rs of the fate of those who conspire
sacrilegiously against the authority or person of the sovereign. And I
have left two armed troopers to mount sentry at the gates, to ensure
that my orders are obeyed."

"Two only," ejaculated Harry in horrified tones. "My dear Umu, if I may
judge of the temper of the people at large by those with whom I had to
deal in the temple to-day, those two unfortunate men have been torn to
pieces before now. You must send supports at once to them. I want no
more bloodshed over this unfortunate business."

"There will be no more, Lord," answered Umu grimly. "The sentries are
as safe as if they were in barracks. The people know me. They know
that at the first sign of disorder I would sack the city from end to
end, and put every one of its inhabitants to the sword; and there will
be no more crime of any sort for many a day to come, after what has
befallen Huanacocha, who was the most powerful noble in all the land."

"I am sure I hope not," answered Harry. "And if you should prove to be
right in your estimate of the salutary influence exercised by the
example which you have made of that turbulent fellow, his death will not
have been in vain. And now, Umu, what about the palace servants? I see
that an entirely new staff has been installed here, by your orders,
Arima tells me; and he also tells me that the others are safely lodged
in prison. Surely they had nothing to do with the conspiracy?"

Whereupon Umu, by way of reply, proceeded to recount to his royal master
the whole history of the affair, so far as he had learned it. And that
included pretty nearly everything that was worth repeating; for in the
course of his investigations during that eventful morning the soldier
had come upon thread after thread, until, taking into account what he
then learned, and adding to it such stray hints as had previously
reached him, and to which he had, up to that morning, attached no
significance, there was very little left to be learned relative to the
conspiracy. The result of it all was that, after thinking the matter
over very carefully, Escombe was driven to the conclusion that this
curious people, into whose midst he had been so strangely brought, were
not ripe for those reforms which he, as their ruler, would have felt it
his duty to introduce; that they did not want them, and would never
willingly accept them; and that, consequently, he must either govern
them as they desired to be gover