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They then placed the bows against the wall, close to the hole, opened their long knives and thrust them through the thin wall together, then each swept his knife down until it reached the ground, and cut along it until the inclosed strip gave way and fell inwards. They caught it as it moved, lowered it gently down, and then Hurka crept through the hole into the open air.
“It is marvellous to me how you can see anything, Hurka, for I cannot make out even the outline of your figure.” “We were born so, señor. Life in these forests accustoms the eyes to see in darkness. It is the same with the wild animals that run at night.” It was not long before Stephen’s breath began to come in short gasps.
“We must go to-night,” he said briefly. “I have been told that I must give an answer to-morrow.” “I have been telling the señor,” Hurka said, “and he is ready to make the attempt at once; but I wish that they had given you a day or two longer, for there will be extra vigilance to-night.” Pita made a gesture of contempt. “They will but throw away their lives,” he said. “Let us go out.”
However, he soon went off to sleep again. When he awoke, Hurka was at hand, and ready to pour some hot broth down his throat. It was long before he was strong enough to ask questions, and the Indian positively refused to talk. At last the time came when he was able to be propped up into a sitting position on his bed, which was composed of leaves covered with blankets.
“Ah, if you would but come here,” Hurka exclaimed, “what a blessing it would be to us! and I am sure that the Indians, when they knew that they would be fairly treated, would no longer preserve the secrets of the Incas, but would gladly open to you mines that have been hidden ever since the Spaniards came, and hand over vast treasures that have been left untouched all these years.
They paddled along close to the bank until they reached a spot where it was bordered by a vast number of reeds, many of them as thick as Stephen’s arm. “Now we are going to make our raft,” Hurka said. “These reeds are far better than solid branches. They are very light, and we fasten them but loosely together, so that they can give to the water.
The instant the boat reached the opposite side of the whirlpool Stephen and Hurka drew in the rope hand over hand. “Leave go, Hurka,” Stephen said as the rope tightened. “I will try as we pass whether it has caught in the trees.” As the canoe passed on he put a slight strain on the rope. It yielded for a moment, and then flew through his fingers rapidly.
“No boat ever made could live in it,” Hurka said. “I have seen boats on the great waves that break on the coast, but there was an order in the waves, and those skilled in the work could wait their opportunity and come in on the top of one of them.
He handed his gun to Stephen, while Hurka swung his across his back. Each of them took up their bows, drew half a dozen arrows from the quivers, and held them in readiness for instant use.
They had by this time re-entered their hut, and Pita at once began to examine the wall, and to decide where it had best be cut through. After some conversation with Hurka they determined to make the hole in the side wall, near the rear corner of the hut.
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