68 The liavine of Ihe Unburied Dead. [[July, 



approach. It was, however, only by the dazzling flood of ruddy and 

 golden light which bathed the east in liquid fire, and by the lengthening 

 shadows westward, that the rising of the Peruvian deity was discovered ; 

 for the cloud-capped range of eastern giants still concealed the ascend- 

 ing god from the eager gaze of his captive and solitary worshipper. 

 Yet, conscious that the star of his adoration had appeared on the earth, 

 Alpahula bowed himself with a prostration of posture, which forced 

 Hernando, attached nearest his body, to stoop his own person in accom- 

 modation to the adoring chief. " God of my life !" exclaimed the 

 Indian, looking on Hernando with an expression that was perfectly 

 indefinable ; " shall I take even this prostration of an unwillhig knee, 

 before thy eastern throne, as a favourable answer V Again he gazed 

 hesitatingly, almost mournfully, on Hernando ; then shaking his head, 

 as if in refusal to some unlawful wish which had crossed his mind, he 

 proceeded. 



JMorning now rapidly advanced, but the gorges of the mountains 

 became so narrow, that the precipices, sometimes, almost met over the 

 heads of the passers, and excluded the light of day. Alpahula looked 

 repeatedly, and with anxious gaze, at the opening of every fresh pass, 

 as if eager to behold the shining face of that orb whose imseen rising 

 he had already worshipped — " I will behold his golden eye yet once 

 more" he said. They reached the opening of another gorge. A steep 

 precipice, whose shelving sides offered narrow and precarious footing to 

 the party, arose to their left. Alpahula looked up in exultation. 

 " Yonder," he exclaimed, " lies our path. Christians ! your task is 

 near ended. Mount this tall giant of the moon, and your way down 

 its farther side shall be easy, and conduct you to Alpahula's richest 

 treasure." No music ever sounded sweeter in the ear of Juan Di 

 Alcantara. They prepared to ascend the dizzy elevation, but the 

 cazique paused for a moment — hesitated, folded his arms cross-wise over 

 his bosom, and seemed to be praying either for direction or forgiveness. 

 Then speaking hastily and abruptly, like one who would not yield 

 himself time to question his own purpose, he said with authority — " I 

 make not the ascent while this youth impedes my steps, and insults 

 my vigour by his unasked assistance. Juan, chief of the Spanish tribe, 

 come thou and replace this eastern boy ; chief 5^oked to chief, were 

 fitter far, than that Cazique Alpahula's fetters should be secured by the 

 nameless leader of a petty tribe. Thou wilt not .'' It matters not. 

 Find then thine own way to the golden vessels and glittering gems 

 thou wert not wont to hold so lightly. Nay, frown not. Remember 

 thy foul engine is not here ; and for me, 'twere full as suiting to my 

 humour, to sit and breathe out my last amid these rocks and torrents, 

 or be hurled, by Cliristian hands, down this mountain side, as to 

 return and wear out a miserable existence — a prisoner in my native 

 palace — a captive in the dwelling of my sires !" 



The interpreter, perhaps, Aveary of a toilsome expedition, which, at 

 this rate, seemed interminable, did, what many travellers have since 

 done without similar temptation to mis-statement, i. e., he made a general 

 rule of a single instance, and assured Juan that it was a law among 

 Indian caziques, never to climb mountains of a certain elevation, without 

 being accompanied by some chief, of a rank which they deemed equal 

 to their own. He gave, also, such a translation of Alpahula's speech. 



