by Rex Stout
Chapter XVI.
THE ESCAPE.
The ledge on which we rested was about forty feet square. Back of uswas a confused mass of boulders and chasms, across which I had comewhen I first encircled the cavern and found Harry.
In front was the crevice, guarded by the two massive boulders. On theright the ledge met the solid wall of the cavern, and on the left wasthe lake itself, whose waters rippled gently at our very feet.
At sound of Harry's warning cry I ran to the water's edge and peeredround the side of the boulder. He was right; but what I saw was notvery alarming.
Two rafts had been launched from the enemy's camp. Each raft heldthree Incas--more would have sunk them. Two were paddling, while thethird balanced himself in the center, brandishing a spear aloft.
Turning to Desiree, I called to her to move behind a projecting bit ofrock. Then, leaving Harry to guard the crevice in case of a doubleattack, I took three of our four spears--one of which had made thewound in my leg--and stood at the water's edge awaiting the approach ofthe rafts.
They came slowly, and their appearance was certainly anything butterrifying.
"Not much of a navy," I called to Harry; and he answered, with a laugh:"Lucky for us! Look at our coast defense!"
One of the rafts was considerably ahead of the other, and in anotherminute it had approached within fifty feet of the ledge. The Inca inthe center stood with legs spread apart and his spear poised above hishead; I made no movement, thinking that on such precarious footing hewould have difficulty to hurl the thing at all. Wherein I underratedhis skill, and it nearly cost me dear.
Suddenly, with hardly a movement of his body, his arm snapped forward.I ducked to one side instinctively and heard the spear whistle past myear with the speed of a bullet, so close that the butt of the shaftstruck the side of my head a glancing blow and toppled me over.
I sprang quickly to my feet, and barely in time, for I saw the Incastoop over, pick up another spear from the raft, and draw it back abovehis head. At the same moment the second raft drew up alongside, and asI fell to the ground flat on my face I heard the two spears whistleshrewdly over me.
At that game they were my masters; it would have been folly to havetried conclusions with them with their own weapons. As the spearsclattered on the ground thirty feet away I sprang to my feet and ran tothe farther side of the ledge, where I had before noticed some loosestones in a corner.
With two or three of these in my hands I ran back to the water's edge,meeting two more of the spears that came twisting at me through theair, one of which tore the skin from my left shoulder.
A quick glance at the crevice as I passed showed me Harry fighting atits entrance; they were at us there, too. I heard Desiree shoutsomething at me, but didn't catch the words.
My first stone found its goal. The two rafts, side by side not fortyfeet away, were a fair mark. The stone was nearly the size of a man'shead and very heavy; I had all I could do to get the distance.
It struck the raft on the right fairly; the thing turned turtle in aflash, precipitating its occupants onto the other raft. The addedweight carried that, too, under the surface, and the six Incas werefloundering about in the water.
I expected to see them turn and swim for the landing opposite; but,instead, they headed directly toward me!
The light from the urns was but faint, and it was not easy todistinguish their black heads against the black water; still, I couldsee their approach. Two of them held spears in their hands; I saw thecopper heads flash on high.
I stood at the edge of the lake, wondering at their folly as I waited;they were now scarcely ten feet away. Another few strokes and theforemost stretched out his hand to grasp the slippery ledge; my spearcame down crushingly on his head and he fell back into the water.
By that time another had crawled half onto the ledge, and another; ablow and a quick thrust, and they, too, slipped back beneath thesurface, pawing in agony, not to rise again.
Just in time I saw that one of the remaining three had lifted himselfin the water not five feet away, with his spear aimed at my breast.But the poor devil had no purchase for his feet and the thing went wide.
The next instant he had received a ten-pound stone full in the face andwent down with a gurgle. At that the remaining two, seeming to acquirea glimmering of intelligence, turned and swam hastily away. I let themgo.
Turning to Harry, I saw that the crevice also was clear. He had lefthis post and started toward me, but I waved him back.
"All right here, Hal: have they given it up?"
There was an expression of the most profound disgust on his face.
"Paul, it's rank butchery. I'm wading in blood. Will this thing neverstop?"
I looked at him and said merely: "Yes."
No need to ask when; he understood me; he sent me the glance of a manwho has become too familiar with death to fear it, and answered:
"Another hour of this, and--I'm ready."
I told him to keep an eye on both points of attack and went across towhere Desiree sat crouched on the ground. I hadn't many words.
"How is your foot?"
"Oh, it is better; well. But your leg--"
"Never mind that. Could you sleep?"
"Bon Dieu--no!"
"We have only raw fish. Can you eat?"
"I'll try," she answered, with a grimace.
I went to the edge of the ledge where we had the fish stowed away nearthe water and took some of it both to her and Harry. We ate, but withlittle relish. The stuff did not seem very fresh.
I remained on guard at the mouth of the crevice while Harry went to thelake for a drink, having first helped Desiree to the water and back toher seat. Her foot gave her a great deal of pain, but instead of asprain it appeared that there had been merely a straining of theligaments. After bathing it in the cold water she was considerablyrelieved.
I remained on watch at the mouth of the crevice, from where I couldalso obtain a pretty fair view of the lake, and commanded Harry torest. He demurred, but I insisted. Within two minutes he was sleepinglike a log, completely exhausted.
Several hundred of the Incas remained huddled together on the ledgewithout, but they made no effort to attack us. I had been watchingperhaps three hours when they began to melt away into the passage.Soon but a scant dozen or so remained. These squatted along the walljust under the lighted urns, evidently in the capacity of sentinels.
Soon I became drowsy--intolerably so; I was scarcely able to stand. Idozed off once or twice on my feet; and, realizing the danger, I calledHarry to take my place.
Desiree also had been asleep, lying on the raft which Harry and I hadconcealed along with our fish. At sound of my voice she awoke and satup, rubbing her eyes; then, as I assured her that all was quiet, shefell back again on her rude bed.
I have never understood the delay of the Incas at this juncture;possibly they took time to consult the great Pachacamac and found hisadvice difficult to understand. At the time I thought they had givenup the attack and intended to starve us out, but they were incapable ofa decision so sensible.
Many hours had passed, and we had alternated on four watches. We hadplenty of rest and were really quite fit. The gash on my leg hadproven a mere trifle; I was a little stiff, but there was no pain.
Desiree's foot was almost entirely well; she was able to walk withease, and had insisted on taking a turn at watch, making such a pointof it that we had humored her.
Something had to happen, and I suppose it was as well that the Incasshould start it. For we had met with a misfortune that made us see thebeginning of the end. Our fish was no longer fit to eat, and we hadbeen forced to throw the remainder of it in the lake.
Then we held a council of war. The words we uttered, standing togetherat the mouth of the crevice, come to me now as in a dream; if my memoryof them were not so vivid I should doubt their reality. We discusseddeath with a calmness that spoke eloquently of our experience.
&
nbsp; Desiree's position may be given in a word--she was ready for the end,and invited it.
I was but little behind her, but advised waiting for one more watch--asop to Harry. And there was one other circumstance that moved me todelay--the hope for a sight of the Inca king and a chance at him.
Desiree had refused to tell us her experiences between the time of ourdive from the column and our rescue of her; but she had said enough tocause me to guess at its nature. There was a suppressed but everpresent horror in her eyes that made me long to stand once more beforethe Child of the Sun; then to go, but not alone.
Harry advised retreat. I have mentioned that when he and I had startedon our search for Desiree we had found two exits from the cavern--theone which we had taken and another which led through the maze ofboulders and chasms back of us to a passage full of twists and turnsand choked with massive rocks, almost impassable.
Through this he advised making our way to whatever might await usbeyond.
The question was still undecided when our argument was brought to ahalt and the decision was taken away from us. Through the crevice Isaw a band of Incas emerge from the passage opposite and advance to thewater's edge. At their head was the Inca king.
Soon the landing was completely covered with them--probably threehundred or more--and others could be seen in the mouth of the passage.Each one carried a spear; their heads of copper, upraised in averitable forest, shone dully in the light of the urns on the wallabove.
Harry and Desiree stood close behind me, looking through at thefantastic sight. I turned to him:
"This time they mean business."
He nodded.
"But what can they do? Except get knocked on the head, and I'm sick ofit. If we had only left an hour ago!"
"For my part," I retorted, "I'm glad we didn't. Desiree, I'm going toput you in my debt, if fortune will only show me one last kindness andlet me get within reach of him."
I pointed to where the Inca king stood in the forefront, at the veryedge of the lake.
She shuddered and grew pale.
"He is a monster," she said in a voice so low that I scarcely heard,"and--I thank you, Paul."
Harry seemed not to have heard.
"But what can they do?" he repeated.
They did not leave us long in doubt. As he spoke there was a suddensharp movement in the ranks of the Incas. Those in front leaped in thewater, and others after them, until, almost before we had time torealize their purpose, hundreds of the hairy brutes were swimming withlong, powerful strokes directly toward the ledge on which we stood.Between his teeth each man carried his spear.
I left Harry to guard the crevice, and ran to repel the attack at thewater. Desiree stood just behind me. I called to her to go back, butshe did not move. I grasped her by the arm and led her forcibly to abreak in the rock at our rear, and pointed out a narrow ascending lanein the direction of the other exit.
When I returned to the ledge of the water the foremost of the Incaswere but a few feet away. But I looked in vain for the one face Iwanted to see and could recognize; the king was not among them. Ahasty glance across the landing opposite discovered him standingmotionless with folded arms.
The entire surface of the lake before me was one mass of heads and armsand spears as far as I could see. There were hundreds of them. I sawat once that the thing was hopeless, but I grasped my spear firmly andstood ready.
The first two or three reached the ledge. At the same instant I heardHarry call:
"They're coming through, Paul! It's you alone!"
I did not turn my head, for I was busy. My spear was whirling about myhead like a circle of flame. Black, dusky forms swam to the ledge andgrasped its slippery surface, but they got no farther. The shaft ofthe spear bent in my hand; I picked up another, barely losing a second.
A wild and savage delight surged through me at the sight of thosestruggling, writhing, slipping forms. I swung the spear in viciousfury. Not one had found footing on the ledge.
Something suddenly struck me in the left arm and stuck there; I shookit loose impatiently and it felt as though my arm went with it.
I did not care to glance up even for an instant; they were pressing mecloser and closer; but I knew that they had begun to hurl their spearsat me from the water, and that the game was up. Another struck me onthe leg; soon they were falling thick about me.
Calling to Harry to follow, I turned and ran for the opening in therock to which I had led Desiree. In an instant he had joined me.
By that time scores of the Incas had scrambled out of the water ontothe ledge and started toward us, and as many more came rushing throughthe crevice, finding their way no longer contested.
Harry carried three spears. I had four. We sprang up a laneencircling the rock to the rear and at its top found Desiree.
A projecting bit of rock gave us some protection from the spears thatwere being hurled at us from below, but they came uncomfortably close,and black forms began to appear in the lane through which we had come.
Harry shouted something which I didn't hear, and, taking Desiree in hisarms, sprang from the rock to another ledge some ten feet below.
I followed. At the bottom he stumbled and fell, but I helped him tohis feet and then turned barely in time to beat back three or four ofthe Incas who had tumbled down almost on our very heads.
Immediately in front of us was a chasm several feet across. Harrycried to Desiree, "Can you make it?" and she shook her head, pointingto her injured foot.
"To me!" I shouted desperately; they were coming down from abovedespite my efforts to hold them back.
Then, in answer to a call from Harry, I turned and leaped across thechasm, throwing the spears ahead of me. Harry took Desiree in his armsand swung her far out; I braced myself for the shock and caught her onmy feet.
I set her down unhurt, and a minute later Harry had joined us and wewere scrambling up the face of a boulder nearly perpendicular, whilethe spears fell thick around us.
Desiree lost her footing and fell against Harry, who rolled to thebottom, pawing for a hold. I turned, but he shouted: "Go on; I'll makeit!" Soon he was again at my side, and in another minute we had gainedthe top of the boulder, quite flat and some twenty feet square. Wecommanded Desiree to lie flat on the ground to avoid the spears frombelow, and paused for a breath and a survey of the situation.
It can be described only with the word chaotic.
The light of the urns were now hidden from us, and we were incomparative darkness, though we could see with a fair amount ofclearness. Nothing could be made of the mass of boulders, but we knewthat somewhere beyond them was the passage from the cavern which wesought.
The Incas came leaping across the chasm to the foot of the rock.Several of them scrambled up the steep surface, but with our spears wepushed them back and they tumbled onto the heads of their fellows below.
But we were too exposed for a stand there, and I shouted to Harry totake Desiree down the other side of the rock while I stayed behind tohold them off. He left me, and in a moment later I heard his voicecrying to me to follow. I did so, sliding down the face of the rockfeet first.
Then began a wild and desperate scramble for safety, with the Incasever at our heels. Without Desiree we would have made our goal withlittle difficulty, but half of the time we had to carry her.
Several times Harry hurled her bodily across a chasm or a crevice,while I received her on the other side.
Often I covered the retreat, holding the Incas at bay while Harryassisted Desiree up the steep face of a boulder or across a narrowledge. There was less danger now from their spears, protected as wewere by the maze of rocks, but I was already bleeding in a dozen placeson my legs and arms and body, and Harry was in no better case.
Suddenly I saw ahead of us an opening which I thought I recognized. Ipointed it out to Harry.
"The exit!" he cried out, and made for it with Desiree. But they werebrought to a halt by a cliff at their very fe
et, no less than twentyfeet high.
I started to join them, but hearing a clatter behind, turned just intime to see a score of Incas rush at us from the left, through a narrowlane that led to the edge of the cliff.
I sprang toward them, calling to Harry for assistance. He was at myside in an instant, and together we held them back.
In five minutes the mouth of the lane was choked with their bodies;some behind attempted to scramble over the pile to get at us, but wemade them sick of their job. I saw that Harry could hold it alonethen, and calling to him to stand firm till I called, I ran to Desiree.
I let myself over the edge of the cliff and hung by my hands, thendropped to the ground below. It was even further than I had thought;my legs doubled up under me and I toppled over, half fainting.
I gritted my teeth and struggled to my feet, calling to Desiree. Shewas already hanging to the edge of the cliff, many feet above me. Butthere was nothing else for it, and I shouted: "All right, come on!"
She came, and knocked me flat on my back. I had tried to catch her,and did succeed in breaking her fall, at no little cost to myself. Iwas one mass of bruises and wounds. But again I struggled to my feetand shouted at the top of my voice:
"Harry! Come!"
He did not come alone. I suppose the instant he left the laneunguarded the Incas poured in after him. They followed him over theedge of the cliff, tumbling on top of each other in anindistinguishable mass.
Some rose to their feet; their comrades, descending from above,promptly knocked them flat on their backs.
Harry and Desiree and I were making for the exit, which was not but afew feet away. As I have said, the thing was choked up till it wasalmost impassable. We squeezed in between two rocks, with Desireebetween us. Harry was in front, and I brought up the rear.
Once through that lane and we might hold our own.
"In Heaven's name, come on!" Harry shouted suddenly; for I had turnedand halted, gazing back at the Incas tumbling over the cliff andrushing toward the mouth of the exit.
But I did not heed him, for, standing on the top of the cliff, wavinghis arms wildly at those below, I had seen the form of the Inca king.He was less than thirty feet away.
With cries from Harry and Desiree ringing in my ears, I braced my feetas firmly as possible on the uneven rock and poised my spear above myhead. The Incas saw my purpose and stopped short.
The king must also have seen me, but he stood absolutely motionless. Ilunged forward; the spear left my hand and flew straight for his breast.
But it failed to reach the mark. A shout of triumph was on my lips,but was suddenly cut short when an Inca standing near the king sprangforward and hurled himself in the path of the spear just as its pointwas ready to take our revenge. The Inca fell to the foot of the cliffwith the spear buried deep in his side. The king stood as he hadbefore, without moving.
Then there was a wild rush into the mouth of the exit, and I turned tofollow Harry and Desiree. With extreme difficulty we scrambled forwardover the rocks and around them.
Desiree's breath was coming in painful gasps, and we had to support heron either side. The Incas approached closer at our rear; I felt one ofthem grasp me from behind, and in an excess of fury I shook him off anddashed him backward against the rocks. We were able to make littleheadway, or none; by taking to the exit we appeared to have set our owndeath-trap.
Harry went on with Desiree, and I stayed behind in the attempt to checkthe attack. They came at me from both sides. I was faint andbleeding, and barely able to wield my spear--my last one. I gave wayby inches, retreating backward step by step, fighting with the very endof my strength.
Suddenly Harry's voice came, shouting that they had reached the end ofthe passage. I turned then and sprang desperately from rock to rockafter them, with the Incas crowding close after me.
I stumbled and nearly fell, but recovered my footing and staggered on.And suddenly the mass of rocks ended abruptly, and I fell forward ontoflat, level ground by the side of Desiree and Harry.
"Your spear!" I gasped. "Quick--they are upon us!"
But they grasped my arms and dragged me away from the passage to oneside. I was half fainting from exhaustion and loss of blood, andscarcely knew what they did. They laid me on the ground and bent overme.
"The Incas!" I gasped.
"They are gone," Harry answered.
At that I struggled to rise and rested my body on my elbows, gazing atthe mouth of the passage. It was so; the Incas were not to be seen!Not one had issued from the passage.
It was incomprehensible to us then; later we understood. And we hadnot long to wait.
Harry and Desiree were bending over me, attempting to stop the flow ofblood from a cut on my shoulder.
"We must have water," said Desiree. Harry straightened up to lookabout the cavern, which was so dark that we could barely see oneanother's faces but a few feet away.
Suddenly an exclamation of wonder came from his lips.
Desiree and I followed the direction of his gaze, and saw the huge,black, indistinct form of some animal suddenly detach itself from thewall of the cavern and move slowly toward us through the darkness.
