"And with our knowledge of radio and other modern inventions and discoveries," supplemented Jack, "we would be invaluable. We could rise to high positions in the state."

"What," exclaimed Frank, "and stay here all our lives?"

"Well, why not?"

"Oh, he wants to go home to Della," said big Bob, mentioning the name of his sister, with whom Frank was in love.

Frank flushed, but did not reply.

"I'm not keen on staying here forever, either," said Jack quickly; for his thoughts more and more during their South American stay had turned to Senorita Rafaela in her Sonora mountains, and Bob's reference to Frank and Della had brought her again to mind. "Just the same, this would be a paradise of a place in which to live if it were brought in touch with the outside world."

"So you think you'd get to be a big gun here and then open the Enchanted City to civilization?" asked Frank.

"It might be done," said Jack.

"Well, after seeing that religious ceremony, I doubt it. The Incas would not want to give up their supreme power, and they know they would have to do that if their country were opened up. Chile or Argentine would absorb the country."

"Oh, not necessarily," answered Jack. "This country might remain independent, an inland empire."

"An absolute empire couldn't survive long in a land of republics," said Frank, "especially when this country is small."

"Small, yes," agreed Bob. "But it is powerful. The Incas in the beginning were few in number, but good fighters with fine military organizations. From their mountain heights in the North they overflowed and conquered their tremendous empire. Perhaps their descendants aim to step out some day from these mountain heights in the South, and do the same."

"What folly, Bob," said Frank. "They would be up against modern nations with modern implements of war."

"Well, can't they learn to make modern war?" asked Bob. "They've got some able instructors in military tactics here to teach them."

Jack and Frank, recalling that in anything pertaining to military science Bob had beaten both at Harrington Hall, smiled at each other.

Some men apparently are born warriors. And Bob was of the number.

Further conversation along this line was halted by their coming up with the others. They had been moving up and down corridors and short flights of steps while talking, and had taken little note of the length of the pa.s.sage to Prince Huaca's apartments. Mr. Hampton, however, commented on that fact as they approached. The boys seemed surprised.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Bob.

"To be announced."

For the first time the boys noticed they stood before a great closed door on either side of which Inca soldiers, six feet tall, impa.s.sive of countenance, mounted guard. Their guide had disappeared within. Then the door was opened and they were ushered into an anteroom, of which they had no time to take particular note, except to see that a number of young n.o.bles stood about in groups, talking, for they were taken at once through this room and into an inner chamber.

Here sat Prince Huaca at a table, writing. It was a small table of polished wood, the top mounted on the back of a crouching lion, beautifully carved. The room itself, while large, was considerably smaller than their apartment, and was severely furnished. A number of couches stood about. To these Prince Huaca motioned, with the request that they be seated, and meantime continued his writing. Presently, having finished the task, he sanded the paper to dry the ink, then rolled it into a scroll, about which he tied a cord of gold and purple threads. The missive then was handed to the man who had guided them, with an order delivered in the Inca tongue, and the man departed, leaving them alone with the prince.

"Be not dismayed," he said, turning to his guests. "I would know what brought you to the Forbidden Land. Few are the men who have come thither, for our fastnesses are impregnable and the outer valley where you were captured can be stumbled upon only by accident. And of those whom I have captured in the past or my fathers before me, none within two hundred years came seeking us, but found their way thither only by accident. You, however, I am certain, came seeking us. Is it not so?"

Directly appealed to, Don Ernesto agreed.

"Your Highness, it is."

"Call me Prince Huaca," said the other, simply. "Yes, it is as I thought. And it was this which led you?"

He held a ma.n.u.script aloft. It was the de Pereira ma.n.u.script, in archaic Spanish, Spanish as old as that spoken by Prince Huaca.

"It was that which brought us."

"Senor," said Prince Huaca, "I cannot believe that you came expecting to find a nation in existence."

"We thought but to find abandoned ruins."

Prince Huaca was silent, thoughtful.

"Pray, Prince Huaca," said Mr. Hampton, speaking for the first time, "may we not state our surprise to find that a powerful people exists here unknown to the world at large and unsuspected? Moreover, surpa.s.sing in my mind the mystery of how you have kept your secret through the centuries----"

"Eternal vigilance," interrupted Prince Huaca.

"Well," continued Mr. Hampton, "surpa.s.sing that mystery, I say, is that of how you have maintained a healthy and, doubtless, growing population within this restricted territory."

"State supervision and control of families, lands, everything, but----"

Prince Huaca arose abruptly, and moved up and down before them, his face dark, his sandals making no sound. He paused before them.

"We need more land," said he. "Some of us are for marching out with our armies to conquer. But some, like myself----Ah, you have come at a critical time in our life." He paused, his eyes searching their faces keenly. "I do not know why I talk to you like this," he said. "But something within bids me have faith, bids me trust you.

"Ah, I would know of the world beyond our mountain fastnesses. Without knowledge a man is like a worm crawling in the soil. But when he knows, it is like the Sun shedding his beneficent light into the gorges of our mountains and dispelling the gloom. You come from this outside world.

You are not commoners, like the one or two we have captured in the Forbidden Land in other days. No, you are n.o.bles, men of knowledge and power. This I can see from certain objects among your possessions."

He waved his hand to a corner of the room, which hitherto had not been noticed. The boys and the older men looked whither he pointed. There stood all their luggage.

"In your possessions are many strange objects," Prince Huaca continued.

"Books in the royal tongue, for so," he added, proudly, "we call the Spanish which only those of Inca lineage intermarried with de Arguello and his Conquistadores speak. These books puzzle me, for, though they are in Spanish, yet it is changed from the Spanish which I speak. In truth, as you note, we have some little difficulty in understanding each the other. It is only this," and he held up the de Pereira ma.n.u.script, "which is in the tongue I learned."

"And there are other objects. Strange threads that gleam and cannot be broken."

"Our copper wire for the radio outfit," said Jack, involuntarily.

He spoke in English. Prince Huaca stared puzzled.

"I do not understand."

"He speaks in another tongue, Prince Huaca," said Mr. Hampton.

"Still another than Spanish?"

"Yes. In the world without are a hundred different tongues."

Prince Huaca was dumbfounded. He stared at Mr. Hampton, as if in disbelief.

He turned to Don Ernesto.

"And is this so?"

"Yes, it is the truth."