The Treasure of the Incas A Story of Adventure in Peru

the main point, let us talk over the arrang

othes besides those we wear, and a case of spirits in the event of accident or illness. We shall each have three flannel shirts, stockings, and so on, but certainly everything belonging to u

so that we could give a handful or so to each of the mules. I am glad you have brought some good spirits-we shall need it in the swamps by the rivers. Your tea and coffee will save your having to buy them here, but you will want some sugar. We must take two picks and a shovel, a hammer for breaking up ore, a small furnace, twenty crucibles and bellows, and a few other things for aiding to melt the ore. You would want for the journey five baggage mules, and, of course, three riding mules. I c

d myself will be ready to lend you a hand whenever you want help of any kind. We have not had any experi

und in the province; we shall have to buy the three o

l want four

José at times will take my place, and can when he l

ll the ridin

s slack at present owing to the troubles, and there are many

uestion, what are we to pay you for yourself, y

talked it over with my wife"-he paused for a momen

not think of taking her on such an expedition, where, as you say

e no secret to her that we might meet with many dangers. She says they will be no greater for her than for me. At first she tried to dissuade me from going for so long a time; but when I told her that you were sent me by the gentleman who saved my life a year after I married her, and that he had recommended you to me as standing to him almo

she are both willing to share the dangers we shou

and if we have José to look after the animals when we are searching among the hills, you wi

fference will be, that instead of one large tent we must have two small ones-it does not matter how smal

have no expenses on the journey, as you will pay for food for ourselves and the animals. You will remember, se?or, that I make this journey not as a business matter-no money would buy from me any information that I may have as to hidden mines or treasures,-I do it to repay a debt of gratitude to my preserver, Don Henry Barnett, and partly because I am sure that I shall like you and your brother as I did him. I shall aid you as far as lies in my power in the object for which you are undertaking this journey. Therefore until it is finished there shall be no talk about payment. You may have many expenses beyond wh

ne-sided, Dias, and I don't see how I coul

?or," Dias said simply,

you most heartily;" and he held out his ha

propose we

be of vicu?a skin with the wool still on, which, with the leather kept well oiled, will keep out water

p in a tent, however small, rather than lie in a bed on the floor of any one of them. We don't want thick beds, you know-a cou

dian n

l; the beds the Peruvian caballer

your wife, and two for José. By th

s. But the making of the beds and tents will take some time-people do not hurry in Lima,-and there will be the riding saddles and bridles to get, and the provisions. I do not think we can be ready before another week. It will be well, then, that you should, before s

o start. However, I suppose I shall see you every day, a

ile this conversation was going on. "Well, what is it all about?" he

a lad of fifteen, who is training as a mule-driver, is going with us, which is m

claimed, "what in the worl

h is natural enough, considering how long we shall be away, and that the journey will be a dangerous one. But really I think she will b

e said, "and though I could rough it on anything, it

see, that i

y mules are

ind him, and the boy, when he wants to ride, will perch himself on one of the bagg

his brother had told him all the arrangements that had

ceed in finding a treasure of any kind I shall only have to pay for the thr

tie said incredulous

ave insisted upon paying the ordinary prices, whatever they might be, for his services and the use of his mules; but he simply said that those were the conditions on which he was willing to go

be having the services of himself, his wife, his boy, and his mules for nothing. There is one thing

they died has had a great effect in inducing them to conceal the existence of these places from them. Now that the Spaniards have been cleared out there is no longer any ground for apprehension of that kind, but they may still feel that the Peruvians would get the giant's share in any mine or treasure that might be found, and that the Indians would, under one pretence or another, be defrauded out of any share of it. It is not wonderful th

ong the Islands and on the western coast; the Netherlands revolted, and after fierce fighting threw off her yoke; the battle of Ivry and the accession of Henry of Navarre all but destroyed her influence in France; the defeat of the Armada and the capture of Cadiz struck a fatal blow both to her pow

that whatever effect the discovery of America had

y la

ledges that he knows nothing for certain. I am sure, however, that he will be a faithful guide, and that though we may have a rough time, it will not be an unpleasant

understand the answers. I can make out a lot of that Spanish Don Quixote you got for me, but when Dia

e always talking together in English. If you ride or walk by the side of the boy you will soon get on; and there will be Donna Maria for you to chat

," Bertie grumbled; "but I su

thought they might as well sta

baggage. Of course we shall not take José or my wife.

use as our own, he is of course busy during the day, and one can't do above a certain amount of walking about the streets. So by all means let us start t

isit. Pachacamac, meaning "the creator of the world," was the chief divinity of these early people, and here was the great temple dedicated to him. The Incas after their conquest erected a vast Temple of the Sun, but they did not attempt to suppress the worship of Pachacamac, and the two flourished side by side until the arrival of the Spaniards. The wealth of the temple

gh, no doubt, they tortured everyone connected with the temple to make the

or later have learned it, for although hundreds have died under torture rather than reveal any of the hiding-places, surely one more faint-hearted than the rest would have disclosed them. Certain it is that at Cuzco and other places they succeeded in obtaining almost all the treasures buried there, though they failed in discovering the still greater treasures that had been carried away to be hidden in different spots. But Pachacamac was a small one in comparison with C

le damage to them. The plateau rose some five hundred feet above the sea, which almost washed one face of it. Half-way up the hill four series of these massive walls, whose tops formed terraces, stood in giant steps some fifty feet high. Here and there spots of red paint could be seen, showing that the whole surface was originally painted. The ascent was made by winding passages through

ntirely disappeared, covered deeply in sand, but for a long distance round, it had, like the neighbourhood of Jerusalem and Mec

but it is as well that you should look at the vaults in which the treasures

plain. Leaving their mules outside they entered the ruins. The Indian led them in

of these holes and break a limb; and in that case, if you wer

covered with square stones. They were dug out of the solid ground. For about six feet the sides of the pit were perpendi

store grain and other provisions," the Indi

one might spend a lifetime in searching

ill take you if our search fails elsewhere. It is near the sea, and yet there are not half a dozen living men who have ever seen it, so strangely is it hidden. Tradition says that it was not the work of the Incas, but of the people before them. I have never seen it close. It is guarded, they say, by demons, and no native would go within miles of it. The traditions are that the Incas, when they conquered the land, found the place and searched it, after starving out the native chief who had fled there with his followers and family. Some say that they found great t

k at it," Harry said with a laugh. "I don't fancy we should se

d in a grove up the valley. Next morning they returned to Lima. Dias had given out that the two white se?ors intended to visit al

Harry and his brother were returni

hat a contrast it was the other morning when we went in there and accidentally ran against them when we were going upstairs w

d in a fierce conflict rushed out. Knives were flashing, and it was evident that one man was being attacked by the rest. By the light that streamed out of the open

ie," he cried; "but whatever

inging forward again, he struck another man a heavy blow on the wrist. The knife dropped from the man's hand, and as he dashed with a fierce oath upon Bertie the stick descended again, this time on his head, and felled him to the ground. In the meantime one of the assailants had turned fiercely on Harry and aimed a blow at him with his knife;

t, Dias?" Ha

but none of them, I think, se

t shall we do with these fellow

do; we might be detained here for months. I

rtie said, picking up thos

him to give up his knife, which he did at once. The other was still stupid from the effe

s be going before

ut, Dias?" Harry ask

e and began to abuse me, and directly I answered him the whole of them drew their knives and rushed at me. I was ready too, and wounded two of them as I fought my way to the door. As I opened it one of them stabbed me in the shoulder, but it was a slanting blow. Once out they all

turned out the most useful. He can box too, but cannot give as heavy a blow as I can. Still, it was very lucky that I followed your advice, and bought a cou

m, she arrived this afternoon. Knife cuts are not uncommon affai

have to put off our

. I shall be stiff for a few days, but that will not interfere with my riding, and José will be able

e neither of us got a scratch, and in the second, because it will bind Dias more closely to us. Before, he was willing to

at I thought, as we ran in, that it was going to be a prett

could box well was more than a match for one with a knife who knew nothing o

ng her arms round Bertie, she kissed him on both cheeks. The lad was too much surprised at this unexpected salute to return it, as h

vely when she stopped. "I said that it was right that

e affair, Dias; four blows were s

aw four armed men attacking one. He would be more likely to turn down the next street, so th

you will be ready to start

a sling for a week, but muleteers think nothing of such trif

are likely to waylay us on th

f one of them had been killed I should be obliged to be careful the next time I came here; as it is, no more will be said about it. Except the two hurt in the wine-shop

e quarrel a

the Spaniards, but ever since they have

thing will

ain that there is no ve

ia, Colombia

ill be fighting a

s don't go as people expected they would when we got rid of the Spaniards. All the governments seem jealous of each other. I don't take any int

ry that has been so many years governed by a foreign p

e and look at the stores that are already collecte