likely to start again on a journey of exploration. He is my greatest
friend. My brother and I were left under his charge when we were young,
and he has been almost a father to us. It is he who has sent us out to
you. Here is his letter."

"Will you read it to me, senor. I cannot read; I am always obliged to get
somebody to read my letters, and write answers for me."

The letter was of course in Spanish, and Harry read:

"Dear friend Dias,

"I am sending out to you a gentleman, Mr. Prendergast, an officer of the
British Navy, in whom I am deeply interested. His brother accompanies him.
I beg that you will treat them as you would me, and every service you can
render him consider as rendered to myself. From a reason which he will no
doubt explain to you in time, it is of the deepest importance to him that
he should grow rich in the course of the next two years. He asked my
advice, and I said to him, 'There is no one I know of who could possibly
put you in the way of so doing better than my friend Dias Otero. I believe
it is in his power to do so if he is willing.' I also believe that for my
sake you will aid him. He will place himself wholly in your hands. He does
not care what danger he runs, or what hardships he has to go through in
order to attain his purpose. I know that I need not say more to you. He
has two years before him; long before that I am sure you will be as
interested in him as you were in me. He has sufficient means to pay all
expenses of travel for the time he will be out there. I know that you are
descended from nobles of high rank at the court of the Incas when the
Spaniards arrived, and that secrets known to but few were passed down from
father to son in your family. If you can use any of those secrets to the