stinctively stood ready with our arms. But Fray Antonio, not having
any intent to join in the fight, was cooler than the rest of us, and
instantly perceived that fighting was not necessary. Therefore he it was
who first spoke to these strangers; and his first word to them was,
"Friends!"

Then the watchmen, for such they seemed to be, spoke eagerly together
for a moment, and pressed to the opening to look upon us; yet seeing us
but dimly because of the dark shadows which surrounded us. Pablo was
closest to them, and I marvelled to see how like them he was in look and
in air. Him they first caught sight of, and as they saw him they both
turned from the opening, and, as though calling to some one at a
distance, gave both together a great glad shout. Instantly, at some
little distance, the cry was repeated; and so again farther on and yet
farther, with ever more voices joining in it; so that it swelled and
strengthened into a great roar of rejoicing that seemed to sweep over
the whole of the valley before us, and to fill it everywhere with
tumultuous sounds of joy.

As though the duty that they were charged with had been thus
accomplished, the men turned again to us, and he of the higher rank,
speaking the Aztec language, yet with turns and changes in that tongue
which were strange to me, eagerly called to us:

"Come forth to us! Come forth to us!" he cried. "Now is the prophecy of
old fulfilled and the watch rewarded that our people have maintained
from generation to generation through twenty cycles here at the grated
way! Come forth to us, our brothers--who bring the promised message from
our lord and king!"

I turned to Fray Antonio as these words were spoken, and I saw in his
face that which made me confident in my own glad conviction that here at
last was the secret place for which so long, and through such perils, we
had sought. Here indeed had we found the hidden people of whom the dying
Cacique had spoken and of whom the monk's letter had told; the strong
contingent of the ancient Aztec tribe that ages since the wise King
Chaltzantzin had saved apart, that when their strength was needed they
might come forth to ward their weaker brethren against conquest by a
foreign foe. And the great happiness begotten of this glad discovery
filled all my body with a throbbing joy.

Yet as we went out through the opening that we had made between the
bars, and the watchers saw us fairly in the sunlight, they sprang back
as t