he could elude the watchfulness of
the Bolivian authorities--who would pounce upon the whole if they should
get to hear of its existence--he fell asleep, and it was nearly eleven
o'clock when he awoke the next morning.

The two men then secured the gems to their persons, and started off on
their toilsome journey back to the fort, which they safely reached two
days later, utterly worn-out with the fatigues which they had undergone.
Jim was so completely exhausted that he spent the whole of the day
after their return upon his narrow camp-bed; but by the following
morning he was quite rested, and burning with impatience for his
messenger to return, so that he might the sooner get back to
civilisation and prepare for the expedition to the treasure-cavern.

It was some days, however, before the soldier returned, having ridden
hard night and day to deliver Jim's report and to return with orders to
the young commander. They were to the effect that Douglas was to leave
half his force in the fort--which the Chilians had decided to hold for
the present--and to return with the remaining half to Arica as soon as
possible. He therefore set off with his reduced company upon the
following morning, Jose insisting upon accompanying him, and reached
Arica a week later, reporting his arrival at the military headquarters
there, where he was complimented upon the success with which he had
carried out his little campaign against the guerillas, and where he
received his promotion to the rank of major, as had been promised him by
Admiral Riveros in the event of his bringing the expedition to a
satisfactory conclusion.

There is very little more to tell, for by the time that Douglas returned
to Arica the war was practically over, and as peace negotiations were
already in progress hostilities had ceased almost everywhere. A
fortnight later the treaty was signed whereby Bolivia ceded the whole of
her sea-coast to Chili, and Peru was forced to give up 250 miles of hers
to the conquering Republic. The Peruvian navy had been utterly
destroyed, with the exception of one or two worthless ships; the
Bolivian armies had been cut to pieces, and the allies had been obliged
to bow the knee to Chili, which had everywhere been victorious.

As the fighting was now all over Jim resigned his position in the
Chilian army and went to Valparaiso, where he eventually disposed of his
jewels for the very handsome sum of one hundred and fifty thousand
pounds,