nt
of their forefathers in the valley and the founding of the City of the
Sun being that its inhabitants and the resources of the valley itself
would be amply sufficient to achieve the reconquest of the country. It
was not until Harry had very nearly lost his temper in arguing with
these men that he learned that not one of them had ever been outside the
valley, and that their very meagre knowledge of the outside world had
been derived from the few individuals who at rare intervals had been
obliged to make short and hasty journeys outside the confines of the
encircling mountains upon State business. As soon as Harry had
thoroughly grasped this fact he gave them to understand, as politely as
possible, that none of them knew in the least what they were talking
about, and for that reason he would feel himself compelled to dispense
with their advice for the future, forming his own plans in accordance
with the knowledge which he had acquired during a residence of several
years in the biggest, busiest, and best-informed city in the world; and
that henceforth he would ask of them nothing more than loyal
wholehearted obedience to his commands. He finally dismissed them with
instructions to establish immediately a service of postal runners
between the valley and the town of Juliaca on the Santa Rosa, Puno,
Arequipa, and Mollendo railway; with further instructions to arrange for
the establishment of a thoroughly trustworthy agent at Juliaca, whose
sole business it should be to see that all letters for Europe and other
parts of the world were duly stamped and posted upon receipt by him; and
to the care of whom all letters for the valley might be addressed. This
done, Escombe summoned Arima to his presence and, handing him all the
coin that he happened to have in his possession, delivered to him the
letters which he had written, together with the gold bar--by this time
securely packed and ready for posting--and directed him to proceed with
all possible speed to Islay--using the railway as far as possible in
order to save time--and there post the letters and the box containing
the bar. Then he suddenly bethought himself and, before dismissing
Arima upon his journey, sat down and wrote a long letter to Mr John
Firmin, of Lima, he who had been a fellow-passenger from England with
Harry on board the _Rimac_, In this letter he told Firmin as much of his
story as he thought it necessary for him to know, and made certain
arrangements w