Upon arriving in Santa Fe, the Mexican priests refuse to acknowledge Latour's authority. In order to clarify the matter with the Archbishop of Durango, Latour sets out on a 3,000-mile journey. On his way, he gets lost. He is rescued by a little girl who leads him to Agua Secreta (Hidden Water). Here he learns that the priests of the region have charged exorbitant amounts to perform the Sacrament of Marriage, causing many of the natives to take wives without benefit of marriage. While admiring the craftsmanship and artistry of the native church, Latour recognizes that the natives have allowed their own superstitions to permeate their Catholic faith.
Latour returns to Santa Fe with documentation of his Vicarate, and finds that he has endeared himself to many of the town's residents as his presence has prompted some corrupt priests to resign their posts. Vaillant sets out for Santo Domingo and Albuquerque, in order to perform baptisms and marriages. The Indians of Santo Domingo, however, are suspicious of Latour due to the ill treatment they received from Spanish conquerors centuries ago. In Albuquerque, he meets Manuel Lujon, a wealthy landowner, with whom he barters for two mules.
While traveling to Mora together, Latour and Vaillant stop at a house to escape bitterly cold rain and to seek a warm place to rest. The house is inhabited by an older man and his young Mexican wife. The wife warns the two priests to leave as soon as possible because she fears her husband will kill them. When they arrive in Mora, they are followed by the woman. She tells the priests her name is Magdalena and her husband's name is Buck Scales. She reports that Buck killed four travelers on the Mora trail. Scales is subsequently arrested and hanged, and Kit Carson takes Magdalena to live with him and his wife near Taos.
