a man
rested. The first glance convinced Topanashka that the man wore paint,
and carried the accoutrements and weapons of a warrior. It was not a
warrior from the Rito; he was positive it could not be. Nor was it a
Navajo. He undoubtedly belonged to some foreign tribe of village
Indians, in all probability to the Tehuas. What was he here for? And
what business had the woman in his company? Indians in war-paint do not
associate with women. Topanashka strained his eyes, and recognized to
his astonishment and dismay the woman Shotaye.

He could not contain himself any longer. Like a shadow he moved forward
and hid behind the trunk of a pine, whence he could see more and better.
From there he witnessed the strange pantomime of Shotaye and Cayamo. He
was too far off to hear the words, but the gestures spoke plainly
enough. As they pointed and gesticulated to the west, north, and south,
he thought that they were planning some murderous surprise for the
Queres,--that Shotaye was betraying her own people and conspiring with
an enemy of her own stock. Fierce wrath filled his heart. Yes, Tyope's
charge was true; the woman was a witch, and had Topanashka been armed he
would have sought to kill her on the spot. But though he had no weapons,
his hand clutched a stone, raised it from the ground, and held it in
readiness. The interview ended, the Tehua disappeared, and Shotaye went
in the direction of the Rito. Topanashka felt tempted to follow her at
once, to overtake her if possible and secure her person, or even to
execute summary justice; but she was sure not to escape him. She had
evidently not noticed his presence and had gone back to her den in the
cliffs in complete security. There, on this very evening, he would seize
her, drag her before the uuityam, disclose her shameless and dangerous
plots, and doom her to the horrible death she deserved to suffer.

Whither was her accomplice, the Tehua, going meanwhile? He was probably
returning to his people to report, and to lead back those in whose
company he intended to carry out the projected assault. The old man
could not stop him, being himself unarmed: but he could follow at a
distance, cautiously and without exposing himself to danger. For it was
possible that the hellish plot had developed much further, and that the
warriors from the north were lurking already near by to pounce upon the
Queres at daybreak. It was not only from the instinct of the old warrior
scout, it was out