Imos marched rapidly across the peninsula, keeping well out of range of the mangonels, and was in possession of the camp when Hanabusa arrived.
Ben Hu Barabe engaged the warrior-priests in a hand-to-hand struggle, while Hanabusa hastened to the signal tower only to find it dismantled. There being no way to inform Yermah of his desperate straits, he rushed back to his house, and hurriedly securing things necessary for flight, joined in the unequal contest Ben Hu Barabe and a handful of men kept up at the water’s edge.
In the uncertain light, the commander could discern only three seaworthy balsas, and into these his followers scrambled, and, pulling Ben Hu Barabe aboard, put to sea, closely pursued by the leaky, disabled or badly manned balsas which had already been captured by the enemy.
On the heels of Hanabusa’s flight came a company of horsemen, sent by Yermah, who dashed into camp with drawn sabers and boldly demanded the surrender of Imos. Realizing that he was completely surrounded and that resistance was useless, the high-priest suffered himself to be put on horseback and carried back to Iaqua. Upon arriving there he was brought before Yermah, in company with Setos.
“Why hast thou made war upon me, Setos?”
“Because the Azes deem thee unfit to rule them,” was the blunt answer.
“I have no desire for temporal power. Hadst thou confided thy ambition to me, I would have aided thee.”
“Thou hast mistaken me. I am only an instrument in the hands of Providence for the deliverance of Tlamco,” answered Setos, in his best temple-service manner.
“Thou art incapable of delivering thyself, much less Tlamco. But I desire thee to become Grand Servitor. Art thou willing to accept its full import?”
Setos could scarcely believe his ears. Was the Dorado speaking from choice, or was he sore beset, and capitulating on the best possible terms?