ng him back half-way across the room. Taken
completely by surprise, he did not struggle. I noticed that he still
held in his hands the bars of gold he had shown to Desiree.

The king regarded us for a second with a scowl, then turned to her.

She stood erect, with flashing eyes. The king approached; she held out
her hand to him with an indescribable gesture of dignity.

For a moment he looked at her, then his lips curled in an ugly snarl,
and, dashing her hand aside, he leaped forward in swift fury and
grasped her white throat with his fingers.

There was a strangled scream from Desiree, a frantic cry from
Harry--and the next instant he had torn himself free from my arms,
dropping the bars of gold at my feet.

A single bound and he was across the room; a single blow with his fist
and the king of the Incas dropped senseless to the floor.

Chapter XII.

AT THE DOOR.

Desiree shrank back against the wall, covering her face with her hands.
Harry stood above the prostrate figure of the king, panting and furious.

As for me, I gave no thought to what had been done--the imminent peril
of the situation possessed my mind and stung my brain to action.

I ran to the figure on the floor and bent over him. There was no
movement--his eyes were closed. Calling to Harry to watch the corridor
without, I quickly tore my woolen jacket into strips--my fingers seemed
to be made of steel--and bound the wrists and ankles of the Inca
firmly, trussing him up behind.

Then with another strip I gagged him, thinking it best to err on the
side of prudence. In another moment I had dragged him to the corner of
the room behind the granite couch and covered him with its hide-cover.

Then I turned to Harry:

"Is the coast clear?"

"Yes," he answered from the doorway.

"Then here--quick, man! Get the clubs and the grub. Desiree--come!
There's not a second to lose."

"But, Paul--" she began; then, seeing the utter folly of any other
course than instant flight, she sprang to Harry's side to assist him
with the bundles of provisions.

There was more than we could carry. Harry and I each took a bundle
under our left arm, carrying the clubs in the other hand. Desiree
attempted to take two bundles, but they were too heavy for her, and she
was forced to drop one.

With a last hasty glance at the motionless heap in the corner we
started, Harry leading and myself in the rear, with Desiree between us.

But it was not to be so