herefore, as soon as torture was mentioned, I decided that the time had
arrived when speech was to be preferred to silence. But I was careful
to avoid saying anything which might connect us with the _Adventure_;
because sooner or later news of the exploits of that ship is certain to
penetrate as far south even as this, and I have a suspicion that the
participants in those exploits will not be altogether popular with the
dons. Also, we must remember that there was a rumour that two of the
crew of that ship had found shelter and succour in a certain house in
Cartagena; and if two persons belonging to the _Adventure_ should
eventually be found at large in this country a certain colour of
probability might be imparted to the rumour; in which case our gentle
friends Clara and Dolores might get into serious trouble. Therefore I
thought it best on all accounts to mingle a little fiction with my
facts. And I trust that long before his Excellency's proposed enquiries
have borne fruit we shall be far enough away from Cuzco and its
Governor."

"Do you think, then, that there is the slightest chance of our effecting
our escape?" asked Dick, glancing expressly at the chain which bound him
to the wall.

The darkness of the dungeon was too profound for Phil to detect that
glance; nevertheless he must have guessed at it, for he replied:

"No, my son, I don't think anything of the sort; I know! Don't ask me
how I know, for I cannot tell you; but the knowledge is nevertheless
here," tapping his forehead. "Keep up your courage, youngster," he
continued. "Those chains are nothing. Neither chains nor stone walls
can long hold in restraint the man who is destined to be free; and I
tell you that neither you nor I are doomed to die at the hands of the
Spaniard. More I cannot tell you; for although I am as certain as I am
of my own existence that we shall escape, my foreknowledge is not clear
enough to enable me to say how that escape is going to be effected."

"I wish I felt half as confident as you seem to do about it," grumbled
Dick. "At present it appears to me that nothing short of a miracle can
help us. But--well, we shall see."

The lad's pessimism seemed to be fully justified when, on the following
day, the pair were once more released from the chains that confined them
to the wall, and were summoned by their jailer to follow him. They
obeyed the summons with alacrity, each of them animated by a secret hope
that an oppo