Part 39 (1/2)

So suddenly struck me in the left arm and stuck there; I shook it loose ih lance up even for an instant; they were pressing un to hurl their spears at a; soon they were falling thick aboutto Harry to follow, I turned and ran for the opening in the rock to which I had led Desiree In an instant he had joined me

By that time scores of the Incas had scrae and started toward us, and astheir way no longer contested

Harry carried three spears I had four We sprang up a lane encircling the rock to the rear and at its top found Desiree

A projecting bit of rock gave us so hurled at us from below, but they caan to appear in the lane through which we had co which I didn't hear, and, taking Desiree in his are some ten feet below

I followed At the bottom he stumbled and fell, but I helped him to his feet and then turned barely in time to beat back three or four of the Incas who had tumbled down almost on our very heads

Immediately in front of us was a chasm several feet across Harry cried to Desiree, ”Can youto her injured foot

”Todown from above despite my efforts to hold them back

Then, in answer to a call fro the spears ahead ofher far out; I braced ht her on my feet

I set her down unhurt, and aup the face of a boulder nearly perpendicular, while the spears fell thick around us

Desiree lost her footing and fell against Harry, who rolled to the botto for a hold I turned, but he shouted: ”Go on; I'll ain at ained the top of the boulder, quite flat and some twenty feet square We coround to avoid the spears from below, and paused for a breath and a survey of the situation

It can be described only with the word chaotic

The light of the urns were now hidden froh we could see with a fair a could be made of the mass of boulders, but we knew that soe fro across the chasm to the foot of the rock

Several of them scrambled up the steep surface, but with our spears we pushed them back and they tumbled onto the heads of their fellows below

But ere too exposed for a stand there, and I shouted to Harry to take Desiree down the other side of the rock while I stayed behind to hold them off He lefttodown the face of the rock feet first

Then began a wild and desperate scramble for safety, with the Incas ever at our heels Without Desiree ould have oal with little difficulty, but half of the time we had to carry her

Several times Harry hurled her bodily across a chasm or a crevice, while I received her on the other side

Often I covered the retreat, holding the Incas at bay while Harry assisted Desiree up the steep face of a boulder or across a narrow ledge There was less danger now from their spears, protected as ere by thein a dozen places on s and arms and body, and Harry was in no better case

Suddenly I saw ahead of us an opening which I thought I recognized I pointed it out to Harry

”The exit!” he cried out, and ht to a halt by a cliff at their very feet, no less than twenty feet high

I started to join the a clatter behind, turned just in tih a narrow lane that led to the edge of the cliff

I sprang toward the to Harry for assistance He was at ether we held them back