confidence　of　a　simple　people；　he　will　at　once　reject　this　part　of
  the　story。
  A　roll　of　drums；　ushering　in　the　year　1798；　awoke　the　Commander。
  The　sun　was　shining　brightly；　and　the　storm　had　ceased。　　He　sat　up
  in　bed；　and　through　the　force　of　habit　rubbed　his　left　eye。　　As　the
  remembrance　of　the　previous　night　came　back　to　him；　he　jumped　from
  his　couch　and　ran　to　the　window。　　There　was　no　ship　in　the　bay。　　A
  sudden　thought　seemed　to　strike　him；　and　he　rubbed　both　of　his
  eyes。　　Not　content　with　this；　he　consulted　the　metallic　mirror
  which　hung　beside　his　crucifix。　　There　was　no　mistake；　the
  Commander　had　a　visible　second　eyea　right　oneas　good；　save　for
  the　purposes　of　vision；　as　the　left。
  Whatever　might　have　been　the　true　secret　of　this　transformation；
  but　one　opinion　prevailed　at　San　Carlos。　　It　was　one　of　those　rare
  miracles　vouchsafed　a　pious　Catholic　community　as　an　evidence　to
  the　heathen；　through　the　intercession　of　the　blessed　San　Carlos
  himself。　　That　their　beloved　Commander；　the　temporal　defender　of
  the　Faith；　should　be　the　recipient　of　this　miraculous　manifestation
  was　most　fit　and　seemly。　　The　Commander　himself　was　reticent；　he
  could　not　tell　a　falsehoodhe　dared　not　tell　the　truth。　　After
  all；　if　the　good　folk　of　San　Carlos　believed　that　the　powers　of　his
  right　eye　were　actually　restored；　was　it　wise　and　discreet　for　him
  to　undeceive　them？　　For　the　first　time　in　his　life　the　Commander
  thought　of　policyfor　the　first　time　he　quoted　that　text　which　has
  been　the　lure　of　so　many　well…meaning　but　easy　Christians；　of　being
  〃all　things　to　all　men。〃　　Infeliz　Hermenegildo　Salvatierra！
  For　by　degrees　an　ominous　whisper　crept　though　the　little
  settlement。　　The　Right　Eye　of　the　Commander；　although　miraculous；
  seemed　to　exercise　a　baleful　effect　upon　the　beholder。　　No　one
  could　look　at　it　without　winking。　　It　was　cold；　hard；　relentless；
  and　unflinching。　　More　than　that；　it　seemed　to　be　endowed　with　a
  dreadful　presciencea　faculty　of　seeing　through　and　into　the
  inarticulate　thoughts　of　those　it　looked　upon。　　The　soldiers　of　the
  garrison　obeyed　the　eye　rather　than　the　voice　of　their　commander；
  and　answered　his　glance　rather　than　his　lips　in　questioning。　　The
  servants　could　not　evade　the　ever　watchful　but　cold　attention　that
  seemed　to　pursue　them。　　The　children　of　the　Presidio　school
  smirched　their　copybooks　under　the　awful　supervision；　and　poor
  Paquita；　the　prize　pupil；　failed　utterly　in　that　marvelous　upstroke
  when　her　patron　stood　beside　her。　　Gradually　distrust；　suspicion；
  self…accusation；　and　timidity　took　the　place　of　trust；　confidence；
  and　security　throughout　San　Carlos。　　Whenever　the　Right　Eye　of　the
  Commander　fell；　a　shadow　fell　with　it。
  Nor　was　Salvatierra　entirely　free　from　the　baleful　influence　of　his
  miraculous　acquisition。　　Unconscious　of　its　effect　upon　others；　he
  only　saw　in　their　actions　evidence　of　certain　things　that　the
  crafty　Peleg　had　hinted　on　that　eventful　New　Year's　eve。　　His　most
  trusty　retainers　stammered；　blushed；　and　faltered　before　him。
  Self…accusations；　confessions　of　minor　faults　and　delinquencies；　or
  extravagant　excuses　and　apologies　met　his　mildest　inquiries。　　The
  very　children　that　he　lovedhis　pet　pupil；　Paquitaseemed　to　be
  conscious　of　some　hidden　sin。　　The　result　of　this　constant
  irritation　showed　itself　more　plainly。　　For　the　first　half…year　the
  Commander's　voice　and　eye　were　at　variance。　　He　was　still　kind；
  tender；　and　thoughtful　in　speech。　　Gradually；　however；　his　voice
  took　upon　itself　the　hardness　of　his　glance　and　its　skeptical；
  impassive　quality；　and　as　the　year　again　neared　its　close　it　was
  plain　that　the　Commander　had　fitted　himself　to　the　eye；　and　not　the
  eye　to　the　Commander。
  It　may　be　surmised　that　these　changes　did　not　escape　the　watchful
  solicitude　of　the　Fathers。　　Indeed；　the　few　who　were　first　to
  ascribe　the　right　eye　of　Salvatierra　to　miraculous　origin　and　the
  special　grace　of　the　blessed　San　Carlos；　now　talked　openly　of
  witchcraft　and　the　agency　of　Luzbel；　the　evil　one。　　It　would　have
  fared　ill　with　Hermenegildo　Salvatierra　had　he　been　aught　but
  Commander　or　amenable　to　local　authority。　　But　the　reverend　father；
  Friar　Manuel　de　Cortes；　had　no　power　over　the　political　executive；
  and　all　attempts　at　spiritual　advice　failed　signally。　　He　retired
  baffled　and　confused　from　his　first　interview　with　the　Commander；
  who　seemed　now　to　take　a　grim　satisfaction　in　the　fateful　power　of
  his　glance。　　The　holy　Father　contradicted　himself；　exposed　the
  fallacies　of　his　own　arguments；　and　even；　it　is　asserted；　committed
  himself　to　several　undoubted　heresies。　　When　the　Commander　stood　up
  at　mass；　if　the　officiating　priest　caught　that　skeptical　and
  searching　eye；　the　service　was　inevitably　ruined。　　Even　the　power
  of　the　Holy　Church　seemed　to　be　lost；　and　the　last　hold　upon　the
  affections　of　the　people　and　the　good　order　of　the　settlement
  departed　from　San　Carlos。
  As　the　long　dry　summer　passed；　the　low　hills　that　surrounded　the
  white　walls　of　the　Presidio　grew　more　and　more　to　resemble　in　hue
  the　leathern　jacket　of　the　Commander；　and　Nature　herself　seemed　to
  have　borrowed　his　dry；　hard　glare。　　The　earth　was　cracked　and
  seamed　with　drought；　a　blight　had　fallen　upon　the　orchards　and
  vineyards；　and　the　rain；　long…delayed　and　ardently　prayed　for；　came
  not。　　The　sky　was　as　tearless　as　the　right　eye　of　the　Commander。
  Murmurs　of　discontent；　insubordination；　and　plotting　among　the
  Indians　reached　his　ears；　he　only　set　his　teeth　the　more　firmly；
  tightened　the　knot　of　his　black…silk　handkerchief；　and　looked　up
  his　Toledo。
  The　last　day　of　the　year　1798　found　the　Commander　sitting；　at　the
  hour　of　evening　prayers；　alone　in　the　guardroom。　　He　no　longer
  attended　the　services　of　the　Holy　Church；　but　crept　away　at　such
  times　to　some　solitary　spot；　where　he　spent　the　interval　in　silent
  meditation。　　The　firelight　played　upon　the　low　beams　and　rafters；
  but　left　the　bowed　figure　of　Salvatierra　in　darkness。　　Sitting
  thus；　he　felt　a　small　hand　touch　his　arm；　and　looking　down；　saw　the
  figure　of　Paquita；　his　little　Indian　pupil；　at　his　knee。　　〃Ah；
  littlest　of　all；〃　said　the　Commander；　with　something　of　his　old
  tenderness；　lingering　over　the　endearing　diminutives　of　his　native
  speech〃sweet　one；　what　doest　thou　here？　　Art　thou　not　afraid　of
  him　whom　everyone　shuns　and　fears？〃
  〃No；〃　said　the　little　Indian；　readily；　〃not　in　the　dark。　　I　hear
  your　voicethe　old　voice；　I　feel　your　touchthe　old　touch；　but　I
  see　not　your　eye；　Senor　Commandante。　　That　only　I　fearand　that；　O
  senor；　O　my　father；〃　said　the　child；　lifting　her　little　arms
  towards　his〃that　I　know　is　not　thine　own！〃
  The　Commander　shuddered　and　turned　away。　　Then；　recovering　himself；
  he　kissed　Paquita　gravely　on　the　forehead　and　bade　her　retire。　　A
  few　hours　later；　when　silence　had　fallen　upon　the　Presidio；　he
  sought　his　own　couch　and　slept　peacefully。
  At　about　the　middle　watch　of　the　night　a　dusky　figure　crept　through
  the　low　embrasure　of　the　Commander's　apartment。　　Other　figures　were
  flitting　through　the　parade　ground；　which　the　Commander　might　have
  seen　had　he　not　slept　so　quietly。　　The　intruder　stepped　noiselessly
  to　the　couch　and　listened　to　the　sleeper's　deep…drawn　inspiration。
  Something　glittered　in　the　firelight　as　the　savage　lifted　his　arm；
  another　moment　and　the　sore　perplexities　of　Hermenegildo
  Salvatierra　would　have　been　over；　when　suddenly　the　savage　started
  and　fell　back　in　a　paroxysm　of　terror。　　The　Commander　slept
  peacefully；　but　his　right　eye；　widely　opened；　fixed　and　unaltered；
  glared　coldly　on　the　would…be　assassin。　　The　man　fell　to　the　earth
  in　a　fit；　and　the　noise　awoke　the　sleeper。
  To　rise　to　his　feet；　grasp　his　sword；　and　deal　blows　thick　and　fast
  upon　the　mutinous　savages　who　now　thronged　the　room　was　the　work　of
  a　moment。　　Help　opportunely　arrived；　and　the　undisciplined　Indians
  were　speedily　driven　beyond　the　walls；　but　in　the　scuffle　the
  Commander　received　a　blow　upon　his　right　eye；　and；　lifting　his　hand
  to　that　mysterious　organ；　it　was　gone。　　Never　again　was　it　found；
  and　never　again；　for　bale　or　bliss；　did　it　adorn　the　right　orbit　of
  the　Commander。
  With　it　passed　away　the　spell　that　had　fallen　upon　San　Carlos。　　The
  rain　returned　to　invigorate　the　languid　soil；　harmony　was　restored
  between　priest　and　soldier；　the　green　grass　presently　waved　over
  the　sere　hillsides；　the　children　flocked　again　to　the　side　of　their
  martial　preceptor；　a　TE　DEUM　was　sung　in　the　Mission　Church；　and
  pastoral　content　once　more　smiled　upon　the　gentle　valleys　of　San
  Carlos。　　And　far　southward　crept　the　GENERAL　COURT　with　its　master；
  Peleg　Scudder；　trafficking　in　beads　and　peltries　with　the　Indians；
  and　offering　glass　eyes；　wooden　legs；　and　other　Boston　notions　to
  the　chiefs。