gods to the people.

Tahn-te, going from the river bath of the dawn, crossed the terrace of
Yahn Tsyn-deh, and caught brief glance of her face thus lifted above
the grinding stone. The steadiness of the quiet prayer was contrast
decided, compared with the last wild prayer she had come to make at
his feet:--begging for magic of any nature since the laws of the clans
forbade that she be wife to her cousin to whom she had given love.

Almost he halted, moved in his mind to speak to the girl who had
been more of comrade than had any other woman. But he remembered the
evil prayer she had spoken that day, and this was not a time to
give to thought of her anger. It was bad to have the evil wish of a
woman, but to the other man must go the cares of the village loves and
hates. All things had worked together to make him the wearer of the
white robe--to place him outside the lines of village joys or
sorrows,--his every demand was for vision of the strongly felt, yet
unseen powers. Was he the son of a god?--as in the heart of him he
still thought:--then to him belonged the fasting and the prayer of
tribal penance, and the loves and the hates of the children of
Te-hua were luxuries not for him. He was enemy to no man--and he
could be lover to no woman!

[Illustration: YAHN AT THE GRINDING STONE _Page 112_]

The old men of his own orders had taught him much of the strength of
magic which comes only to the priest who seeks no earthly mate. But
the ten years of study of the white man's magic as spoken in their
books of their gods, had taught him more. He had been witness that
their gods were strong for war, and for worldly power. His people had
need of all that power if the strangers came again and again like this
into the country of the P[=o]-s[=o]n-ge.

The picture of Yahn, kneeling by the fireplace on the terrace, her
eyes lifted to the sacred corn, brought quickly to him the memory of a
more childish Yahn who was not unhappy even in her wars.

And now--through the madness, which he was warned came to all men--now
she was a woman through that madness:--and a forsaken woman whom all
Te-hua watched for the revenge she would take.

They knew Ka-yemo could not marry with the daughter of his uncle, but
they knew also that he could not be driven into taking the daughter of
another man as wife,--and Yahn knew this also. Many robes, and blue
jewels had weighed down the love of a boyhood!

Tahn-te thought of this, and of the girl,