tablish a sort of central camp at the farthest spot to
which the mules could go, and then make exploring expeditions with the
llamas to carry provisions and tools. The llamas are not bad eating, so
that if we found no other use for them they would assist our
commissariat."

"How far can they go in a day, Harry?"

"Ten or twelve miles, and you may be sure that that is as much as we
can do when we are among the mountains."

"Then I should think they would be very useful. I suppose there will be
no difficulty in buying them?"

"None at all. A good many are brought in for sale to the market every
day. Of course it would be necessary to get strong animals accustomed
to burdens."

Before starting there was another long consultation between Harry and
Dias as to which course it would be better to adopt. The
most-frequented pass through the mountains was that to Paucartambo,
forty miles north-east from Cuzco, at the mouth of the pass that leads
down into the plains. Between this town and the Carabaya range, a
hundred and fifty miles to the south, was to be found the rich gold
deposit to which Dias had referred. So far, however, as the traditions
he had received informed him, it was situated near the <DW72>s of the
Tinta volcano, and between that and Ayapata. The direct road to this
spot was extremely difficult, and he was of opinion that the journey
could be more easily performed by going to Paucartambo and then
skirting the foot of the mountains.

"You will find no difficulty in obtaining food as you go along," he
said; "wild turkeys, pheasants, and other birds are to be met with in
that district. Moreover, there are many plantations which have been
deserted owing to the depredations of the Chincas, a tribe who live on
the tributaries of the Pueros, or as it used to be called, Rio Madre de
Dios. Here you will find fields of maize still growing, sugar-cane,
cacao, and rice. One after another the estates have been abandoned; at
some of them the whole of the people on the farms were massacred, and
in all the danger was so g