if they could love
and trust as she did, would the hideous spectre of war ever stalk
among them? Could the world know, and love, and trust as did this fair
child, would it waste itself in useless wars, sink with famine and
pestilence, consume with the anguish of fear, and in the end bury its
blasted hopes in the dank, reeking tomb? The thought gave wings to his
voice, soul to his words. For hours the people sat spellbound.

Then he finished. He raised his hands in benediction. And, while the
holy hush remained upon the people, he descended the altar steps, his
frame still tremulous with the vehemence of his appeal, and went alone
to his house.

CHAPTER 32

Dawn had scarcely reddened in the east when a number of men assembled
at Jose's door.

"You have turned the trick, _amigo_," said Don Jorge, rousing up from
his _petate_ on the floor beside the priest's bed. "You have won over
a few of them, at least."

Jose went out to meet the early callers.

"We come to say, Padre," announced Andres Arellano, the dignified
spokesman, "that we have confidence in your words of last night. We
suspect Don Mario, even though he has letters from the Bishop. We are
your men, and we would keep the war away from Simiti."

There were five of them, strong of heart and brawny of arm. "And there
will be more, Padre," added Andres, reading the priest's question in
his appraising glance.

Thus was the town divided; and while many clung to the Alcalde, partly
through fear of offending the higher ecclesiastical authority, and
partly because of imagined benefits to be gained, others, and a goodly
number, assembled at Jose's side, and looked to him to lead them in
the crisis which all felt to be at hand. As the days passed, the
priest's following grew more numerous, until, after the lapse of a
week, the town stood fairly divided. Don Jorge announced his intention
of remaining in Simiti for the present.

From the night of the meeting in the church excitement ran continuously
higher. Business was at length suspended; the fishermen forgot their
nets; and the limber tongues of the town gossips steadily increased
their clatter. Don Mario's store and _patio_ assumed the functions of
a departmental office. Daily he might be seen laboriously drafting
letters of incredible length and wearisome prolixity to acting-Bishop
Wenceslas; and nightly he was engaged in long colloquies and whispered
conferences with Don Luis and others of his follow