CHAPTER XXVIII "CAN WE GET THERE IN TIME?"
Pizzara had been clever, indeed! He had so maneuvered the procession asthey left the cells that Mr. Gray, the most feeble one, was in the leadand the Indian and his sister at the rear.
Therefore they could not make a dash for escape; and when they sawPizzara's menacing look as he showed them that he also had his ownrevolver, a heavy, serviceable automatic, Mr. Whitley and Bill signaledsubmission. After all, it was their only chance for liberty.
"Look here," Bill turned on Pizzara. "You had better let the soldier andhis sister escape--you can't ask them to rob their own treasure house.They think the Sun's gold is sacred!"
"I need them," said Pizzara. "The soldier have his father with rope towait to help us at the cistern. If we have not these two how shall theothers let us take the gold?"
"You are vile!" cried Mr. Gray. "To use them as hostages!"
"Cease grumbling, my little llamas," Pizzara said sarcastically. "Comeand let the loads be put on your little backs--or!----" he crooked histrigger finger significantly.
The situation was too desperate for argument: when they sullenly filedinto the room beneath the sun temple, Caya and her brother showed signsof mutiny but Bill whispered to them that if they raised an alarm thereit would result in death for them all: he hinted that some way would befound to save the treasure--and they could take only a few choice carvedand moulded pieces. Pizzara could not always be on guard.
Strangely enough the whites were all in sympathy with the Indians: theywere not mercenary or lustful. The safety of Cliff's father, their ownescape and a clear conscience were of more worth to them than the riskof a few thousand dollars and the feeling that they were thieves.
They were in such a situation that they had to help a thief but theyfelt sure that at some time when his vigilance was relaxed they couldleave him to dispose of his gains, secured by coercion, as best hemight.
He had chosen his loot wisely; they saw that as he indicated the lighterstatues, beautifully worked, the animals, flowers and a few urns. Hemade them tear apart woolen weaves that were as fine and as soft as silkto make bundles and thongs with which to carry more than they couldhandle loose.
Cowed but sullen Caya and her brother did what they could to delay, butfinally Pizzara had as much as he thought they could care for, and offthey started, down the long tunnel, laden heavily. Even Mr. Gray, feebleas he was, had to carry the statue of Chasca, which weighed only aboutfive pounds but which was a marvelously well wrought bit of purest gold:small though it was, for gold is heavy, every feature, every line, wasperfect.
Herding them before him like the llamas he called them, Pizzara drovehis bearers along, prodding the morose Indians with his two readyweapons.
They reached the outlet into the dry aqueduct: it was still a tunnel forthe distance it ran under the temple gardens, but its stones werecarefully fitted and joined with some hard, glasslike cement to helpretain the water if the emergency ever arose in which it would inundatethe underground ways: and, thought most of them, here was theemergency--if the truth were discovered by the Incas!
The first beginnings of dawn were in the Eastern sky when the party,their torch flung aside, came to the point where the water way was nolonger under the gardens but ran, as an open, deep cut, to the mightycistern which distributed the water from the mountain reservoirs.
"How are we going to get out of this?" Cliff asked as they saw the opensky through the slit of open stone above them.
"Caya's family waits with ropes near the cistern," Bill informed themall: he had learned of this from Pizzara who had allowed the youngsoldier to make his plans before he knew that the gold would be stolen;had Pizzara dropped a hint of his true purpose it is probable that theIndian would have tried to rescue his sister and then informed theInca's troop of the Spaniard's plan; but Pizzara was cunning.
"But suppose they discover the escape?" broke in Nicky. "When do theychange guards again, Bill--ask Caya!"
"It has been done already," Bill said. "I have asked her. That is whyPizzara is hurrying us. They must know that we are free and maybe theyknow that the gold is gone!"
"How far must we go?" Cliff asked.
"At least a mile."
"But won't they see us in this open aqueduct?"
"They probably won't waste time searching," Bill answered. "I expectthat a chasqui-runner--has already been sent to the guards who handlethe sluice gates."
Pizzara, himself, seemed anxious. He urged them to hasten.
"Look!" whispered Caya, clutching Cliff's arm. She pointed behind them.Against the growing illumination of the sky they saw a figure, slim,tall, standing out black against the sky, peering down at them. Suddenlyhe stood straight. Faintly they heard a hail and then the figuredisappeared.
"That was a watcher," Bill said. "It's an even chance whether there aresoldiers close enough to shower us with arrows, or whether they getthose gates open before we reach the place where the rope will help usclimb out."
They needed no prodding from Pizzara.
They ran over the loose pebbles and bits of loosened stone, stumbling,gasping, their lives in their hands; and yet, with all the danger, whenCaya dropped her bundle Pizzara compelled her to stop and secure it.
"How can we get away, even if we do get out?"
Nicky panted as he asked the question. His bundle was getting heavier asthe moments passed, and his excitement, even though it lent himstrength, seemed to make the needless extra burden seem silly; he wantedto drop it, to run faster; but they could go no faster than they didbecause of Mr. Gray's feeble condition.
"If we can get to the place my father will help us with the rope," Cayasaid. "There is a great hole in the cistern, part way down. If we canget in there before the soldiers see us we can hide and they will notthink of looking for us there."
"But won't the water drown us?" asked Cliff.
"I think it may not rise that high," she said. "But hurry--there weshall be safe!"
"Yes," Cliff panted. "If we can get there in time!"