and more than one attempt has been
made to find it. But we are all pure-blooded Peruvians of the ancient
race here, and it is a tradition with us to keep ourselves
uncontaminated by any admixture of alien blood, therefore every possible
precaution is taken to maintain the most absolute secrecy as to the way
by which the Valley of the Sun is entered and left."

"But if that is so, why has Tiahuana brought me here?" demanded Harry.
"I am an alien, you know; yet, as I understand it, I have been brought
here to rule over you all!"

"Yes, it is even so, Lord," answered Arima. "But my Lord is an alien
only by an accident of birth, which must not be allowed to interfere
with the fact that my Lord is in very truth the reincarnation of Manco
Capac, our first Inca and the founder of the Peruvian nation."

"In that case," said Harry, "it is but meet and right that I should know
the secret way into the outer world. Surely what is known to several of
my subjects should also be known to me?"

"Undoubtedly, Lord," answered the Indian; "and the information will
certainly be imparted to my Lord in due time, when he has been accepted
and proclaimed Inca by the Council of Seven. But I have no authority to
impart that information, and I implore my Lord that he will not urge me
to do so and thus break the solemn oath of secrecy which I have sworn."

"Very well, Arima, let it be so," answered Harry. "Doubtless, as you
say, I shall be informed in due time; and meanwhile you are perfectly
right to remain true to the oath which you have sworn. Now, let us get
down into the valley. After scrambling up and down mountain sides for
so many days, I have a longing to walk on a smooth and level road once
more."

The footpath from the house to the main road sloped obliquely along the
face of the hill, descending by a tolerably easy gradient for a distance
of about a mile before it joined the road at a depth of some three
hundred feet below the level of the house. Upon reaching the road,
which, be it remembered, completely encircled the lake, Escombe had yet
another opportunity to note the thoroughness with which the Peruvians
did their work, and the inexhaustible patience which they brought to
bear upon it. For this road, approximating to one hundred miles in
length, was constructed of a uniform width of about one hundred feet,
apparently also of uniform gradient--for in some parts it was raised on
a low embankment, while in others it pa