Ayacanora, who had been preaching war like a very Boadicea, was much vexed.
"Do you too want to dine off roast Spaniards?" asked Amyas.
She shook her head, and denied the imputation with much disgust.
Amyas was relieved; he had shrunk from joining the thought of so fair a creature, however degraded, with the horrors of cannibalism.
But the cacique was a man of business, and held out staunchly.
"Is it fair?" he asked. "The white man loves gold, and he gets it. The poor Indian, what use is gold to him? He only wants something to eat, and he must eat his enemies. What else will pay him for going so far through the forests hungry and thirsty? You will get all, and the Omaguas will get nothing."
The argument was unanswerable: and the next day they started without the Indians, while John Brimblecombe heaved many an honest sigh at leaving them to darkness, the devil and the holy trumpet.
And Ayacanora?
When their departure was determined, she shut herself up in her hut, and appeared no more. Great was the weeping, howling, and leave-taking on the part of the simple Indians, and loud the entreaties to come back again, bring them a message from Amalivaca's daughter beyond the seas, and help them to recover their lost land of Papamene; but Ayacanora took no part in them; and Amyas left her, wondering at her absence, but joyful and light-hearted at having escaped the rocks of the Sirens, and being at work once more.
"God will relent, and quit thee all thy debt,
Who evermore approves, and more accepts
Him who imploring mercy sues for iife,
Than who self-rigorous chooses death as due,
Which argues over just, and self-displeased
For self-offence, more than for God offended."
A fortnight or more had passed in severe toil; but not more severe than they have endured many a time before. Bidding farewell once and forever to the green ocean of the eastern plains, they have crossed the Cordillera; they have taken a longing glance at the city of Santa Fe, lying in the midst of rich gardens on its lofty mountain plateau, and have seen, as was to be expected, that it was far too large a place for any attempt of theirs. But they have not altogether thrown away their time. Their Indian lad has discovered that a gold-train is going down from Santa Fé
