98 THE ANDES OF SOUTHERN PERU 



drifted back toward Antabamba and no doubt were now miles 

 away. The fonr Indian peons had left also, and their tracks, 

 half buried by the last snowfall, showed that they had left 

 hours before and that it was useless to try to overtake them. 

 Furthermore we were making a topographic map across the 

 Cordillera, and, in view of the likelihood of snow blockading 

 the 17,600-foot (5,360 m.) pass which we had to cross, the work 

 ought not to be delayed. With all these disturbing conditions to 

 meet, and suffering acutely from mountain sickness, I could 

 scarcely be expected to deal gently with our official. I drew out 

 the sleeping Teniehte and set him on his feet. To my inquiry 

 as to the whereabouts of the Indians that he had promised to 

 guard, he blinked uncertainly, and after a stupid "Quien sabe?" 

 peered under the cover of a sheepskin near by as if the peons had 

 been transformed into insects and had taken refuge under a blade 

 of grass. I ordered him to get breakfast and after that to take 

 upon his back the instruments that two men had carried up to 

 that time, and accompany the topographer. Thus loaded, the 

 Lieutenant Governor of Antabamba set out on foot a little ahead 

 of the party. Hendriksen, the topographer, directed him to a 

 17,000-foot peak near camp, one of the highest stations occupied in 

 the traverse. When the topographer reached the summit the in- 

 struments were there but the Teniente had fled. Hendriksen rap- 

 idly followed the tracks down over the steep snow-covered wall of 

 a deeply recessed cirque, but after a half -hour's search could not 

 get sight of the runaway, whereupon he returned to his station 

 and took his observations, reaching camp in the early afternoon. 

 In the meantime I had intercepted two Indians who had come 

 from Cotahuasi driving a llama train loaded with corn. They held 

 a long conversation at the top of the pass above camp and at first 

 edged suspiciously away. But the rough ground turned them 

 back into the trail and at last they came timidly along. They pre- 

 tended not to understand Spanish and protested vigorously that 

 they had to keep on with their llamas. I thought from the bel- 

 ligerent attitude of the older, which grew rapidly more threaten- 

 ing as he saw that I was alone, that I was in for trouble, but when 



