n the ground, and
quietly smoking his pipe. As soon as he saw me, he jumped up and wrung
my hand heartily.

"I'm glad to see you, mate, that I am," he exclaimed. "I've been
waiting for you, to be off; for the sooner we are out of this, the
better, I'm thinking. A set of lubbers there have got hold of the guns,
which they don't know how to work; and they'll do themselves no good,
and the enemy no harm, when they begin to fight, I warrant. The Inca is
as fine a fellow as ever stepped; but for that Senor Quizquiz, or
whatever they call him, he'll play him some trick, or my name's not Ned
Gale; mark that, mate."

Ned having thus vented his spleen, as many another man would have done
at having been deprived of his command, told me that Pedro was at a
village among the hills in the neighbourhood, anxiously waiting my
return. He informed me also that the wife of the Inca, Nita, and a
large number of other women were collected there. Accompanied by Ned, I
returned to where Manco with his men was encamped; and obtaining
permission from him to carry off Don Gomez, we set out to look for
Pedro. I was mounted, and I had likewise obtained horses for my
companions. Beyond the river I have spoken of there was a succession of
lofty hills, among which was situated the village now inhabited by the
wives of the chiefs and other women. We were obliged to ride along the
banks of the river some way, till we found a ford, which we crossed. As
we ascended the first eminence, and looked back upon the scene we had
left, it presented a very beautiful appearance. The long lines of
warriors, their shining arms, the innumerable banners, and the variety
of costumes, from the half-naked savages of the interior, with their
skin mantles and feather crowns, to the well-clothed inhabitants of the
mountains and western plains, and the rich dresses of the chiefs
embroidered with gold and ornamented with precious stones. Then the
extraordinary mixture of weapons--the artillery and muskets of modern
warfare, with the bows, the slings, the clubs, and darts of ancient
times. Each man had come provided with such arms as he could procure;
and for years before every Indian who could obtain a musket had
carefully concealed it for the moment when he hoped to use it for the
liberation of his country.

Tupac Amaru had acted the part of a good general, by providing an ample
commissariat, and several mills for the manufacture of gunpowder. Had
he at on