the citizens
of Cuzco kept early hours. Then they began to feel hungry, for it was
now several hours since they had tasted food; but they had grown
accustomed to such petty discomforts as hunger and thirst long ago.
They were as nothing compared with the torture which that poor wretch
must have been undergoing in the room yonder; and as Phil thought of the
possibility that, even yet, Dick and he might be recaptured and
subjected to similar suffering, he worked his way along the foot or two
of distance that separated him from the high altar, and proceeded to
examine the latter. As he had more than half-expected, the structure
proved to be hollow, being built of massive slabs of marble as to the
front and sides, but having no back, and for some reason which he was
quite unable to divine, but which he was most heartily thankful for,
there was a space left between the sides of the structure and the wall
of the church just wide enough for him to squeeze through without undue
discomfort, and so gain the interior of the altar. This seemed a
distinctly safer place to hide in than merely behind the tapestry; there
was room for three or four men to bestow themselves comfortably, and
they could lie down if they chose, therefore they lost no time in
transferring themselves to this new place of concealment; and they had
scarcely settled themselves comfortably therein when they heard a door
noisily unlocked and thrown open, and the sound of many sandalled feet
swarming into the church.

Judging from the sounds alone, the fugitives crouching in the interior
of the altar estimated that about a dozen people had entered the church.
They seemed to rush forward a few paces and then halt, as though
staring about them; then followed a few brief, desultory movements, and
silence. Finally, a voice said, in Spanish:

"Well, it is perfectly clear that they are not here."

"From what do you draw that inference, brother?" demanded another voice.

"First, from the fact that the door by which we entered was locked on
the other side; and next, because the great west door is wide open,"
answered the voice which had first spoken.

"True," answered the second voice. "Yet neither of those facts is proof
that the fugitives are not lurking somewhere in the church. Do you ask
why? I will tell you. First, Brother Gregorio has been here this
morning, as usual, practising; and we know that it is a habit of his to
leave the door communicating with