The Treasure of the Incas | Page 9

innumerable
posts among his adherents. But these struggles will not affect you
largely. In one respect they will even be an advantage. Bent upon their
own factious aims, the combatants have no time to concern themselves
with the doings of an English traveller, whose object out there is
ostensibly to botanize and shoot. Were one of them to obtain the
undisputed control of affairs he might meddle in all sorts of ways; but,
as it is, after you have once got pretty well beyond the area of their
operations, you can regard their doings with indifference, knowing that
the longer they go on fighting the fewer scoundrels there will be in the
land.
"But even were they to think that it was mining, and not science or
sport that took you out there, they would scarcely interfere with you. It
is admitted by all the factions that Peru needs capital for her
development, and at present that can best be got from this country. The
discovery of a fresh mine means employment to a large number of
people, and the increase of the revenues by a royalty or taxation.
English explorers who have gone out have never had any reason to
complain of interference on the part of the authorities. You will find the
average better class of Peruvians a charming people, and extremely
hospitable. The ladies are pretty enough to turn the head of anyone
whose affections are not already engaged. The men are kindly and
courteous in the extreme. However, you would have little to do with
these.
"In the mountains you would largely depend upon your rifle for food,
and on what you could get in the scattered native villages. The Indians
have no love for the Peruvians. They find their condition no better off
under them than it was under the Spaniards. Once they find out that you
are English they will do all in their power for you. It is to Cochrane and
the English officers with him that they owe the overthrow and
expulsion of their Spanish tyrants, and they are vastly more grateful
than either the Chilians or Peruvians have shown themselves to be."

On returning to their lodgings Harry met his brother, who had been into
the city.
"Old Prosser was very civil," said Bertie. "He said that as their ships
were chiefly in the South American trade it would be a great advantage
for me to learn to speak Spanish well. They had not yet thought
anything about whether they should order another ship to replace the
Stella; at any rate, at present they had no vacancy, and would gladly
give me permission to travel in South America, and would find me a
berth to finish my apprenticeship when I returned. More than that, they
said that as I had always been so favourably reported upon they would
put me on as a supernumerary in the Para, which will sail in a fortnight
for Callao. I should not draw pay, but I should be in their service, and
the time would count, which would be a great pull, and I should get my
passage for nothing."
"That is capital. Of course I will take a passage in her too."
"And what does Mr. Barnett say?"
"Rather to my surprise, Bertie, he did not disapprove of the plan at all.
He thought it would be a good thing for me to have you with me in case
of illness or anything of that sort. Then no doubt he thought to some
extent it would keep you out of mischief."
"I don't believe he thought anything of the sort. Did he say so?"
"Well, no, he didn't; but I have no doubt he felt it in some way a sort of
relief."
"That is all very fine. I know, when I have been down to his place in
the country between voyages, I have always been as well behaved as if
I had been a model mid."
"Well, I have heard some tales of your doings, Bertie, that didn't seem
quite in accord with the character you give yourself."
"Oh, of course I had a few larks! You cannot expect a fellow who has

been away from England for a year to walk about as soberly as if he
were a Methodist parson!"
"No, I should not expect that, Bertie. But, on the other hand, I should
hardly have expected that he would, for example, risk breaking his neck
by climbing up to the top of the steeple and fastening a straw-hat on the
head of the weathercock."
"It gave it a very ornamental appearance; and that weathercock was
never before watched so regularly by the people of the village as it was
from that time till the hat was blown away in a gale."