Soon I became drowsy—­intolerably so; I was scarcely able to stand.  I dozed off once or twice on my feet; and, realizing the danger, I called Harry to take my place.

Desiree also had been asleep, lying on the raft which Harry and I had concealed along with our fish.  At sound of my voice she awoke and sat up, rubbing her eyes; then, as I assured her that all was quiet, she fell back again on her rude bed.

I have never understood the delay of the Incas at this juncture; possibly they took time to consult the great Pachacamac and found his advice difficult to understand.  At the time I thought they had given up the attack and intended to starve us out, but they were incapable of a decision so sensible.

Many hours had passed, and we had alternated on four watches.  We had plenty of rest and were really quite fit.  The gash on my leg had proven a mere trifle; I was a little stiff, but there was no pain.

Desiree’s foot was almost entirely well; she was able to walk with ease, and had insisted on taking a turn at watch, making such a point of it that we had humored her.

Something had to happen, and I suppose it was as well that the Incas should start it.  For we had met with a misfortune that made us see the beginning of the end.  Our fish was no longer fit to eat, and we had been forced to throw the remainder of it in the lake.

Then we held a council of war.  The words we uttered, standing together at the mouth of the crevice, come to me now as in a dream; if my memory of them were not so vivid I should doubt their reality.  We discussed death with a calmness that spoke eloquently of our experience.

Desiree’s position may be given in a word—­she was ready for the end, and invited it.

I was but little behind her, but advised waiting for one more watch—­a sop to Harry.  And there was one other circumstance that moved me to delay—­the hope for a sight of the Inca king and a chance at him.

Desiree had refused to tell us her experiences between the time of our dive from the column and our rescue of her; but she had said enough to cause me to guess at its nature.  There was a suppressed but ever present horror in her eyes that made me long to stand once more before the Child of the Sun; then to go, but not alone.

Harry advised retreat.  I have mentioned that when he and I had started on our search for Desiree we had found two exits from the cavern—­the one which we had taken and another which led through the maze of boulders and chasms back of us to a passage full of twists and turns and choked with massive rocks, almost impassable.

Through this he advised making our way to whatever might await us beyond.

The question was still undecided when our argument was brought to a halt and the decision was taken away from us.  Through the crevice I saw a band of Incas emerge from the passage opposite and advance to the water’s edge.  At their head was the Inca king.