.
"Where is Arima? Pass the word for Arima, somebody, please--or, stay,
hand me my clothes; I'll get into them myself without waiting for Arima.
How many of these revolting priests are there, do you say?"

"They number about a thousand, Lord," answered Xaxaguana. "We have
already taken it upon ourselves to send to Umu, asking him to come to
our assistance; but it will be some time ere our messenger can reach
him, and he in turn can reach and order out the guard. We therefore
thought it well to come to my Lord and ask him to hasten with us to the
temple, there to use his authority to save the lives of those who must
otherwise undergo the fire ordeal."

"Of course," assented Harry, as he scrambled into his clothes. "But
what will happen if those mutinous beggars refuse to obey me, eh?"

"Refuse to obey you, Lord?" repeated the Villac Vmu in shocked tones.
"Nay, they will certainly not do that. They have revolted now merely
because they cannot be brought to believe that the innovations against
which they rebel are in accordance with the orders of our Lord the Inca.
You have but to personally assure them that such is the case, and they
will instantly return to their allegiance."

"Very well," answered Harry, as he threw a heavy cloak over his
shoulders to protect himself from the keen night air. "Now I am ready.
Lead the way, somebody, and let us be going."

Emerging from the palace, and hurrying along the almost pitch--dark
garden paths, the party swept through the palace gates into the main
road, and made a dash for the temple by the nearest possible route,
which happened to be through several dark, narrow, deserted side
streets, in which not a soul was stirring; the little crowd of hurrying
figures consequently passed on its way and soon reached the temple
without having been observed by so much as a single person.

Somewhat to Escombe's surprise the temple proved to be in absolute
darkness, when the party arrived before the walls; but Xaxaguana
explained this by informing the young monarch that the revolted priests
were all assembled in the opposite wing of the building, and that he had
deemed it a wise precaution not to attempt to enter on that side, lest
they should meet with resistance before the Inca could find an
opportunity to make his presence known. As they drew in under the
temple walls Xaxaguana called a halt, expressing some anxiety as to the
possibility of the door being closed by means of which