At sound of Harry's warning cry I ran to the water's edge and
peered round the side of the boulder. He was right; but what I
saw was not very alarming.
Two rafts had been launched from the enemy's camp. Each raft
held three Incas--more would have sunk them. Two were paddling,
while the third balanced himself in the center, brandishing a
spear aloft.
Turning to Desiree, I called to her to move behind a projecting
bit of rock. Then, leaving Harry to guard the crevice in case of
a double attack, I took three of our four spears--one of which
had made the wound in my leg--and stood at the water's edge
awaiting the approach of the rafts.
They came slowly, and their appearance was certainly anything but
terrifying.
"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
another minute it had approached within fifty feet of the ledge.
The Inca in the center stood with legs spread apart and his spear
poised above his head; I made no movement, thinking that on such
precarious footing he would have difficulty to hurl the thing at
all.
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