n and ours, and we
will burn the houses and harry and slay thee and the seven other white
men, and all men of thy town who side with thee, and make slaves of the
women and children. This is our last word.'

"A swift messenger was sent. Before the sun was in mid-heaven he
returned, crying out as he ran, 'War is the answer of Karta and his
village. War and death to Simi and to us all are his words; and to
Luisa, the wife of the white man, he sendeth this message: "Prepare a
feast for thy new husband, for he cometh to take thee away from one who
cannot stand against him."'

"In those days there were seven hundred fighting men in our town, and
a great clamour arose. Spears and clubs and muskets and hatchets were
seized, the armour of stout cinnet which covered a man from head to foot
was put on, women filled baskets with smooth stones for the slings; and
long before sundown the warriors set out, with Simi and the head men
leading them, to meet their enemies mid-way--at this very place where we
now sit. For this narrow strip of land hath been the fighting-ground of
Peru from the old, old times long before I was born, and my years are
three score and seven.

"The night was dark, but Simi and his people, when they reached this
place, some by land and some in canoes, lit great fires on the beach
and dug trenches in the sand very quickly, behind which all those who
carried muskets were placed, to fire into the enemy's canoes as they
paddled along the narrow passage to the landing place. Karta and his
white friends and the people of their town had more than two hundred
muskets, whilst our village had less than fifty. But they were strong of
heart and waited eagerly for the fight.

"Just before sunrise we saw them coming. There were over one hundred
canoes, each carrying five or six men. Karta and the beachcombers were
leading in a whaleboat, which was being rowed very swiftly. When within
rifle-shot she grounded.

"As they leapt out of the boat, rifles in hand, they were followed by
their natives, but our people fired a volley together, and two of the
white men and many of their people fell dead in the shallow water. Then
Simi and twenty of our best men leapt out of their trenches and dashed
into the water to meet them. Karta was in advance of them all, and when
he saw Simi he raised his rifle and fired. The bullet missed the white
man but killed a native behind him. Then Karta, throwing away his rifle,
took two pistols fro