"It was indeed a temptation of Diabolus,' said that simple sage; "for he is by his very name the divider who sets man against man, and tempts one to care only for oneself, and forget kin and country, and duty and queen. But you have resisted him, Captain Leigh, like a true-born Englishman, as you always are, and he has fled from you. But that is no reason why we should not flee from him too; and so I think the sooner we are out of this place, and at work again, the better for all our souls."
To which Amyas most devoutly said, "Amen!" If Ayacanora were the daughter of ten thousand Incas, he must get out of her way as soon as possible.
The next day he announced his intention to march once more, and to his delight found the men ready enough to move towards the Spanish settlements. One thing they needed: gunpowder for their muskets. But that they must make as they went along; that is, if they could get the materials. Charcoal they could procure, enough to set the world on fire; but nitre they had not yet seen; perhaps they should find it among the hills: while as for sulphur, any brave man could get that where there were volcanoes. Who had not heard how one of Cortes' Spaniards, in like need, was lowered in a basket down the smoking crater of Popocatepetl, till he had gathered sulphur enough to conquer an empire? And what a Spaniard could do an Englishman could do, or they would know the reason why. And it they found none—why clothyard arrows had done Englishman's work many a time already, and they could do it again, not to mention those same blow guns and their arrows of curare poison, which, though they might be useless against Spaniard's armor, were far more valuable than muskets for procuring food, from the simple fact of their silence.
One thing remained; to invite their Indian friends to join them. And that was done in due form the next day.
Ayacanora was consulted, of course, and by the Piache, too, who was glad enough to be rid of the rival preacher, and his unpleasantly good news that men need not worship the devil, because there was a good God above them. The maiden sang most melodious assent; the whole tribe echoed it; and all went smoothly enough till the old cacique observed that before starting a compact should be made between the allies as to their share of the booty.
Nothing could be more reasonable; and Amyas asked him to name his terms.
"You take the gold, and we will take the prisoners."
"And what will vou do with them?" asked Amyas, who recollected poor John Oxenham's hapless compact made in like case.
"Eat them," quoth the cacique innocently enough.
Amyas whistled.
"Humph! "said Cary. "The old proverb comes true—'the more the merrier: but the fewer the better fare.' I thmk we will do without our red friends for this time."
