f the far North. These are maybe but the children
of their brothers who the records say stopped on the way to plant
corn, or to hunt, or to rest from travel."

"Records?--Where are such records?" asked Don Ruy derisively,--"in the
royal archives of some mud hut?"

The eyes of Chico flashed fire for one instant; the amazed Spaniard
was scarce certain of the anger in the secretary's face when it
changed, and the boy shrugged his shoulders and lit a cigarro.

"It is true, Excellency, that if any Tescucan manuscripts are yet
entire, it can be only because some pagan Indian his risked death and
torture to hide them in mud hut or cave in the hills. The first holy
archbishop of Mexico made bonfires of Indian books because the beauty
of them showed plainly they were the work of Satan. Without doubt the
act earned the bishop an extra jewel for his heavenly crown!"

"Chico! If you pursue such fancies with determination you may end by
being a logician and going to hell!" remarked Don Ruy. "I fear you
lack a true Christian spirit, my son. But the records?"

"Only stone carved ones are still visible in the land of Anhuac,"
returned the boy. "The good padres say that they deal with the studies
of the stars and planets, and other such speculation invented by
Satanic power. When I wanted to know about them I was told that my
soul was in danger of the pit."

"And that frightened you?"

"Very much, Excellency:--hence my running away."

Don Ruy was put to it to know whether or not the boy spoke truth. But
his odd freaks of thought had many times the effect of an April
sunlight on a day of storm. There was no way of calculating what the
next moment would bring--but the unexpected was at least a diversion.

The smoking of the men was half over before Padre Vicente again asked
Jose to state that the way of life of the Te-hua people was a thing of
interest to the great king whom the Castilians served, and it would
please him much to hear more of the Te-hua ruler who was Cacique.

But the old man was silent. He had talked much, he said.

"He thinks--" said Yahn with quick divination,--"that he would like to
know of the strangers who are made welcome here:--and why they come
far into a country not their own."

"We come because we have heard fair things of these people," was the
reply. "Our god tells us all men are brothers on the earth--we come to
find new brothers."

"And if the Navahu come in the night--or the Yutah come many a