The Mystery Boys and the Inca Gold

by Van Powell

  CHAPTER XXXI CLIFF BECOMES A PROPHET

  "This is a splendid place to stop until we can bleach out the coppercolor from our skins," Mr. Whitley suggested. "We will have to campsomewhere while Bill goes to the nearest settlement and gets somethingto take out this coloring: we left Cuzco as white people; we do not wantto return in red skins."

  "That will enable me to study this old ruin--I think it was a fortress,"Mr. Gray added. "And, besides, I will admit that our last climb tired megreatly."

  "Why can't we go where we had our camp before--down below?" Nickyinquired.

  "We can guard this place better," Tom told him. "One man can watch thatcleft we came from and we can loosen the osier ladder and draw it up:then no one can surprise us."

  "Do you think anybody would try?" Nicky asked.

  Cliff spoke up: he had been quite silent and thoughtful for manyminutes.

  "I vote to go on," he said.

  Even Mr. Whitley looked at him in surprise.

  "Why?" he asked.

  "I have been thinking about 'Whackey,'" Cliff replied. "Something haskept reminding me of him ever since we began to make camp here."

  "That is natural," Mr. Whitley explained. "That is because you capturedhim, strung him up by the heels, up here."

  "Yes," Cliff admitted: then he frowned. "But that wouldn't make me feelas though he might be close to us now, would it?"

  "Do you feel that way?" asked Bill.

  Cliff nodded. "I keep thinking what I would do if I were in Whackey'splace," he said.

  "And what do you think you'd do?" Nicky demanded.

  "This," answered Cliff. "Suppose me to be Huayca. Well, I slipped awayand tried an ambush in the white pass and then reported to my ruler, theInca. Then, a little later, I found out that my ambush had notfrightened the white invaders away. Do you see what I am trying to makeplain?"

  "Yes," Tom nodded. "When the white invaders escaped from the dungeonsand you heard about it, you might go with a party--or even lead it, asWhackey, of course--to destroy them if they were in the secret pass."

  "How would he know that they were not drowned in the tunnel?" Nickyobjected. "How could he believe they were in the secret pass?"

  "Easy!" Cliff said. "We--the white invaders were seen in the open partof the aqueduct by a chasqui--remember? Well, that proved they were notdrowned in the flooded tunnels. But they were not found in the aqueduct,either, when daylight came."

  "That's so," Nicky agreed. "Then what?"

  "Then--still pretending I am Huayca!--I would think they might haveclimbed out or someone might have helped--the Spaniard, maybe. The highpriest might tell me that Pizzara knew about the secret pass or hadheard of it. So I would go there."

  "Well," said Bill, "that all fits in. Pizzara was caught during thenight----"

  "There!" cried Cliff, eagerly. "That is the point. It was at night! Hisband was wiped out. Now--if I were Whackey, I think I would go backthere in daylight! And----"

  "I see!" Tom put in. "Even at night the party could see that stuff wasstrewn all around. And in daytime--it was gone!"

  "That is just what I mean!" Cliff was eager.

  "By gravy!" Bill broke in, "I didn't even think about that. Of coursethe average Peruvian is no detective and might not go as deep as that.But he would wonder what happened to all the stuff!"

  "Huayca was a very intelligent fellow," Mr. Whitley admitted. "If he didas Cliff said----" He stopped, thinking deeply.

  "Then he might gather a party and follow us!" Nicky exclaimed.

  "Why haven't they overtaken us sooner, then?" Bill asked. "They cantravel faster than we did."

  "Well," said Cliff, "still being Whackey, I think I would follow all bymyself."

  "Why?" It was like a chorus of well trained voices--all asked thequestion at one time.

  "Less chance of being noticed for one thing. For another--and from whatI saw of them I think this is how an Inca noble would think--I could letthe party get to this ledge and make camp. Then I could wait until dark,slip over and cut away the ladder, wait until the camp was quiet to doit. Then I could pick them off, one by one, with a sling or bow andarrows, in the dawn. If any of the party hid in the ruins I could starvethem out."

  "And that is exactly the way an Indian's mind--an Inca, not an AmericanIndian--would work," Mr. Gray nodded at Cliff.

  "I prophesy that will happen if we stay here," Cliff said boldly.

  And in all but one particular he was exactly right!