I stood at the edge of the lake, wondering at their folly as I waited; they were now scarcely ten feet away.  Another few strokes and the foremost stretched out his hand to grasp the slippery ledge; my spear came down crushingly on his head and he fell back into the water.

By that time another had crawled half onto the ledge, and another; a blow and a quick thrust, and they, too, slipped back beneath the surface, pawing in agony, not to rise again.

Just in time I saw that one of the remaining three had lifted himself in the water not five feet away, with his spear aimed at my breast.  But the poor devil had no purchase for his feet and the thing went wide.

The next instant he had received a ten-pound stone full in the face and went down with a gurgle.  At that the remaining two, seeming to acquire a glimmering of intelligence, turned and swam hastily away.  I let them go.

Turning to Harry, I saw that the crevice also was clear.  He had left his post and started toward me, but I waved him back.

“All right here, Hal:  have they given it up?”

There was an expression of the most profound disgust on his face.

“Paul, it’s rank butchery.  I’m wading in blood.  Will this thing never stop?”

I looked at him and said merely:  “Yes.”

No need to ask when; he understood me; he sent me the glance of a man who has become too familiar with death to fear it, and answered: 

“Another hour of this, and—­I’m ready.”

I told him to keep an eye on both points of attack and went across to where Desiree sat crouched on the ground.  I hadn’t many words.

“How is your foot?”

“Oh, it is better; well.  But your leg—­”

“Never mind that.  Could you sleep?”

“Bon Dieu—­no!”

“We have only raw fish.  Can you eat?”

“I’ll try,” she answered, with a grimace.

I went to the edge of the ledge where we had the fish stowed away near the water and took some of it both to her and Harry.  We ate, but with little relish.  The stuff did not seem very fresh.

I remained on guard at the mouth of the crevice while Harry went to the lake for a drink, having first helped Desiree to the water and back to her seat.  Her foot gave her a great deal of pain, but instead of a sprain it appeared that there had been merely a straining of the ligaments.  After bathing it in the cold water she was considerably relieved.

I remained on watch at the mouth of the crevice, from where I could also obtain a pretty fair view of the lake, and commanded Harry to rest.  He demurred, but I insisted.  Within two minutes he was sleeping like a log, completely exhausted.

Several hundred of the Incas remained huddled together on the ledge without, but they made no effort to attack us.  I had been watching perhaps three hours when they began to melt away into the passage.  Soon but a scant dozen or so remained.  These squatted along the wall just under the lighted urns, evidently in the capacity of sentinels.