dyes he obtained in the market, Roger succeeded
in getting the required tints. Taking his place in the garden, at a
point where he commanded the lake, near at hand, dotted with
canoes; and the city of Mexico, with its background of hills, in
the distance, Roger set to work. To the surprise of the scribe who
had been ordered to assist him, he mixed the colors with oil
instead of water, and then began his picture. He worked as long as
there was sufficient light, and recommenced it the next morning,
directly after sunrise, and continued at work all day; and by
evening had finished the picture, three feet by two, which,
although it would not be considered remarkable in Europe, excited
the most lively admiration on the part of Cacama and the ladies.

He explained to the king that, as he had none of the spirit that
was used in conjunction with the oil to make it dry rapidly, it
would be some days before the picture would be sufficiently dry to
be touched. Cacama, however, sent it off the next morning under
charge of his principal scribe to Montezuma, who sent back word
that he was astonished, indeed, at this work of art, which seemed
to him to be almost magical; and he sent, in return, a large golden
goblet to Roger, in token of his satisfaction.

Cacama was summoned to a council on the following day; and
returned, saying that the picture had quite turned the scale in
Roger's favor; that it had been examined by the chief scribes and
the men of science, who all agreed that no such thing had been seen
before; and that a person who was thus able to turn, as it were, a
leaf of paper into a mirror, to fix upon it the representation of
scenes just as the eye beheld them, must be possessed of powers
altogether strange and supernatural. They desired to know whether
he would teach his methods to some of the chief scribes of the
emperor.

Cacama warmly congratulated Roger on the result.

"You are now safe, for the present, at any rate," he said, "and the
priests are silenced. You may have trouble in the future, but for
the time Montezuma's love of art has overcome his doubts and fears
as to good and evil omens."

"Shall I have to take up my residence in Mexico?"

"I hardly think so," Cacama replied. "Tezcuco is still acknowledged
the center of the arts and sciences of Anahuac. Here are the best
schools of the scribes, and they come here to be instructed in
hieroglyphic writing from all parts of the kingdom. Moreover, in
that