and he was
motioned to descend into the apartment below. Zashue had to follow. They
found themselves in a long room, whose whitewashed walls reflected the
light of a small fire burning on a rude hearth. Close to the hearth sat
a man whom the prisoners at once supposed to be the puyo, or governor.
By his side sat another, a small figure, somewhat wrinkled. He wore
nothing but a breech-clout of buckskin, for it was summer. Several aged
men were gathered in the neighbourhood of the fire. Although none of
them wore either ornaments or badges, it was easy to surmise that they
were the principal shamans. Along the wall sat, lounged, or squatted the
clan delegates, so that all in all there were present about eighteen
persons, including the prisoners. Outside, the faces and eyes of
listeners appeared from time to time through the air-holes.

The man whom the two Queres rightly took to be the civil chief, motioned
them, adding, "Sit down."

They obeyed, and remained sitting with downcast looks. The councilmen
glanced at them furtively from time to time. None of them spoke. At last
a whisper was heard, and now a voice said in the Queres dialect,--

"Whither are you going?"

Hayoue started, and stared about in the room, looking for the man who in
this foreign country spoke his own language. When he finally discovered
that it was the small old man sitting by the side of the governor, he
gaped at him with lips parted, and an expression akin to fright. He had
acquired a dim knowledge of the fact that it might be possible for one
man to know more than one language, but he had never met such a prodigy
as yet. After the first surprise was over, he still stared at the
speaker with inquisitive glances, eager to see whether it was possible
to speak two dialects with one and the same tongue. Zashue was less
startled. He knew that there were people who had learned a speech
different from the one to which they were born. Therefore he replied to
the query,--

"We are searching for our women, our daughters, and our children."

"Why do you look for them here? We have them not," said the old man.

"Because we have hunted for them everywhere else and have not found
them."

"Are you alone?" continued his interlocutor.

"I and my brother are alone," Zashue asserted.

"Why did your koitza and makatza leave you?"

"The Moshome drove them off."

"The Moshome?" The inquisitor criticised his words.

Hayoue had recovered from his surprise