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Jose climbed it with the end of a long rope, which he secured to an upper bough. Dias then took the other end of the rope, crossed the torrent by the tree he had felled, and when Jose had come down and Harry had given a few more cuts with the axe, he was able to guide the tree in its fall almost directly across the stream. Then he took Bertie's tree in hand.
"But it must always have been a lake, senor," Dias said after thinking for a minute, "and could not have been shallower, for there is no other escape than the waterfall; and however heavy the rains it could not have risen higher, except a few feet, as one can see by the face of the rock." "It may have had some other way out," Harry said. Dias looked carefully round the side of the valley.
It will make our arms ache at first, but after a week or two we shall be able to stick to it fairly well. Now we had better turn in. We shall start at daybreak tomorrow. It will take us two hours to reach the spot from which Dias said we could see the place, and another three hours to get to the castle. That will give us a long afternoon to take our first look over it."
"So you are going to follow the example of Senor Barnett and spend some time in exploring the country and doing some shooting. Have you found Dias?" "Yes, senor, and I think he will go with us, though he has not given a positive answer."
A rope's end was thrown down into her, and the picturesque individual who had been steering her nimbly climbed up the side of the yacht and stepped on deck, where he was met by Don Hermoso. "Buenos dias, Senor!" exclaimed the fellow, doffing his ragged head- covering with the flourish and grace of a grandee. "Cuba is ready!" "And we also are ready," answered Don Hermoso. "Is the coast clear?"
If many brigands are in the pass they might get to hear of us from someone going over from this side, and take it into their heads to come down. I would certainly rather not have to fight with you away." Accordingly next morning Dias went on ahead. On the following evening he rejoined them. "There is fresh trouble in the south, senor.
Hunters as they are, they can follow a track where I should see nothing; and so crafty are they, that they can traverse the country without leaving the slightest sign of their passage. The forest might be full of them, and yet the keenest white hunter would see no footprint or other mark that would indicate their presence." "What had we better do, Dias?"
"Buenos días, Señor," they answered with a smile. They were employees of the Rancho La Bolso, which was a half-mile up the stream. Did we make the big fire which had burned until morning? Our answer seemed to relieve their minds. What would we do with our boat? It was theirs to do with as they pleased.
A few seconds later Bertie was to do the same, while Harry fired one barrel of buck-shot. Bertie was to fire as Dias threw a dozen crackers, and then Jose was to throw his squibs. Then all were to throw squibs and crackers as far as they could go; and the other two barrels of buck-shot and Jose's musket were to be poured in.
Between this town and the Carabaya range, a hundred and fifty miles to the south, was to be found the rich gold deposit to which Dias had referred. So far, however, as the traditions he had received informed him, it was situated near the slopes of the Tinta volcano, and between that and Ayapata.
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