“But,” they argued, “what good would it do one of them to get away while the other remained a prisoner in the valley? Could he not quickly take revenge on the hostage who was left to his mercy? From what he had seen of them, did it seem possible that one of them would desert the other in such a position?”
Soncco finally was forced to bow to the strength of their arguments. But only the firm conviction that his lot was already so luckless that it could not possibly be worse, no matter what happened, and that the growing unrest among the people was spreading to the proportions where it was a menace to the existence of the race induced him to lend his aid in a scheme he could not comprehend.
Therefore the two, carrying the heavy boxes of explosive, left the tent at a moment when clouds obscured the moon, Soncco taking the lead, Stanley, fully disguised in the borrowed clothes, following at his heels. Before long the latter realized how futile it would have been for them to attempt to leave the place of confinement unaided by some one in full authority. They passed through no fewer than five lines of sentries. To each of the five challenges Soncco replied with a different password, and in addition there was also a short ceremony to be gone through with each time they were halted. Thus, at the first challenge of “Who lives?” Soncco replied with “Quizquiz, the great and glorious king,” and, stooping, picked up a handful of earth which he threw over his left shoulder. At the second station he answered, “Quizquiz, greatest of all the great kings,” and beat his breast three times with his free hand; and so on until all the guard-lines had been passed.
It was with a feeling of relief that Stanley finally found himself in the open country beyond the encampment. He offered to carry Soncco’s burden in addition to his own, for the old man was lacking in strength; but the amauta insisted on retaining possession of the package, adding in a whisper: “Now you walk in front of me, and at the first sign of treachery I will kill you; I have a poisoned dagger in my hand.”
“Do not be foolish,” Stanley responded, losing patience. “I would not leave this place now if you asked me to. I want to stay to see all of you get what’s coming to you.”
Before long they reached the foot of the great wall, looming black and awe-inspiring high into the cloud-checkered sky. They followed along the base, their elbows almost touching the cool, moss-covered stones, until they reached the point where the gigantic structure joined the abrupt face of the mountain. It was here that the passage into Uti had been dug under the foundation; the existence of this opening saved them the labor of making another in which to place the explosive.
“We need go no farther,” Stanley announced, carefully depositing his pack on the ground and relieving the aged man of his.
“I am glad of that; my limbs are weary, for I am no longer young.”
“Then rest while I work. Sit right beside me if you wish, so you can see everything I do.”
“I will tie this thong to your foot, and fasten the other end to my own feet.”