The Treasure of the Incas | Page 3

of the Incas'
treasures. And from what I learned I should say it is absolutely certain
that a great portion of these escaped the search of their Spanish tyrants.
"Whether the men who were employed in the work all died without
revealing the secret, or whether it had been trusted to a chosen few, I
know not; but the natives believe that there are still a few among them
to whom the secret has been passed down from father to son. Anyhow,
all had heard vague traditions. Some said that part of the treasure was
carried hundreds of miles inland and given over to a tribe of fierce
savages, in a country into which no European can enter. Another
tradition is that a portion of it was carried off by sea in a great canoe,
which was never heard of again and was believed to have been lost. I
am not for a moment supposing, Prendergast, that if you went out there
you would have the most remote chance of discovering what the
Spaniards, ever since they landed there, have been in vain trying to find,
and I certainly should not think of recommending a mad-brained
adventure, but undoubtedly there are many rich gold mines yet to be
found. There are openings for trade, too; and I can give you
introductions to merchants both in Chili and Peru. It is not a thing I
should recommend to everyone, far from it; but if you want to combine
adventure with a chance, however small, of making money, I don't
know that you can do better than go to South America. You are fitted

for no calling here; your income, counting your half-pay, would suffice
to keep you out there, and a couple of years of such a life would do you
no harm."
"It is just what I should like," the young man said enthusiastically;
"though I don't know how I should set to work if I did find a mine."
"You would have to bring home specimens, with particulars of the
width of the lode. Of course you would crush pieces up and wash them
yourself, or get your Indian to wash them; that would give you an
approximate idea of the percentage of gold. If it were rich, I could
introduce you to men who would advance money for working it, giving
you a share of the profits. They would send out a mining expert with
you. He would verify your report, and then you would take up the
concession. I don't know whether there have been any changes in the
regulations, but there is no difficulty in learning how to proceed from
one or other of the men to whom I will give you introductions. The
thing would not be worth thinking of were it not that the man who
always went with me as guide and muleteer is an Indian, and has, I am
convinced, a knowledge of some of these places. He was with me all
the time I was out there. I saved his life when a puma sprang upon him,
and he more than once hinted that he could make me a rich man, but I
had no inclination that way, my income being sufficient for all my
wants. Still, on the chance that he is alive--and he was about thirty
when he was with me fifteen years ago, so it is probable that he is still
to the fore --I will give you a letter to him telling him that you are a
dear friend of mine, and that I trust to him to do any service he can for
you just as he would have done for myself. Had it not been for that I
should never have mentioned the matter to you. These old mines are
the dream of every Peruvian. They have been searching for them ever
since the conquest of the country, and as they have failed, it is absurd to
think that an Englishman would have the slightest chance of lighting
upon a mine, still less of finding any of the Incas' treasures. But with
the Indian's aid it is just possible that you may find something, though I
should advise you most strongly not to build in any way upon the
chance. I consider that you cannot possibly win Miss Fortescue; that
being so, two years of knocking about will not make your position

worse, and by the time you come back, you may have ceased to
struggle against fate. It will afford you a remote --but distinctly
remote--opportunity of bettering your position, will give you something
else to think about besides that young lady's charms, and you may even
come to recognize that life is, after all, possible without her. You may
shake your head, lad; but you