d; but in this case the metal in the stacks was virgin
gold, instead of silver, while the bulk of the stacks was, if anything,
rather greater than those in the outer rooms. But, for the purposes of
a rough estimate, Escombe assumed them to be of only equal bulk, upon
the strength of which assumption his figures informed him that the gold
in this vault amounted to the not altogether insignificant weight of
close upon fourteen hundred tons. The sight of such incredible
quantities of the precious metals had so paralysing an effect upon the
young Englishman that he could scarcely stammer an enquiry as to where
it all came from. The custodian of this fabulous wealth replied, with a
smile, that the mountains which hemmed the valley about were enormously
rich in both gold and silver, and that some hundreds of men had been
kept industriously employed in working the mines almost from the moment
when the city had been first founded. "But, Lord," he continued,
flinging open a third door, "what you have already seen is by no means
all our wealth; the most valuable part of it is to be found in this
small room."

Passing through the doorway, which, like the other two, was fitted with
massive doors of solid bronze secured by an enormously strong lock of
the same metal, the young Inca--who, as one of the results of his having
been placed upon the throne, had become the absolute owner of all this
wealth, with power to use it in such manner as might seem to him good--
found himself in a much smaller room, its dimensions being about ten
feet long by the same width, and some twelve feet high. To the sides of
the room were fitted large chests of very heavy wood, three chests on
each side occupying the entire length of the room, with a passage way
about six feet wide between the two rows of chests. Each chest was
fitted with a massive wooden cover secured to it by strong bronze
hinges, and fastened by a ponderous bronze lock.

The custodian unlocked these chests one at a time, and, raising the
heavy cover with difficulty, held the lamp which he carried over the
yawning interior, disclosing its contents. The first chest opened was
nearly full of what to Escombe appeared to be dull black stones, most of
them with at least one smooth surface, ranging in size from that of a
walnut to lumps as large as a man's two fists. One of these lumps
Harry's conductor took out and handed to the young man for his
inspection.

"Well, what do you ca