The trees were a year old from the seed when Tahn-té carried them on his back from the heart of the desert, and Capitan Coronado had not yet seen the villages of the P[=o]-s[=o]n-gé, called by him the Rio Grande.
“Then:––” said Padre Vicente––“it is because he found new seeds that he is above the cares of the daily life? I can bring many strange seeds from the gardens of Europe or Africa. For that would I be a son of the moon and the stars?”
“May be so,––” said the old man,––“and maybe so the gods would not need a son on that day.” He inhaled the fragrant smoke and went on to make clear to these people of outlands some little gleam of the mysteries circling holy things,––“You must be born in a good year––and a good time in that year––the trail of the visitors of the sky must be climbing up––up!”
“The trail of the visitors in the sky?” The Padre looked with quickness into the bronze faces.
“He means the planets––the wandering stars,” said Chico. “The Mexican tribes also watch them 156 when a child is born. A god lives in each one––so they think!”
“Necromantic fancies devised by the Evil one!” stated the priest and crossed himself to ostracise such powers of the demon from the circle. The rest devoutedly imitated him, and the Te-hua men watched with interest the men of iron making their “medicine” against the celestial bodies on the descending trail.––That slight automatic gesture in unison proved even a sort of bond between them and the dusky old orator;––he could plainly see that the signs in the heavens were earnestly regarded by the white strangers. That showed they were wise to read the true things; for that he could tell them more.
“The maid who was mother to Tahn-té is named The Woman of the Twilight. When little, the spirit of her broke in two––and she went into the Land of Twilight. Her parents could not believe that she would no more walk on the earth. They went to the Po-Ahtun––they sealed her to that order––so it was, and the medicine prayer of the Po-Ahtun brought back the breath to her. But when a spirit goes to the Land of the Twilight, it does not come back at once––not all at once! The gods are strong and can do things. When they want to take her again and teach her hidden things––they take her! One Star visitor in the sky took her when she became woman, and hid her behind all the hills until her child moved,––then, in the far desert where the Sun Father is the great god, there in that place she was laid on the sands beside a well that the child be earth child like other men. That is how it was, and she knows why the earth child was called the child of the Great Star, and of the Sky.”
Yahn listened eagerly––and with sulky frown––Neither she or Ka-yemo had ever before heard this account of the Woman of the Twilight and her son. The magic of it made her feel sullenly helpless. This then was the reason why no face smiled in scorn when Tahn-té would come sometimes from mesa, or cañon, bearing his mother in his arms as one would bear a little child:––all the elders knew she had been seeking the trail to the Land of Twilight where long ago she had found a god, and lost herself.
“And this woman tells to wise men a fable like this––and is given their faith?” asked Padre Vicente, while Juan Gonzalvo muttered that the savages had stolen the truth of the Mother of God, and should be made pay dear in good time, for the sacrilege!