lconets,--was stationed on the
top of a strong building. Pizarro then made a devout address to his
soldiers; and with public prayers to God to aid and preserve them, the
little force awaited its enemy.

The day was nearly gone when Atahualpa entered town, riding on a golden
chair borne high on the shoulders of his servants. He had promised to
come for a friendly visit, and unarmed; but singularly his friendly
visit was made with a following of several thousand athletic warriors!
Ostensibly they were unarmed; but underneath their cloaks they clutched
bows and knives and war-clubs. Atahualpa was certainly not above
curiosity, unconcerned as he had seemed. This new sort of men was too
interesting to be exterminated at once. He wished to see more of them,
and so came, but perfectly confident, as a cruel boy might be with a
fly. He could watch its buzzings for a time; and whenever he was tired
of that, he had but to turn down his thumb and crush the fly upon the
pane. He reckoned too soon. A hundred and seventy Spanish bodies might
be easily crushed; but not when they were animated by one such mind as
their leader's.

Even now Pizarro was ready to adopt peaceful measures. Good Fray Vicente
de Valverde, the chaplain of the little army, stepped forth to meet
Atahualpa. It was a strange contrast,--the quiet, gray-robed missionary,
with his worn Bible in his hand, facing the cunning Indian on his golden
throne, with golden ornaments and a necklace of emeralds. Father
Valverde spoke. He said they came as servants of a mighty king and of
the true God. They came as friends; and all they asked was that the
Indian chief should abandon his idols and submit to God, and accept the
king of Spain as his _ally_, not as his sovereign.

Atahualpa, after looking curiously at the Bible (for of course he had
never seen a book before), dropped it, and answered the missionary
curtly and almost insultingly. Father Valverde's exhortations only
angered the Indian, and his words and manner grew more menacing.
Atahualpa desired to see the sword of one of the Spaniards, and it was
shown him. Then he wished to draw it; but the soldier wisely declined to
allow him. Father Valverde did not, as has been charged, then urge a
massacre; he merely reported to Pizarro the failure of his conciliatory
efforts. The hour had come. Atahualpa might now strike at any moment;
and if he struck first, there was absolutely no hope for the Spaniards.
Their only salvatio