rew from the fire a half-consumed branch and waved it in the air
until the smouldering stump was fanned afresh into flame; when, the
torch having served its purpose as a signal, he flung it back upon the
almost extinguished fire. A couple of minutes later those to whom this
man had signalled approached the camp fire, and while two parties of
four each raised the recumbent and now unconscious figures of the
Englishmen to their shoulders, the remainder carefully gathered together
and took possession of the weapons and other belongings of their
prisoners, after which, at a signal from their leader the entire party
moved off, marching inland away from the lake. Relieving each other at
frequent intervals, for they found their unconscious burdens heavy--
especially those who were told off to carry Dick--the party marched a
distance of nearly eight miles, until, in a sequestered valley among the
hills, they reached the ruins of what had evidently at one time been a
city of considerable importance, built equally on both sides of an
ice-cold mountain stream. Most of the buildings were in ruins; many,
indeed, had been razed almost to their foundations--possibly to provide
material for the maintenance in repair of those that remained intact,
but there were sufficient of the latter to afford accommodation for
fully three thousand people, and all of these were inhabited. Many of
the inhabited buildings were of considerable size, but, with one
solitary exception, architectural grace and beauty were conspicuously
absent, the buildings being, with the exception mentioned, constructed
of large blocks of stone so perfectly worked that the joints of the
masonry were scarcely perceptible, but without ornament or adornment of
any kind whatever, and roughly roofed with thatch. The exception was in
the case of the temple, which, like so many in ancient Peru, was
dedicated to the Sun. This structure was erected upon the summit of a
low mound, scarcely important enough in height to be termed a hill, yet
high enough to allow the building to dominate all the rest of the town,
and was built of a beautiful white, fine-grained stone, very much
resembling alabaster. Also, in startling contrast to all the other
buildings in the town, it was admirably proportioned, and elaborately
ornamented with bold mouldings, cornices, and other architectural
ornaments which, although somewhat barbaric in design, were nevertheless
exceedingly effective. But it