t from the amphitheatre, and so away from among the
dead and wounded and from the dreadful smell of blood, Young and I
promptly were pushed forward and ordered to perform this piece of work
that even the bravest of them shrunk from undertaking.

However, there was no real peril in it, for El Sabio was so weak that he
could not even stand, and still less was he strong enough to kick
anybody. Lifting him in this dull, limp state, and carrying him up the
steep steps, was heavy work for us, wounded and weary as we were; but
with Pablo's help we managed it, and so got him up from the depths of
the amphitheatre to its windward side--where a fresh sweet breeze that
was blowing, and some water that a soldier brought when Pablo called for
it, in a little while put new life into him. Why the ass was not made to
pay the penalty of his sins, by being there and then killed, at first
was a good deal of a puzzle to me; but presently, from the talk that
went on about us while Pablo ministered to him, and while the wounded
lying around the altar were being cared for, and the dead borne away, I
gathered that no one dared to kill him for fear of being himself
possessed by the devil that needs must enter another body upon being
thus set free. And as this seemed to be a view of the case that was
worth encouraging, I very gravely told one of the priests that I myself
had seen a man all in an instant go raving mad upon slaying one of these
creatures and so letting the devil loose from him. As this story was
circulated among the crowd I was glad to perceive that the dread of El
Sabio obviously greatly increased.

As a result of the untoward outbreak that had occurred, no attempt was
made to complete the ceremonial of triumph. Indeed, the victory now lay
so decidedly with El Sabio that there was but little to triumph over.
Therefore we presently were herded together by a party of soldiers--who
took good care that Pablo should lead the ass, and that Young and I
should walk directly behind him as a protection against any further
uplifting of his heels--and so we all were marched once more into the
temple. This time we did not stop in front of the great idol, but went
on beyond it towards a portal in the rear of the building that opened on
an inner court; on the farther side of which court, as we knew from the
description of the place that Tizoc had given us, was the
Treasure-house, in which was stored not only the treasure placed there
in long p