Page:Gaston Leroux--The bride of the sun.djvu/262

248 Just before dawn, Dick awoke to find Orellana reminiscent

"This place has always brought me luck since I started to look for my daughter, but I cannot make out who to thank for it. Do you know who this god is?"

He pointed to the bas-reliefs which covered the stone. They represented a human being, the head adorned with allegorical rays, and each hand holding a different scepter. Around this being were symmetrically ranged other figures, some with human faces, others with the heads of condors, all holding scepters, and all facing toward the center.

"There's no doubt about it," mused Orellana aloud. "This is nothing like the Incas' work. It is much more sculptural, and much older. There must have been worlds on these shores before the advent of the Incas. They're only savages who steal children…. Well, come on. We may as well go out in my boat and meet the sun."

In a little creek, half hidden by rushes, they found a cane pirogue, in which Orellana had soon hoisted a mast and a mat sail.

"Come on," he said, "we'll do some fishing. It's all on the way to the Temple of Death."

Dick followed him into the fragile craft, and they started for the islands. These came into