Tahn-té Stepped Forward Page 179
Tahn-té smiled, but it was not a glad smile––he had seen that the old magic of the gray robe was holding the war chief in thrall to the strangers.
Then Tahn-té stepped forward from the seat of council––and threw aside the white robe, and slender and nude as the Indian gods are nude but for the girdle, and the medicine pouch, he stood erect, looking for the first time direct and steadily into the eyes of Padre Vicente. The circle of the council room might have been an arena and only those two facing each other and measuring each other.
While one might count ten he stood thus silent, and Don Ruy could hear his own heart beat, and Chico clutched at the embroidered doublet of Don Diego, and wished for the sound of any man’s voice.
Then Tahn-té smiled as the eyes of Padre Vicente wavered, as Ka-yemo’s had wavered––the boy who had tamed serpents felt the strength of the hills with him. Always he felt strong when he stood alone!
From the medicine pouch he took the gift of the rosary, and held it aloft that all might see, and the silver Christ on it caught the light from the opening in the roof, and swung and circled like a thing alive.
“Señores”––he said in Spanish though slowly, as one little used to the speech––“one of those among you has done me the honor to send me a gift and a message. I was making prayers at that time,––I have not been free to return thanks until now in the council. I do so, and I speak in Spain’s words as this is not a Te-hua matter. It is a gift from a Christian to a Pagan, and the message told me a king would be proud to wear this strand of carven beads. Señores:––I am no king, kings give royal bounties to each giver of a gift. I stand naked that you see with your own eyes how little I can accept,––since 181 in return I can give not anything! Take back your kingly gift, Señor Priest:––I cannot exchange for it even––a soul!”
He stepped lightly as a panther of the hills across the open space and let fall the beads into the hands of Padre Vicente.