s house, after
which you will follow the rest of the corps to the temple. As for you,"
he continued, turning to the staff of servants, who were huddling
together, paralysed with terror at the tragic turn which affairs were
taking, "you would only be receiving your just deserts if I were to
order you to be consumed, with your chief, upon that pile. I am
merciful, however; you are therefore at liberty to go. But let the fate
of the steward be a lesson to you all henceforth, that fidelity to the
Inca comes before fidelity to your master. And now, men, pass out and
mount. Our next place of call is the temple."

CHAPTER TWENTY.

IN THE NICK OF TIME!

"Well," soliloquised Harry, as he glanced about him upon realising that
he was indeed a prisoner, "what does this mean? Is it mutiny, or
treason, or what is it? And as to there being a revolt of the priests,
I don't believe a word of it. Had there been any such thing it would
not have been possible for me to have entered this building without
encountering some sign--either sight or sound--of it. No; that was just
a yarn, a ruse to get me to come here willingly. Now, I wonder what the
dickens they want with me, and what they intend to do with me now that
they have me. Nothing very serious, I expect; for I am the Inca, and
they would never dare to lay violent hands upon the Inca; that amounts
to sacrilege of the very worst kind. Yes; no doubt. And yet I am by no
means certain that that fact would exercise any very powerful
restraining influence upon our friends Huanacocha and Xaxaguana. They
are both ambitious men, and I am very much inclined to question whether
the religious convictions of either man are powerful enough to hold him
back from sacrilege, if his ambition urged him in that direction. Ah,
well! time will show, I have no doubt; meanwhile I have not had half my
night's rest, so I will do what I can to recover arrears." And, thus
thinking, he quietly stretched himself upon a couch which stood against
one wall of the room, and composed himself to sleep.

With the light-hearted carelessness of extreme youth he actually did
sleep--slept so soundly that he was not even disturbed when, some hours
later, the door was quietly opened and two attendants entered bearing
food and drink, which, seeing that the prisoner still slumbered, they
placed upon the table and departed, securing the door again as they
passed out. It was past ten o'clock in the forenoon