All this roused my curiosity and fired my imagination—­not that I believed it all, for Zamorra was evidently a visionary with a fixed idea, and as touching his craze, credulous as a child; but in those days South America had been very little written about and not half explored; for me it had all the charm and fascination of the unknown—­a land of romance and adventure, abounding in grand scenery, peopled by strange races, and containing the mightiest rivers, the greatest forests, and highest mountains in the world.

When my host dismounted from his hobby he was an intelligent talker, and told me much that was interesting about Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, and the Spanish Main.  He had several books on the subject which I greedily devoured.  The expedition of Piedro de Ursua and Lope de Aguirre in search of El Dorado and Omagua; “History of the Conquest of Mexico,” by Don Antonio de Solis; Piedrolieta’s “General History of the Conquest of the New Kingdom of Grenada,” and others; and before we parted I had resolved that, so soon as the war was over, I would make a voyage to the land of the setting sun, and see for myself the wonders of which I had heard.

“You are right,” said Senor Zamorra, when I told him of my intention.  “America is the country of the future.  Ah, if I were only fifty years younger!  You will, of course, visit Venezuela; and if you visit Venezuela you are sure to go to Caracas.  I will give you a letter of introduction to a friend of mine there.  He is a man in authority, and may be of use to you.  I should much like you to see him and greet him on my behalf.”

I thanked my host, and promised to see his friend and present the letter.  It was addressed to Don Simon de Ulloa.  Little did I think how much trouble that letter would give me, and how near it would come to being my death-warrant.

Zamorra then besought me, with tears in his eyes, to go in search of the Golden Volcano.

“If you could give me a more definite idea of its whereabouts I might possibly make the attempt,” I answered, with intentional vagueness; for though I no more believed in the objective existence of the Golden Volcano than in Aladdin’s lamp, I did not wish to hurt the old man’s feelings by an avowal of my skepticism.

“Ah, my dear sir,” he said, with a gesture of despair, “if I knew the whereabouts of the Golden Volcano, I should go thither myself, old as I am.  I should have gone long ago, and returned with a hoard of wealth that would make me the master of Europe—­wealth that would buy kingdoms.  I can tell you no more than that it is somewhere in the region of the Peruvian Andes.  It may be that by cautious inquiry you may light on an Indio who will lead you to the very spot.  It is worth the attempt, and if by the help of St. Peter and the Holy Virgin you succeed, and I am still alive, send me out of your abundance a few arrobas (twenty-five pounds) of gold and a handful of diamonds.  It is all I ask.”