Next morning we made an unpleasant discovery.  
When we brought the automobile around to the front of the house again we found that during the night the natives had bricked up the entrance arch to a height of some four feet above the ground, using blocks of baked clay cemented together with some preparation that we were not familiar with.
 
This action was intended to imprison the automobile within the wall and prevent our running out on another excursion, as we had the day before.
 
At first sight it appeared that the device was successful. A small hut had been torn down to provide the material, and the blocks were thick and hard as rock.
 
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Duncan frowned as he looked at the barrier, and remarked:
 
“Then it is to be war.”
 
“I knew that last night,” said I, “when they tried to smoke us out or burn us up.”
 
“Let us give them a good volley from our revolvers,” he suggested, angrily.
 
“Don’ do dat, seh,” said Bry, earnestly. “Wait first till dey shoot arrows. We make b’lieve we frien’s as long as we can. It gives us time to think what we do.”
 
“Evidently,” said I, “the council of chiefs has advised the king to make short work of us. We have probably been condemned already, and all that now holds them in check is their uncertainty of the best way to vanquish us.”
 
“They are a little awed by our wonderful powers, I am sure,” declared Moit.
 
“Quite probable,” I replied. “Is there any way to get over that wall, Duncan?”
 
He did not answer at once, but looked reflectively at the archway.
 
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“We can leave this place tomorrow morning,” said he, finally; “but I do not see how we can accomplish the feat before then. Do you imagine we can hold the natives at bay another day?”
 
“We can try,” I said as cheerfully as I could.
 
But the prospect was not an enticing one, and I began to bitterly regret our folly in ever entering a place wherein we could be so easily imprisoned.
 
“If we get out,” said Nux, “then we mus’ fight our way all time. If we bold an’ quick, we get away all right.”
 
Nux didn’t speak often, but his judgment was pretty good.
 
“I want those diamonds,” I said; “and I’m going to have them. If we go back empty-handed we have made a failure of the expedition.”
 
“To let a lot of ignorant natives triumph over the greatest invention of the century is absurd—it’s fairly criminal!” added Moit. “I’m not afraid to tackle the whole San Blas nation in this car.”
 
“Too bad you didn’t make it a man-o’-war,” said I, with a laugh. “If we had a gattling gun aboard we’d have everything our own way.”
 
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We raised the curtains, and while Bry openly got the breakfast ready I took careful note of our surroundings.
 
Some twenty warriors, armed with spears, and bows, were in sight, lounging in doorways or leaning silently against the various buildings. They were watching us closely, no doubt; but there was no open attempt to attack us as yet.
 
After a brief conference we decided not to put down the top again, as the San Blas might take a notion to shoot at any time, and their arrows, while they might not penetrate the netted glass of the dome, might mow us down quickly if we were exposed to them.
 
But I did not like to acknowledge that we were afraid, either; so I let down the steps and opened the rear door, and Bry and Nux and myself all descended to the ground and grouped ourselves carelessly near the car, leaving Moit alone in the machine.
 
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As soon as we appeared the natives began to come nearer, in a curious observant crowd. Then one who was doubtless a chief came forward and said that the King Nalig-Nad desired his brother kings to attend him at once in his palace.
 
“In our country,” answered Bry, gravely, “it is the custom when kings meet to honor each other in turn. Yesterday we waited upon Nalig-Nad; today he must wait upon us.”
 
“But he is the great King of the Techlas!” protested the other, as if amazed that the command could be disregarded.
 
“And we are the mighty Kings of Tayakoo, which numbers more people than the leaves of the forest,” replied Bry, drawing himself up proudly and frowning upon the other. “Take your master our answer, slave!”
 
The fellow obeyed; but the king was in no hurry to come.
 
His daughter arrived, though, fresh and beautiful as a rose in bloom, and the natives made way for her as she pressed through the group.
 
“A greeting to my friends!” she said in English, and peered into the car in search of Duncan Moit.
 
“Enter, Princess,” said I, holding open the door.
 
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She accepted the invitation frankly, and Duncan took her hand and pressed it to his lips as an old time courtier would have done. She was very sweet and lovely, this Indian maiden, and I did not blame the inventor for worshipping her as he evidently did.
 
“You cannot today with me run away,” she said, laughing and pointing a slender finger at the barricade.
 
“You are wrong, Ilalah,” answered Moit, smiling into her fair face. “When I wish to go the walls cannot stop me. But we would like to stay another day in your village.”
 
She became serious at this. Thinking someone in the crowd might understand the English language as well as she did, I motioned to Nux and Bry to enter the car, and I followed them and closed the door.
 
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“Listen, then,” she said, seeming to be glad of the seclusion. “The king, who is my father, is angry because you have told lie............