sion to
remain with him; but as the Inca was desirous of having Ned to assist in
working his artillery, several pieces of which were with their army, we
very unwillingly were compelled to part from him.

Manco having performed his public duties, now set out in search of his
wife and child, whom he heard were with the women in the camp. Notice
had been given to Nita of his escape from death and safe return, and she
with her infant was ready to receive him. This meeting was very
affecting; and as the brave warrior once more took his child in his
arms, he wept over it for joy. He could not, however, remain with her
long, for his duties called him back to the army.

"Pedro, my friend," he said, "I know you would not fight against your
countrymen; to your charge, therefore, I commit my wife; watch over her,
and guard her from danger. If I fall, carry her and my child to a place
of safety, and restore her, when times of peace again return, to her
father and her people."

Pedro with tears promised to obey his wishes.

"And you, David, what will you do?" he asked.

"I will accompany you," I replied, forgetting my former resolutions, and
inspired with admiration for the gallant chieftain. "I will fight by
your side, and help to restore peace and prosperity to Peru."

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

SIEGE OF SARATA--CAPTURE OF TUPAC AMARU.

We found the head quarters of the Inca established in an ancient castle,
built of large hewn stones on the side of a mountain, and which, from
its size and mode of construction, is still one of the wonders of Peru.
Here he held his court, and was treated with all the honours due to a
sovereign prince. I was particularly struck with the amount of
etiquette which was maintained, when I recollected that the Inca himself
had, but a few months before, been living the life of a simple farmer,
as had his chiefs and councillors, and that many of them had indeed been
little better than slaves to the Spaniards. Manco informed me that it
had been resolved to despatch him with a force of ten thousand men to
join a body of the same number under the command of Andres Tupac Amaru,
the young son of the Inca, who was laying siege to Sarata, a large town
not far from the lake of Titicaca; and he begged me to accompany him. I
was sorry to be separated from Ned Gale, but he said that the Inca had
put the guns under his charge, and as they were not to go, he would
stick by them.

I was furnished with a