rying: "Glory to
the Mother! glory to the Snake!" and fled on towards the city.

At length the story was done and the regiment was gone.

"Well," said Leonard, "so far so good. Juanna, you are the bravest and
cleverest girl in the whole world. Most young women would have forgotten
everything and gone into hysterics at the critical point."

"I kept them till afterwards," she answered demurely. "And as for being
brave and clever, I only repeated what Soa taught me like a parrot;
you see I knew that I should be killed if I made any mistake, and such
knowledge sharpens the memory. All I have to say is, if the Snake they
talk so much about is anything like those which are tattooed upon the
old priests' breasts, I have no wish to make a nearer acquaintance with
it. I hate snakes. There, don't say any more"--for both Leonard and
Francisco were breaking out into fresh protestations of gratitude and
admiration; "if you want to thank anybody, thank Soa!"

"And so I do," said Leonard heartily, for his spirits had risen in a
most wonderful manner. "Soa, you have told us the truth, and you have
managed well and I thank you."

"Did you then take me for a liar?" the woman answered, fixing her gloomy
eyes upon Leonard's face. "I told you the truth, Deliverer, when I said
that my people would accept the Shepherdess and this black dog of yours
as their gods. But did I not tell you also that the death of the rest of
us lies in the matter? If not, I say so now. _You_ have not been named a
god, Deliverer, nor has yonder Bald-pate"--the natives called Francisco
thus because of his tonsure--"and your black dog will betray you by his
yapping. When you look down the jaws of the Snake, remember then that
Soa told you the truth, Deliverer. Perchance you shall find the red
stones you seek hidden in his belly, White Man."

"Be silent," said Juanna indignantly, and Soa slunk back like a whipped
hound.

"Confound the old woman!" put in Leonard with a shiver. "She is a black
Jonah, and if I have to go inside this snake I hope that it will be a
case of ladies first, that is all."

"I am sure I don't know what has happened to Soa," said Juanna. "Her
native air has a very bad effect upon her temper."

"Well, the future must look after itself," answered Leonard, "snake or
no snake. At present we must follow our luck. Otter, listen to me. Do
you understand that you are a god, the god of this people?"

"The god, Baas? What is a god?"

"Have I n