festa dresses and her silver trinkets behind. There was not much furniture

in the house; but I think I could replace everything for about two hundred

dollars, and I have a good deal more than that laid by."

 

"I shall certainly make that up to you, Dias. It was entirely your

kindness in deciding to take us on Mr. Barnett's recommendation, and to

undertake this journey, that brought the ill-will of these scoundrels upon

you. Of course it is of no use doing anything now, but when our search is

over I shall certainly see that you are not in any way the loser."

 

"No, senor; if I could not replace it myself I might accept your kind

offer, but I can do it without breaking very heavily into my savings. And

indeed their attack on me was the outcome of an old grudge. I have been

long regarded as a fortunate man, and truly I have been so. If there was a

job for five mules, and I was disengaged, I always had the first offer."

 

"But that was not fortune, Dias; that was because you were known to be

wholly trustworthy."

 

"There are few muleteers who are not so, senor; it is rarely indeed that

muleteers are false to their trust. I can scarce remember an instance. We

Indians have our faults, but we are honest."

 

"Well, perhaps your getting the first job to go with foreign travellers

may have been a piece of good fortune, but it is because these were so

well satisfied with you that others engaged you. Trustworthiness is not

the only thing wanted in a muleteer; willingness, cheerfulness, and a

readiness to oblige are almost as important for the comfort of travellers.

Well, do you think these fellows will try and play you another trick,

Dias?"

 

"I hope they will," Dias said savagely, "that is, if they don't have too

much odds against me. I owe them a big score now, for twice they have got

the better of me. I should like to get even with them."

 

"Well, Dias, I hope they won't try anything of the sort. If anything

should happen to you, I should not only be extremely sorry for your sake

and your wife's, but it would destroy the last chance I have of carrying

out my search for treasure. Do you think that if I were to go to the

consul and lay a complaint against them, on the ground, in the first

place, of their attack on you, and now of burning your house, it would

have any effect?"

 

"If you were to make a complaint it might do, senor; it certainly would

not were I to do so. A little bribe would, of course, be necessary; you

cannot do anything without that. The officials here are all Gamarra's men,

and there is not one of them who would not take a bribe. But would it be