Tahn-te made it a thing of danger
to let him live after accusal had been made. The way of Yahn seemed
the best of all ways. If he was found dead beside the maid accursed,
the evidence would be clear against him--and the True Faith would have
the credit for such extermination!

He knew this was not a thing to speak of to Don Ruy--and though the
padre was enemy to every thought of Tahn-te--he feared even the
padre--that strange man who knew so much that was hidden in Indian
life, would so clearly see that Yahn Tsyn-deh was as much the motive
as gain of the gold, or glory for Mother Church.

No,--it was a thing to think out alone.

Yahn pressed his hand furtively and smiled on him as he left her, and
then entered her own dwelling and sprinkled prayer meal to the spirits
who carry messages to the gods.

Then she sent a child for Ka-yemo and gave the child some dried
peaches that he be content to stay with his fellows in the sunshine
and eat them.

Ka-yemo entered her dwelling for the first time in many moons and
clasped her close, and then seated himself in the farthest corner from
the Apache god pictures while Yahn Tsyn-deh talked.

Her voice was low, and often she went to the opening to see that no
one listened, and Ka-yemo was wonder-struck at the greatness of the
thing she whispered.

"You have won scalps in this battle--you have led the men in the scalp
dance, and the people know you are strong. If Tahn-te went out of the
world now, at this time, you would be strongest. This is the time he
must go!"

"But if the vengeance of the Castilians came heavy?"

"It will not come heavy. Don Ruy has forbidden Gonzalvo even to speak
words against Tahn-te to the padre. So it is that he would be angry if
Gonzalvo sent arrows into the Po-Ahtun-ho. _You_ must not do it, for
his magic power might come heavy on your head. If you fear to destroy
the Castilian capitan you are foolish in your thought--for it need
never be known. Look!--here are arrows of the Navahu, from the place
of battle I gathered many, these are the arrows for the work. Let
Gonzalvo risk the magic of Tahn-te, and the magic of the witch maid,
and destroy them, then you must alone, trail the Castilian, that he
comes not back alive to tell how it was done! The Navahu arrows will
take the blame from your head--it will be plain that some Navahu men
stayed to take pay for their dead! So it will be, and you, Ka-yemo,
will stand high, and your clan will be proud