The river savages, feeling secure against surprise from the watchful care of the guards before the cinctus gates, and sentinels upon the brink of the precipice overlooking the city, left but few of their number to guard the cave. When sufficiently dark to screen their movements, on the night set for the fruition of their enterprise, the men, women, and children of Heraclea were astir, and ready to use the utmost of their strength for the success of their foraging expedition. When the Indian camp before the gates had become quiet the party selected to surprise the keepers of the cave started and without difficulty effected their purpose. The prætor leading the surprise party had ordered that the Indian guards should be secured without the loss of life, if it could be effected without endangering the success of the undertaking. But their savage desperation in using their teeth rendered the destruction of life necessary. This was effected by suffocation, advised by the Dosch that marks of violence might be avoided, hoping thereby to involve with mysterious dread the cause of death; as the river savages were known to hold as strong a belief in the agency of evil spirits, as the Heracleans in the vengeful ire of their gods. While the bodies of the savage guards were being placed in imposing attitudes to excite the awe of their companions when discovered, the work of transporting the stores of the cave had already commenced, great care being taken that no vestige should be dropped by the way to indicate the course, or from whence, in identification, the despoilers came. The llamas, after the transportation of the stores was accomplished, were stabled in the southern crematorial temple, under the screen of the cloud mist of the falls, which had formerly subserved, under the ritualistic ceremonies of priestcraft, to mystify the superstitious of the Heracleans.