reasonable, the
only one within reach of the Indian mind,--that Say Koitza was in some
connection with evil powers which she, for some reason unknown to him,
was courting for the purpose of his destruction; in other words, that
Say Koitza, his own mother, was a witch!

Nothing more detestable or more dangerous than witchcraft is conceivable
to the Indian. To a young and untrained mind like Okoya's the thought of
being exposed to danger from such a source is crushing. The boy felt
bewildered, dazed. He leaned against the wall of the great house for
support, staring at the huge cliffs without seeing them; he looked at
people passing to and fro without taking any notice of their presence.
He could not even think any more, but merely felt,--felt unutterably
miserable.

If only he knew of somebody who might help him! This was his first
thought after recovering strength and self-control. Why not speak to
Hayoue? The idea was like the recollection of a happy dream, and indeed
he had harboured it before. It roused him to such a degree that he tore
himself away from the wall against which he had leaned as on a last
staff, and straightening himself he walked deliberately toward the
upper end of the Rito, where the cave-dwellings of the Water clan were
situated.

Hayoue might be at home, still it was more than likely that the Don Juan
of the Rito had been spending the last night elsewhere. If at home, so
much the better; if not, there was nothing left but to wait until he
came. The prospect of waiting and resting was not an unpleasant one for
Okoya, who felt exhausted after the shock of disappointment and disgust
he had just experienced. As he slowly approached the recess wherein the
grottoes of the Water clan lay, he halted for a moment to catch breath,
and just then descried Shotaye, who was coming down toward him. The
woman had been quite a favourite of his ever since she became so kind to
his sick mother. Nevertheless he had always felt afraid of her on
account of her reputation as a doubtful character. Now the sight of her
made him angry, for she was his mother's friend and a witch also! So he
resumed his walk and passed her with a short, sulky _guatzena_. Shotaye
noticed his surly manner and looked straight at him, returning the
morose greeting with a loud _raua_ that sounded almost like a challenge.
Then she went on with a smile of scorn and amusement on her lips. She
was not afraid of the young fellow, for she attribut