If we had only left an hour ago!"
"For my part," I retorted, "I'm glad we didn't. Desiree, I'm
going to put you in my debt, if fortune will only show me one
last kindness and let me get within reach of him."
I pointed to where the Inca king stood in the forefront, at the
very edge 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
sudden sharp movement in the ranks of the Incas. Those in front
leaped in the water, and others after them, until, almost before
we had time to realize their purpose, hundreds of the hairy
brutes were swimming with long, 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
the water. Desiree stood just behind me. I called to her to go
back, but she did not move. I grasped her by the arm and led her
forcibly to a break in the rock at our rear, and pointed out a
narrow ascending lane in the direction of the other exit.
Pages:
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278