rs.undertheandes-第22部分

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　〃Where　would　we　go？〃
　In　that　question　was　the　whole　matter。　To　escape　with　Desiree　was　possible…but　then　what？　We　knew　by　experience　what　it　meant　to　wander　hopelessly　about　in　the　darkness　of　those　desolate　caverns；　without　food；　and　depending　on　Providence　for　water。
　Neither　of　us　cared　to　repeat　that　trial；　especially　with　the　added　difficulty　of　a　woman　to　care　for。　But　what　to　do？
　We　decided　to　wait　for　the　future；　and　in　the　mean　time　lay　in　a　supply　of　provisions；　and；　if　possible；　devise　some　sort　of　weapons。
　It　is　worth　remarking　here　that　the　Incas；　so　far　as　we　had　seen；　used　no　weapons　whatever。　This　was　most　probably　the　result　of　their　total　isolation　and　consequent　freedom　from　foreign　hostility。
　In　the　matter　of　food　we　were　soon　to　receive　an　agreeable　surprise。　It　was　about　an　hour　after　Desiree　had　left　us　that　the　royal　steward…I　give　him　the　title　on　my　own　responsibility…arrived；　with　pots　and　pans　on　a　huge　tray。
　In　the　first　place；　the　pots　and　pans　were　of　solid　gold。
　Harry　stared　in　amazement　as　they　were　placed　in　brilliant　array　on　one　of　the　stone　tables；　and　when　we　essayed　to　lift　the　empty　tray　from　another　table　on　which　it　had　been　placed　we　understood　why　the　steward　had　found　it　necessary　to　bring　four　assistants　along　as　cup…bearers。
　There　was　a　king's　ransom　on　that　table；　in　sober　truth；　for　there　could　be　no　doubt　but　that　this　was　part　of　the　gold　which　had　been　carried　from　Huanuco　when　it　had　been　demanded　by　Pizarro　as　payment　for　the　life　of　Atahualpa。
　But　better　even　than　the　service　was　that　which　it　contained。
　It　may　not　have　been　such　as　would　enhance　the　reputation　of　a　French　chef；　but　to　us　then　it　seemed　that　the　culinary　art　could　go　no　farther。
　There　was　a　large　platter；　Harry　lifted　its　cover　in　an　ecstasy　of　hope；　but　the　next　instant　his　face　fell　ludicrously。
　〃Our　old　friend；　Mr。　Dried　Fish；〃　he　announced　sadly；　and　gave　it　up。
　Then　I　tried　my　luck；　and　with　better　success。
　First　I　uncovered　a　dish　of　stew；　steaming　hot！　To　be　sure；　it　was　fish；　but　it　was　hot。　Then　a　curious；　brittle　kind　of　bread；　I　call　it　that；　though　on　trial　it　appeared　to　be　made　from　the　roe　of　some　kind　of　fish。　Also　there　was　some　excellent　fish…soup；　also　hot；　and　quite　delicious。
　Four　hundred　years　of　development　had　taught　the　royal　chefs　to　prepare　fish　in　so　many　different　ways　that　we　almost　failed　to　recognize　them　as　of　the　same　family。
　〃Couldn't　be　better；〃　said　Harry；　helping　himself　liberally　to　the　stew。　〃We　can　eat　this；　and　cache　the　dried　stuff。　We'll　have　enough　for　an　army　in　a　week。〃
　〃As　for　me；　I　saw　before　me　the　raw　material　for　our　weapons。
　When　we　had　emptied　the　golden　platter　that　held　our　〃bread；〃　I　secreted　it　under　the　cover　of　the　granite　couch。　When　the　serving…men　called　to　remove　the　dishes　they　apparently　did　not　notice　its　absence。　So　far；　success。
　Some　hours　later　Desiree　paid　us　a　second　call。　She　appeared　to　be　in　the　gayest　of　spirits；　and　I　eyed　her　curiously　from　a　seat　in　the　corner　as　she　and　Harry　sat　side　by　side；　chatting　for　all　the　world　as　though　they　had　been　in　her　own　Paris　drawing…room。
　Was　it　possible　that　she　was　really　satisfied；　as　she　had　said？　What　imaginable　food　could　these　black　dwarfs　find　to　appease　her　tremendous　vanity？　Or　was　she　merely　living　the　motto　of　the　French　philosopher？
　Harry　was　demanding　that　he　be　allowed　to　visit　her　apartment；　this　she　refused；　saying　that　if　he　were　found　there　by　the　king　nothing　could　avert　a　catastrophe。　Harry's　brow　grew　black；　I　could　see　his　effort　to　choke　back　his　anger。　Then　Desiree　led　him　away　from　the　topic；　and　soon　they　were　both　again　laughing　merrily。
　Some　forty…eight　hours　passed；　in　that　perpetual　blackness　there　was　no　such　thing　as　day。　We　saw　no　one　save　Desiree　and　the　serving　men。　Once　a　messenger　appeared　carrying　a　bundle　of　quipos；　I　was　able　to　decipher　their　meaning　sufficiently　to　understand　that　we　were　invited　to　some　religious　ceremony　in　the　great　cavern。　But　I　thought　it　injudicious　to　allow　a　meeting　between　Harry　and　the　king；　and　returned　a　polite　refusal。
　It　may　be　of　interest　to　some　to　know　the　method；　which　was　extremely　simple；　as　in　ordinary　munications　the　quipos　are　easy　to　read。　I　removed　two　knots　from　the　white　cord…the　sign　of　affirmative…and　placed　two　additional　ones　on　the　black　cord…the　sign　of　negative。　Then　on　the　yellow　cord…the　sign　of　the　Child　of　the　Sun　and　submission　to　him…I　tied　two　more　knots　to　show　that　our　refusal　meant　no　lack　of　respect　to　their　deity。
　Which；　by　the　way；　was　not　a　little　curious。
　Here　were　the　descendants　of　the　subjects　of　Manco…Capac；　himself　a　son　of　the　orb　of　day；　still　holding　to　their　worship　of　the　sun；　though　they　had　not　seen　its　light　for　four　centuries。
　Deserted　by　their　god；　they　did　not　abandon　him；　an　example　from　which　the　followers　of　another　and　more　〃civilized〃　religion　might　learn　something　of　the　potency　of　faith。
　But　to　the　story。
　As　I　say；　I　was　anxious　to　avoid　a　meeting　between　Harry　and　the　king；　and　subsequent　events　proved　my　wisdom。　Harry　was　acting　in　a　manner　quite　amazing；　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　mention　the　king　even　in　jest　without　him　flying　into　a　violent　temper。
　As　I　look　back　now　I　am　not　surprised；　for　our　harrowing　experiences　and　the　hopelessness　of　our　situation　and　the　wilfulness　of　Desiree　were　enough；　Heaven　knows；　to　jerk　his　nerves；　but　at　the　time　I　regarded　his　actions　as　those　of　a　thoughtless　fool；　and　told　him　so；　thinking　to　divert　his　anger　to　myself。　He　took　no　notice　of　me。
　We　were　left　entirely　to　ourselves。　At　regular　intervals　our　food　was　brought　to　us；　and　within　a　week　we　had　accumulated　a　large　supply　of　the　dried　fish　against　necessity；　besides　my　collection　of　six　golden　platters；　of　which　more　later。
　Once　in　about　twenty…four　hours　two　Incas；　who　appeared　to　be　our　personal　attendants…for　we　were　actually　able　to　recognize　them　after　half　a　dozen　visits…arrived　to　perform　the　offices　of　chambermaid　and　valet。　The　floor　of　the　apartment　was　scrubbed；　the　urns　refilled　with　oil；　and　the　skin　cover　of　the　granite　couch　was　changed。　It　seemed　that　another　belief…in　cleanliness…had　refused　to　be　dislodged　from　the　Inca　breast。
　When　I　managed；　by　dint　of　violent　and　expressive　gestures；　to　convey　to　our　valet　the　idea　that　we　desired　a　bath；　he　led　us　down　the　corridor　some　two　hundred　feet　to　a　stream　of　cool　running　water。　We　took　advantage　of　the　opportunity　to　scrub　our　clothing；　which　was　sadly　in　need　of　the　operation。
　I　had　early　made　an　examination　of　the　urns　which　furnished　our　light。　They　were　of　gold　and　perfect　in　form；　which　convinced　me　that　they　had　been　brought　by　the　fugitives　from　Huanuco；　as；　indeed；　the　quipos　also；　and　several　other　articles　we　found；　including　our　golden　table　service。
　The　urns　were　filled　with　an　oil　which　I　was　unable　to　recognize。　There　was　no　wick；　but　round　the　rim　or　lip　of　each　was　set　a　broad　ring　carved　of　stone；　which　made　the　opening　at　the　top　only　about　two　inches　in　diameter。　Through　this　the　flame　arose　to　a　height　of　about　two　feet。
　Of　smoke　there　was　none；　or　very　little；　a　circumstance　which　was　inexplicable；　as　there　seemed　to　be　no　possibility　of　the　generation　of　gas　within　so　small　space。　But　the　oil　itself　was　strange　to　me；　and　its　properties　may　be　charged　to　nature。
　As　I　say；　I　had　collected　six　of　the　golden　platters；　one　at　a　time。　Together　they　weighed　about　twenty　pounds…for　they　were　small　and　rather　thin…which　was　near　the　amount　required　for　my　purpose。　I　explained　the　thing　to　Harry；　and　we　set　to　work。
　We　first　procured　a　vessel　of　granite　from　the　attendant　on　some　pretext　or　other…this　for　melting　the　gold。　Then　we　pried　a　slab　of　limestone　from　a　corner　of　one　of　the　seats；　luckily　for　us　it　was　very　soft；　having　been　selected　by　the　Incas　for　the　purpose　of　inserting　in　its　face　the　crystal　prisms。　Then　we　procured　a　dozen　or　more　of　the　prisms　themselves；　and；　using　them　as　chisels；　and　small　blocks　of　granite　as　hammers；　set　to　work　at　the　block　of　limestone。
　It　was　slow　work；　but　we　finally　succeeded　in　hollowing　out　a　groove　in　its　surface　about　eighteen　inches　long　and　two　inches　deep。　That　was　our　mold。
　Then　to　melt　the　golden　platters。　We　took　four　of　the　urns；　placing　them　in　a　group　on　the　floor；　and　just　at　the　tip　of　the　flames　placed　the　granite　vessel；　supported　by　four　blocks　of　stone　which　we　pried　loose　from　one　of　the　seats。　In　the　vessel　we　placed　the　golden　platters。
　But　we　found；　after　several　hours；　that　we　did　not　have　sufficient　heat…or　rather　that　the　vessel　was　too　thick　to　transmit　it。　And　again　we　set　to　work　with　our　improvised　chisels　and　hammers；　to　shave　off　its　sides　and　bottom。　That　was　more　difficult　and　required　many　hours　for　pletion。
　Finally；　with　the　profane　portion　of　our　vocabularies　pletely　exhausted　and　rendered　meaningless　by　repetition；　and　with　bruised　and　bleeding　hands；　we　again　arranged　our　furnace　and　sat　down　to　wait。　We　had　waited　until　the　dishes　from　our　dinner　had　been　removed；　and　we　were　fairly　certain　to　be　alone　for　several　hours。
　Finally　the　gold　was　melted；　stubbornly　but　surely。　We　took　the　thick