man's arms."

"Your conceit of yourself is quite up to your inches," observed his
patron. "When you've had a few floutings you'll be glad to send
signals for help."

"One flouting would be enough to my fancy--I'd straightway borrow
myself a monk's robe."

"We all think that with the first love affair--or even the second--"
volunteered Don Ruy--"but after that, philosophy grows apace, and we
are willing to eat, drink--and remain mortal."

Ysobel giggled most unseemly, and Chico stared disapproval at her.

"Why laugh since you know not anything of such philosophy, Dame
Ysobel?" he asked. "It is not given many to gather experience, and
philosophies such as come easily to the call of his Excellency."

The woman hung her head at the reproof, and his Excellency lifted
brows and smiled.

"You have betimes a fine lordling's air with you," he observed. "Why
chide a woman for a smile when women are none too plentiful?"

But they had reached the place of the camp, and the secretary swung
from the saddle in silence. Don Ruy watching him, decided that the
Castilian grandfather must have been of rank, and the Indian
grandmother at least a princess. Even in a servant who was a friend
would the lad brook nothing of the familiar.

Tahn-te stood apart from the Spanish troop while camp was being made,
and a well dug deeper in a ravine where once the water had rippled
clear above the sand. The choice of camp had not been his. The old men
and the warriors had held up hands, and the men of iron were not to
see the women at Shufinne,--so it had been voted.

The lurid glow of the sky was overcast and haste was needed ere the
night and perhaps the storm, came. Since it was voted that Pu-ye be
the shelter, Tahn-te exacted that only the north dwellings be
used--the more sacred places were not to be peered into by strange
eyes!

A Te-hua guard was stationed at the ancient dwelling of the Po-Ahtun.
Near there alien feet must not pass. Where the ruins of ancient walls
reached from edge to edge of the mesa's summit, there Te-hua guards
would watch through the night, and signal fires on Shufinne mesa would
carry the word quickly if help was needed.

A Navahu captive from Kah-po came with men of Kah-po, and was left at
Pu-ye. Juan Gonzalvo stationed his own guards, having no fancy for
sleep with only painted savages between his troop and danger. Ka-yemo
for no stated reason lingered near, and watched the Castilians, and
watched Yahn Ts