ey be found.

So all being finished, except for the escape of Urco, we returned to
Cuzco which Kari entered in triumph, I marching at his side, wearied out
with war and bloodshed.

CHAPTER XI

THE HOUSE OF DEATH

Now at one time during this long war against Urco victory smiled
upon him, though afterwards the scale went down against him. Kari was
defeated in a pitched battle and I who commanded another army was
almost surrounded in a valley. When everything seemed lost, afterwards
I escaped by leading my soldiers round up the slope of a mountain and
surprising Urco in the rear, but as it ended well for us I need not
speak of that matter.

It was while all was at its blackest for us that a certain officer was
brought to me who was captured while striving to desert, or at least to
pass our outposts. As it happened I knew this man again having,
unseen myself, noted him on the previous day talking earnestly to
the high-priest Larico, who, with other priests, accompanied my army,
perhaps to keep a watch on me. I took this captain apart and questioned
him alone, threatening him with death by torment if he did not reveal
his errand to me.

In the end, being very much afraid, he spoke. From him I learned that
he was a messenger from Larico to Urco. Believing that our defeat was
almost certain, Larico had sent him to make his peace with Urco by
betraying all Kari's and my own plans to him and revealing how he might
most easily destroy us. He said also that he, Larico, had only joined
the party of Upanqui, and of Kari after him, under threats of death and
that always in his heart he had been true to Urco, whom he acknowledged
as his Lord and as the rightful Inca whom he would help to restore to
the Throne with all the power of the Priesthood of the Sun. Further,
he sent by this spy a secret message by means of little cords cunningly
knotted, which knots served these people as writing, since they could
read them as we read a book.

Now, being always desirous of knowledge, I had caused myself to be
instructed in the plan of this knot-writing which by this time I could
read well enough. Therefore I was able to spell out this message. It
said shortly but plainly, that knowing he still desired her, he, Larico,
as high-priest would hand over to Urco the lady Quilla, daughter to
the King of the Chancas who unlawfully had been hidden away among
the Virgins of the Sun, also that he would betray me, the
White-God-from-the-Sea