wished them to believe, or whether
they were sent as evil demons to punish them for their crimes, as the
rapaciousness and cruelty of the Spaniards led them to apprehend.

Pizarro's declaration of his pacific intentions, however, so far removed
all the Inca's fears, that he determined to give him a friendly
reception.

In consequence of this the Spaniards were allowed to march across a
sandy desert, which lay in their way to Metupe, where the smallest
efforts of an opposing enemy might have proved fatal to them, and then
through a defile so narrow, that a few men might have defended it
against a numerous army; but here, likewise, they met with no
opposition.

Pizarro, having reached Caxamalia with his followers, sent messengers,
inviting Atahualpa to visit him in his quarters, which he readily
promised. On the return of these messengers, they gave such a
description of the wealth which they had seen, as determined Pizarro to
seize upon the Peruvian monarch, in order that he might more easily
come at the riches of his kingdom.

The next day the Inca approached Caxamalia, without suspicion of
Pizarro's treachery; but, as he drew near the Spanish quarters, Vincent
Valverde, chaplain to the expedition, advanced with a crucifix in one
hand and a breviary in the other, and, in a long discourse, attempted to
convert him to the Roman Catholic faith.

This the monarch declined, avowing his resolution to adhere to the
worship of the sun; at the same time wished to know where the priest had
learned these extraordinary things he had related. "In this book!"
answered Valverde, reaching out his breviary.

The Inca opened it eagerly, and turning over the leaves, raised it to
his ear, "This," said he, "is silent, it tells me nothing;" and threw it
with disdain to the ground.

The enraged monk, running towards his countrymen, cried out, "To arms,
Christians! to arms! the word of God is insulted--avenge the profanation
of these impious dogs!"

Pizarro immediately gave the signal of assault, which ended in the
destruction of four thousand Peruvians, without the loss of a single
Spaniard. The plunder was rich beyond any idea which even the conquerors
had yet formed concerning the wealth of Peru. The Inca, who was taken
prisoner, quickly discovered that the ruling passion of the Spaniards
was the desire of gold; he offered therefore to recover his liberty by a
splendid ransom.

[Illustration]

The apartment in which he was con