buried in a hollow of the cavern.

For his friends

and followers, all around was terror and gloom. A curse seemed to have fallen on the members of the incarial family. Huascar was murdered by the order of his brother, Atahualpa. The latter soon after perished by the orders of the perfidious Pizarro. Following the advice of Orano, Chicama and Runa fled. The interpreter was their guide and they took their way toward those mountain heights, which rise to the clouds in Southern Peru. Here the distinct records of history end. We must close our story with a vague tradition that Chicama and Runa found a peaceful retreat in the mountains, where they spent the remainder of their days. They were joined by several members of the incarial family, and finally their number was increased by others to a considerable village. They reared a temple, where Runa, true to her virgin Vows, continued to officiate at the altar. Chicama. followed externally the same worship, but his mind often turned upon the doctrines of that religion in which he had been educated and when he died, the Peruvians, in compliance with his request, placed a cross at the head of his grave.

S

THE SOLDIER AND THE BLIND FIDDLER.

Once upon a time, in a far off country, two travellers met at an inn. One was a blind musician who wandered from place to place, amusing the people with his fiddle. He was attended by a little boy, who always walked at his side, and guided him on his way. The other was a stout, rough soldier, armed with two pistols, a cutlass and other weap

ons.

The musician and the soldier fell into conversation, and finally the latter, feeling very big, began to poke fun at the poor fiddler. Now you must know that it was a chill winter night, and many persons had gathered at the inn, some being travellers, and some people of the place. The soldier finding that he had

an audience, began to tell large stories about his exploits. He boasted very much of his courage, and at the same time, he kept making fun of the fiddler. He even went so far as to cast jeers and gibes at the fiddler's boy, and amused himself with whirling his sabre round his head.

Some of the people were amused at this; but most of them felt that it was mean and cowardly thus to insult the unfortunate musician and to trifle with the feelings of the boy. Still as the soldier was a big, blustering fellow, they looked on and said nothing, till a tall man, who sat back in the crowd, arose, came forward, and said that he looked upon such conduct as mean and cowardly. At these words the soldier flew into a rage and declared that he would run his sword through the body of any one who called him a coward.

Upon this the tall man said: "Sir soldier, you pretend to have a great deal of courage; but I believe you are a coward because you insult this blind fiddler, and a brave man never offers insult to the unfortunate. Now, I have a proposal to make to you. Near by, at the foot of the mountain is a wild rocky dell, called the Wolf's Den, because a great

2

many wolves have been seen there, and at night they make a terrible noise in the woods. Now, you and the fiddler shall pass through this glen, and here is a purse of fifty dollars which shall be given to him who shall come off best in the adventure.

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At this proposal the company shouted with approbation and applause. The soldier affected to despise the proposition, and scoffed at the idea of having his courage brought into comparison with that of the fiddler. But the more he seemed averse to the trial, the more the people insisted upon it. At last the fellow was really forced to accept the of fer, and accordingly, looking well to his weapons, he set forth and marched toward the Wolf's Den. At his side went the Fiddler and his boy.

It was a clear moonlight night; yet the pass was so narrow and sheltered by overhanging rocks, that it was there quite dark. As they entered the place, they began to hear strange noises. "What is that?" said the soldier trembling from head to foot. "It is the wolves!" said the musician. "What do you intend to do?" said the soldier.

"I shall wait till

they have eaten you up," said the man," and then I shall fiddle to them. " "Do they like music?"