“Be not afraid,” Professor Snodgrass called to him, speaking in the Spanish language. “We are but poor travelers like yourself. We will not harm you.”
“Whence do you come in your chariot of fire?” asked the old man. “Ye are demons and no true men!”
“We will not hurt you,” said the naturalist, again. “See, we bring you gifts,” and he held out to the Mexican a package of tobacco and a small hand-mirror. The old man’s eyes brightened at the sight of them. He rose to his feet and took them, though his hands trembled.
In a moment he had rolled a cigarette of the tobacco, and, puffing out great clouds of smoke, complacently gazed at his image in the looking-glass.
“Truly ye are men and not demons,” he said. “The tobacco is very good. But whence come ye, and whither do ye go?”
“We are travelers from a far land,” answered the professor. “Whither we go we scarcely know. We are searching for the unknown.”
The aged Mexican started. Then he gazed fixedly at the professor.
“It may be that I can tell whither ye journey,” he said. “For your kindness to me I am minded to look into the future for you. Shall I?”
“No one can look into the future,” answered the naturalist. “No one knows what is going to happen.” For the professor was no believer in anything but what nature revealed to him.
“Unbelievers! Unbelievers!” muttered the old man, blowing out a great cloud of smoke. “But ye shall see. I will read what is to happen for you.”