“It is the hard way to climb you have come,” said the man, and the strange heavy air caused them to stop for breath, and as she reached to cling to the hand of the man, he drew back with a gasp of terror. As their hands touched, a little electric shock ran through each,––it was plain they had reached the domain where the witch of evil powers held sway.
“It is not I whom you need fear,” said Yahn Tsyn-deh,––“it is the witch maid of Tahn-té, and we have come to see the killing.”
“And if––if Gonzalvo grows weak on the trail––or if his men take fear from this evil magic of the mesa of Pu-yé?”
“No other men come with him––we talked––we two! Alone he will do it:––for me!” she said 293 proudly. “He knows the strong bow, with it he will send the arrow first to the man,––that will be when they stand clear in the moonlight. Then to the witch:––that all people may see they were near to each other. The arrows are good and the bow is good. I saw that it was so;––also I saw that no man of our people can use it better than can Gonzalvo. By the river I watched him. He needs no fire sticks to find the heart of an enemy––alone he can do it with an arrow.”
Ka-yemo looked at her sullenly,––she was giving much of praise to the man she would have him destroy!
“How are you sure that he does not bring the thunder and lightning stick also?” he demanded,––“and how are you sure that it is not used for me?”
“Oh––fool you!––who make fears out of shadows––yet are so big to fight!” she breathed softly. “Why is it that the Navahu or the other wild people do not make you fear––yet the Castilians––”
“They are truly men of iron. As a boy I saw the things they could do,” he answered.––“Not as men do I fear them, but it is their strong god who tames their beasts.”
“Your arrows are good,” said Yahn Tsyn-deh with conviction,––“when you see him dead as other men die, you will know that our own gods are also strong.”
The dark had fallen heavily, and only the Ancient Star gleamed threatening as it waited for the moon. The smaller stars were not seen and the shadows were very dense.