Inca's Head'. They sit down beneath this rock and proceed to eat and
drink--for it is now two hours past midday--binding the Englishman's
feet and releasing his hands to enable him to feed himself. Now the
meal is over, and the party resume their march, going northward along
the western bank of the stream and plunging ever deeper into the valley.
The soil here is once more rich and fertile, being overgrown with long,
rank grass--through which they leave a trail easy to follow--and dense
masses of mimosa and other bush. Now it is evening, the valley grows
dark, and the party prepare to camp for the night; they have found a
suitable spot, quite close to the river bank, and are lighting a large
fire. They eat and drink again. Now they have finished, and are
disposing themselves to rest, one man of the party undertaking to remain
awake for a certain time to watch the prisoner, until relieved by
another who will perform the same service.

"The night passes; the light of dawn sweeps down the steep mountain
slopes into the valley, and the peon who is watching the prisoner awakes
his fellows. Again they eat and drink. Now they have finished their
meal and resume their march, still following the western bank of the
stream. I go with them as they plod on, hour after hour, until they
reach a point where the stream turns westward, and here they take
advantage of a shallow spot which enables them to cross to the other
side. They are now marching eastward up the slope of the valley, and at
length they emerge upon a great plateau, thickly dotted with extensive
clumps of bush, interspersed here and there with wide belts of timber
through which they pass. For many miles they plod onward, winding
hither and thither among the clumps of bush and through the belts of
forest trees, but all the while holding steadily toward the east. Night
comes again; a fire is lighted, as on the preceding night, they eat and
drink, and once more dispose themselves to sleep, one man again
undertaking to watch the prisoner. For a time--how long I know not, but
it appears to be about an hour--this man remains faithful to his duty;
but, as the moments pass and the prisoner appears to be sleeping
heavily, the watcher's vigilance relaxes, he grows drowsy, his eyelids
close, he dozes, awakes, dozes again, once more awakes, and finally
succumbs to sleep.

"Meanwhile the prisoner, who has to all appearance been sleeping
heavily, has remained very wide