The Treasure of the Incas A Story of Adventure in Peru

e saw Dias approaching, had listene

going that way, and so to follow along the top of the hills. We might, as soon as night has fallen, come back again and go down the stream. Of course there may be som

spoke immediately

are in a very strong position. If we leave this and they overtake u

hing is better than having to wait here

upon this expedition I knew that the chances of success were extremely slight, and that there might be a certain amount of danger to encounter from wild beasts a

ence, which was bro

s may have left, and some other plan may have occurred to us; at any rate, at the end of a week we shall see how things go. The Indians may have made an attack, and may lose heart after they are repulsed. They may find difficulty in procuring food, though I hardly think that is probable. Still, many th

"could we not hit upon so

t of plan

paper to make it with. If we could, and could let it up at night, with some red and

oon big enough to carry us and the mules and everything else out of

fire-balloon; I only gave that as an example. If we had powder enough we mi

s for sporting purposes, or for fighting; but a rocket is a thing th

hat we might frighten them somehow, and I still don't see why we s

e whole tribe may be gathered there at nightfall. To-night nothing will be settled, but to-morrow night I will go down the torrent with José. I will carry your double-barrelled guns with me, se?or, if you will let me have them. When we get to the other end I will take up my station there. José is small and active. He could crawl forwar

but I do not see why Bertie and

t crawl down without being seen, just as they crawled up here, they would be more likely to see four; in the next place, they migh

moment when we are to be away, but I quite a

r idea, "if Dias can go down there, I still

y la

an suggest anything, I promise you that Di

replied gravely, "I

rk, and one must listen for noises on the cliffs. It would be hardly possible for a numbe

e sound of its roar-up there, and it would be strange if a number of men making their way down did not disturb some of them; indeed, if one bird gave the alarm, it would put them all in motion; besides, there are certai

the fire here, smoke, and listen, and Dias will watch the gorge and keep one ear open in this direction too. It is a comfor

y back again. The third night Bertie was on watch; he saw nothing, but suddenly there came three sharp taps. He discharged one barrel of his gun at random down

rtie; have you

ou up, and have been looking out for someone to take a shot at with the other;

e so near, and that they merely shot their arrows to see if we were still on gu

er, and they returned t

id to his

over that plan of mine. I really think

ell us y

ce, how much powd

ut with him to charge his musket with. It will

ht to do,

is your pl

you think that burned wo

what purpose yo

t the powder from go

s charcoal. So you are still thinking of rockets? Your two pounds of powder won't mak

up close to where the Indians are assembled, each carrying a dozen squibs and as many crackers, we could light a lot of the crackers first and chuck them among them, and then

only drawback is, that in order to carry it out we should want a lot

wder and to burn regularly as the powder does. At first I thought we might find some wood like elder and get the pith

have n

lined with that coarse sort of s

, you

e it up and tie it with string. We should then only have to add touch-paper, which, of course, we could make out of anything, and put into the end fold. We could break up a few of the cartridges, soak them in wetted powder, and then cut them up into small pieces and stick them into the ends of the crackers. I think that would do first-rate. I have made dozens of crackers, and feel sure that I could turn out a good lot of them now. The squibs will be easier; we should only have to paste on

first thing, of course, will be to get some wood and char it. I should think that you would require at least two pounds of that to two pou

of wood and scraping off the charred surface. Harry explained the plan to him

en the effect by discharging every piece that we can among them. In their confusion they will think it is the fireworks that are killing them. Tha

two crackers ready for trial. The squibs contained respectivel

ie. Lay them down on that stone one by one and touch them off with a bu

bang, the second did the same, but with less violence, the third went off in an explosive spurt,

uld want them to whiz about in a lively way as long as possib

ave got lots of cases made, and enough

stick which he had cut to fit exactly, and a heavy stone as a hammer. This was done after e

e is no fear of its exploding. I want to thro

Bertie waved the squib high above his head and threw it into

ke the cases a bit stronger; it burned out a little too quic

ey agreed that a somewhat larger charge of powder sh

t the tick into strips for both widths. You shall make the cases for the squibs. Dias and I will take charge of the manufa

the powder alone for the crackers and the bangs of the sq

have a big stock of cartridges, and can

all made and drying, and were left near the fi

savages are gathered, whether they keep any watch, and what force they have. It will be well not to make ourselves known to them until at least the greater pa

ans of driving them of

as

to-morrow or next day to hold a general council, and in that case they may decide either to risk climbing down at night, or to make a grand assault on the breast-work. Or, if they cannot bring themselves to that, they may decide to leave half a dozen men to watch the entrance, while the rest scatter themselves over the forests. In that case th

They may be posting sentries at the mouth of the r

ng us, and would then have us at their mercy. The last thing they would want is to prevent us from leaving this position. They certainly would not fear an attack from us, kn

. Still, José will hav

hit by a chance arrow, he will not run much risk, for by the time they are ready to shoot he will be out of sight on such dark nights as these, and in the shade of the mountains and trees. I s

fore they go to sleep. They will probably have a fire burning, but if not the only guide to their position will be the sound of th

é, who came back and ha

ready no

t. Bertie has taken down his rifle and gun, and will give you

hat may be useful if he come

were as noiseless as his bare feet, and would be needed, as in the dark

be careful. It would be a great grie

?or. The Indians won't

nd Dias stepped into the water, and, keeping close along

ight of them. "It seems a cowardly thing to let th

e volunteered willingly, but he will do it a

is out with the mules he often travels at night, and certainly bo

round. "It is I, se?or. I am anxious about Dias, and I didn't like staying

hear by their shouting if they discover José, and you may be quite sure that he will bring them to a stand with the four shots he will fire among them as the

g intently. In another ten minutes, which seemed an hour to them, Harry said, "The sava

ly the ti

en gone an hour,"

l has gone well so far. For, though we might not hear the yells of the savage

r four minutes they could see the two figures approaching. "Give me your guns, Dias," Harry said, "and then I will help you up th

torrent, we had not much chance of talking. He told me that there were many of them, and tha

tie said. "You can hear the ne

will be back

towards the tent, and Bertie chatted w

horribly cold,

at them, and know that they had no idea that I was so close. If I could have understood their language, I should have learned something worth telling. I felt inclined to scare them by giving a tremendous yell, and I know I could hav

watch afterwards, which would have spoilt all our plans. Now run along, your teeth are chatt

the embers at its edge by Maria when she started, so that after it had hung in the blaze for two or three minutes it began to b

l I came to a place where there was a quiet pool, and there I swam across, then very carefully I made my way to where I could see the light. It was quite three hundred yards from the river. As I got near I could hear talking; I crawled along like a cat, and took good care not to disturb a leaf, o

ed to me that they were quarrelling over something. Sometimes they pointed up to the top of the hills, sometimes towards the mouth of our ravine. I would have got close if I had understood their language. Presently I saw some of them lying down, so that I could see that the quarrel, whatever it was about, was coming to an end, a

are giving us the opportunity of doing so. In the second place, you have learned what force they have got down there, their exact position, and the fact that they were evidently arguing how they had best attack us. Well, from what you say

ll that we would not venture to climb up during the day, and that it would be next to impossible f

readiness for a start; then at ten o'clock we can go down and attack the savages. The best moment for doing so will be when they are just lying down. When we have sent them flying we will come up the torrent again, and start w

could get the mules down without waiting for daylight. As they have already come up the torrent, they will have less fear in going down, for the stream will help them instead of keeping them

ife rode coming up, and she

on to the mules. One of the riding mules could carry the two llamas, or if you think that that is too much, we can tie each across a separate mule. They were more trouble

going to the fight, se?or," Donna Maria sai

on a hundred yards ahead to see whether any of the savages are on the watch at their end, and if so, you must wait till we have cleared them out. You see, we shall have no hesitation in shootin

, Dias, that she had better go with us. It would be cruel to leave her now that we are going into a fight-leave her all

think so, there is

on foot like the rest of you. I will take some other clothes with me,

w I will go back and take Bertie's place. It is my turn

t?" Bertie asked as he heard

se. We are going to saddle all the mules directly it gets too dark for any of the fellows on the hills to see us, then we must set to work and pull down enough of the barricade here to allow them to pass. We ourselves, when we go down, will cross at that shallow place above here,

n as it was light the next morning Bertie and José set to work to

r; these she carried into her tent, where she shut herself up for the forenoon. When, at one o'clock, she came out

e you got there, Donna

t you

er seen a thing

ou see that strap near the top goes round the man's forehead, and when there is a weight in the chair

going to be

chair, and I shall carry you down the stream. No words about it, but do as you are told.' Generally Dias lets me have my own way, se?or, but when he talks like that, I know that it is useless to argue with him. And perhaps i

id not say anything, but I am sure Dias is right. I found it very hard work to keep my footing, and I really

hing for people to be carried over the Cordilleras so, and Dias is stronger a great deal than many of the men who do it. As he said, if I had been going through on foot you would all have been bothering about