them."

 

"I always thought you were a young ass, Bertie," Harry said sternly, "but

I have not realized before how utterly assified you are."

 

"All right, Harry!" the lad said cheerfully; "hit me as hard as you like,

under the circumstances I feel that I cannot kick."

 

Harry said nothing for another five minutes.

 

"This is a serious matter," he said at last, "and I don't want any

tomfoolery."

 

"All right, Harry! I will be as serious as a judge."

 

"I am thinking of going away for two years."

 

The lad turned half round in his chair and had a good look at his brother.

 

"Where are you going to?" seeing by Harry's rather gloomy face that he was

quite in earnest.

 

"I believe I am going to Peru."

 

"What are you going there for, Harry?" the lad said quietly.

 

"I told you," the other went on, "that Mr. Fortescue said that he had no

personal objection to me, but that if I was in a position to give his

daughter a home equal to that which I wanted her to leave, he would be

content."

 

Bertie nodded.

 

"This seemed to me hopeless," Harry went on. "I told you that she was

willing to wait for two years, but that she couldn't promise much longer

than that, for her father had set his mind on her making a good match; he

has certainly put a tremendous pressure upon her. When I was talking at

the club this evening to Mr. Barnett--you know that he is our oldest

friend and is one of our trustees--I told him about it, and said that

though I was ready to do anything and go anywhere I could not see my way

at all to making a big fortune straight away. He agreed with me. After

talking it over he said he knew of but one way by which such a thing would

be at all possible, but the betting would be twenty thousand to one

against it. Of course I said that if there was even a possibility I would

try it. Well, you know he was in Peru for some years. He says that the

natives have all sorts of legends about rich mines that were hidden when

the Spaniards came first, and that it is certain that, tremendous as was

the amount of loot they got, a great part of the Incas' treasure was

hidden away. Once or twice there had been great finds-in one case two

million and a half dollars. It is believed that the secret is still known

to certain Indians. When he went out there he had a muleteer, whose life