y knocking her down.

"Your spear!" she cried desperately. "I can go no farther," and she
sank to the ground.

At the same moment there came a cry from Harry in the rear--a cry that
held joy and wonder--and I turned to see him standing some distance
away, gazing down the lane through which we had come.

"They've given up!" he called. "They're gone!"

And I saw that it was true. No sound came, and no Inca was to be seen.

Then, seeing Desiree on the ground, Harry ran to us and sprang to her
side. "Desiree!" he cried, lifting her in his arms. She opened her
eyes and smiled at him, and he kissed her many times--her hair, her
lips, her eyes. Then he placed her gently on her feet, and, supporting
her with his arm, moved forward slowly. I led the way.

The lane ahead of us was scarcely more than a crevice between the
rocks; I squeezed my way through with difficulty. Then the walls ended
abruptly, just when I had begun to think we could go no farther, and we
found ourselves at the entrance to a cavern so large that no wall was
to be seen on any side save the one behind us.

On the instant I guessed at the reason why the Incas had ceased their
pursuit so abruptly, and I turned to Harry:

"I'm afraid we've jumped from the frying-pan into the fire. If this
cavern holds anything like that other--you remember--"

"If it does, we shall see," he replied.

Supporting Desiree on either side, we struck out directly across the
cavern, halting every few steps to listen for a sound, either of the
Incas, which we feared, or of running water, which we desired. We
heard neither. All was blackness and the most complete silence.

Then I became aware, for the first time, of intolerable pains shooting
up through my legs into my body. The danger past, reason returned and
feeling. I could not suppress a low cry, wrung inexorably from my
chest, and I halted, leaning my whole weight on Desiree's shoulder.

"What is it?" she cried, and for answer--though I strained every atom
of my will and strength to prevent it--I toppled to the ground,
dragging her with me.

What followed came to me as in a dream, though I was not wholly
unconscious. I was aware that Harry and Desiree were bending over me;
then I felt my head and shoulders being lifted from the ground, and a
soft, warm arm supporting me.

A minute passed, or an hour--I did not know--and I felt hot drops of
moisture fall on my cheek. I struggled to open my eyes, and sa