s chief glory lay in the pair of immense
bronze doors of its main entrance, the entire surface of which was most
exquisitely engraved with a series of pictures representing the
ceremonial of sun worship. The building stood upon an immense
quadrangular base of massive masonry, the sides of which were worked
into steps; and some idea of the age of the structure could be gained
from the fact that immediately opposite the main entrance the steps were
worn away to a depth of nearly three inches by the innumerable
multitudes of worshippers who had passed up and down them. The pavement
of the interior was of marble of various colours, worked into an
elaborate pattern; and beneath this pavement there were chambers for the
confinement of prisoners, and other and more sinister purposes.

It was in one of these subterranean chambers that our friends Phil and
Dick recovered consciousness on the morning following their arrival at
the shore of the Sacred Lake; and their amazement at awaking to find
themselves bound hand and foot on the cold stone floor of a dimly
lighted dungeon, whereas they had fallen asleep in the open, may be
readily imagined. Their first and most natural impression was that they
had again fallen into the hands of the Spaniards; but they were
disabused of this idea when, an hour or two later, four stalwart
copper-hued, sharp-featured men, with long, straight black hair, clean
shaven, clad in white, sleeveless tunics, with sandals on their feet,
and each armed with a short, broad-bladed sword of copper, entered the
cell, leaving two coarse earthenware basins liberally filled with what
looked like stiff porridge, and two jars containing water. Placing
these upon the floor, two of the four proceeded to unbind the hands of
the prisoners, while the other two drew their copper swords and
stationed themselves at the door of the cell, with the evident purpose
of frustrating any attempt at escape which the prisoners might be
ill-advised enough to make. Then Phil, inspired by that knowledge which
he had so mysteriously acquired, at once recognised that he and his
companion had fallen into the hands of a body of aboriginal Peruvians,
and his face cleared.

"We are all right, Dick," he exclaimed, joyously; "these fellows are
evidently a surviving remnant of the original inhabitants of the
country, of whose existence Vilcamapata told me, and whose language I
speak. It will only be necessary for me to tell them who we a