Inca and seize him in the face of his army, holding him as a hostage for
the safety of the Christians. Nothing less decisive than this would avail
them, he said. It was too late to retreat. At the first sign of such a
movement the army of the Inca would be upon them, and they would all be
destroyed, either there or in the intricacies of the mountain-passes. Nor
could they remain inactive where they were. The Inca was crafty and
hostile, and would soon surround them with a net-work of peril, from which
they could not escape. To fight him in the open field was hazardous, if
not hopeless. The only thing to do was to take him by surprise on his
visit the next day, drive back his followers with death and terror, seize
the monarch, and hold him prisoner. With the Inca in their hands his
followers would not dare attack them, and they would be practically
masters of the empire.

No doubt Pizarro in this plan had in mind that which Cortez had pursued in
Mexico. He would take care that Atahualpa should not be killed by his own
people, as Montezuma had been, and while the monarch remained alive they
would have the strongest guarantee of safety. This bold plan suited the
daring character of Pizarro's officers. They agreed with him that in
boldness lay their only hope of success or even of life, and they left the
council with renewed confidence to prepare for the desperate enterprise.

It was noon the next day before the Inca appeared, his litter borne on the
shoulders of his chief nobles and surrounded by others, so glittering with
ornaments that, to quote from one of the Spaniards, "they blazed like the
sun." A large number of workmen in front swept every particle of rubbish
from the road. Behind, and through the fields that lined the road, marched
a great body of armed men. But when within half a mile of the city the
procession halted, and a messenger was sent to the Spaniards to say that
the Inca would encamp there for that night and enter the city the
following morning.

These tidings filled Pizarro with dismay. His men had been under arms
since daybreak, the cavalry mounted, and the infantry and artillerymen at
their posts. He feared the effect on their spirits of a long and trying
suspense in such a critical situation, and sent word back to the Inca
begging him to come on, as he had everything ready for his entertainment
and expected to sup with him that night. This message turned the monarch
from his purpose, and he resum