This is somewhat
different, my lady."
"And infinitely more interesting," she answered. "Are you ready?
See that stupid arriero! Ah! After all, he knew what he was
about. Then, messieurs--allons!"
The arriero, receiving my nod uttered a peculiar whistle through
his teeth. The mules pricked up their ears, then with one common
movement started forward.
"Adios! Adios, senora! Adios, senores!"
With the cry of our late host sounding in our ears we passed down
the narrow little street of Cerro de Pasco on our way to the
snow-capped peaks of the Andes.
Chapter V.
THE CAVE OF THE DEVIL.
You may remember that I made some remark concerning the
difficulty of the ascent of Pike's Peak. Well, that is mere
child's play--a morning constitutional compared to the paths we
found ourselves compelled to follow in the great Cordillera.
Nor was it permitted us to become gradually accustomed to the
danger; we had not been two hours out of Cerro de Pasco before we
found ourselves creeping along a ledge so narrow there was
scarcely room for the mules to place their hoofs together, over a
precipice three thousand feet in the air--straight.
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