the mountains."

"Let us shelter him, Henry," exclaimed my mother, in English; "Heaven
surely will not allow us to suffer injury from doing what is right."

The Indian at once comprehended by her looks that she was pleading his
cause.

"May the blessing of the God of my fathers light on you and yours!" he
cried, kneeling at her feet.

My father thought as she did; but he had learned not to give way on a
sudden to the impulse of his feelings, and he wished to ascertain that
the Indian was not deceiving him before he promised his protection.

"Who are you?" he asked; "though your tale, alas! is too probable to be
doubted."

"I am one who would not be guilty of a falsehood to save my life,"
answered the Indian proudly; "I am the cousin of the Cacique Tupac
Amaru, the rightful heir of the last Inca of Peru. You see in me one of
the children of the Sun; and though the blood of the conquerors of my
country is mixed in my veins, I feel that of my fathers still burning
strongly within me. I had heard of your charity and kindness to my
people; and for long I have known you, hoping some day to repay you; but
I see that you fear my presence might risk the safety of your family,
and I will not trespass on you. Give me but some food to sustain my
wearied body, and I will depart."

My father took the stranger's hand. "You shall not go," he said. "I
will trust you, and at all hazards I will endeavour to conceal you till
your strength is recruited. David," he continued, speaking to me, "see
that the servants do not come into this part of the house till I have
concealed this poor fellow; and remember, children, do none of you on
any account speak of what has occurred. Now, my friend," he added,
turning to the Indian, "follow me; I trust in the truth of your story,
and will endeavour to preserve you from injury."

While I went out to the end of the passage to send any of the domestics
back who might by chance have been coming to that part of the house, my
father led the Indian to a large unfurnished room, which the children
used as a play-room in rainy weather. At one end was a deep recess in
the wall, with a door to it, and from the recess a narrow flight of
steps led to a vault of considerable depth, from whence there was a
passage to the side of the mountains. In the roof of the chamber there
was a small trap-door, through which a thin ladder conducted to the roof
of the house. It had evidently been constructed when