lipped it
within his robe.

"The words of this man are the words Satan is clever in coining when
the false gods speak and reject the true," he stated quietly. "My
children, we must not hold this against the weak human brother.
The devils of necromancy and sorcery are stubborn--but ere this
the stubbornness has been broken, and the saints have rejoiced! It
is plain that devilish arts could not prosper where the Image
remained--hence it has been given back! Make no mistake my children,
where the word of God, and the Image rest,--there the pagan powers
must ever grow weak. Thanks be that this is so! Remember it--all of
you when you pray!"

Don Diego started his prayers at once, while Juan Gonzalvo leaned
forward and stared at the pagan sorcerer like a hound held in leash.

The Te-hua men had heard only gentle tones from Tahn-te and thought
little of the strange change in the faces of the Castilians.--Tahn-te
many times said surprising things--that was all!

But Tahn-te, listening closely to the priestly admonition as Padre
Vicente grasped all the meaning of it. He was being branded as a
worker of evil magic--a _sorcerer_--the most difficult accusation of
all to fight down in an Indian mind!

He looked from face to face of the strangers--halted at the secretary,
but seeing there either fear or sympathy--his eyes sought further, and
rested on Don Ruy.

Then he drew from his medicine pouch a second rosary, a beautifully
wrought thing of ebony and gold.

"Senor" he said,--"if I mistake not, it was your animal I helped but
yesterday. Is it not so?"

"It was in truth--and much am I in your debt for that help!" said Ruy
Sandoval with heartiness--"it is no fault of mine that I am late in
rendering thanks. You deny that you are king--yet I have known majesty
easier to approach!"

"And the animal is now well, and shows no marks of the Christian's
Satan?"

"Sound:--every inch of him!"

"Thanks that you say so, and that you do not fear to say so," said
Tahn-te. "Since it is so, it makes clear that the printed word, or the
graven image is no weight to True Magic, even when taught us by pagan
gods! For ten years I have read, day time and night time, all there is
to read in the books of your church left by Padre Luis--also all the
other books left by the men of Senor Coronado's company, and by Padre
Juan Padilla who died at Ci-bo-la. Side by side I have studied the
wisdom of these books, and the wisdom of our ancient peop