The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

20 A PERUVIAN PARADISE. seemed a promising path to the top of the cliffs. The foot of this trail was extremely rugged, but it looked better above, and with Keeth in the lead they started up. Before they had climbed fifty feet the path became quite easy to follow. In fact, it showed the hand of man in its construction. It was a gradual incline, extending along the face of the bluff, becoming wider and wider as they mounted upward. ‘There were marks of great chisels where slabs of the soft rock had been split off, and while still a hun- dred feet or more from the summit, the adventurers reached a place where the ancient constructors of the road had used the waste material to build a substantial wall, four feet or more in height, along the outer edge. Here the way was broad enough for four men to walk abreast. ‘The mortar which held the stone in place was still as hard as adamant. ‘The rocks themselves, in fact, instead of the mortar, had crumbled with age. ‘“ What do you think of such engineering as this ?’’ demanded Ford. ‘It is wonderful !’’ declared Keeth. ‘‘ This must have been built three hundred years ago—possibly at a still more ancient date—yet the best work of civilized peoples today cannot surpass it. What giants those old Incas must have been, for they had few tools to aid them. ‘This was all done by sheer bodily strength. They had no hoisting apparatus.’’. ‘‘ Hand do you mean to say them Hinjuns did this?’’ cried Fitch. ‘“They certainly did,’’ replied the engineer. ‘‘ Probably the road was built about the time that Pizarro conquered the country.”’ Fitch shook his head over it. ‘“They must ’ave been a deal different from the niggers Hi’ve been used to,’’ he said. | oe were still more rationialned when they had gone some rods further. On rounding a corner in the precipitous wall they found that the ancient workmen had tunneled a spur of rock to reach the summit of the cliff. The tunnel was a dozen yards in length and opened out upon the plateau on top of the bluff. And right before the mouth of the tunnel were the ruins of several stone houses, built against the side of the mountain. ‘An ancient town—almost like the cliff dwellings I’ve seen in Colorado.”’ declared Keeth. ‘‘ Jose told us nothing about this. I wonder how far we are: from the town of the Indians among whom he was a captive? I only hope He broke off with a startled exclamation. On the verge of the cliff, a few rods from the old tunnel, was the figure of a woman. She stood ina listening attitude, but with her face turned away from the white men. Evidently she had heard their voices, but had not discovered from which direction there were approaching. She was an Indian girl—almost a child in appearance—as lithe and grace- ful as a deer. Her skin was of a brilliant bronze hue, and a great mass of coal black hair hung to her waist ; her head was guiltless of other covering. She was dressed in a tunic-like garment which fell below her knees and was open at the throat, displaying the full roundness of her bosom. A broad sash of strange texture and brilliant hue held the garment together at her waist. Her feet were shod with sandals, over her shoulder was slung by a Eomicbooks (S@)