you
did not find the original manuscript until your father died."

"That is quite true, sir," assented the other readily, "but I did not
tell you everything the other night. My father it was who found the
manuscript at Cuzco, and although I cannot state authoritatively, yet I
believe I am correct in saying that he had a copy made. But whether the
copy was merely a transcript or actually a translation, I cannot tell. I
think it was the former, as if Vasa, reading a translation, had learned
of the jewels, he undoubtedly would have stolen them before selling this
mummy to the Parisian collector."

"Perhaps he did," said Braddock, pointing to the rifled corpse. "You see
that the emeralds are missing."

"Your assistant's assassin stole them," insisted Don Pedro coldly.

"We cannot be sure of that," retorted the Professor, "although I admit
that no man would jeopardize his neck for the sake of a corpse."

Archie looked surprised.

"But an enthusiast such as you are, Professor, might risk so much."

For once in his life Braddock made a good-humored reply.

"No, sir. Not even for this mummy would I place myself in the power of
the law. And I do not think that any other scientist would either. We
savants may not be worldly, but we are not fools. However, the fact
remains that the jewels are gone, and whether they were stolen by Vasa
thirty years ago, or by poor Sidney's assassin the other day, I don't
know, and, what is more, I don't care. I shall examine the mummy
further, and in a couple of days Don Pedro can bring me a check for one
thousand and remove his ancestor."

"No! no!" cried the Peruvian hurriedly; "since the emeralds are missing,
I am not in a position to pay you one thousand English pounds, sir.
I want to take back the body of Inca Caxas to Lima; as one must show
respect to one's ancestors. But the fact is, I cannot pay the money."

"You said that you could," shouted the exasperated Professor in his
bullying way.

"I admit it, senor, but I had hoped to do so when I sold the emeralds,
which--as you can see--are not available. Therefore the body of my royal
ancestor must remain here until I can procure the money. And it may be
that Sir Frank Random will help me in this matter."

"He wouldn't help me," snapped Braddock, "so why should he help you?"

Don Pedro, looking more dignified than ever, drew himself up to his tall
height.

"Sir Frank," he said, in a stately way, "has done me the honor of
seekin