of the two lone monks thus
to desecrate the chief shrine of the people among whom they were
dwelling. It is almost incredible that in this remote valley,
separated from their friends and far from the protecting hand
of the Spanish viceroy, they should have dared to commit such an
insult to the religion of their hosts. Of course, as soon as the
Inca Titu Cusi heard of it, he was greatly annoyed. His mother was
furious. They returned immediately to Pucyura. The chiefs wished to
"slay the monks and tear them into small pieces," and undoubtedly
would have done so had it not been for the regard in which Friar
Diego was held. His skill in curing disease had so endeared him to
the Indians that even the Inca himself dared not punish him for the
attack on the Temple of the Sun. Friar Marcos, however, who probably
originated the plan, and had done little to gain the good will of the
Indians, did not fare so well. Calancha says he was stoned out of
the province and the Inca threatened to kill him if he ever should
return. Friar Diego, particularly beloved by those Indians who came
from the fever-stricken jungles in the lower valleys, was allowed to
remain, and finally became a trusted friend and adviser of Titu Cusi.

One day a Spaniard named Romero, an adventurous prospector for gold,
was found penetrating the mountain valleys, and succeeded in getting
permission from the Inca to see what minerals were there. He was too
successful. Both gold and silver were found among the hills and he
showed enthusiastic delight at his good fortune. The Inca, fearing
that his reports might encourage others to enter Uilcapampa, put the
unfortunate prospector to death, notwithstanding the protestations
of Friar Diego. Foreigners were not wanted in Uilcapampa.

In the year 1570, ten years after the accession of Titu Cusi
to the Inca throne in Uiticos, a new Spanish viceroy came to
Cuzco. Unfortunately for the Incas, Don Francisco de Toledo, an
indefatigable soldier and administrator, was excessively bigoted,
narrow-minded, cruel, and pitiless. Furthermore, Philip II and his
Council of the Indies had decided that it would be worth while to make
every effort to get the Inca out of Uiticos. For thirty-five years
the Spanish conquerors had occupied Cuzco and the major portion of
Peru without having been able to secure the submission of the Indians
who lived in the province of Uilcapampa. It would be a great feather
in the cap of Toledo if he could i