Stories of Mexico and South America
full well that the Inca would raise an army and march against the Spaniards at once, and that all Peru would flock around his banner. But he had not hesitated to lie to the Inca, and to receive his great ransom under these false pretences. Pizarro was not the man to hesitate in a little question of right or wrong. He was there to conquer Peru, and to him no means were beneath his use. Pizarro was distant and cold to the Inca now, and often surly and cruel. He knew he had acted contemptibly with his prisoner, and so shrank from meeting him, much more from speaking with him. “I must find some pretence for this breaking of my promise,” said Pizarro; “even with a heathen captive it is well to have some excuse.” Rumor now reached the city that a mighty army was advancing to attack the Spaniards, and that the army had been raised by private messages from the Inca. In this army, so rumor said, were thirty thousand Peruvians and two thousand Carib man-eaters. A terrible force, indeed, if the report was true. At any rate, Pizarro saw in it an opportunity to seize upon Atahualpa. He ordered him to be brought forth. “What is the meaning of this treason?” said he. “Have I not treated you with honor? Have you not been protected and generously treated? Had I not promised you freedom? Why have you thus turned against me?” “I do not even know what you mean,” answered 164