nding near full in the
breast. Quick as lightning the king turned, grasped the shaft of the
spear, and pulled it forth, and with his white teeth gleaming in a
snarl of furious hate, sent it whistling through the air straight at
Desiree.

Harry and I sprang forward with a shout of warning; Desiree stood
motionless as a statue. We grasped her frantically and pulled her
back, but too late.

She came, but only to fall lifeless into our arms with the spear buried
deep in her white throat.

We laid her on the ground and knelt beside her for a moment, then Harry
arose to his feet with a face white as death; and I uttered a silent
and vengeful prayer as I saw him level a spear at the Inca king across
the chasm. But it went wide of its mark, striking the ground at his
feet.

"There was another!" cried Harry, and soon he had found it where it lay
on the ground and sent it, too, hurtling across.

This time he missed by inches. The spear flew just past the shoulder
of the king and caught one who stood behind him full in the face. The
stricken savage threw his arms spasmodically above his head, reeling
forward against the king.

There was a startled movement along the black line; hands were
outstretched in a vain effort at rescue; a savage cry burst from
Harry's lips, and the next instant the king had toppled over the edge
of the chasm and fallen into the bottomless pit below.

Harry turned, quivering from head to foot.

"Little enough," he said between his teeth, and again he knelt beside
the body of Desiree and took her in his arms.

But her fate spoke eloquently of our own danger, and I roused him to
action. Together we picked up the form of our dead comrade and carried
it to the rear. I hesitated to pull forth the barbed head of the
spear, and instead broke off the shaft, leaving the point buried in the
soft throat, from which a crimson line extended over the white shoulder.

A short distance ahead we came to a projecting boulder, and behind that
we gently laid her on the hard rock. Neither of us had spoken a word.
Harry's lips were locked tightly together; a lump rose in my throat,
choking all utterance and filling my eyes with tears.

Harry knelt beside the white form and, gathering it gently in his arms,
held it against his breast. I stood at his side, gazing down at him in
mute sympathy and sorrow.

For a long minute there was silence--a most intense silence throughout
the cavern, during which the pa