their feet was -the last sound the two heard before falling into a fitful sleep. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -THE PRISONERS CAPTURE THE KING - - -After a few hours Stanley awoke with a start. The seriousness of their -position made lengthy or restful sleep impossible. As he lay thinking -of their plight and raking his brain for some means by which its -outcome could be averted, he heard a sigh from Ted. - -“Are you awake?” he whispered. - -“Yes. I have given up trying to sleep. I am thinking of to-morrow and -what it may bring. For once I wish the night would last forever.” - -“I have made up my mind. I am not going to stay here longer waiting for -them to drag me away----” - -“That’s just the way I feel. Suppose we try to get away. It seems -hopeless, but we can try. The guards may be overconfident or drowsy. -And, anyway, whatever they would do to us if they caught us would be -quicker than the plan Quizquiz is preparing.” - -“Then let’s go. Try to get hold of a weapon of some kind; perhaps the -guards have stacked their arms, or we might be able to overpower one -of them. A knife, a spear, anything will help if we have to fight our -way through.” - -Apparently the watch was being changed, for they had not heard the -footfalls of the sentinels for several minutes. - -Cautiously stealing out of the tent, they listened for a moment; then -they began to crawl in the direction of the river. If they could gain -its banks they would brave the current in an attempt to reach Uti, -beyond the wall, and once there the numberless caves offered places of -at least temporary security against any horde of besiegers. - -When they had crawled a distance of twenty yards they heard the sound -of approaching footsteps; they stopped and flattened themselves to the -ground. Four sentries passed between them and the end of their tent. - -Ted touched Stanley lightly on the shoulder. “We are through the line,” -he whispered. Again they resumed their stealthy advance. From out of -the blackness ahead of them came the murmur of flowing water; it must -be the river. - -And then, without warning, a loud clangor broke upon their startled -ears; it seemed to come from all around them at the same time, and -bewildered them by its suddenness. Before they fully realized what -had happened, a dozen soldiers with flaming torches came running from -various directions, shouting as they ran. The two sprang to their feet -and started away as fast as they could, but other guards headed them -off and, tripping them, pinned them to the ground. Before long they -had been taken back to their tents, bruised from the rough treatment -they had received, but leaving several of the soldiers sprawled on the -ground from the mauling they had given in return. - -“We travel in circles,” Stanley panted. “Here we are, back again in the -place we started from. But that was a clever plan of theirs; we have to -give them credit for that. And we fell for it like a couple of chumps.” - -“What caused all the racket?” Ted, too, was breathing hard. “I don’t -know yet what happened, unless some one saw us and gave the alarm.” - -“Nothing of the kind. We gave the alarm ourselves, or at least I did. -The place is surrounded with a rope fence with bells attached to it. I -was all tangled up in it.” - -“Well,” Ted tried to console his companion, at the same time paying him -a graceful compliment, “you could not help it. You got into it only -because you were in the lead; if I had been first I should have done -the same thing.” - -The end of that night, wretched as it was, came all too soon. As day -was breaking the journey began to the City of Gold, where stood the -great Temple of the Sun, for it was in the court of this sacred edifice -that the sentence was to be pronounced. The procession was already -formed when the prisoners joined it. Every one of the numerous host was -in his proper place in the line that reached far into the distance, -excepting only a small detachment of soldiers that remained behind to -look after the encampment. - -Quizquiz truly travelled in all the barbaric splendor and luxury at -his command. Riding aloft in his golden litter, borne on the shoulders -of his uncomplaining nobles, he looked down haughtily upon the throng -that formed his escort; he even gazed defiantly or with a superior air -at the snow-capped mountains in the distance marking the confines of -his empire, as if they, too, were subject to his wishes. Occasionally -he amused himself by striking those nearest him with his whip, or in -admiring the flashing jewels on his fingers and around his neck. - -The march was interrupted frequently while the monarch took long -draughts of corn beer from golden goblets served by the numerous -attendants. - -Other menials of the retinue carried cages of live ducks, doves, and -tinamou or mountain partridges, so that their sovereign might not -want for these highly esteemed delicacies while on the march. Another -group had charge of the Inca’s wardrobe, which was of necessity very -large, for with the exception of the outer mantles he never donned the -same garment more than once. After having been worn it was discarded -forever, nor could it be used by any other person after having graced -the sacred person of the king. It was either burned outright or stored -in the repositories of the palace to be destroyed with much ceremony at -some future time. - -One incident of the march well illustrated the cruel and unfeeling -nature of Quizquiz, as well as his entire lack of justice or desire to -provide for the welfare of his people. - -In passing through one of the settlements an elderly man rushed out of -the crowd and knelt in the street; as the royal litter approached he -threw himself flat on the ground and begged the Inca to grant him an -audience. - -“What does this insolent creature want?” Quizquiz asked in a surly -voice of Villac Umu, whose sedan was carried directly in back of the -king’s. - -“Speak!” Villac commanded the man. - -“My allotment of land has been taken from me by my gracious lord’s -governor. I have nothing now and am starving,” the aged man pleaded. - -“Why was it taken?” asked the high priest. “What crime did you commit? -Conceal nothing from the all-knowing king!” - -“No crime. I was not even accused of a crime. My plot was more fertile -than that of the officer, so he envied me and took it away. I beseech -you that justice be done.” - -Quizquiz flew into a rage. - -“The governor represents me and enforces my laws upon an unworthy -people. If he desires your land he shall have it. What right have you -to anything? Everything is mine. You have lived many years by my grace -and by my father’s, yet you complain. Is it true that you now have -nothing--no place to which to go?” - -“It is true, most noble king. I know not where to turn.” - -“It is well; throw him into the river!” - -Two soldiers seized the luckless man and hurried him away. With a -chuckle Quizquiz ordered that the march be resumed, while Villac Umu -nodded approvingly. - -Ted and Stanley were enraged at this high-handed action on the part -of the Inca. Even the meanest of his subjects had always retained the -right to plead his case before the king, according to the law of the -nation. Huayna Capac had without exception listened patiently, caused -an investigation to be made, and if one of his officials had been -guilty of oppression or had administered the laws badly he had been -severely punished. It was obvious that Quizquiz had launched forth upon -a career of cruelty and extermination that would surely lead to his own -downfall. - -Arrived at the Golden City, the procession proceeded directly to the -Temple of the Sun. The soldiers arranged themselves to form a hollow -square. The nobles, priests, and amautas formed groups in the centre -of it. In front of the massive structure of the temple stood a giant -tree, its topmost branches reaching well over a hundred feet above -the ground. Trailing plants that hugged the earth grew at its base; -they were symbolic of the Inca towering high above his lowly, cringing -subjects. - -The king’s litter was carried to the very door of the temple and placed -upon the top of the stone terrace, from which a rug-covered runway led -into the building. A carpet of soft chinchilla skins covered the floor -of the passage. - -Quizquiz arose, stepped out of his conveyance, and in a haughty, -deliberate manner entered the holy edifice--alone and unattended. No -one dared enter the temple while the king was within, lest they disturb -his devotions. - -A loud voice raised in a chant soon came out of the open door and -reached the ears of the waiting multitude, which promptly fell upon its -knees; supposedly Quizquiz was praying to his Sun-God for guidance in -dealing with his prisoners in a proper manner, but the tone and words -were of such nature that they were obviously calculated to impress his -hearers rather than any divinity. - -The soldiers, too, were kneeling, with heads bowed low. For a moment -Ted and Stanley stood alone. Not an eye was turned upon them. - -“Come!” Stanley whispered. “This is our chance.” - -Closely followed by Ted, he sprang lightly to the raised platform, -and before the guards knew what had occurred the two had disappeared -into the gloomy building. Knowing that there could be no pursuit, they -moved slowly and silently through a corridor flanked by tall columns of -stone, and reached the main room, which was the place of worship. - -They saw Quizquiz in the distance, and once again they gasped in -astonishment. They had fully expected that at least in the temple the -vainglorious monarch would dispense with some of his conceit. But they -had been mistaken. - -A representation of the sun, emblazoned with gold and jewels, covered -the entire end wall of the building. Instead of kneeling, or at -least standing in front of it, with outstretched arms, as the ritual -prescribed, Quizquiz had seated himself on a cushion, with his back -turned toward the sacred emblem. That accounted for the fact that his -voice could be heard so distinctly by the multitude outside. But, most -profane of all, he held a large metal mirror in his hands and admired -his own reflection the while he prayed. - -So absorbed was he in this fascinating occupation that he did not see -the two until they had left their place of concealment and were close -upon him. Hearing the sound of their footsteps at last, he looked up to -ascertain their cause. As he beheld the onrushing pair a shudder passed -over his frame and the mirror fell from his hands; his arms froze in -mid-air while a look of terror came into his face. Before he could -recover the two had reached his side. - -“One sound and I will choke the life out of you,” Stanley threatened -in a whisper, at the same time grasping him by the throat, while Ted, -picking up a heavy gold sceptre that lay on the floor, raised it above -the startled ruler’s head in a manner that left no doubt as to his -intentions. - -Quizquiz was too frightened to speak. - -“You are our prisoner now, understand?” Stanley continued. “The tables -are turned. Now you know just how we felt up to a few minutes ago, and -you will learn other things, too, before we are through with you. Not a -sound, remember, or it will be the last one you ever make.” - -“You dared follow me here?” At last words came to the lips of the -terrified monarch, but his voice was scarcely audible; the thing seemed -so impossible to him. “Here! in the holy temple--in the presence of the -Sun-God and of my sacred forefathers----” - -“Shut up!” Stanley commanded, while Ted’s eyes, becoming accustomed to -the semi-darkness, made out a row of mummies seated on gold thrones -that lined the walls on both sides of them. - -“Take us to one of the inner chambers,” Stanley continued, “and we will -tell you what to do, but do not forget, no treachery, or you know what -will happen,”--and he tightened his fingers perceptibly. - -“I am the king; I obey no man’s orders,” Quizquiz protested weakly. - -“You _were_ king; now you are our prisoner and you will do exactly as -we say. Move on!” - -Without another word the captive led them to a small, bare room, with -four walls of solid, hewn stone. Light was admitted through an opening -ten feet above their heads. Ted stood guard at the door, while Stanley -pushed Quizquiz to the centre of the floor, still retaining his hold on -the prisoner’s throat. - -In this position they stood for an appreciable length of time, looking -at one another, the Inca’s wily brain busy trying to devise some means -of outwitting his captors, and the two Americans hoping they could gain -their end without resort to the violence they had promised in the event -their demands were refused. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE COUNSEL OF THE WISE MEN - - -Quizquiz was rapidly regaining his self-control and haughty reserve. -He folded his arms majestically and looked at the two who had made him -prisoner. - -“What do you want?” he asked with a sneer. - -“You know without asking. Set us free and permit us to return to the -outer world.” - -“And give you all my gold to take with you. Is that all?” - -“We do not want your gold. We told you that before.” - -“If I should grant that request you should soon return with some new -and more powerful contrivance to rob me. And others would come with you -to make sure of it. I know your thoughts. Gold, gold, gold! That is all -the white men think of and they stop at nothing to get it. The history -of my people proves it.” - -“We are not going to argue. If you don’t grant our request at once----” -Stanley’s fingers again tightened, while Ted advanced with the heavy -rod. - -“It shall be as you say. Now I shall go.” - -“No, you will stay. We are not fools. What assurance have we that you -will keep your promise?” - -“The word of a king.” - -“That means nothing to us. We must have something more substantial than -that, something more reliable.” - -“I will make a solemn oath in the presence of my ancestors. There is -nothing more binding in the laws and rites of the nation. No one could -break a promise so given and live.” - -“Then swear, and after you have taken the oath we will tell you what to -add to it; and you will talk loud enough so that the people outside can -understand every word you say. Make it clear that we are free to leave -the valley, and that you will help us in every way to do so; that if -you fail to keep your promise, you will forfeit your throne and submit -to the vilest treatment any mortal ever received in the valley; admit -that your action toward us was unjustified, and apologize for it. Also, -as a sign of good faith, tell the truth about Villac Umu, and command -the soldiers to arrest him at once and throw him into the river--this -to be done before we let you out of the temple; appoint Soncco to take -his place. When you have said all this, we will dictate the rest of -your speech.” - -Quizquiz appeared startled, but soon the old manner returned. - -“But not here,” he protested. “The people could not hear me, and to -make the oath binding it must be made in the sanctuary before the image -of the Sun-God, and where the bodies of my dead and glorious ancestors -repose.” - -“Then come at once. And be sure that you attempt no trickery. One -suspicious move and you will never see the daylight again.” - -They quickly retraced their steps, holding the Inca between them, to -the main hall of the building. It was damp and gloomy. The rows of dead -seemed waiting in silent expectancy; each was seated on his golden -throne in a niche in the wall. Their heads were inclined forward, as -if in a listening attitude, and their hands, adorned with many jewels, -were crossed on their breasts. The crimson fringe adorned the royal -heads, and the attire was of the richest. Most of them had long, white -hair, indicating that they had attained a ripe age. Obviously they had -been embalmed by some secret process, and were in such a splendid state -of preservation that they seemed more asleep than dead. - -“This place is holy and you have desecrated it by your presence,” -Quizquiz hissed as they reached a stone sacrificial altar which stood -in the centre of the floor. “You have insulted me, the king, have laid -your hands on my sacred person, have gazed upon the venerable dead, -and----” - -“And we will do one other thing--you know what it is--if you don’t -hurry and do what we told you to. Now take your oath; turn around so -every one can hear you, then repeat what we said.” - -“Release me so I can kneel!” - -Stanley relaxed his hold and the Inca knelt close to the altar. Raising -both hands he began in a solemn voice: “In this holy temple, in the -presence of my forefathers now resting in the glory of the sun, I, -Quizquiz, king, swear that----” - -At the same moment Stanley noticed a movement in the altar wall. A -panel was sliding noiselessly to one side. He made a quick lunge for -Quizquiz, and Ted struck with the heavy staff just as the Inca dived -headlong into the dark opening that had been revealed under the stones. -The door sprang back instantly and from beyond it a mocking voice -continued in triumph: “Your punishment will be a thousand times more -terrible because of this. You shall see!” - -The two stared at one another in blank amazement. It had happened so -quickly that it was over before they were fully aware of what was -taking place. They pushed and tugged at the panel, but it resisted -their efforts. - -In kneeling to pray, Quizquiz had pressed a secret mechanism that -operated the sliding front of the altar. And he had made good his -escape. He had out-generalled them just as it had seemed certain that -their release and departure from the valley was assured. The blow -stunned them. - -“He’s gone for good,” Stanley panted. “It’s all over with us now.” - -“Why didn’t we fix him while we had him? Why didn’t we at least tie his -hands and feet? We might have known what to expect. Listen!” - -A loud shout from without rent the air. The Inca had reappeared and the -people acclaimed him with loud applause. Suddenly the noise stopped; -some one was speaking. Scarcely knowing what they did the two crept -forward to listen. The voice was Villac Umu’s: - -“Our holy and adored sovereign, having finished his devotions in the -temple, now commands that we, his unworthy slaves, proceed with our -declarations. Tupichi, commander of the army, advance, kiss the king’s -feet with reverence, and speak. But hold! First I must again remind you -of the responsibility attached to the honor bestowed upon you by the -king, for each high honor, like each exalted position, carries with -it the heavy burden of rendering worthy account of the opportunities -it affords. Therefore, should your proposal displease our generous -and beloved ruler, you must suffer the fate you suggested for the -prisoners.” - -Tupichi came forward as he was bidden, knelt humbly, and kissed the -Inca’s feet. After a slight pause, lengthened by the silence of the -crowd, his tremulous voice could be heard. - -“If it pleases the king, let them be stoned to death,” he said meekly. - -“You have the courage to insult me thus?” It was Quizquiz who replied. -“That penalty is inflicted on petty thieves and like offenders, not on -persons like these. The army shall have a new leader; for you, Tupichi, -shall be stoned.” - -“Huascar, advance and let our ears drink in the thoughts that have been -conjured by your fertile brain,” Villac Umu commanded in a croaking -voice. Again the silence of expectancy pervaded the air. - -“My unworthy proposal is that the prisoners be boiled in a caldron of -oil,” he said simply. - -“Your proposal is unworthy indeed. It blasphemes my ears. If you, -Huascar, can think of nothing better than that, you do not deserve -to be permitted to live. Space in the valley is limited and far too -valuable to be occupied by such as you. Boiling in oil will be a -fitting reward for your stupidity, and so it shall be.” - -“Let Toparca now be heard,” the high priest then announced. - -“Glorious one, who has honored me with this rare distinction, blind -them with the point of a red-hot spear,” Toparca ventured. “Then set -them free on the rugged peaks flanking one of the many craters, so that -they will fall into the lake of fire that seethes and roars at the -bottom.” - -“Come, come!” Quizquiz scolded impatiently. “You chatter like a monkey, -or like a parrot that lacks the power to think. Words that mean nothing -proclaim a brain that has lost its usefulness. You have pronounced your -own sentence.” - -“Speak Zaron! It is your turn.” - -“I would hold them prisoner until the next exercises, then set them up -as targets and let the youths of the nation try their skill at them -with bows and arrows, or, if the king prefers, with spears and daggers. -A living mark is more interesting to shoot at than some lifeless -object.” - -“You will be a more fitting target than either of these, Zaron, but I -doubt not that the density of your head will dull the arrows and turn -them aside,” Quizquiz retorted with a chuckle, in which he was joined -by Villac Umu. - -And so they proceeded. Each one of the luckless twelve was ordered to -state his proposition, and the offering of each was spurned, often -with sarcasm and ridicule. So each in turn was sentenced to the same -punishment he had contrived to plan for the captives. Only one remained -to be heard. - -“Soncco, speak quickly; I am fatigued with all this stupidity,” -Quizquiz continued impatiently after directing a number of cutting -shafts at Chapas, eleventh on the list. “Surely you possess wisdom, -or at least so you have pretended. I have trusted you with important -missions in the past, and I trust you still or I should not consent to -listen longer to this idle gossip.” - -“Great and holy king,” Soncco began gravely, “besides whose splendor -even the sun pales to the dimness of a menial’s grease-lamp, I am -flattered by this praise and confidence, which is undeserved. To -serve my revered sovereign is my only wish; to die for him would be -my greatest joy. I have evolved a plan that is as striking as it is -different from all the others that have been proffered. Therefore I beg -of my beloved master that he will condescend to listen with patience -while----” - -“If you think to flatter me, Soncco, I must tell you that your words -are falling on deaf ears. What mere mortal can proclaim my glory? I -am above the praise that any tongue can speak,” Quizquiz interrupted -haughtily. - -“Keep the two strangers in the valley until they die of old age. Let -them go where they will, and feed them well so that they may live all -the longer--and provide rich apartments for them, with servants and -all the comforts of life. As your prisoners they will give perpetual -testimony of the power and greatness of the king who is capable of -holding them against their will. That is my humble plan, offered in -deepest humility.” - -“It must be that Soncco does not understand. A reward is not wanted for -these intruders, but a penalty of the most terrible nature,” Villac Umu -said in consternation. - -“It is the high priest who fails to understand,” Soncco replied in a -steady voice, while the crowd craned their necks so as not to lose a -word. “What punishment could be more horrible than to keep the two here -as prisoners all their lives, far removed from their homes and friends? -The valley is a small place compared to the vast lands, rivers, and -oceans of the outer world that they have been accustomed to traverse. -They are masters of the air as well. An ant confined within the pod of -a bean would have a thousand times more liberty than they.” - -Quizquiz looked incredulous. For a short while he looked intently at -Soncco, as if trying to read his innermost thoughts. Then a look of -understanding came into his face. - -“I have heard your words, Soncco, and I appreciate the motive that -inspired them. Instead of obeying my command to contrive a method of -punishment for the prisoners, you have thought only to save yourself. -One inspired by motives less lofty and less generous than mine would -see in your act disloyalty, even treason, and would deal with you -accordingly. But have no fear; your life shall be spared, for I have -need of you. I hereby designate you to carry out the sentences imposed -upon themselves by your eleven companions, and remember, Tupichi, your -brother, is among them. Even though you live, Soncco, you will be the -one to inflict torture and death on others who are dear to you.” - -Soncco was stunned at hearing these words. He stood as in a trance -until Quizquiz waved him aside and continued with a note of triumph in -his voice: “Let the prisoners now be brought out of the temple.” - -Hearing this, Ted and Stanley rushed from the opening in the wall at -which they had been listening, and fled to one of the smaller rooms -where they could better defend themselves, for now that the Inca was -no longer in the building the priests and guards were at liberty to -enter. They waited, Ted retaining the heavy, golden rod in his hands, -Stanley holding a long knife he had taken from one of the altars; but -no one came to attack them. Instead, a pungent odor, faint and not -disagreeable, came to their nostrils; they could not tell where it -originated. Aside from noting the scent which grew constantly stronger -and began to roll into the room in thin wisps and wreaths of blue -smoke, they attached no importance to it. Doubtless it was caused by -burning incense in one of the numerous sanctuaries; matters of greater -import filled their minds. - -“I am choking,” Ted suddenly muttered, clutching at his throat; tears -streamed down his cheeks. “And I can’t see either.” - -Stanley was blindly groping his way toward the door. The two were -rapidly losing consciousness in the suffocating fumes that seemed -completely to fill the building. As they painfully and aimlessly -stumbled through the growing darkness a harsh voice half aroused them -to their senses. It was the high priest’s. At the same time they could -make out his form, faintly outlined in the haze, while in back of him -were other dim figures. - -“Drag them out of the holy place,” cried Villac Umu, “and take them -before the throne of judgment.” - -A dozen hands seized them by the shoulders and legs and carried them, -limp and unconscious, out of the temple. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -THE VILLAINY OF VILLAC UMU - - -A few breaths of the fresh, outer air restored the two prisoners to -their senses, although it was some time before the stupor caused by -the suffocating fumes left them entirely; this was followed by severe -spells of coughing and a choking sensation. They asked for water but -none was given them. - -If Quizquiz had looked upon them before with a triumphant gleam in his -eyes, he now regarded them with utter disdain. An insect or a reptile -could not have been treated with greater contempt. His lips were set. -Cruelty and the desire for revenge showed in every line of his face. He -had suffered what he considered an unspeakable indignity; the captives -had actually dared touch his sacred person, and none too gently at -that. The temple had been desecrated. It was only by sheer luck that -he had succeeded in escaping them. In the secret underground passage -into which he had disappeared he had taken enough time to collect his -composure and to straighten out his dishevelled clothes and diadem -before appearing to the multitude that awaited him. Halting an instant -he had spoken quickly and in a whisper to Villac Umu, whereupon an -officer and a squad of soldiers, accompanied by one of the priests, -entered the labyrinth of galleries that undermined the holy edifice to -start the smudges. Then, without referring to his experience, the Inca -calmly seated himself on the throne and proceeded with the business for -which the assembly had been called. As king he owed explanations to no -man; and, besides, he was in no humor to recall or to make known to -others the humiliation he had suffered. However, his scathing remarks -to the unfortunate ones who were called before him gave evidence to his -state of mind; the rage that boiled within him found an outlet and an -antidote in the denunciations and sentences he hurled at those of his -nobles who had been chosen to forfeit their lives for no other reason -than that it pleased him that it should be so. - -This gruesome work finished, the high priest followed the soldiers into -the temple and soon returned with the captives. For Quizquiz that was -the supreme moment. - -“I am the most luckless of kings,” he began, feigning deep sorrow -and unclasping his hands in despair, “for when it is my pleasure to -call upon the members of my court for advice or assistance, even -the highest fail me miserably. What have I done to deserve such -punishment? Slaves all, you do not deserve to have a king to rule -and to protect you; better by far that I return to the glory of the -Sun, whence I came, and leave you to perish miserably without my -wise guidance than remain among you. Is there not a single man of -intelligence in my whole nation?” - -This was no doubt the cue for the high priest. It was inconceivable -that the plan had not been prearranged, and judging by the looks of -several in the crowd, Ted and Stanley were not the only ones to see -through the wily monarch’s tactics. - -Villac Umu came forward and bowed low, too low in fact for entire -sincerity. “Beloved ruler,” he smirked, “do not desert us; tarry a -moment longer, I beseech you on bended knees. If you will lend your -most gracious ears to my unworthy words, I----” - -“By all means, good Villac Umu,” Quizquiz said indulgently. “After -listening to the jabbering of these ignoble ones my ears long for words -of real wisdom, such as always flow from your lips.” - -“I, Villac Umu, high priest of the Temple of the Sun though I am, do -not deserve the praise of my adored sovereign. What man, indeed, lives -who is worthy of even one glance from those august eyes, or one thought -from that godlike mind?” - -“True! But I would have it so. So do not hesitate to speak freely; that -is my pleasure.” - -“In the Temple of the Snakes there are two serpents of immense size, -with unusual length of fangs, and with the dispositions of all the -demons combined. As I studied them in their golden dens, a thought came -to me.” - -Quizquiz leaned forward eagerly. - -“You interest me, great Villac. I would hear the thought that formed -itself in your brain.” - -“Yesterday, Sarrak, keeper of the serpents, was struck in the thigh -by one of these devils. They brought him to me without delay that I -might observe his writhings, for it was I who ordered him to stroke the -snake-gods to soothe their tempers. For half an hour he suffered all -the pains of a lost soul before death came. I saw it with my own eyes, -and I heard his cries of agony; it thrilled me with a strange joy, for -nothing that I have ever experienced was more magnificent and at the -same time more terrible. Might we not rid the valley of these two,” -pointing to Ted and Stanley, “in the same manner?” - -“You possess the wisdom of a god, Villac Umu. You are sublime! I am -more pleased than words can express. You may kiss both my feet, nay, -even my hands, and I will invest you with a chain of emeralds in -appreciation of your nobleness of character. You will see that I amply -reward those who prove themselves worthy of my confidence.” - -The high priest was enraptured. He raised his voice to a scream and -waved his arms wildly, so that his numerous bracelets tinkled like -miniature bells. - -“But they shall not die the easy death of Sarrak,” he shouted. -“Horrible though that was, it is still too good for them, and not -edifying enough for your eyes. So I would have it arranged thus. -Chain the two prisoners to a wall, their backs to the cold stones; -and to stakes driven into the ground in front of them tie the great -serpents--but just a hair’s breadth out of reach of their victims. -There let them remain, the men to gaze in terror into the green eyes -of the merciless monsters, and the snakes to glare with impatience and -increasing rage at the victims who cannot escape them. Hour after hour -you shall witness this glorious spectacle. The heat of the midday sun -and hunger and thirst will add to the suffering of the captives. But -human nature can endure only so much, and then at last their limbs will -grow numb and sag, and they will crumple and fall to the ground. The -great moment will have arrived; they will be in reach of the snakes. -You shall see the gleam of white fangs and the lightning thrusts of -arrow-shaped heads, and hear the cries of the doomed ones. It will be -a sight for the gods, and--your revenge will be complete.” - -“But, good Villac,” Quizquiz protested mildly and hypocritically, “is -the venom of these serpents really so deadly? May not the white men -possess some antidote or some magic charm to counteract its effect?” - -“There is no antidote known to god or man effective against the poison -of these snakes. Upon that point I will stake my life.” - -“Now only does my mind feel relieved, and I shall sleep again, for at -last I have heard words of real wisdom. Your description, dear Villac -Umu, has aroused my interest and curiosity; I can picture the grandeur -of the spectacle--it unfolds itself like a vision before my eyes. -And the plan shall be carried into execution with the least possible -delay. To-morrow we begin the return journey to the plain beside the -river. I shall allow two days after our arrival for the preparations. -On the following morning the festivities shall begin. Look well to the -prisoners--the eleven who condemned themselves by their own stupidity, -and these two enemies of the common good, who stop at nothing to attain -their evil end, not even at invading the temple and scoffing at the -Sun-God.” - -“Quizquiz”--Stanley took a step forward, with clinched fists and -blanched face--“King though you are of a nation of ignorant, cringing -people, you are a coward at heart, and you know it. What is more -important still, your subjects know it too, and the day is coming when -your tyranny and abuse will bring them to their senses. They will cast -off their superstitious reverence for you, for they will see in you the -weakling you are, dominated by a cunning hypocrite who calls himself -high priest, but who is, in reality, lower than the snakes in the -temple.” - -“Speech shall not be denied you,” the Inca mocked. “The more you talk -the surer I am that your anguish has commenced. What next?” - -“Do you not fear our friends in the outer world, whose number is -greater than the grains of sand in the desert? They will avenge our -death. You and your people will be reduced to slavery and destroyed!” - -“Should other men from the outer world invade my kingdom they shall -receive the same welcome that has been prepared for you. But they will -not come. Your greed for gold is so great that you kept to yourselves -the knowledge gained during your previous visit here; if others were -informed of your secret they too would come to share the spoils; so you -have told no one. I know that.” - -“Our promise to Huayna Capac has been kept, for we are men of honor. -But a letter has been left behind. If we fail to return within a given -time, that letter will be opened. Others will learn of our whereabouts, -and how to get here, for we included a map and full directions for -reaching the valley. Your existence will be known. Men in great numbers -will enter your hiding-place armed with contrivances against which you -will be powerless. They will annihilate you, carry away everything of -value, and leave your cities masses of deserted ruins.” - -“You cannot frighten me. The Sun-God will protect his children. He -demands vengeance upon you particularly because you profaned his -temple; he never forgets. Perhaps you too have a god? Why not appeal to -him? Of what use is any god if he will not help you?” - -At this sally Quizquiz and Villac Umu burst into loud laughter. Several -in the crowd followed their example. - -“Yes,” the high priest seconded, “call upon your god. Tell him to show -us what he can do; we shall see who is the more powerful, yours or our -own.” - -“The sun is not a god at all, if you want to know the truth,” Stanley -hotly proclaimed. “You might as well worship a stick or a stone for all -the good it would do you. Therefore we could not have possibly offended -that which does not exist.” - -“Blasphemer! When your backs are chained to the cold stones, when the -snakes have struck and the poison from their fangs is burning in your -veins, you will think of your words and wish you had left them unsaid,” -Quizquiz hissed. “We have proof of the sun’s power. We are not blind. -Each day as the florid tints of dawn light up the eastern sky we are -reminded anew of his glory and greatness. Without his light and warmth -the valley would be steeped in everlasting gloom, and life could not -exist. What other evidence do we need? None! Now, perhaps you can give -some proof of the----” - -“You ask for proof? All right, you shall have it, and of a most -convincing nature. You shall see that the object of your adoration is -as nothing in the hand that created it. Then you will believe--but it -will be too late.” - -“Does the king wish him to speak more in this irreverent manner?” -Villac Umu asked, seeming ill at ease. “May not he be struck dead and -thus evade our plans of a just punishment?” - -“Let him continue, for his show of suffering gives me delight. The more -he talks the greater his guilt.” - -“On the fourth day from to-day,” said Stanley, drawing from his pocket -the string with many knots tied in it, “you shall see a miracle, and -one not soon to be forgotten. You say that the sun gives the light -and warmth that makes life possible, and even the most ignorant of -your people know that that is the truth. Then you shall experience the -despair of seeing that light and warmth shut off in the middle of the -day while it is at its height. Darkness, like a cloak of mourning, will -sweep over the valley and blot from your sight each familiar thing. In -the cold blackness, with the chill gnawing into your bones, you will -grovel in the dust and raise your voice in lamentations and in prayer, -but your words will be wasted, for you will be powerless to drive away -the darkness. All that live will curse Quizquiz and Villac Umu, and -rightly accuse them of having brought the terrible catastrophe upon -their heads.” - -The Inca grew pale and arose from his cushions. “Tell me, Villac -Umu, is such a thing possible? You talk with the gods and know their -thoughts.” - -“It is not possible or I should have been informed of it,” the priest -assured him, although he too was perturbed. “How could such a thing -come about? I assure you there is no god but the sun, and he always -protects his child, the Inca, and his people.” - -Evidently Stanley was thinking fast, while Ted, dazed at his -companion’s rash predictions, gazed at him wide-eyed, not knowing what -to make of the situation. - -“And then,” Stanley continued, pointing straight at the Inca, “while -the darkness is heaviest, you shall have proof of other strange powers -of which you know nothing, for in spite of your good opinion of -yourself, you have the mind of a child. From out of the blackness will -come a roar mightier than the loudest thunder, and more penetrating -than the rumble of the volcanoes all around you. The ground under your -feet will tremble, and even the stones in the great wall will hurl -themselves into the air and fall with a crash. The barrier between Uti -and the valley that has stood for hundreds of years shall no longer -exist; and that will serve as an invitation to the evil spirits who -slumber there to come back to life to complete the work of destruction. -Quizquiz, the days of your glory are no more than the number of fingers -on one of your hands.” - -“I will listen to no more,” Quizquiz screamed, clapping his hands over -his ears. “I should not have listened to anything at all.” - -“Nor I,” wailed Villac Umu. “Take them away. To-morrow we start on the -journey. The sentence must be carried out. Let there be no delay!” - -“Poor Stanley,” Ted thought sadly as the guards seized them and -hurried them away to the place of confinement, “his mind has snapped. -He is as crazy as a loon. I wonder how much longer I can stand it.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -STANLEY’S PLAN - - -Stanley could hardly await the time when he could reveal his scheme to -Ted. The opportunity came as they were being led away from the meeting -by the guards. - -“What do you think of it? Maybe I didn’t start something. They are all -excited and scared to death, and will be more so, too, before the thing -is over. Why don’t you say something? I need a lot of encouragement -to put the thing through. You will have to help me,” he exclaimed -enthusiastically. - -“I am sorry,” Ted returned sadly. “Try to keep as calm as you can and -do not think of the future. It will be over soon.” - -“Not think of it? Why, I can think of nothing else. It will be great. -Quizquiz will get the surprise of his life, and his people will wake -up with a start. There will be no stopping them when they see what -happens.” - -“Yes, and think of how _we_ will feel about that time,” Ted thought, -but said nothing. - -“What is the matter, anyway?” Stanley demanded, losing patience. “Do -you think I am joking?” - -“Joking, no! There is nothing humorous in our situation. If you want to -know the truth, it strikes me you are just a little upset, that is all. -But no one could blame you for that. This whole thing is enough to----” - -“I thought so from the way you acted, and I was beginning to wonder if -you were not showing the effects of it too. I was never more in earnest -nor saner in my life. Just fix that firmly in your head.” - -“You think we have a chance?” - -“I am making one. And I would be absolutely sure of the result if -it were not for two things. First, we must get Soncco to help us; I -believe he will because we saved his neck, and he does not relish the -job that has been assigned to him--that of chief executioner of his -fellow teachers. Second, my calculations as to the day of the month -must be correct; on that point I am not quite sure, but I feel that I -am right. I was careful to tie a knot in the string each morning so -far as I can remember. But it is possible that I may have forgotten it -once, and that would throw off all my calculations.” - -“But what is your scheme? The predictions you made are so wild and -impossible it would take a miracle to fulfil them.” - -“Nothing of the kind. It can and it will all happen exactly as I said. -It sounds impossible so long only as they are ignorant of the things -that could cause such happenings.” - -By this time they had reached the building in which they were to be -confined for the night. - -“I will tell you the rest when they leave us alone,” Stanley added. “It -will take some time to explain the plan fully.” - -Much to their disgust they found that they were not to be imprisoned in -the same enclosure. Ted, with a score of guards, was left in one small, -dungeon-like room, while Stanley was taken to another on the opposite -part of a courtyard. The officers obviously suspected that another plot -to escape might be formed if the two were left together. Henceforth -they would forestall such a move by keeping them apart, or at least so -it seemed to the captives. That was indeed discouraging, for Stanley -could not possibly carry out his plan without Ted’s help. - -The distance between the two prison cells was too great to enable them -to carry on a conversation even by shouting, so they tried wigwagging -signals across the open space. But the guards immediately understood -their design, and drew rush mats across the doorways. - -On the return journey to the plain, however, they were again thrown -together, much to their delight. - -“Tell me quick, before they separate us,” Ted begged. “I couldn’t sleep -a wink last night for thinking over what you said; but I can’t figure -it out.” - -“Listen! Do you remember that before we left home the papers were full -of stories about the eclipse of the sun that is to occur this month?” - -“Yes, I remember that. We talked about it at the time. But it was to be -partial only.” - -“Partial at home, but complete in parts of South America. It depends on -where you are looking from. The black bands on the maps illustrating -the articles extended right across this part of Peru. So you see what -is going to happen, and that I haven’t exaggerated.” - -“I have to hand it to you, Stanley, for remembering the event, and -making such good use of it. It will seem like the most powerful kind of -magic to these Indians, and will terrify them. They will think we are -responsible for it and will respect us after that. Then it will be our -turn to have the upper hand.” - -“The only thing that worries me,” said Stanley with concern, “is that I -may have made a mistake in keeping track of the time. If I am off one -single day, the eclipse might as well never come, so far as we care.” - -“Do you feel that you have made a mistake, or not?” Ted asked bluntly. - -One look into the serious, apprehensive face of his companion and -Stanley felt that he could not dash all his hopes to the ground by -telling him of the fear that had gradually loomed up to dispel the -hopes of the previous day. For the more he thought of the matter the -more certain he was that not only had he tied too few knots in the -string, but that the eclipse was not due until the following month. - -“You shall see,” he said evasively. “Look, here comes Soncco now. He -looks troubled. We must have an interview with him where none can hear. -That is the first step, and it has got to be arranged somehow.” - -As a matter of fact, Soncco was looking for them. He was the picture of -misery; years had been added to his age overnight. - -“The king did not see fit to accept my suggestion,” he said slowly. “I -have escaped death only to be condemned to a worse fate.” - -“It looks bad for all of us,” Ted returned. - -“I did all I could,” the aged amauta whispered. “Alas! that I should -live to see such days. By the king’s command I am forced to become a -killer--of my own relatives and fellow teachers. I can neither eat, -drink, nor sleep. Still, the will of my sovereign must be obeyed.” - -“Soncco, you have charge of the prisoners. Is not that true?” - -“Yes; I am the jailer.” - -“Then arrange that my companion and I remain together hereafter. You -can do that.” - -“I can do that, but I will not. You would think up another plan for -escaping; but you might as well save yourselves the trouble.” - -“On our honor, we shall not attempt to escape, and you know we are men -of our word. One more thing: come to our place of confinement to-night. -We have something of great interest to say to you.” - -“Say it now. Why wait until to-night?” - -“There is not time. Besides, we are being watched. Come to-night just -after dark, and you will learn something worth your while.” - -“It shall be as you say. But remember, the guard will be tripled--so -as to form a solid wall around you. Attempt no treachery or you will -regret it.” - -With that the amauta went his way. - -“Do you think he will come?” Ted asked. - -“I hope so. We helped him out once and he believes we may do it again,” -Stanley replied. - -Soncco kept his promise and arrived shortly after nightfall had come -upon the valley. His face bore a tragic expression and his voice -trembled. They had never seen him so agitated. - -“Speak quickly, for I have not long to stay,” he faltered. “There are -many things on my mind.” - -“Soncco,” said Stanley slowly, looking straight at the aged man, “the -task for which you have been selected does not suit you. I can tell -that by your appearance and your actions. You are worried to death.” - -“But I will obey the Inca’s command.” - -“You do not want to kill your own relatives and friends, do you?” - -“The king’s commands must not be questioned.” - -“Of course not. And we are not asking you to disobey your king in -even the smallest matter. But you will admit that Quizquiz is not the -kind of king his father was. He is cruel and bloodthirsty. You know -the history of the nation back to its very beginning. Was there ever -another such ruler--one who wantonly destroyed his highest nobles as -well as his common people for the mere pleasure it gave him?” - -“No, there was not. The Incas were all filled with solicitude for their -subjects. They were all kind and benevolent and just; that is why they -were so great and why the people venerated them.” - -“I thought so. And if Quizquiz keeps on at the rate he is going, he -will break down and destroy all that the others before him have built -up at such enormous cost and sacrifice. And that will mean the end of -the hidden people, the last remnant of the once powerful and glorious -nation. Those who survive will be like your brethren in the outer -world, downtrodden, miserable, and without hope.” - -“Quizquiz is young, and he is under the spell of an evil influence.” - -“Yes, Villac Umu. We must get rid of him by all means. And we must save -the nation. We want you to help us help you to do these things.” - -“I will not be a traitor to the Child of the Sun; I will not even -consider such a thing.” - -“No one is asking you to do that. In helping us you will be doing a -favor to all the people. This may sound strange to you, and we do not -expect you to understand because you are accustomed to look at things -differently than we do. But we simply want to prove to you the thing -you refuse to admit--that the Child of the Sun is very human; that he -makes mistakes and can be good or wicked like any one else; and that -he must be taught a lesson that will bring him to his senses. Even your -Sun-God is subject to a higher power. Do not take my word for it. You -shall have the proof. Wait and see.” - -Soncco was in despair. An expression of helplessness spread over his -face. - -“The person of the Inca always has been considered holy, and it cannot -be violated now,” he wailed. “I ought not to listen to your words, -for they are blasphemy. I should not have come here at all. And I -should not have stayed on and on after I got here, were it not for one -fact----” - -“That you know I am speaking the truth,” Stanley interrupted. “The -truth is painful as often as not, but it is best to listen while there -is time. If you delay you will be lost.” - -Soncco was showing signs of weakening. - -“The people are grumbling,” he admitted reluctantly. “If the oppression -and tyranny continue, there will be an uprising--the first in the -history of the nation. We have suffered misfortune enough already -without having a new calamity thrust upon us.” - -“Now you are talking sensibly. We are offering you the opportunity to -prevent all this trouble and bloodshed you justly despise. Will you -take advantage of it? Will you trust us and let us help you?” - -“How can I accomplish the impossible? What can I do? I am old and -my power has been taken from me. Indeed, I am now no more than an -executioner, hated by all men.” - -“You can do more than you think possible. Are you acquainted with the -country beyond the wall--I mean Uti?” - -“Uti, yes. Only sixteen changes of the moon ago I accompanied an -exploring party there much against my will. It is a terrible place with -death staring one in the face at every step.” - -“Then you know the caves in the mountain-sides?” - -“Each one of them. We searched them all. It was like a hideous -nightmare. In some were the remains of men, rows upon rows of them. In -others we found the bones of monstrous beasts or demons that invaded -the valley many years ago and killed the people by hundreds. It was to -keep them out of the valley that the wall was built.” - -“Good! You know the place well. Now listen carefully.” - -Stanley then minutely described the cave where the dynamite had been -hidden when they had first landed, several weeks before, and after they -had discovered that the gold had been removed from the cave in which it -had been hidden. - -“Bring those boxes to me,” Stanley concluded. “That is all for the -present. No one will suspect anything. As master of ceremonies you have -a perfect right to come and go as you please, and make any preparations -you like.” - -It took a good deal of persuasion, but Soncco finally consented to make -the trip to Uti for the boxes. He had reached the point where he would -do almost anything rather than carry out his part of the fiendish plot -set for two days hence. - -“I will do this one thing,” he said, “but no other; so spare yourselves -the trouble of making any more requests.” - -“Now do you see daylight?” Stanley asked when the aged amauta had gone. - -“No!” Ted was bewildered. “I haven’t brains enough to go around.” - -“Well, then, do as I am doing. Trust to luck.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -SONCCO’S AID TO THE PLOTTERS - - -Soncco, accompanied by two soldiers carrying the heavy boxes, returned -as the first shafts of coming daylight penetrated the wreath of vapor -that clung to the peaks standing like black monoliths between the -Hidden Valley and the steaming forests of the Upper Amazon. The party -looked tired and worn from the strenuous labor of the night. - -The men threw down their burdens none too gently and departed. Stanley -noticed that one of the boxes had been opened, and the aged amauta, -reading the trend of his thoughts, hastened to explain. - -“I could not bring the parcels without knowing what was in them,” he -said; “they might have contained some contrivance dangerous to the Inca -or to the people, or that would help you to escape. I am responsible -for your safe-keeping. But I found only sticks of sweet, harmless -earth. There can be nothing wrong in letting you have them, so I had -them brought to you. I tasted one of them; how it did make my head -ache!” - -“You are lucky to have your head on your shoulders,” thought Stanley, -“handling and eating that dynamite as if it were candy.” Then aloud: -“Thank you, Soncco, for bringing it. You shall be well rewarded for -your trouble. Now you must continue to do as we say.” - -“No! I will do nothing more. My conscience troubles me already. I may -have done too much. And, besides, the things you ask me to do are -too hard. The tunnel under the wall was blocked with stones; we had -to remove them, and there were many; then hunt for the cave in the -darkness. Uti is a terrible place even when the sun shines. What then -is it at night? The bats were chirping and fluttering about our heads, -and we had to drive them away to keep from being attacked; and one of -the men bumped into a wasp’s nest, so that we were all stung. After we -finally found the boxes they had to be dragged back to the wall and -through the passage, and then there were all the stones to put into -place again. The men grumbled at the work, and I, Soncco, old though I -am, had to help them.” - -“I am sorry we had to put you to all that trouble; but remember, we are -helping you more than any one else. Do you want to take the lives of -your relatives and friends?” - -“No! You know that. My heart is heavy that this duty has fallen upon -me.” - -“Then do as I say and you will be relieved of that duty.” - -“But the Inca’s command must be obeyed.” - -“Of course. We have given you our word before this that his wishes -shall be carried out. In other words, you will do exactly as he -directs. Go ahead with all the preparations; do as you were told. It is -Quizquiz who will change his mind at the proper time. And, remember, -you shall be well paid.” - -“Who will reward me?” - -“The king. Be patient. You shall see in a few days.” - -“My head is dizzy. I cannot think clearly. But no matter what happens I -can be no worse off than I am. I curse the day that Villac Umu obtained -his evil power over Quizquiz,” Soncco murmured. - -“Come back at nightfall, then,” Stanley continued. “We want you to take -these boxes away again. Bring only one man with you this time--some one -you can trust absolutely. If he is deaf, dumb, and blind, it will be -all the better.” - -“Yes, yes; I will be here. You have me completely in your power. And -may all the devils of Uti torture you if you betray me.” - -“Do not worry. You will soon find out that we have told you nothing but -the truth. Then you will be thankful to us.” - -“I will keep my word,” Soncco said, “and at the same time I will make -provisions against trickery. Do not forget that.” - -When the old amauta had gone the two opened the boxes and took out the -fuse and primers; then they began to prepare the charge. They fastened -one of the long, copper caps to one end of the fuse and then inserted -it in a stick of dynamite, carefully folding back the paper wrapper -over the end and tying it in place with a strip of cloth torn from -their clothing. As they worked Stanley explained his scheme to Ted. The -latter fell in with it immediately, and to all outward appearances both -were cheerful and entirely confident over the outcome of the plan. - -“I am going to ask you just one more time,” Ted said suddenly after a -short pause, and with a trace of anxiety in his voice. “Are you sure -about the date of the eclipse? And are you certain you made no mistake -in keeping track of the time--the knots in the string, I mean?” - -“Wait and you shall see,” was all Stanley could say. Of course he knew -that everything depended on these two things, and several times he -was on the verge of confessing to Ted his uncertainty as to both the -date and the number of knots. But why should he add to the burden of -worry of his companion? If he were mistaken, they would meet the end -like men, fighting to the last gasp. If he were right, they would be -freed, no doubt. Better look at the bright side, anyway, and make their -last days as cheerful as possible. They could do no more than had been -done, and in the meantime they were constantly on the alert for any -eventuality that might present itself. - -Food of excellent quality and in abundance was brought the two by the -guards. Soncco was responsible for that, they felt sure. They were also -permitted to walk around the outside of their tent. A double row of -soldiers, well armed, formed a compact circle around them, and not more -than twenty paces away. They watched every movement of the prisoners -and held their spears ready for instant action. - -As they strolled about they could not help but see that preparations -for the awful event had begun on all sides of them. They had frequent -glimpses of Soncco hobbling from one group of workers to another, -giving sharp orders, reprimanding, and directing their labors in -general. - -Here, a furnace was being built in which to heat the spear with which -to blind Toparca. The workers had piled up two rows of stones and were -covering them with mud. After that other stones were placed across the -top and plastered down with more mud so that no heat could escape from -the interior of the oven-like structure. - -A short distance away was the enormous earthenware caldron; menials in -a steady stream were bringing oil in small vessels and pouring it into -the huge container. Ted and Stanley did not envy Huascar the fate that -awaited him. - -The stones that were intended for Tupichi lay in a neat heap. They were -the size of apples, and were round and smooth, having been gathered -from the river-bed. - -Then their eyes met another sight that made them shudder. On the far -end of an open, arena-like plot masons were constructing a short wall. -The stones were being dragged to the spot by long lines of men. As the -work progressed, earth was banked up against the structure and tamped -down to form an inclined plane up which other stones could be hauled -into position on top of the last layer of the wall. The ingenuity -displayed would have been interesting to the Americans had they not -known the sinister meaning of the work. It was against this wall that -they were to be chained, with the deadly snakes at their feet. Copper -rings on long spikes had been incorporated in the wall between the -stones to receive the chains that would hold them in their helpless, -hopeless position. - -After surveying the various activities for a short time they went back -into their prison tent. - -“One of us will have to accompany Soncco to-night,” Stanley announced -when they were inside, “to see that the dynamite is placed where it -will do the most damage.” - -“I will go,” Ted volunteered, “but I doubt if I can get past the -guards, even in the company of Soncco. The soldiers get their orders -higher up.” - -“That is why I asked him to bring along some one he trusts absolutely. -That one must change clothes with one of us and remain here while the -work is being done. Perhaps I had better go.” - -“It isn’t fair to let you face all the danger.” - -“There is no danger, but even if there were, it would be up to me -because I started the thing, and I shall have to see it through. You -entertain the substitute while I am away.” - -“It is all a capital idea. How easy everything is when you know just -how to do it! You are a better general than Pizarro. He killed the Inca -and caused the death of millions of the people. You will bring the -whole nation to its knees through strategy, and they will respect you -instead of hating you as they did the Spaniard.” - -“Never mind that kind of talk. We haven’t done a thing yet.” - -“But we shall, to-morrow,” Ted said confidently. - -Stanley suppressed a sigh and turned away. - -Soncco arrived in due time. - -“You see, I have kept my promise,” he said without enthusiasm. “And I -have brought a man who can neither hear, see, nor speak.” - -“You are a wonder, Soncco,” Stanley returned gleefully. Then he told -him what was expected of him. - -At first the aged teacher was absolutely set against allowing Stanley -to accompany him after exchanging clothes with the man he had -brought. He was certain that it must be part of a plot to escape, the -far-reaching branches of which he could not foresee. - -“But,” they argued, “what good would it do one of them to get away -while the other remained a prisoner in the valley? Could he not quickly -take revenge on the hostage who was left to his mercy? From what he had -seen of them, did it seem possible that one of them would desert the -other in such a position?” - -Soncco finally was forced to bow to the strength of their arguments. -But only the firm conviction that his lot was already so luckless that -it could not possibly be worse, no matter what happened, and that the -growing unrest among the people was spreading to the proportions where -it was a menace to the existence of the race induced him to lend his -aid in a scheme he could not comprehend. - -Therefore the two, carrying the heavy boxes of explosive, left the -tent at a moment when clouds obscured the moon, Soncco taking the -lead, Stanley, fully disguised in the borrowed clothes, following at -his heels. Before long the latter realized how futile it would have -been for them to attempt to leave the place of confinement unaided by -some one in full authority. They passed through no fewer than five -lines of sentries. To each of the five challenges Soncco replied with -a different password, and in addition there was also a short ceremony -to be gone through with each time they were halted. Thus, at the first -challenge of “Who lives?” Soncco replied with “Quizquiz, the great -and glorious king,” and, stooping, picked up a handful of earth which -he threw over his left shoulder. At the second station he answered, -“Quizquiz, greatest of all the great kings,” and beat his breast three -times with his free hand; and so on until all the guard-lines had been -passed. - -It was with a feeling of relief that Stanley finally found himself in -the open country beyond the encampment. He offered to carry Soncco’s -burden in addition to his own, for the old man was lacking in strength; -but the amauta insisted on retaining possession of the package, adding -in a whisper: “Now you walk in front of me, and at the first sign of -treachery I will kill you; I have a poisoned dagger in my hand.” - -“Do not be foolish,” Stanley responded, losing patience. “I would not -leave this place now if you asked me to. I want to stay to see all of -you get what’s coming to you.” - -Before long they reached the foot of the great wall, looming black and -awe-inspiring high into the cloud-checkered sky. They followed along -the base, their elbows almost touching the cool, moss-covered stones, -until they reached the point where the gigantic structure joined the -abrupt face of the mountain. It was here that the passage into Uti had -been dug under the foundation; the existence of this opening saved them -the labor of making another in which to place the explosive. - -“We need go no farther,” Stanley announced, carefully depositing his -pack on the ground and relieving the aged man of his. - -“I am glad of that; my limbs are weary, for I am no longer young.” - -“Then rest while I work. Sit right beside me if you wish, so you can -see everything I do.” - -“I will tie this thong to your foot, and fasten the other end to my own -feet.” - -Stanley was on the point of making a wrathy reply when the humor of the -situation struck him. Soncco, in spite of his shrewdness, was childish -in many ways. With the thong tied to his feet and the other end in -Stanley’s possession, it would have been an easy matter to upset the -old man and then pounce upon him. But of course he did not intend to -do anything of the kind. With a smile he submitted to his companion’s -whim. Then he fell to work in earnest, carefully following the plan -formulated by Ted and himself after much discussion. - -The passage under the wall had been left partly open by Soncco when -he brought back the boxes of dynamite from the other side. Therefore -Stanley had to close it again. He began by rolling stones into the -tunnel and pushed them to the far end, packing in the open spaces -between them with earth. When half of it had been filled he carefully -planted the explosive, placing the fuse so that it led out where Soncco -was sitting. Then he shut up the remaining portion of the passage with -earth and the largest stones he could handle. - -This took several hours of the hardest kind of work. Stanley was nearly -exhausted when the task was completed. - -“Now listen,” he said, seating himself by the side of his guard. “If -you fail us in this one detail, everything will be lost.” - -“I am willing to hear. Speak!” - -“Here is a white cord,” Stanley explained, placing the end of the fuse -in Soncco’s hands. “I will leave it here in plain view. To-morrow -you must have a trusted guard stand on this spot beginning with the -rising of the sun. He must not go away from this place for an instant, -understand, for it all depends upon his faithful performance of the -duty you will impose upon him.” - -“What is that duty?” - -“When the light of your god, the sun, is suddenly blotted out, as it -were, by a hand to hide his face in shame over the actions of his child -Quizquiz, and of all the rest of you, too, who meekly permit him to do -such fiendish things; when the blackness of night has enveloped the -valley, although it is only noon; when the bats leave their caves, and -the beasts of prey come out of their dens to kill their defenseless -victims, thinking the day is over--that will be the time for him to -act. Fire must be applied to the end of this cord. It will begin to -burn and sputter, and later will send out a message that will be heard -throughout the valley, and even far beyond. But I must caution you of -this: when the cord begins to give off its first crackling sparks, -let the man who lighted it flee from the spot. His work here will be -finished, so he must hurry back to the encampment, and not stop running -until he reaches it.” - -Soncco appeared greatly impressed. - -“The message that will be conveyed by the cord,” he asked in an awed -whisper, “will it reach the sun?” - -“Who knows? It may reach farther than the sun.” - -“And will it cause the bright light and warmth to come back to us -again?” - -“If the sunlight should be withheld from the earth all life would -soon come to an end. Nothing could live in the cold and everlasting -darkness.” - -“Oh! Such a calamity must not befall us.” - -“Then follow my instructions to the letter. Will you?” - -“I swear it. My own beloved brother, whom I trust in all things, shall -be assigned to this mission. His faithfulness cannot be questioned.” - -“Good. Now we might as well start back. My companion is waiting, and we -must get past the guards before daylight comes or they would recognize -me.” - -“Yes, and that would spoil everything. I can hardly wait to see if you -are really such wonderful magicians, or if you have been deceiving me.” - -“Soncco,” Stanley said with a note of pleading in his voice, “do -everything exactly as Quizquiz has commanded. If he should suspect -anything he might remove you from your position, where you can help us -and--yourself. Be patient. Continue to trust us. And you will not be -disappointed in the end.” - -“Now what do you want?” rather testily. - -“Nothing right now. But if we should need you again we shall let you -know. How about this cord? Do you expect me to walk back like this?” - -Soncco removed the thong from Stanley’s ankle and the two started away -at a fast walk. They passed through the guard-lines without trouble. -Stanley returned the borrowed garments to the waiting man, and then the -latter, led by the aged amauta, departed. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE TERROR OF DARKNESS AT MIDDAY - - -Ted and Stanley slept little during the night preceding that fateful -day. And, to Ted’s occasional questioning, Stanley could only repeat -that he thought his record of the time correct; however, there was no -way of finding out for a certainty. The morrow alone would tell. - -The camp was astir early. Groups of musicians struck up tunes on reed -instruments accompanied by the deep roll of drums. The wailing of the -flutes seemed to carry a mournful note, an ominous message in its very -monotony. But, when singers joined in the music, their shrill voices -rising and falling in gay cadence, it changed its tenor and was more -like the celebration of some joyous festival than the beginning of a -day of torture and life-taking. How pitiless these people were, how -devoid of all compassion! Downtrodden and suffering though they were, -they made an outward show of rejoicing at the ill fortune of others. - -After a breakfast scarcely touched by the two, they were taken to the -arena where the spectacle was to be staged. A vast number of people -had already assembled. Most of them stood in a solid mass surrounding -an open square; armed guards formed lines and held them in check. On -one side stood those of noble birth, dressed in their most gorgeous -attire and bedecked with jewels. Round ornaments of gold hung from -their ears. Some wore large breast-plates of the same precious metal -that extended from shoulder to shoulder, and from the chin to the -waist-line. Their mantles were embroidered or brocaded in curious -figures of birds and animals, among which the condor and puma were -conspicuous by the frequency with which they appeared. Huge golden -pins, shaped like spoons, held the draperies in place. And chains of -emeralds hung from their necks, while the turbans that crowned their -heads were a mass of bright colors and flashing stones. Each noble -was accompanied by a number of attendants that held a canopy of cloth -of fine texture over his head to shield it from the sun, and in his -hand he carried a staff of polished wood with numerous gold and silver -pendants that denoted his rank and position. - -Quizquiz arrived not long after. He came in his sedan of gold, massive -and heavy, and borne on the shoulders of his highest officials. As the -latter deposited their burden on a specially constructed platform, Ted -and Stanley could not suppress exclamations of surprise at his lavish -and beautiful attire. He was wrapped in a mantle of gold cloth that -covered him from his head to his feet; throwing this aside carelessly, -he revealed his undergarments made of the same material. Bracelets -and amulets covered his arms. The chain around his neck, falling to -his waist, was composed of alternate turquoise, pearls, and emeralds, -some of them the size of a pigeon’s egg, and so skilfully had the gems -been polished that there was continuous play of refracted light in a -thousand points of shimmering, satiny color. - -Quizquiz carried a burnished-silver mirror in his hand and made -frequent use of it to throw a shaft of dazzling light into the eyes -of some favorite; this was always the signal for the honored one to -fall upon his knees and to chant the praises of the sovereign who had -thus condescended to throw the radiance, supposedly emanating from the -Inca’s sacred person, upon him. - -After amusing himself in this manner for some time, Quizquiz spoke: - -“Rejoice with me, for this day is an eventful one,” he said. “I am -about to rid my kingdom of its worst enemies; the two strangers who -came to spy on me and to rob me, and also of those others who are of -no further use to me, but are rather a burden. There are more persons -in the valley deserving of a similar fate, and they all shall be called -to account in due time. We shall have these imposing spectacles often. -It shall be my pleasure to attend them; you also shall be commanded to -do so, for they shall remind you of my greatness and of your own abject -station. And let each one feel that perhaps he may some day be chosen -to delight my eye as one of those to die in my presence. What end could -be more glorious for a slave? So cherish the hope of that honor in your -hearts.” - -The crowd moved uneasily. Evidently they did not relish recognition -of that kind. Was there no limit to the vainglorious boasting and -cruelty of the tyrant? Was he personally responsible for his words and -deeds, or was there some evil influence that prompted him to do such -things? Among the spectators were not a few who knew the truth, and -their unanimous verdict would have placed the responsibility upon the -shoulders of Villac Umu. - -“Now let the ceremonies begin. Soncco will attend to his duties well or -suffer dire consequences. First, let the two men from the outer world -be bound to the wall; then tie the serpents at their feet.” - -Soncco bowed low to the Inca. His face was pale and his eyes shot -fire. Resentment was pictured in his every feature, and Ted and Stanley -knew that it was directed not at them but at the king. Still, he had -no alternative but to obey the command. He started his work in a -businesslike manner, and prepared personally to bind the hands of the -Americans with copper chains. As he reached their side he whispered -in Stanley’s ear: “Pray to your God, to mine, or to any other one you -want to; use your most powerful charms and magic. But let everything -happen just as you said it would. If you fail in this, stand quietly -until Quizquiz has taken too much wine; then break away, for the chains -have an open link, and kill Villac Umu. Leave the rest to me. Here is a -dagger,” and he slipped a long, keen blade into Stanley’s hand, hiding -the transaction with his cloak. - -Stanley made no answer, but a moment later conveyed the information to -Ted, who was tied close by his side. - -These preparations completed, the priests from the Temple of the Snakes -put in their appearance. They were a hideous lot, clothed in long -mantles of a drab color, and wore black masks over their faces. Each -one carried a tuft of red feathers in his hand. The column, headed by -six of its number who beat drums and sang in a weird jargon, marched -to the Inca’s dais and halted. The drum-beats ceased and the priests -prostrated themselves on the ground, rising after a moment and forming -a semicircle in front of the doomed men. One of the leaders produced -two bags from under his cloak; he untied the string of one of them -and shook its contents on the ground. It was a great snake, drawn up -in a mass of tight coils, and hissed defiantly at the men who stood -around it. The two saw at once that it was a bushmaster, the deadliest -and most feared of all South American serpents. But what a monster it -was! It could have been no less than ten feet long. As it raised its -head, slowly, the deep orange color of its back, marked with a regular -pattern of broad, black X’s, glistened with a metallic lustre in the -sunlight. - -Before the reptile could get its bearings to dart away several of -the priests pounced upon it and seized it in their hands, for it -was harmless so far, its arrow-shaped head having been covered with -a muzzle of fine, gold wires. A stout cord was fastened around its -neck, and with this it was securely tied at Ted’s feet, the priests -stretching out the snake and allowing sufficient cord so that it could -strike to within less than an inch of the man. - -[Illustration: It was a bushmaster, the deadliest and the most feared -of all South American snakes] - -The second bag was now opened and its occupant, exactly like that of -the first, bound in front of Stanley. Then two of the priests pinned -the heads of the snakes to the ground with long, forked sticks, while -others removed the wires that held the death-dealing jaws together. -This accomplished, the entire company performed a wild, uncanny dance, -howling and rushing past the supposedly helpless men and the serpents. -As they passed each stooped and struck the reptiles a blow with his -tuft of feathers, until they had been aroused to a mad frenzy. After -that the priests again marched up to the Inca’s sedan, fell flat on -their faces as before, and took up their station in the front ranks of -the onlookers. - -Ted and Stanley were fascinated by the terrible creatures at their -feet. Enraged at the treatment received from the priests, the snakes -were lunging to right and to left, and then settled down to striking at -the men in front of them. Again and again their repulsive heads shot -forward, with wide-open mouths and long, white fangs that glistened -in the sunlight; but the tethers kept them just out of reach and -tantalized them to further effort. And all the while the snakes coiled -and uncoiled their great, scale-covered bodies and lashed their tails -on the hard ground with such rapidity that they made a buzzing sound. -Ted and Stanley felt the cold, sinuous bodies writhe against their -bare feet; how long could they withstand this ordeal? If it was true -that snakes could charm, and they began to think it was because they -could not remove their gaze from the greenish eyes of the reptiles, -they would be unable to endure the strain much longer, and would soon -either droop within reach of the darting heads or be compelled to make -a break for liberty. - -Peals of laughter from Quizquiz recalled them to their senses. - -“It is better than I had hoped,” he said in a shrill voice. “Praised be -Villac Umu, who is father of the idea.” - -The high priest, who was seated in his own golden sedan by the Inca’s -side, rose and bowed in recognition of this compliment. - -“For the pleasure of my adored one I would arrange any spectacle,” he -said. - -“Now let us feast and sing and dance to while away the time,” Quizquiz -continued. “Bring the sparkling wine that we may drink to the evil -fortune of the men from the outer world.” - -Golden cups of large size, filled with a beverage made from ground, -fermented maize, were brought by attendants, and after the Inca and -Villac Umu had partaken liberally, the others of the nobility were -served. The drinking continued throughout the remainder of the morning, -interrupted only when Soncco came to report the progress of the -preparations that were being made for the other victims. - -“The spear-point glows with a reddish heat, and Toparca lies on the -ground, bound hand and foot,” he said on one occasion, and, “The oil is -bubbling in the caldron; Huascar is near by, well guarded and sullenly -awaiting his fate,” on another. But Quizquiz only laughed and bade -Soncco stay his hand and to place the condemned men in a position so -they could see what was happening to the strangers. - -To Ted and Stanley the hours seemed like eternity. Would Quizquiz -never succumb to the influence of the liquor? The amount he could -consume was prodigious! The strain of remaining in one position was -becoming unbearable. They dared not shift their feet; the snakes, now -motionless, with heads raised a few inches above their coiled bodies, -were quietly waiting for the decisive moment. - -“It must be noon now,” Ted finally ventured. - -“Yes,” said Stanley slowly, looking up at the glaring sun almost -overhead in a cloudless sky. - -“No signs of anything happening yet,” uneasily. “I wonder if Soncco -told the truth about the open link in the chains. He may have said -that simply to pacify us, so we would submit to being bound without a -struggle.” - -“Wait a little while longer. Then--well, I believe Soncco told the -truth. We must get Villac Umu. If there is a fight, any one and every -one else will do for the next, but I think that with the high priest -out of the way Soncco can handle the crowd; he is the one they really -hold in superstitious fear. Snap the chain suddenly and jump to one -side so far as you can. Remember that Pizarro conquered the whole -nation of millions of people by capturing the leader; we have a chance -of doing the same thing on a smaller scale with that beast out of the -way.” - -Minutes passed; they waited in vain. - -“I must have been mistaken, after all,” Stanley said gloomily as he -caught an impatient look from Soncco. “Look! he is signalling us now. -Let’s break away. Are you ready?” - -“Yes. Give the word.” - -A crash halted the reply on Stanley’s lips. - -“Cursed drink that has dimmed my vision,” Quizquiz shouted, at the same -time dashing his heavy golden goblet to the floor of his litter, “for -it must be my blurred eyes that deceive me. Look, Villac Umu! Do you -see anything?” - -The Inca and the high priest were anxiously scanning the heavens, -shielding their eyes with jewel-bedecked hands. Concern and fear were -plainly pictured in their faces. - -“It is not the drink.” Stanley was quick enough to comprehend the -situation and to make use of it to their advantage. “What you see is a -giant hand grasping the neck of your helpless Sun-God. Soon his light -will fade and you will be floundering in the darkness. Your time has -come!” - -Then to Ted in a joyous shout: “I was right! I was right! Look! The -eclipse; it is starting.” - -The two could scarcely keep from jumping from their places, but the -decisive moment had not arrived. - -The stillness of death had fallen upon the multitude. The drum-beats -stopped suddenly, the reed flutes ceased their wails, the voices of -the singers were hushed, and half-emptied cups of wine slipped from -nerveless fingers and fell to the ground. Every eye was turned skyward, -and upon the sea of faces came a pallor and a look of horror, for the -impossible was unquestionably happening. A black disk was rapidly -stealing over the face of the sun from the west; half of the flaming -orb was already obscured, and slowly but relentlessly a sickly gray -twilight was falling upon the earth. Brilliant colors faded in the -uncanny dusk, and jewels that had flashed and shimmered grew dull and -lifeless. Familiar objects took on strange, fantastic shapes before -they melted in a maze of grotesque shadows. - -“Speak, Villac Umu! Speak!” Quizquiz’s voice was bordering on despair. -“You are High Priest of the Temple of the Sun and know the will of the -gods. You said this thing could not happen.” - -“It is but a cloud,” Villac Umu explained nervously, but his faltering -words carried no conviction. - -“You lie! It is not a cloud. Command the shadow to retreat. Show your -power. Use your magic. Do anything you wish to stop this terrible -thing!” - -The high priest arose and stretched both arms heavenward. In one -hand was a staff from which numerous charms dangled, in the other a -rattle of dried seeds. He loudly berated the demons that dared thrust -themselves in front of the sun, and commanded them to depart without -delay. He shook his staff and rattled his charms at them, but the -grayness rapidly deepened into gloom, and when the last vestige of -light had disappeared his helplessness was apparent to all. Loud cries, -first singly, then in chorus, were raised in terrible accusation. In -the darkness it was impossible to see who spoke, and this gave the -speakers courage to say what was on their minds, but Ted and Stanley -recognized the voice of Soncco among the leaders. - -“Villac Umu is to blame for this; he said it could not happen, but it -did, and now he is powerless to protect us. Kill him!” the mob shouted, -and “Quizquiz shares in his guilt; he is not fit to be king, for he has -betrayed us.” - -Then one solemn voice made itself heard above the multitude: - -“Stay in your places,” it shouted, “for you know not what new terror -may overtake you if you move. Do nothing--yet. First beg the white man, -who has shown you his power, to bring back the sunlight he has taken -away, then----” - -A deafening crash cut short the words that came from Soncco’s lips. -Then more crashes came, followed by roars and rumbles that shook the -very ground beneath their feet. - -Ted and Stanley were nearly as much startled as were the others, for in -the excitement of the moment they had completely forgotten the dynamite. - -“Now,” Stanley shouted, “let’s go.” - -With a start they snapped their chains and leaped to one side. Stanley -rushed up to Soncco, who, too, seemed bewildered. - -“Silence the crowd,” he panted. “I have something to say that I want -every one to hear.” - -Regaining his senses, Soncco blew shrill blasts upon a trumpet, but it -was some time before the confusion subsided. Judging by the sounds, the -majority of the people were either kneeling or had fallen to the ground -in their terror. - -“You have seen and heard everything,” Stanley shouted at the top of his -voice. “Now, what do you want? Choose between----” - -His words were drowned in the clamor that went up. - -“Kill Quizquiz and Villac Umu,” the thousands demanded, “and make the -white man king. His companion shall be high priest. We ask nothing more -than to be permitted to serve them as slaves for the remainder of our -lives if they will but bring back the sunlight.” - -It was with the greatest difficulty that Soncco again silenced them. - -“It shall be as you say,” said Stanley. “But for the present let every -one remain in his place. The sunlight will come back again, and so long -as you obey my wishes no harm shall come to you. But if a single one of -you betrays his pledge, worse things may happen.” - -“You shall be king,” the multitude roared. “We swear it.” - -“Quizquiz is gone,” Soncco whispered to Stanley; “the thunder of your -medicine was too much for him. He jumped to the ground and ran when -the crash came. Villac Umu followed him.” - -“Will they keep their promise?” Stanley asked. - -“Without question,” Soncco assured him. “And I am sure you will fill -the lofty stations in a manner befitting them.” - -“What do you mean? What stations? We want to leave so soon as possible.” - -“What are the wishes of an individual compared to the welfare of a -nation? Consider yourself king, although the actual crowning ceremonies -are still to be performed. And your companion is head of all the -religious orders. If you had planned to go back to your people, you may -find that they will insist on keeping you here, for the people have -sworn it.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE COMING OF THE TIGERS - - -The sunlight returned in due time, and with its coming the people -regained their composure. A shout that rapidly assumed the proportions -of a roar went up as the assembled host proclaimed Stanley their king, -and Ted high priest. This latter office was the second highest any man -could hold. A few short minutes before they had been meek spectators to -the terrible ordeal to which the white men had been subjected, ready -to see them die without the courage to so much as say a single word -in their defense. But now the tide had turned. Men who could command -the sun to be darkened, and to shine again, and who brought thunder -to the earth, were not men in reality in their sight, but gods. And -to prove this contention, had the two not come from the sky in some -mysterious contrivance they could control? It was but an example of how -the estimation in which people are held too often varies with their -fortunes. - -“Long live the king and the high priest!” and “let them be crowned -now!” they cried, while stalwart hands seized them, and carrying them -aloft placed them in the golden thrones that had been deserted by -Quizquiz and Villac Umu. - -Ted and Stanley were on the point of objecting, but a look from -Soncco silenced them. They permitted the nobles to raise the shining -conveyances to their shoulders and carry them to the regally appointed -quarters that had been occupied by the Inca. - -Stanley’s first official act was to order the instant release of the -other prisoners who had been condemned to die with them. Next, he -instructed the commander of the troops to capture Quizquiz and Villac -Umu, and to bring them to him, unharmed. After that he commanded that -preparations for the return to the city be made at once, and that -the journey begin early the following morning. Soncco was appointed -counsellor, and to him they intrusted the management of all civic -affairs, the important ones, however, to be brought to Stanley’s -attention before action was taken. Upon reaching the capitol he would -take up everything in detail and consider what was best for the future. -In the meantime work was to be resumed by the inhabitants, and the laws -administered exactly as they were before. This done, every one was -dismissed excepting only Soncco and the servants of the royal quarters. - -“You will dispose with all formalities while in our presence,” Stanley -instructed the aged amauta. “No crawling or bowing or taking off your -shoes. We will conduct things on strictly business basis. Talk freely. -We depend on you to help us.” - -To the former Soncco reluctantly agreed, for was not a king entitled to -homage? The latter he would do with pleasure. - -“Now let’s take a walk,” Ted suggested. “I am eager to see how much -damage that dynamite did to the wall. I didn’t think it would do more -than tear a hole in it, but it sounded as if the whole thing fell down.” - -They went out of the spacious tent and looked in the direction of the -great wall that had been erected to shut off the lower from the upper -and larger end of the valley. That end of the massive structure that -joined the natural stone escarpment of the mountains had fallen to the -ground; there was a gap that appeared to be fully fifty yards wide. But -that was not the more surprising result of the explosion. A broad rent -had been torn in the mountainside itself. - -The two gazed in astonishment. - -“That hundred pounds of dynamite could never have done all that -damage,” Ted commented, much puzzled by the scene of devastation. “But -I am glad to see that there is a hole in the slope, because that means -that we will have an easy passage into the outer world.” - -“That is just what I was thinking. What the jar of the explosion did -was to cause a landslide, and the whole upper precipice tumbled down. -Look at the huge pile of rocks! The avalanche carried the stones of the -wall with it, and that accounts for the destruction of such a large -section.” - -“To-morrow, after the people leave, let’s go over there for a good look -at it. We can catch up with the procession later. And perhaps we had -better examine the airplane, too. It is standing there exactly as we -left it. I guess they were afraid to touch it.” - -“Yes, let’s do those things to-morrow. We have had enough for to-day. -I am wobbly and all in a muddle, and cannot realize yet all that has -happened to us. So I am in favor of getting something to eat, and then -going straight to bed.” - -“I second that motion. It will be the first real sleep in a long time.” - -The food was of the finest the valley afforded, served by numerous -menials and with all the pomp that had been lavished on Quizquiz. -The bowls, platters, and goblets were of gold, finely wrought and -decorated with flowers, fruit, and other designs. The two ate heartily -but refused the cups of corn wine, or _chicha_, remembering that the -grain of which it had been brewed, first had been chewed thoroughly to -induce its fermentation. Roast partridges, cakes made of fine meal, -strawberries and honey, that was the repast intended for the Inca, and -which they did not hesitate to accept. - -Soncco remained in waiting in an adjoining room, and at their request -came for an interview in the evening. They discussed their future -policy with him for a brief time, and after assigning a place to him -for the night sought their own luxurious blankets. - -Sleep came almost immediately but was destined to be of short duration. -At the command of Stanley the people had retired to their shelters -early, thus putting an end to the loud chatter over the day’s events. -Also, the numberless fires had been extinguished and absolute quiet -reigned over the sea of tents. - -A frightful roar broke the silence of the night. For an instant -there was not a sound; then came the hum of excited voices, for the -encampment had been aroused, and lights began to flicker in many places. - -Ted and Stanley sat bolt upright. They strained their ears for a -repetition of the sound. It came before long. Another roar, preceded by -a few low, hoarse growls, came to the ears of the astonished listeners. - -“What under the sun can that be?” Ted asked, stepping off the edge of -his couch. Stanley was up and had lighted a torch. - -“I never heard anything like it before.” - -“Sounds something like a jaguar, only much more powerful. Perhaps it is -the noise of some wind-instrument we don’t know anything about. Do you -suppose it can be Quizquiz, trying to frighten us, perhaps? Or is it -the people serenading us?” - -“I don’t know. Listen! It may come again.” - -“I’ll bet it is Quizquiz. He has gathered those of his followers who -are still faithful to him, and is preparing to attack the camp. That -was a war horn.” - -“We shall soon see. If it is anything of that kind Soncco will know and -report to us.” - -The excitement among the Indians was great, but as the unusual sound -was not repeated, and as their adviser did not show up, the two came to -the conclusion that the disturbance did not concern them, and went back -to bed. - -They had scarcely closed their eyes, or, at least so it seemed, when -the camp was again thrown into an uproar by a repetition of the -unearthly sound. - -“I am going to find out about this,” Stanley said decisively. “It must -be stopped.” - -He had scarcely finished speaking when Soncco rushed into the apartment. - -“Forgive me, great and noble king,” he panted, “for entering without -asking permission.” - -“I am glad you came,” Stanley replied quickly. “What is all the racket -about? Find out who or what is making it and have it stopped.” - -“That is why I came to you. The people are in a panic and many are -fleeing toward the city. They fear it is some evil sequel to the -astounding events of the day.” - -“But what is it?” - -“Every one is asking that. They are begging that you, their king, -enlighten them. On my knees I am presenting their humble petition.” - -The sound of heavy footfalls attracted their attention and hushed their -conversation. A moment later some one clapped his hands before the -entrance. - -“Enter!” Stanley commanded. - -Toparca and Huascar, followed by a dozen other nobles, in bare feet and -carrying their sandals on their left shoulders as a sign of homage, -filed into the tent. Their faces were pale and they could hardly -suppress their excitement. - -“Speak quickly and freely, for I know what is on your minds,” Stanley -encouraged. - -“Lords, lords, who have mastered the air and to whose wishes even the -Sun-God bows, save us or we shall all be killed,” cried one of the -party as they all fell upon their knees and stretched their hands -toward Stanley and Ted. - -“Stand up. Now explain just what you mean. What do you want us to save -you from?” Stanley was losing patience. - -“We do not know. But having seen and heard the events of the past day, -and having been shown the great power of the men from the outer world, -we came to beg for help and for mercy. A new horror is stalking through -the valley. Every one is terror-stricken. An undefinable dread clutches -at each heart. The air is heavy with forebodings and vibrates with the -rumblings from monster throats that bespeak death and destruction. -We are in your power. If this be a punishment, let it be inflicted -upon those of us who deserve it, but spare those who are innocent the -anguish and the suffering they are compelled to endure awaiting an -unknown fate.” - -“Wait,” Stanley said simply. Then, turning to Ted: “This is awful. Have -you any idea what the trouble is?” - -“This is so bewildering I can hardly think. There it is again.” - -Once more the frightful roar reached their ears, followed by shrieks -and wails. For a moment they studied the blanched faces before them in -the vain hope that they might betray some clew to the solution of the -mystery. - -“We are certainly up against it. Let’s go outside. Perhaps we can learn -something definite there.” - -Throwing light blankets over their shoulders they started toward the -door. As they reached it they nearly collided with a man who was -dashing in. - -Half-naked, with streaming, dishevelled hair and bulging, startled -eyes, he was a picture of the kind of fear that borders on insanity. - -“I have heard with my own ears, and I have seen with my own eyes,” he -shrieked, waving his trembling hands over his head, “and I shall carry -the image of it into my grave.” - -“Who is he?” Stanley asked Soncco. - -“He is Lolo, one of the officers of the guard.” - -“Lolo, having heard and seen, you will tell me everything. Talk slowly -and distinctly and keep nothing from me. Remember, your king commands -it.” Stanley addressed the man in a tone of authority. - -This in a measure brought the officer to his senses, but the look -of bewilderment did not leave his eyes, and his face retained the -expression of fright and suffering. He bowed low, unsteadily, and asked -forgiveness for intruding into the royal quarters without permission. - -“It is all right,” Stanley reassured him; “think as clearly as you can, -and tell us plainly what happened. We understand your position.” - -In obedience to the command just given him Lolo told of the terrible -spectacle he had witnessed. - -“I was on my rounds, inspecting the guard,” he panted, “and was just -nearing the post close to the mountains. One of the soldiers was piling -wood on the watch-fire, and the flames shot up, lighting the plain for -many paces around. Without warning, a deafening roar came out of the -blackness beyond the circle of light. We had never heard anything like -it before, and the shock of it was so great that we could not stir from -the places on which we stood. We were as men paralyzed, and simply -stared into the darkness. A pair of points of green fire appeared; they -were the eyes of some great beast. A form followed, gliding between the -watch-fire and the stone wall of the mountainside, so that its outline -fell full upon the smooth face of the precipice. And such a monster! -It was higher than the Temple of the Sun in the Golden City, with eyes -that burned into our hearts and brains.” - -The man had gesticulated wildly during the recital. He now wrung his -hands in despair, and was on the point of breaking down. - -“Go on!” Stanley commanded. “Finish your story.” - -“The brute raised its great head; the jaws opened wide, like a -serpent’s, and fangs, shaped like curved swords and longer than a man’s -arm, flashed white in the flaring light, and then buried themselves -in the breast of the nearest soldier. The man uttered not a sound, so -quickly had death come. With a low, rumbling growl the beast or demon, -I know not which it may be, turned and faded away into the darkness -whence it had come, the dead soldier limply dangling from its mouth.” - -“Do you expect me to believe that?” Stanley demanded sternly. “Did you -see it?” - -“Yes, yes. And others saw it too. I have spoken only the truth. The -king shall have the proof of other eyes and other ears.” - -“Then go, all of you, as fast as you can. Command the people, in my -name, to congregate in the centre of the camp, and to build a ring of -fires around the outer border. Do not lose a minute. It is a matter of -life and death.” - -The visitors bowed and rushed away, Soncco going with the rest. When -they had gone, Stanley turned to Ted. - -“That man told the truth, but he was excited and exaggerated the facts. -We know the worst now.” - -“You mean that it was a----” - -“Yes, nothing less than a sabre-toothed tiger--a living example of the -kind whose bones we found in the cave in Uti when we were there before. -He saw the beast, but the thing that made the greatest impression on -him was its shadow on the abrupt mountainside. Heaven only knows where -it came from, but we must have opened the passage for it with the -dynamite.” - -“Can it be possible that some of those awful creatures still survive -after all the hundreds of years?” Ted asked incredulously. - -“It must be possible because we have the evidence. And, besides, -anything is possible in a place like this. Come to think of it, I know -just where it came from; you remember that other valley we saw from -the air? That is the place. We are in it for fair now. A more terrible -creature never trod the face of the earth. We are to blame for the -calamity of turning it loose on these people, and we shall have to -find a way of exterminating it; there may be many of them for all we -know. What to do is the question. A tiger the size of a cow, and more -powerful and ferocious than a dozen of the ordinary kind, is not an -antagonist to be sneezed at. Will our troubles never end? We haven’t a -rifle; nothing but spears and bows and arrows; they will do about as -much good as hailstones.” - -“I have it,” Ted announced suddenly. “What about the machine-guns on -the airplane? We can rig them up on mounts. Each one will be worth -twenty rifles.” - -“Why, of course. That’s just what we’ll do. And we will have our hands -full at that. But now, let’s go out and help quiet the people. They are -starting their wailing again, and there will be real trouble unless we -can soothe them.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -ANIMALS OF A BYGONE AGE - - -Ted and Stanley lost no time in going out among the people. The event -of a king mingling freely with his subjects, and on foot at that, was -without precedent. They encouraged, soothed, and even threatened where -necessary. But their presence in the midst of danger in itself had -a calming effect on the majority of Indians, and the Americans rose -mightily in the estimation of the multitude. - -“Quizquiz deserted us in time of peril,” they said with an awe akin to -adoration; “the new king shares our danger and will vanquish it, just -as he drove away the demon of darkness and brought back the sunlight. -Long live the new king, the greatest of them all.” - -Apparently the animals that had invaded the valley had become -emboldened by their first onslaught, for toward morning the thunderous -roars again rent the silence hovering over the valley. This time they -were repeated more frequently and drew nearer with great rapidity. - -“It is exactly as I thought,” Stanley said. “They are coming from the -direction of the gap torn by the dynamite.” - -“But if they are coming from Uti, why did not they attack us while we -were there?” Ted asked. - -“I don’t think any of the brutes survived beyond the wall. They must be -extinct there, for we saw only their bones in the cave, and Timichi, -the exile, who had lived there for years, had never been molested by -them. The landslide caused by the jar of the explosion opened a passage -from that other hidden valley where they still exist, and it did not -take them long to find the outlet into a new feeding-ground.” - -“We had better make a round of the outposts. If the soldiers become -panic-stricken and desert the fires the tigers will break through the -lines and carry away more people.” - -“By all means, let’s go. This is doubtless the last attempt of the -creatures to invade this place, for daylight will soon be here, and -they will return to their hiding-places.” - -They hurried from fire to fire, and ordered the guards to pile on more -fuel, and the two viewed with satisfaction the mounting glow as the -flames leaped higher and higher. - -The unbroken prospect of the circle of crackling fire did not appeal -to the attackers, for they did not venture near to it, but after a -succession of deafening howls and cries retreated in the direction from -which they had come. - -Daylight brought relief to the frightened inhabitants of the valley, -and Soncco urged that they break camp immediately and return to the -capital, for in the stone houses of the city there would be at least -a measure of safety. Also, preparations must be made without delay -for the coronation ceremonies, when Stanley would be crowned with the -crimson _borla_, and Ted receive his appointment as High Priest of the -Temple of the Sun. - -Soncco argued long and earnestly, but to all his pleas they replied -that while, no doubt, they would be safe in their stone palaces, the -hundreds of others living in the country would remain exposed to the -ravages of the great brutes, which, growing constantly bolder, would -destroy them in increasing numbers. The welfare of the king depended -upon the welfare of the people, they believed; to desert the latter at -a time like this would be to invite their own ruin. - -No! They were determined to attack the tigers in their own fastness, in -their very lairs, if necessary; to exterminate them if possible, and if -not, to at least check their inroads. After that had been accomplished -there would be time enough to consider other matters. But the safety of -the populace came first. - -After a hurried breakfast the two Americans hastened to the stranded -airplane. The wings and body had been battered considerably by the -wind, but as no rain had fallen since their arrival, the guns were -free from rust and in good working order. They immediately set about -to strip the weapons, carefully wiped all the working parts with oily -cloths, and reloaded the magazines. Then they made tripods of stout -poles on which to mount the guns. - -In the meantime the people had been sent away to places of security. -Only fifty picked soldiers, with their officers, were retained. These -were ordered to look after their bows, arrows, and swords in order to -be sure that everything was in fighting trim. Shortly before noon all -preparations had been completed, and the expedition, with Stanley and -Ted in the lead, started for the break in the mountainside. - -If there had been any doubt as to the locality from which the tigers -had come, the great footprints of the animals would have dispelled them -soon. Where the ground was soft or under cultivation the massive paws -had sunk to a depth of nearly twelve inches, and the holes measured -fully as much in diameter. Some were larger than others, indicating -that several of the beasts, of various ages, had been quick to take -advantage of an opportunity to secure a meal easily. - -“We will mount one of the guns here,” Stanley said when they had -approached to within fifty yards of the opening. “You stay here with -half the men; I will place the remainder on either side of the gap -while I take a look at what is on the other side. If there is none of -the animals in sight I will motion to you to come on. If there should -be one near by and it charges, I will run to the rocks on one side so -as to give you a clear sweep of the gap. Keep the gun trained on the -opening, and if anything comes through hold the trigger back until you -are sure the bullets are hitting in the right spot. You can’t miss at -such close range.” - -“You stay here and let me go first,” Ted pleaded. But Stanley insisted -on being the one to face the danger. - -The gun was quickly set up, a magazine full of cartridges snapped into -place, and the muzzle trained on the narrow passage through which the -tigers must come if they should be aroused and attempted a charge. Then -Stanley cautiously started forward with his men, weapons in hand, the -party moving in two files, one on each side, and keeping out of sight -as much as possible behind the mass of rocks that had fallen from above. - -They halted when they reached the foot of the escarpment, and Stanley -mounted his gun on one side of the breech. Then he crept forward -alone, at such a slow pace that he seemed scarcely to move. His face -was covered with cold perspiration, and he thought the pounding of his -heart must be audible across the entire expanse of the valley, but -his courage remained unshaken. Crouching low, he took a hurried peep -around the edge of the rock barrier. Ted watched his every move, firmly -gripping the handle of the gun with one hand, the forefinger of the -other resting lightly on the trigger. - -Stanley must have seen nothing of a formidable nature, for he took a -second and longer look, then, emboldened, crept into the opening. A few -minutes later he emerged, crawling backward, and motioning to the men -to remain where they were, hastened to Ted’s side. - -“It’s the most wonderful thing I ever saw in my life.” He could hardly -speak from excitement. “There is another world beyond that wall of -stone, and it belongs to the past--thousands of years ago, I mean. You -won’t believe it; you can’t until you see for yourself.” - -“What is it?” Ted asked, also breathless with excitement. “You wait -here now and let me sneak up and see.” - -“I will crawl back and put up the gun in the passage. Then you come -with yours. I can’t believe my eyes, and I want you to see it and then -tell me if I am right, or am I losing my mind.” - -To Ted, waiting in the distance, it seemed ages while Stanley carried -out his plan, although in reality it was only a few minutes. The -eagerly awaited wave of the hand came at last, so, picking up his gun, -he hastened to the side of his companion. - -Together they quietly made their way through the rent in the -mountainside; the walls, jagged and torn, rose to a great height on -each side of them, and the bottom was strewn with a mass of shattered -rock. When they reached the far end of the passage they stopped and -stared in awe and amazement at the panorama spread before their eyes. - -They were standing on the brink of a crater miles across in each -direction. The floor of the great depression was only slightly lower -than the spot on which they stood. Plots of green grass, fields of -huge, black boulders, interspersed with islands of tall trees, met -their gaze whichever way they turned. Whisps and jets of steam and -smoke rose from crevices in the rockfields, showing that the volcano -was not yet extinct, but obviously it had been many, many centuries -since there had been an eruption of any importance. In the centre lay a -lake of large size--it covered at least a square mile. And enclosing -the arena on all sides rose the stupendous walls of stone and lava, -blackened with smoke and sulphurous fumes, and of such abruptness that -they appeared perfectly vertical. - -“Good heavens!” Ted gasped. “It looks like the Inferno and Paradise -combined.” - -“It is so terrific and so unbelievable that I am stunned. Prehistoric -is the word for it--a leaf torn from the pages of the world’s history -of thousands of years ago; perhaps even a million. Look, look!” - -Stanley was pointing to a number of black objects of rounded form that -dotted one of the velvety, green areas. - -“Wonder how those stones came to be of such uniform size, and why they -are standing in such evenly distributed groups. Some one must have -placed them there. Why, one of them is moving!” - -“They are not stones. They are tortoises. See that one? It is the size -of a wash-tub, and it’s eating grass.” - -“And look over there, on the margin of the water--to the right,” Ted -whispered. - -A herd of deer was timidly approaching its favorite drinking-place, -out in the open where the nervous animals had a clear view of their -surroundings for many yards. - -“But the tigers! I don’t see a sign of them anywhere except these -tracks leading away from here.” - -“They must be laying up in their lairs among the rocks, or in caves, -maybe. Perhaps they come out only at night.” - -“That makes our work all the harder,” Ted returned. “We cannot follow -them in there without rifles. And if they remain hidden all day long, -how are we going to get at them?” - -“I thought of something just this minute. See that ledge right above -us? That must be fifty feet from the ground. Why not hide up there -to-night and shoot the beasts as they pass? There will be a full moon, -so we shall have no trouble in seeing.” - -“Great! The very thing! We can stick a fluff of white wool on the -sights to make them plainer,” Ted exclaimed enthusiastically. “We have -a number of hours to get ready in, but not one too many, so let’s get -busy right away.” - -While two of the soldiers crouched in the opening as sentinels, ready -to give the alarm at the first sign of danger, the others, under the -direction of Ted and Stanley, rigged up a ladder by winding thongs -around a spliced pole, up which the two could climb to the rock shelf. -This required a good deal of time, but when the work was finally -completed the Americans ascended to the lofty perch, after which they -hoisted up the guns. There were other ledges above them, but the lower -one, they thought, was high enough for security. - -The guards then removed the pole-ladder. Ted and Stanley found -themselves alone on a narrow ledge, and confident that from this -strategic position they could easily stop the murderous marauders when -nightfall should induce them to leave their hiding-places in quest of -victims. - -The soldiers, with their officers, departed immediately, with -instructions to barricade themselves in the nearest houses. At first -the officers were reluctant to leave, but they dared not disobey the -command to go now and to return early on the following morning. They -left their woollen cloaks to be used as blankets by the watchers, and -also a sufficient quantity of food. - -Ted and Stanley, from their point of vantage, scrutinized the -saucer-like expanse before them. Probably they were the first men to -behold the strange world within the crater. So long as daylight lasted, -life in that weird place was peaceful enough. Animals were abundant, -almost everywhere. Species they had not observed before appeared here -and there. Besides the tortoises and deer, there were herds of wild -pigs, armadillos of such great size that they must have weighed a ton, -ant-eaters resembling the large, banded kind, not uncommon in the -Amazon country, and monkeys with short tails. The creatures seemed to -live in perfect harmony; they frolicked in play or busied themselves -searching for food. To look at them engaged in their peaceful -occupations, one would never suspect that such terrible monsters as the -tigers lurked in their very midst. It was a curious conglomeration that -defied description, but of the kind that the men of ages ago saw and -struggled with daily. - -With the first signs of coming night the animals grew restive. The -deer moved toward the high, barren sides of the crater; the armadillos -sought their burrows; the tortoises waddled into crevices in the rocks, -and the other creatures hurried to the forested areas. Within the -space of half an hour the crater appeared deserted. It was ominous. -Experience had taught the denizens of this strange region to seek their -shelters before the onrush of darkness. - -“I’ve loaded the magazines so there will be bursts of ten shots,” Ted -announced. “That ought to be enough, and if it is not, we can let loose -another string of ten additional ones.” - -“If that does not stop them, nothing will.” - -“This place does not seem so high as I thought, somehow or other.” - -“The coming darkness and the shadows are deceptive. Powerful as they -are, the tigers could not possibly jump up here.” - -“No, of course not. But this is a creepy place, just the same. I hope -they do not keep us waiting very long. I almost think I might get -nervous,” Ted laughed, but the laugh sounded hollow and was without -mirth. It seemed as if the experience would be more exciting and less -enjoyable than they had anticipated. - -Just then a black apparition swept past their faces, not a yard away, -on silent wings, and settled on the ledge near by. When it hooted -dismally they knew it was an owl. - -“Wow!” Stanley exclaimed. “I’ll say it’s creepy here. And we are in for -a whole night of it. They took the ladder away so we can’t get down if -we want to. Come on, tigers; this suspense is worse than fighting you.” - -And, almost before he knew it, his wish was gratified. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE MAN IN THE CRATER - - -When the sun plunged into the masses of yellowish mist that clung to -the rim of the crater a bright moon was already high in the heavens. -The transformation from day to night was sudden, for in the tropics -the light fades abruptly, and darkness swoops upon the land almost as -a black cloud scurrying across the face of the sun obliterates the -brilliant radiance in a short space of time. - -The soft moonlight, in streaks and splashes, and the long, creeping -shadows made the floor of the crater seem weird and unreal. A streak -of silvery light lay across the smooth surface of the lake, and as the -two men, crouching on the narrow ledge, gazed in fascination at it, the -mirror-like water was broken by ripples that appeared here and there -like little pools and lines of sparkling jewels. The creatures that -were coming out for their nocturnal frolic, but which could not be -clearly distinguished, swam in circles or straight lines and dived with -great splashes. Only their heads, like black dots, could be seen on the -surface of the water. - -“They may be some kind of a muskrat, like the _nutria_ of the -Argentine, or like the water opossums,” Stanley suggested. “Whatever -they are, they do not seem to be afraid of anything, for, look, one is -heading for the shore.” - -“I suppose the tigers don’t bother them; they are too small to make -even a mouthful.” - -A herd of very large, black animals, with low-swinging heads and short, -curved horns suddenly hove into sight. They emerged from a clump of -forest in a long, straggling formation, and moved to the centre of the -largest clearing. - -“Buffaloes,” Stanley gasped. “A herd of buffaloes. But what are they -doing out in the open?” - -“I should think they would hide at night, like the other animals we -saw. But they do not seem to be worrying about anything.” - -A shrill wail rose clear and piercing from somewhere in the darkness -and echoed back and forth among the rocky walls. It was not repeated. - -“That sounds like a puma,” Ted hazarded after listening in vain for a -repetition of the cry. “I wonder what next!” - -Just then one of the buffaloes gave a sharp bellow of alarm. The herd -became charged with life instantly, and rushed into a compact mass so -quickly it was impossible to follow their movements. But when they -again became quiet it was seen that they were standing in a solidly -packed circle. The cows and calves were in the centre, and the males, -facing outward with lowered heads and bristling horns, formed an -unbroken stockade around them. - -“Now I see their scheme,” Stanley exclaimed. “They have taken their -stand for the night out in the open, where they have a chance for their -lives. I doubt if even the sabre-tooths would dare charge that front of -horns and hoofs. In the forest they could pick them off singly without -much trouble, but----” - -A small stone struck Ted’s shoulder, dropped to the ledge, bounded off, -and rattled down to the ground. - -“Where did that come from?” he asked with a start. - -They looked up along the face of the stone wall, but saw nothing. - -“Just a loose fragment,” Stanley explained with a nervous laugh. -“Probably small pieces are dropping all of the time, or an owl may have -started it in alighting.” - -Again they strained their eyes toward the moonlit floor of the crater. - -“I don’t remember seeing that stone before--the one right below and a -little to the left.” - -“Nor I. But it must have been there, just the same, for stones can’t -walk.” - -“How smooth and round it looks. The moonlight and shadows make it -appear more conspicuous than before; that is why we notice it now.” - -“Yes; I guess you are right.” - -Another pebble came rattling down from above, struck the ledge, and -bounded down into the crater. - -“There is something up there. Stones like that would not drop one at -a time unless something started them,” Ted whispered. “I am going to -watch the top while you keep your eyes on the bottom.” - -But a short time elapsed. Stanley nudged his companion. - -“Look!” he whispered. “The smooth, round stone is moving. It is -creeping along as stealthily as the shadows themselves, and it is -coming in our direction. It must be an animal of some kind.” - -“There is one above, too,” Ted returned with bated breath. “They are -stalking us from the top and the bottom.” - -Stanley quickly looked upward. What he saw made him gasp. A massive -head was clearly outlined against the dark rock of the wall, and a pair -of eyes, blazing with a green fire, seemed to pierce him through. - -“The guns, the guns; quick!” he panted, “before it springs. Don’t mind -the one below----” - -Ted was tugging at his weapon. - -“I can’t. I can’t point it straight up. The angle is too great.” - -“Kneel down. I will rest it on your shoulder.” - -Stanley pulled one of the guns from its mount. The great head was now -hanging over the edge of the shelf on which the creature stood, not ten -feet above them, and from it came a rumbling growl accompanied by a -clicking and champing of strong teeth. - -Ted had dropped to his knees. Stanley was flat on his back trying to -bring the bead through the ring sight of the gun. But the high lights -and shadows were deceptive, and before he could align the sights the -glowing eyes had vanished again. The tiger had drawn back for the -spring. - -“Back! Flatten yourself against the wall,” he shouted, throwing himself -against the face of the cliff and dragging Ted with him. - -Something whizzed through the air; there came a crunching thud, and -then a roar that seemed to make the earth tremble shattered the -death-like silence that had reigned in the crater. An instant later -a huge, dark form catapulted past the crouching men, heavily struck -the edge of the narrow shelf, and fell to the ground with a crash. -Something had gone awry; either the brute had miscalculated the -distance or its footing had given away, and the fall of such a heavy -creature from the great height must have hurt it sorely. - -With one accord the two men pulled themselves to the edge and looked -down. They were just in time to see what they had at first mistaken for -a stone rise to its feet, give one snarl of rage, and then spring upon -the mass that had fallen from above and was thrashing about helplessly -on the ground. - -As it shot through the air, white teeth, like long daggers, glistened -in the sides of the wide-open mouth. There was no mistake. They were -face to face with the sabre-toothed tigers. - -[Illustration: An instant later a huge, dark form catapulted past the -crouching men] - -Screams and snarls, hoarse bellowings and roars cut short by gurgling -blood filled the air, mingled with the sound of the heavy, struggling -bodies. The brutes were in a deadly embrace, and rolled over and over -on the rock-strewn ground, biting, clawing, and tearing at one another -with all the ferocity of their savage nature. The onlookers could not -tell whether this was the settling of an ancient grudge, or if the -tiger that had been on the ground had quickly realized the helplessness -of the one that had fallen from above, and had taken advantage of the -opportunity to easily rid the crater of one of its own kind, of which -there may have been more than the limited space could conveniently -support. - -The combat was terrifying, even from a safe distance, but of short -duration. The aggressor finished his work in short order. To the -ears of the spellbound watchers came the sound of crunching bones -and rending flesh, mingled with cries of agony and fear. And from a -distance rose the mournful wail of a lone wolf, doubtlessly watching -the battle and impatiently waiting for its end so that it might feast -on the remains of the loser. Shadowy forms, also, were flitting -noiselessly through the air, coming apparently from nowhere. They, too, -were awaiting their share of the spoils. - -A few additional plunges of the sword-like teeth and the tiger that -now was underneath lay still. Then the victor arose, shook himself, -and calmly walked away a few paces, faced the centre of the crater and -announced his supremacy with an ear-splitting roar. But was it really -the proclaiming of the winning of a battle with one of his own kind, or -did the thunderous voice convey a challenge? Looking in the direction -toward which the brute had turned, the two on the ledge understood the -situation in a flash. In front of the terrible creature, and not fifty -yards away, stood a man. - -For a moment the tiger stood still, as if planning its strategy, then -it advanced with measured steps, moving its head from side to side and -growling the while. But the man did not stir; he had taken an arrow -from a pack that he carried slung over one shoulder, and was fitting -it, without haste, to his bow. - -Ted and Stanley stared in horror. Who was the man who had dared venture -into the crater, alone and at night, and who now calmly faced the most -powerful as well as most savage of all the earth’s living creatures, -armed with but a bow and a handful of arrows? Surely, he must be -demented, for any man in his right senses would know that such weapons -were of little avail against such an adversary. - -At five paces from its victim the tiger stopped. It crouched low. -The head was resting between the forepaws; the tail, which was short -and thick, twitched nervously from side to side. Was the great beast -surprised and puzzled by the audacity of the mancreature? Or was it -preparing for the spring? - -The man, without haste, raised his bow, grasping the tough wooden arc -and the shaft of the arrow with his left hand while with his right he -began steadily and firmly to draw back the cord. The upper part of his -body was bare, and there was the rippling play of powerful muscles in -arms and shoulders straining to the limit of endurance. - -_Crack!_ The arrow fell to the ground and the bow straightened with a -twang. The string had snapped under the terrific strain. The weapon was -useless. But the man was not dismayed by the misfortune. He threw it -from him and calmly drew a short sword from his belt; then he crouched -forward to await the onslaught of the tiger. - -Stanley sprang to his gun and Ted was not long in following his action. - -“We must save him,” the former shrieked. - -A string of shots rattled forth in quick succession as pointed -tongues of flame leaped from the muzzle of the gun. Another followed -immediately and the gunners took their eyes from the sights and -anxiously looked for the result of the fusillade. Some of the bullets -had found their mark. The great beast was rolling on its back, clawing -the air with frantic and convulsive movements, and tearing at its own -shoulders and sides. Screams of pain came from its throat. But its -struggles did not last long. It lay still save for an occasional moan -and quiver, then even these signs of life stopped. - -“Run! Run for your life!” Stanley shouted to the man. “There may be -another one near by. Come this way. There is a ladder at the foot of -the cliff.” - -“I am not afraid,” the man replied. “I came here to fight the demons.” - -“But your bow is useless; you have only a knife, and that is little -more than worthless against such creatures.” - -“I will come up to you because I want to talk with you. After that I -shall return to the crater.” - -The man started toward them in a leisurely manner. - -“I never saw such courage before. It borders on recklessness.” - -“He must be crazy or trying to do away with himself,” Ted said -emphatically. “Wonder who he can be?” - -“The voice sounded familiar. I am sure I have heard it before, often. -Do you realize that he saved our lives? The _whiz_ we heard over our -heads just as the tiger above us was about to spring was caused by an -arrow. He saw our position and knew that it was hopeless, so he shot -at the animal and wounded it; that destroyed its aim and it missed us, -barely striking the edge of the shelf and falling to the ground. If it -hadn’t been for him the brute should have dropped on top of us.” - -“Well, it was a narrow escape, and I am glad we were able to repay the -fellow in kind. But I want to meet him and thank him for his action, -anyway.” - -There was the scraping of the tall pole-ladder against the face of the -rock, and a moment later the man’s head and shoulders appeared over the -rim of the ledge. The two grasped his hands and helped him up. - -His face was youthful. Ted and Stanley knew they had seen it somewhere. -And his body, while inclined to be slender, was of strong, athletic -build. His only article of clothing was a short tunic of a dark color, -so tattered that it hung from him in strips and fringes of thread. - -“You killed the demon,” he said in a voice touched with sadness. “Why -did you do it?” - -“To save you, of course. Your weapon was broken. You had only a sword -left. And, anyway, you saved our lives, so we were but repaying an -honorable debt,” Stanley said in surprise. - -“I was not afraid. I am not a coward.” - -“No one could ever call you a coward after seeing what we saw. But it -was only natural that we should see your danger and do what we could -to help you out of it. A man armed with only a sword would have small -chance against such a large, ferocious beast.” - -“I was not afraid to die. It would not have mattered, anyway,” the man -said sadly. - -“Tell us,” Stanley urged, “how did you happen to be in the crater at -this time of the night, and alone?” - -“To prove to myself that, no matter what I may have been or may have -done in the past, I am not a coward at heart.” - -“No one called you a coward.” - -“Yes, imploring your forgiveness for the contradiction. You called me -that very loathsome thing.” - -“I?” in surprise. “When?” - -The man hesitated. His demeanor was so humble and he appeared so -downcast that the two were sorry for him. - -“I will take it all back,” Stanley apologized, holding out his hand. -“You are as courageous as any one I have ever seen.” - -“Do you not know me?” The man came a few steps nearer and turned his -face full into the moonlight. “Look into my face. I am Quizquiz!” - -“Quizquiz!” both the Americans exclaimed in astonishment. - -“Yes.” - -“Impossible.” - -“Look closely! Now do you recognize me?” He came still nearer and -quietly submitted to their scrutiny. - -“As I live, it is Quizquiz, but it cannot be the one we knew.” -Stanley could hardly believe his eyes. “The Quizquiz who was king was -treacherous, cruel, cowardly, and bloodthirsty; the person who stands -before us has proved by his actions to-night that he does not know -fear, at least, and such valor must have other noble qualities for -companions.” - -“The same body, but not the same spirit, stands before you. Yesterday I -was king, with all the evil traits you mentioned, and more too. To-day, -I rank with the lowliest--I am nobody in the sight of men, but I have -found my true self. That is worth all it cost.” - -“Tell us, how did you get into the crater?” - -“When, at your command, the sun became darkened, I was seized with -panic and fled, blinded by fear and terror. I knew not where I went. -And when daylight came again I found myself in this frightful place. -Fearing pursuit, I hid in the first crevice in the rocks--it would -scarcely admit my body--and waited. Darkness came and with it great -monsters emerged from their lairs in the caves. First one, then -another, found my hiding-place, but the opening was too small to admit -their massive heads. There they stood, screaming and roaring, and -blowing their hot breath into my face until I fainted. When I came -to, the demons had gone; soon they returned carrying in their mouths -the bodies of the luckless soldiers they had slain in the valley. -One stopped not ten paces from my place of concealment and, in full -view, proceeded to eat its victim; for minutes that seemed like ages -I was compelled to lie quietly with the sound of tearing flesh and -splintering bones in my ears. And then it came to me suddenly, like -the lightning flash in the sky. I was to blame for all this. It was -my wrong-doings that had caused untold discontent and suffering in my -kingdom. With vainglorious pride I had listened to the flatterers, -had followed their suggestions, and had rewarded them lavishly at the -expense of the wise, the just, and the good. It was too late to undo -these wrongs or to right the injustices of which I had been guilty; but -I still had the opportunity to prove to myself that I could be a worthy -son of Huayna Capac, then return and ask for a merited punishment. My -spirit is now at ease.” - -“Villac Umu was the cause of your downfall, was he not?” - -“He was my instructor and adviser so long back as I can remember.” - -“Were you not governed entirely by his advice?” - -“I blame only myself. As king, I was not compelled to listen to any -one. I alone am responsible for everything, and deserve the most -merciless punishment.” - -“Of course you realize that you are no longer king. You are a fugitive -from justice, while we are now masters. The tables are turned. You -prepared the most fiendish torture that could be devised for us; -naturally you must expect us to treat you in the same manner.” - -“I am in your hands. Do as you see fit.” - -Quizquiz fumbled at his belt; then he fell upon his knees. - -“On bended knees I give to you the crimson fringe to which I have no -further right. Take it, wear it, and may your God and mine protect you.” - -His head was bowed in deepest humiliation. In his extended hand he held -the _borla_, the Inca’s badge of authority. - -Stanley took it almost reverently. - -“Quizquiz”--Stanley’s voice was tense with emotion--“we are not -unmindful of the fact that to-night you were the means of saving our -lives, and we are not ungrateful. But neither can we forget your -previous character. The welfare of a nation depends upon us. We cannot -sacrifice it. You admitted your guilt; you deserve the severest -punishment possible. Therefore, you will now consider yourself our -prisoner. Do you consent to arrest, or shall we use violence?” - -“I give myself into your keeping freely, and I know that the worst -you can do to me will not be half so much as I deserve. Here are my -hands--bind them--then my feet, too.” - -“No, we shall not bind you. We are not afraid of you, or that you will -escape. Go to the far end of the ledge and sit down with your back -toward the wall. Our guns will be trained upon you; one move, and you -die, understand?” - -“Your words are very plain. I will do as you command,” and he took up -his station in the spot indicated. - -Ted and Stanley, while never for an instant relaxing their vigilance, -discussed at length the amazing turn events had taken. The problem that -confronted them was a perplexing one. Had they encountered the old -Quizquiz they had known it would have been an easy matter to dispose -of him. But the new Quizquiz was a different person, endowed with the -very virtues the other had lacked. There was also this to consider: was -he sincere? Would his goodness last, or was he but playing a game with -the hope of regaining the throne, when his old character should again -assert itself in all its viciousness? - -The problem, therefore, that they discussed far into the night, but for -which they were unable to find the solution, was: “What shall we do -with Quizquiz?” - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE BREACH IN THE MOUNTAIN IS CLOSED - - -“I hope the two dead tigers down there are not the only ones that -remained in the crater. It would be a pity to exterminate such a -wonderful species,” Stanley said toward morning. They had watched -throughout the long hours of the night without seeing more of the -beasts. So long as the moon shone observation had been comparatively -easy, but when the bright disk dipped behind the crater walls the -darkness was intense. They strained their eyes and ears but saw or -heard nothing. - -“It does seem a pity to destroy all of them, but what else can we do? -If they are not killed they will eventually wipe out the people,” Ted -returned. - -“Quizquiz!” Stanley called to the crouching form that had not stirred -from its place on the ledge. “You spent last night in the crater. Were -there many of the creatures you call demons, but which are in reality -tigers? Did you see more than two?” - -“There were more than two. There were more than four. I saw five from -my crevice in the rocks after I had regained my senses and looked out.” - -“I wonder why we saw only two to-night?” - -“I saw a third and a fourth near the lake just before the moonlight -faded; but the smell of the blood of their dead kindred kept them from -coming nearer.” - -“What? You saw others to-night?” from Stanley severely. “Why did you -not tell us about it?” - -“A prisoner may not speak to his captors unless he is spoken to first,” -Quizquiz replied meekly. - -“You are right. See that you keep your proper place at all times.” - -When daylight was fairly advanced, Soncco and the soldiers appeared -in the distance. They approached the spot cautiously until Stanley, -from his lofty station, bade them halt. Soncco alone was commanded -to advance to the foot of the precipice, but in deference to his age -Stanley came down the ladder instead of asking the elderly man to climb -up. Ted remained above to keep his eye on the captive, and also to -watch for signs of life in the crater. He could not hear what was being -said by the two below, but after half an hour Stanley rejoined him, -while Soncco remained on the ground. - -“We have been discussing a number of things,” he said in answer to his -companion’s inquiring looks. “I suggested some of them, Soncco thought -of others, and still others just grew out of our conversation. First, -before anything is decided definitely, I want to lay the plans before -you so you can express your opinion. Whatever we do concerns both of -us. Your future, as well as mine, depends on the outcome of things.” - -“All right,” Ted returned, “but I should be perfectly willing to -intrust the whole matter to you; you have done pretty well, so far.” - -“Thanks! But I will let you help. Now, first, here is the crater. From -all we can see of it it does not possess much value as an agricultural -proposition. There are scores of queer animals in there that probably -do not exist anywhere else on the face of the earth. If we let the -people go in there the animals will be exterminated in short order. We -do not want that. They are a last remnant of a prehistoric age, just -as the people in the valley are the last pitiful reminder of a once -powerful nation, possessing a wonderful civilization. Both survived -because they were isolated from the outer world--and would still be so -but for us.” - -“How can we save them?” Ted asked. “I am in favor of it if it can be -done.” - -“That great wall between Uti and the main valley was built to keep the -tigers from destroying the people years ago,” Stanley said, pointing -to the massive structure, the end of which had been undermined and -destroyed by the explosion. “If that was not too much work for them, it -will not be too much to fill up this little gap.” - -“That’s a bully idea. We can watch up here while the men place the -stones in position, and protect them if need be. Then life can go on in -the crater just the same as if we had never found it.” - -“Exactly. I am glad you are in favor of that, too. Now for the two dead -tigers. We must take them out, of course, and carry them back home with -us. I am glad we have them, and we have a clear conscience also. We did -not destroy them wantonly. And we did not exterminate the species.” - -“I should say we do want to take them home with us. They will be the -biggest treasure we shall get.” - -“Then we must have them dragged out and skinned. The skins and -skeletons will weigh a lot. Remember, the same weight in gold would be -worth a fortune.” - -“I would rather have the animals. Some museum will be glad to have -them, and they will create no end of discussions. Now we ought to make -a solemn pledge--never to tell any one of this place, or how to get to -it. We shall have the proof that we were in some prehistoric spot, and -that will have to be enough.” - -“It’s a go. Shake! Now that is settled. Soncco wants to have the -coronation at once. I want him to hold off a while. We must have -time to learn more of our respective jobs before undertaking the -responsibility of them. How does that strike you?” - -“Very sensible, I should say. Let’s call together all the amautas in -the valley and ask them questions. They can tell us all we ought to -know.” - -“We’ll do that. Last of all is the proposition of having Quizquiz on -our hands. But we can come to no decision about him just now. Time may -make a difference in the attitude we should assume toward him. We must -be perfectly fair and see that no injustice is done any one.” - -“That seems to answer the question for the time being. He is our -prisoner and we can take our time in deciding what his fate shall be.” - -Stanley went back down the ladder and, after a short conversation with -Soncco, the latter commanded the soldiers to advance. He then placed -himself at the head of the column and led it through the passage into -the crater. There, under his direction, they fastened thongs to the -legs of the great animals, and after an infinite amount of tugging and -panting succeeded in dragging the heavy carcasses out into the valley. -Then they built a fire in the far end of the gap, after which Ted and -Quizquiz, the latter with a cloth covering his face, came down from the -ledge, and while messengers returned to the city for laborers the two -Americans examined their prizes, measured them, and made numerous notes -upon their appearance. The monsters were terrible even in death. They -were the size of a grizzly bear and of a uniformly tawny color. The -head and shoulders were massive and showed that the brutes possessed -unrivalled strength. A short but thick mane of coarse hair grew on -the neck, although it was not so abundant as the mane of a lion. From -each side of the mouth protruded a long, curved tooth, sharp and -dagger-like. It was these terrible weapons, a foot long, coupled with -the powerful claws, that made the tigers so formidable, and enabled -them to kill without danger to themselves every denizen of the crater -world excepting only the buffaloes, whose safety lay in concerted -action. The tail was short and thick. - -One of the animals, the one that had fallen from the high ledge, had -been so badly mauled that its skin was torn to shreds in numerous -places. The other was in perfect condition; it had been struck by five -of the twenty shots fired from the machine-gun. - -Ted and Stanley lost no time in beginning the preparation of their -prizes, after having recorded the necessary observations. At their -request Soncco detailed a dozen soldiers to do the work under their -direction. The natives were wide-eyed with wonder at sight of the -strange creatures, and marvelled over the fact that the Americans -had been able to slay them, for, according to their traditions, they -were demons that had best be pacified with offerings of victims, and -not attacked and vanquished. But so accustomed were they to the rigid -discipline of army life that they dared not question the orders that -had been given them, and fell to work in a mechanical manner. - -While some worked at removing the skins, others began to scrape the -bones. When the skins were finally free from the flesh they were -stretched on frames of poles and raised to a vertical position. Soon -a black speck appeared in the sky, then another, and another, until a -score of vultures were circling overhead, drawing constantly nearer and -moving their bare heads from side to side as they scanned the ground -for the food they had sensed from a distance. - -At a word from Soncco the men stepped back a few yards and stood -motionless. Then the repulsive birds swooped down and hovering in front -of the hides pecked and tore at the particles of flesh that clung to -them until they were clean, so that they could dry without spoiling. -The skins themselves were not in the least injured by the birds; only -the superfluous tissue had been removed, and the men were saved the -trouble of scraping and dressing them down. - -After that, the bones of both tigers were taken to an ant-hill and -buried in the loose mound. In a few days they too would be perfectly -clean, and could be taken out and packed for transportation. - -“If we had rifles we could make a complete collection of all the -species in the crater,” Ted exclaimed. “There is not another one like -it in the world.” - -“The temptation to do that would be strong, so I am glad we have no -rifles.” - -“Yes, it is best to let them stay where they are and to live their -lives as was intended rather than preserve them in a glass case.” - -By this time a detachment of the laborers arrived. This group had been -recruited from the nearest village and brought camping equipment and -supplies. Soncco immediately put them to work erecting tents for the -Americans, and when this had been accomplished the two retired for a -much-needed rest. The aged amauta had urged them again to return to -the city, but they steadfastly refused, saying that the safety of the -populace was their first consideration. Their own comfort could wait. -How different was their conduct from that of the deposed Inca! Although -they had been raised to the highest ranks by popular acclamation, -their request that the people refrain from showing signs of homage were -wonderingly respected; and their orders were instantly obeyed. That -was sufficient for the present. It would inspire that confidence and -admiration that would be the greatest asset in the long run. - -Quizquiz, unrecognized, shared their quarters with them. No one dared -question them upon any matter whatever, so their secret was safe. - -It was not until the following morning that the laborers arrived in -numbers. A roaring fire had been kept burning in the passage throughout -the night, and there had been no attempt on the part of the tigers to -force this barrier. That more of the ferocious creatures did exist in -the crater, however, was proven by the occasional roar that issued from -the dark regions beyond the fire. - -Being unacquainted with the working methods of the Indians, Stanley -turned the proposition of building the wall over to Soncco, who in -turn immediately placed one of the chief masons in complete charge of -the undertaking. The latter proceeded in a most businesslike manner. -He divided his workmen into squads and assigned to each its respective -duty. - -There being need of great haste, the master mason had decided to erect -a temporary obstruction first. Some of the workers brought baskets -of earth and pebbles from the river-bank, carrying their burdens on -their shoulders, and dumped them into the opening. Others picked out -the smaller fragments of stone from the débris of the tumbled-down -section of the great wall, and of the avalanche that had slid down the -mountainside, and threw them into the breach. It was surprising to see -how rapidly the heap of material grew in height as the unbroken line of -toilers filed past and deposited the contents of their baskets. - -Nor did they pause in their labors for food or drink. At frequent -intervals they crammed handfuls of coca-leaves into their mouths, which -they chewed or held in their cheeks so that they bulged out like a -gopher’s. The effect of the drug derived from the dried leaves was to -deaden all feelings of thirst, hunger, and fatigue. At night they ate -a large quantity of thick porridge, made by boiling ground maize in -water; after eating, each man took off his _poncho_, or cape, wrapped -it tightly about himself, and lay down on the bare ground to sleep. - -By the end of the second day the ridge of earth and pebbles had reached -a height of fifteen yards, and preparations were made to begin work on -the wall proper on the following morning. The skilled masons had been -engaged during this time in hewing the blocks of stone intended for the -permanent structure. They used mallets of stone and chisels of tempered -copper. - -The stones for the first layer, or foundation, were of large size and -very heavy. They were rolled and pried into place by a swarm of workmen -who used long, stout poles as levers. This accomplished, the horde -again took up its baskets and brought pebbles and earth as heretofore. -But this time the material was thrown on the ground in front of the -wall-base and tamped into place, forming an inclined plane, the higher -end of which was level with the top of the row of stones already in -place. Other blocks of granite were now pried and rolled on the first -tier; then the sloping plane was immediately filled in to reach the top -of this layer. - -Thus the work continued for thirty days. And when the wall had reached -the height of fifty feet it was considered finished. The tigers were -again shut off from the valley, isolated in their own little world, -to live their lives free from the destructive influences of man, and -the inhabitants of the Inca’s domain were safe from the attacks of the -ferocious creatures. Ted and Stanley felt sure that the Indians would -never reopen the passage; they held the great beasts in superstitious -awe and were afraid of them, and were only too glad to keep them -prisoner where they belonged. - -The workers now removed the material forming the inclined plane, -leaving the wall straight and true, rising from the foot of the -escarpment, with each stone exposed to view. As this task was one not -requiring their supervision, and would take a long time, for the earth -and pebbles were scooped into baskets and returned to the places from -which they had been taken, the two Americans did not stay to see its -completion. - -They had spent the days in serious discussions with Soncco, and others -of the amautas were sent for at times. The policy of the new government -was considered minutely; reforms were considered; and, after numerous -secret sessions to which Ted and Stanley admitted only Soncco, the -fate of Quizquiz was definitely decided. Their power and authority was -supreme; they would use them as they saw fit, and the example they had -determined to set was one the people would never forget. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THE KING IS CROWNED - - -The way back to the city was short, and Ted and Stanley, accompanied -only by Soncco and the disguised Quizquiz timed their march so as -to arrive after nightfall. They did not want to be observed by the -populace. The white-haired amautas, who were on the lookout, took them -directly to the royal palace--the one that had been occupied by the -late Huayna Capac, and more recently by Quizquiz. - -“In the olden days each ruler had his own residence,” Soncco -apologized. “When an Inca died his palace was closed forever and a -new one built for his successor. But there is so little room in the -valley that the same edifice is used by all the rulers. But the old -furnishings are always destroyed and new ones provided.” - -“That is perfectly all right so far as we are concerned. We shall -retire at once. Come back early in the morning; there are a million -things to do,” Stanley replied. Then to Ted, after the amauta had gone: -“We shall have our hands full for quite a while. Their whole system of -government will have to be studied, but we must make as few changes as -possible.” - -At daybreak the two were awakened by the chatter and whistling of -troupials in the garden. Further sleep was impossible, so they went out -into the crisp air to view their surroundings and to witness the birth -of the new day. - -“What gorgeous birds!” Ted exclaimed when he discovered the source of -the early serenade. “It’s a pity their voices are not so beautiful as -their feathers.” - -A number of troupials, or orioles, of a black-and-yellow color were -confined in cages suspended from the lower branches of the trees. They -were of a fearless and happy disposition and pecked at the fingers of -the men when they thrust them between the golden wires of the little -prisons. - -The two wandered between the trees and flowers for some time. Among the -growing, blossoming plants were clumps of artificial ones wrought in -gold and silver. They admired and marvelled at the extravagant beauty -of the garden; and to think that it was all theirs! - -The murmur of water came to their ears, and following the sound they -came upon a basin hewn in the solid stone and lined with silver. It was -the Inca’s bath. Streams of water flowing from silver tubes poured -into the pool on two sides. Vines covered with brilliant flowers formed -a canopy over it. - -“Just what I have been looking for,” Stanley exclaimed gleefully. “I -have not had a bath in ages.” - -“Huayna Capac would turn in his grave if he saw us profane the sacred -bath of the Incas.” - -“Let him turn. I am certainly going in for a swim.” - -“If you can, I will too.” - -They splashed about for a while and had hardly finished dressing again -when Soncco appeared and greeted them with a low bow. - -“I am at the service of the king,” he said humbly. - -“Remember,” Stanley rebuked him, “I do not want to be addressed that -way. And stop the bowing--at least for a while. What news?” - -“Villac Umu has been captured.” - -“Good work! Now we have both the troublemakers.” - -“What is your pleasure regarding him?” - -“Keep him prisoner--closely guarded. Feed him all he can eat and do not -mistreat him in any way. He shall have a fair trial.” - -“Why not have him brought here so we can keep him under observation and -size him up?” Ted asked. - -“I have no objection. Bring him to the palace. And now about the -meeting: have all the nobles here to-morrow morning an hour after -sunrise. Above all things, do not let out the secret that Quizquiz is -here. That must remain absolutely unknown.” - -Soncco, forgetting himself, bowed and departed. The two returned to -their apartments and spent the day examining the wonders of the palace -and in questioning Quizquiz. - -The next day the council chamber was packed with the nobles who had -been gathered together by Soncco. They formed a silent and expectant -mass. It was their first official visit to the new sovereign they had -chosen during the moment of darkness and terror when the eclipse had -wiped out the light of the sun. Ted and Stanley felt the importance of -the occasion. Their future might depend upon the way they handled the -situation. They must impress the assembly favorably and more firmly -establish their power over it. For these reasons they consented to use -the thrones that stood at one end of the room, but were concealed from -the assembly by heavy curtains. - -Attendants drew aside the draperies slowly, and as the two Americans -were revealed the nobles bowed low their heads in homage and reverence, -nor did they raise them until Stanley spoke. - -“Quizquiz is no longer king by reason of his desertion of his throne -and because you, the nobility of the nation, have declared his reign at -an end,” he said without rising. “By popular acclamation I have been -chosen his successor.” - -Not a sound interrupted the speech. All ears were strained so as not to -lose a single word. - -“My first and only desire in accepting the lofty office is to serve -the people. This sounds strange to you. But the welfare and happiness -of the nation must be brought about, and I shall work toward that end. -In order to accomplish this it is only just and proper that the people -should have a voice in their government through chosen representatives -from the various districts. Theirs shall be the duty to meet and -discuss the needs of the populace, and to advise the king of them, and -to act with him in council. Therefore, the first step under the new -régime is to secure these representatives.” - -Soncco, who had been in the front of the gathering, now came forward -and stood on the left side of the golden chairs on which Ted and -Stanley were seated; after bowing to the two he turned and faced -the audience. It was necessary for him to assume this position in -addressing the gathering, for it was unlawful for any one to turn his -back upon the ruler. - -“It has been decreed by our most wise sovereign,” he began in a solemn -voice, “that two representatives shall be chosen from each of the -twelve districts--one to be a noble and the other from among the common -people, and in the following manner. On the day of the election all the -men must gather in the respective capitals of the various districts to -make their choice. The office is open to any man above thirty years -of age. Those who seek election must present themselves in the public -square and stand facing the sun, twenty paces apart; they may not ask -support of any one, but each may briefly state his policy so that -every one may hear. One hour after sunrise each voter will fall in -line in back of the candidate of his choosing. The groups will then be -counted by the resident chief of the district, and the man having the -greatest number of supporters will be declared elected for a term of -two years. If any candidate solicits a vote, or if any voter sells his -ballot, he will be guilty of a crime; the penalty for either offense -shall be disqualification to ever vote again or to ever hold office. -Furthermore, the offender shall work for a period of one hundred -days in the public fields, clothed in a distinctive black mantle of -disgrace. If there be any one who would ask questions, let him speak!” - -An avalanche of queries were hurled at the speaker and for a moment he -was nonplussed. - -“One at a time,” Stanley ordered, and then the commotion subsided. - -Soncco was kept busy explaining the matter for over two hours, but -finally they understood. It was all so different, so unheard of, that -at first they could not comprehend the situation. - -Before dismissing the assembly Stanley ordered them all to return to -their homes without delay and in a series of mass-meetings explain -the tidings to the inhabitants of the valley. At the end of twenty -days the elections were to be held, and at the end of thirty days the -representatives were to report to the Coricancha for the coronation of -their ruler and for the inauguration into their new offices. - -“We cannot do everything,” Stanley said to Ted when they were alone -after the meeting. “Changes in government come slowly, and if they -are too radical and too complicated they cause only confusion. All we -can do here is to point out the right road; then let them find their -own way. In the long run it is they, not we, who must work out their -salvation.” - -“Even at that it will be one of the biggest steps forward they have -made in ages. I believe we are accomplishing something well worth -while. To have a whole nation in one’s absolute power, and to set it on -its feet, is a thing the greatest statesmen in the world are trying to -do at this very minute, and without glaring success either.” - - * * * * * - -The ensuing thirty days were busy ones for Ted and Stanley. Each -morning they received the amautas and spent several hours in -conversation with them. After that they strolled in the garden with -its marvellous flowers, gorgeous birds, and sparkling fountains. The -afternoons were spent closeted with Quizquiz, whose presence they had -succeeded in keeping secret save only for Soncco and a few trusted -guards. They received reports daily from the caciques, or chiefs, of -the various districts who were conducting the search for the supposed -fugitive, and these reports, of course, always admitted failure to -capture the elusive Quizquiz. - -Villac Umu remained surly and unapproachable. The Americans tried -in every way to penetrate into his real character, and to learn if -there was not a single good trait in his make-up, but his case proved -hopeless. He repelled all their advances with sneers and threats, and -convinced the two that any attempt to reason with him was worse than -futile. So, after deciding definitely the future of Quizquiz, they also -passed upon the fate of the high priest. - -The month passed all too soon. By the end of the twenty-second day -the representatives from the nearer districts began to arrive. Those -from the more remote cities did not reach the City of Gold until the -day before the ceremonies. Each one was accompanied by the chief from -the district that had sent him, and the latter was compelled to vouch -for his identity and to certify to his proper election. Those of noble -birth as well as the commoners were given quarters in one of the large -buildings adjoining the Inca’s own residence. - -Besides the delegates, hundreds of nobles and a host of the populace -swarmed to the capital for the great event, and these were taken care -of either in the numerous barracks or in the private houses of the -city. No one was left without suitable accommodations and food, as -befitted his rank. - -Long before sunrise of the appointed day the crowds began to make their -way to the great plaza, where they took up their stations, silently -and expectantly. The space had been divided into three sections, the -limits of each of which was defined by a line of soldiers. In the first -part, immediately in front of the palace, was a raised dais on which -the coronation was to take place; it was covered with a fringed canopy -of snowy cloth, and an enclosed passage led from it into the royal -residence. On each side was a lower platform for the newly elected -delegates of the people. - -The second section was reserved for the nobles. And in the third as -many of the populace crowded as the space would hold. - -The Americans had planned to make the ceremony as unpretentious as -possible. All the pomp and splendor that had previously attended the -crowning of a sovereign should be lacking. Only those things were -retained that were absolutely required by the ancient code of laws -to make the act legal and binding in the eyes of the nation. The -importance of the occasion should impress itself indelibly upon the -minds of the assembly by its seriousness and simplicity. - -The sun was high in the heavens when all was in readiness. A single -herald stepped from behind the curtains that hid the stage from -view and, raising a silver bugle, blew a loud blast. Instantly all -conversation was hushed, and a breathless silence fell upon the -throng. A second blast, but not so loud as the first, rang out upon -the still, morning air. And then a third, so low and plaintive that it -was scarcely audible, and seemed to die with a sob. Then the trumpeter -withdrew. - -One hundred youths, dressed in simple blue tunics, with bare arms and -legs, now filed out of the palace with slow, measured steps. On their -shoulders they carried a massive golden chain, each link of which was -four inches long. They formed a semicircle in front of the soldiers -between the first and second sections--a kind of barrier between the -king and the people. - -When they had taken their places six trumpeters appeared on the stage -and sounded the three blasts, as before, in unison. Then the curtains -were slowly drawn aside revealing the massive throne of wrought gold -that had been removed from the palace; beside it stood Ted, dressed in -the robes of Villac Umu, and in front of him knelt an attendant holding -a white cushion, upon which rested the _borla_, or crimson fringe, that -had been given to them by Quizquiz on the ledge the night he had saved -them from the tiger, and which was the diadem of the kingly office. - -Once more the bugles sounded, but this time it was the royal fanfare of -twelve loud blasts; it announced the coming of the one to be crowned -king. At last the great moment had arrived. The assembled thousands -uncovered their heads and reverently awaited the appearance of their -white ruler. - -A single figure walked out upon the stage, clad in a simple white tunic -and scarlet sandals. Not a jewel, not an ornament of gold, adorned -the newcomer, and this fact alone was unexpected and startling to the -multitude. But the thing that caused them to gasp in even greater -astonishment was that the lone figure was not Stanley--but Quizquiz. -They were speechless with amazement. Where a thunderous roar should -have greeted the appearance of the sovereign, there was the silence of -death. - -Quizquiz, pale but unafraid, stood in the centre of the dais and -faced the people. He said nothing, but in his eyes there shone a new -light that bespoke courage, firmness of purpose, and at the same time -repentance. After standing quietly for a few minutes he spoke in a -clear, steady voice: - -“The past cannot be recalled. You know what my conduct was. I have no -excuses to make. I was a fool. Judge me as you will, do with me as you -will. I am ready to abide by your decision.” - -The surprise had been so overwhelming that for a short time no one was -able to utter a word. They simply stared, unable to believe their eyes. -But finally Huascar, he who had been condemned to be boiled in oil, -assumed the rôle of spokesman: - -“It is Quizquiz,” he cried hoarsely, “who wanted to kill us. Where is -the white man who saved all of us and who was chosen to be king? Has -this evil one done away with our benefactor, who came from the sky and -whose commands even the sun obeys? Is he usurping the power given to -another and which he so shamefully gave up?” - -“The white king!” other voices took up the cry. “We want the white -king who saved us from the darkness and the demons, and----” - -At this juncture Stanley, who had been waiting on the rear of the -stage, thought it best to show himself. His appearance was the signal -for a demonstration of welcome that sounded like the rumble of thunder. - -“Hail! Hail the king!” and “Let him be crowned at once!” the multitude -shouted until Stanley raised his hand to command silence. - -“I am not unappreciative of this, the greatest of all honors, which you -offer me,” he said with feeling, “and I thank you. My companion and I -did not come here to rule you.” - -“You saved the nation from destruction,” Huascar shouted. “Do not -desert us now.” - -“Our work is finished. Therefore we shall return again to our own -people.” - -“And leave us to the mercy of Quizquiz the Tyrant? Never!” - -“Wait! Quizquiz is the son of Huayna Capac, whom you all loved and -venerated for his many noble qualities. Does it seem possible that -the son of the Inca so justly beloved for his kindness, justice, and -understanding should have inherited none of his father’s greatness?” - -“He has never shown it. He was cruel and unjust and selfish. He -treated us like vermin, and tried to exterminate us.” - -“No one knows that better than I, unless it is Quizquiz himself. But -listen, and when you have heard my words you will understand; and, -understanding, you will agree that what we would do is for the best.” - -Stanley then related how they had found Quizquiz in the crater, alone, -and with only a fragile bow and arrows, surrounded by strange and -terrible beasts, and of the courage he displayed in facing them; how he -had saved their lives when the tiger was about to spring upon them, and -how he had climbed to the ledge and voluntarily surrendered his crown -after acknowledging the wrongs of his past life. Finally, he told of -the months during which they had kept him under constant observation, -and of the decision they had reached regarding his future. - -“Furthermore,” he concluded, “we have surrounded you with safeguards -for the future. The code of laws has been revised, and the -death-penalty abolished, so your lives are safe. Every person accused -of a crime or offense will be considered innocent until proven -guilty in a fair trial, by the regularly constituted court. The king -may suggest new laws, or changes in the existing ones, but unless -two-thirds of the representatives, chosen by the people, agree with -him they shall not be effective. But to all government there must be -a head. Quizquiz is your king by law and heritage. Respect him as such -and he will rule wisely and well in return for your devotion. We are -sure of this or we should not ask you to take him back.” - -“Truly, the white man’s words are those of a god, and not of a mortal!” -Huascar exclaimed. “The things he says must be true, for have we not -had proof of his powers? To keep him here against his wishes would be -poor gratitude for his goodness--and, anyway, he would find a way to -leave us if he so desired. A great light is dawning upon me. Instead -of taking advantage of our helplessness, the men from the outer world -have made over our king and are giving him back to us. They could have -power and riches, but their unselfishness causes them to reject the -temptation. Let us kneel in gratitude and bless them.” - -The words of Huascar had a magical effect, which only proves how easily -mobs are swayed provided there is a strong leader among them. As one -man the mass of people obeyed, and as they knelt Stanley spoke to them -for the last time: - -“Receive your king with the acclamation that is due him,” he said. - -Then Quizquiz advanced and extended his hands toward his people. The -roar that greeted him left no doubt in the minds of the Americans of -the success of their plan. So Ted came forward and placed the crimson -fringe on Quizquiz’s head; then he stepped back three paces, saluted -the new king smartly, and followed Stanley into the passage. - -Quizquiz descended the steps and taking a sword cut a cord that joined -two links in the golden chain, whereupon the youths carrying it stepped -aside, leaving an opening in the centre. The Inca then invited the -twenty-four representatives of the people to follow him up the dais and -take their places by his side. After that he delivered a short address, -lauding the Americans for their work and thanking them, and assuring -his subjects that henceforth his life would be devoted to their welfare. - -The crowd was delirious with joy. It was one of the happiest days in -the lives of the populace, for, despite their denunciation of Quizquiz -in the hour of panic, old beliefs die hard, and most of them still -felt deep in their hearts the old reverence for the Child of the Sun, -and were glad to have him back. And they celebrated the festival for -a period of ten days. They also rejoiced over the fact that Villac -Umu, the real cause of all the trouble, had been banished to the high -slopes, to be a herder of llamas. - - * * * * * - -Quizquiz had arranged an impressive demonstration to commemorate the -departure of the Americans. By his command every inhabitant of the -valley capable of making the trip had journeyed to the foot of the -range that formed the western enclosure of the hidden retreat. There -was to be a gala celebration, after which the strangers would depart -through the secret pass that opened up once every ten years. - -During the first day there were music, dancing, and feasting. On the -second all the nobles came to bid the two farewell, and to offer their -well-wishes for a safe and speedy return to their homes. On the morning -of the third day a surprising thing occurred. Soncco, who was master of -ceremonies, had arranged a startling spectacle. At his command a number -of menials removed the covering from what had appeared to be a great -heap of wood or stones. To their surprise they saw that it was a great -mound of gold. - -“Assembled here is all the treasure in the valley,” Soncco said -solemnly. “Gold has been the curse of the nation, but we are determined -to be cursed with it no longer. So much of the gold and precious stones -as one hundred men can carry on their backs will be sent with our white -friends to the outer world, as a token of the Inca’s appreciation of -their unselfish service to him and to the people. The remainder will be -destroyed.” - -To the astonishment of Ted and Stanley a long line of men began filing -past the glistening heap. Each one picked up as much of the treasure -as he could carry, and started up the slope to the rim of one of the -numerous craters; there the precious burdens were dropped into the -volcano. - -Not until dusk did the homeward journey commence. The people had -been sent away to their own homes. Only Quizquiz and his attendants, -Soncco, and the hundred soldiers with their officers remained with the -Americans. After embracing the two the Inca gave the officers their -final orders. Then he turned to Ted and Stanley. - -“As I have told you before, the journey to the coast is not a long -one--ten days at most. You will be among my people all of the time, for -the trail runs through a region into which white men never venture. -Food will be supplied by the villages through which you pass. On the -shore of the great water stands the town of Tula. There you may safely -store your treasure until such time as you care to remove it; the -inhabitants are my faithful subjects, and my orders to serve you in -every way will not be disobeyed. Good-by.” - -Soncco accompanied the two to the very end of the narrow passage -between the seething volcanoes. - -“Before you go,” he said with a merry gleam in his bright eyes, “I -want to tell you something. That eclipse of the sun came at a very -opportune moment for all of us.” - -“What!” both Ted and Stanley exclaimed in chagrin. “You knew about it?” - -“Of course, and so did all the other amautas, for do we not know -everything? Eclipses have occurred before, and we have records of them, -but the Inca and the people are not told about such things. If we told -them everything we know we should lose our standing among them.” - -“Then why did you help us and seem so reluctant about doing it?” Ted -asked. - -“Because, from my knowledge of you, gained during your previous visit -here, and also this one, I felt that you could be trusted. But I wanted -to test you in every way so as to be sure. You acted just as I expected -you would. Quizquiz was getting intolerable, and something had to be -done. You offered the solution.” - -“And now, Soncco,” Stanley said smiling, “let me tell you something. -You made a great show of destroying all that treasure. We should have -believed that you did actually have it thrown into a seething volcano -were it not for the fact that early this morning we saw a number of -soldiers go up the slope and disappear into the very place they later -carried the gold to. The carriers simply handed it over the rim, -carefully, to those others waiting to receive it. To-morrow, no doubt, -they will bring it out again.” - -Soncco appeared confused and panic-stricken. - -“Do not fear,” Stanley hastened to assure him. “You said you trusted -us. Continue to do so. Your secret is safe with us. We shall never -return under any circumstances, and we shall never tell any one else, -either. I swear it!” - -“And I,” added Ted. - -“Good-by. And may the greatest blessings of life be yours. I shall -always remember you with gratitude, and the story of your visit will be -handed down from generation to generation by the amautas as part of the -history of the nation.” - -One of the officers gave a sharp command and the column of men, each -carrying a pack containing one hundred pounds of gold and gems on his -back, started forward. Ted and Stanley followed. - -An hour later they were descending a green slope, their first glimpse -of the outer world in many months. They were happy, for they were on -the way home. - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - - Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - - Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. - - Archaic or variant spelling has been retained. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE TIGER'S LAIR *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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