Much to their disgust they found that they were not to be imprisoned in the same enclosure. Ted, with a score of guards, was left in one small, dungeon-like room, while Stanley was taken to another on the opposite part of a courtyard. The officers obviously suspected that another plot to escape might be formed if the two were left together. Henceforth they would forestall such a move by keeping them apart, or at least so it seemed to the captives. That was indeed discouraging, for Stanley could not possibly carry out his plan without Ted’s help. The distance between the two prison cells was too great to enable them to carry on a conversation even by shouting, so they tried wigwagging signals across the open space. But the guards immediately understood their design, and drew rush mats across the doorways. On the return journey to the plain, however, they were again thrown together, much to their delight. “Tell me quick, before they separate us,” Ted begged. “I couldn’t sleep a wink last night for thinking over what you said; but I can’t figure it out.” “Listen! Do you remember that before we left home the papers were full of stories about the eclipse of the sun that is to occur this month?” “Yes, I remember that. We talked about it at the time. But it was to be partial only.” “Partial at home, but complete in parts of South America. It depends on where you are looking from. The black bands on the maps illustrating the articles extended right across this part of Peru. So you see what is going to happen, and that I haven’t exaggerated.” “I have to hand it to you, Stanley, for remembering the event, and making such good use of it. It will seem like the most powerful kind of magic to these Indians, and will terrify them. They will think we are responsible for it and will respect us after that. Then it will be our turn to have the upper hand.” “The only thing that worries me,” said Stanley with concern, “is that I may have made a mistake in keeping track of the time. If I am off one single day, the eclipse might as well never come, so far as we care.” “Do you feel that you have made a mistake, or not?” Ted asked bluntly. One look into the serious, apprehensive face of his companion and Stanley felt that he could not dash all his hopes to the ground by telling him of the fear that had gradually loomed up to dispel the hopes of the previous day. For the more he thought of the matter the more certain he was that not only had he tied too few knots in the string, but that the eclipse was not due until the following month. “You shall see,” he said evasively. “Look, here comes Soncco now. He looks troubled. We must have an interview with him where none can hear. That is the first step, and it has got to be arranged somehow.” As a matter of fact, Soncco was looking for them. He was the picture of misery; years had been added to his age overnight.