times and gripped
the sleeve of the padre.

"Navahu!"--he muttered, the terror of his ancient first captors coming
over him. "Navahu to battle!"

But Tahn-te made a little gesture to reassure the startled interpreter.

"You do not see men alive there," he said,--"these are not men, but
the shadows of men who will come."

"Shadows?"--the tones of the padre were contemptuous.

"Spirit people of the shadows--these things do come to some eyes, some
days, in our land," stated Tahn-te quietly. "This time you have also
been given to see that these things are."

Even as he spoke the mirage of the armed men faded in a whirl of sand
caught up by a wandering wind, and while the others still stared at
the place where it had been, Tahn-te passed them and ran with easy
stride across the levels to Povi-whah.

The Spanish crossed themselves, and even Yahn Tsyn-deh trembled.
Tahn-te had chosen to show the men of iron that his medicine was
strong to bring visions, and what was most wonderful--to bring them
before the eyes of other men!

Jose was shaking with fear.

"All things he hears," he muttered--"all things! Under the trees we
spoke words--far off they reached his ears! He waited to show us that
his eyes were for the dark or the day--or--the _dead_! The spirit men
were Navahu. Holy Father, he can bring all the men who ever died to
tramp us into the sand! Holy Father, my heart is very sick!"

The others were silent. All were awed, and Padre Vicente was thinking
what was most wise to say. There were enough in the group for strong
witness that Tahn-te had shown them a thing which did not exist;--only
a sorcerer could call up men out of the earth and send them away on
the wind!

"In the sorcery we had no part, my children," he said at last. "The
man who raised those demons fled, as you see, at the sign of the
cross! To-morrow morning we have a mass. It is well to walk in prayer,
when Satan works with his chosen helpers."

Don Ruy looked at him sharply--for the mirage could not be a thing of
wonder for so travelled a man. But his was not the task to correct
eminence as to natural or infernal agencies, and the effect on the
minds of the two interpreters might prove a thing of grace!

Therefore he bent his head, and rode onward, and smiled at the
secretary, who was careful to ride close, and showed none too much of
courage at this glimpse of the magic of the barbarian who clasped
hands with the gods--or the demons!

"Wha