The Flute of the Gods Part 30

"What dare be written in the 'Relaciones' of a thing like that?" he queried.--"You smile, Excellency, as if you carried a magic s.h.i.+eld, or enchanted sword lifted from pages of old romance, but what think you Senor Brancadori will say to this thing of wonder? It does not belong to the living world we know."

"Let it not get into your dreams," suggested Don Ruy--"or if you do, content yourself with the fancy that I indeed bear a magic s.h.i.+eld and am ever near enough for you to hide behind it."

"I am not so much a coward!" retorted the lad,--"to die for a good cause in any human way is not a thing to fear--but these magical works--"

"Without doubt they do belong to the sorcery of Satan," said Don Ruy soberly, yet with an eye on the padre--"and yon supple racer is of course one of his heirs. Stay you close to me, lad, and forget not your orisons."

When they reached the camp, a herald was calling to the people from the terraces. He was calling for all the men to prepare for battle. In a vision of the bright day had Tahn-te seen the coming of the Navahu.

The medicine of Tahn-te was strong. Not at home would they wait for battle. To steal women had the enemy taken the trail to the dwellings of the Ancient ruins in the hills, and there must the warriors prepare to meet them on the trail.

The names of men were called as scouts, and the response was quick, as one after another ran to the kiva for orders, and then started on the run towards mesa and forest.

Don Ruy looked after them with eyes perplexed.

"Does the Cacique regard the mirage with earnestness?" he said to the padre who also watched and listened. "The man has a quick, good brain and marvellous understandings,--but to prepare for battle because of a sun picture in the sand is scarce what I looked for in him."

Padre Vicente smiled with his lips, and stroked his beard.

"You have yet to learn that the Indian magic workers let no tricks go by to prove their greatness,"--he said. "That wench and Jose were witness to the thing--thus he must claim it as his own! When the scouts find no Navahu warriors, be sure it will be for the reason that the magic of the sorcerer caused them to turn back in weakness on the trail!"

"That will but strengthen his power, if it be so," agreed the younger man,--"and how will you surmount that fear of him, and win the renegade of Ni-am-be to give the word we need?"

"Protection and a life of ease away from the Indian magicians is a good bribe for an outcast,--and it may be that fortune plays into our hands. I could wish that the Cacique would follow the scouts with his mummeries and incantations. You see how they have taught even Jose the fear of him!"

"Yes--I do see, and but for the story that in this one village is held the gold secret, I should say to move camp to some province where bookish caciques hold no sway. How account you for the keen brain of this wonder-worker? We have pampered and tutored numbskulls in Seville who know not even their own creed so well as it is known by this heretic barbarian."

"Without doubt it is the power of the Prince of Darkness," and Padre Vicente gave the opinion with all due force--having in remembrance that scene of the gift of the rosary in the kiva, and seeing clearly that the Spanish adventurer had more than a little of admiration for the unexpected daring of the pagan.--"Witchcraft and sorcery are of the Devil, and both white men and savages do trade their souls for evil knowledge. To strip him of his ill-gotten power would be a work of grace for the Faith--and it is a thing for which each Christian should gladly say many prayers!"

Don Ruy well knew that these ardent words were directed at his own luke-warmness in regard to the young Ruler. Maestro Diego and Juan Gonzalvo had distanced him in setting a good example to the men of the guard!

A messenger from the kiva approached and spoke to Yahn, and she came to the Spaniards with a message.

A council was in the kiva. It was about war if war came. The Po-Ahtun-ho thought it was good that one of the white visitors be asked to sit and listen; Don Ruy was invited to be that one. The man Jose was to interpret.

Don Ruy speculated as to the cause of this courtesy. The Ruler certainly did not desire the help of the white men--the message did not even say as much. But it was plain that there were two parties on that question, and Tahn-te meant to show no fear of his opponents.

They would see he gave them fair chances.

So he went, and Jose followed, and Yahn watched them--to her great, yet silent rage.

Ka-yemo only reached the village as the last scout was started for the trail of the Po-et-se canon. Ka-yemo was the official for the war orders, yet the orders had been given without speech with him! Over his head had it been done, and his protest to the governor, and to the old men in council brought him little of pride or of comfort.

"On the trail to see your wife you might have died," said one of the old men,--"or on the way coming home. How could we know? If you die and we have to fight--we have to fight without you. Before you were born we fought without you."

"I was not to see a wife!" protested Ka-yemo. "I can stay away like other men. Some one has talked crooked! I was on the mesa talking with the guardians who make the arrow heads. To the far away ones I talked.

The women send word to them that they are afraid. A ghost is at Pu-ye.

All the women but the Twilight Woman are much frightened. They want men."

"Good!" said the governor. "The scouts are already on the trail. If men are needed, each man is ready and each spear is waiting. To the Po-Ahtun-ho has been shown a vision of the enemy--it was not a time to wait for council."

Ka-yemo's handsome face was still sulky. The vision of Tahn-te might have waited. He had come down with a fine new story of a ghost seen in the ruins of Pu-ye, and it was ignored because Tahn-te the Po-Athun-ho had found a vision!

Tahn-te entered not at all into the discussion of the confiscated rights of Ka-yemo. Even of the ghost frightening the women he asked no question. Many things of war were talked of if the Navahu should come to steal women or corn, and the dusk of the twilight crept after the vanished sun when Tahn-te turned at last to the war chief.

"Ka-yemo, with the men of iron you have spoken much and often," he said quietly. "Do you know who told them first that in Povi-whah was held the secret of the yellow metal for which they search?"

The tongue of Ka-yemo became stiff as all sat silent waiting for his answer.

"The padre asked me,"--he said at last,--"the padre always makes people speak--I told the padre that which I had heard."

There was a slight stir among the men, but Tahn-te quieted them with a glance.

"The priest of the iron men has also been told one other thing," he continued--"and it is well for you all, brothers, that you hear this thing. Oh-we-tahnh, the outcast of Ni-am-be, was a strong medicine man. He used magic in a dark way for evil. His power was taken from him. He was told by the council to forget the secret of the sun symbol. Brothers, he has not forgotten! He has come to the camp of the men of iron. He eats their food:--last night he slept by their walls."

"Our brothers of Ni-am-be will not be glad with us if we let this be,"

stated one man. "The evil magic must be outcast always."

"Send some one and find the man," said Tahn-te. "When the sun of to-morrow comes, all who listen here may be on the war trail. It is not good to leave a coyote loose to do harm when no one watches."

In a little while the outcast was brought into the circle. He cringed with fear, and his eyes were restless as those of a trapped wolf. The governor questioned him as to his presence there, reminding him that the council of Ni-am-be had granted him life only if he take that life out of sight of his kind. Why then did he come to Povi-whah and stay in the camp of the strangers?

His only reply was that he would go now, and he would go quickly.

"No--not quickly," said Tahn-te. "You will not go quickly any where ever again. I am looking at you! I say so!"

The man stared at Tahn-te like a bird that was under a charm. All the others saw the steady gaze of Tahn-te, and saw also that the outcast began to tremble.

"Hold out your hand," said Tahn-te, and when it was done, Tahn-te took from his medicine pouch some pieces of yellow gold. They were heavy, he pa.s.sed them around until all might see, then he put the gold in the hand of the outcast.

"Your clan was a proud clan and good, and you made them ashamed," said Tahn-te. "You had strong medicine and you used it for evil until your name must not be spoken by your brothers. To these men of iron you would trade that which is not yours: Without speech of council you would do this--and to do it would be traitor! Because your heart wishes to give the sun symbol to these strangers, I send you to them with what your hand can hold. To the priest of the white G.o.d give it!

Tell him I, the Po-Ahtun-ho, send it, and no more than that will he ever see here in Povi-whah. Tell him that the weight of it makes your hand shake and your body shake. Tell him that the sickness is now in your blood, and when the day comes again your tongue cannot make words to tell him things. Tell him if his men put you in the saddle, or carry you to the hidden place of the Sun Father, that the light of your eyes will go out on the trail! I am looking at you!--and you, who once had a name, and were a worker of magic, know that I look on you with Power, and that it will be as I say."

He stooped and drew in the ashes of the place of fire, the figure of a man with hand stretched out, then, with a breath, he sent the ashes in a little cloud and each line was obliterated.

"To destroy you would not be good,"--he continued. "It is better that the boys and the young men see the fate given to a traitor. My brothers,--is this well?"

"It is well!" said the men, but the voice of the war chief was not loud, and his hands shook until he clasped them together and held them steady.

Tahn-te looked around the circle as though undecided, and then rested on Ka-yemo.

"You speak the words of the Castilian man, and like to speak them," he said quietly, "so it will be well for you to make the words for this man who carries to their priest the gift of the sun symbol. Forget no thought of it--for all the words have meaning."

And this speech to Ka-yemo was in Castilian, and was plainly said, and Ruy Sandoval knew then why the courtesy of the council had been extended to him.

And the outcast, holding the nuggets in his trembling outstretched hand shook so that he could not go alone up the ladder to the world above.

Ka-yemo, with a still, strange face of fear, put out his hand to help the outcast, who looked as if Great King Death had called his name.

No more words were spoken, and the men in silence followed after.

They had seen a thing of strong medicine, and the Great Mystery had sent power quickly. That palsy by which the man had been touched had come with the swiftness of the wind when it whirls the leaves of the cottonwood. They all knew that the tongue would be dumb, and the eyes would be blind in the given time if need be.