CHAPTER X
A FRESH START
Not until he got to the camp did Harry look round. When he caught aglimpse of the guide's face he went up to him and held out his hand.
"You must not take it to heart, Dias; it has been unfortunate, but thatcannot be helped. You have done everything you could in the matter, andbrought us to the right spot, and no one could tell that when we gotwithin half a mile of the gold river we should find the valley turnedinto a deep lake. We can only say, 'Better luck next time'. We wouldsay in England, 'There are as good fish in the sea as ever came out ofit'. I have never felt very sanguine myself about this; it has allalong seemed too good to be true. Of course we are disappointed, but wemay have better luck next time."
"But I don't know, senor, with certainty of any other place. No one wasever entrusted with more than one secret, so that if the Spanishtortures wrung it out of him two treasures would not be lost."
"We need not talk any more about this place, Dias. I see your wife hasgot some of the fish that we caught yesterday fizzling on the fire. NowI think of it, I am very hungry, for it is six hours since we had ourcoffee this morning. After we have had our meal we can discuss what ournext move had better be."
While they were speaking, Jose had been rapidly telling Maria themisfortune which had befallen them, and the tears were running down thewoman's cheeks.
"You must not feel so badly about it, Maria," Harry said cheerfully;"you see my brother and I are quite cheerful. At any rate, no one is toblame. It would have been an enormous piece of luck if we hadsucceeded, but we never looked on it as a certainty. Anything mighthave happened between the time the gold was shut up and now, though wecertainly never expected to find what we did. We only thought itpossible that we might have the luck to find the treasure. Now you hadbetter look to those fish, or we shall lose our breakfast as we havelost our gold, and this time by our own fault. We are as hungry ashunters all of us; and in fact we are hunters, although we have notbrought any game with us this time."
The woman wiped away her tears hastily, and, taking off the fish whichshe had put on when they were coming down the hill, she laid them onplates with some freshly-baked cakes. The fish were excellent, andBertie, as they ate, made several jokes which set them all laughing, sothat the meal passed off cheerfully.
"Now for the great consoler," Harry said, as he took out his pipe."When we have all lighted up, the council shall begin. Never mindclearing away the plates now, Maria; just sit down with us, there iswisdom in many counsellors. Now, Dias, what do you think is the bestcourse for us to adopt at present?"
"Unless you wish to stay here and make further search?"
"By no means, Dias," Harry said; "for the present, I have seen enoughof this side of the mountains. We will get back to Cuzco and make afresh start from there."
"In that case, senor, there is no doubt as to the best route. There isa pass over the mountains just on the other side of Mount Tinta; itleads to the town of Ayapata, which lies somewhere at the foot of thatpeak. I have never been there, but I know its situation. It is a verysteep pass, but as it is used for mule traffic it cannot be very bad.Once we have passed over it on to the plateau we shall not be more thanseventy or eighty miles from Cuzco."
"That is quite satisfactory. We will set off to-morrow."
"We had better catch some more fish, for we have had no time forhunting lately," Maria said. "The meat we ate yesterday was the last wehad with us. If we cut the fish open and lay them flat on the rocks,which are so hot one can scarcely hold one's hand on them, they will besufficiently dry by sunset to keep for two or three days, and beforethat you are sure to shoot something."
The river was full of fish, and in half an hour they had caught anabundance, having fifteen averaging eight pounds apiece. These were atonce cut open, cleaned, and laid down to dry.
"The fishing on this river would let for a handsome sum in England,"Harry laughed; "and I think the fish are quite as good as trout of thesame size. The only objection is that they are so tame, and take thebait so greedily, that, good as the stream is, they would soon beexterminated."
That evening there was a slight stir among the animals which had justlain down. Jose leapt up and walked towards them.
"There is something the matter, Dias," he cried; "the llamas arestanding up with their ears forward. They see or hear something."
"It may be pumas or jaguars," Dias said. "Take your gun, senor."
He picked up his rifle, and Harry and Bertie followed suit, and furtherarmed themselves with their shot-guns.
"You had best come with us, Maria," her husband said. "There is nosaying where the beasts may be. See! the mules are standing up now andpulling at their head-ropes. Let us go among them, senors, our presencewill pacify them."
They all moved towards the mules, which were standing huddled together.Dias and Jose spoke to them and patted them.
"You stand at their heads, Maria," the former said, "and keep ontalking to them. We must see if we can discover the beasts. There isone of them!" he exclaimed, but in a low tone. "Do you see the twobright points of light? That is the reflection of the fire in his eyes."
"Shall I fire?"
"No, senor, not yet. If we were only to wound him he would charge us;let us wait till he gets closer. Probably there are two of them, maleand female, they generally go about in pairs."
Even as he spoke the seeming sparks disappeared.
"He has moved," Dias said; "he will probably walk round us two or threetimes before he makes up his mind to attack."
"If he would go near the fire we could get a fair shot at him, Dias."
"He won't do that, senor; he will most likely go backwards and forwardsin a semicircle, getting perhaps a little closer each time."
Ten minutes passed and then Maria said:
"There are two of them. I can see their outlines distinctly."
"Do you think, if we were to fire a gun, they would move off, Dias?"
"They might for a time, senor, but the probability is that they wouldcome back again. They have smelt the mules, and are probably hungry. Itis better to let them attack us at once and have done with it."
A minute or two later there was a snarling growl.
"They are jaguars," Dias said.
Again and again the threatening sound was heard, and in spite ofMaria's efforts the mules were almost mad with fright.
"We had better lie down beyond them," Dias said. "There is no doubt thebeasts will come from that side. If we posted ourselves behind them themules might break loose and knock us over just as we were taking aim."
They lay down side by side on the grass with their rifles at theirshoulders.
"I can see them now, Dias," Harry whispered, "not more than fifty yardsaway. I think we could hardly miss them now."
"You could not if it were daylight, senor; but in the dark, when youcan't see the end of your rifle, you can never be certain aboutshooting."
The beasts had now apparently made up their minds to attack. Theycrouched low, almost dragging their bellies on the ground, and one wassomewhat in advance of the other.
"That is the male ahead," Dias whispered. "Do you and your brother takeaim. I will take the female, and Jose will hold his fire of buck-shottill she is within a length of us."
"How shall I know when it is going to spring?"
"When it stops, senor. It is sure to stop before it springs."
"Aim between the eyes, Bertie, and fire when I do," Harry whispered tohis brother, who was lying next to him.
When within twelve yards the jaguar halted.
"Now!" Harry said, and they discharged their rifles at the same moment,and, dropping them, grasped the shot-guns.
The jaguar fell over on one side, clawing the air, and then recoveredhimself. As he did so two charges of buck-shot struck him on the head,and he rolled over and remained motionless.
Dias had fired at the same moment, but he had not stopped the secondjaguar. Jose, instead of waiting, hastily
discharged his gun, and inanother instant a dark body bounded over their heads on to the back ofone of the mules, which it struck to the ground.
Harry and Bertie leapt to their feet, and discharged their secondbarrels into the jaguar's body. It turned suddenly round and attemptedto spring, but its hindquarters were paralysed; and Bertie, pulling outhis pistol, fired both barrels into its head. The brute at once fellover dead, and the lad gave a shout of triumph.
"Thank goodness that is over without accident!" Harry said. "They areformidable beasts, Dias."
"In the daytime, when one can see to aim, they can be killed easilyenough, senor; at night their presence is to be dreaded."
"I am afraid we have lost a mule."
"I think not, senor. He was knocked down by the shock, but he had hissaddle on, and the brute had no time to carry him off."
The mule rose to its feet as they spoke; Jose ran and brought a flamingbrand from the fire. Blood was streaming from both the animal'sshoulders.
"It stuck its claws in, senor, but has not made long gashes. I shouldsay that these wounds were caused by the contraction of the claws whenyou finished her with your pistol. The animal will be all right in aday or two; and as our stores have diminished, we need not put any loadon it for a time."
"I hope you were not frightened, Maria?" Bertie said
"I was a little frightened," she said, "when the mule came tumblingdown close to me, and I could see the jaguar's eyes within a few yardsof me, but I had my dagger ready."
"It would not have been much good," Dias said, "if the beast hadattacked you."
"I think you showed no end of pluck," Bertie said. "If he had comeclose to me, and I had got nothing but that little dagger in my hand, Ishould have bolted like a shot."
"I am sure that you would not, senor," she said. "You are a great dealtoo brave for that."
Bertie laughed.
"It is all very well to be brave with a rifle in your hand and anothergun ready, to say nothing of the pistols. By the way, I thought Harryhad given you one of his?
"So he did, but I had forgotten all about it. If I had thought of it Ishould have used it."
"It is just as well that you did not," Harry said. "If you had done so,the brute would have made for you instead of turning round to attackus."
"Now, senor," Dias put in, "we had better drag the jaguars away; themules will never get quiet with the bodies so close to them."
It needed all his strength and that of his companions to drag each ofthe bodies fifty yards away.
"Now, Jose," Dias said when they returned, "you had better give theanimals a feed of maize all round. They will settle down after that. Ishall keep watch to-night, senor. It is not likely that any more ofthese beasts are in the neighbourhood; but it is as well to be careful,and I don't think any of us would sleep if someone were not on thelook-out."
"I will relieve you at two o'clock," Harry said.
"No, senor, I have not been on the watch for the past two nights. Iwould rather sit up by the fire to-night."
Two days later they arrived at the foot of the pass. Just as theygained it they met two muleteers coming down it. Dias entered intoconversation with them, while the others erected tents, preparing tocamp.
"What is the news, Dias?" Harry asked as he returned.
"The men say, senor, that the pass is very unsafe. Many robberies havetaken place in it, and several men, who endeavoured to defendthemselves against the brigands, have been killed. They were questionedby four armed men as they came down, and the goods they were carryingdown to Ayapata were taken from them. They say that traffic has almostceased on the road."
"That is bad, Dias."
"Very bad, senor. We need not be afraid of brigands if they meet us aswe travel along the foot of the hills, but it would be another thing inthe passes. There are many places where the mules would have to go insingle file, and if we were caught in such a spot by men on theheights, we might be shot down without any chance of defendingourselves successfully."
"That is awkward, Dias. It is a scandal that these brigands are notrooted out."
"People are thinking too much of fighting each other or theirneighbours to care anything about the complaints of a few muleteers,senor."
"Is there no other way of crossing the mountains than by this pass?"
"There is a pass, senor, between Ayapata and Crucero, but it is a verybad one."
"And where should we be then, Dias?"
"Well, senor, it would take us along the other side of the mountains toMacari. From that place there is an easy path to La Raya; there we areon the plateau again, and have only to travel by the road throughSicuani to Cuzco."
"In fact, it would double the length of our journey to Cuzco?"
"Yes, senor; but if you liked, from Crucero you might go down to LakeTiticaca. There are certainly good mines in the mountains there."
"Yes, but is there any chance of our finding them?"
"I can't say that, senor, but I fear that the chance would be verysmall."
"Then it is of no use trying, Dias. We saw at the last place what painsthe old people took to hide places where gold could be found, and ifthere had been rich mines among these mountains you speak of, no doubtthey would have hidden them just as carefully. The question is, shallwe go up this pass as we intended, and take our chance, or shall we goby this roundabout way?"
By this time Jose had lit a fire, and they had seated themselves by it.
"One hates turning back, but we are not pressed for time. As far as Ican see, my only chance is the feeble one of finding treasure in theplace you spoke of up the coast above Callao. It is now four monthssince we left Lima. Travelling straight to that place would take us howlong?"
"Well, senor, if we go round by Ayapata to Crucero, and then to Macari,it would be nearly a thousand miles."
"Quite a thousand, I should think. That is three months' steady work.By the time we get there it will be about a year from the time we leftEngland. I have seen quite enough of the mountains to know that ourchance of finding anything among them is so small that it is not worththinking of. It seems to me, therefore, Dias, that we might just aswell, instead of going south over these difficult passes, return by thefoot of the mountains as we have come, going through Paucartambo,crossing the rivers that flow north and fall somewhere or other intothe Amazon, and keeping along it till we come to Cerro de Pasco. Therewe should be nearly in a line with this place you know of, and can keepdue west--that is to say, as nearly due west as the mountains willallow. It would be three or four hundred miles shorter than by takingthe pass at Ayapata. We should have a good deal of sport by the way,and should certainly have no trouble with the brigands till we got toCerro. Of course it is possible that we might fall in with savagesagain, but at any rate they are not so formidable as brigands in thepasses. What do you say to that?"
"It is certainly shorter, senor; and, as you say, we should have notrouble with the brigands, and we should also escape the troubles thathave been going on for some years, and are likely, as far as anyone cansee, to go on for ever. We were very fortunate in not meeting any ofthe armies that are always marching about."