taken and another which led through the maze of
boulders and chasms back of us to a passage full of twists and turns
and choked with massive rocks, almost impassable.

Through this he advised making our way to whatever might await us
beyond.

The question was still undecided when our argument was brought to a
halt and the decision was taken away from us. Through the crevice I
saw a band of Incas emerge from the passage opposite and advance to the
water's edge. At their head was the Inca king.

Soon the landing was completely covered with them--probably three
hundred or more--and others could be seen in the mouth of the passage.
Each one carried a spear; their heads of copper, upraised in a
veritable forest, shone dully in the light of the urns on the wall
above.

Harry and Desiree stood close behind me, looking through at the
fantastic sight. I turned to him:

"This time they mean business."

He nodded.

"But what can they do? Except get knocked on the head, and I'm sick of
it. If we had only left an hour ago!"

"For my part," I retorted, "I'm glad we didn't. Desiree, I'm going to
put you in my debt, if fortune will only show me one last kindness and
let me get within reach of him."

I pointed to where the Inca king stood in the forefront, at the very
edge of the lake.

She shuddered and grew pale.

"He is a monster," she said in a voice so low that I scarcely heard,
"and--I thank you, Paul."

Harry seemed not to have heard.

"But what can they do?" he repeated.

They did not leave us long in doubt. As he spoke there was a sudden
sharp movement in the ranks of the Incas. Those in front leaped in the
water, and others after them, until, almost before we had time to
realize their purpose, hundreds of the hairy brutes were swimming with
long, powerful strokes directly toward the ledge on which we stood.
Between his teeth each man carried his spear.

I left Harry to guard the crevice, and ran to repel the attack at the
water. Desiree stood just behind me. I called to her to go back, but
she did not move. I grasped her by the arm and led her forcibly to a
break in the rock at our rear, and pointed out a narrow ascending lane
in the direction of the other exit.

When I returned to the ledge of the water the foremost of the Incas
were but a few feet away. But I looked in vain for the one face I
wanted to see and could recognize; the king was not among them. A
hasty glance across the landing