should not attempt to escape.
Meantime my father and I sat at a little distance, watching the
proceedings of our very unwelcome companions, while Ithulpo stood near,
casting every now and then towards them glances expressive of the most
intense hatred, and a desire of vengeance. The sun was still low, but
his rays yet tinged the topmost branches of the trees and the lofty
ranges of mountains in the distance. The soldiers had brought skins of
wine and plenty of good cheer with them; and when they had eaten, they
passed the wine-skins round right merrily, the officers joining in the
carouse. Instead of pouring the wine into cups, they lifted the skins
high above their heads, and without touching the vessel to their lips,
allowed the wine to run down their throat in a gentle stream. As we
were close enough to them to be easily watched, the officers, I suppose,
thought that we should not attempt to move away. Ithulpo had stowed a
sort of knapsack he carried with some dried meat and bread, which he now
produced, and it served to satisfy our appetites; but we had no wine,
and our surly guards did not deign to offer us any.

"Do not repine, sirs, at the want," he observed. "I will show you a
pure stream, the water of which, ere to-morrow's sun has set, those
soldiers will value more than the finest wine their country can
produce."

The sun went down, and the shades of night came rapidly on, but still
the Spaniards continued their debauch. They had apparently forgotten us
and their other prisoners; for though by the light of their fires we
could clearly see them, sitting as we were under the shadow of a wall,
we were no longer visible to them. Ithulpo came and sat himself down
beside me.

"Could we not manage to get away from these people?" I asked in a
whisper.

"Not now," he answered. "The sentries would give the alarm if we
attempted to take the horses, and without them we cannot move.
To-morrow we shall have a better opportunity, and we may help some of my
poor countrymen to escape at the same time."

"Why do you expect that a good opportunity to escape will occur?" I
inquired.

"I cannot at present reply to your question," he said. "Those who now
guard us will no longer be able to do so. Trust to me. You will enter
Lima as free men, and no one will appear as a witness against you, to
support the false accusation these people have made."

I forbore to question him further, but there was something very