splayed by the Queres, and finally she
insisted that there was no time to clear up that misunderstanding; and
since the Queres were already on the march, she urged speedy preparation
to repel the assault. She strained the truth on the latter point, but
the tuyo forgave her this manifest exaggeration. He knew that there must
be at least five days' delay before the prospective campaign. The
further the woman proceeded in her exposition of facts, the more she
observed, through her quick and scrutinizing glance, that her listeners
became deeply interested, and that thoroughly startled, they at last
displayed marks of indignation. That indignation, it was plain, was
against the Queres; and Shotaye felt that she had gained her point. The
breach between the tribes was now widened to such an extent that it
could never be healed. At the close of the interrogatory, which had
frequently been interrupted by exclamations of surprise and anger, the
mistress of the house caressed Shotaye, calling her sister. The tuyo,
however, merely nodded to her kindly, uttered in a commanding tone a few
words to those present, and went out to attend to his duties of
convening the council. But the Tano Indian remained with Shotaye until
late in the night. He pretended to keep her company, and to contribute
toward dispelling the feeling of loneliness that might overcome her in
the midst of people with whom she could not converse. But in reality he
remained as a spy, to cross-examine in a covert way. Shotaye was wary,
and not one contradiction, not one misstatement, could he detect during
their talk. Then he went where the council had gathered, reporting that
according to his conviction the woman was not only sincere, but
exceedingly well-informed.

It would be superfluous to enter into details concerning the
proceedings of the council. Its composition and the formalities were in
the main similar to those of the council of the Queres. One point was
earnestly discussed,--the propriety of sending a messenger to the Queres
to clear up, if possible, the misunderstanding. But the thought was
finally discarded, on the ground that it was not the Tehuas who should
make overtures of peace,--because they were absolutely innocent,--but
the Queres, for it was they who, ere proceeding to hostile
demonstrations, should have called on the Tehuas for explanation. Had
the two tribes been on friendly terms, it might have been different; but
there existed a breach betwe