ought, was
endeavouring to keep my attention fixed on himself, so as to prevent me
from seeing the dreadful objects in the inner part of the cavern.

"Manco," I said, "I have had a horrid dream. I fancied that the cavern
was full of corpses." As I spoke I really thought I had been dreaming.

Without answering me, he lifted me up, and led me towards the open air.
An impulse I could not restrain made me turn my head; and on the ground,
close to where I had rested, I saw the corpse of a man. Trembling in
every limb, I stopped to look at it. It was that of a white man.
Several ghastly wounds were seen on the broad chest, and another on the
head. The dress and the full black beard and moustache showed me that
he was a Spaniard. There were no other corpses to be seen; and as I
looked at the object in the broad daylight, with the fresh breeze
blowing in my face, the undefined horror I had before felt completely
vanished. I felt ashamed of my previous fears, and releasing myself
from his support, assured him that I had recovered my strength. The
effort itself assisted to restore my nerves to their usual tension; and
I was able to turn back and examine the corpse.

"Who can have murdered the man and placed him here?" I asked.

Manco shook his head. "It is a bad thing--a very bad thing!" he
replied, as he examined the wounds of the man. "I fear my countrymen
have done it. He must have been taken prisoner, for I find the marks of
cords round his wrists, and he attempted to escape, and thus was killed;
but ask no further questions. Come, it is time to proceed."

The little mule was safe outside, so I mounted and hastened from the
spot.

As I rode on, my spirits returned with the air and exercise, and my mind
no longer dwelt on the events of the previous night; and the effects of
the _surumpe_ also began to wear off. Several rock-rabbits crossed our
path, two of which Manco shot; and when we came to a height which
sheltered us from the wind, we halted for breakfast. Having tethered
the mule, we set to work to collect the dry grass and the stems of
creepers growing from the clefts of the rocks for fuel. Manco had with
him the means of striking a light, and a fire was soon kindled, over
which we cooked the rabbits and boiled some cocoa in a tin pannikin, by
the aid of which, with some Indian corn bread, we made a very fair meal.
In an hour more we reached the edge of the _Alto_, or high plain, over
which we had b