“Funny animals,” observed Bob when they had gone. “I was afraid all the time one or two would come at me and spit in my face, like the one back at Cuzco.”
Joe laughed.
“As long as you don’t bother them, I guess they’re all right,” he said. “But from what I’ve heard, they don’t like to be played with.”
“Don’t I know it!” grinned the other youth.
Before long they saw the origin of the llama caravan. Set back from the path was a large mud hut, about which played several Indian children. Another man and a woman came out to meet the adventurers.
Again Dr. Rander stopped to converse in the Quichua tongue. But not for long. He was anxious to lose no time in getting to the secrets. Even at best it would require many, many days.
“Hope we don’t have any trouble from now on,” said Joe, as he followed the old man up a steep slope. “But I suppose we will.”
Bob nodded.
“Exploring has its difficulties,” he said. “It will be funny if we don’t have any more things happen to delay us.”
That evening they camped in a little valley between two high peaks. All were glad to rest their tired limbs after such an arduous day over rocky paths.