ou. Leave your gun, get down from the saddle, and
hold your hands above your head."

In the circumstances it was a risky experiment, because if the man
should guess the truth I was entirely at his mercy. For him there was
no more danger than if my pistol were a piece of wood.

"But, senor--" he began, staring at me in surprise.

"Get down!" I repeated sternly. "It is my order. Don't waste time, or
I shall be obliged to fire."

Pedro was a brave man; indeed, all the Indians in Sorillo's band held
their lives cheap. He did not exactly understand what was happening,
yet he seemed to think that all was not right.

"The chief!" he exclaimed. "Does he--"

"Get down!" I cried once more, brandishing my weapon.

With a thundering shout of "The Silver Key! Help for the Silver Key!"
he clubbed his musket and dashed straight at me, regardless of the
levelled pistol.

One moment's pressure on the trigger and he would have dropped to the
ground helpless, but I refrained; instead, I pulled the rein, and my
horse swerved sharply, though not in time. The musket descended with a
thud; the pistol slipped from my nerveless fingers; I seemed to be
plunging down, down beneath a sea of angry waters.

How long I lay thus, or what happened during that time, I do not know;
but I awoke to find myself beside a roaring fire, and to hear the hum
of many voices. A soldier, hearing me move, came and looked into my
face.

"Where am I?" I asked anxiously.

"Not far from Lima," said he. "A few hours since you weren't far from
the next world. How did you get that broken head?"

I tried hard to remember, but could not; the past was a total blank.

"Well, well, never mind," exclaimed the man kindly. "Try to sleep; you
will be better in the morning."

With the coming of dawn I saw that I was in the midst of a large camp.
Thousands of soldiers wrapped in their ponchos lay motionless before
smouldering fires. Presently there was a blowing of bugles, and the
still figures stirred to life. Officers rode hither and thither
issuing orders, the men ate their scanty rations, the cavalry groomed
and fed their horses--there were all the sights and sounds connected
with an army about to march.

Then the infantry formed in battalions, the horsemen mounted, bugles
sounded in numerous places; there was a cracking of whips, the creaking
of wheels, and all began to move slowly forward. Soon but a few men
remained, and it seemed that I had b