"You,--the little one to whom even the Deliverer listens?" she said kindly. "But the wealth of a little Indian ranch would not seem riches to this illustrious lady, the Doña Dolores Terain."
"Yet will I bring riches to her or to you, Excellencia, if only my mother and my sister are coming again to Palomitas," said Tula earnestly.
"But whence comes wealth to you in a land where there is no longer wealth for anyone?"
Kit listened with little liking for the conversation after the padre entered. It was a direct question, and to be answered with directness, and he watched Tula anxiously lest she say the wrong thing. But she told the straight truth in a way to admit of no question.
"Long ago my father got gold for sacred prayer reasons; he hid it until he was old; when he died he made gift of it to me that my mother and sister buy freedom. That is all, Excellencia, but the gold is good gold."
She slipped her hand under her skirt and unfastened the leather strings of the burro-skin belt,--it fell heavily on the tile floor. She untied the end of it and poured a handful on the table.
"You see, señora, there is riches enough to go with your words, but never enough to pay for them."
"_Santa Maria!_" cried the amazed priest. "That is _red_ gold! In what place was it found?"
Tula laid her hand over the nuggets and faced him.
"That secret was the secret of Miguel who is dead."
Tula shook her head with absolute finality.
"No old Indian in all the world knows that!" she said. "This was a secret of the youth of Miguel, and only when old and dying did he give it for his people. This I,--Tula, child of Miguel tell you."
Padre Andreas looked from the girl to Kit and back again, knowing that the death of Miguel was a recent thing since it had occurred after the stealing of the women.
"And--who had absolving and burial of him?"
"Absolving I do not know, but this man, his friend, had the making of the grave," she said, indicating Kit, and the eyes of the priest rested again on Kit with a most curious searching regard. Evidently even this little Indian stray of the desert arrived at good fortune under the friendship of the American stranger,--and it was another added to the list of enchantings!
"Ah," he murmured meaningly, "then this strange señor also has the knowing of this Indian gold? Is it truly gold of the earth, or witches' gold of red clay?" and he went nearer, reaching his hand to touch it.