"One of the Palace Guard," said he. "I recognize his face and bearing, even though he is not in uniform."
To his men, he added:
"Take him below." As the prisoner was being led away, the prince turned to Mr. Hampton and Don Ernesto.
"You see the crisis has come," said he simply. "This is the first time they have tried a.s.sa.s.sination."
Then he went to Bob"s side, a winning smile on his face.
"I have you to thank for saving my life," he said. "I hope you are not hurt."
"Not at all, thanks," said Bob, uncomfortably. "As to saving your life, sir--well, I guess he wouldn"t have gotten much chance at you, with all your soldiers around."
"How tell?" said the prince. "I have soldiers below, too. Yet this a.s.sa.s.sin gained the battlements."
Then, temporarily dismissing the matter with a shrug of the shoulders, he said:
"But, come, let us complete our preparations of the--what do you call it?
Ah, yes. The radio."
Turning, he led the way to where the station was nearing completion.
While the boys resumed their operations, Prince Huaca again looked on between Don Ernesto and Mr. Hampton, and conversed with them. He seemed to have thawed to them greatly, and both men gained the impression that he was a lonely man and welcomed their friendship. To himself, Mr.
Hampton thought that probably the prince was gifted with so much greater intelligence and vision than those surrounding him, that, indeed, he must lead a lonely life. And this diagnosis, in after days, he was to learn was correct. For years, Prince Huaca, of all of Incarial rank, had stood alone in opposition to the War Party, pointing out the folly of invasion of the outside world in the belief that it had stood still since the days of the Incas. Of friends of lesser rank, however, he had many like the lord of the outer valley, at whose home they had stopped the first day.
As they stood there, Mr. Hampton was silent, turning these matters over in his mind, and considering their own and Prince Huaca"s predicament.
He was stirred by a real liking for the man, and by a great pity for him, too. Alone in this isolation, pitted against shrewd-witted men l.u.s.ting for his downfall, what chance had he?
"Prince Huaca, I want to be of help; we all want to be of help," said he suddenly. "Indeed, our very lives depend upon aiding you to overcome your enemies and defeat their plans. May I ask, therefore, what your own plans are? It is possible we may, by putting our heads together, find some additional way of helping you beside merely calling for aid that, after all, will take weeks to reach us."
"I shall close the fortress, admit only a daily ration of food to the city from the farms, and notify the Inca and Council that negotiations with the outside world have been launched."
"Ere that help can arrive, however," objected Mr. Hampton, "many days of waiting must elapse. Meanwhile, may not the fortress be attacked and treachery succeed, where tonight"s attempt fortunately came to naught?"
Before Prince Huaca could give answer, Jack approached.
"Dad, we"ll soon be in a position to broadcast and try to raise the monastery. It"s a good thing we have got the quarter-kilowatt generator, for the monastery is all of one hundred and fifty miles distant as the crow flies, and, although we have a ten-inch spark coil, we couldn"t be heard beyond fifty miles with it and the batteries for our source of energy, unless under freakish conditions. But, what I was going to ask is, What time is it?"
Mr. Hampton looked at his watch.
"Why, it"s eleven o"clock."
"What? As late as that?"
Jack was amazed and keenly disappointed.
"Why, I had no idea we had been working so long. I"m afraid, then, we won"t be able to pick up the monastery tonight. _La Prensa"s_ nightly concert will have been finished, and they"ll all be in bed. What tough luck!"
"Try, anyway, Jack," urged Mr. Hampton, in an anxious tone. "Time is invaluable to us. Perhaps," he added, hopefully, "Brother Gregorio will be pottering around and will catch your signal."
Jack shook his head doubtfully.
"The good monks used to be in bed at nine o"clock before we put in the radio set for them. And they"ve still got sleepy habits. But we"ll see."
He walked to where Bob and Frank were putting the finishing installation touches to the generator. Some six or eight inches in diameter, it was firmly planted on its legs, handles projecting on either side.
"All ready, Jack," said Frank. "You take the instrument and Bob and I will get up steam."
Interested spectators, the other princ.i.p.als, grouped themselves close, with the torch bearers forming a ring about them. Bob and Frank began pumping away at the handles.
"Reminds me of making ice cream in the old freezer," said Bob.
Brother Gregorio had been placed in charge of the radio at the monastery, and it was for him Jack called repeatedly, after tuning to the monastery"s meter wave length, but no answer came back.
"No use, I"m afraid," he said at last, disappointedly. "May as well ease up, fellows. They"re all asleep, as I expected."
"And that"s the nearest radio station, too," said Frank. "There isn"t another within our radius."
"Well, we"ll have to wait until tomorrow, that"s all," added Bob.
The matter was explained to Prince Huaca, who was disappointed greatly, and wanted the boys to make another attempt to raise the monastery. Jack complied, but again without success.
"Ah, well," said the prince, resignedly. "It is in the hands of G.o.d."
Don Ernesto glanced at him in quick surprise, and the prince rightly interpreted the look.
"Nay," said he, "I am not as my people in religion, for I have read much in the Holy Book left by the holy men who came hither centuries ago with de Arguello. But of that we shall speak, perhaps, some other time. Let us now decide what shall be done with this radio tonight, and then return to my apartments."
It was hardly likely that anything untoward would happen to the outfit, yet sentries were placed on guard from among the awed torch bearers.
Then the party returned below. Instead of dismissing them to their quarters, along with Pedro and Carlos, Prince Huaca invited Mr. Hampton, Don Ernesto and the boys to enter his apartments again. When they were back in the inner room, he ordered the prisoner brought before him.
Escorted by two guards, whom Prince Huaca dismissed to the anteroom during the examination, the prisoner was brought in. Of the examination itself, which was brief, and was conducted in the unknown Inca tongue, the others could make nothing. It appeared to all, however, that the man was visibly frightened, although he cloaked his fear under a mask of stoicism. Several times they heard the name of "Cinto" uttered by the prince. At length, the guards were resummoned and the prisoner led away.
For a time after his departure, Prince Huaca sat silent, elbows planted on the table, his head in his hands, lost in thought. That it was none too pleasant could be seen from his expression.
"It was as I thought," he confided at length. "The High Priest, Cinto, and his rascally nephew despatched this man to a.s.sa.s.sinate me. Should he have accomplished his deed, he was to have been given an officer"s command in the Palace Guard. Ah, my poor uncle, what rascals surround him and prey upon his superst.i.tions and his love of a fading life!
"The fellow says he gained entrance by calling to see an acquaintance among my troops; and then, in the relaxation of the holiday which obtained in the guard room, he slipped into the interior of the fortress and made his way to the battlements, after seeing us go to them. This is lax discipline that permits of such things, and shall be inquired into presently.
"And now it is late and you will want to retire. But before you go, I have something to give you. You see, I trust you utterly. Do you, therefore, Senor Hampton, open the cabinet behind you, and there you will find the weapons taken from you on your capture. These I trust you with, and enjoin you not to make use of except in case of direct necessity. Yet, after what has happened tonight, my faith in my defences is shaken. If one man may creep in thus easily, may not others have done so? I questioned the rascal as to that, but he denied it. Yet I am not convinced. I, myself, shall take precautions to guard myself tonight, and you with these weapons will also be safe.
"They are, doubtless, far better weapons than those which we make after the pattern of the arms brought hither by the Spaniards in the early days?"
It was more question than statement, and Mr. Hampton nodded.
"They are, indeed, Prince Huaca," said he. "And these small ones, called pistols, are very deadly and can shoot a great distance. Will you permit me," he asked suddenly, "to tender you one of them? It can be carried concealed upon your person, and is better protection than anything; far better than a dozen trusty men even, provided they be not provided with modern arms."
He advanced to the prince, carrying an automatic.
"It is simple to operate," said he, "and will discharge a half dozen shots in succession without pause to reload."