Part 33 (2/2)

Taken by surprise, the Incas offered no resistance whatever The round; their heads struck the hard granite with fearful force and they lay stunned

Harry, kneeling over them, looked up at me with a question in his eyes

”The lake,” said I, for it was no tiht us dead, and anted no witnesses that we had returned to life We laid hold of the unconscious bodies, dragged thee of the lake, and pushed theht one of them to life, and he started to swim, and ell, we did what had to be done

We had our spears I examined them curiously

The head appeared to be of copper and the shaft was a long, thin rod of the saainst a stone and saw its hardness I found that it was much less soft, and consequently round savages had succeeded in co metals was incredible, but there was the evidence; and, besides, it may have been a trick of nature herself

The point was so and very sharp It was set on the shaft in a wedge, and bound with thin, tough strips of hide

Altogether, a weapon not to be laughed at

We carried the spears, the raft, and the oars behind a large boulder to the left of the ledge with considerable difficulty The two latter not because we expected them to be of any service, but in order not to leave any trace of our presence, for if any searchers ca

We expected them to arrive at any iven up watching froe point behind the boulder when two Incas appeared at the ht only oil to fill the urns, and after perforlance at the lake or any exhibition of surprise at the absence of their fellows

Every now and then there was a commotion in solistening body leap into the air and fall again into the water

”I'ry,” Harry announced suddenly ”I wonder if we couldn't turn the trick on that raft ourselves?”

The saht had occurred to me, but Harry's i it I hesitated

”We've got to do soht be best to wait another hour or two

”And why? Now is as good a time as any If we intend to find Desiree--”

”In the name of Heaven, how can we?” I interrupted

”You don't mean to say you don't intend to try?” he exclaimed

”Hal, I don't know In the first place, it's impossible And where could we take her and what could we do--in short, what's the use? Why the deuce should we prolong the thing any further?

”In the world I refused to struggle because nothing teht when there was nothing to fight for If civilization held no prize worth an effort, why should I exert ! I wondered why I wanted those spears Now I know I have an idea I'h of a philosopher”

”Paul, that isn't like you”

”On the contrary, it is consistent with my whole life I have never been overly keen about it To end it in a hole like this--well, that isn't exactly what I expected; but it is all one--after Understand me, Hal; I don't want to desert you; haven't I stuck? And I would still if there were the slightest possible chance Where can we go?

What can we do?”

There was a long silence; then Harry's voice came calmly: