Under the Andes

brain was alive; my entire body was numb and as though paralyzed. Still darkness and s

were firmly bound. I strained at the thongs, making some slig

u awake

ognized Harry's voice, and I answ

arried us. You have bee

carrie

think, on their backs. W

ow. Did you

They didn't make a sound all the time. No more than half as big as me, and yet one

e we bou

tough as rats. I've been working at

that means. Dumb brut

's impo

impossible.

essure against my body and an ill-smelling odor, indescribable, entered my nostrils. I felt a sawing movement at my wrists; the thongs pulled ba

an oath f

cut my wrist. Are yo

es

it's bleeding badly.

and bandaged the wound, which proved to be slight. Then I s

ut what the deuce is it? By Jove, it's

o us who had been fasting for something like thirty-six hours-for our idea of time was

I say," came Harry's voice in

ity of our captors. "As I said, dumb brutes don't bind men with thongs, nor feed them o

aul! Yo

ds of the Incas of Huanuco-

s four hundr

hey have merely chosen to live under the world instead of on it; a rather wise decis

degenerate brutes that are probably allowing us to eat in order that we may be in condition to be eaten, with no possibility of ever again beholding the su

you s

e sort of mild amusement in this fearful hole. Of course, the idea i

illy joke," said H

ly revolting in the thought of being eaten; the disadvantage of it lies in the fact t

we won't get out, but that can come later. And what an experience! I know a dozen anthropol

t if the

ese vermin. And now silence; I'm going to begin. Listen hard-hard! The

, Pa

e talk.

reached our ears through the profound darkness; utter, intense silence. Fina

e; we don't want to get separated. The first thing is to find a sharp ston

ankles were bound together most effectively; but we managed somehow to drag our

, Paul. Sharp a

took from it the object he held out to m

let me work

ere tough as the thickest hide. Twice my overeagerness caused the tool to slip and tear the skin from my ha

laimed, rising to his feet. "H

he knelt down and began

hat we were hardly aware that it ha

e at us headlong through the air and crushed us to the ground, buried beneath them, gasping f

utterly helpless, for the thongs which bound my ankles had not been cut thro

a sort of impersonal curiosity and wondered if they were, after all, human. Nor were they unnecessaril

e odor of their hairy bod

u hurt,

lad. How do you

's the use? They've lived in this infernal hole so long t

. The knowledge was decidedly unpleasant. No doubt our every movement was being watched by a hu

enly, "why can't we see thei

anging on your nose, drawing-room travelers to the contrary notwithstanding. We have one ad

rt silence, the

au

el

Desiree-" He hesitate

same as you

, there is a chance. Just a

ion to one that Desiree-thank Heaven-has escaped all thi

no.

foot? She would make a dai

Lord's sa

e want to make a dainty morsel if we can help it.

el

I guess we were both too dazed to have good s

of that. But what good is it after that

ing e

is silent gaze; then

kni

s a razor and pointed like a needle. They didn't have sense enough to search us, and we

ey'll s

ach my knife with my wrists bound. There's only one way. Lie perfectl

and let my face rest on them, like a dog with his head on his paws. And then, keeping my body perfect

g on a bone. It was considerably later that I discovered what those cords were made of; thank Heaven, I was

hers. It was necessary to cut clear through with my teeth, and more than once I was on the point of giving

ut with my tongue to make sure there were no others; then, without

rely the adjustment of my eyes to the new conditions. I could make out no forms surrounding me, but,

some twenty or thirty feet to the right, that the d

" I muttered, straini

t?" asked H

motionless and silent for over an hour, for it must ha

arry, about thirty feet to the right

ter a moment of silence, "

etting light," his eyes were merely

u think of that

: "Ye-es," and then more positively:

Listen! I've cut the cords on my wr

you manage that?"

they are watching us. We must lie close together on our sides, facing each other, so I can cut the t

es

Harry's voice; the curious, barely per

ght. Go

ter we were lying flat on our backs side by side, keeping our hands hidden between our bodies, that the absence of the thongs might not be discovere

ot your kni

es

round your ankles in your left hand, then cut them through with one stroke. Then to your fe

ght, ol

ant we sit up. Be sure you get your feet free at the first st

ce was now calm an

e, two,

a sound of rushing feet-our backs hugged the kindly rock-I heard Harry's

soft and yielding flesh, and a warm,