The Treasure of the Incas | Page 6

as hinted that he knew of a place
where treasure might be concealed; but as Barnett was interested in
beasts and plants and that sort of thing, and had a comfortable fortune,
he never troubled himself about it one way or another. Well, he offered
to give me a letter to this man, and he regarded it as just possible that
the fellow, who seems to be a descendant of some of the people who
were members of the Incas' court at the time the Spaniards came, may
have some knowledge of the rich mines that were then closed down,
and that he may be able to show them to me, from his feeling of
gratitude to Barnett. It is but one chance in a million, and as I can see
no other possibility of making a fortune in two years, I am going to try
it."
"Of course you will," the lad said excitedly, "and I should think that
you would take me with you."
"I certainly had not dreamt of doing so, Bertie. But if I have to keep on
getting fresh outfits for you, the idea has come into my mind during the
last half-hour that I could not do better."
"Harry, you are sure to be disappointed lots of times before you hit on a

treasure, and then if you were all by yourself you would get down in
the mouth. Now, I should be able to keep you going, pat you on the
back when you felt sick, help you to fight Indians and wild beasts, and
be useful in all sorts of ways."
"That is like your impudence, Bertie," the other laughed. "Seriously, I
know I shall be a fool to take you, and if I really thought I had any
chance to speak of I should not do so; but though I am going to try, I
don't expect for a moment that I shall succeed. I feel that really it would
be a comfort to have someone with me upon whom I could rely in such
a life as I should have to lead. It certainly would be lonely work for one
man. The only doubt in my mind is whether it will be fair to you--you
have got your profession."
"But I can go back to it if nothing good turns up, Harry. I can visit the
firm and tell them that I am going to travel with you for a bit, and hope
that on my return they will take me back again and let me finish my
apprenticeship. I should think they would be rather glad, for they
always build and never buy ships, and it will take them six months to
replace the Stella. Besides, it will do me a lot of good. I shall pick up
Spanish-- at least, I suppose that is the language they speak out
there--and shall learn no end of things. As you know, we trade with the
west coast of America, so I should be a lot more useful to the firm
when I come back than I am now."
"Well, I will think it over, and let you know in the morning. I must
certainly consult Mr. Barnett, for he is your trustee as well as mine. If
we go I shall work my way out. It will be a big expense, anyhow, and I
don't mean, if possible, to draw upon my capital beyond three or four
hundred pounds. I believe living is cheap out there, and if I buy three or
four mules I shall then have to pay only the wages for the muleteers,
and the expenses of living. Of course I shall arrange for my income and
half- pay to be sent out to some firm at Lima. Now, you had better go
off to bed, and don't buoy yourself up with the belief that you are going,
for I have by no means decided upon taking you yet."
"You will decide to take me, Harry," the lad said confidently, and then
added with a laugh: "the fact that you should have adopted a plan like

this is quite sufficient to show that you want somebody to look after
you."
Harry Prendergast did not get much sleep that night He blamed himself
for having mentioned the matter at all to Bertie, and yet the more he
thought over it the more he felt that it would be very pleasant to have
his brother with him. The lad was full of fun and mischief, but he knew
that he had plenty of sound sense, and would be a capital companion,
and the fact that he had been three years at sea, and was accustomed to
turn his hand to anything, was all in his favour. If nothing came of it