"Who is that?" suddenly roared a deep voice, and I saw the gigantic
leader stride from the ring of men. Approaching us, he looked me full
in the face.

"A stranger?" cried he. "Why have you brought him here?"

"I must have changed much since we last met," I interposed. "But if
you don't remember me, you will doubtless remember the present you gave
me," and I showed him the silver key.

He looked at me again, and this time with a gleam of recognition.

"I know you now!" he cried.--"Make way there. Room for an honoured
guest--room for the son of Don Eduardo!"

The name carried no meaning to the Spanish brigands; but the Indians
received it with a great shout, for they knew how greatly my father had
suffered in his efforts to make their lives easier. They would have
pressed round me to touch my hand, but the chief waved them back,
saying I wanted food and rest. They made a space beside the fire, and
Sorillo himself attended to my injuries.

"No bones broken," said he, after making an examination with as much
skill as a surgeon. "We have only to reduce this swelling of the
ankle. You can make yourself comfortable for a fortnight, at least.
Now you must have some food, and then we'll talk."

Now, I have no wish to give you a false impression of Raymon Sorillo.
He was a wild, lawless man, who had passed his life in fighting against
the Spanish government. He had extraordinary courage and ability, and
no man of his band was ever known to question an order issued by him.
He had himself founded the Order of the Silver Key, and it was always
my father's opinion that, but for the coming of San Martin, he would in
time have transformed Peru into an Indian kingdom. I am at least
certain that his ambition tended in that direction.

When the war broke out, numerous desperadoes flocked to him, and he was
held responsible for many acts of cruelty. Whether he was deserving of
blame I cannot say. Jose held him to be cruel, and he generally had
that reputation. Perhaps it was only a case of giving a dog a bad
name. However that may be, it is certain he had a high opinion of my
father, and for his sake was exceedingly kind to me. But for him I
might have lain long enough in the Spanish fortress, or perished in the
sandy coast deserts. Another service he did, which we only heard of
afterwards, and then by accident, was the guarding of my mother. From
the time of my escape till the withdrawal of the Royalists from L