ed an answer that
Atahualpa would have an unfortunate end, because he was such a cruel
tyrant and shedder of so much human blood. They delivered this reply of
the devil to Atahualpa. It enraged him against the oracle, so he called
out his guards and went to where the _huaca_ was kept. Having surrounded
the place, he took a halberd of gold in his hand, and was accompanied by
the two officers of his household who had made the sacrifice. When he
came to where the idol was, an old man aged a hundred years came out,
clothed in a dress reaching down to the ground, very woolly and covered
with sea shells. He was the priest of the oracle who had made the reply.
When Atahualpa knew who he was, he raised the halberd and gave him a
blow which cut off his head. Atahualpa then entered the house of the
idol, and cut off its head also with many blows, though it was made of
stone. He then ordered the old man's body, the idol, and its house to be
burnt, and the cinders to be scattered in the air. He then levelled the
hill, though it was very large, where that oracle, idol or _huaca_ of
the devil stood.

All this being made known to Chalco Chima and Quiz-quiz, they celebrated
festivals and rejoicings, and then resumed their march towards Cuzco.
Huascar received reports of all that had happened, and mourned over the
great number of men he had lost. He clearly saw that there only remained
the remedy of going forth in person to try his fortune, which had
hitherto been so adverse. In preparation he kept some fasts--for these
gentiles also have a certain kind of fasting, made many sacrifices to
the idols and oracles of Cuzco, and sought for replies. All answered
that the event would be adverse to him. On hearing this he consulted his
diviners and wizards, called by them _umu_, who, to please him, gave him
hope of a fortunate ending. He got together a powerful army, and sent
out scouts to discover the position of the enemy. The hostile army was
reported to be at a place, 14 leagues from Cuzco, called Curahuasi[123].
They found there Chalco Chima and Quiz-quiz, and reported that they had
left the main road to Cuzco, and had taken that of Cotabamba, which is
on the right, coming from Caxamarca or Lima to Cuzco. This route was
taken to avoid the bad road and dangerous pass by the Apurimac bridge.

Huascar divided his army into three divisions. One consisted of the men
of Cunti-suyu, Charcas, Colla-suyu, Chuys, and Chile under the command
of a ca