Part 38 (2/2)

Desiree had refused to tell us her experiences between the time of our dive froh to cause uess at its nature There was a suppressed but ever present horror in her eyes thatto stand once o, but not alone

Harry advised retreat I have mentioned that when he and I had started on our search for Desiree we had found two exits from the cavern--the one which we had taken and another which led through the e full of twists and turns and choked with h this he advised ht await us beyond

The question was still undecided when our arguht to a halt and the decision was taken away froe froe At their head was the Inca king

Soon the landing was completely covered with them--probably three hundred or e

Each one carried a spear; their heads of copper, upraised in a veritable forest, shone dully in the light of the urns on the wall above

Harry and Desiree stood close behind ht I turned to him:

”This time they mean business”

He nodded

”But what can they do? Except get knocked on the head, and I'o!”

”Forto put you in my debt, if fortune will only show et within reach of hi stood in the forefront, at the very edge of the lake

She shuddered and grew pale

”He is a monster,” she said in a voice so low that I scarcely heard, ”and--I thank you, Paul”

Harry seemed not to have heard

”But what can they do?” he repeated

They did not leave us long in doubt As he spoke there was a sudden sharp movement in the ranks of the Incas Those in front leaped in the water, and others after them, until, almost before we had time to realize their purpose, hundreds of the hairy brutes were swie on which we stood

Between his teeth each uard the crevice, and ran to repel the attack at the water Desiree stood just behind rasped her by the arm and led her forcibly to a break in the rock at our rear, and pointed out a narrow ascending lane in the direction of the other exit

When I returned to the ledge of the water the foremost of the Incas were but a few feet away But I looked in vain for the one face I wanted to see and could recognize; the king was not a opposite discovered hi motionless with folded arms

The entire surface of the lake before me was one mass of heads and arms and spears as far as I could see There were hundreds of therasped my spear firmly and stood ready

The first two or three reached the ledge At the sah, Paul! It's you alone!”

I did not turnabout my head like a circle of flarasped its slippery surface, but they got no farther The shaft of the spear bent ina second

A wild and savage delight surged throughfor the spear in vicious fury Not one had found footing on the ledge