o obviously were
not of their own race. And Pablo was as much perplexed by their
questions as they were by his answers; for never was a conversation
carried on so hopelessly at cross-purposes. Our boy, being spoken to by
folk who obviously were as entirely Mexicans as he was himself, and in a
tongue that practically was that which he had been born to--for the
Indians dwelling in the Guadalajara suburb of Mexicalcingo, being the
direct descendants of a pure Aztec stock, speak the Nahua language very
correctly--could not at all realize that he was at last among the
ancient race for which we had searched so long. It was his belief that
we had come out, in accordance with Rayburn's forecast, into the coast
country, and that the people around him were the ordinary dwellers in
the hot lands. And the Aztecs, knowing him to be one of themselves, no
doubt believed that he knew of the purpose for which they had been left
to dwell apart, and so plied him with questions concerning their
brethren from whom through long ages they had been separated.

As their talk went on, getting the more involved with every question
and reply, a tendency towards ill-temper began to develop itself on each
side; for Pablo considered that these people, who professed to be
ignorant of so important a city as Guadalajara, were making game of him;
and they were not less disposed to believe that he either was answering
them falsely or that he was a fool. Fortunately, before any harm came of
these misunderstandings, an interruption brought a temporary end to
their talk.

There was a stir among the crowd, and then an opening was made in it,
through which came an elderly man wearing military trappings similar to,
but much handsomer than those worn by the two warriors whom we had first
encountered; and it was obvious, from the air of deference with which
these saluted him, that he was their superior officer. In spite of the
dignity of his demeanor it was evident that he was greatly excited by
our advent, and his voice quivered and broke a little as he asked us who
we were and whence we came. As I repeated what I had already told the
guard, and showed the gold token, the expression upon his face was that
of extreme perplexity. That the gold token gave us a strong claim upon
his respect, almost upon his reverence, was apparent in his manner as I
showed it to him; but the conditions under which it was presented
obviously rendered him very uncertain as to what ac