Part 11 (1/2)

Without a sign of interest, Felipe turned twice around, found a cohted it, and began

He spoke in Spanish dialect; I shall preserve the style as far as translation will pero, senor, Atahualpa, the Inca, son of Huayna-Capac, was io, it was By the great Pizarro And there was gold at Cuzco, to the south, and Atahualpa, for his ransoht to Pizarro

”Messengers carried the order like the wind, so swift that in five days the priests of the sun carried their gold from the temples to save the life of Atahualpa”

Felipe paused, puffing at his cigarette, glanced at his audience, and continued:

”But Hernando Pizarro, brother of the great Pizarro, suspected a delay in the carriers of gold Fro terror in the old Across the Juaja River and past Lake Chinchaycocha they came, till they arrived at the city of Huanuco

”There were teold and priests and soldiers But when the soldiers of the Inca saw the horses of the Spaniards and heard the guns, they beca their gold Never before had they seen white uns, or horses

”With them came many priests and women, to the snow of thethey came to a cave, wherein they disappeared and no more were seen, nor could Hernando Pizarro and his twenty horseold

”And before they entered the cave they scaled a rock near its entrance and carved thereon the likeness of a horse to warn their Inca brethren of the Spaniards who had driven them from Huanuco That is his story, senor”

”But who told you all this, Felipe?”

The arriero shrugged his shoulders and glanced about, as much as to say, ”It is in the wind”

”But the cave?” cried Desiree ”Where is the cave?”

”It is there, senora,” said Felipe, pointing through a passage to the right

Then nothing would do for Desiree but to see the cave The arriero informed her that it was difficult of access, but she turned the objection aside with contempt and commanded him to lead

Harry, of course, ith her, and I followed soh Felipe's history was fairly accurate, I was inclined to regard his fable of the disappearing Incas as a wild tradition of the ht--the path to the cave was not an easy one Here and there deep ravines caused us to make a wide detour or risk our necks on perilous steeps

Finally we ca so iant well, and in the center of one of the steep walls was an opening soed, and so

It was the entrance to the cave

There Felipe halted

”Here, senor Here entered the Incas of Huanuco with their gold”

He shi+vered as he spoke, and I fancied that his face grew pale

”We shall explore it!” cried Desiree, advancing

”But no, senora!” The arriero was positively treo within! Many tiold, and americanos, too, and never did they return It is a cave of the devil, senor He hides in the blackness and none who enter aily