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Cornell University Library 
 PS 2459.M985C7 
 
 Columbian story of the discovery of Ame 
 
 3 1924 022 151 207 
 
SIH KNIGHT, CAN* YOU MAKE THAT EGG STAND ON END? 
 
COLUMBIA 
 
 A STORY OF THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN R?'MUSICK 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 ■Ntto ¥orft 
 
 FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY 
 
 London and Toronto 
 
 1892 
 
 Printed in the United States. 
 
Copyright, 1891, by 
 JOHN H. MUSICK. 
 
©ebtcofion. 
 
 TO MY MOTHER, FUOM WHOSE LIPS I FIRST LEARNED THE 
 STORY OF COLUMBUS, AND WHO SOUGHT BY HIS LIFE TO TEACH 
 ME PERSEVERANCE IN TRUTH AND RIGHT TO A TRIUMPHANT 
 END, THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The belief is common that fiction should be 
 helpful as well as entertaining. Well-written his- 
 torical novels have always been regarded with 
 favor. Bare historical facts stripped of romance 
 are dry reading to a majority of the millions; 
 and, as history is full of romance, why withhold 
 it? No land is more fertile in song and story 
 than the New World; its discovery is like a fairy 
 tale, and its discoverer a hero of enchantment It 
 is not our purpose to tell a new story, but rather 
 narrate an old yet ever interesting one in a new 
 form, and bring before the public some faces that 
 may be new to the general reader. Great care 
 has been taken to have historical events and dates 
 correct, and to not confound truth with fiction. 
 While the information and lessons we have at- 
 tempted in this unpretentious volume are sugar- 
 coated in the form of a story, we believe they will 
 profit as well as entertain both the young and 
 the old. We must acknowledge our indebtedness 
 
v i PREFACE. 
 
 for the chief incidents in this narrative to a host 
 of celebrated writers, among whom are Las Casas, 
 Dr. Ohanca, Peter Martyr, and he who stands pre- 
 eminently great among American writers, Wash- 
 ington Irving. Having conscientiously performed 
 this duty to the best of our ability, we submit 
 the effort to a generous public. 
 
 John R Musick. 
 
 KlRKSVILLE, Mo., 
 
 Ja/rwary 1, 1891. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAOK 
 
 The Horns of Taurus ...... 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Christina Ovilares 23 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 The Madman op Genoa ..... 41 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Wise Men op Salamanca ..... 59 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 The Pall of the Crescent ..... 78 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Again Denied 94 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 At the Bridbe op Pinos 113 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Prom Gloom to Sunlight ...... 128 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Seeking an Unknown World . 144 
 
v jji CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 The Mutiny ......... 164 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Lights along the SnoRE ...... 181 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Search for the Grand Khan ..... 200 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Port Nativity : 219 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Deserted — The Storm 235 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 The Assassin Foiled ....... 256 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Return to Palos ........ 271 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 A Lesson from an Egg . .... 286 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Father and Son ........ 302 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 Emigration 318 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Conclusion ....„,,„ 338 
 
 Historical Index ........ 347 
 
 Chronology 353 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 " Sir Knight, can you make that egg stand on end ?" 
 
 Frontispiece 
 
 Hernando Bstevan ,1 
 
 Some one seized the lad and placed him out of danger . 32 
 
 Christopher Columbus 23 
 
 " Is he slain, Duke ? " ....... 33 
 
 Christina Ovilarcs 43 
 
 Martin Alonzo Pinzon 80 
 
 Vincent Yanez Pinzon 82 
 
 "Look,'' whispered the lad, seizing Columbus by the 
 
 arm; " he is my uncle Garcia I" . .87 
 
 Miguel the mutineer 95 
 
 "Did I not know I was called of Ileaven to plead 
 
 the cause of an unknown world, I would not 
 
 dare stand in your presence " 101 
 
 " We are pursued, Senor Columbus ! " .... 126 
 
 "See, it varies ["cried Columbus, starting to his feet . 170 
 " There they are, Admiral,'' cried the lad, pointing out 
 
 the mutineers with his sword .... 182 
 
 Landing of Columbus 205 
 
 " What I am about to say may cost me my life " . . 211 
 
 He was forced backward, down to his knee . . . 231 
 
X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 "What do you propose doing with them ?" . . , 243 
 
 Standing on the crosspiece of the bowsprit, leaning 
 forward trying to pierce the distance and make 
 out the features of those on shore, was Hernando 
 Estevan 278 
 
 The youth had a dim recollection of that face, and 
 
 staggering forward, be cried : "Father!" . 313 
 
 Map of the period . . 332 
 
COLUMBIA, 
 
 CHAPTBE I. 
 
 THE HORNS OP TAURUS. 
 
 Many names once familiar in "Spanish history 
 have been forgotten, or so involved in the threads 
 of fiction as to be of doubt- 
 ful origin. Among those 
 still clinging to history by 
 the slenderest cords of truth 
 is the once well-known name 
 of Estevan. At times it was 
 lost to the world, but after a 
 few decades again appeared 
 under the magical touch of 
 some poet, novelist, or his- 
 torian ; and in the dim twi- 
 light of church legend are to be found a thou- 
 sand stories of this once powerful family. Span- 
 ish romance has so enshrined it in imperishable 
 lines that it is difficult to separate truth from 
 fiction. 
 
 The name Estevan is a peg on which countless 
 charming inventions have been hung. Spanish 
 
 HjSKNANDO EBTEVAN. 
 
2 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Christian and Arabian poets, ballad writers, and 
 ancient chroniclers, historians to whose heads the 
 wine of these delightful legends has too frequently 
 mounted, have made of " Estevau " the incarnation 
 of their own subtly-woven fancies. The origin of 
 this family is not known. Not being directly 
 related to the throne of any of the provinces, no 
 chronicler has ever taken the trouble to investi- 
 gate their genealogy. They are mentioned in the 
 Arabian chronicles of the Cid, a sort of a profes- 
 sional highwayman, who is himself enwrapt in a 
 mythical veil. 
 
 The Spanish provinces in the peninsula divided 
 their time between fighting each other and their 
 common enemies, the Moors. 
 
 When the three thrones were occupied first 
 by Don Juan of Aragon in 1425, there was none 
 more loj r al to the house of Castile than Philip 
 Estevan, a prominent Spanish grandee and a gal- 
 lant knight, who fell at the age of fifty while bat- 
 tling with the Moors. He left two sons, Eoderigo 
 and Garcia, and a large estate to be divided be- 
 tween them, with promises of a title and ancestral 
 honors for each. 
 
 Eoderigo and Garcia Estevan, sons of the gal- 
 lant old knight of Castile, arrived at man's estate 
 about the time the numerous petty kingdoms of 
 Spain — Castile, Aragon, Navarre, and the Moorish 
 kingdom of Granada— were being gradually amal- 
 
THE HORNS OF TAURUS. 3 
 
 gamated into one comprehensive nationality, to 
 enter upon the arena of European politics, and 
 form a nation that was to be one of the great 
 powers of earth. The brothers were of the ricos 
 hombres, or higher class, which acted in war or 
 peace like so many independent sovereigns. 
 
 "When trouble arose with Enrique IV. of Cas- 
 tile, Roderigo, who was the elder by two years, 
 remained true to his sovereign. Negotiations 
 between the combatants resulted in a general 
 amnesty, and the recognition of Isabella as heir- 
 ess to the crown of Castile and Leon. Being now 
 a brilliant matrimouial object, the new queen was 
 beset with proposals of marriage, as history in- 
 forms us, and chose among her many suitors the 
 gallant Ferdinand of Aragon. 
 
 While the bride-elect was being watched by 
 Villena and his spies, and in peril of being seized 
 by him with intent to defeat the marriage, she 
 was taken to Valladolid, guarded by a band of 
 Castilian knights, among whom were Roderigo 
 and Garcia. 
 
 They were present at the royal marriage, and 
 Garcia became one of the court officers of the 
 new king and queen, while Roderigo remained 
 true to Enrique until his death in 1474, which 
 extinguished the male line of the house of Trasta- 
 mara, and gave a short breathing space to the 
 nation. At Segovia, December 13, 1474, in the 
 
4 COLUMBIA. 
 
 public square of the quaint old Castilian city, sur- 
 rounded by gorgeously clad functionaries, invok- 
 ing the blessings of heaven on her reign — a 
 tableau heightened by the exquisite Spanish sun- 
 shine, the fantastic old colonnaded houses, the 
 singularly beautiful situation of the city with its 
 grouped and castellated hills, the lofty presence 
 of the majestic and slender-columned cathedral, 
 and 'the countless variegation of clanging bells, 
 floating standards, Te Deums, and brilliant cos- 
 tumery — Isabella was solemnly proclaimed queen. 
 Garcia Estevan, who had already grown to be a 
 favorite with Ferdinand, was the herald first to 
 proclaim : 
 
 " Castile ! Castile ! for the King Don Ferdinand 
 and his consort Dona Isabella, Queen proprietor 
 of these kingdoms ! " 
 
 Both the brothers might have retained their 
 favor with the new sovereigns had not difficulties 
 risen between them, which estranged each from 
 the other. Garcia differed from his brother, being 
 of an envious, jealous disposition, and more in- 
 clined to hoard up wealth and honors than to 
 seek fame and renown, which his more daring 
 brother won from many a hard-fought battle-field. 
 Eoderigo was usually on the frontier, battling with 
 the Moors, and knew nothing of the intrigues of 
 Garcia. 
 
 Their father had left the greater part of the 
 
TEE HORN 8 OF TAURUS. 5 
 
 family estate to his elder son, who was his favor- 
 ite, which piqued Garcia, and caused him to begin 
 early to plot his brother's ruin ; Roderigo, gallant, 
 brave, and generous, entertained no thought of 
 evil against his brother, but went on seeking ad- 
 ventures by land and sea, determined to add new 
 laurels to the family name. Like many brave 
 but restless men, he was constantly quitting one 
 field of adventure for another. He returned from 
 a campaign against the Moors, and sailed away 
 with a Portuguese exploring party, then on his 
 return again entered the field. 
 
 All might have gone well had not an incident 
 happened, about one year after the coronation of 
 Queen Isabella, which completely estranged them. 
 The Moorish kingdom of Granada was in con- 
 stant war with the Christians, and continually 
 sending out predatory incursions into their terri- 
 tory. 
 
 The clash of arms was constantly heard in the 
 sweet valleys and among the sunny hills of An- 
 dalusia. Villages were sacked; and men, women, 
 and children carried away into captivity. 
 
 One day Roderigo came upon a small party of 
 Moors, returning from one of their predatory in- 
 cursions, who had as prisoner a beautiful maiden, 
 the daughter of a Christian gentleman of Navarre, 
 who had fallen in defending his home. The 
 knight lowered his visor, couched his lance, and, 
 
q COL TJMBIA. 
 
 though he was only one against six, charged 
 like a thunderbolt among them. Two of the 
 Moors were slain, the others put to flight, and the 
 victor bore the fair maid of Navarre in triumph 
 to Castile. Garcia met the maiden whom his 
 knightly brother had rescued, and became in- 
 fatuated with her beauty. She was of an excel- 
 lent and once powerful family, but her ancestors 
 had become impoverished by the internal wars 
 which had for years cursed Spain. Her beauty 
 and vivacity the shrewd Garcia knew would 
 make her a great favorite at court 
 
 But the fair maid of Navarre preferred the 
 gallant knight whom she had met under such 
 romantic circumstances, and in the race for her 
 hand Garcia was beaten by Eoderigo, who won 
 the beautiful Juana of Navarre, thereby incurring 
 the bitterest hatred of his envious brother. Gar- 
 cia's intrigues became bolder, and. he succeeded 
 in making the king believe that his brother was 
 conspiring with King John TL of Portugal to 
 overthrow the Spanish monarchs. In those days 
 suspicion was followed by condemnation. 
 
 Eoderigo had not been married quite two years 
 when a babe was born to bless his home, and ere 
 his child was old enough to lisp his name, the 
 father was seized and imprisoned. After a short 
 time he was released, but deprived of bis estates 
 and rank. Yet noble, generous, and loyal to the 
 
THE HORNS OF TA0RU8. 7 
 
 last, lie joined his king in a campaign against 
 the Moors, and won distinction in several hard- 
 fought engagements. He was now only a poor 
 soldier, depending on his sword for a livelihood 
 for himself, wife, and child. Garcia, whose hatred 
 increased with years, began to fear his brother 
 might regain his lost favors with the prince, and 
 set in operation new plots and intrigues, bringing 
 into his service an apostate Moor named Abdallah 
 Ahmed. They represented to their sovereigns 
 that Eoderigo was offering his services to King 
 John II., and was secretly plotting an invasion to 
 Spain. 
 
 Hernando, Eoderigo's babe, was but five years 
 of age when the final crash which wrought his 
 father's ruin came. His parents lived in a cottage 
 on the coast, not far from the seaport town of 
 Palos, and the boy loved to sit on the beach and 
 listen to the sad waves breathing their mournful 
 tale of some far-off land. The child often won- 
 dered to what vast unknown regions on the other 
 side, that great body of water extended. 
 
 One day his father came home, his face white 
 with deep anxiety and despair. Hernando listened 
 in simple, childish wonder to the hurried tearful 
 interview, and, young as he was, his young heart 
 seemed to feel a weight of lead fall upon it. His 
 fathers sighs and mother's tears were enough to 
 convince him that something was wrong. Then 
 
8 COL UMBIA. 
 
 came an affectionate farewell, in which the mother 
 broke down and sobbed, his father caught him in 
 his arms, pressed a warm kiss on his cheek, and in 
 an agony of spirit cried : 
 
 " May God bless you both ! " 
 
 Then the father hurried away down to the wild, 
 rocky shore, where a boat was ready to carry 
 him off to a strange ship lying at anchor a short 
 distance off. The fugitive was taken aboard the 
 vessel, anchor was hoisted, and he sailed away upon 
 that vast expanse of unknown water. Hernando 
 and his mother stood on the edge of the cliff, and 
 watched the sail grow smaller and smaller until it 
 disappeared forever. Young as he was, the lad 
 knew that his father had been condemned, and 
 was flying for his life. His father had told his 
 mother that Abdallah Ahmed, the wicked Moor, 
 had, at the instigation of Garcia, made a false oath 
 against him, and that the king had issued another 
 warrant for him, dead or alive. 
 
 The boy lived alone with his mother in their 
 cottage, and hearing no tidings from the absent 
 father and husband, the mother and wife began to 
 pine away. Her mother, the good granddame, 
 Sefiora Doria, came to live with them, and care for 
 the unfortunate invalid, who in reality was dying 
 of a broken heart. Weeks, months, and years 
 passed, and the mother and wife grew more fee- 
 ble as she waited and waited, patiently hoping 
 
THE HORNS OF TAURUS. 9 
 
 and praying for tidings from her beloved hus- 
 band. 
 
 She used to sit by the water, her little son at 
 her side, and gazing away to the westward, told 
 him stories from Marco Polo, about a wonderful 
 country beyond the sea — of islands, continents, 
 cities, and people who dwelt there ; and Hernando, 
 listening to her, would exclaim : 
 
 "Surely my father must be on one of those 
 islands, and when I grow to be a man, mother, I 
 will go and bring him back, and then you will 
 weep no more." 
 
 Then she told him that, according to Marco 
 Polo, some of those islands were inhabited by 
 wild, savage people, who made their captives 
 slaves. Perhaps even then his father was a slave 
 to some cruel master, poorly fed, cruelly beaten, 
 and longing to come home to those whom he 
 loved. Such an impression these stories made on 
 his tender young mind, and so vivid became his 
 imagination, that he fancied he could hear his 
 father's voice calling from out the great expanse 
 of water for deliverance. 
 
 His mother grew weaker and weaker until at 
 last she was confined to her bed, and then she died ; 
 and Hernando sat alone on the beach, and listened 
 to the waves, imagining that he heard'his father's 
 sighs and groans in their murmurs. When the 
 storm lashed them to a fury he said that his 
 
JO COLUMBIA. 
 
 father's masters were angry, and he could hear 
 the shrieks of the slave. 
 
 Hernando had reached his thirteenth year, and 
 still lived in the humble cottage with the grand- 
 dame. They supported themselves by their gar- 
 den, cow, and goats. The boy grew strong, was 
 a brave lad, and had joined in one or two expedi- 
 tions against the Moors. He had but two objects 
 in life ; one was to avenge his father on the rene- 
 gade Moor Abdallah, who had borne false witness 
 against Boderigo. Abdallah had forsaken the 
 cause of Christianity which he once pretended 
 to espouse, and again fought under the crescent 
 
 One morning Hernando and the good old grand- 
 dame Doria sat at breakfast, and, as usual, their 
 conversation drifted away to the subject always 
 nearest their hearts, the lad's missing father. Old 
 Doria was never so happy as -when sounding the 
 praises of this gallant knight, or lamenting the 
 wrongs he had suffered, and in the proud Her- 
 nando she always found an eager listener. 
 
 "I remember my father, and a grand, noble man 
 he was," interrupted the lad. " Oh, I can remem- 
 ber how he looked, with his coat of mail and 
 sword clanging at his side ! No wonder poor 
 mother grieved and died when he went away so 
 mysteriously and never came back." 
 
 " Ah, it was a sad day, lad, when the good 
 knight sailed ! " 
 
THE HORN 8 OF TAURUS. \\ 
 
 " He had to go, granddame, for they would 
 have killed him if he had stayed. But mother 
 used to tell me of an Island of Seven Cities, which 
 had houses roofed with gold " 
 
 " Aye, and savage men who kill people or 
 make slaves of them," interrupted the granddame. 
 
 Then the boy grew sad and thoughtful. His 
 porridge became cool, and he seemed far away, a 
 witness to his father's suffering and degradation. 
 Suddenly recovering himself, he said: 
 
 " It won't be long. I will soon be a man ; then 
 father shall be rescued, and the cruel Moor Ab- 
 dallah put to death. Less than a year ago I saw 
 Abdallah, and told him when I became strong 
 enough to wield a lance or arquebus I would slay 
 him." 
 
 " Beware of the Moors, lad ; beware of the 
 Moors. They are treacherous heathen dogs, and 
 may the Holy Virgin be praised when they are 
 all driven from Christendom ! " 
 
 The boy's eyes suddenly grew brighter, and he 
 exclaimed : 
 
 " Oh, Granddame Doria, I forgot to tell you ; I 
 met him again yesterday ! " 
 
 " Who, the Moor ? " 
 
 " No ; heaven forbid ! The dog is now penned 
 up with his scurvy countrymen, like sheep, in 
 Granada, with the king's artillery battling down 
 the walls." 
 
!2 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " Whom saw you, lad ? " 
 
 " The oddest man I ever met. They call him 
 Old Antipodes. I don't know what it means, 
 granddame, but he is a good, brave man, a sailor, 
 and a great explorer." 
 
 "What is he like?" 
 
 " Like a saint. Ah, good granddame, I never 
 saw such a face, so full of kindness and love! 
 His gray eyes and snow-white hair and beard give 
 him a saint-like look. I was on the road from 
 Palos with some boys when he passed. Some of 
 the children cried : ' There comes the mad man 
 of Genoa,' and they ran away, while I stood and 
 watched him. As he passed by he paused to 
 look at me." 
 
 " What did he say ? " 
 
 " Nothing. He wore a breastplate, but he is 
 more of a friar than a soldier." 
 
 " Why do they call him a mad man, and if he 
 be mad, why does he go armed ? " 
 
 " They call him mad because he says the world 
 is round, and turns over in a day and night ; and 
 he also says people live on the other side of it — 
 that there is a great continent there to balance 
 this." 
 
 " He must be mad, indeed, to say that," the in- 
 credulous granddame answered. "If the world 
 was round or turned over, we would fall off when 
 we got on the under. side." 
 
THE HORNS OF TAURUS. 13 
 
 This theory had puzzled older heads than 
 Hernando's. The science of geography and nat- 
 ural forces was in its infancy, and the laws of 
 gravitation, now common with every school boy, 
 almost wholly unknown. 
 
 "I don't understand it, granddame, but he is no 
 mad man even if he does say such strange things. 
 He is too good and too great to be a mad man. 
 He has spent his life in studying maps, charts, 
 the stars, and the earth, and he has already be- 
 come a great sailor and explorer. He wants to 
 take a fleet, I am told, and go around the world." 
 
 " Around the world ? " 
 
 "Yes, granddame." 
 
 " When he reaches the under side he will fall 
 off." 
 
 " I believe he can do it ; and if he gets our sov- 
 ereigns to fit out a fleet for him, I want to go 
 along, for then I would find my father, and rescue 
 him from slavery. granddame, good, good, 
 granddame, I hear my father every night in my 
 sleep, calling me to come to his deliverauce, and 
 I must go ! " Unable longer to control his emo- 
 tions, the boy broke down and wept. 
 
 " Poor child ! long dwelling on that subject will 
 drive him as mad as the white-haired man." 
 
 But buoyant childhood soon shakes off sorrow 
 and care as the spaniel does the water from his 
 sides. Hope and joy of youth will burst through 
 
14 
 
 COLUMBIA. 
 
 the darkest despair, and break over the strongest 
 barriers, letting in sunshine on the saddest young 
 heart. The boy was just recovering from his fit 
 of sobbing, when the quick sound of approaching 
 footsteps reached his ear, and a playmate, thrust- 
 ing his face within the door, called : 
 
 " Come, Hernando, have you forgotten the 
 Plaza de Toros ? " 
 
 The speaker was his playmate Alberto, and 
 Hernando now remembered having promised to 
 accompany him that morning to the bull-fight 
 near the village. The fight was to be a grand 
 affair, and was as great an attraction in that day 
 to the small boy of Spain as the circus and men- 
 agerie are at present. Hernando glanced at his 
 granddame for her approval, and the dear, good 
 old soul, knowing how little happiness had been 
 allotted to the poor child, readily assented, after 
 exacting a promise that they would both be care- 
 ful. 
 
 It was fully three miles across rugged hills and 
 steep, thorny paths to the Plaza de Toros, which 
 was simply a vast amphitheatre, something like the 
 old Roman arena. But what was three miles to 
 two active boys full of excitement and admiration 
 of daring deeds in either man or beast? 
 
 The day was hot and dusty, and the palm, 
 maguay, tumble-down walls, and distant towers 
 were the only features of the landscape, which 
 
THE HORiSS OF TAURUS. 15 
 
 was bounded by the eternal circle of blue hills, 
 the rim of a basin in which lies the village ot 
 Palos, like a pearl in an oyster-shell. Half a mile 
 from Palos, amid a crowd of soldiers, corralled 
 horses, waiting vehicles, beggars, cripples, and 
 thieves, arose the Plaza de Toros. 
 
 There was little attempt at architectural or artis- 
 tical elevation about the Plaza de Toros, but it wore 
 a severe and business-like aspect, which marked 
 the unassthetic Gotho-Spaniard, the unchanged 
 child of hard Iberia, who looked for a sport of 
 blood and death, and required no extraneous 
 stimulant. The interior of the arena was un- 
 adorned, but admirably calculated for seeing, and 
 a bull-fight is essentially a spectacle. In those 
 times, as now, the bull-fight was a Saturnalia. One 
 thought stirred in every heart. One heart beat 
 in ten thousand bosoms. The moving line of the 
 Calle de Alcala became the aorta of the village, 
 through which a dense mass wound like a colossal 
 snake to its prey. 
 
 Four hundred years have worked but very little 
 change in the Spanish bull-fight, and, in fact, the 
 arena of to-day is said to be the arena of twenty 
 centuries ago. Once inside, and the classical 
 scene bursts on the beholder in all the splendor of 
 open day ; the vast space was filled with the glori- 
 ous light of an unclouded heaven, spread above 
 like an azure canopy. 
 
16 VOL UMBIA. 
 
 The boys having gained admission to the am- 
 phitheatre made their way into the arena, which 
 was crowded with men and boys, until the hour 
 for clearing it came, when they occupied humble 
 places between the first and second barriers, where 
 they would have an excellent view of the sport. 
 At the appointed hour the trumpet sounded, and 
 the crowd, which had been yelling itself hoarse, 
 rose in an outburst of enthusiasm, presenting a 
 very brilliant appearance. This was before the 
 decay of the picturesque, and a Spanish assembly 
 was a glorious sight. Every shade and hue of 
 the kaleidoscopic mass, that fluttered and glittered 
 in the blazing sun and sombre shadow, seemed in 
 motion. From the president's box a signal was 
 given. Portals opened and two alguazils, or 
 police-officers, well mounted and elegantly dressed, 
 entered. After these came the chief matador, 
 with a red flag and sword ; then the supernu- 
 meraries with chulos, or assistants, on foot — all 
 arrayed in sparkling costume of the period. Next 
 came the picadors, mounted on veritable crow- 
 baits for steeds, gayly dressed, with breastplates 
 and greaves of leather. The procession wound 
 up with some gayly equipped mules, which were 
 to remove the slain. 
 
 " Oh, how grand ! " exclaimed the boys, as the 
 combatants filed into the arena, bowing and smil- 
 ing to the shouting spectators. 
 
THE HORNS OF TAURUS. 17 
 
 After the procession had marched entirely 
 around the arena, the second trumpet, which sig- 
 nalled the combat, sounded. The alguazil rode 
 in front of the state box, from whence the key 
 to the bull-pen was thrown, and that official, 
 catching it in his hat, handed it to a chulo, and 
 galloped away amid the jeers of the crowd, who 
 hoped the bull would catch and toss him on its 
 sharp horns. The brilliant army of combatants 
 now separated, each taking his respective place. 
 
 The boys watched the chulo unlock the door 
 which was to admit the bull. Out he came, a 
 great black monster with long, tapering horns, 
 sharp as sword-points. Let loose from his dark 
 cell, and amazed at the novelty of the position, he 
 gazed an instant at the crowd and waving hand- 
 kerchiefs. After a brief interval he recovered his 
 senses, while his splendid Achillean rage fired 
 every limb, and with closed eyes and lowered 
 horns he charged the foremost of the three pica- 
 dors, who were drawn up at intervals close to the 
 wooden barrier. The horseman with presented 
 spear boldly awaited the onset, speaking a few 
 words of command to the wretched, trembling 
 horse. Only the . poorest, broken-down hacks 
 were sacrificed by the picadors. The steed begot 
 as little sympathy as the bull. When gored to 
 death he was dragged out by the mules, leaving a 
 bloody furrow in the sand. The picador thrust 
 2 
 
18 COLUMBIA. 
 
 his blunt lance against the shoulder of the bull, 
 and held him back. In vain taurus kicked up 
 behind, tossed his sharp horns in the air, but the 
 firm arm of the picador held him at bay. Learn- 
 ing that nothing was to be gained here, the bull 
 turned away, trotting angrily to another picador, 
 charged into him, and banged horse and rider 
 head over heels on the ground ten feet away. 
 But taurus did not want to hurt anybody. He 
 hugged the barrier, tried to leap it, and then to 
 break through the gate. There seemed danger 
 of final success, and Hernando suggested to his 
 young companion that they ought to get into 
 safer quarters. Alberto did not think so, as 
 mounted soldiers with lances were in the space 
 between the two barriers, to slay the bull in case 
 he should leap the first. 
 
 The chulos now began to chivy taurus. They 
 were all picked young men, who had just com- 
 menced their tauromachian career. The chulo's 
 duty was that of a skirmisher, to draw off the 
 bull when a picador was endangered. This was 
 done with their party-colored silken cloaks and 
 banners. Their mercurial address and agility 
 were marvellous; they would skim over the sand 
 like glittering humming-birds, seeming scarcely 
 to touch the earth. Then, as now, the chief 
 weapon of the chulo was the banderillo, a barbed 
 dart or arrow, which was wrapped with bits of 
 
THE HORNS OF TAURUS. 19 
 
 party-colored cloth and ribbons. These tormentors 
 shouted in front of the bull, -waving their cloaks 
 until he charged right down into their midst. It 
 seemed as if the furious beast must inevitably 
 gore some of them, and Hernando held his breath 
 in expectation of some dreadful tragedy. But 
 just as the roaring monster with lowered horns 
 dashed into iheir midst, the men leaped nimbly 
 aside, separating in different directions. 
 
 This was bull-fighting four hundred years ago; 
 and, in countries where this relic of barbarism is 
 still tolerated, it is bull-fighting of the present. If 
 such torture is amusement at this day, we can 
 excuse Hernando and his young companion for 
 growing enthusiastic, and shouting with delight, 
 when one feat more daring than another was per- 
 formed. 
 
 Sitting in the front row, back of the second bar- 
 rier, was a man apparently fifty years of age, with 
 broad, high forehead, and hair white as snow. 
 His plumed hat lay on his knee, while his light 
 gray eye watched Hernando with fatherly solici- 
 tude. Did his prophetic soul read something in 
 the bright lad, which told him that the destiny of 
 the child and man was henceforth to be closely 
 linked ? 
 
 The boys were watching with deepest interest 
 the conflict in the arena. The bull was goaded to 
 madness, and the sorry mounts of the picadors were 
 
20 COLUMBIA. 
 
 unable to escape his fury. He charged another, 
 and no lance could hold him back ; he stood under 
 the horse and drove his sharp horns again and again 
 into his body, until the footmen tempted him away, 
 and the unfortunate beast, mortally wounded and 
 dying, was half led and half dragged from the 
 arena. 
 
 The picadors had furnished sport enough, and 
 the first act ended as they retired. The second act 
 was to be played by the chulos, or what in mod- 
 ern days are called banderilleros. 
 
 A chulo, taunting the bull with his red cloak 
 until he provoked a charge, took a barbed dart in 
 each hand, and as the bull dashed at him he es- 
 caped the horns by bare six inches ; leaning over, 
 as he jumped aside, to plant a dart on either side 
 of his neck. This was repeated again and again, 
 until the bull wore a collar of fluttering torture. 
 This practice is almost the same at the present 
 day, save that the banderillo is decked with tinsel, 
 paper flowers, and streamers, instead of ribbons. 
 
 The bull tried hard to shake off that stinging 
 collar, and, finding it impossible, dashed right and 
 left at everybody and everything ; but in vain, the 
 chulos were too nimble for him. 
 
 At last he halted near the barricade and refused 
 to stir. The hated red cloak was again and again 
 flaunted in his eyes, but the poor, dumb animal 
 knew he was powerless ; he was bleeding from a 
 
SOME ONE SEIZED TIIK DAD AND PLACED HIM OUT OF DANGER. 
 
THE HORNS OF TAURUS. 21 
 
 dozen wounds ; white slaver tinged with blood 
 hung from his open mouth. He panted and stood 
 still. That bloodshot eye had lost some of its 
 fire, and a look of despair, almost human, was ex- 
 pressed by the beast. lie was ready to give up the 
 fight and go home, but he could never leave the 
 arena alive. A low, piteous bellow escaped him, 
 as, with lowering head, he refused to move. 
 
 Determined to incite him to action, a nimble 
 chulo leaped on his back and drove a sharp bande- 
 rillo in each quivering flank. A wild bellow of 
 agony and rage, such as never before shook the 
 arena, made the ground quake, and like a flash 
 the bull bounded away, hurling the chulo to the 
 earth. With the speed of a steeple-chaser he flew 
 across the Plaza de Toros, clearing the inside bar- 
 rier with a leap that was astonishing. 
 
 He was now almost on the two boys, Hernando 
 and Alberto. With cries of terror they wheeled 
 to fly ; but the enraged bull saw them, and, lower- 
 ing his horns, gave vent to another earth-quaking 
 roar, and charged after them. Wildest excitement 
 prevailed everywhere. Men screamed, and women 
 swooned, while members of the caudrilla hastened 
 after the escaped bull. 
 
 Hernando was half-way to the second barrier, 
 when he stumbled and fell. A cry of despair 
 escaped his lips, and he imagined that he felt those 
 long, keen horns tossing his body, wheu there 
 
22 COL XTMBIA. 
 
 came a swift rush of feet, lie was seized and 
 hurled out of harm's way. At the same instant a 
 mounted knight with a keen lance charged taurus 
 and slew him. 
 
 Almost fainting with dread, the lad glanced up- 
 ward to get a glimpse of his deliverer, and beheld 
 the same mild, sweet-faced man, with snowy hair 
 and light gray eye, whom he had attempted to 
 describe to his granddame — a man whose face 
 showed the student and the Christian. He wore 
 a breastplate and sword, yet he more nearly re- 
 sembled a priest than a soldier. 
 
CHAPTEE II. 
 
 CHRISTINA OVILAKES. 
 
 Through the excited throng, Hernando's 
 strange rescuer half led and half carried him. 
 The boy was 
 trembling at 
 his narrow es- 
 cape, and divid- 
 ing his time be- 
 tween prayers 
 o f gratitude, 
 and glances at 
 the s t r a n ge , 
 fatherly face of 
 the man who 
 had rescued 
 him. The 
 Plaza de Toros 
 had no more 
 attractions for him. His life, which was to be 
 devoted to the rescue of his father from captiv- 
 ity among unknown barbarians, had been almost 
 foolishly sacrificed. 
 
 The stranger conducted the lad to a small pub- 
 lic-house, where he ordered wine for the boy, who 
 
 Christopher Columbus. 
 
24 COLUMBIA. 
 
 was faint from excitement. Hernando sank down 
 on a rude bench at the table, and his rescuer sat 
 beside him. An Andalusian girl brought wine, 
 and pouring a glass half full the stranger held it 
 to the lad's lips and said : 
 
 " Drink tins." 
 
 It was the first time he had spoken, and if 
 the boy was moved by his appearance, he was 
 charmed by his voice. Never had he heard tones 
 more gentle, at the same time deep and firm, as if 
 the speaker was one for kings and princes to obey. 
 He drank the wine and pushed back the glass, 
 while, with his eager eyes fixed with all a lad's 
 inquisitiveness on the strangely sad face, he asked : 
 
 "Who are you? " 
 
 "I am Christopher Columbus, a native of 
 Genoa," was the answer. 
 
 This was Christopher Columbus, the discoverer 
 of the New World, with whom our story chiefly 
 deals. He was tall, well formed, muscular, and 
 of an elevated and dignified demeanor. His vis- 
 age was long, and neither full nor meagre; his 
 complexion, fair, freckled, and inclined to ruddy ; 
 his nose, aquiline ; his cheek bones were rather 
 high ; his eyes, light gray, and apt to enkindle 
 with enthusiasm ; his whole countenance had an 
 air of authority. His hair in his youth was of a 
 light color, but care, sorrow and disappointment 
 had turned it white as snow at thirty. He was 
 
CHRISTINA OVILABES. 25 
 
 moderate and simple in his diet and apparel, elo- 
 quent in discourse, engaging and affable to stran- 
 gers, while his amiability and suavity in domestic 
 life strongly attached his household to his person. 
 His temper was naturally irritable, but he sub- 
 dued it by the magnanimity of his spirit, comport- 
 ing himself with a courteous and gentle gravity, 
 and never indulging in any intemperance of lan- 
 guage. Throughout life he was noted for his 
 strict attention to the offices of religion, observ- 
 ing rigorously the fasts and ceremonies of the 
 Church ; nor did his piety consist in mere forms, 
 but partook of that lofty and solemn enthusiasm 
 which characterized his life. 
 
 At this period of the world's history the name 
 of Columbus was not generally known, and Her- 
 nando may be pardoned for never having heard 
 of it before. Realizing that he was in the presence 
 of a superior being, he became abashed and silent. 
 The man with snow-white hair and beard, fixing 
 his sad gray eyes on Hernando, said: 
 
 " You had a narrow escape, lad ; never go so 
 near the inner barrier again." 
 
 "I will not, kind sir. I thank you for saving 
 my life. When doj'ou go away?" 
 
 " How soon I know not. I am here awaiting 
 the arrival of a friend whom I daily expect." 
 
 " Then you are a knight on your way to Gra- 
 nada to fight the Moors ? " 
 
26 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " No, lad ; we go to try to see the king and 
 queen, who are so occupied with this Moorish 
 conquest that they will scarce consult with even 
 the noblest in the land on any other topic than 
 war. You must go to your parents ; your father 
 will be anxious about you." 
 
 "Alas ! I have no father." 
 
 "Then he is dead?" 
 
 " No, good sir, but lost. My father, wrongfully 
 accused by his brother and a wicked Moor, was 
 ordered by the king to be arrested, and he sailed 
 away across the sea to save his life. My mother 
 used to tell me of lands far away across the sea 
 where dwell people savage and cruel, who have 
 made a slave of my father, and at times I fancy I 
 can hear him shriek and groan in bondage. I am 
 going to him some day." 
 
 Columbus, strangely moved by the simple nar- 
 rative, with a choking sigh answered : 
 
 "You are too young to think of such a voyage, 
 lad. But your mother must be a good, wise 
 woman; go home to her and assure her of your 
 safety." 
 
 "My mother is dead." 
 
 "She, too, dead ! Oh, how sad ! " 
 
 " She died many years ago, when I was quite 
 young, and I plant flowers twice a year at the 
 head of her grave. My last promise made her 
 was that my father should be found and released 
 
CBRI8TINA VILA RES. 27 
 
 from bondage. I live with granddame Senora 
 Doria, in the little cottage beyond the hills." 
 
 Columbus felt strangely drawn toward this 
 bright lad whose life he had saved. Conducting 
 him to the crest of the hill, he bade him adieu, 
 and, drawing his cloak about his shoulders, he 
 stood and watched the lad hasten down the rocks 
 and ravines to his humble cottage. 
 
 Hernando found his granddame in a wild state 
 of excitement and grief. Alberto had preceded 
 him, and, not knowing that his young companion 
 had been rescued, was telling how the bull had 
 tossed Hernando up in the air again and again, 
 goring him to death with his sharp horns. The 
 boy's vivid imagination, and his fondness for ex- 
 aggeration, made his story so plausible that when 
 Hernando entered the cottage he was received like 
 one come back from the dead. 
 
 His granddame caught him in her arms, the 
 tears streaming down her aged cheeks, while she 
 blessed her patron saint that the boy was spared. 
 
 For several days she would hardly allow him 
 to go from her side ; but anon, as the recollection of 
 his late adventure grew dim and blunt with time, 
 the restless youth was again permitted to roam 
 among the woods and hills where his unhappy 
 childhood had been spent. 
 
 Hernando was a lover of beautiful scenery, and 
 with such a broad playground as Andalusia, it 
 
28 OOLXJMBIA. 
 
 is no wonder that he pined when in the cottage, 
 pleasant as the granddame made his home. Spain 
 has always been noted for its charming scenery. 
 In the loveliest atmosphere in the world, rose vast 
 ranges of serrated, ruddy-peaked mountains to greet 
 the gaze of the boy every morning, while between 
 were delicious valleys, sometimes opening on an 
 azure estuary of the purple- watered sea, in the dis- 
 tance, locked in by mountain domes nearly twelve 
 thousand feet in height, piercing the air with 
 penetrating and perennial coolness. The rivers 
 sent their sluggish or silver torrents, according to 
 the season, through a country which expanded 
 before his young gaze into picturesque vegas over- 
 flowing with wild olive, citron, coper-bush, the 
 aloe, the cactus, the palm, lemon, orange, and 
 evergreen oak, the silk-festooned mulberry, the 
 snowy cotton and bending cane; now shooting up 
 into cliffs of dazzling height, surmounted by dra- 
 gon-like castles. 
 
 Though born and reared amid such scenery, it 
 never grew old to Hernando, and, enwrapped as 
 it was in a halo of mythical history, one cannot 
 wonder that it became strangely blended with his 
 fine poetic imagination. Even the wind sighing 
 among the peaks, or rushing down the valleys, 
 seemed to him the voice of an exiled father call- 
 ing for help. 
 
 It was an age as romantic as the scenery. 
 
CHRISTINA 0VILARE8. 29 
 
 Moor and Christian roamed alternately through 
 hill, valley, and plain. The peaceful landscape 
 of to-day might be a field of carnage on the 
 morrow. One week the vermilion towers of 
 the Alhambra rose enveloped in light and per- 
 fume, in aromatic gardens, in fountains and 
 filigreed courts, in sparkling arabesques, in 
 precious tranquillity, wherein the golden voice 
 of Arabian verse breathed forth its plaintive 
 and mocking whispers ; the next, the blood-red 
 illumination burned over the ensanguined tur- 
 rets, and the din of arms, the clangor of the 
 sackbuts and cymbals, the flash of furious 
 cimeters, and the blaze of the assassin and in- 
 cendiary sparkled and resounded through its 
 tempest-tossed spaces. 
 
 City, village, and lonely valley were alike sub- 
 ject to invasion, and peasant and noble lived in 
 constant dread. 
 
 As Hernando was wending his way around a 
 rocky cliff, the sun's rays flashed from a weapon. 
 Crouching close to the earth, he discovered four 
 Moors on horseback riding down the glen. Only 
 the rugged bluff hid his little home from view, 
 and the near proximity of these brigands alarmed 
 the lad. The village of Palos was a league away, 
 and they might destroy the cottage ere help could 
 come. Half a mile farther around the foot-hill 
 would bring them in sight of the cottage. 
 
30 COLUMBIA. 
 
 One of them carried a child on his horse, and 
 Hernando, great as the distance was, saw that the 
 child was a white girl, not over ten years of age, 
 who was a prisoner, for she was tied on the horse. 
 
 " The dogs," hissed the lad from his place of 
 concealment, "are carrying the poor little captive 
 off to Granada to be the slave of the infidel," and 
 his proud Castilian blood boiled with indignation. 
 
 As the Moors came riding down the valley, 
 they were sometimes in plain view, and part of 
 the time hidden by the dense foliage of the orange 
 or evergreen oak. Their horses travelled slowly, 
 and even from his distant point of observation 
 the boy could see that the Moorish steeds were 
 jaded from their long journey. 
 
 Like a slender thread of silver, a stream wound 
 its serpentine way along the valley, here appear- 
 ing boldly, and there hiding from view amid the 
 rich palms and aloes. The small cavalcade reach- 
 ing one of these graceful curves, which brought it 
 into full view from the high cliff, called a halt, 
 the lad watching them with great eagerness. 
 
 The Moors dismounted, let their horses drink at 
 the stream, removed the saddles, and seemed get- 
 ting ready for an hour's rest. Curiosity, or per- 
 haps a stronger feeling, overcame the lad's caution, 
 and he crept along the bluff until he was within 
 half a furlong of the Moors. His gaze became 
 riveted on the tall, sinewy fellow, who wore a 
 
CHRISTINA 0VILARE8. 31 
 
 red turban and seemed leader of the small band. 
 Momentarily forgetting his precaution, "he started 
 half upright, hissing through his clinched teeth : 
 
 " It is Abdallah the dog who sent my father 
 into exile." 
 
 But he bethought himself in time to escape dis- 
 covery, and, crouching behind a bunch of cactus, 
 he gnashed his teeth as he beheld the author of 
 all his family woe talking to the little prisoner. 
 The child had been sobbing, and the brutal Moor 
 was threatening her with a drawn cimeter. 
 
 " They shall not drag her away to Granada or 
 Arabia to live a life of slavery ! " gasped the brave 
 lad, his soul rising with indignation at the thought. 
 
 With mind made up and purpose formed, he 
 crawled back from the face of the bluff until he 
 was too far away to be seen by the Moors below, 
 and, springing to his feet, he ran down the slope, 
 along the tortuous path to the cottage. His 
 father's arquebus hung on the wall, and, as the 
 lad knew how to load and fire it, his first thought 
 was to secure it and shoot at the Moors from the 
 top of the bluff, putting them to flight. 
 
 Fortunately for the success of his plan, his 
 granddame was not in the cottage on his arrival. 
 Climbing up the wall, he took down the match- 
 lock, which had grown rusty from long disuse. 
 Then a new difficulty arose ; there was neither 
 powder nor slow-match, and the gun was worthless. 
 
g2 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " I can't use it, but there is father's cross-bow. 
 It will do quite as well," he thought. 
 
 Taking down the cross-bow and several iron- 
 pointed bolts, Hernando examined the steel bow, 
 the crank and string, and thought they would do. 
 Like the arquebus, long disuse had made the 
 cross-bow rusty. The lad had a small, sharp 
 sword of his own, which he kept bright and in 
 good condition ; for, young as he was, he had 
 learned to handle it quite effectively. 
 
 With sword and cross-bow he hastened back 
 toward the bluff from whence he expected to 
 make the attack. He halted ere he reached it, to 
 wind up the bow and have it ready when he 
 should come in sight of the Moors. Placing the 
 muzzle on the ground, and taking the double 
 crank in both hands, he began winding it up. 
 His agitation, his anxiety, and nervousness doubt- 
 less aided to bring about the disaster — the bow 
 snapped in twain. 
 
 "Saint Anthony ! "What am I to do? " cried 
 the lad. " Arquebus useless for lack of powder, 
 and cross-bow broken." 
 
 Overcome by his ill-fortune, he threw himself 
 on the ground and wept from mortification. 
 He heard not the tramp of feet nor clank of 
 swords, nor did he see the two tall, powerful 
 men who were coming down the path toward 
 him. 
 
0BRI8T1NA OVILARES. 
 
 33 
 
 A voice so near at hand as to startle the morti- 
 fied lad said : 
 
 " What's this before us ? — a lad and a broken 
 cross-bow." 
 
 " Is he slain, duke ? " 
 
 . „., The last voice sounded 
 
 S & " /> familiar, and the boy 
 
 sprang to his feet, mak- 
 
 11 IS HE SLAIN, DUKE ? " 
 
 ing a great effort to dry his \ 
 tears before the new-comers 
 should discover his weakness. The last speaker 
 was his rescuer at the Plaza de Toros, Christo- 
 pher Columbus, and his companion a tall, power- 
 ful man, with dark hair and whiskers. They 
 wore breastplates, and had swords at their sides. 
 
 " He seems alive," answered the dark-whiskered 
 man. 
 
 3 
 
34 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " By the mass, it's ray young acquaintance of 
 the Plaza de Toros! What has gone amiss, my 
 lad? Your cross-bow is broken, and you have 
 tears in your eyes." 
 
 " Good sefior, I have enough to make a Christian 
 lad die of mortification ; four infidel Moors are in 
 the valley, beyond the spur of the mountain, with 
 a child prisoner whom they are carrying into 
 slavery. I brought my cross-bow to rescue her, 
 but it broke in winding." 
 
 "Why, Columbus, this is a gallant lad," said 
 the tall, dark-whiskered man. 
 
 "Duke Medina Celi, you are brave," answered 
 Columbus, in a voice that was effective. " Heaven 
 forbid we should let a Christian child be dragged 
 into infidel slavery." 
 
 "My good sword is ready," the duke replied, 
 drawing his trusty blade. 
 
 "Lad, lead the way," said the brave Columbus, 
 while his own bright blade leaped from its scab- 
 bard. 
 
 " That I will, good senor, and I pray Heaven 
 that I may get a chance at the dog Abdallah." 
 
 The boy led the way down the path to a place 
 in the bluff where the descent could be made 
 without being seen by those below. Reaching the 
 vallej T , they crept through a dense growth of ever- 
 green oaks until they were within forty paces of 
 the Moors, before they were discovered. 
 
CHRISTINA VI LARES. 35 
 
 " Christians, by Allah ! " yelled Abdallah, leaping 
 to his feet. 
 
 There was no time for the use of bow, match- 
 lock, or even the lance, for the Christians with 
 drawn swords were too close, and time was only 
 given to leap erect and snatch their cimeters. 
 
 "Infidels, plunderers, thieves!" roared Medina 
 Celi, dealing blows right and left with his trenchant 
 blade. "Carry Christian children into slavery, 
 will you ? " 
 
 Columbus was at his side, and, though they were 
 two to four, they soon had the Moors hard pressed 
 and retreating. 
 
 " Abdallah, dog of a Moor ! " roared the angry 
 lad, " this for my poor wronged father." And leap- 
 ing forward, with his small keen sword he struck 
 the Moor, who with another was fighting the duke, 
 a blow on the side of his head. The blow was 
 aimed so well, and delivered with such force, that 
 the blade passed through the Mohammedan's bon- 
 net, and cut away the upper part of his left ear, 
 inflicting a wound on the side of his head. 
 
 With a terrible yell, the Moor dropped his cim- 
 eter, and, holding his hand on his bleeding ear, 
 cried : 
 
 " Hernando Estevan, I'll take vengeance on your 
 father for this. I will find the slave and cut off 
 both his ears." 
 
 The boy was too much dumfounded by this 
 
36 COLUMBIA. 
 
 statement to follow up the advantage he had 
 gained, and allowed the Moor to escape. The 
 duke was a shrewd knight, and, taking advantage 
 of the momentary confusion of his remaining 
 adversary, he beat down his guard, and ran him 
 through the body. 
 
 Seeing his companion fall, Abdallah gave utter- 
 ance to a yell of rage and fear, and fled. Medina 
 Celi sprang to the aid of Columbus, who was fight- 
 ing the other two, and they, finding everything 
 against them, also fled. 
 
 "My lord duke, it has been an easy victory," 
 said Columbus. 
 
 "Hadn't we better give the infidels chase?" 
 asked the duke, burning with anxiety to cut down 
 the remaining rascals. 
 
 "No; see, they are mounting their Arabian 
 steeds, while we are on foot," returned Columbus. 
 " Let us look after the child — see who she is, and 
 what injury has been done her." 
 
 The prisoner was a modest little thing, her 
 cheeks very pale, and her eyes swimming with 
 tears, which silently rolled down her cheeks. 
 Hernando was already at her side, soothing her 
 with the assurance that there was no further 
 danger. 
 
 " Sweet child, weep no more," said Columbus, 
 his kind face beaming with pity. " Your captors, 
 save he that was slain, have fled." 
 
CHRISTINA OVILABES. 37 
 
 She still continued to sob, with grief rather 
 than fear ; and Columbus, being eager to know her 
 story, sat on a stone, and taking her, as a father 
 would, on his knee, said : 
 
 " Little one, tell me your name." 
 
 " Christina Ovilares," was answered, between 
 sobs. 
 
 " Where is your home, Christina ? " 
 
 "Alas! I have none. I did live three leagues 
 hence with my old grandfather; my mother being 
 dead, and my father slain in battle.'' 
 
 " And where is your grandfather, sweet child." 
 
 '' He, too, is dead ; the Moors attacked our cot- 
 tage this morning, slew him, burned our home, 
 and carried me away." 
 
 Overcome by the narration of her own sad 
 story, the child broke down and sobbed bitterly. 
 
 " Have you no relatives? " asked Columbus. 
 
 " None." 
 
 " Nor friends, nor home ? " 
 
 * None, sefior." 
 
 " My lord duke, here is a worthy object of 
 charity. What shall we do with her ? I have 
 no home to offer her." 
 
 " Granddame and I have room in our cottage 
 for her, and she shall come and live with us," 
 interrupted Hernando ere the duke could speak. 
 
 Columbus and the duke exchanged glances, 
 and then the former said : 
 
38 COL UMB1A. 
 
 " It's best that can be done." 
 
 " I agree with you, senor. Let us guard them 
 to the cottage, and see that another attack is not 
 made by the Moors." 
 
 " Little fear of that," Columbus answered. 
 " The infidel dogs have learned a lesson." Point- 
 ing to the Moor who had just fallen, he added : 
 " We must give him Christian burial." 
 
 " Let us care for the living first, and give safe- 
 conduct home to the lad and child ; then will be 
 time enough to look after the dead." 
 
 As they started up the cliff, the three Moors 
 were discovered among the trees not a hundred 
 paces down the valley. One of them had dis- 
 mounted, and placing the rest of his arquebus on 
 the ground, was aiming at them when discovered. 
 He applied the slow-match, and there was a whiff 
 of smoke, a stunning report, and a stone bullet 
 struck the breastplate of Columbus, causing him 
 to stagger. 
 
 " Are you hurt, senor? " asked the duke. 
 
 " No, no ; my good breastplate saved me. Let 
 us get crossbows or hand-guns, and pursue the 
 infidel dogs." 
 
 " It's no use, senor," cried the lad. 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 " Behold ! some knights from Navarre are 
 coming." 
 
 Waving plumes, polished helmets, and glittering 
 
CHRISTINA OVILARES. 39 
 
 lances flashed up the valley. A score of mailed 
 knights, no doubt in pursuit of this predatory 
 band of Mussulmans, came galloping down the 
 valley. 
 
 " Pray God they may not be too late," put in 
 the duke. 
 
 " They see them," cried Columbus. 
 
 " Ay, the Moors know their danger," the lad 
 gasped. " See how they mount and fly." 
 
 The knights spurred their horses at the top of 
 their speed, and flew like the wind down the road, 
 after the Moors. 
 
 From their elevated position, our friends 
 watched the chase for miles. It was a race for 
 life. The Moors threw away their hand-guns 
 and lances, even their cimeters, in fact everything 
 that would hinder their flight, and spared not 
 their horses in the wild race. By this means they 
 increased the distance between themselves and 
 their pursuers. 
 
 " Take the child to your home, lad ; you can 
 now go in safety, for the Moors have been driven 
 from the valley," said Columbus. 
 
 " Will not the good senors come — and " 
 
 " No, lad ; it's better we wait and meet the 
 knights on their return; besides, the slain, infidel 
 though he be; must have decent burial." 
 
 Strongly impressed with a strange new and 
 great responsibility, Hernando took the child's 
 
40 COLUMBIA. 
 
 little trembling hand in his own, and led her down 
 the rugged path to their cottage. The humble 
 home, half buried in evergreens, with the great 
 blue bay beyond, was lovely in its picturesque 
 rusticity. Pausing when in sight of his cottage, 
 Hernando said : 
 
 "I like you already." 
 
 She made no answer ; but a grateful expression 
 came over that little pale face, and he resumed : 
 " Granddame will love you, too, and you must 
 weep no more." 
 
 When they reached the cottage, the sefiora was 
 amazed at the story her grandson had to tell. 
 She took the little girl in her arms, kissed away 
 her tears, and assured her she should have a home 
 with them as long as they lived. Christina's little 
 heart was too full for utterance, and, throwing her 
 small arms about the good old sefiora's neck, she 
 sobbed for joy. 
 
CHAPTER in. 
 
 THE MADMAN OF GENOA. 
 
 Hernando gave his warmest sympathies to 
 the little girl whom he had aided in saving from 
 a life of slavery and degradation. Like himself, 
 she was an orphan, both having suffered from the 
 same cause, and it was only natural that his heart 
 should go out toward her. As two buds remain- 
 ing on different trees of the same kind, after the 
 tempest has broken all their branches, produce 
 more delicious fruit if each, separated from the 
 maternal stem, be engrafted on the neighboring 
 tree ; so these two children, deprived of all their 
 relations, early imbibed feelings of affection more 
 tender than brother and sister. They soothed each 
 other's cares, and proved, a constant consolation to 
 each other. When Hernando, low in spirit, sat 
 by the sea-side listening to the moaning of a cap- 
 tive father far away across the great ocean, she 
 whispered words of hope and comfort in his ear. 
 If Christina in any of their rambles stumbled and 
 fell, he was always first to raise her to her feet 
 and whisper words of tender sympathy. 
 
 Rarely indeed has such an attachment been 
 known as that which these children early evinced 
 
42 COLUMBIA. 
 
 for each other. If Hernando was hurt or in pain, 
 a sight of Christina brought a smile of happiness 
 to his face, and sorrow and pain were forgotten. 
 If any accident befell Christina, the cries of Her- 
 nando gave notice of the disaster ; but the dear 
 little creature would suppress her complaints, if 
 she found he was unhappy. 
 
 Many days after their first meeting were passed 
 like a beautiful dawn, the prelude of a bright day. 
 They were of great assistance to the old sefiora 
 in her household duties. As soon as the crowing 
 of the wakeful cock announced the approach of 
 dawn, Christina arose, shook out her curls, and 
 hastened to the neighboring spring for water; 
 then, returning to the house, prepared the break- 
 fast. When the rising sun gilded the distant 
 mountain-peaks, they offered up their morning 
 prayer together, a ceremony which always pre- 
 ceded their first repast, which they often took 
 before the door of the cottage, seated upon the 
 grass, under a canopy of palms. Plentiful and 
 wholesome nourishment gave early growth and 
 vigor to these children, and their countenances 
 expressed the peace and purity of their souls. 
 
 So early "does beauty develop in Spain that, 
 though only ten years of age, Christina's figure 
 was in some degree formed. A profusion of light 
 hair shaded her face, to which her soft brown, 
 gazelle-like eyes and coral lips gave the most 
 
THE MADMAN OF GENOA. 
 
 43 
 
 charming brilliancy. Her eyes sparkled with vi- 
 vacity when she spoke, but when in repose they 
 habitually turned upward with an expression of 
 tender melancholy. 
 
 Hernando, who was 
 over three years her 
 senior, had already be- 
 gun to display graces 
 of youthful beauty. He 
 was taller than Chris- 
 tina, his skin of a darker 
 tint, his nose more aqui- 
 line, and his black eyes 
 would have been too 
 piercing, if the long eye- 
 lashes by which they 
 were shaded had not im- 
 parted to them an ex- 
 pression of softness, of- 
 ten amounting to mel- 
 ancholy. 
 
 They delighted to 
 wander alone, hand in 
 hand, over rocks and 
 hills and through shady glens, conversing in their 
 soft Spanish tongue, or sit by the sea-side watch- 
 ing the rising swells gathering in force and power, 
 until the surging, rolling wave broke in crested 
 splendor on the cold gray stones beneath. It 
 
 ChIUSTINA Ovilares. 
 
44 COLUMBIA. 
 
 was on such occasions that the lad would fancy 
 he heard the enchained captive shriek in agony, 
 and implore him to come to his rescue. He 
 told her the story of his father over and over 
 again, and while Christina could not willingly 
 give up her new-found friend and brother, she 
 would say nothing to deter him from his mission. 
 
 One day as they sat on the sea-shore listening 
 to the moaning waves, Christina descried a sail 
 in the distance. They watched the snowy speck 
 grow larger, and at last the small craft entered 
 the little harbor, and a man disembarked, and 
 from the course he took was evidently bending 
 his steps toward the village. 
 
 "I know him," the lad whispered, as the sun- 
 light felt on his noble features and snow-white 
 hair. " It is our good friend, Sefior Columbus." 
 
 Both sprang to their feet and ran across the 
 bit of rocky headland, so as to intercept the 
 stranger. Eecognizing them, he paused, and with 
 a smile on his benevolent face awaited their ap- 
 proach. 
 
 " My good children, it gives me joy to witness 
 your happiness," he said, as they came up with 
 him. 
 
 " We have you to thank for joy, life, and hap- 
 piness," Hernando answered. " We came to greet 
 you, good sefior, and invite you to our cottage 
 hard by, that our granddame may thank you, 
 
TEE MADMAN OF GENOA. 45 
 
 and accord you such hospitality as our poor cot- 
 tage affords." 
 
 " I can't go, lad," Columbus answered, his face 
 growing grave. " I am to meet the Duke Medina 
 Celi at the castle beyond the village." 
 
 " The same grand man who fought so nobly for 
 Christina. You are fortunate in having such 
 friends." 
 
 " Fortunate! Ah, boy, my life is full of bitter 
 disappointment, and, were my work done, how 
 gladly would I lay it down," answered Columbus, 
 with a sad shake of the head. "But no," he 
 added almost immediately, as if starting from a 
 painful revery, " I am called of Heaven to rescue 
 the Holy Sepulchre from the infidel. To do it, I 
 must find the treasures described by Marco Polo 
 beyond the seas, and raise an army for that pur- 
 pose." 
 
 The boy only partially comprehended him. 
 The sage's eye lit with pious enthusiasm, and his 
 cheek glowed with rapture. The children gazed 
 on him in mingled awe and admiration, regarding 
 him in the light of one inspired. 
 
 " Do you really mean to cross the sea ? " Her- 
 nando asked. 
 
 " I do. God has commanded me, and I must 
 obey. Eeason and science tell of a land over 
 there, where a mighty people, greater and more 
 powerful than the nations we know, dwell ; and, 
 
46 COLUMBIA. 
 
 though the wise may call me mad, I will find 
 them. My hair has whitened, and my frame 
 grown old, in cherishing this thought. For twenty 
 years I have plead with kings and princes for 
 authority and means to prosecute my voyage, but 
 have been denied. All things come to those who 
 learn to wait, and as Heaven has spared my life I 
 am convinced I shall yet succeed." 
 
 Columbus, in reality, never doubted his final 
 success. Being of a religious turn of mind, and 
 feeling assured that God had ordained him for 
 this special work, even in the midst of his keenest 
 disappointments he never gave up in utter despair. 
 Daily he prayed for success and strength to sur- 
 mount every difficulty in the way to the discovery 
 of a new world. He prayed that each defeat and 
 disappointment might only strengthen him to re- 
 newed energy. What man with such determina- 
 tion could fail ? No gate stands barred to him 
 who works with the tools of patience in the light 
 of understanding. 
 
 The children watched him wending his way 
 over the hills until projecting rocks shut him out 
 from view, and then they hurried homeward. 
 
 Next day Hernando went to Palos, and on en- 
 tering the village he heard shouts and cries from 
 a crowd of idle boys. As he hastened around a 
 corner to learn the cause of their merriment, his 
 quick ear caught such cries as : 
 
THE MADMAN OF GENOA. 47 
 
 " Madman of Genoa ! " 
 
 "Ho, ho! do your antipodes walk on their 
 heads?" 
 
 " And do trees grow with tops down ? " 
 
 " Pray, wise serior, how do your people stay on 
 the earth and not fall off ? " 
 
 " And won't your seas pour out ? " 
 
 A rollicking crowd of vagabonds, sailors, thieves, 
 and smugglers followed a tall, stately man, whose 
 snow-white hair and sad demeanor demanded a 
 higher respect than the taunts and jeers he re- 
 ceived. Even smaller children joined the proces- 
 sion and pointed at their foreheads as the grand 
 man, unmoved by their jests and sallies of wit, 
 walked along the street. Under his arm he car- 
 ried a bundle of maps and charts, for Columbus 
 was a meditative cosmographer, perpetually brood- 
 ing over the sinuous lines of his sea drawings, by 
 the sale of which he was enabled to eke out a 
 miserable existence. 
 
 The lad, recognizing his friend and rescuer thus 
 exposed to taunts and insults, grew furious with 
 rage, and, leaping to his side, turned on the mob 
 and cried : 
 
 "For shame, cowards! How dare you insult 
 so good and so great a man ? " At which the troop 
 of vagabonds roared in derision. 
 
 Columbus laid his hand on the boy's head, and 
 said: 
 
4g COLUMBIA. 
 
 " Peace, lad ; say no more." 
 
 " They shall not insult my preserver," Hernando 
 answered, his eyes rilling with tears. 
 
 With a sweet, forgiving smile, indicating how 
 far above the average malicious, revengeful man 
 he was, Columbus took the boy's hand in his own, 
 and said : 
 
 "Come with me." 
 
 As a father would lead a child, he conducted 
 him to tbe same public-house where they had been 
 on the day of the bull-fight ; the mob, hooting and 
 jeering, followed them almost to the door. In an 
 apartment where they would not be interrupted, 
 Columbus sat down, the lad at his side, and said : 
 
 " I want to talk with you, Hernando, and I pray 
 you to think nothing more of that foolish rabble. 
 I have grown accustomed to their sneers. You 
 are young and impulsive : so once was I, but time 
 and long suffering have changed me. But for the 
 fact that I am called of Heaven, and cannot resist 
 the promptings of the voice within, I should have 
 long ago believed that I was mad. If I be mad, so 
 were the great writers whose works I have studied. 
 In Plato's Atlantis we read of the country of 
 which Marco Polo tells us. If I am mad, so too 
 were they ; but God and reason tell me they are 
 true." 
 
 " And you believe them?" asked the boy. 
 
 " I do. I have seen the maps furnished by Paulo 
 
TBE MADMAN OF GENOA. 49 
 
 Toscanelli, made from the original maps of Marco 
 Polo and Ptolemy." 
 
 " But those countries, if there are such coun- 
 tries across the sea, are probably peopled by wild, 
 fierce creatures." 
 
 " There may be many wild and curious people 
 beyond the sea, but we shall also find a grand 
 country. A world exists there far surpassing 
 ours, and it is to bring our people in closer relation 
 with that world, and to discover new countries for 
 our king and queen, that I propose to risk my 
 life on this voyage. 
 
 " The city of Kanbalu, in the province of 
 Cathay, is twenty-four miles square, and the 
 manufactures and merchandise brought there are 
 enough to supply the universe." 
 
 " Tell me all about it, please," the boy cried, 
 his eyes beaming with enthusiasm ; and Colum- 
 bus, who never tired of the subject, resumed : 
 
 " Here precious stones are to be seen in abund- 
 ance, the pearls, the silks, and divers perfumes of 
 the East. Scarce a day passes without the arrival 
 of a thousand cars laden with silk." 
 
 "And the palace of the Grand Khan is there 
 too. What a magnificent building it must be ! " 
 cried the boy, his dark eyes sparkling with interest. 
 
 " The Grand Khan's palace is a group of palaces 
 four miles in circuit. The interior is resplendent 
 with gold and silver, and in it are guarded the 
 4 
 
50 COLUMBIA. 
 
 precious vases and jewels of the sovereign. All 
 the appointments of the Grand Khan for war, for 
 the chase, and various festivities with which he is 
 wont to amuse himself, are too gorgeous for our 
 description." 
 
 " How wonderful ! " 
 
 " Wonderful as they are, the province of Cathay 
 is far inferior to Mangi. It contains twelve hun- 
 dred cities." 
 
 The boy was dumb with amazement, and Co- 
 lumbus, warming up with his theme, went on: 
 
 " Quinsai, the capital," Marco Polo says, " is the 
 city of heaven. He was in the city, examined it 
 diligently, and affirms it to be the largest in the 
 world, for it is one hundred miles in circuit. Like 
 Venice, it is built on little islands, and has twelve 
 thousand stone bridges, the arches of which are so 
 high that the largest vessels pass under them with- 
 out having to lower a mast It has three thousand 
 baths and six hundred thousand families. It 
 abounds with magnificent houses, and has a lake 
 within its walls thirty miles in circumference, on 
 the banks of which are the superb palaces of peo- 
 ple of rank. Mangi was conquered by the Great 
 Khan, who divided it into nine kingdoms, and 
 appointed a tributary king over each. He draws 
 an immense revenue from it, for the country 
 abounds in gold and silver, sugar, spices, and 
 perfumes." 
 
THE MADMAN OF GENOA. 51 
 
 " Why don't you go there ? " asked the boy. 
 
 " No one will help me," was the answer. " My 
 argument is unheeded, for some don't believe the 
 world is round. I have brought to bear my best 
 argument, and told them, over and over again, 
 that by the compass we can now sail unknown 
 seas, and with the astrolabe, by the altitude, de- 
 termine our distance from the equator. There's a 
 world of wealth and grandeur awaiting the bold 
 discoverer." 
 
 It was on such airy basis as the stories related 
 by Columbus to his young friend that the great 
 discoverer built his hopes and theories of a new, 
 undiscovered world. Many other wild stories of 
 a land beyond the unknown sea were going the 
 rounds. Pieces of wood, strangely carved, had 
 been borne in by the tide ; two dead bodies of an 
 unknown race were said to have drifted on one of 
 the Canaries. The inhabitants of these far west- 
 ern isles declared that islands could be seen still 
 west of them ; and so firm were they in the belief 
 that they asked permission of the king of Portu- 
 gal to discover and take possession of them. 
 
 The minds of the people were full of wild, fan- 
 tastic notions of this imaginary land. Some sup- 
 posed it to be the Antilla mentioned by Aristotle ; 
 others, the island of Seven Cities — so called from 
 an ancient legend of seven bishops, who, with a 
 multitude of followers, fled from Spain at the 
 
52 COLUMBIA. 
 
 time of the Moorish conquest, and, guided by 
 Heaven to some unknown island on the ocean, 
 founded on it seven splendid cities. Others 
 thought the island seen the legendary island of 
 St. Brandon, named after a Scottish priest whom 
 tradition said had gone away and established an 
 empire on some unknown island, about the year 
 a.d. 688. 
 
 Whether Columbus believed all these stories or 
 not, he knew that bold explorers had begun to 
 navigate the unknown ocean, and that his new 
 world could not long remain undiscovered. 
 
 "Have you asked anyone to help you?" in- 
 quired the boy, after the narrator had paused in 
 his recital of the wonders of the new world. 
 
 " Yes, many, and I still ask. I am here to 
 meet the Duke of Medina Celi, who was with me 
 on the day we rescued the little girl. Some time 
 ago he entertained me at his house, listened with 
 the ear of conviction to my projects, and was once 
 on the point of granting three or four caravels, 
 when he changed his mind, thinking such impor- 
 tant discoveries belonged to some monarch who 
 could take possession of them." 
 
 "Have you explained your plans to any mon- 
 archs ? " 
 
 "I applied to King John of Portugal; he 
 listened to all I had to say, gained all my points 
 of information, and, while I was awaiting his 
 
THE MADMAN OF GENOA. 53 
 
 decision, sent a fleet on the very course I had laid 
 down. They failed, for Heaven will never reward 
 such treachery, and I quitted King John." 
 
 " Have you tried Ferdinand and Isabella?" 
 
 " They are too busy. Conquest and expulsion of 
 the infidel occupies their time, and though I have 
 again and again been promised an audience with 
 them, I have again and again been disappointed. 
 ' Hope deferred maketh the heart sick,' and oh, 
 how often have I been sick at heart ! Did I not 
 know that Heaven had ordained me for this work, 
 I would have abandoned it years ago. Falsehood, 
 perfidy, and swindles of people in high places, 
 disappointments and shattered hopes, turned my 
 hair white at thirty. During all these years, I 
 have been exposed to continual scoffs and indig- 
 nities, such as you have witnessed to-day ; being 
 ridiculed by the ignorant as a dreamer, and stig- 
 matized by the illiberal as an adventurer. The 
 very children point to their foreheads as I pass, 
 and call me the madman of Genoa." 
 
 " Will you give up the project ? " 
 
 "Give it up ! I cannot. Had not Heaven called 
 me to this work, I must have died of a broken 
 heart years ago ; but, being called of God, I cannot 
 die until it is accomplished. Through my friends 
 the duke and Alonzo de Quintilla I have been 
 enabled to gain the countenance of Pedro Gonza- 
 lez de Mendoza, Archbishop of Toledo, and Grand 
 
54 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Cardinal of Spain. These have made an interces- 
 sion with the monarchs, and a council of the wisest 
 men in Spain is to be held in Salamanca, before 
 which council I am to appear and state my theories, 
 and they will make report to the royal princes 
 now fighting with the Moors." 
 
 " Then why are you not hopeful ? For surely 
 they will become convinced." 
 
 " There is little to be hopeful for. They are 
 men wise in their own conceit, and as my theories 
 will conflict with their own set notions, I feel 
 that they will be rejected as impractical. I have 
 learned bitter lessons from men theoretically wise." 
 
 "I thought you said you would succeed." 
 
 " In the end I will, but I fear not with them. 
 There may be years of disappointments, shattered 
 hopes, and heart-aches yet in store for me ere 
 success crowns my efforts. But God's will can- 
 not be balked, and He sends me on this mission." 
 
 " Senor," cried the boy, suddenly, seizing the 
 hand of Columbus in both his own, while his eyes 
 sparkled with a new, strange hope, " make me a 
 promise." 
 
 "What?" 
 
 " I told you the story of my father." 
 
 " You did." 
 
 " I want to go with you on your voyage to the 
 new world." 
 
 " Child, you know not what you ask." 
 
THE MADMAN OF GENOA. 55 
 
 " I do, good seiior. I too am called of Heaven 
 to rescue a captive father. I must go, for I feel 
 that you cannot succeed without me." 
 
 Columbus gazed on the fresh, honest young 
 face and black, flashing eyes, and dared not say 
 he spoke an untruth. After a moment's thought 
 he answered : 
 
 " On one condition only can you go." 
 
 '• Name the condition." 
 
 "You must gain the consent of your grand- 
 dame. I have a son of your age. I would not 
 take him with me, and I begin to love you almost 
 as much as if you were a son. Under no condi- 
 tions would I consent for you to be exposed to the 
 dangers and hardships of such a voyage, did I 
 not believe that you, as well as I, are called of 
 Heaven." 
 
 The lad was jubilant, yet he felt a pang at 
 thought of leaving Christina and the granddame, 
 who had been so kind to him, but home attach- 
 ments could not conflict with duty. On ascertain- 
 ing that Columbus was to soon set out for Sala- 
 manca, he exacted a promise from him, that, should 
 he gain his granddame's consent, he could accom- 
 pany him. 
 
 On his return Hernando found the senora busy 
 with her household duties, Christina assisting her. 
 The expression of happiness on the pretty face of 
 Christina increased as Hernando approached. He 
 
56 
 
 COLUMBIA. 
 
 dared not tell the granddame until he had con- 
 fided the matter to Christina : so he took her aside 
 and told her all. 
 
 "Then you will go away?" and the pretty face 
 grew so sad that he kissed her again and again, 
 and assured her that, when his father was found, 
 he would return and never leave her side. Then 
 together they returned to the granddame, where 
 Hernando told all, and concluded with: 
 
 "Can I go?" 
 
 " No," was the prompt answer. 
 
 " Granddame, don't you know how my father 
 calls to me from across the sea? Oh, will you not 
 let me go to him ? " 
 
 "Go away, child. You are mad to think of 
 such a thing." 
 
 He quitted the cottage, and wandered to the lit- 
 tle glen by the sea, where he sank down upon the 
 mossy bank of a brooklet, and burying his face in 
 his hands, burst into a flood of tears. He had 
 sobbed there but a short time when a pair of light 
 feet came skipping over the rocks, a fairy-like 
 being bent over the sad youth, and a pair of ga- 
 zelle-like eyes, beaming from out a profusion of 
 golden curls, were on him. Christina, who always 
 shared his troubles, had come to weep with him 
 over his disappointment 
 
 The old senora was ill at ease at having refused 
 the lad's request. She imbibed all the supersti- 
 
THE MADMAN OF GENOA. 57 
 
 tions of the age, and believed that the boy had 
 heard the spirit of his father calling him to come 
 to his rescue across the waters. All the afternoon 
 her mind dwelt on the subject, and when she went 
 to bed at night it was the last thought of her 
 waking moments. 
 
 In sleep it did not leave her, for scarce was she 
 locked in slumber ere her dreaming fancy, look- 
 ing out across the broad ocean to the westward, 
 saw a mighty light flash over the sea. She seemed 
 transported to the shores of an unknown land, 
 where strange, gnome-like figures with hard, cruel 
 faces met her on every hand. Amid the cries of 
 slaves and clank of chains she beheld Hernando's 
 father. 
 
 Oh, how changed! Years of slavery and suffer- 
 ing had worn him away to a skeleton, and fixing 
 bis agonized eyes on her, he groaned : 
 
 " Why do you withhold from me my only hope 
 of release from a living death ? " 
 
 The senora awoke with a shriek, and such an 
 impression did the dream have upon her that next 
 morning she said: 
 
 " Hernando, I saw your father last night in a 
 vision, and I will now consent for you to go with 
 Sefior Columbus to the New World and release 
 him from a living death." 
 
 With a cry of joy he embraced the granddame 
 and Christina, who tried hard to conceal the grief 
 
58 COLUMBIA. 
 
 she felt at loss of her brother. Noticing the cloud 
 on Christina's face, he said : 
 
 " Who will care for her when I am gone? " 
 
 "That will be my duty," the granddame an- 
 swered. 
 
 That very day Hernando went to Palos, where 
 he found Columbus, and told him all. Placing 
 his hand on the boy's head, the great man ex- 
 claimed : 
 
 " Henceforth our destinies are one. "We go in a 
 double cause, which must have a single result. 
 Both of us are called of Heaveo, and both will in 
 the end receive Heaven's reward." 
 
CHAPTEK IY. 
 
 THE WISE MEN OF SALAMANCA. 
 
 About a league from Salamanca, once the great 
 seat of learning of Spain, the road winds about 
 among hills, mountains, and picturesque passes in 
 graceful serpentine curves, presenting a constant 
 and varied scene of beauty. 
 
 The sun had not been an hour in the sky when 
 a man and boy, each mounted on a mule, came 
 slowly jogging along this tortuous path. As the 
 distant towers of Salamanca loom up into view, the 
 face of the tired lad grows brighter in anticipation 
 of reaching the end of a long, fatiguing journey. 
 
 " We'll soon be there, sefior," spoke Hernando, 
 pointing toward the tall spires and steeples of the 
 old Dominican Convent of St. Stephen's, where 
 they were to be entertained during the conference. 
 In the hall of the convent Columbus was to 
 appear before the great body of theologians and 
 philosophers, to expound his new theories. 
 
 " Yes, we'll soon be there," the great man an- 
 swered. 
 
 " And you will convince them, I know." 
 The white head of the wise man shook some- 
 what dubiously, as he answered : 
 
60 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " False logic more often convinces than sound. 
 I feel impressed that I am not understood, and 
 justice cannot be given my plans until I have 
 shaken the throne with them. Men with set no- 
 tions cannot be moved." And Columbus bowed 
 his head thoughtfully. 
 
 He was not of a despondent nature ; a man of 
 grave, earnest demeanor, but far from possessing 
 a melancholy temperament. On that journey he 
 had travelled for hours in silence, buried in 
 thought. Being called of Heaven for this special 
 work, it is not to be wondered that his thoughts 
 were beyond those of mortal ken. Hernando, 
 being naturally quiet, seldom disturbed his medi- 
 tations. His own sad thoughts checked the nat- 
 ural overflow of his childish spirits. Added to 
 the one great shadow that had fallen on his young 
 life — the unknown fate of his father — was the re- 
 gret at leaving Christina and the granddame. 
 
 Reaching Salamanca, they went at once to the 
 old Dominican Convent of St. Stephen, where 
 they were to be lodged and entertained during the 
 course of the examination. 
 
 At this period in the world's history religion 
 and science were closely associated in Spain. The 
 treasures of learning were immured in monasteries, 
 and the professors' chairs filled from the cloister. 
 The clergy dominated over the State as well as 
 Church, and, with the exception of hereditary 
 
THE WISE MEN OF SALAMANCA. 61 
 
 nobles, posts of honor and influence at court were 
 almost entirely confined to the ecclesiastics. 
 
 Columbus and his young companion were met 
 at the gate by a sleek, smiling old friar, who 
 greeted them with : 
 
 "Welcome to this holy convent; you have 
 journeyed a long distance, judging from the dust 
 on your garments, and you stand in need of rest." 
 
 " Our journey has been fatiguing," Columbus 
 answered. 
 
 " And may the saints be praised that you were 
 not assailed by the infidel Moors." 
 
 The very thought of the Moors caused the friar 
 to pause a moment, cross himself, and pray that 
 the marauding infidel might be driven from the 
 land of the Christian. 
 
 " It is coming, too," he added. " Our good 
 sovereigns are gaining all the while, and ere long 
 Granada must fall." 
 
 " I pray Heaven it may," Columbus devoutly 
 answered. 
 
 Entering the court, servants came to take the 
 mules away to their stalls. The good friar, strok- 
 ing the boy's head, turned to Columbus and asked : 
 
 " Is the bright lad your son ? " 
 
 " He is an orphan, a noble lad whom I love 
 almost as if he were my son." 
 
 " Ay, may he find a father in you. I will take 
 you to your apartments, where you will find food 
 
62 COLUMBIA. 
 
 and wine, and you must have rest, for the confer- 
 ence begins its session to-morrow. The junto is 
 already assembling." 
 
 The boy carefully watched the face of Columbus 
 to see if the intelligence produced any change, but 
 the explorer expressed neither fear nor pleasure 
 at the announcement. His face was grave, grand, 
 and noble, as it always was, but dignified and 
 unmoved as if carved from marble. Passing be- 
 neath the portals of the grand old convent, they 
 entered the chamber set apart for them. When 
 dinner was served, Hernando was hungry, for the 
 journey had given him a keen appetite ; but Colum- 
 bus was so full of his great subject that he ate 
 slowly and sparingly. 
 
 All that day they saw no one save their attend- 
 ant, and Hernando, being wearied, was urged to 
 retire early in the evening. When the lad closed 
 his eyes in sleep, Columbus still sat at a table 
 poring over his charts and arranging his thoughts 
 for the grand discussion that was to come on the 
 morrow. Whether he slept any that night or 
 not, the world will perhaps never know, but when 
 the lad awoke, the sun was rising, and the great 
 cosmographer still sat poring over his books, 
 maps, and charts. 
 
 Eising, Hernando dressed, and going to the side 
 of his benefactor, asked : 
 
 " Have you slept at all ? " 
 
THE WISE MEN OF SALAMANCA. 63 
 
 " I am ready now to present my cause," was the 
 answer. 
 
 Instinctively Columbus knew that he was that 
 day to enter upon the greatest struggle of his life. 
 The so-called learned men before whose august 
 presence be was to present his scheme were super- 
 stitious bigots, more ready to find flaws in bis 
 logic than to see gems of truth. He took a bath, 
 ate a light breakfast, and got ready for the unequal 
 contest. 
 
 " Can I go with you ? " asked the boy. 
 
 " Is it your wish ? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " The chances of success are small." 
 
 " Why do you say so? " 
 
 " I believe that the greater part of the learned 
 junto are already prepossessed against me." 
 
 " From what cause? " 
 
 " I am neither ricb nor of noble blood, and men 
 in place and dignity are apt to be prejudiced 
 against poor applicants. They already consider 
 me as a kind of delinquent or impostor whose 
 faults are to be detected and exposed. Again, I 
 am only an obscure navigator, a member of no 
 learned institution, destitute of all the trappings 
 and circumstances whicb are thought necessary 
 to make one worthy of consideration. But if this 
 day is to be one of humiliation, come and be a 
 witness to it." 
 
64 COLUMBIA. 
 
 What a striking spectacle the hall of the old 
 convent presented on this memorable" occasion ! 
 The learning and wisdom of Spain were there 
 assembled to listen to the theories and vagaries of 
 an unknown man. 
 
 Upon a dais at one end of the hall sat the 
 learned junto, looking very grave, serious, and 
 wise. On entering the hall in the presence of the 
 assembled wisdom of Spain, the unknown navi- 
 gator paused a moment and gazed on the assembly 
 to search their faces, and, if possible, read their 
 thoughts. In the eyes of one or two he saw 
 marks of sympathy ; in others, interest, or rather 
 curiosity ; while he read in a majority of the junto 
 only unyielding prejudice. He was dressed neatly 
 but plainly, and his snow- white hair and beard 
 gave to him a patriarchal appearance. He held 
 Hernando's hand in his left, and carried a bundle 
 of maps and charts under his right arm. 
 
 The appearance of the junto was so much more 
 favorable than he had expected that Columbus 
 stooped and whispered to the lad : 
 
 " It is not so bad as I had anticipated." 
 
 Columbus was modest yet self-possessed, neither 
 dazzled nor daunted by the awful presence of so 
 much learning. Never had a more imposing 
 scene been presented in the old convent. A sim- 
 ple, unknown mariner standing before an array of 
 professors, friars, and dignitaries of the Church, to 
 
THE WISE MEN OF SALAMANCA. 65 
 
 plead the cause of a new and unknown world. 
 At first only the friars of St. Stephen seemed to 
 have any interest in the matter; the other mem- 
 bers of the university yawned and lolled in their 
 chairs, and showed every indication of being bored. 
 Columbus advanced toward the junto, and bowed ; 
 then one of the friars of St. Stephen said : 
 
 " Proceed at once with your theories." 
 
 " Most holy and learned fathers I " Deep and 
 rich were those tones, as if flowing from the in- 
 most depths of a great soul. At sound of his 
 voice every eye sparkled and every form became 
 erect, while all signs of listless indifference gave 
 place to interest. " I come, most holy fathers, 
 called of Heaven to plead the cause of an unknown 
 world — a world lying beyond the seas — a land 
 where splendor, beauty, and magnificence, such as 
 has never come to us in our fondest dreams, await 
 the explorer." 
 
 As he became warmed up in his theme, a glow 
 which seemed born of inspiration overspread his 
 face, and the lad, gazing on him in wonder, at last 
 declared : 
 
 " Surely he is called of God! " 
 
 All save the learned friars of St. Stephen ap- 
 peared to have entrenched themselves behind the 
 dogged position, that after so many profound phi- 
 losophers and cosmographers had been studying 
 the form of the world, and so many able naviga- 
 5 
 
66 COLUMBIA. 
 
 tors had been sailing about it for several thousand 
 years, it was the height of presumption in an 
 ordinary man to assert that there remained such 
 a vast discovery for him to make. 
 
 Columbus came and labored in the most inop- 
 portune age of the world's history for his great 
 achievement, and nothing but his indomitable 
 will and determination, with the enthusiastic hal- 
 lucination that he was called by Heaven to liber- 
 ate the Holy Sepulchre, and his only means of 
 acquiring the necessary funds was in this discov- 
 ery, could have stimulated him to such prodigious 
 efforts. The imperfect state of science at the 
 time, and the manner in which knowledge, though 
 rapidly extending, was still impeded in its prog- 
 ress by monastic bigotry, were against him. All 
 subjects were still contemplated through the ob- 
 scure medium of those ages, when the lights of 
 antiquity were trampled out and faith was left to 
 fill the place of inquiry. Bewildered, in a maze 
 of religious controversy, mankind had retraced 
 their steps, and receded from the boundary line 
 of ancient knowledge. 
 
 Having resurrected the theories of Ptolemy, 
 Marco Polo and Aristotle, Columbus had pinned 
 his faith on the judgment of the ancient philoso- 
 phers and astronomers, rather than present navi- 
 gators or bigoted churchmen and philosophers 
 of his own aga 
 
THE WISE MEN OF SALAMANCA. 67 
 
 As be gradually unfolded his plans, producing 
 argument after argument to substantiate bis doc- 
 trines, one of the most bigoted members of the 
 junto suddenly interrupted him with : 
 
 " "What you say is sacrilege." 
 
 " Why say you so ? " asked Columbus. 
 
 " It is in direct conflict with the Bible, the New 
 Testament, the prophets, the epistles and gospels, 
 as well as the expositions of various saints and 
 commentators, St. Chrysostom, St. Augustine, 
 St. Jerome, St. Gregory, St. Basil, St. Ambrose, 
 and Lactantius Firmianus, the redoubted cham- 
 pion of our faith." 
 
 Being a religious enthusiast himself, Columbus 
 was hardly prepared for this turn of the discus- 
 sion. At this time, doctrinal points were mixed 
 up with philosophical discussions, and mathemat- 
 ical demonstration was allowed no weight if it 
 appeared to clash with a text of Scripture or a 
 commentary of one of the fathers. 
 
 After a moment's silence, Columbus replied: 
 
 "Holy fathers, T reverence the doctrines and 
 Scriptures as much as you, but the possibility of 
 the antipodes in the southern hemisphere is an 
 opinion so generally maintained by the ancients 
 as to be pronounced by Pliny the great contest 
 between the learned and the ignorant." 
 
 Nevertheless, the antipodes proved a stum- 
 bling-block in the way of the sages of Salamanca, 
 
68 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " Your statements cannot be true," interposed 
 the principal objector, who had surrounded him- 
 self with the works of Lactantius and St. Augus- 
 tine, who in those days were considered of almost 
 Divine authority. li Listen, while I read what 
 Lactantius says on the subject." 
 
 And the friar read : 
 
 " 'Is there any one so foolish as to believe there 
 are antipodes with their feet opposite ours; peo- 
 ple who walk with their heels upward and their 
 heads hanging down ? That there is a part of the 
 world in which all things are topsy-turvy ; where 
 trees grow with their branches downward, and 
 where it rains, hails, and snows upward ? The 
 idea of the roundness of the earth was the cause 
 of the inventing this fable of the antipodes with 
 their heels in the air ; for the philosophers, having 
 once erred, go on in their absurdities, defending 
 one with another.' " 
 
 The friar paused, laid down Lactantius, and 
 took up as his next authority St. Augustine, 
 Eesuming the thread of his discourse, he added : 
 
 " St. Augustine pronounces the doctrine of anti- 
 podes, with which this would-be explorer seems so 
 thoroughly imbued, to be incompatible with the 
 historical foundations of our faith ; since to assert 
 that there are inhabited lands on the opposite 
 side of the globe would be to maintain that there 
 are races not descended from Adam, it being im- 
 
THE WISE MEN OF SALAMANCA. 69 
 
 possible for them to have passed the intervening 
 ocean. This would be, therefore, to discredit the 
 Bible, which expressly declares that all men are 
 descended from one common parent. There are 
 other points in the Holy Scriptures incompatible 
 with the theory of this man. I believe he says 
 the earth is spherical in form ? " 
 
 The friar paused, that Columbus himself might 
 answer, and without any hesitation he said : 
 
 ''Holy father, it is." 
 
 "Then to his proposition I can bring the most 
 direct proof that he is in conflict with God him- 
 self. It is observed that, in the Psalms, the heav- 
 ens are said to be extended like a hide; that 
 according to our commentators, the curtain or 
 covering of a tent, which among the pastoral 
 people of ancient times was made of the hides of 
 animals ; and even St. Paul, in his epistle to the 
 Hebrews, compares the heavens to a tabernacle or 
 tent extending over the earth, which of course 
 must, by the very necessity of the argument, be 
 flat." 
 
 '' Holy father, I fear that the figurative is being 
 construed literally," interposed Columbus. 
 
 "It is not for you to decide which is figurative 
 and which literal," sharply answered the friar. 
 "You, professing to be a Christian, have proved 
 yourself heterodox." 
 
 Columbus at once saw there was danger of his 
 
70 COLUMBIA. 
 
 being wrongfully accused, and had begun to saj 
 something in his own defence, when another friar, 
 more versed in science, rose and said: 
 
 " Admitting that the earth is globular in form, 
 and that there is a bare possibility of an opposite 
 side that is inhabitable, we all know from scien- 
 tific researches that it is impossible for one to 
 arrive there, in consequence of the insupportable 
 heat of the torrid zone. Again, even granting 
 that this point could be passed, the earth's cir- 
 cumference must be so great as to require at 
 least three years to make the voyage, and as it 
 would be impossible to take sufficient provisions, 
 in my opinion, all would perish of hunger and 
 thirst.' ; And having delivered this remarkable 
 opinion, the august personage with, a conclusive 
 " ahem," designed to exterminate the unknown 
 upstart, seated himself. 
 
 Another argued, on the authority of Epicurus, 
 that, admitting that the earth was spherical, it 
 could only be inhabited at the northern hemis- 
 phere, and that section only was canopied by the 
 heavens ; that the opposite side was chaos, a gulf, 
 or a mere waste of water. If a ship could reach 
 the extremity of India, she could never get 
 back again, for the rotundity of the globe would 
 present a mountain up which it would be impos- 
 sible to sail, even with the most favorable wind. 
 Other objections, more cogent in their nature, and 
 
TEE WISE MEN OF SALAMANCA. 71 
 
 more worthy of the distinguished university, were 
 advanced, and Hernando began to tremble for 
 their cause; but its advocate stood unabashed 
 and unmoved by the argument of the friars. 
 
 The interview might end by sending him to tbe 
 rack, but he had a warm religious feeling, added 
 to which was his superior knowledge of science, 
 and an earnest conviction that he was right. 
 
 When all the objections were made, he pro- 
 ceeded to reply with cogent reasoning, logical con- 
 clusions, and a depth of religion and knowledge 
 which swept away the dark clouds of objection. 
 He showed how the inspired writers were not 
 speaking technically as cosmographers, but figu- 
 ratively, in language addressed to all comprehen- 
 sions. The ignorant bigot of the past was as 
 ready to misquote and misinterpret the Scriptures 
 as the bigoted and dishonest infidel of the present. 
 
 The commentaries of the fathers Columbus 
 treated with deference, as pious homilies, but not 
 as philosophical propositions which it was neces- 
 sary to either admit or refute. But the objections 
 drawn from ancient philosophers he met boldly 
 and ably, upon equal terms, for he was well posted 
 on all points of cosmography. He proved con- 
 clusively that the most illustrious of those sages 
 believed both hemispheres to be inhabitable, 
 though they imagined that the torrid zone pre- 
 cluded communication. 
 
72 COL UMBIA. 
 
 "I can conclusively obviate that difficulty," he 
 continued. " I have myself voyaged to St George 
 la Mina in Guinea, almost under the equinoctial 
 line, and found the region not only traversable, 
 but abounding in population, fruits, and pastur- 
 age." 
 
 Then, as that simple, unknown navigator be- 
 came warmed up, he elicited the closest attention 
 from all. His convictions gave him confidence in 
 the execution of what he conceived to be his great 
 mission, and his ardent temperament became heat- 
 ed by its own generous fires. His commanding 
 person, his elevated demeanor, his air of author- 
 ity, his kindling eye, and the persuasive intona- 
 tions of his voice, gave majesty and force to his 
 words, as, casting aside his maps and charts, and 
 discarding for a time his practical and scientific 
 lore, his visionary spirit took fire at the doctrinal 
 objections of his opponents, and met them on their 
 own ground, pouring forth those magnificent texts 
 of Scripture and those mysterious predictions of 
 the prophets, which in his enthusiastic moments 
 he considered as types and annunciations of the 
 sublime discoveries which he proposed. 
 
 Influenced alike by reason and eloquence, Diego 
 de Deza became convinced that Columbus was 
 right. Diego de Deza was a learned friar of the 
 Order of St. Dominic, at that time professor of 
 theology in the Convent of St Stephen, but who 
 
THE WISE MEN OF SALAMANCA. 73 
 
 afterward became Archbishop of Seville, the sec- 
 ond ecclesiastical dignitary of Spain. This able 
 and erudite divine could appreciate wisdom, even 
 when uttered by unlearned lips. He took a gen- 
 erous interest in the cause, and by the exercise of 
 almost superhuman powers calmed the blind zeal 
 of his more ignorant brethren, so as to obtain for 
 the unknown mariner a dispassionate if not an 
 unprejudiced hearing. By the united efforts of 
 Columbus and Diego de Deza, it is said, they 
 brought over the most learned men of the schools. 
 The most serious objection raised to the theory 
 of Columbus was sprung late in the discussion, 
 and that was that his theory could not be recon- 
 ciled with the cosmography of Ptolemy, to which 
 all scholars yielded implicit faith. At this time 
 the solar system of Copernicus, which was to re- 
 verse the grand theory of Ptolemy, was unknown. 
 It was requisite, before Columbus could make his 
 solutions and reasonings understood, that he should 
 remove from his auditors those erroneous princi- 
 ples on which their objections were founded — a 
 task more difficult than teaching a new doctrine. 
 As time wore on, many began to lose interest 
 in the conference, and the decision was delayed 
 again and again. As days passed, and news of 
 battles won and campaigns planned came from 
 the front, the junto seemed to prefer discussing the 
 practical question of expelling the Moors, to the 
 
74 COLUMBIA. 
 
 impractical theory of discovering a new world. A 
 voyage to one ol the planets would to-day be re- 
 garded with as much incredulity, and as wild and 
 visionary, as was the plan of Columbus. Fernando 
 de Talavera, to whom the matter was especially 
 intrusted, had too little esteem for it, and was too 
 much occupied with the stir and bustle of public 
 concerns, to press it to a conclusion; and thus the 
 inquiry experienced continual procrastination and 
 neglect. 
 
 Columbus waited day after day, week after 
 week, and month after month for a decision, but 
 none came. Early in the spring of 1487 the Cas- 
 tilian court had departed from Salamanca, and 
 repaired to Cordova, preparing for the memorable 
 campaign against Malaga. Instead of waiting in 
 idleness the decision of the junto, Columbus took 
 an active part in the campaign. He tried to per- 
 suade Hernando to return to his home, but the 
 youth said : 
 
 " No, no ; I'll go with you. You are my father's 
 only hope, and I must not lose sight of you." 
 
 " We may not have a decision for months yet," 
 argued Columbus. "When we do get it, the 
 chances are the decision will be against us." 
 
 " I must be with you when the decision does 
 come," the lad answered. 
 
 The summer of 1490 passed, and still Columbus 
 and Hernando were kept in tantalizing suspense. 
 
THE WISE MEN OF SALAMANCA. 75 
 
 They fought for Ferdinand and Isabella in many 
 battles, and doubtless their perilous adventures, 
 and the many stirring scenes of the war, made the 
 days of suspense less irksome. 
 
 Columbus and Hernando still lingered at Cor- 
 dova, when it was ascertained that the sovereigns 
 were preparing to depart on a campaign in the 
 Vega of Granada, with a determination never to 
 raise their camp from before the city until their 
 victorious banners should float upon its towers. 
 
 " I must have a decision of the junto at once," 
 he said to Ferdinand, who, having an interest in 
 the affair which was subordinate to his own con- 
 quests, ordered Fernando de Talavera to hold a 
 definite conference of the scientific men to whom 
 tbe project had been referred, and make a report 
 of their decision. The bishop tardily complied, 
 and at length reported to their majesties, as the 
 general opinion of the junto, that the proposed 
 scheme was vain and impossible, and that it did 
 not become such great princes to engage in an 
 enterprise of the kind on such weak grounds as 
 had been advanced. 
 
 But Columbus had one enlightened mind and one 
 enthusiastic soul in the person of Friar Diego de 
 Deza, tutor of Prince Juan, who so tempered mat- 
 ters that the plan was not rejected. Fernando de 
 Talavera repaired to Cordova, where Columbus 
 still waited a decision. With hope brightening 
 
76 COLUMBIA. 
 
 his face, Columbus hastened to meet him, and 
 asked : 
 
 " Have you a decision? " 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 "Do they reject it?" 
 
 "No. I am authorized to say that the great 
 cares and expenses of the wars have rendered it 
 impossible for the sovereigns to engage in any new 
 enterprise; but, when the war is over, they will 
 have both time and inclination to treat with you 
 on the subject." 
 
 Columbus reeled as if he had been struck a 
 blow, and leaning against the wall said : 
 
 "I was almost foolish enough to hope." 
 
 " Does not this promise give you hope ? " asked 
 the royal messenger. 
 
 "It is but a starving promise, at best, after so 
 many days of weary attendance, anxious expecta- 
 tions, and deferred hope." 
 
 But he gained strength and courage to repair 
 to the court at Seville, and get the answer from 
 the lips of his sovereigns. It was virtually the 
 same, declining to engage in the enterprise at 
 present, but promising, when the war was over, to 
 give him their aid in the affair. 
 
 "What will we do now? Shall we wait?" 
 Hernando asked when they left the court. 
 
 "It's no use," Columbus answered. " This in- 
 definite postponement is only a courtly mode 
 
THE WISE MEN OF SALAMANCA. ft 
 
 of evading our importunity. We will leave 
 Spain." 
 
 " Surely they will reconsider." 
 
 " I have no confidence in vague promises which 
 have so often led to disappointment. I have 
 already been beguiled out of too many precious 
 years of waning existence, and to-morrow I will 
 turn my back on Seville and depart for France." 
 
CHAPTEK V. 
 
 FALL OF THE CRESCENT. 
 
 About half a league from the little seaport town 
 of Pal os de Moguer, in Andalusia, there still stands 
 to this day an ancient convent of Franciscan 
 friars, dedicated to Santa Maria de Eabida. One 
 day, according to the multifarious writings of the 
 Plieto, which are still preserved at Seville, a 
 stranger on foot, in humble guise but of distin- 
 guished air, accompanied by a boy, stopped at 
 the gate of the convent, and asked the porter for 
 a little bread and water for his child. While re- 
 ceiving this humble refreshment, the prior of the 
 convent, Juan Perez de Marcbena, happening to 
 pass by, was struck by the appearance of the 
 stranger, and observing, from his air and accent, 
 that he was a foreigner, entered into conversation 
 with him, and learned the particulars of his story. 
 That stranger was Columbus. 
 
 The prior was a man of extensive information, 
 who, from his close proximity to Palos, had given 
 considerable attention to geography and nautical 
 science. The inhabitants of Palos were among 
 the most enterprising navigators of Spain, having 
 made frequent voyages and discoveries on the 
 
FALL OF THE ORESCENT. 79 
 
 African coast. The prior was greatly interested 
 by the conversation of Columbus, and struck with 
 the grandeur of his views. It was a remarkable 
 occurrence, in the monotonous life of the cloister, 
 to have a man of such a singular character, intent 
 on so extraordinary an enterprise, applying for 
 bread and water at the gate of his convent. 
 
 When the prior learned that the voyager was on 
 the point of abandoning Spain to seek patronage 
 in the court of France, and that so important an 
 enterprise was about to be lost forever to the 
 country, his patriotism took alarm. Being diffi- 
 dent of his own judgment, he detained Columbus 
 as his guest, and sent for a scientific friend — 
 Garcia Fernandez — a physician, resident in Palos. 
 Fernandez was equally impressed with the appear- 
 ance and conversation of the stranger. 
 
 " It can yet be arranged, sefior," asserted the 
 good doctor, " and you must remain a while 
 longer." 
 
 " Alas ! my friends, I have almost abandoned 
 hope. The king and queen are too much ab- 
 sorbed in the conquest of Granada to listen to my 
 theories. They evidently have no faith in me." 
 
 " You must stay and meet some friends from 
 Palos. You have heard of the Pinzons ? " 
 
 " I have, though I never .met them." 
 
 " You shall see them, and they shall hear your 
 story." 
 
80 
 
 COLUMBIA. 
 
 The next day brought about the momentous 
 meeting of those famous navigators, who were 
 destined to bring on each other eternal renown 
 and ruin. Martin Alonzo Pinzon was in the port 
 of Palos at the time. 
 
 The fame of the Pinzons was far greater at this 
 time than that of Columbus, and Hernando, who 
 
 had often seen them 
 when in port at Palos, 
 had never had any 
 higher ambition in his 
 boyhood than to sail 
 in one of their ships. 
 The prior brought 
 with him from Palos 
 a tall, powerful man, 
 with broad, high brow 
 and dark beard. He 
 wore a sword and 
 breastplate, and as the 
 lad studied the face of the great sailor, he pro- 
 pounded to himself the question : 
 " Can he help us ? " 
 
 Columbus seemed to feel that at last they were 
 nearing the end. Martin Alonzo Pinzon was an 
 experienced navigator, a man of good family and 
 great wealth, and was not so liable to be preju- 
 diced by false logic and theories distorted from 
 truth, as the learned men of the realm. 
 
 Maktin Alonzo Pihzon. 
 
FALL OF TEE ORESCENT. 81 
 
 This first meeting betweeD Martin Pinzon and 
 Christopher Columbus was cordial, and from the 
 first they seemed to be friends. In the great sea- 
 captain the future discoverer found an interested 
 and intelligent listener. 
 
 " I doubt not your theory, Senor Columbus," 
 the sailor answered, when Columbus had explained 
 his plans. " I have rescued from the waves many 
 relics drifting in from that unknown sea. In 
 addition to the bodies of a strange race which 
 floated to our shores, I have picked up wood of a 
 species unknown to us, as well as strange and 
 wonderful carvings." 
 
 Hernando, who had been listening with breath- 
 less interest and utter silence up to this moment, 
 now allowed his anxiety to overcome his years, 
 and boldly asked : 
 
 " Would you undertake such a voyage, senor ? " 
 
 Almost immediately he remembered he was a 
 boy — that it was not his place to speak— and 
 he hung his head in confusion. Pinzon was a 
 kind-hearted as well as intelligent and brave 
 mariner, and with an encouraging smile he an- 
 swered : 
 
 "Yes; I am so favorably impressed with the 
 plan that I am willing to engage in it with my 
 purse and person. By all means, renew your ap- 
 plication at court, senor." 
 
 "Alas! I have no money," was the answer. 
 6 
 
82 
 
 COLUMBIA. 
 
 "I will bear the expenses myself. Give up, I 
 pray you, all idea of a journey to France." 
 
 " Wait, and by all means make one more effort," 
 put in Friar Juan Perez, who, confirmed in his 
 faith by the concurrence of those learned and 
 practical councillors, now became one of the most 
 enthusiastic advocates of the new enterprise. "I 
 was once confessor to the queen, and one of our 
 calling always has access to 
 her. If you will remain, I 
 will write to her immedi- 
 ately on the subject." 
 
 Columbus was easily per- 
 suaded, for he felt as if in 
 leaving Spain he was aban- 
 doning home ; and he was 
 also reluctant to renew in 
 another court the vexations 
 and disappointments expe- 
 rienced in Spain and Portugal. 
 " I will stay," he at last decided. 
 "And I will send Sebastian Eodriguez as am- 
 bassador to the queen. She is in the new mili- 
 tary city of Santa Fe, which has been built in 
 the Vega, before Granada." 
 
 In two days the ambassador was sent with the 
 friar's letter, and in due time came back with an 
 answer from the queen to Juan Perez, requesting 
 that he would repair immediately to the court, 
 
 Vincent Yanez Pinzon. 
 
FALL OF THE CRESCENT. 83 
 
 leaving Christopher Columbus in confident hope 
 until he should further hear from her. The royal 
 letter spread joy throughout the convent. No 
 sooner did the enthusiastic friar receive it, than 
 he saddled his mule, and, though it was nearly 
 midnight, set oat through the country of the con- 
 quered Moors, by roads which were by no means 
 safe, to Granada. 
 
 "Another long period of unrest and anxiety 
 is before me,'' remarked Columbus, when he was 
 again alone with his young protege. 
 
 "Let us pray Heaven it may not be in vain," 
 said the youth. 
 
 " I am not despondent, for I feel that each effort 
 strengthens my cause," answered Columbus. 
 "There is much ground for hope. The sacred 
 office of Juan Perez will gain him a ready entrance 
 to the court, and when once I can get the ear of 
 the queen I am certain of success." 
 
 As history has proven, Columbus was correct 
 in all his calculations. Juan Perez gained admis- 
 sion to the queen and laid before her the plans of 
 Columbus. Though she had in a general way 
 heard something of Columbus as a wild, visionary 
 enthusiast or adventurer, his claims had never 
 been presented to her in their true light before. 
 Juan Perez found an able coadjutor in the Mar- 
 chioness of Moya, who entered into the affair with 
 all a woman's disinterested enthusiasm, having 
 
84 COLUMBIA. 
 
 met Columbus and formed his acquaintance on a 
 former occasion, and already knowing something 
 of his plans, and how he had spent his life and 
 fortune in trying to give to Spain a greater 
 honor than a nation had ever attained. Isabella 
 was moved as only a wise Christian woman 
 could be, by such unselfish devotion. 
 
 " This man Columbus must be a great mind, 
 after all," she cried, at the conclusion of the joint 
 appeal of the marchioness and friar. " Send him to 
 me ; and, as he may have suffered by long priva- 
 tions, I will order that twenty thousand maravedis 
 in florins be forwarded to him to bear his travelling 
 expenses." 
 
 Again there was joy at the convent and the 
 town of Palos, when Garcia Fernandez delivered 
 the order, and the money with it, to Columbus. 
 
 The intervening time Hernando had spent at 
 home with his granddame and Christina, return- 
 ing only the day before Garcia Fernandez arrived 
 with tbe message and money. 
 
 "Can I accompany you?" he asked. 
 
 For a moment Columbus hesitated, and then 
 said: 
 
 " Yes ; our destinies are linked together, and you 
 may go." 
 
 They at once exchanged their threadbare garbs 
 for those more suited to the sphere of a court, and 
 set out once more to the camp before Granada. 
 
FALL OF THE CRESVENT. 85 
 
 But disappointments were not yet at an end. 
 In fact, from the beginning to the end of his life, 
 Columbus met with a continuous chain of disap- 
 pointments. It was a most inopportune period for 
 the transaction of any business with the court. 
 He experienced a favorable reception, and was 
 given in hospitable charge to his steady friend, 
 Alonzo de Quintilla, the accountant general. 
 
 " The moment is too eventful for your business 
 to receive immediate attention," said Quintilla. 
 " You will have to wait." 
 
 "I have learned long since to wait," the great 
 man answered, in his meek, submissive way. 
 
 " It will not be long," Quintilla assured. " Bo- 
 abdil was captured while on a plundering expedi- 
 tion a few days since, and now the Moorish king is 
 about to sally forth from the Alhambra, and sur- 
 render the keys of the seat of Moorish power. 
 After almost eight hundred years, the Moors will be 
 expelled from Spain. Ah, it will be a grand day." 
 
 Great crowds of people were already assembled 
 to witness the gorgeous scene. Knights with 
 glittering lances, gleaming helmets, swords, and 
 bucklers were everywhere. The hills and valleys 
 were alive and swarming with horsemen and foot- 
 soldiers. Ladies of rank, and the wives of the 
 soldiers, mingled with the military. The blast of 
 trumpets and soft notes of the distant bugle-horn 
 filled the air with melodious sounds. 
 
86 COLUMBIA. 
 
 "Oh, what a grand sight!" cried Hernando. 
 " See how the armor glitters ; look at those arque- 
 busiers, and see the cannon. Look how the ban- 
 ners rise and fall." 
 
 " Beware, Hernando, or you will be trampled to 
 death," continued Columbus. "These troopers 
 are careless." 
 
 " So they be. In St. Anthony's name, man, will 
 you ride your horse right over a person ? " de- 
 manded the indignant lad, as a horseman almost 
 ran his steed over him. 
 
 " Give way to the heralders of the sovereigns ! " 
 shouted the trooper. " Stand back ! Get away ! 
 You cumber the ground." 
 
 " Eein in your Rozin," cried Columbus, losing 
 his temper. " If you make way for the heralds 
 of our good king and queen, you ought to know 
 civility." 
 
 The horsemen passed on, paying no heed to 
 Columbus. A long retinue of nobles, princes, 
 knights, and ladies, all on horseback, leading the 
 procession of Ferdinand and Isabella, now came 
 riding down through the throngs of people. 
 
 Heading the procession, mounted on a prancing 
 horse, a short arquebus in his hand, was a tall, 
 finely formed man, with flashing eye and haughty 
 demeanor. He was one of the newly-made knights, 
 for his armor was snow-white, and he was attached 
 to the staff of the king. 
 
FALL OF THE ORESCENT. 
 
 87 
 
 " Look," whispered the lad, seizing Columbus 
 by the arm. " He is my uncle Garcia, who, aided 
 by the Moor, procured my father's banishment. 
 I have told you of him." 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 " Look," whispered the Lad, seizing Columbus by the Arm. 
 "He is mt Uncle Garcia." 
 
 Then Columbus watched the knight with more 
 than ordinary interest. Once Sir Garcia turned 
 his eye toward the boy whom he had so greatly 
 wronged, and, recognizing Hernando amid the 
 throng, he started slightly, averted his face, and 
 rode on. 
 
 " A villain," exclaimed Columbus, who was 
 impulsive in his nature. 
 
88 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Everybody was taken up with the procession, 
 and no heed was given his remark, even if it was 
 heard. The kingly courtiers, lords, and ladies, in 
 all the pomp and splendor of the age, passed by ; 
 then came Ferdinand and Isabella, more grand 
 than any part of this sublime procession. 
 
 We can do no better than give the following 
 faithful picture of Columbus, drawn at the time 
 and handed down by Clemencin. During the 
 brilliant triumphant scene, he describes him as 
 follows : " A man obscure and but little known 
 at this time followed the court. Confounded in the 
 crowd of importunate applicants, feeding his im- 
 agination in the corners of antechambers with the 
 pompous project of discovering a world, melan- 
 choly and dejected in the midst of general rejoic- 
 ing, he beheld with indifference, almost amounting 
 to contempt, the conclusion of a conquest which 
 swelled the bosoms of all with jubilee, and seemed 
 to have reached the utmost bounds of desire. 
 That man was Christopher Columbus." 
 
 The sunlight flashed on a bewildering scene of 
 burnished arms, glittering helmets, waving plumes, 
 and streaming banners, while Ferdinand and Isa- 
 bella moved forward in proud and solemn proces- 
 sion to the consummation of their grandest hopes. 
 It was the most brilliant triumph in Spanish 
 history. After eight hundred years the crescent 
 had fallen, the cross was exalted in its place, and 
 
FALL OF THE VRESUENT, 89 
 
 the standard of Spain floated from the highest 
 tower of the Alhambra. The whole court and 
 army were abandoned to jubilee, and such a scene 
 as was witnessed by Hernando and Columbus has 
 never been repeated. The air resounded witb 
 sbouts of joy, songs of triumph, and bymns of 
 thanksgiving. The king and queen moved in the 
 midst, in exalted magnificence, while every eye 
 regarded them as more than mortal, as if sent by 
 Heaven for the salvation and upbuilding of Spain. 
 The boy stood on tiptoe, craned his neck, mounted 
 blocks of wood and stone, in order to catch a 
 glimpse of his sovereigns. Many a foot grew 
 weary, and many a neck ached from perpetual 
 straining to get sight of the beloved monarchs. 
 
 The court was thronged by the most illustrious 
 of that war-like country and stirring era, and the 
 flower of the nobility was in attendance. The 
 dignity of its prelacy, the bards and minstrels, and 
 all the retinue of a romantic and picturesque age, 
 made it a scene that has never been excelled in 
 history. The whole day was one of kaleidoscopic 
 splendor, the glittering of arms, sounds of music 
 and rejoicing. 
 
 What was joy to the Spaniards was grief to the 
 Moors. After almost eight hundred years they 
 must give up the land they had come to regard 
 their own, and emigrate to another. 
 
 At two o'clock in the afternoon, the Moorish 
 
90 COL UMBIA. 
 
 army, trailing the crescent, came forth to sur- 
 render. 
 
 It was a solemn and imposing ceremony. The 
 stipulations of the surrender had already been 
 agreed upon, and nothing but the form remained 
 to be gone through with. 
 
 While the Spaniards filled the air with shouts 
 and cries of joy, the Moors made the welkin ring 
 with groans and sobs of bitterness. It was then 
 that the Moorish bard from the depths of his soul 
 broke forth with : 
 
 "Beautiful Granada, how is thy glory faded! 
 The flower of thy chivalry lies low in the land 
 of the stranger. No longer does the Vivarrambla 
 echo to the tramp of steed and sound of trumpet ; 
 no longer is it crowded with thy youthful nobles, 
 gloriously arrayed for the tilt and tourney. Beau- 
 tiful Granada ! The soft note of the lute no longer 
 floats through the moonlit streets. The serenade 
 is no more heard beneath thy balconies. The 
 lively castanet is silent upon thy hills. The 
 graceful dance of the zambra is no more to be seen 
 beneath thy bowers. Beautiful Granada ! Why 
 is the Alhambra so lorn and desolate? The or- 
 ange and myrtle still breathe their perfumes into 
 its silken chambers ; the nightingale still sings 
 within its groves; its marble halls are still re- 
 freshed with the flash of fountains and gush of 
 limpid rills. Alas, alas ! the countenance of the 
 
FALL OK 1 THE ORESCENT. 91 
 
 king no longer shines within those walls. The 
 light of the Alhambra is forever set." 
 
 So deep was their grief and so great their lam- 
 entations that Hernando was for the time being 
 moved to compassion. But suddenly his eyes 
 grew bright, glistening with hate, and starting 
 from the side of Columbus, he ran across the in- 
 tervening space between the people and ranks of 
 the Moors, and approaching a tall, dark-skinned 
 fellow who had lost the upper half of his left ear, 
 he cried : 
 
 "Abdallah Ahmed, are you here? " 
 
 " Christian dog, have you come to rejoice over 
 our ruin?" the Moor answered. 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Then away!" 
 
 "No, no. I would ask you questions." 
 
 " How know you that the Mussulman will give 
 truthful answers ? " 
 
 " You must swear by your prophet to give me 
 a truthful answer. Where is my father ? " 
 
 " Think you that I know ? " 
 
 "From the dark hints which you breathed on 
 one other occasion, you must know to what strange 
 far-off land he sailed." 
 
 "I know nothing to tell." 
 
 " Dog of a Mohammedan, you deserve to have 
 your other ear cut from your head." 
 
 The infuriated Moor raised his hand, and would 
 
§2 COLUMBIA. 
 
 have struck the lad had not a fellow Moor seized 
 his arm. 
 
 "Are you mad, Abdallah ? Know you not that 
 we dare not touch the child of a Christian ? " 
 
 " I'll bide my time ; but, Hernando Estevan, I 
 hate you for taking away the fair child Christina. 
 I will be even with you yet, and I'll take her with 
 me when we again invade Andalusia." 
 
 The indignation of Hernando now almost burst 
 all bounds. He could hardly reconcile himself to 
 the idea of Christina's name being polluted by the 
 breath of such a villain, and with clinched fist 
 sprang forward to strike his enemy, when sud- 
 denly a gayly caparisoned horseman spurred his 
 steed between them. 
 
 Turning his flashing eyes on Hernando, he 
 cried : 
 
 "Away, youngster — brat — away ! '" 
 
 " Uncle Garcia, there stands the man whose 
 lying tongue ruined my father," cried the excited 
 and indignant youth. 
 
 " 1 know you not — away ! " 
 
 " You are my uncle Garcia Estevan." 
 
 "Lying brat, away." 
 
 " In the name of my wronged father — " the lad 
 began ; but Garcia Estevan flew into a rage, and 
 with the flat side of his sword struck the youth a 
 blow which staggered him. 
 
 "Shame, shame ! " cried a voice, and next mo- 
 
FALL OF THE CRESCENT. 93 
 
 ment Columbus seized the stunned boy in his 
 arm, and snatched his own sword from its sheath. 
 "Have you not wronged him enough already? 
 Do you now wish to end your foul work in the 
 murder of your brother's child? " 
 
 " Who are you, you old white-haired sinner," 
 roared Garcia, and raising his sword he aimed a 
 downward stroke at Columbus. The explorer 
 was a skilled swordsman, and with the greatest 
 ease warded off the stroke. Before they could 
 cross blades again, a steel-clad horseman, mounted 
 on a powerful black steed, galloped between them 
 and cried : 
 
 "Hold, Sir Garcia! As you value your life, 
 harm not Sefior Columbus." 
 
 The new arrival was Alonzo Quintilla, the 
 accountant-general, and a man with whom Sir 
 Garcia dared not dispute. 
 
 " Senor Columbus, if you would make your 
 enterprise a success, you must avoid private quar- 
 rels." 
 
 " I have no quarrel to make with that man ; I 
 but defended the lad and myself." 
 
 " Say no more ; I know all." 
 
CHAPTEE VL 
 
 AGAIN DENIED. 
 
 Though burning with hate and dread, Garcia 
 Bstevan was powerless to harm either the child or 
 his white-haired champion. Alonzo de Quintilla, 
 the accountant-general, was too powerful a per- 
 sonage for even the king's favorite to oppose. 
 
 "Away, Estevan," cried Alonzo de Quintilla. 
 
 "He is but a meddlesome fool," answered the 
 angry knight. 
 
 " Enough ! I know you, and I know this man 
 and boy. Begone ! " 
 
 As Sir Garcia rode away he gave Columbus a 
 look which boded him no good. 
 
 " What does he mean ? " the knight asked him- 
 self. "Why has be espoused the old fellow's 
 cause, and why has the man with white hair es- 
 poused the cause of the boy ? " 
 
 During all the remainder of the imposing cere- 
 mony Garcia was ill at ease, and the Moor Abdal- 
 lah Ahmed kept out of sight. The face of the 
 boy haunted the wicked uncle, and when he 
 reached his chamber that night he determined to 
 know more of the lad and his strange companion, 
 and what was their object in Granada. He sum- 
 
AGAIN DENIED. 
 
 95 
 
 moned his esquire, and asked him if he knew the 
 boy Hernando or his white-haired companion. 
 
 "I do not, Sir Garcia," the esquire answered. 
 
 " Can you learn anything of them, Sancho ? " 
 
 " I know a man who will furnish you with the 
 information you desire." 
 
 •' Find him and send him to me." 
 
 Sancho went away, and an hour later reappeared 
 with a low-browed, surly, 
 villanous-looking fellow, 
 who by his attire and man- 
 ner was evidently a sailor. 
 
 " What is your name ? " 
 asked the knight. 
 
 "I am Miguel, an hon- 
 est sailor from Palos." 
 
 " Can I engage your 
 services ? " 
 
 " In what, sir knight? " 
 
 " There is an old, white-haired man here with a 
 boy. I saw them to-day following the parade." 
 
 "Are they in your way, sir knight?" asked 
 Miguel, with a deep hidden meaning, yet one well 
 understood by the knight. 
 
 " I don't mean that yet, Miguel. I merely want 
 to know who he is, and what is his business here." 
 
 "The lad?" 
 
 "I know him. He is the son of my brother, 
 who fled Spain a few years ago to escape the 
 
 Miguel the Mutineer. 
 
96 COLUMBIA. 
 
 wrath of an injured king. I want to know the 
 lad's white-haired companion, and what motive 
 brings him here." 
 
 "I will learn, sir knight. Unless I mistake, 
 they are the same who were at Palos a few weeks 
 since. I will learn all, and let you know." 
 
 Sir Garcia slept little that night, and when he 
 did, he dreamed of the pale-faced lad, whose eyes 
 were so strikingly like the wronged brothers. 
 
 " What cursed fate comes now to snatch from 
 me the laurels I have won by years of toil, danger, 
 and scheming ? " he asked himself, as he tossed 
 upon his bed. " Are the golden spurs to be 
 stripped from my heels by that brat and that 
 infernal old meddler? " 
 
 When he found the morning sunlight streaming 
 in at his chamber, he called his valet and asked 
 for th% sailor Miguel. 
 
 "He is in waiting, Sir Garcia." 
 
 The knight rose, dressed and breakfasted hur- 
 riedly, and sent for the spy. Miguel entered with 
 downcast eyes, as if conscious of his own guilt. 
 
 " Have you learned anything ? " asked Sir Gar- 
 cia. 
 
 " I have, seiior." 
 
 "What?" 
 
 "The lad's champion is a Genoese navigator, 
 named Christopher Columbus." 
 
 " What is he doing here? " 
 
Again Denied. tfi 
 
 " He came to have an audience with the queen 
 and her councillors." 
 
 " For what purpose ? " 
 
 Garcia was trembling with apprehension. The 
 sailor, who was slow of speech, hesitated a moment 
 and answered : 
 
 " Christopher Columbus has taken it into his 
 head to go to the antipodes." 
 
 " Where is that ? " 
 
 "I don't know, sir knight, but it is somewhere 
 that he expects to discover a new world." 
 
 " Is he an explorer ? " 
 
 " He is." 
 
 " I have heard of him. Now, tell me for what 
 purpose he has asked an audience with the 
 queen." 
 
 " To fit out a fleet to go to the antipodes and 
 discover a new world." 
 
 Placing some gold in his hand, Sir Garcia said : 
 
 " That will do for the present, Miguel. You 
 may go, but be near at hand when I want you." 
 
 The sailor rose, bowed, and, elated at his good 
 fortune, hurried away. Left alone, the cunning 
 Garcia began to consider what was to be done. 
 
 " Why does this man want to explore the un- 
 known sea on which my brother disappeared years 
 ago?" he asked himself; "and why is he so 
 attached to my brother's son ? I must look a little 
 further into this." 
 7 
 
98 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Calling his esquire into his presence, Sir Garcia 
 said : 
 
 " The man Columbus is here to hold an audience 
 with the queen and her councillors soon, and Fer- 
 nando de Talavera is one of them. I must see 
 him." 
 
 "You shall, my lord." And with a bow the 
 esquire turned about, and quitted the room. In 
 due time, Fernando de Talavera arrived, and Gar- 
 cia at once plunged into the subject. 
 
 " Have you met the man Columbus ? " 
 
 " I have, sir knight." 
 
 "Are you one to deliberate with him on this 
 wild scheme of exploring the antipodes ? " 
 
 " I shall probably be one of the body." 
 
 " Don't you think it folly for the government 
 to send out such an expedition ? " 
 
 "I do." 
 
 " "Will you oppose it ? " 
 
 " I have always opposed it, but my voice does 
 not outweigh the other advisers of the queen. 
 She has determined to give him an audience, and 
 I greatly fear will consent." 
 
 The cunning Garcia had seen Columbus but 
 once ; he had frequently heard of him, however, 
 and knew that his pride would make great de- 
 mands on his sovereigns. His plan for defeating 
 his purpose was to deal so niggardly with the 
 great man that he would refuse "to accept the 
 
AGAIN DENIED. 99 
 
 terms offered him. He suggested the plan to 
 Fernando de Talavera, who, being personally hos- 
 tile to the scheme of Columbus, at once fell in 
 with Sir Garcia's idea. 
 
 Thus we again find the way to easy victory 
 blocked. He who was the world's greatest bene- 
 factor was misunderstood and beset by enemies 
 on every hand. 
 
 The moment had arrived, however, when the 
 monarchs stood pledged to attend to the proposi- 
 tion. The war with the Moors was at an end, 
 Spain was delivered from the intruders, and its 
 sovereigns might securely turn their views to for- 
 eign enterprises. Isabella kept her word with 
 Columbus, and as soon as matters could be ar- 
 ranged prepared to receive him at her own court. 
 
 " Can I accompany you ? " Hernando asked, on 
 the morning that Columbus, arrayed in dark 
 velvet costume of the court, prepared to deliver 
 that famous final appeal, which will go thundering 
 down the ages until time shall be no more. 
 
 With a kindly smile, the great navigator an- 
 swered : 
 
 " We have stood side by side for so long that I 
 cannot refuse your request now. " 
 
 Columbus appeared in the royal presence of the 
 good queen, quite as self-possessed as usual, nei- 
 ther dazzled nor daunted by the splendor of the 
 court nor the awful majesty of the throne. 
 
100 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Seated on the throne, surrounded by lords, 
 nobles, courtiers, ladies of rank, and high Church 
 dignitaries, was one of the purest and most beau- 
 tiful characters in history — Queen Isabella. Her- 
 nando gazed on her in wonder and admiration. 
 Her splendid court costume and glittering crown 
 became dull and commonplace when compared 
 to the majesty and beauty of her face. She was 
 well formed, of medium size, with great dignity 
 and gracefulness of deportment, and a mingled 
 gravity and sweetness of demeanor. Her com- 
 plexion was fair; her hair auburn, inclining to 
 red ; her eyes were of a clear blue, with a benign 
 expression — a singular modesty of countenance, 
 gracing, as it did, a wonderful firmness of purpose, 
 and earnestness of spirit. 
 
 Approaching quite to the throne, Columbus 
 knelt before the queen, who gave him her hand 
 to kiss. Then he rose and waited her royal 
 pleasure. As on the occasion of his visit to Sala- 
 manca, the great navigator had an abundance of 
 maps and charts, which Hernando carried for 
 him. 
 
 Surrounding the queen Columbus saw several 
 friendly faces, among them Friar Juan Perez and 
 that noble woman, the Marchioness of Moya. 
 
 " Senor Columbus, proceed," said the queen, 
 whose voice had all the music of silver chimes 
 in it. 
 
'DID I NOT KNOW I WAS CALLED BY HEAVEN TO PLEAD THE CAUSE OF 
 AN UNKNOWN WORLD, I WOULD NOT DARE STAND IN YOUR PRESENCE. 11 
 
AGAIN DENIED. 101 
 
 Unfolding a chart which he held in his hand, 
 Columbus began : 
 
 " Greatest and best queen, most beloved of all 
 sovereigns, ruler of a powerful nation, pardon the 
 unseemly request of this audience. Did I not 
 know that I stood in the hand of Heaven, chosen 
 from among men for the accomplishment of its 
 high purpose, I would not dare stand before you 
 and plead this cause for an unknown world. I read 
 of the discoveries I contemplate making, in Holy 
 Writ, which are darkly shadowed forth in the 
 mystic revelations of the prophets. The ends 
 of the earth are to be brought together, and all 
 nations, tongues, and languages united under the 
 banner of the Redeemer. The triumphant con- 
 summation of my enterprise, great queen, is bring- 
 ing the remote and unknown regions of the earth 
 into communion with Christian Europe ; carrying 
 the light of true faith into benighted and pagan 
 lands, and gathering their countless nations under 
 the holy dominion of the Church." 
 
 A better preface to his argument could not 
 have been chosen. The queen and ecclesiastics 
 were wrapt in wonder. The closest attention was 
 given him from this time on, and had not the 
 queen been already favorably impressed with the 
 plan, she would have been converted. 
 
 Only Fernando de Talavera seemed unmoved 
 by the powerful argument; and as Columbus 
 
102 COLUMBIA. 
 
 ■warmed up, producing argument after argument, 
 holding throne and attendants spellbound, Tala- 
 vera became alarmed. 
 
 Columbus placed his argument under three 
 heads, and logically argued each in its turn. First 
 was the nature of things ; second, the authority of 
 learned writers; third, the reports of navigators. 
 
 As his first, he asserted as a fundamental argu- 
 ment that the earth was a terraqueous sphere, 
 which might be travelled around from east to 
 west, and that when on opposite points men stood 
 foot to foot According to Ptolemy, he divided 
 the circumference from east to west at the equator 
 into twenty-four hours of fifteen degrees each, 
 mating in all three hundred and sixty degrees. 
 Comparing the globe of Ptolemy with the earlier 
 map of Marinus of Tyre, he supposed that fifteen 
 hours had been known to the ancients, extending 
 from the Canary Islands to the city of Thinse in 
 Asia, a place set down as at the eastern limits of 
 the known world. 
 
 " The Portuguese," continued Columbus in his 
 address to the monarchs of Spain, "have advanced 
 the western frontier one hour more by the dis- 
 covery of the Azores and Cape de Verde Islands. 
 There then remain eight hours, or one-third the 
 circumference of the earth, unknown and unex- 
 plored. This space may in a great measure be 
 filled up by the eastern regions of Asia, which 
 
AGAIN DENIED. 103 
 
 may extend so far as to nearly surround the globe, 
 and even to approach the western shores of Europe 
 and Africa. The tract of ocean between these 
 countries is no doubt less than has been sup- 
 posed." 
 
 Under the second head of his argument. Colum- 
 bus submitted to the queen authors whose writ- 
 ings had weight in convincing him that the 
 intervening ocean could be but of moderate 
 expanse and easily traversed. Among these he 
 cited the opinion of Aristotle, Seneca, and Pliny, 
 that one might pass from Cadiz to the Indies in a 
 few days. The wonderful narratives of Marco 
 Polo and John Mandeville, with which he was 
 thoroughly acquainted, he quoted page after page. 
 He read the letter of Fernando Martinez, a learned 
 canon of Lisbon, who maintained that India could 
 be reached by a western course, asserting that the 
 distance could not be greater than four thousand 
 miles in a direct line from Lisbon to the province 
 of Mangi, near Cathay. 
 
 As a third argument, he enumerated the various 
 indications of land in the west, which had floated 
 to the known world — the dead bodies of a strange 
 race of men, branches of trees bearing an unknown 
 fruit, and pieces of wood strangely carved and evi- 
 dently of a workmanship unknown to the inhabi- 
 tants of Europe. Eeeds of an immense size, grown 
 no doubt on an. unknown land, had floated from 
 
104 COLUMBIA. 
 
 the west to the island of Porto Santo, where had 
 also been cast up on the shore some pieces of 
 wood, strangely carved by other than iron instru- 
 ments. His argument partook of logic, philos- 
 ophy, and eloquence, and the queen was herself a 
 delighted auditor. 
 
 Having concluded, he stood with his head 
 meekly bowed awaiting her answer. 
 
 " I have listened carefully to all you have said, 
 and I am strongly impressed with the force and 
 logic of your conclusions. I shall gladly negotiate 
 with you, and on to-morrow those in whom I have 
 confidence will be appointed to meet you and 
 arrange all plans. 
 
 "Victory at last, after eighteen years' weary 
 waiting," sighed Columbus, as he left the scene of 
 his recent triumphs. 
 
 " We can go now, can't we," asked the lad, as 
 they went to their apartments. 
 
 " We have a hope." 
 
 " A hope ! Isn't it sure ? " 
 
 " No ; we may not be able to make terms. If 
 the queen should put certain parties on the list to 
 negotiate with me, it might even yet fail. I will 
 make this voyage on my own terms, or never 
 make it." 
 
 When Columbus met the parties appointed by 
 the queen to negotiate with him, his worst fears 
 were realized, Almost the first person he saw was 
 
AGAIN DENIEV. 105 
 
 Fernando de Talavera, and just behind him the 
 cold, sinister Sir Garcia Estevan, both of whom, 
 were pledged to balk the enterprise. Talavera 
 had risen by the recent conquests to be Arch- 
 bishop of Granada. How Sir Garcia had ever 
 managed to become one of the queen's agents, 
 Columbus was never able to learn. 
 
 At the meeting of the queen's solicitors with 
 Columbus, Talavera said : 
 
 " Our royal princess and queen of Castile, Isa- 
 bella, has sent us to consult with you. She is fav- 
 orably impressed with your proposed voyage, and 
 wishes to know on what terms you will undertake 
 it." 
 
 This was what Columbus desired. So fully im- 
 bued was he with the grandeur of his enterprise 
 that he would listen to nothing but princely con- 
 ditions. He answered : 
 
 " My principal stipulations are that I shall be 
 invested with the titles and privileges of admiral 
 and viceroy over the countries I may discover, 
 with one-tenth of all the gains, either by trade or 
 conquest." 
 
 "You demand too much," cried Talavera, whose 
 pride was shocked to see one whom he had con- 
 sidered a needy adventurer aspiring to a rank and 
 dignity superior to his own. 
 
 "It is certainly a shrewd arrangement, Senor 
 Columbus," put in the sneering Sir Garcia. " You 
 
106 COLUMBIA. 
 
 propose to secure, at all events, the honor of a 
 command, and have nothing to lose in case of 
 a failure." 
 
 To this charge Columbus promptly replied : 
 
 "I will furnish one-eighth of the cost, on con- 
 dition of enjoying one-eighth of the profits." 
 
 "Where will you get the means?" asked Sir 
 Garcia, with another sneer on his fine, handsome 
 face. 
 
 "Friends in Palos," meaning the Pinzons, "will 
 furnish the money for the enterprise." 
 
 "You ask too much," said Fernando de Tal- 
 avera, who had always regarded Columbus as a 
 dreaming speculator and needy applicant for 
 bread. 
 
 " Your terms are wholly inadmissible," added 
 Sir Garcia, who was glad of any opportunity to 
 thwart the man who had befriended his brother's 
 child. 
 
 One of the others, more favorable to Columbus, 
 asked : 
 
 " Won't you be satisfied with less ? " 
 
 " No ; nothing less than what I have stated," 
 was the exalted answer. 
 
 "It seems that this man who for years has been 
 a threadbare solicitor at our ante-chambers will 
 now be suited with nothing less than a proposi- 
 tion that approaches the dignity of the throne," 
 put in the sneering Sir Garcia. 
 
AGAIN DENIED. 107 
 
 "My uncle hates us, and he will defeat us yet." 
 Hernando whispered to Columbus. 
 
 The wise man thought he understood the cause 
 of Sir Grarcia's spleen. He gave the lad a hopeful 
 smile, but would not yield an inch to the queen's 
 ambassadors, who left him to make report to her 
 majesty. 
 
 " We are as far away now as ever," sobbed Her- 
 nando, when he and Columbus were alone. 
 
 "I fear so," Columbus answered. 
 
 "It's all on account of my uncle. I am the 
 millstone which sinks you, sefior." 
 
 "Nay, lad, blame not yourself. Your uncle may 
 hate me on your account, but it is not your fault. 
 Heaven always rewards the just in the end." 
 
 "Yes, senor, but sometimes it is such a long 
 distance to the end." 
 
 Isabella was always attentive to the opinions of 
 her ghostly advisers, and the archbishop, being 
 her confessor, had a peculiar influence over her. 
 As we have seen, he had been unduly prejudiced 
 by Sir Garcia, and he concluded, in presenting the 
 demands of Columbus, with the following : 
 
 "Your gracious highness will see that this un- 
 known man is making princely demands — de- 
 mands which the dignity of the throne of Castile 
 cannot consider. With a depleted treasury from 
 long wars with the Moors, I could not advise your 
 highness to accept such exorbitant terms." 
 
108 COLUMBIA. 
 
 The queen bowed her head in thought, and 
 then said : 
 
 " The proposed advantages might be bought at 
 too great a price. Offer more moderate condi- 
 tions, and such as are highly honorable and ad- 
 vantageous." 
 
 The archbishop and his followers bowed, and 
 quitted her royal presence. 
 
 Columbus was found awaiting the report from 
 her majesty. He was cool, determined, and un- 
 moved. 
 
 " Have you her majesty's answer ? " he asked, as 
 the archbishop and Sir Garcia entered his chamber. 
 
 "She sends us to say that your demands are 
 too great, but that we are authorized to make 
 more moderate terms, yet such as are strictly 
 honorable " 
 
 " Say no more," interrupted Columbus, impa- 
 tiently. " I have made my demand, and I will 
 listen to nothing less." 
 
 "Will you really listen to nothing else? " 
 
 " Tell your gracious queen that, notwithstand- 
 ing my love and high regard for her majesty, I 
 will in this matter not cede one point of my de- 
 mand." 
 
 " Is that your final answer ? " 
 
 "It is." 
 
 " Shall we bear it to her? " 
 
 "You may." 
 
AGAIN DEFIED. 109 
 
 As they departed there was a look of fiendish 
 triumph on the villanous face of Sir Garcia Este- 
 van. He had balked the great navigator. The 
 more he saw of the attachment of Columbus to 
 his nephew, the more he hated him and deter- 
 mined to defeat him. 
 
 " The lad will share his honors, no doubt," 
 thought Sir Garcia, "and, if they should succeed 
 in this great discovery which he proposes, might 
 supersede me in my title and estates. I must see 
 that he does not succeed." 
 
 The matter was reported as unfavorably as pos- 
 sible to the queen, and she, still reluctant to give 
 up the enterprise, was about to ask one more in- 
 terview, when Fernando de Talavera interrupted 
 her with : 
 
 " It is useless, your majesty. This common 
 sailor is too firmly set in his way to listen to 
 reason. He is a dreamer, a speculator, and an 
 adventurer, who has determined at all hazards to 
 elevate himself to the nobility with succession 
 forever." 
 
 " What would you advise ? " asked the queen. 
 
 " Break off all negotiations at once," put in Sir 
 Garcia. 
 
 " That's wholesome advice, your majesty," an- 
 swered the archbishop. " I regard his plans as 
 delusions, and himself as one gone mad over long 
 speculations on vague and impossible theories." 
 
HO COLUMBIA. 
 
 The queen was still reluctant to give up the 
 plan. That patient, earnest, pleading face, those 
 sad eyes, and the deep intonations of a convincing 
 voice, which had carried conviction to her heart, 
 haunted her. But her advisers overruled her for 
 the time being, and she said : 
 
 " You may inform him that negotiations are at 
 an end." 
 
 Columbus had been expecting such a report, 
 and when it came he received the blow in meek- 
 ness, humility, and courage. 
 
 Hernando sobbed for a few moments, for he 
 keenly felt the disappointment He felt that he 
 was, in a measure, the cause of the failure. 
 
 " Will you abandon the plan now ? " he asked. 
 
 " My life is consecrated to this discovery," Co- 
 lumbus answered. " My brother Bartholomew is 
 in England and may have better success than I. 
 I shall accept no paltry offer for a life's service, 
 the greatest part of which has been consumed in 
 applications at various courts." 
 
 Nothing could shake his perseverance, or make 
 him descend to terms beneath the dignity of his 
 enterprise. In all his negotiations he forgot his 
 present obscurity and indigence. His ardent im- 
 agination realized the magnitude of his contem- 
 plated discoveries, and he felt that he was dis- 
 cussing the destiny of a future empire. 
 
 Though so large a portion of his life had worn 
 
AGAIN DENIED. \\\ 
 
 away in fruitless solicitings, though there was no 
 certainty that the same weary career was not to 
 be entered upon at any other court, yet so indig- 
 nant was he at the repeated disappointments he 
 had experienced in Spain, that he determined to 
 abandon it forever rather than compromise his 
 demands. 
 
 Hope long deferred had made his heart sick, 
 and he felt it would be a relief to be beyond the 
 borders of Spain. 
 
 When he informed the lad that he had deter- 
 mined to leave him at the cottage near Palos, and 
 seek in a foreign land the aid which had just been 
 denied him, Hernando was greatly distressed. 
 
 " I have encumbered you, I know ; and, but for 
 me, you might have succeeded." 
 
 " You are unjust to blame yourself ; I have no 
 regrets that I have befriended you. Oft times 
 when almost fainting you have encouraged me. 
 Have no fears of the final result, for as each dis- 
 appointment and failure only increase my deter- 
 mination, I will yet succeed." 
 
 The friends of Columbus gathered about him, 
 and tried to dissuade him from going. Among 
 them were Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de Quin- 
 tilla. 
 
 " Surely after so nearly succeeding, you will not 
 now abandon the cause," said the accountant- 
 general. 
 
H2 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " Abandon the cause — no, I will never abandon 
 the cause," Columbus answered, in his lofty- 
 manner. " I am about to abandon Spain. I would 
 have given to my adopted country the glory and 
 honor of discovering a new world ; but they have 
 declined the proffer, and I must now in a foreign 
 land seek what is denied me at home." 
 
 The mules were saddled, and, sad and dejected, 
 but by no means despairing, Columbus and the lad 
 mounted and rode away. His two friends stood 
 and watched Columbus and the boy wend their 
 -way down the long road, and disappear around a 
 spur of the mountain. 
 
CHAPTEK VIL 
 
 AT THE BRIDGE OF PINOS. 
 
 "Don't despair, Senor Colombo," said Her- 
 nando, as they jogged along on their mules. 
 
 " Being called of Heaven, I can't despair," was 
 the answer. 
 
 " Your faith is unbounded." 
 
 " Faith is as strong as we make it." 
 
 " One would think, after so many failures, that 
 you would begin to doubt that you were really 
 called of Heaven." 
 
 To this Columbus slowly and solemnly made 
 answer : 
 
 " The ways of God are all mystery to us. He 
 chasteneth those whom he loveth. We are not 
 permitted to lift the veil and gaze into the future, 
 and perhaps it's best that we are not. I have no 
 doubt of Heaven having called me to this work, 
 else why should I struggle on from year to year? 
 It is useless to ask me to abandon the work. I 
 cannot give it up, try as I will. I am powerless 
 to resist the promptings of Heaven, and each 
 failure only makes me more determined to succeed. 
 Had I not been called of God, I should have long 
 since despaired, and quitted the work in disgust." 
 8 
 
114 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " If God has really called you, why does 
 He place so many obstacles in the way of suc- 
 cess?" 
 
 "The ways of Providence are inscrutable, and 
 beyond our understanding. We know not why 
 the wicked seem to prosper while the good are 
 oppressed with calamity and affliction ; yet an eye 
 of faith can pierce through it all, and see even 
 the golden prize beyond a world of sorrow and 
 darkness. I know God has called me, and this 
 introductory school of disappointments may be 
 necessary to fit me for the great work which is 
 laid out before me.'' 
 
 They journeyed on, and the boy, with his 
 troubled eyes bent on the ground, was buried in 
 painful thought. His wild fancy went out across 
 land and sea, until from that far-off unknown 
 region he again heard the groans of the captive 
 long bound in chains, and waiting — waiting for 
 freedom. 
 
 " Oh, come, come, come ! " every hoof-beat 
 seemed to say. Every whispering zephyr that 
 stirred the leaves of the Andalusian forest seemed 
 whispering " Come." From the mountain-top, from 
 the valley, the winding steep, or the deep gorge at 
 their side, there came to his ear the ever pathetic 
 wail, " Come ! " He was a lad of most excellent 
 fancy, and his lively imagination, stirred by long 
 dwelling on the painful subject, seemed to go out 
 
AT THE BRIDGE OF PIN08. 115 
 
 and converse with a captive father. Never was 
 hallucination more a reality. 
 
 Columbus, who was lost in thought, forgot the 
 boy, until Hernando said : 
 
 " Grant me one request, senor ? " 
 
 "What?" 
 
 "When you do go, can I go with you? " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " From whatever port your fleet of discovery 
 may sail, let me go?" 
 
 "I will, if possible." 
 
 Hernando feared to part with Columbus lest 
 he should forever lose sight of him, and, losing 
 him, lose all hope of carrying out the promise 
 given a dying mother. It is so easy to forget 
 absent friends, to drift along in the new course of 
 events, and, forming other acquaintances, forget 
 old ones amid new scenes, that Hernando feared 
 this would be his fate. 
 
 A sigh escaped his lips, as if he had not full 
 faith in the promise of Columbus. During the 
 many months he had journeyed with the great 
 man from town to town, he had never known 
 him to fail to keep his promise ; but there were 
 so many things to wean him away, that he doubted 
 if he would be remembered. Then there was 
 danger of years being spent in fruitless applica- 
 tion. The white head was bent lower, and the 
 frame seemed to have grown older, since the last 
 
116 COLUMBIA. 
 
 hope had been shattered. All this while Her- 
 nando pictured his father's fate so terribly that 
 his brain reeled, and he felt at times as if reason 
 must be dethroned. 
 
 "Heaven grant that the required help may 
 speedily come," mentally prayed the lad, as he 
 rode by the side of the disappointed navigator, 
 who was scarce less despondent than himself. 
 
 Columbus was asking himself how much longer 
 he could live under this strain. From the utmost 
 depths of his soul, he felt the promptings of a 
 mighty ambition inspired by the grandest motives 
 — a great soul rising up within itself, and demand- 
 ing recognition of the world. Had he all along 
 been mistaken, and was he to die unhonored and 
 unknown? Were those great impulses within his 
 breast to perish ere they could be given forth to 
 the world, and, after all, was he to have inscribed 
 on his tomb the word "Failure " ? 
 
 " It is darkest just before dawn," says a wise 
 old saw, and not infrequently this proves true. 
 Never had Columbus been more despondent than 
 on that February day in the year 1492, as he rode 
 forth from Santa Fe, believing he had turned his 
 back forever on Spain. Man proposes and God 
 disposes, and Columbus little dreamed what 
 course events would take ere he had finished 
 his career. 
 
 At the very moment he was in darkest despair, 
 
AT THE BRIDGE OF PIN08. 117 
 
 and when he thought all lost, he was on the verge 
 of the one great triumph of his life. 
 
 His enemies watched his departure with great 
 satisfaction ; and Garcia Estevan and Fernando de 
 Talavera, feeling confident they had forever done 
 with the troublesome applicant, now quitted the 
 side of the queen to engage in other matters, leav- 
 ing Isabella free to be approached by the friends 
 of the navigator. 
 
 Luis de St. Angel, receiver of the ecclesiastical 
 revenues in Arragon, stood watching the form of 
 Columbus until he disappeared in the distance, 
 and, turning to Alonzo de Quintilla, he said : 
 
 " For shame, that Spain should lose so glorious 
 a prize." 
 
 " It is." 
 
 " She must not." 
 
 " How can this be prevented ? " asked Quintilla. 
 
 " We must see the queen, Quintilla. Now that 
 Sir Garcia and the archbishop are away, we must 
 see her and plead with her to accede to his terms. 
 He demands nothing if he fails, and no more than 
 he is justly entitled to if success crowns his 
 efforts." 
 
 " You are right," answered the great-hearted 
 Quintilla. 
 
 " Let us haste to the queen, nor lose a moment." 
 
 " Had we not better secure other aid ? " 
 
 " Who ? " 
 
118 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " The Marchioness of Moya has great influence 
 with Isabella. This is an affair that will reflect 
 glory on our good queen throughout all ages to 
 come." 
 
 The friends of Columbus hastened to the pal- 
 ace, and begged for an immediate audience with 
 the queen. Fortunately they found the marchion- 
 ess and several other friends at the court. Luis 
 de St. Angel was principal spokesman, and the 
 exigency of the moment gave him courage and 
 eloquence. 
 
 Isabella was a little surprised, as her officers 
 almost thrust themselves unceremoniously in her 
 presence ; but she was slow to anger, and listened 
 to the impassioned entreaty of St. Angel, in which 
 was even mingled reproaches : 
 
 " Your majesties' subjects are both grieved and 
 astonished that the good queen, who has evinced 
 the spirit to undertake so many perilous enter- 
 prises, should hesitate at one where the loss will 
 be so trifling, while the gain may be incalculable. 
 If Columbus succeeds, he will win the honors he 
 asks. Many a common soldier has been knighted 
 for valor on the field of battle, and spurs thus 
 won are of higher consideration than any hered- 
 itary title or honor. If the navigator succeeds, 
 and your majesty has great faith that he will, then 
 is he not worthy of his demands ? Again, noble 
 queen, I would remind you how much might be 
 
AT THE BRIDGE OF PINOS. 119 
 
 done for the glory of God, the exaltation of the 
 Church, and the extension of jour own dominion. 
 Think what cause of regret to yourself, of triumph 
 to your enemies, and of sorrow to your friends, 
 should the enterprise you have rejected be accom- 
 plished by some other power ; and it will be, if 
 you refuse the offer made by Columbus. Kemern- 
 ber, great and noble princess, what fame other 
 princes have acquired by their discoveries, and 
 here is an opportunity which surpasses them all. 
 I entreat your majesty not to be misled by the 
 assertion of learned men that the project is the 
 dream of a visionary. The judgment of Columbus 
 is sound and his plans practical. Even his failure 
 would not reflect disgrace upon the crown. It is 
 worth the trouble and expense to clear up even a 
 matter of doubt upon a subject of such great im- 
 portance, for it belongs to enlightened and mag- 
 nanimous princes to investigate questions of the 
 kind, and to explore the wonders and secrets of 
 the universe. Columbus liberally offered to bear 
 one-eighth of the expense, and I can assure you 
 that all the requisites for this great enterprise will 
 consist of but two vessels and about three thou- 
 sand crowns. I beseech your majesty, do not 
 allow this golden opportunity of placing new 
 laurels on your brow to escape. Send yet, while 
 there is time, a messenger after this man Colum- 
 bus, and bring him back." 
 
120 COLUMBIA. 
 
 The argument was made with that persuasive 
 power which honest zeal imparts, and the Queen 
 of Castile was greatly moved by the force of it. 
 
 The Marchioness of Moya exerted her eloquence 
 to persuade the queen, in language and manner 
 so earnest that Isabella could no longer resist. 
 Her generous spirit was enkindled, and it seemed 
 as if, for the first time, the subject broke on her 
 mind in all its real grandeur, and at the conclusion 
 of the marchioness's appeal she declared : 
 
 " I have formed my resolution ; I will under- 
 take the enterprise." 
 
 She cast a glance at Ferdinand, as if seeking 
 his approval, but the king only shook his head. 
 
 " What says my liege, will you join me in this 
 great enterprise? " asked tbe beautiful queen. 
 
 " I cannot," was the answer. 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 Ferdinand had all along looked coldly on this 
 scheme, and during the hottest of the discussion 
 had remained silent. It was only when appealed 
 to that he spoke at all. 
 
 " Our royal finances have been absolutely 
 drained by the war, and some time must be given 
 to replenish them." 
 
 " Do you disapprove the plan ? " 
 
 " Not if we had the money, but, not having it, 
 it is useless to talk of expenses." 
 
 " Had you the funds, would you consent? " 
 
AT THE BRIDGE OF PINOS. 121 
 
 " That is not under consideration ; we have not 
 the money," the king answered. 
 
 The queen had declared that her resolution was 
 formed and she would undertake the enterprise, 
 but how could she draw on an exhausted treasury 
 for a measure to which the king was adverse? 
 
 There was a moment of hesitation, and all 
 watched this suspense with trembling anxiety. 
 The next moment all were assured. With an 
 enthusiasm worthy of herself and the cause, 
 Isabella exclaimed : 
 
 " I undertake the enterprise for my own crown 
 of Castile, and will pledge my jewels to raise the 
 necessary funds." 
 
 This was the proudest moment in the life of 
 Isabella; it stamped her renown forever as the 
 patroness of the discovery of the New World. 
 
 St. Angel, eager to secure this noble impulse, 
 cried : 
 
 "I assure your majesty it is not necessary to 
 pledge your jewels, as I am ready to advance the 
 necessary funds." 
 
 " Can you ? " cried the queen. 
 
 " I can, and with your leave I will. All we 
 ask is your sanction." 
 
 " I give it." 
 
 " Then we will send for Columbus, and enter at 
 once into the contract." 
 
 "Where is he?" 
 
122 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " He left the city for the port of Palos, doubt- 
 less to take his departure from Spain forever." 
 
 "Let a courier be despatched at once, and 
 instruct him to stay not his flight until he has 
 overtaken the navigator. Send for a courier at 
 once." 
 
 The king did not try to dissuade the queen, 
 but, seeing she was determined in the matter, 
 quitted the council chamber, while a page went 
 for a courier. 
 
 We may as well state in this connection that St 
 Angel really secured the funds for this expedition 
 from the coffers of Arragon ; seventeen thousand 
 florins being advanced by the accountant out of the 
 treasury of King Ferdinand That prudent mon- 
 arch, however, took care to have his kingdom 
 indemnified some few years later; for in remun- 
 eration of this loan, a part of the first gold 
 brought from the New World was employed in 
 gilding the vaults and ceiling of the royal saloon 
 in the grand palace of Saragoza, in Arragon, 
 anciently the Aljaferia, or abode of the Moorish 
 k ings. 
 
 While the page was seeking a courier, the 
 queen was all impatience, lest Columbus should 
 be gone so far that she could not bring him 
 back. 
 
 " We must not lose this chance," she cried, 
 wringing her hands in her great anxiety, " I 
 
AT TEE BRIDGE OF PIN08. 123 
 
 never understood this subject before. If I had, 
 it would have been attended to long ago." 
 
 '' Your majesty must not blame yourself," put 
 in St. Angel. '' It will not be too late." 
 
 "Why does the courier not come ? " 
 
 "He will arrive in due time." 
 
 " But just now a moment is an age. Every 
 second of precious time he is getting farther and 
 farther away, and may be beyond our recall, ere 
 our courier can overtake him." 
 
 At this moment a courier entered in breathless 
 haste, for he knew that some matter of great 
 moment was about to be intrusted to him. 
 
 " Mount the swiftest horse in the royal stables, 
 and ride for life, until you overtake Christopher 
 Columbus, now on his way to Palos," said the 
 queen, panting with excitement. "Tell him the 
 queen accedes to his proposal, and asks his imme- 
 diate return." 
 
 " Who is this Columbus ? " asked the courier, 
 for at this time Columbus was not generally 
 known among the court attaches. " Describe 
 him." 
 
 "With your majesty's permission, I will," put 
 in St. Angel. 
 
 " Proceed," the queen answered. 
 
 Then St Angel resumed : 
 
 " He is tall and erect, with hair and beard of 
 snowy whiteness, though but fifty-six. His face 
 
124 COLUMBIA. 
 
 is heavily furrowed with sorrow, disappointment, 
 and care, rather than age. He rides a mule, is 
 accompanied by a boy fifteen or sixteen years of 
 age, similarly mounted, and is now on his way 
 across the Vega to the bridge of Pinos." 
 
 " Go ! fly ! " cried the queen. " The future glory 
 and renown of Spain depend on your speed." 
 
 " Your majesty, I will go." 
 
 The courier bowed and quickly retired. A 
 powerful black Arabian horse, noted for speed 
 and endurance, was saddled, and leaping on his 
 back the courier sped away like the wind in pur- 
 suit of the man who but a few hours before had 
 been rejected. 
 
 The weather was mild notwithstanding it was 
 February. In this delightful semi-tropical clime 
 the rigors of winter are scarcely ever known. The 
 day was almost as mild as a May day in New 
 England, and tropical plants were blooming along 
 the roadside. Feathered warblers were carolling 
 their sweetest songs, and all nature seemed to 
 rejoice. Man, who should be the happiest of all 
 creation, being made in the image of God, alone 
 was sad. 
 
 Columbus and his young companion paid little 
 heed to the beauties which grew in spontaneous 
 abundance all about their pathway, their minds 
 being filled with vexatious thoughts and disap- 
 pointments. The sun had long since passed the 
 
AT THE BRIDGE OF PINOS. 125 
 
 meridian, and was descending low in the horizon, 
 and yet man and boy journeyed on, forgetful of 
 the fact that they had journeyed over the noonday 
 hour without halting for rest or refreshments. 
 
 Childhood is joyous. It is the exception that 
 gloom and despair settle over a young mind, and 
 Hernando, despite the recent disappointments, was 
 won back to nature by the frisking, twittering 
 birds. 
 
 They had pursued their lonely journey across 
 the Vega and. reached the pass approaching the 
 bridge of Pinos, about two leagues from Granada, 
 at the foot of the mountain Elvira — a pass famous 
 in the Moorish wars for many a desperate en- 
 counter between the Christian and infidel. The 
 shadows were lengthening, and the eyes of the 
 lad were wandering away to westward, when there 
 suddenly came on the air the sound of horse's 
 hoofs. 
 
 Deeply buried in thought, Columbus heard them 
 not, but the quick ear of his young companion 
 felt the concussion, and turning in his saddle he 
 saw a man mounted on a black charger, coming 
 after them at full speed. His splendid attire and 
 glittering trappings indicated that he was a servant 
 of the royal household, and for a moment the youth 
 was speechless in wonder. The pursuer took off 
 his gorgeously plumed hat, swung it in the air, 
 and in a loud voice called to them to halt. They 
 
126 COLUMBIA. 
 
 had just reached the bridge of PiDos when the 
 shout reached their ears. 
 
 "We are pursued, Sefior Colombo," said the 
 lad. 
 
 Turning in his saddle, Columbus gave the ap- 
 proaching man a hasty glance, and remarked : 
 
 "It's the queen's courier; he comes to bring 
 us news." A glow of oft-revived hope beamed 
 brightly in the face of the navigator. 
 
 "Halt, halt, halt!" cried the courier, waving 
 his hat above his head. 
 
 "He means us, sefior," the boy said. "Shall 
 we halt and wait for him ? " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 They stopped almost on the bridge, and here 
 were overtaken by the queen's courier, spurring 
 at full speed. 
 
 "Are you Christopher Columbus?" asked the 
 courier, reining in his panting steed. 
 
 " I am," was the answer. 
 
 " The queen has sent me to summon you back 
 to Sante Fe." 
 
 Columbus hesitated for a moment. Was it 
 worth while to return and subject himself to the 
 delays and equivocations of the court ? 
 
 "I doubt whether it is better to delay my 
 departure," he remarked. " I gave the queen my 
 terms and she has rejected them, and I will do no 
 better." 
 
1 
 
 " 1VE ARE PURSUED, SBNOB COLUMBUS." 
 
AT THE BRIDGE OF PINOS. 127 
 
 " Oh, sefior, try once more," began the boy. 
 
 "She accedes to your terms," interrupted the 
 courier. " A sudden zeal has been excited in the 
 mind of our queen, and she has given your friends 
 positive assurance that she will undertake the 
 enterprise, even though she pledges her jewels to 
 raise the necessary funds." 
 
 "Go, senor, go!" cried Hernando, who was all 
 hope and joy. " We will yet succeed, and my 
 father will be rescued." 
 
 No longer feeling a doubt, Columbus wheeled 
 his mule about and hastened back with joyful 
 alacrity to Santa Fe, confiding in the noble pro- 
 bity of the princess. 
 
CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 FROM GLOOM TO SUNLIGHT. 
 
 Let those disposed to faint under difficulties, 
 in the prosecution of any laudable undertaking, 
 remember that eighteen years elapsed after the 
 time Columbus conceived his enterprise before 
 he was enabled to carry it into effect; that the 
 greater part of that time was passed in almost 
 hopeless solicitation amid poverty, neglect, and 
 taunting ridicule ; that the prime of his life 
 had wasted away in the struggle, and when his 
 perseverance was finally crowned with success 
 he was in his fifty-sixth year. His example 
 should encourage the enterprising to never de- 
 spair. 
 
 It was nightfall ere Columbus reached Santa 
 Fe, but the queen had made provisions for him 
 and the boy to be lodged in a wing of the castle, 
 and next morning she assured him herself that his 
 terms would be agreed upon. 
 
 " The king does not favor it," the queen con- 
 tinued, " and I undertake it for my crown of Cas- 
 tile ; yet I feel confident that we can win him over 
 to a nominal consent, at least" 
 
 " His signature to the agreement would give 
 
FROM GLOOM TO SUNLIGHT. 12$ 
 
 great weight to my authority," Columbus an- 
 swered. 
 
 "And I shall seek to obtain it. But, Sefior 
 Colombo, is this little boy whom I always see 
 with you your son ? " 
 
 " No, your majesty. He is a lad with whom I 
 was accidentally thrown, and who wishes to go 
 with me on the voyage. I have a son, for whom I 
 have a favor to ask." 
 
 "What favor?" 
 
 " When I sail I leave him practically an orphan 
 among strangers. He will be unprovided for, as 
 all my means, as well as the substance of friends, 
 are hazarded in this enterprise. He is a bright, 
 honest, earnest lad, and would serve you in any 
 capacity. Can you not give him some position? " 
 
 The generous-hearted queen was moved toward 
 the little fellow who was to be left alone and 
 friendless in Spain, and after a few moments' re- 
 flection answered : 
 
 " I will make bim a page to our young Prince 
 Juan, the heir apparent, with an allowance for his 
 support." 
 
 Columbus was deeply moved at the good queen's 
 proposition. It was more than he had ever hoped 
 for, and seemed like the realization of a fairy 
 dream, for this was an honor granted only to per- 
 sons of distinguished rank, and at first he could 
 hardly believe she meant it. 
 9 
 
130 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Diego was at once sent for, and as Hernando 
 still lingered at Santa Fe, be met the son of his 
 benefactor. They were soon fast friends, and 
 were seldom separated until Diego's appointment 
 was confirmed, and the lad had entered on his 
 duties. 
 
 In their rambles about the court and city the 
 boys related their personal histories. 
 
 " I go with your father to find a father lost," 
 sighed Hernando. 
 
 "And I remain, perhaps to lose a father," Diego 
 answered. 
 
 "Be of good cheer, for he will succeed in his 
 great enterprise, and make your name among the 
 brightest handed down in history." 
 
 "I have read of great men, and their lives have 
 always had more sorrow than joy in them. To 
 be great means to be miserable, and I sometimes 
 wonder if honors gained in conquest or discovery 
 are worth the pains." 
 
 They had wandered beyond the walls of the 
 city, and were sitting under the wide-spread- 
 ing branches of a giant old oak. A cavalier 
 was discovered galloping down the road toward 
 them. 
 
 He wore no helmet or visor, and his features 
 could be plainly seen. Hernando started to his 
 feet, gasping : 
 
 " It is my Uncle Garcia I " 
 
FROM GLOOM TO SUNLIGHT. 131 
 
 Diego Columbus, having heard the dark story 
 of wrongs, felt his bosom swell with indignation, 
 and was strongly inclined, boy as he was, to 
 denounce the sneering villain. 
 
 Sir Garcia drew rein in front of the boys, and, 
 fixing his eyes on Hernando, asked: 
 
 " Were you with Columbus ? " 
 
 "I was." 
 
 " Are you his son? " 
 
 "No; there is his son." 
 
 " Was he made page to Prince Juan ? " 
 
 "He was." 
 
 "Are you going with Columbus on this voy- 
 age?" 
 
 "lam." 
 
 " Is your name Hernando Estevan? " 
 
 " It is." 
 
 The knight nodded his head and rode away. 
 For a long time the boys stood gazing after him, 
 and at last Diego asked : 
 
 " What does he mean ? " 
 
 " I cannot say," Hernando answered. 
 
 "Whatever his meaning may be, it bodes you 
 no good, Hernando." 
 
 " Perchance not. He aided the wicked Moor to 
 work my father's ruin, and I doubt not he would 
 do me an injury if he dared." 
 
 Sir Garcia Estevan was ill at ease, and when he 
 had reached his own chamber he sat down to 
 
132 COLUMBIA. 
 
 meditate on matters and determine what course to 
 pursue. 
 
 " Columbus succeeded at the moment we thought 
 defeat assured," reflected the villain, a dangerous 
 sneer on his handsome face. " He takes Eoder- 
 igo's son with him on this voyage of discovery. 
 If I were assured that Roderigo was dead, there 
 would be less to fear ; but, if living, and the expe- 
 dition of Columbus proves successful, then may I 
 have cause to tremble. Even if Eoderigo be 
 dead, and the son comes to share the glories of 
 Columbus, he may even yet displace me; for the 
 lad evidently has his ambition, and hates his 
 uncle. I must defeat the voyage." 
 
 Long he pondered over the curious case, and 
 finally called his esquire. 
 
 "Do you know where the sailor Miguel can be 
 found," he asked. 
 
 "I do, Sir Garcia." 
 
 " Bring him to me at once." 
 
 " I will." 
 
 The esquire bowed and took his departure. 
 The knight took off his greaves and breastplate, 
 and hung them by his sword upon the rack. An 
 hour later the sailor was ushered into his presence. 
 Miguel bowed and stood humbly before the knight, 
 his hat in his hands. 
 
 " I am very much interested in you, Miguel," 
 remarked the knight, with a smile on his hand- 
 
FROM GLOOM TO 8UNLIQRT. 133 
 
 some face. " I have become so interested in you 
 that I have taken the pains to examine into your 
 past history." 
 
 Miguel grew uneasy and hung his head. 
 
 " I know all ; you have been engaged in many 
 shady enterprises; among them, perhaps, smug- 
 gling is the least." 
 
 " Oh, sir knight " 
 
 " Peace, be still ! I have not declared that it 
 was my intention to prosecute you on what infor- 
 mation I have, but I sent for you to learn if you 
 are willing to serve me." 
 
 " With my life, my lord." 
 
 " Swear it ! " 
 
 " I do — on the holy cross." 
 
 " If you prove false, you shall pay the forfeit 
 with your life." 
 
 " I know it. What would you have me do, my 
 lord?" 
 
 " Columbus has secured aid of the crown in a 
 voyage, and rumor has already gone the rounds 
 that he will sail from the port of Palos. He takes 
 with him on that voyage a boy named Hernando, 
 a mildly insane lad, filled with an hallucination 
 that his father is a captive on some island far off 
 in the western seas. You must see to it that the 
 voyage is a failure." 
 
 "How shall I?" 
 
 " Hasten to Palos and ship as one of the crew 
 
134 COLUMBIA. 
 
 on board the admiral's vessel ; then you will find 
 many ways of bringing about a failure. Incite a 
 mutiny.'' 
 
 " Ay, I see." 
 
 "Scuttle the ship." 
 
 " And lose my own life." 
 
 " Do it while so near land that you may escape. 
 But if that be too difficult, see that neither the lad 
 nor Christopher Columbus comes back alive." 
 
 "I understand you, my lord." 
 
 "If necessary, wield the dagger; you know 
 how to do it. Assassinate both ere they return 
 to triumph over me." 
 
 " I understand " 
 
 " Your reward shall be two thousand florins for 
 slaying them, but slay not unless success should 
 promise to crown their efforts." 
 
 "Why not slay even though they fail? " 
 
 " I care not to have blood unnecessarily on my 
 garments. If they fail, they return humiliated, 
 and I do not care to take their lives. Only in 
 case of success are they dangerous. You can, by 
 inciting the crew to mutiny, bring about a failure. 
 The ships are richly laden ; seize them and sail to 
 some foreign port, where you can dispose of ves- 
 sels and cargo to an advantage." 
 
 Miguel thought it not a bad idea. While they 
 are hatching up a plot at which even Satan might 
 blush, we will give one more glance at Columbus 
 
FROM GLOOM TO SUNLIGHT. 135 
 
 and the king and queen, with whom he was closing 
 negotiations. 
 
 A perfect understanding having been effected 
 with the sovereigns, articles of agreement were 
 ordered to be drawn out by Juan de Coloma, the 
 royal secretary. They were to the following effect : 
 
 "First, That Columbus should have for him- 
 self, during his life, and his heirs and successors 
 forever, the office of admiral in all the lands and 
 continents which he might discover or acquire 
 in the ocean, with similar honors and prerogatives 
 to those enjoyed by the high admiral of Castile 
 in his district. 
 
 "Second, That he should be viceroy and gov- 
 ernor-general over all of said lands and continents ; 
 with the privilege of nominating three candidates 
 for the government or province, one of whom 
 should be selected by the sovereigns. 
 
 "Third, That he should be entitled to reserve 
 for himself one-tenth of all pearls, precious stones, 
 gold, silver, spices, and all other articles of mer- 
 chandise, in whatever manner found, brought, bar- 
 tered, or gained within his admiralty, the costs 
 being first deducted. 
 
 "Fourth, That he or his lieutenant should be 
 the sole judge in all causes and disputes arising 
 out of traffic between those countries and Spain, 
 provided the high admiral of Castile had similar 
 jurisdiction in his district. 
 
136 COLUMBIA. 
 
 "Fifth, That he might then, and at all after 
 times, contribute an eighth part of the expense in 
 fitting out vessels to sail on this enterprise, and 
 receive an eighth part of the profits." 
 
 The last stipulation in the contract, admitting 
 Columbus to bear an eighth of the enterprise, was 
 made in consequence of his indignant proffer on 
 being reproached by Sir Garcia Estevan with de- 
 manding ample emoluments, while incurring no 
 part of the expense. Through the aid of the 
 Pinzons of Palos he fulfilled the engagement, and 
 added a third vessel to the armament. Thus one- 
 eighth of the expense attendant on this grand ex- 
 pedition, undertaken by a powerful nation, was 
 actually borne by the individual who conceived 
 it, and who staked his life on its success. 
 
 So slow were the papers in preparation that 
 the capitulations were not signed by Ferdinand 
 and Isabella until the seventeenth day of April, 
 1492, when they were duly executed at the city 
 of Santa Fe, in the Vega or plain of Granada. 
 
 A commission was drawn out inform and issued 
 by the sovereigns to Columbus, in the city of 
 Granada, on the thirtieth of the same month ; in 
 which the dignities and prerogatives of viceroy 
 and governor were made hereditary in his family ; 
 and he and his heirs were authorized to prefix the 
 title of Don to their names, a distinction in those 
 days accorded only to persons of rank and estate. 
 
FROM GLOOM TO SUJS LIGHT. 137 
 
 The chief aim of Columbus was the propaga- 
 tion and extension of the Christian religion, and 
 the rescue of the Holy Sepulchre from the hand of 
 the infidel. The latter was the dream of his life, 
 and great aim for which he labored. Believing 
 he would reach the western shore of Asia, letters 
 to the Grand Khan of Tartary were issued to him 
 by the king and queen of Spain. 
 
 While these negotiations were pending at court, 
 Hernando Estevan left Granada, and hastened to 
 his cottage home to acquaint those whom he loved 
 of their success, and spend a few days with them 
 ere he took his departure on that voyage to seek 
 an unknown world. 
 
 He had been away almost three years, return- 
 ing only at long intervals, and everything was 
 slightly changed. Dame Doria had grown older, 
 stouter, and her hair was a little grayer. The 
 furrows on her face had deepened, but she was 
 still strong and active. 
 
 The greatest change was in Christina. She 
 was now thirteen years of age, and had developed 
 a rare and wonderful beauty. With that develop- 
 ment came other changes. 
 
 When he came to greet her with a brotherly 
 kiss as of old, she shrank from him, and her cheek 
 flushed hot with a richer crimson than the cactus 
 flower. The lad asked himself what it meant. 
 Had she grown afraid of him, or bad his long 
 
138 COLUMBIA. 
 
 absence made her careless about him ? Hernando 
 was grieved by her treatment, until, on the next 
 day after his arrival, he accidentally caught her 
 kissing a small present he had brought her from 
 Granada. The lad could not at first comprehend 
 the world of tenderness she evinced for this bauble. 
 Amber does not shed so sweet a perfume as the 
 veriest trifles touched by those we love, and this 
 simple gift was to the young girl an object of her 
 youthful adoration. 
 
 " Why is Christina so changed ? " Hernando 
 asked himself again and again. 
 
 From the moment of his arrival the coy little 
 maiden had felt her heart agitated by a sensation 
 new and strange to her. Her beautiful blue eyes 
 lost their lustre, her cheek its freshness, and her 
 frame was overpowered with a universal languor. 
 Serenity no longer sat upon her brow nor played 
 upon her lips. At one moment she was gay with- 
 out cause for joy; at the next, melancholy or 
 abashed without any apparent reason. She fled 
 her innocent amusements, her gentle toil ; and even 
 the society of Hernando and the good old sefiora 
 seemed to increase her bewilderment — wandering 
 about among the woods and rocky glens, every- 
 where seeking the rest she could not find. 
 
 One day, while wandering about the rocky 
 steeps, she suddenly came on Hernando, who was 
 seeking her, and advanced sportively to meet him. 
 
FROM GLOOM TO SUNLIGHT. 139 
 
 but was suddenly overcome by confusion ; her 
 pale cheeks were covered with blushes, and her 
 eyes no longer dared meet his. 
 
 " Christina," cried Hernando, as she turned 
 away, " why do you always fly from me ? " 
 
 His voice, so gentle and tender, reached her 
 ear, and arrested her almost fleeing steps. She 
 paused, her eyes still on the ground, and stood 
 trembling, from what cause she could not tell. 
 
 Slowly and carefully, as a child advances on 
 a hare which it fears will take fright, the boy 
 advanced to the coy maiden. 
 
 " Christina, why are you so unhappy ? Why do 
 you shun me in this way ? Our happiest moments 
 have been spent wandering, hand in hand, among 
 this scenery along the beach. Our days together 
 are few indeed, for soon I shall depart on an 
 unknown sea to seek a lost father. Can't you 
 greet me as the dear little sister you once were ? I 
 may never — never return from the great unknown 
 water. Many have sailed away upon it, but none 
 ever came back." 
 
 He was interrupted by a convulsive sob, and 
 saw tears trickling down her pretty cheeks. 
 Blaming himself for causing her needless pain, 
 Hernando sprang to her side, and clasping the 
 maiden in his arms, pressed a kiss upon her tear- 
 bedewed cheek, and cried : 
 
 " Forgive me, Christina ; I have wounded you.' - 
 
140 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " Hernando, brother, you are all I have to love, 
 for the cruel infidel left me without a kindred on 
 earth. It grieves me to see you depart on such a 
 voyage." 
 
 Abashed at her own voice, the coy maiden was 
 again seized with an almost uncontrollable desire to 
 fly. Hernando placed an arm about the trembling 
 sefiorita. She started, as if she felt an electric 
 thrill, but he held her fast, and overcome with an 
 emotion as sudden as it was overpowering, she 
 threw her arms about her foster-brother's neck, 
 and sobbed bitterly. Her tired soul found mo- 
 mentary rest, but it was only for a moment 
 When he sought to soothe her by his embraces, 
 she turned away her head, and fled toward the 
 ocean. The caresses of her brother excited too 
 much emotion in her heart, and she sought the 
 solitude of the surf-beaten shore. 
 
 Hernando, unused to the secret windings of the 
 female heart, vexed himself in vain, endeavoring 
 to comprehend the meaning of these new and 
 strange caprices. But all was in vain. Shy, coy, 
 and distant as she was, her eyes were always on 
 him, and her heart was his. He went to the cot- 
 tage, where he told the old granddame of her 
 changed demeanor, and Dame Doria answered : 
 
 " Christina and yourself will soon be children 
 no longer. Familiarities common in childhood can 
 in your changed states no longer be thought of." 
 
FROM OLdOM TO SUNLIGHT. 141 
 
 The lad's face was sad, and, gaining no consola- 
 tion from his granddame, he sought the comforting 
 solitude of the sea-side. There he sat listening to 
 the sobbing wavelets beating gently against the 
 pebbly strand, or the far-off splash of the porpoise 
 in the water. Was his father soon to be found 
 and rescued from a life of slavery? he asked him- 
 self, or had he been all along laboring under a 
 delusion ? 
 
 His father might be sleeping beneath the sea, 
 and his search would be in vain. He was never 
 more sad than now, as he sat listening to the sad 
 sea waves. 
 
 A gentle footstep on the sands behind started 
 the lad from his painful revery, and, quickly 
 turning, he beheld Christina, her face flushed with 
 modest confusion. Again she was about to fly, 
 when a glance at his sad, pale face won her to his 
 side. 
 
 " Are you ill ? " she asked. 
 
 " I am sad, Christina. I feel as if my heart 
 would break." 
 
 " Why are you sad ? " 
 
 " My sister is so changed." 
 
 "How am I changed? " 
 
 " She flies from me as if she either despised or 
 feared me. Which is it ? " 
 
 " Neither." And the head hung and the beauti- 
 ful eyes drooped beneath his gaze. He had been 
 
142 COLUMBIA. 
 
 watching the sweet unfolding bud all these years, 
 and noted the dawn of a glorious womanhood — 
 the blooming of a flower that was to exceed in 
 beauty and fragrance the rarest exotic of all flow- 
 ery Spain. 
 
 " Have I grown hateful to your sight, that you 
 should seek to avoid me? Am I a thing to be 
 despised, that you should shun me? What has 
 caused this great change? Why this wonderful 
 revolution of sentiment ? " 
 
 Smiling sweetly on him, she answered: "My 
 dear brother, you wrong me." 
 
 "I trust I do." 
 
 " You have grown far dearer to me, now that I 
 am about to lose you, than ever before. Brother, 
 forgive my foolish coyness, and remember that we 
 both have changed ; you have grown so big and 
 stout, and I — I will soon cease to be a child. I 
 cannot understand myself, but believe me, brother, 
 when I say I love you more dearly than ever." 
 
 Again he embraced her, and for a long while 
 they sat side by side enclasped in each other's 
 arms, while the sad sea waves beat upon the beach 
 beneath their feet. This dawning affection was 
 so new and strange that they mutely listened to 
 the roar of distant breakers. 
 
 Far away beyond the blue sea went the thoughts 
 of the lad. Was the coming voyage, after all, but 
 the freak of a madman ? Was Columbus him- 
 
FROM GLOOM TO SUNLIGHT. 143 
 
 self only a clever lunatic who had deceived the 
 crown, and, like the siren in the fable, was des- 
 tined to lure ships and crews to ruin? But in a 
 moment Hernando's faith cast out all doubt, and 
 Columbus was what he professed — a learned and 
 experienced navigator. 
 
 After a long silence the beautiful girl at his 
 side asked : 
 
 " When does the fleet sail ? " 
 " It may yet be two or three months." 
 " "Why need we fill the few days left to us with 
 gloom ? Let's be bright and cheerful. " 
 
 " Our lives have been such a perpetual gloom 
 that a burst of sunshine is almost dazzling : so 
 let us welcome it. This is a period of from gloom 
 to sunlight, for Columbus, after so many years, 
 has triumphed over educated prejudice and en- 
 trenched ignorance. I will go find my father and 
 return, Christina, never again to leave your side 
 until death do us part." 
 
 With a glad cry the senorita threw her arms 
 about his neck and wept tears in anticipation of 
 future happiness. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SEEKING AN UNKNOWN WORLD. 
 
 One bright June morning Hernando and Chris- 
 tina as usual were strolling along the beach when 
 they espied a small sail-boat put into shore. The 
 single occupant sprang out, made his craft fast in 
 the mouth of the creek, and hurried toward them. 
 He was a short, stoop-shouldered sailor, with a 
 short beard on his chin, and long hair. 
 
 There was something in his downcast, hang-dog 
 look which at once aroused the suspicions of the 
 senorita, and she shuddered as he approached. 
 
 " Are you Hernando Estevan? " asked the sailor, 
 halting when within half a dozen paces of them. 
 
 " I am," the lad answered. 
 
 " You are wanted at Palos." 
 
 " Who sent for me ? " 
 
 " The new admiral, Christopher Columbus, and 
 I am sent to bring you." 
 
 "Who are you?" 
 
 "Miguel the sailor, who sails in the commo- 
 dore's ship." 
 
 "Don't go," whispered Christina, who was 
 trembling with dread. " I pray you, don't go." 
 
 "I must, if the admiral has ordered me aboard." 
 
SEEKING AN UNKNOWN WORLD 145 
 
 "But don't go with him. He's a bad man, and 
 I fear will do you some harm." 
 
 Miguel, who was unable to comprehend the 
 whispering, took a step or two nearer, and added : 
 
 " You must go with me, lad, for it is the com- 
 mand of the admiral." 
 
 " Why did he send for me by sea when it is 
 three leagues nearer to Palos by land ? " 
 
 " I suppose the admiral wants to give you a 
 taste of salt water," answered Miguel, with a sus- 
 picious grin. 
 
 " Don't go, don't," pleaded Christina. 
 
 " Leave him to me," was the whispered response 
 of the lad. 
 
 " Are you ready 1 " asked the sailor. 
 
 " I must go to the cottage and get my arms, 
 armor, and clothing. As the load will be heavy 
 for one, will you come and help me?" Hernando 
 asked, in a manner calculated to throw the sailor 
 off his guard. 
 
 " That I will, my lad." 
 
 Then, as Hernando walked back to the cottage 
 with the trembling Christina clinging to his arm, 
 he kept up a conversation with Miguel concerning 
 the fleet and armament, so as to completely disarm 
 his suspicions. When the cottage was reached 
 the granddame was made acquainted with the 
 admiral's order, and the good old seSora wept bit- 
 terly over the departure of her grandson. Her- 
 10 
 
146 COL UMBIA. 
 
 nando gathered up such articles as he wished to 
 take, and gave them to the sailor, saying : 
 
 " Carry these to your boat. I will go as soon 
 as I have bid my relatives adieu." 
 
 Miguel took the bundle, leaving only the sword 
 and cross-bow for Hernando to carry. When he 
 was gone, the lad kissed his granddame farewell, 
 embraced the weeping Christina, and said : 
 
 "Now I go to Palos." 
 
 " You said you would not go with the sailor," 
 cried the sobbing maiden. 
 
 " Nor will I," he answered. " I will go by land 
 across the country, and beat his boat by several 
 hours. If he comes back for me, tell him I am 
 gone and he will find me in Palos. Come to port 
 and see us sail." 
 
 After a second tender farewell the youth buckled 
 on his sword, shouldered his cross-bow, and set 
 out across the country, over hills and through for- 
 ests, to the seaport town of Palos. 
 
 An hour later the sailor again came to the cot- 
 tage to inquire why Hernando was detained. 
 
 " He is already on his way to Palos this hour 
 past," the granddame made answer. 
 
 " Gone to Palos? " cried the astounded Miguel. 
 
 " Yes." 
 
 "How did he go?" 
 
 " On foot, across the mountains. You will find 
 him there when you arrive." 
 
SEEKING AN UNKNOWN WORLD. 147 
 
 Turning away, Miguel hastened to his boat, 
 murmuring to himself: 
 
 " His suspicions are aroused, and now I will 
 have trouble." 
 
 He lost no time in setting sail for Palos, which 
 port he reached two hours after the arrival of 
 Hernando. 
 
 Columbus reached Palos on the 22d of May, 
 and went at once to the neighboring convent of 
 La Rabida, where he was gladly received by the 
 worthy friar Fray Juan Perez, who in the excess 
 of his joy said: 
 
 " You have at last received your long, well-mer- 
 ited reward, my son." 
 
 The port of Palos had been condemned to serve 
 the crown for one year with two armed caravels, 
 which were destined to form part of the armament 
 of Columbus. 
 
 On the 23d of May, Columbus, accompanied by 
 Fray Juan Perez, proceeded to the Church of St. 
 George in Palos, where the alcalde, the regidors, 
 and many of the inhabitants had been ordered to 
 attend. A notary public, standing on the porch 
 of the church, read the royal order, commanding 
 the authorities of Palos to have two armed cara- 
 vels ready for sea within ten clays, and place them 
 at the disposal of Columbus, who was empowered 
 to fit out a third vessel. The crews of all three 
 were to receive the ordinary wages of seamen em- 
 
148 COLUMBIA. 
 
 ployed in armed vessels, and to have four months' 
 pay advanced. They were to sail in such direc- 
 tion as Columbus under royal authority should 
 commaud, and were in all things to obey him 
 They were forbidden to go to St. George La Mina, 
 on the coast of Guinea, or any other port of the 
 lately discovered possessions of Portugal. 
 
 The public authorities and the people of all 
 ranks and conditions in the maritime borders of 
 Andalusia were commanded to furnish supplies 
 and' ^assistance of all- kinds, at reasonable prices, 
 for the fitting out of the vessels ; and penalties 
 were denounced on such as should cause any im- 
 pediment. 
 
 Among those gathered about the church listen- 
 ing to the orders was Miguel, who was among the 
 first to volunteer. No sooner had he done so, than 
 he went to a young, timid recruit, and said : 
 
 "Do you know where we are to sail? " 
 
 " No," was the answer. 
 
 " We go to seek an unknown world." 
 
 " We do ? " and his cheek grew pale. 
 
 " That man is Colombo, the madman of Genoa, 
 who is going to sail around the world, through 
 a sea of liquid fire, to islands inhabited by winged 
 beasts and dragons, where giants fifty cubits high 
 live on the flesh of shipwrecked mariners, a land 
 whence no one ever returns who has once entered 
 within the doomed vale," 
 
SEEKING AN UNKNOWN WORLD. 149 
 
 This wild story spread rapidly, but so shrewd- 
 ly did Miguel manage it, that Columbus never 
 dreamed that he had betrayed the expedition. 
 The owners of vessels refused to furnish them. 
 The boldest seamen shrank from such a wild, chi- 
 merical cruise in the wilderness of the ocean. All 
 kinds of frightful tales and fables were conjured 
 up concerning the unknown regions of the deep; 
 and nothing can be stronger evidence of the bold- 
 ness of this undertaking, than the extreme dread 
 in which some of the most adventurous navigators 
 held it. 
 
 Columbus, unsuspicious of Miguel, despatched 
 him for the youth, as we have seen. Weeks 
 elapsed without anything being done. Farther 
 mandates were issued by the sovereigns, ordering 
 the magistrates of the coast of Andalusia to press 
 into service any vessels they might think proper. 
 Juan de Penalosa, an officer of the royal house- 
 hold, was sent to see that this order was properly 
 complied with. The order was acted upon by Co- 
 lumbus in Palos and the neighboring town of 
 Moguer, but with as little success as the preceding. 
 
 The communities of those places were thrown 
 into confusion. Tumults ensued, and on several 
 occasions they were on the eve of riot. 
 
 " I thought our troubles over," said Hernando 
 to Columbus, a few days after joining him, " but 
 they seem to have just commenced." 
 
X50 COLUMBIA. 
 
 "I will see Marti a Alonzo Pinzon and his broth- 
 er on the morrow," Columbus answered. " We 
 need their services again, and cannot succeed with- 
 out them." 
 
 "I thought, having the aid of the crown, none 
 other was needed." 
 
 "Just now Martin Alonzo Pinzon and his 
 brothers may be more effective than the king and 
 queen. They are navigators of great courage and 
 ability, owning vessels and having seamen in their 
 employ. They have many relatives among the 
 seafaring inhabitants of Palos and Moguer, and 
 great influence throughout the neighborhood. If 
 they decide to go with us, it would inspire cour- 
 age and confidence in all the others." 
 
 Next day Columbus sent for Martin Alonzo and 
 his brother, Vincent Yanez Pinzon, and after 
 making them acquainted with the true situation, 
 said: 
 
 " You see the strait to which I am reduced. 
 Although backed by the crown, I want more. I 
 need men who will inspire the sailors with confi- 
 dence. You have both stood by me since first we 
 met. You admit the plausibility of my theory. 
 Will you still further aid me? " 
 
 Alonzo Pinzon asked for time to confer with 
 his brother, and, Columbus assenting, they retired 
 to a separate apartment Hernando remained in 
 the outside hall with Columbus, who, with his ven- 
 
SEEKING AN UNKNOWN WORLD. 151 
 
 erable head bowed, and hands clasped behind his 
 back, paced up and down before the room in 
 which the Pinzons were in consultation. After 
 two hoars, the door opened, and the brothers 
 came out. Columbus paused and fixed his great, 
 sad eyes on them with an eager, inquiring look. 
 
 " We have decided to go," said Martin Pinzon. 
 " We will furnish one of the vessels, and will both 
 accompany you." 
 
 " My friends, you have saved the expedition 
 from failure, and brought eternal honor on your 
 names and country." 
 
 Two other vessels, with owners and crews, were 
 pressed into service by the arbitrary mandate of 
 the sovereigns; and it is a striking instance of 
 the despotic authority exercised over commerce 
 in those times, that respectable individuals should 
 thus be compelled to engage in what appeared to 
 be a mad aud desperate enterprise. 
 
 But all difficulties had not yet been removed. 
 Sir Garcia Estevan, the most malignant enemy of 
 Columbus, came to Palos to hinder aud delay the 
 equipment. Nothing was done openly; but, aided 
 by Miguel, his hireling, they covertly caused dif- 
 ficulties to arise among the seamen who had been 
 compelled to embark. Gomez Eascon and Chris- 
 toval Quintero, owners of the Pinta, one of the 
 ships pressed into service, were made believe it 
 was a mad, desperate enterprise, and exerted all 
 
152 COLUMBIA. 
 
 their influence to defeat the voyage. The calkers 
 employed on the vessel did their work in a care- 
 less and imperfect manner, and, on being required 
 to do it over again, absconded. Many seamen 
 who in the first wave of enthusiasm had enlisted 
 repented their hardihood, and sought to retract; 
 others deserted and concealed themselves in the 
 interior ; and thus, from the time of Sir Garcia's 
 appearance, difficulty after difficulty arose. None, 
 of course, could be traced to him. Everything 
 had to be effected by the most harsh and arbitrary 
 measures, and in defiance of organized prejudice. 
 
 The influence and example of the Pinzons had 
 a great effect in allaying this opposition, and in- 
 ducing many of their friends and relatives to 
 embark. They represented that the enterprise 
 was one which would shed glory throughout all 
 time, and that every man who engaged in it would 
 immortalize his name. It is quite certain that the 
 assistance of the Pinzons was very important, if 
 not indispensable, in fitting out and launching 
 the expedition, and, despite Garcia Estevan and 
 his hirelings, the fitting out went steadily on. 
 
 The ships in which Columbus was to embark 
 were vessels that no mariner of the present day 
 would think of engaging in such a voyage. The 
 largest, a ship of no considerable burden, was 
 commanded by Columbus as admiral, who gave it 
 the name of Santa Maria, out of respect for the 
 
SEEKING AN UNKNOWN WORLD. 153 
 
 ^Blessed Virgin, whom he honored with singular 
 devotion. Of the second, called the Phita, Martin 
 Alonzo Pinzon was captain, and his brother Fran- 
 cis pilot. The third, named the Nina, had lateen- 
 sails, open deck, and was under command of Vin- 
 cent Yanez Pinzon. These two were light ves- 
 sels, hardly superior in burden or force to large 
 boats. 
 
 There were three other pilots — Sancho Ruiz, 
 Alonzo Nino, and Bartolomeo Roldan. Roderigo 
 Sanchez, of Segovia, was inspector-general of the 
 armament, and Diego de Arana, a native of Cor- 
 dova, chief alquazil. Roderigo de Escobar went 
 as royal notary — an officer always sent in the 
 armaments of the crown, to take official notes of 
 the transactions. A physician, a surgeon, together 
 with various private adventurers, several servants, 
 and ninety mariners — making, in all, one hundred 
 and twenty persons, including Columbus and Her- 
 nando — constituted the number engaged in the 
 expedition. 
 
 At the beginning of August every difficulty was 
 vanquished, and the vessels were ready for sea. 
 It had been a busy day in the little town of Palos. 
 All had been bustle, confusion, and excitement. 
 At dusk Miguel stole away from the village to the 
 ruins of an ancient castle, half a league from the 
 village. He found a knight in armor awaiting 
 him. It was Sir Garcia; he was standing by his 
 
!54 COLUMBIA. 
 
 steed, one arm impatiently thrown across the ani- 
 mal's neck. 
 
 " What news, Miguel ? " he asked, as the sailor 
 came up. 
 
 "The expedition is ready to sail." 
 
 '• Can we prevent it? " 
 
 "No, Sir Garcia." 
 
 "In which ship goes the lad? " 
 
 "With the admiral." 
 
 "Miguel, you must go in the same ship, and see 
 that the expedition proves a failure, or, at least, 
 that the lad returns not alive." 
 
 "Trust me to do your bidding, Sir Garcia." 
 
 The knight then proceeded to give his hireling 
 final orders ; and history has recorded, in letters 
 that will never fade, how faithfully those instruc- 
 tions were carried out. 
 
 It was Thursday, August 2, 1492. The sun 
 was high in the sky, though it had not passed 
 the meridian. On the morrow the fleet was to sail, 
 and Granddame Doria and Christina had not come. 
 
 Hernando with great anxiety watched the gray, 
 dust-strewn road, winding about among the hills 
 beyond the convent ; but it was evening before 
 he saw two females, mounted on donkeys, coming 
 toward Palos. Recognizing them as the persons 
 he was most anxious to see, he flew to meet them, 
 and his joy was not less than Christina's. 
 
 " Come with me ; we have a house prepared for 
 
SEEKING AN UNKNOWN WORLD. 155 
 
 you, where you can rest until the departure of 
 the vessels," he said, after "the first raptures of 
 meeting had subsided. 
 
 A sadness was strangely mingled with their joy. 
 Late at night Columbus found the boy and girl 
 standing on the beach, gazing off at the three ves- 
 sels lying in the harbor all ready to sail. He 
 was about to speak to them, but, finding both in 
 tears, regarded their mournful silence as too 
 sacred to be broken. 
 
 The squadron being ready to put to sea, Colum- 
 bus, impressed with the solemnity of his under- 
 taking, confessed himself to the friar Juan Perez, 
 and partook of the sacrament of the communion. 
 His example was followed by his officers and 
 most of the crew, and they entered upon their 
 enterprise full of awe, and with the most devout 
 and affecting ceremonial, committing themselves 
 to the special guidance and protection of Heaven. 
 
 Friday, the third day of August, A.D. 1492, the 
 day set for sailing, arrived. Morning dawned 
 bright and clear, with the exception of a few 
 amber clouds, which faded away beneath the 
 power of the sun. The ocean which our adven- 
 turers were to explore was calm and mild as the 
 summer sky. Long before dawn of day the 
 town had been awake, and everybody was astir. 
 The old, the sick, lame, and blind, those who but 
 seldom crept from their houses, were early astir. 
 
156 COLUMBIA. 
 
 A deep gloom overspread the village, for almost 
 everybody had some relative or friend aboard the 
 squadron. 
 
 The sailors had been taken aboard the day 
 before, but Hernando, Columbus, and a few others 
 remained to bid a last farewell. Mam r an eye 
 grew dim, and many a breast heaved with sobs, as 
 the morning dawned. None wept louder than did 
 Christina and the granddame. Both embraced 
 Hernando and bade him farewell, perhaps forever. 
 He bore up heroically, smiled, and gave utterance 
 to words of encouragement which grown men 
 and battle-scarred veterans could not speak. 
 
 A mailed and armed knight, with visor down, 
 sat on his horse watching the lad. He was Sir 
 Garcia, and his frame seemed to quiver with 
 hate. 
 
 Columbus took his place in the bow of the 
 boat, and the lad standing in the stern smiled 
 bravely, and waved his cap at the loved ones on 
 shore, as the boat pulled away. 
 
 " Farewell, Christina ! granddame, farewell ! 
 Weep not for me, for I will soon return and bring 
 back my father." 
 
 "So the fool has really set out to find his 
 father," ejaculated the knight. 
 
 The boat reached the side of the Santa Maria, 
 and was hoisted on board. Then anchors were 
 hoisted, sails unfurled, and deep-throated cannon 
 
SEEKING AN UNKNOWN WORLD. 157 
 
 boomed forth the awful news that the squadron 
 had departed to discover an unknown world. 
 
 " Oh, he is gone, he is gone ! " shrieked Chris- 
 tina, and fell fainting in the arms of the weeping 
 granddame. 
 
 When she recovered consciousness, the squad- 
 ron was out of sight, and she wrung her hands, 
 and sobbed in wild despair, for hours refusing to 
 be comforted. 
 
 Columbus set sail from the bar of Saltes, a 
 small island formed by the arms of the Odiel, in 
 front of the town of Huelva ; steering in a south- 
 westerly direction for the Canary Islands, whence 
 it was his intention to strike due west. As a 
 guide by which to sail, he had made a map that 
 was an improvement over the one sent him by 
 Paulo Toscanelli. 
 
 The exultation of Columbus never exhibited 
 itself above the calm, dignified demeanor of the 
 admiral, until the little fleet was under way, and 
 the shore began to fade from view. After eighteen 
 years of hard labor, after enduring disappoint- 
 ment, and scoffs, and indignation bej'ond the 
 endurance of ordinary mortals, it is no wonder 
 that he should now exhibit some signs of triumph. 
 He paced the quarter-deck as the Santa Maria 
 bounded over the waters, and his face, usually so 
 grave and solemn, was wreathed in smiles. Her- 
 nando had borne up well until the little seaport 
 
158 COLUMBIA. 
 
 town faded from sight, and then, covering his face 
 with his hands, he gave way to a flood of tears. 
 
 " Cheer up, my lad, be brave. We have tri- 
 umphed. Our expedition cannot now fail." 
 
 " "lis not for dread of danger before, but regret 
 for those left behind, that causes these tears to 
 flow," he answered. 
 
 His was not the only damp cheek on that deck. 
 Many a hardy sailor's eye grew dim, and many 
 bearded faces wet with tears, as the coast of Spain 
 faded from view. 
 
 "Oh, land of our fathers, beautiful home of 
 our wives and children, shall we never see thee 
 more?" they cried, pressing to the ship's stern, 
 and stretching their hands toward the fast-fading 
 shore. This was only the beginning of a period 
 of dread and discontent, which was all along 
 fomented by the spy Miguel, who never lost an 
 opportunity to breed discord among his fellow- 
 sailors. 
 
 The exultation of Columbus was soon checked 
 by his want of confidence in the resolution and 
 perseverance of his crews. As long as he re- 
 mained within reach of Europe, there was no 
 security that, in a moment of repentance and 
 alarm, they might not renounce the prosecution 
 of the voyage, and insist on a return. 
 
 Symptoms soon appeared to warrant his appre- 
 hensions. Miguel was constantly whispering with 
 
SEEKING AN UNKNOWN WORLD. 159 
 
 the men, and the ominous shaking of heads and 
 nervous anxiety betrayed in the features of each 
 bore evidence that trouble was brewing. 
 
 But Columbus was equal to the emergency. 
 Reassuming his calm and dignified demeanor, he 
 pretended to have no apprehension, and continued 
 giving orders as if he had nothing to fear. At 
 night he studied the stars, and the day he spent 
 on his log-book and astrolabe, making calculations 
 and estimates. 
 
 On the third day out Columbus was in his cabin 
 thus engaged, when the door opened and Her- 
 nando, looking in, cried : 
 
 "Lord admiral, the Pinla is making signs of 
 distress." 
 
 With his face expressing anxiety he hastened 
 on deck, and, seizing a glass, glanced at the vessel. 
 
 " She is indeed in distress," the admiral re- 
 marked. "Her rudder is broken and unhung. 
 This has been done through the contrivance of 
 Gomez Eascon and Christoval Quintero, to disable 
 their vessel and cause her to be left behind." 
 
 One man on whose ears those words fell could 
 easily have solved the mystery. His evil black 
 eves sparkled with devilish satisfaction, and he 
 mumbled to himself : 
 
 " The admiral guesses but too well. Sir Garcia 
 and the owners of the Pinta pay me liberally, and 
 I never fail to do my work right." 
 
160 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Columbus was much disturbed at this occur- 
 rence. The wind was blowing strongly at the 
 time, so that he could not render assistance with- 
 out endangering his own vessel. But the captain 
 of the Pin/a secured the rudder by cords, so as to 
 gain a temporary control over it. The control 
 was only temporary, however, for next day the 
 fastenings gave way, and the other ships were 
 forced to shorten sail until the rudder could be 
 secured. 
 
 Not only was the rudder broken, but the Pinta 
 had sprung a leak, and the admiral determined to 
 put into the Canary Islands and seek some vessel 
 to replace the damaged one. On the morning of 
 the 9th of August, six days after leaving the port 
 of Palos, they reached the Canaries. 
 
 As no suitable vessel could be found to take 
 the place of the Pinta, a new rudder was made- for 
 her, and she was otherwise repaired to make her 
 seaworthy for such a long and mysterious voyage. 
 The lateen sails of the Nina were altered into 
 square sails, that she might work more steadily 
 and securely, and be able to keep company with 
 the other vessels. All of this required three 
 weeks' time. One day as they lay off the coast of 
 one of the Canaries, Hernando was amazed and 
 alarmed at beholding the lofty peak of Teneriffe 
 sending forth volumes of flame and smoke. 
 
 " Look, look ! " cried Miguel to a party of sail- 
 
SEEKING AN UNKNOWN WORLD. 161 
 
 ors on deck. " Behold, the very bowels of the 
 earth are aflame. We will find the fires grow more 
 frequent as we advance, until we will be consumed 
 in a sea of flame. That is an omen sent by Heaven 
 to warn us not to proceed." Being ready to take 
 alarm at any extraordinary phenomena and con- 
 strue it into a disastrous portent, the sailors were 
 willing to believe him, and already on the eve of 
 a panic, when Hernando hastened to the admiral 
 with the alarming intelligence. Columbus took 
 great pains to dispel their apprehensions, explain- 
 ing the natural causes of those volcanic fires, and 
 verifying his explanations by citing Mount Etna 
 and other well-known volcanoes. 
 
 One day while they were lying at the island of 
 Gomera, taking in wood and provisions, a vessel 
 arrived from Ferro, the captain of which was a 
 distant relative of the Pinzons, and, learning the 
 object of the expedition, he hastened to Mar- 
 tin Alonzo Pinzon's vessel, where after a short 
 consultation they went on board the admiral's 
 ship. 
 
 " "We have news, admiral, that may be alarm- 
 ing," said Captain Pinzon. 
 
 " What is the news ? " 
 
 " The captain, whose word may be taken as 
 true, reports three armed Portuguese caravels 
 hovering off the island of Ferro, evidently with the 
 intention of capturing you." 
 11 
 
162 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " I have suspected some such hostile strategy 
 on the part of the king of Portugal, in revenge for 
 having engaged in the service of Spain," Columbus 
 answered. 
 
 " What will you do ? " asked Pinzoru 
 
 " Is the Pinta seaworthy ? " 
 
 " She is, admiral." 
 
 " Get ready to sail at once." 
 
 " I will be ready in an hour.'' 
 
 " Can you convey your order to your brother? " 
 
 "lean." 
 
 " Do so ; we will sail at daylight." 
 
 At dawn Columbus had a signal-light hoisted at 
 the mast-head of the Santa Maria, and the vessels 
 weighed anchor. They were scarce clear of the 
 harbor, and the gray twilight still overspread the 
 waters, when a vessel, suddenly rounding a point, 
 came within bow-shot of the Santa Maria. 
 
 " Admiral ! the Portuguese ! " cried Hernando, 
 who stood on the poop-deck. 
 
 The experienced eye of Columbus soon discov- 
 ered the boy's mistake. 
 
 " It's a Moorish caravel," the admiral answered. 
 The Moor came along until she was near enough 
 to see her deck, and, as it grew lighter every mo- 
 ment, they even made out the features of the dark- 
 skinned sailors. 
 
 " Hernando Estevan," cried a voice from the 
 approaching vessel. " Son of the Christian slave, 
 
SEEKING- AN UNKNOWN WORLD. 163 
 
 whither are you bound? Be where it may, take 
 the curse of the Moor with you." 
 
 The speaker was a tall, powerful fellow, whose 
 left ear had been cut away close to his head. It 
 was the lad's old enemy, Abdallah Ahmed. 
 
 Before Hernando could recover sufficiently to 
 reply, the Moorish caravel swept by, and the little 
 fleet went bounding away before a stiff breeze. 
 Land quickly faded from sight, and they were far, 
 far out on an unknown sea, seeking an unknown 
 world. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE MUTINY. 
 
 Columbus felt safe when land finally disap- 
 peared, and they were speeding farther and far- 
 ther away into the unknown wilderness of water. 
 " They cannot desert now ; we must go on." 
 
 The wind was fair, and the vessels made good 
 speed. The Nina, now that her sails were squared, 
 managed to keep pace with the others. Many of 
 the crews of the vessels had borne up well, but on 
 losing sight of the last trace of land, and knowing 
 that they were entering an unknown and unex- 
 plored ocean, their hearts failed them. On the 
 second day out Columbus found a strong sailor in 
 tears. 
 
 " How is this, a man weeping ? Shame ! It is 
 for women and children to shed tears," he said, 
 halting at the sailor's side. 
 
 " Never before have men been separated from 
 the world as we are," answered the sailor. " Behind 
 us is everything that heart holds dear — country, 
 family, friends, life itself; before us are mystery, 
 chaos, and death." 
 
 " Oh, no, my brave man ! Don't despair — it's 
 womanish. We have much before us," said Co- 
 
THE MUTINY. 165 
 
 lurabus, in a tone intended to be cheerful. " You 
 will live to return home and tell those friends of 
 adventures of which they never dreamed." 
 
 "No, no, we will never see our homes again," 
 said another. 
 
 It became necessary for the admiral to inspire 
 them with hope and confidence, or the result 
 might even yet be serious. A number of the 
 despairing ones had gathered about, and be ad- 
 dressed them thus: 
 
 "Why give way to fears and make cowards of 
 yourselves, when so much is in store for you? A 
 lofty ambition should fill you with joy at our 
 glorious anticipations. I am taking you to mag- 
 nificent countries; to islands in the Indian seas 
 teeming with gold and precious stones ; the regions 
 of Mangi and Cathay, with their cities of univer- 
 sal wealth and splendor. Cheer up, and I will 
 give you lands and gold in abundance. Riches 
 in gold, jewels, and fine raiment, such as kings 
 might envy, shall be yours. Why will you de- 
 spair ? " 
 
 Columbus made not these promises as mere 
 deceptions ; he certainly believed he should real- 
 ize them all. 
 
 The admiral issued orders to the other vessels 
 that, in case they should become separated, they 
 were to keep right on due westward ; but that, 
 after sailing seven hundred leagues, they should 
 
166 COLUMBIA. 
 
 lay by from midnight until daylight, as at about 
 that distance he expected to find land. 
 
 It seems remarkable that Columbus should take 
 one so young as Hernando entirely in his confi- 
 dence, but so long had he been with the lad, and 
 young as he was found his judgment good, that 
 he trusted him even before the Pinzons in some 
 matters. Hernando was quick of perception and 
 seemed to read the thoughts of the sailors. On 
 discovering that their fears seemed to increase 
 with the distance from Spain, he communicated 
 the fact to the admiral. 
 
 " If there were only some way to deceive them," 
 said Hernando. " If we could only make them 
 believe that we were not going so far, nor fast, as 
 we are, it might allay their apprehensions. " 
 
 With a smile Columbus answered : 
 
 " It has been many years since I learned a les- 
 son that may be of great advantage to me now." 
 
 "What was it, admiral? " 
 
 " I have no reason to keep a secret from you, 
 for I know you have confidence in me." 
 
 "I have the utmost." 
 
 " This story may prove to you that deception, 
 when necessary, is excusable." 
 
 "I believe it is, admiral." 
 
 " It happened to me once, that King Reiner — 
 whom God has taken to himself — sent me to Tunis 
 to capture the galley Femandina, and when I ar- 
 
THE MUTINY. 167 
 
 rived off the island of St. Pedro in Sardinia I was 
 informed there were two ships and a carrack with 
 the galley ; by which intelligence my crew were 
 so troubled that they determined to proceed no 
 farther, but to return to Marseilles for another 
 vessel and more people. As I could not by any 
 means compel them, I apparently assented to 
 their wishes, altering the point of the compass and 
 spreading all sail. It was then evening, and next 
 morning we were within the Cape of Carthagenia, 
 while all were firmly of opinion that they were 
 sailing toward Marseilles.'' 
 
 " How can that lesson help us now, admiral ? " 
 
 " It is never wise for the commander of a ship 
 to let the crew know all, and sometimes it may be 
 necessary to deceive them." 
 
 " Are you now deceiving them ? " 
 
 " I am." 
 
 "How?" 
 
 " I knew their anxiety and terror were increas- 
 ing in proportion to their distance from their 
 native land, and I keep two reckonings." 
 
 "Two?" 
 
 " Yes, two : one correct, which no one but my- 
 self sees, in which the true course of the ship is 
 noted ; in the other, which is open to general in- 
 spection, a number of leagues is daily subtracted 
 from the sailing of the ship, so they are in igno- 
 rance of our real distance." 
 
168 COLUMBIA. 
 
 For a moment the lad bowed his head in thought 
 and then asked : 
 
 "Is that right?" 
 
 " What is necessary is right. A stratagem to 
 overcome ignorance and further the ends of God 
 is right." 
 
 On the eleventh day of September, when about 
 one hundred and fifty leagues west of Ferro, the 
 lookout called the attention of Columbus to some- 
 thing floating on the water. 
 
 "What is it?" asked the admiral. 
 
 " A mast," Hernando answered. The boy was 
 in the forecastle, and was one of the first to make 
 the discovery. 
 
 Columbus signalled the other vessels to lay to, 
 and, lowering a boat, Hernando with six others 
 pulled to the piece of floating mast and brought 
 it on shipboard. From its size it evidently had 
 belonged to a vessel of about one hundred and 
 twenty tons burden, and it had lain in the water 
 until it was almost rotted. The crews of the ex- 
 ploring ships, alive to everything that could ex- 
 cite hopes or fears, looked with rueful eyes upon 
 this wreck of some unfortunate voyager, drift- 
 ing ominously at the entrance of those unknown 
 seas. 
 
 " Don't allow this to alarm you," said Columbus 
 to the crews, when he saw that a panic was liable 
 to spread among them. " This broken mast has 
 
THE MUTINT. 169 
 
 no doubt been in the water for years, and probably 
 has floated from one of our ports." By encour- 
 aging and threatening them, he allayed to a small 
 degree their dread of the unknown sea. 
 
 Hernando, boy as he was, studied the admiral. 
 He was continually in his confidence, knew many 
 of his secrets, and soon became aware of the fact 
 that the admiral was becoming more perplexed 
 and more puzzled the farther they advanced into 
 this unknown region. The very heavens were 
 changing. The constellations of the East were 
 disappearing and strangers taking their places. 
 
 On the evening of September the 13th, Her- 
 nando chanced to go into the admiral's cabin. 
 They had advanced fifty leagues farther into the 
 unknown world, and Hernando had almost begun 
 to doubt that the admiral was correct in his cal- 
 culations. He found the navigator seated at a 
 table with a chart and compass before him. 
 
 Hernando was privileged to enter the admiral's 
 cabin at all hours. He spoke on entering, but, 
 receiving no answer, gently closed the door, and 
 took a step toward the admiral, so as to get a 
 glimpse of his face. And oh, what a face! Never 
 had he seen anything like it. The pallor of death 
 had overspread it, the lips were parted as if gasp- 
 ing for breath, the eves seemed starting from their 
 sockets, and he almost fancied he could hear the 
 explorer's heart beating within its prison walls. 
 
170 COLUMBIA. 
 
 "What was the meaning of all this? Hernando 
 knew that some critical point had been gained. 
 He barred the door, so as to prevent intrusion, 
 and determined to know the worst. 
 
 "Admiral, admiral, what has happened?" 
 
 " See, it varies ! " cried Columbus, starting to 
 his feet, and clutching the lad's arm with his left 
 hand, at the same time pointing to the compass 
 with his right. "It varies-; it no longer points to 
 the north." 
 
 For a moment the lad stood in speechless amaze- 
 ment. The youth was ignorant of the art of nav- 
 igation, but the face of the man on whose knowl- 
 edge and judgment he had staked his life told 
 him that something was wrong. 
 
 "What made it wrong? " Hernando asked. 
 
 For a moment Columbus did not answer. Then, 
 overcoming his astonishment, he said : 
 
 " It seems as if the very laws of nature are be- 
 coming reversed as we advance, and that we are 
 entering another world, subjected to unknown in- 
 fluences." 
 
 " Maybe the compass is broken." 
 
 " No, they are all the same. I have thought for 
 several days they were varying. As we advance, 
 they no longer point to the north, but the north- 
 west. Day by day for three days I have studied 
 this wonderful phenomenon, something the world 
 has never known." 
 
""SEE. IT VARIES!" CRIED COLUMBUS, STARTING TO HIS FEET. 
 
THE MUTINY. YJl 
 
 The boy was greatly frightened, and turning to 
 Columbus, asked : 
 
 " What are you going to do ; go back and leave 
 my poor father in this unknown world?" 
 
 " Would you go back ? " 
 
 After a short hesitation, he answered : 
 
 " No ; not if every law of nature were reversed." 
 
 " Noble lad, neither would I. The change of 
 the compass is only a new discovery in science, 
 and can be harmonized with navigation, though 
 it will cause us no little trouble when our pilots 
 discover it I must find some excuse for the 
 variation of the needle." 
 
 "Can it be kept a secret?" 
 
 "Impossible. They have the sailing of the 
 ship, and will soon know it." 
 
 At this moment a form was crouching at the 
 door of the cabin, a pair of dark, piercing eyes 
 were glittering with fiendish satisfaction, and 
 under his breath Miguel the spy hissed : 
 
 "Something goes wrong. What is it? I wish 
 I could but catch the words." 
 
 The quick ear of Columbus heard a noise there, 
 and flinging the door open, saw the crouching spy. 
 
 " Dog of an interloper, take that, and that, and 
 that I" cried Columbus, belaboring him with his 
 staff, until the villain roared out with pain, and 
 sought safety in the forward part of the ship. 
 
 Columbus was not mistaken in regard to the 
 
172 COLUMBIA. 
 
 pilots. They were quick to perceive the variation, 
 and three days later three of them called on the 
 commodore. Sancho Ruiz was spokesman. 
 
 " Lord admiral," he said, " we have made a 
 very wonderful if not alarming discovery." 
 
 " What is it," asked Columbus, feigning indif- 
 ference more than ignorance. 
 
 " The laws of nature are changing as we enter 
 another world, and come under unknown influ- 
 ences." 
 
 "Make your meaning more plain, Ruiz." 
 
 " The compass is about to lose its power, and 
 without it we have no guide in the vast, trackless 
 oceac It no longer points directly north, but is 
 varying northwest." 
 
 Columbus taxed his ingenuity as well as science 
 to the utmost for reasons to allay their terror. 
 He allowed no outward demonstration to indicate 
 that he was not complete master of the situation. 
 In a matter-of-fact way he answered : 
 
 " What you say is true, Seiior Ruiz, but if you 
 will examine the matter closely it is very simple. 
 The direction of the needle is not to the polar 
 star, but to some fixed and invisible point. 
 These variations which we have discovered are 
 not caused by any fallacy in the compass, but by 
 the movement of the north star itself, which, like 
 other heavenly bodies, has changed its revolutions, 
 and every day describes a circle round the pole." 
 
TEE MUTINY. 173 
 
 The pilots entertained an excellent opinion of 
 Columbus as a profound astronomer, and his 
 theory was accepted as correct. On next day, 
 the 14th of September, Hernando was standing on 
 the deck of the Santa Maria, when he suddenljr 
 saw two large birds, and running aft to Colum- 
 bus, he called : 
 
 " Admiral, here is a good omen. See the birds 
 flying." 
 
 " Birds, a harbinger of land, where are they ? " 
 cried Columbus, going forward. 
 
 " There," answered several sailors, pointing to 
 the birds within bow-shot of the vessel's prow. 
 
 " A heron and a Rabo de Junco," cried Colum- 
 bus. "These are fowls which never venture far 
 away from land. Our voyage will soon be over." 
 
 All the afternoon the two birds hovered about 
 the ships, but disappeared at dark. Those tropical 
 nights were delightfully cool, but dark. The sky 
 was a stranger to them, and they seemed gliding 
 on into a vast unknown world of water. 
 
 " Great God ! Look ! " cried some one from the 
 Santa Maria. 
 
 " Saints preserve us ! " groaned scores of voices. 
 
 The whole sky was lit with a lurid glare. A 
 great flame of fire seemed to fall from the dark 
 heavens into the sea, about four or five leagues 
 distant. 
 
 These meteors, common in warm climates, and 
 
174 COLUMBIA. 
 
 especially in the tropics, are always observed in 
 the serene azure sky, falling as it were from the 
 heavens, but never beneath a cloud. In the trans- 
 parent atmosphere of one of those beautiful nights, 
 where every star shines with the purest lustre, 
 they often leave a luminous train behind, which 
 lasts twelve or fifteen seconds, and might easily be 
 mistaken for a flame. The boldest sailors were 
 on their knees, believing they were entering a 
 sea of fire, and that the ships would soon be con- 
 sumed. Again was Columbus put to his best to 
 explain all he knew of meteors, and it took some 
 time to restore confidence to his men, but he par- 
 tially succeeded. 
 
 With favorable winds and occasional showers, 
 they had made considerable progress, though, ac- 
 cording to the secret plan of Columbus, he man- 
 aged to suppress several leagues in the daily 
 reckoning left open to the crew. 
 
 Arriving within the influence of the trade 
 winds, they were wafted speedily but gently over 
 a tranquil sea, so much so, that for several days 
 they did not shift a sail. All were amazed and 
 delighted with the bland and temperate serenity 
 of the weather, which was soft and refreshing, 
 without being too hot or too cool. The entire 
 day was like an Andalusian April morn, and they 
 wanted but the song of the nightingale to complete 
 the illusion. 
 
THE MUTINY. 175 
 
 They now came to a part of the sea where large 
 patches of herbs were found drifting from the 
 west, which increased in abundance as they ad- 
 vanced. Some were such as grow about rocks, 
 and others such as are produced in fresh water 
 streams. While some were yellow and withered, 
 many were green and fresh as if they had just 
 been washed from land. One day, a white trop- 
 ical bird, such as never sleeps on the sea, was 
 discovered ; tunny fish were also seen playing 
 about the vessels. 
 
 Filled with joy and hope, Columbus gathered 
 the crew of his vessel in the forecastle, and thus 
 addressed them : 
 
 "My brave men, ye need no longer despair, for 
 we are, without doubt, nearing land. There is 
 an account given by Aristotle of certaiu ships 
 of Cadiz, which, coasting the shores outside the 
 straits of Gibraltar, were driven westward by an 
 impetuous east wind, until they reached a part of 
 the ocean covered with weeds, resembling sunken 
 islands, and in the waters they found many tunny 
 fish, as we see them. All these indicate that we 
 are certainly not far from land." 
 
 Next day two boobies, birds which seldom fly 
 more than twenty leagues from land, were discov- 
 ered, and this further added to their hopes and 
 encouragement. 
 
 The weeds continued to increase, and Miguel, 
 
176 COLUMBIA. 
 
 ever watchful for an opportunity to breed discon- 
 tent among the sailors, suggested that the weeds 
 might continue to grow thicker on the surface of 
 the water, until it would be impossible for the 
 ships to force their way through. The wind was 
 gentle at all times, and for hours it would be a 
 perfect calm. 
 
 " You have all heard how ships have been frozen 
 up in tlie northern seas, and unable to move," 
 argued Miguel to a party of willing listeners. 
 "That will be our fate. The wind is constantly 
 falling off, and we will soon be unable to move." 
 
 Hernando, who had become a self-constituted 
 spy on the mutineer, hastened to Columbus to 
 report what he was doing. The admiral listened 
 with an attentive ear, and, when the lad had fin- 
 ished, said, in his grave, solemn manner : 
 
 "The fellow is mischievous, Hernando; watch 
 him, and I will go at once and pacify the crew." 
 
 When Columbus reached the deck, he found 
 terror and desperation about to seize the sailors. 
 
 " Why are you alarmed ? " he asked. " These 
 weeds and this calmness are, beyond a doubt, 
 caused by our near approach to land." 
 
 Notwithstanding the assurances of the admiral, 
 the crews were not satisfied, and the mischievous 
 Miguel was constantly secretly fomenting discon- 
 tent. The more Columbus argued, the more bois- 
 terous became the murmurs of his crew, until, on 
 
THE MUTINY. 177 
 
 Sunday, the 25th of September, there came on a 
 heavy swell of the sea, unaccompanied by wind — 
 a phenomenon which often occurs in the broad 
 ocean — being either the expiring undulations of 
 some past gale or the movements given the sea by 
 some distant current of wind. It was nevertheless 
 regarded with astonishment by the mariners, and 
 for a short time dispelled their imaginary terrors, 
 occasioned by the calm. 
 
 From this time on, however, the situation be- 
 came daily more critical. The favorable signs, 
 which increased the admiral's confidence in the 
 belief that they were nearing land, were derided by 
 Miguel and those bad, bold spirits whom he had 
 gathered about him, so that Columbus began to 
 fear they would rebel and compel him to turn back. 
 
 It was night — one of those strange, still nights, 
 such as no one aboard the squadron had ever seen 
 before. The sky was full of strangers, and the 
 sea of weeds and grass. The admiral was alone 
 in his cabin, filled with anxiety, when Hernando 
 entered. 
 
 " I am glad you have come, Hernando, for we 
 have reached a crisis," said Columbus. 
 
 " What do you mean, admiral? " 
 
 " All day long I have watched them, gathered 
 about in little knots and groups ; they have fed 
 each other's discontents, until the storm is ready 
 to break." 
 12 
 
178 COLOMBIA. 
 
 The admiral was in armor, and his naked sword 
 lay on the table at his side. The boy regarded 
 these signs as ominous, and asked : 
 
 '' What would you have me do ? " 
 
 " You are a brave lad, and I can trust you. Go, 
 arm yourself, and be ready for any emergency. 
 Then, putting on your cloak so as to conceal your 
 armor, go forth on deck, learn what they are 
 doing, get their plans, and return." 
 
 " I will." 
 
 The lad bowed and retired. 
 
 " Oh, if my brother, and a few others whom I 
 could trust as I do that boy, were only on board, 
 I should feel safe. _ Though some of the crew 
 seem faithful, at times I mistrust all." 
 
 While the admiral was thus moodily and almost 
 despairingly meditating on his present perilous 
 condition and the mutinous disposition of the crew, 
 there suddenly came a rap on the door of his cabin. 
 
 " Come in," he answered, laying his hand on his 
 sword. 
 
 The door opened, and Ruiz the pilot, followed 
 by half a dozen, entered. 
 
 "Lord admiral," said Ruiz, "the crew are about 
 to mutiny, being determined to make us turn back." 
 
 " We will not do it," cried Columbus, clutching 
 his naked sword. " No, if these decks swim with 
 blood, we will prosecute our voyage to the end." 
 
 In the meanwhile the little spy was cautiously 
 
THE MUTINY. J 79 
 
 creeping along the dark deck to where the crew 
 were gathered in a knot at the forecastle, with 
 Miguel haranguing them. Slowly and cautiously, 
 on bended knees, without noise, and with all the 
 motions of a creeping cat, glided Hernando nearer 
 to where the mutineers were assembled. Eeach- 
 ing a gun-carriage unobserved, he crouched down 
 in the darkness behind it, and waited, watched, 
 and listened. 
 
 Unaware of his presence, Miguel continued to 
 breed dissension among the mutineers. "With a 
 zeal and eloquence worthy of a better cause, the 
 mutineer said : 
 
 " This man is a desperado, bent in his mad 
 fantasy upon doing something extravagant to 
 render himself notorious. What are our suffer- 
 ings and dangers to one content to lose his own 
 life for the chance of fame and distinction? 
 What obligations bind us to continue with him ? 
 And when, pray, will the terms of our contract 
 be fulfilled ? We have already penetrated un- 
 known seas untraversed by a sail, far beyond 
 where man has ever before ventured. You have 
 already won names for courage and hardihood in 
 undertaking such an enterprise and persisting in 
 it so far, and how much farther are we to go 
 in quest of merely conjectured land ? Are we 
 to sail until we perish, or until return becomes 
 impossible? If we do, we will be the authors of 
 
180 COLUMBIA. 
 
 our own destruction. If we consult our safety 
 and turn back before it is too late, who can blame 
 us ? Complaints made by Columbus will have no 
 weight, for he is a foreigner without friends or 
 influence, and his schemes have been condemned 
 by the most learned men in Spain. He has no 
 party to uphold him, and a host of opponents 
 who would rejoice at his failure. If you fear his 
 complaints, we might seize him and cast him into 
 the sea, giving out that he had fallen overboard 
 while studying the stars with his instruments " 
 
 "Seize him," interrupted one. 
 
 " Yes, seize the admiral and cast him over- 
 board," cried another. 
 
 " Let us strike at once." 
 
 " At once, at once," and a dozen daggers and 
 swords flashed in the starlight The mutineers 
 rose up and began moving toward the cabin. 
 
 Swift as a flash the lad glided along the deck 
 of the vessel and darted through the cabin door, 
 which he found slightly open. 
 
 There stood the admiral, sword in hand, the 
 pilot, and five others, all with weapons drawn. 
 
 " Lord admiral, they are coming — the muti- 
 neers are coming ! " cried the lad, his eyes flashing 
 with excitement. 
 
 "Come, we will go and meet them on deck! " 
 roared Columbus, and with drawn sword he led his 
 handful of faithful followers to meet the mutineers. 
 
CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE. 
 
 Instead of effecting a complete surprise, as had 
 been intended, the mutineers were themselves sur- 
 prised. They bad expected to find the admiral 
 alone in the cabin ; instead, he met them sword in 
 hand on the quarter-deck, followed by half a 
 dozen brave men, well armed. The ship's lan- 
 terns were deceitful and did not reveal the real 
 number of the admiral's followers. 
 
 " There they are, admiral," cried the lad, point- 
 ing out the mutineers with his sword. 
 
 " Knaves ! villains ! " roared the admiral, and 
 with terrible yells he and his faithful followers 
 fell on them and began laying about with their 
 swords. Steel clashed against steel, and showers 
 of sparks covered the deck. 
 
 The mutineers, dismayed at having their secret 
 plans discovered, made scarcely any resistance; 
 but, throwing down their weapons, all, save Mi- 
 guel, fled to the forward part of the ship, where 
 they dropped on their knees, implored mercy, and 
 swore future obedience to the admiral. Miguel 
 would have followed their inglorious example had 
 not the admiral disarmed and held him fast. 
 
182 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " Oh, pray, my lord, let me go! " he cried, strug- 
 gling desperately to break away. 
 
 " Cease, villain, cease your struggling, or I shall 
 be sorely tempted to run you through," cried 
 Columbus. 
 
 The trembling wretch began to implore the 
 admiral to spare his life. 
 
 " Have mercy — oh, have mercy ! " he groaned. 
 
 " Know you not the fate of traitors and muti- 
 neers ? " 
 
 " Oh, pray, have mercy! " 
 
 " Do you deserve it ? " 
 
 " Mercy, mercy ! " 
 
 " The law put your life in my power, and you 
 have forfeited it." 
 
 " Spare me — oh, spare me ! " 
 
 Hernando was too tender-hearted not to be 
 moved by those pleadings and tears. 
 
 "Spare him, I pray you, my lord," he began. 
 
 " Do you ask that he be spared ? " 
 
 " Surely he can do us no harm if he be kept con- 
 fined in the hold and in chains." 
 
 " I will keep him as a living example to all 
 other traitors,'' Columbus answered. 
 
 The admiral had a tender heart, but was pos- 
 sessed of a sound judgment, and knew that in this 
 case it was best to assume harshness. Fear was 
 the iron hand which could control such incorri- 
 gible characters as Miguel. Dragging the inuti- 
 
LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE. 183 
 
 neer to his feet, he handed him over to the officers, 
 and said : 
 
 " Take him below, load him down with irons, 
 and see that he communicates with no one. His 
 fate shall be determined hereafter." 
 
 There went up from the prisoner a groan. He 
 knew full well that, according to maritime law, 
 he had forfeited his life. 
 
 Ruiz and one or two more seized the culprit 
 and dragged him from the deck. He begged 
 and implored for life, but was unceremoniously 
 dragged down into the hold of the ship and there 
 made fast. Columbus put up his sword and 
 walked boldly forward to where the remainder of 
 his crew were gathered in the forecastle, trembling 
 with dread apprehension at having aroused the 
 ire of the admiral. 
 
 " Oh, mercy, mercy ! " the most timid began. 
 
 Having witnessed the capture of their ring- 
 leader, they began to lose what little hope they 
 had entertained of the success of the mutiny. 
 
 " Mercy ! " said the admiral, sternly. "Do you 
 deserve mercy ? " 
 
 " Mercy, mercy ! " 
 
 "Down on your knees, all of you, and now 
 swear to never again attempt mutiny." 
 
 All fell on their knees, and swore anew alle- 
 giance to the admiral, who ordered them to return 
 to their duties. 
 
!84 COLUMBIA. 
 
 "Bear in mind," he added quite sternly, as the 
 mutineers began to disperse, " the first man who 
 again makes an attempt at mutiny dies." 
 
 Harshness was not natural with Columbus, and 
 it was only with the most desperate he was harsh. 
 He meted out to each such inducements as was 
 necessary to stimulate him. Maintaining a serene 
 and steady countenance, soothing some with gen- 
 tle words, endeavoring to stimulate the pride and 
 avarice of others, and openly menacing the refrac- 
 tory with signal punishment should they do more 
 to impede the voyage, he again became master of 
 the situation. 
 
 The lad, who had ever been faithful to the 
 admiral, even at the imminent risk of losing his 
 life, was now more his confidential friend than 
 ever. 
 
 " Don't put the prisoner to death," he pleaded. 
 
 "By law he has forfeited his life," Columbus 
 answered. 
 
 " Mercy is given even where life is forfeited." 
 
 " Not when it jeopardizes other lives," contin- 
 ued the admiral. "If I spare this man, as you 
 would have me do, what assurance have I that 
 he will not again incite the crew to mutiny ? " 
 
 "His oath, my lord." 
 
 " His oath is of no more strength than a rope 
 of sand." 
 
 " Can you try him ? " 
 
' THERE THEY ARE, ADMIRAL, CRIED TH I', LAD, POINTING < >l'T THE 
 MUTINEERS WITH HIS SWORD. 
 
LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE. 185 
 
 " Try him ? It would be criminal to now give 
 that man his liberty. The morality and lives of 
 the crew, as well as the success of our enterprise, 
 depend on his being kept in chains." 
 
 "But you won't put him to death? " 
 
 "Neither he nor his late companions in the 
 mutiny must think otherwise. You need rest; 
 go to your bunk and take what sleep you can 
 get." 
 
 " Admiral, you are in need of rest yourself. 
 You have scarce slept for weeks." 
 
 " Nor will I sleep, save enough to preserve life 
 and reason, until we have sighted the shores of 
 this new world. Get you to your berth, and dis- 
 turb not your mind with thoughts of the wicked. 
 They bring their own misery on themselves. 
 Vice and woe go hand in hand." 
 
 Next day the wind again became favorable, 
 and they were enabled to resume their course 
 directly westward. The breezes being light, and 
 the sea calm, the vessels sailed so near to each 
 other that Columbus and Martin Alonzo Pinzon 
 stood on their own decks, and conversed with each 
 other for hours. 
 
 " Have you quelled the mutiny ? " asked Pinzon. 
 
 "Effectually." 
 
 " I don't see the chief of the mutineers hanging 
 at your yard-arms." 
 
 " I am menacing others with his fate. If the 
 
186 COLUMBIA. 
 
 crews continue faithful, I may even give them 
 their liberties on reaching land." 
 
 The idea of mercy to the mutineers was repug- 
 nant to Pinzon, who believed in dealing out only 
 the sternest justice. 
 
 " Have you examined the chart I sent you three 
 days ago ? " asked Columbus. 
 
 "I have." 
 
 " Where do you think we are? " 
 
 " According to the indications of the map, we 
 must be in the neighborhood of the island of 
 Cipango, and the other islands which you have 
 delineated on the map." 
 
 " I believe so, too, but it is possible that the ships 
 ma} 7 have been borne out of their track by the 
 prevalent currents, or we may not have come so 
 far as the pilots have reckoned." 
 
 Columbus was shrewd enough to provide against 
 possible disappointment. It might be fatal to his 
 plans to set a time or distance too accurately for 
 reaching the mystic shore, the whereabouts of 
 which he was shrewdly guessing. 
 
 •'There may be a mistake," said Martin Alonzo 
 Pinzon, "and yet I feel confident we are nearing 
 land." 
 
 " Everything goes to prove it. Have you 
 finished with the chart ? " 
 
 " For the time being." 
 
 " Please toss it to the deck of my ship." 
 
LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORK. 187 
 
 They were sailing so close together, that Martin 
 Pinzon tied a cord to the chart, and flung it on 
 board the Santa Maria. It fell at the feet of Co- 
 lumbus, who picked it up and spread it out before 
 him. Ruiz was looking over his shoulder; Her- 
 nando was at his side, and several sailors were 
 near, all eager to know something of their locality. 
 
 Suddenly a wild shout rang out from the deck 
 of the Phi ta, 
 
 "What means that? " cried Columbus. 
 
 "See, see!" shouted Hernando, pointing to 
 Martin Alonzo Pinzon, who was standing on the 
 high poop-deck at the stern, of his vessel, looking 
 off to the southwest. 
 
 " Land, land ! " cried Pinzon, at the top of his 
 voice. " I claim my reward. I claim the pension 
 for being the first to discover land." 
 
 The eyes of Columbus followed the direction 
 indicated by Pinzon's finger, and he saw, about 
 twenty-five leagues away, what indeed had the 
 appearance of land. The admiral threw himself 
 on his knees and returned thanks to God, all his 
 crew following his example, and the wildest rejoic- 
 ing followed. On board the Pinta, a scene of 
 equal excitement and a ceremony fully as impres- 
 sive was going on. Martin Alonzo repeated the 
 Gloria in excekis, in which he was joined by the 
 crews of all three vessels. 
 
 The seamen now mounted to the masthead or 
 
188 COLUMBIA. 
 
 climbed about the rigging, straining their eyes in 
 the direction pointed out. The conviction of land 
 in that quarter became so general, and the joy of 
 the people so ungovernable, that Columbus found 
 it necessary to vary from his usual course, and 
 stand all night to the southwest. The morning 
 light, however, put an end to all their hopes, as to 
 a dream. The fancied land proved to be nothing 
 but an evening cloud, which vanished during the 
 night. With dejected hearts they once more re- 
 sumed their western course, from which Columbus 
 would never have varied but in compliance with 
 the clamorous wishes of his crew. 
 
 " I will vary no more," he said. " We have lost 
 several hours following a chimera; henceforth we 
 shall steer by our original course." 
 
 For several days they continued on with the 
 same propitious breeze, tranquil sea, and mild, 
 delightful weather. The water was so calm that 
 the sailors amused themselves with swimming 
 about the vessel. Dolphins began to abound, and 
 flying fish, darting into the air, fell upon the decks. 
 The continued signs of land diverted the attention 
 of the crews, and insensibly lured them onward. 
 
 A reckoning was made on October the first, 
 which, according to figures furnished the pilots, 
 was five hundred and eighty-four leagues from the 
 Canary Islands, but the true reckoning was seven 
 hundred and seven. On the 2d of October, dis- 
 
LIGHTti ALONG TEE SHORE. 189 
 
 couraging signs were discovered, the weeds were 
 seen floating from the' east to the west, and on 
 the third day no birds were to be seen. 
 
 At noon-day, Martin Pinzon bailed the admiral's 
 ship, and designated his desire to come on board 
 for consultation. 
 
 "Come on," Columbus answered, though he 
 seemed to know what the proposed consultation 
 portended, and from the start to treat it with dis- 
 favor. 
 
 When Pinzon was aboard the admiral's vessel, 
 he said : 
 
 " I fear, rny lord admiral, we have passed be- 
 tween islands, from one to the other of which the 
 birds have been flying." 
 
 " The indications would seem that we had," 
 Columbus answered. 
 
 " Would it not be well to change our course, 
 and steer farther south ? " 
 
 " No ; our charts and maps all indicate that 
 Cipango, Maguay, and St. Borodon lie west- 
 ward." 
 
 " The crews begin again to murmur." 
 
 " I am sorry, as it will compel me to resort to a 
 stricter discipline than I had intended. I have 
 one of their number now in irons, and it may be 
 necessary to place more there, or even hang a few, 
 rather than ruin the expedition." 
 
 Next day there was a decided change, and 
 
190 COL UMBIA. 
 
 everybody began once more to hope. They were 
 visited by such flights of birds, and the various 
 indications of land became so numerous, that from 
 a state of despondency they passed to one of con- 
 fident expectation. The sailors, eager to obtain the 
 promised prize, were continually giving the cry of 
 land on the least appearance of anything resem- 
 bling an island. 
 
 Realizing the demoralizing effects of raising 
 false hopes, Columbus declared that should any 
 one give such notice, and land not be discovered 
 within three days afterward, he should henceforth 
 forfeit all claim to the reward. 
 
 On the morning of the 6th of October, Martin 
 Alonzo Pinzon again came on board, and notified 
 Columbus that he was losing confidence in their 
 present course, and tried to urge the admiral to 
 change it. But this Columbus refused to do, and 
 issued an order, that, should the ships become 
 separated, each was to stand due west, and endeavor 
 as soon as possible to join the company again. 
 He also directed that the vessels should keep 
 near him at sunrise and sunset, as at those periods 
 the atmosphere was most favorable to the discov- 
 ery of distant land. 
 
 On the 7th of October, several of the admiral's 
 crew thought they beheld land to westward, but 
 none ventured to proclaim it, for fear of losing the 
 reward. 
 
LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE. 191 
 
 " The Nifia sees it," Hernando whispered to 
 the admiral. " See how she presses forward. 
 Santa Maria, what a sailor she is ! " 
 
 The boj and admiral stood side by side, the 
 former in breathless excitement, and the latter 
 calm and unmoved, watching the ship. 
 
 "See, see !" cried Hernando, clapping his hands 
 with joy. " She hoists a flag at her masthead, 
 and there goes a gun." 
 
 The boom of one of the ship's cannon at this 
 moment rang out over the sea. New joy was 
 awakened throughout the little squadron, and 
 every eye was turned to the west. As they 
 advanced, however, their cloud-built hopes faded 
 away, and before evening the fancied land had 
 again melted into air. 
 
 Again dejection settled on the crew, and it 
 required all the skill of Columbus to rouse them. 
 
 "Look at the great flights of birds going south- 
 west," he argued. " They must be secure of some 
 neighboring land, where they will find food and a 
 resting-place. The Portuguese attach great im- 
 portance to the flight of birds, by following which 
 they have made most of their discoveries." 
 
 Columbus had now come seven hundred and 
 fifty leagues, the distance at which he had expected 
 to find the island of Cipango ; as there was no 
 appearance of it, he might have missed it through 
 some mistake in the latitude. On the 7th of 
 
192 COLUMBIA. 
 
 October, he hailed the Pinta, and asked her cap- 
 tain to come aboard the Santa Maria. When he 
 came Columbus said : 
 
 " I have been thinking, Pinzon, that we might 
 have passed the island of Cipango, and, as all the 
 birds seem flying west-southwest, we had better 
 alter our course to that point, for two or three days 
 at least."* 
 
 " I am in accord with you, admiral ; it will not 
 be much of a deviation, anyway," returned Martin 
 Alonzo Pinzon. 
 
 "I shall give immediate orders for the whole 
 squadron to sail in the new course which I have 
 laid down for three days." 
 
 During the three days in which the squadron 
 stood in the new course, the flights of birds in- 
 creased as they advanced. 
 
 But, as land was not reached, the crew came 
 to regard all this as so many delusions beguiling 
 them on to destruction; and when, on the evening 
 of the third day, they beheld the sun go down on 
 a shoreless ocean, they broke forth into a turbulent 
 clamor. They exclaimed against this obstinacy, 
 as they termed it, in continuing a voyage into a 
 
 * This determination to change his course to west-south- 
 west, a course always favored by the Pinzons, doubtless gave 
 rise to the absurdly untrue story, that Columbus had prom- 
 ised the mutineers, if no land were discovered in three days, 
 he would return to Spain. 
 
LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE. 193 
 
 boundless ocean, and insisted on abandoning it as 
 hopeless and foolish. The seeds of dissension 
 sown by Miguel had taken firm root, and, though 
 the chief mutineer was in chains below, his deeds 
 lived after him. 
 
 Columbus tried to pacify them by gentle words 
 and large rewards, but, finding their clamor in- 
 creasing, he once more assumed a decided tone. 
 Calling Hernando, Boderigo de Escobar, Diego 
 de Arana, Roderigo Sanchez, and all the officers 
 and gentry of the king's household about him, 
 they donned swords and bucklers, and once more 
 faced the mutineers. 
 
 Stern determination was marked in every line- 
 ament of the admiral's features, and advancing on 
 the mob, which, sullen and almost defiant, had 
 fallen back to the forecastle, the great man cried : 
 
 " I have come to crush out this mutiny forever. 
 It is useless for you to murmur. The expedition 
 has been sent out by your sovereigns to seek the 
 Indies: and, happen what may, I am determined 
 to persevere, until, by the blessing of God, I shall 
 accomplish the enterprise." 
 
 For the time being Columbus and the officers 
 over-awed the mutineers, but from day to day 
 they continued to murmur, and gradually grew 
 more bold. Fortunately the manifestations of 
 land on the following day no longer admitted of 
 doubt. At early morn Hernando was in the fore- 
 13 
 
194 C° L UMBIA. 
 
 castle, and called the admiral's attention to the 
 increased quantity of seaweeds. 
 
 "I observed them, but we have had floating 
 weeds for days." 
 
 "There's something we've not had," cried the 
 boy, pointing to an object in the water near the 
 prow of the vessel. 
 
 " What, my lad ? " 
 
 " There is a green fish — such as keeps about 
 the rocks." 
 
 " True, true — you are quite right ; I see it now 
 myself, my lad. That is certainly a good omen." 
 
 "And there — look, what is that?" the boy 
 shouted in a burst of joy. 
 
 " What— where ? " 
 
 " A bush — a floating bush ! " 
 
 "I see it," cried the admiral, almost as much 
 elated as the lad. "Lower a boat." 
 
 "Let me go and get it? " cried Hernando. 
 
 "You shall." 
 
 Consequently, when the boat was lowered, Her- 
 nando took his place in the bow. Six sturdy 
 sailors seized the oars, and the boat glided through 
 the waters to the bush, which was a branch of 
 thorn-bush on which grew some red berries. 
 Hernando seized it with a shout of joy, notwith- 
 standing his hands were lacerated by the thorns. 
 As the boat rowed back to the ship, he plucked 
 off one of the berries, saying: 
 
LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE. 195 
 
 " I will be first to eat the fruit of the new 
 world." 
 
 The berry was tart, but nutritious, and of a 
 species unknown to Columbus. The admiral 
 next tasted of the berries, and sent a few to the 
 Pinzons. The same day they picked up a reed, a 
 small board, and a staff artificially carved. All 
 gloom and mutiny now gave way to sanguine ex- 
 pectation ; and throughout the day, each one was 
 eagerly on the watch, in the hope of being first to 
 discover the long-sought land. 
 
 At sunset a sailor, approaching Columbus, 
 saluted him meekly, and said : 
 
 " My lord admiral, I come from the prisoner 
 Miguel, who has grown sick with confinement, and 
 now that land is almost reached implores his lib- 
 erty." 
 
 With a fixed, immovable countenance, and a 
 voice decidedly stern, Columbus answered : 
 
 "No. Miguel has proved our enemy. He has 
 fomented all the discontent, and been the author 
 of much of the misery we have suffered, and such 
 mischief-makers cannot be granted liberty before 
 the promised land is reached." 
 
 " Will he be given his liberty then? " 
 
 "Perhaps." 
 
 " He prays that he may be with the great and 
 good admiral when he lands." 
 
 Columbus, unable to refuse so small a request, 
 
196 COLUMBIA 
 
 granted it. That evening when, according to the 
 invariable custom on board the admiral's ship, the 
 mariners had sung the Salve Regina, or vesper 
 hymn to tbe Virgin, he made an impressive ad- 
 dress to the crew. 
 
 " Think how good God has been to us in con- 
 ducting us by soft and favorable breezes across 
 a tranquil ocean, cheering our hopes with fresh 
 signs, increasing as our fears are augmented, and 
 thus leading and guiding us to the promised land," 
 he said. " Remember the orders I gave on leaving 
 the Canaries, that after sailing westward seven 
 hundred leagues, we make no sail after midnight. 
 Present appearances authorize such a precaution. 
 It is probable that we will make land this very 
 night, so keep a vigilant lookout from the fore- 
 castle, and whoever shall make the discovery will 
 receive in addition from the sovereigns a doub- 
 let of velvet." 
 
 The breeze had been fresh all day, with more 
 sea than usual, and the progress had been con- 
 siderable. At sunset they again stood west- 
 ward, and ploughed the waves at a rapid rate, 
 the Pinta, owing to her superior sailing, keeping 
 ahead. Great animation prevailed throughout 
 the ships, and not an eye was closed for sleep that 
 night. 
 
 As Columbus took his station on the top of the 
 castle (at this day called cabin), on the high poop 
 
LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE. 197 
 
 of his vessel, to watch, Hernando, who followed 
 him, asked: 
 
 "Can I stay at your side to-night? '" 
 
 " You can, brave lad. We shall see the fruition 
 of all hopes ere the dawn of day." 
 
 " Will my father be there ? Will I find him ? " 
 
 " I hope to find him and many other brave sail- 
 ors who may have been cast away." 
 
 About ten o'clock at night Columbus thought 
 he beheld a light glimmering in the distance. 
 
 "Hernando, do you see anything?" he asked. 
 
 "Where?" 
 
 " Look straight ahead." 
 
 After a few moments' staring into the intense 
 darkness, the boy answered: 
 
 "I believe I see a light." 
 
 " Are you quite sure ? " 
 
 " I — I am not. Yet it glimmers." 
 
 At this moment Pedro Gutierrez, gentleman 
 of the king's bed-chamber, chanced to pass by, 
 and Columbus hailed him. 
 
 " Ay, ay," he answered. 
 
 " Do you see a light ahead ? " 
 
 " By the mass, T believe I do ! " 
 
 Columbus was now trembling with excitement, 
 but determined to be certain ere he announced 
 land. He called to Rodrigo Sanchez, of Segovia, 
 and made the same inquiry. 
 
 " Come up to the rouud-house and be quite cer- 
 
198 COL UMBIA. 
 
 tain ere you answer," said the admiral. Before he 
 could ascend to the round-house the lights had 
 disappeared. They saw them once or twice after- 
 ward, in sudden and passing gleams, as if they 
 were torches in the barks of fishermen, rising and 
 sinking on the waves, or in the hand of some per- 
 son on the shore, borne up and down as he 
 walked from house to house. 
 
 So certain were they that they were approach- 
 ing land, and so eager to sight it during the night, 
 that despite former orders the vessels continued 
 under easy sail until two o'clock in the morning. 
 
 Eodrigo de Triana, a sailor on board the Pinta, 
 was at the masthead, piercing the darkness with 
 eyes that had long been accustomed to the sea. 
 Suddenly his convictions became a certainty, and 
 he gave the joyful shout of discovery. There 
 was no mistake now, and from a heart overbur- 
 dened with joy he shouts : 
 
 "Land, land, land!"* 
 
 The joyful cry is taken up by all the squadron, 
 and cannon boomed forth the glad tidings — the 
 discovery of a new world, found for mankind 
 once more. 
 
 There was no sleep that night, and all was 
 given up to joy and thanksgiving. Land not two 
 
 * The reward was afterward adjudged to the admiral, he 
 having first seen the light along the shore. 
 
LIGHTS ALONG THE SHORE. 199 
 
 leagues away was plainly to be seen. Columbus 
 ordered the vessels to lay to and wait for morning ; 
 and, as the admiral paced the deck with cheeks 
 wet with tears of joy, Hernando pressed his hand, 
 and asked: 
 
 " My good and great friend, will I see my father 
 on the morrow ? " 
 
 "God grant you may, brave, noble lad, and 
 faithful son." 
 
CHAPTER XK 
 
 SEARCH FOR THE GRAND KHAN. 
 
 " God in heaven be glori fled ! " 
 
 The thoughts and feelings of Columbus from 
 discovery of land to dawn of day were tumultuous 
 and intense. At last, despite every difficulty and 
 danger, the great object of his life had been 
 accomplished. The mystery of the ocean was 
 revealed ; his theory, which had been the scoff of 
 sages, was triumphantly established, and he had 
 secured to himself a glory durable as the world 
 itself. 
 
 It is difficult to conceive the feelings of such a 
 man at such a moment, or the conjectures which 
 thronged his mind as to the land before him en- 
 shrouded in darkness. It was fruitful, as had 
 been evinced by the vegetables floating from the 
 shores. Even as he paraded the deck of his vessel 
 he thought he perceived a strange aromatic fra- 
 grance from the shores of that mystic land. Up 
 and down, up and down the deck, all night long 
 the admiral paced, building air-castles and dream- 
 ing dreams mortal had never dared dream before. 
 Would the rising sun throw its burning rays on a 
 thousand gilded towers and blazing minarets of 
 
SEARCH FOR THE GRAND KHAN. 201 
 
 some strange city, or would he merely find a des- 
 ert island, populated by a few shipwrecked mari- 
 ners? 
 
 Hernando as hopefully and prayerfully paced 
 the deck on that night as did Columbus. 
 
 " Father in heaven and the saints be praised ! 
 Oh, grant that I may find him in this strange, 
 new world ! Seas, cease your murmurs ; the cap- 
 tive shall no longer be in chains." 
 
 The waves laving the sides of the vessel seemed 
 to the quick imagination of Hernando to laugh in 
 bubbling joy. 
 
 Would the night never wear away? Every 
 man on board the ships was eager for the dawn. 
 Oh, for one flash of sunlight to reveal to them 
 that strange, mysterious shore ! Never so longed 
 a crew to see the daylight come. The moving 
 lights which had first discovered the strange land 
 to them was convincing evidence that it was the 
 residence of man. But who were its inhabitants? 
 Were they like those of other parts of the globe, 
 or were they some strange, monstrous race, such 
 as the imagination was prone at those times to 
 give to all remote and unknown regions ? Was 
 the land before them some wild island of the far 
 Indian sea, or the far-famed Cipango, the object of 
 such golden fancies ? 
 
 As the night grew darker ere dawn, there were 
 those among the sailors who thought, after all, it 
 
202 COLUMBIA. 
 
 was another myth, that would pass away with the 
 morning light. 
 
 The first faint streaks appearing in the eastern 
 horizon brought the people of every ship to the 
 sides of the vessels, and all eyes were strained to 
 catch a glimpse of that unknown land. 
 
 " It's there ; it's no cloud that the sunlight will 
 dispel," whispered a dozen. 
 
 A sailor touched the admiral's arm, and, gain- 
 ing his attention, bowed and meekly said : 
 
 " I hope the admiral has not forgotten the 
 unfortunate Miguel, who languishes a prisoner 
 below?" 
 
 " Go and liberate him," was the answer. 
 
 " The admiral is so very kind " 
 
 " Away." 
 
 Brighter and brighter grew the morning every 
 second, until the sable cloak of night had been 
 changed to the sober gray of twilight, which, 
 chameleon like, was growing to a rosy light. The 
 chill of early morn was unnoticed by Columbus 
 or his shivering, sleepless crew. 
 
 The liberated Miguel climbed to the deck, and, 
 gazing out over the gunwale, saw the land for 
 which the white-haired man and his boy compan- 
 ion had dared so much. Then and there, had he 
 possessed a spark of manhood in his dark soul, he 
 would have relented. But his small, cunning eyes 
 gleamed with a new thought, and he mentally said : 
 
SEARCH FOR THE GRAND KHAN. 203 
 
 " Neither Columbus nor the lad shall be first to 
 return with the glad news of this discovery. The 
 laurels they would wiu shall be plucked from their 
 brows." 
 
 It was on Friday morning, the 12th of October, 
 1492, that Columbus first saw the New World. 
 As day dawned, his eager eyes beheld before him 
 a level island, several leagues in extent and covered 
 with trees, like a continual orchard. No signs of 
 cultivation or civilization were observable, and, 
 but for the dark heads peeping out at them from 
 the dense foliage, he would have believed it unin- 
 habited. At last a strange, wild people, dark red 
 and perfectly naked, could be seen running from 
 all parts of the woods down to the seashore. 
 
 " Do you see my father among them ? " the lad 
 asked, as Columbus turned his glass on the men 
 of this strange, new land. 
 
 " No, my lad ; but a slave would probably be 
 left in the interior." 
 
 Columbus brushed a tear from his eye as he 
 spoke. He knew how fond the delusion had 
 grown, and how bitter would be the disappoint- 
 ment. The belief had become an hallucination 
 with Hernando. 
 
 The admiral made signal for the ships to cast 
 anchor and the boats to be manned and armed. 
 It was a solemn and impressive ceremony : the 
 man who had suffered and dared so much was 
 
204 COLUMBIA. 
 
 now about to take possession of this new-found 
 world. in the name of Spain. Columbus, accom- 
 panied by several royal officers, including the 
 notary public, and Hernando Estevan, the muti- 
 neer, and a number of armed sailors, set out for 
 shore. Martin Alonzo Pinzon and his brother, 
 Vincent Yanez, put off in their separate boats to 
 accompany him, each with a banner of the enter- 
 prise, emblazoned with a green cross, having on 
 either side the letters "P" and " Y," the initials 
 of the Castilian monarchs, Fernando and Ysabel, 
 surmounted by crowns. 
 
 For this imposing ceremony Columbus was 
 richly attired in scarlet, and carried the royal 
 standard. 
 
 As he approached the shore, the explorer was 
 disposed to all kinds of agreeable impressions, 
 and delighted with the purity and suavity of the 
 atmosphere, the crystal transparency of the sea, 
 and extraordinary beauty of the vegetation. Un- 
 known fruits grew in rich abundance, overhang- 
 ing the shore, and, it being high tide, even kissing 
 the incoming sea. 
 
 Columbus stood in the bow of the boat, watch- 
 ing the naked inhabitants timidly retreating among 
 the trees as they advanced toward the shore. 
 
 Landing, Columbus threw himself on his knees, 
 kissed the earth, and returned thanks to God with 
 tears of joy — an example followed by nearly all 
 
LANDING OF COLUMBUS 
 
SEARCH FOR THE GRAND KHAN. 2(55 
 
 the others, whose hearts overflowed with gratitude. 
 Then rising, the admiral drew his sword, displayed 
 the royal standard, and assembling around him 
 the two great captains, with Roderigo de Escobar, 
 notary of the armament, Roderigo Sanchez, and 
 others, he took solemn possession in the name of 
 the Castilian sovereigns, giving the island the 
 name of San Salvador. Having complied with 
 the requisite forms and ceremonies, he called on 
 all present to take the oath of obedience to him- 
 self as admiral and viceroy, representing the per- 
 sons of the sovereigns. 
 
 Then Columbus offered the following prayer, 
 which we give in the original, just as uttered: 
 
 " Domine Deus, ozterne et omnipotent, sacro tuo 
 verbo Oelum, et terram, et mare creasti ; benedicatur 
 et glorijicetur nomen tuum, laudelur tua majestas, 
 quce dignita est pzr humilem servurn tuum, ut ejus 
 sacrum nomen agnoscatur, et proedicetur in hoc altera 
 mundi parte." 
 
 The crew now burst forth in transports of joy, 
 and the mutineers were loudest in their praises of 
 the man whom they, a few days before, were so 
 anxious to put to death. 
 
 Hernando was still kneeling, when a voice just 
 above him said, in a hard, harsh whisper : 
 
 "You have triumphed at last." 
 
 On glancing upward, the lad saw bending over 
 him the evil face of Miguel the mutineer, who so 
 
206 00L DMBIA. 
 
 nearly brought about a disastrous failure. There 
 was a devilish, malignant expression in the vil- 
 lain's face, which boded neither Columbus nor the 
 lad good. 
 
 Hernando was too much preoccupied with the 
 imposing ceremony of discovery and conquest, to 
 give much heed to the mutineer. Some of the 
 more avaricious of the sailors were down on the 
 sands searching for particles of gold, pearls, and 
 shells. 
 
 Since early dawn the natives had watched those 
 three great monsters, which they believed to be 
 enormous sea-birds, and when they sent out boats 
 filled with strange beings clad in glittering steel, 
 and various colored, they became frightened, and 
 fled to the woods. Hernando was anxious to 
 speak with the natives, and as soon as the impos- 
 ing ceremony was over he rose and went to the 
 nearest grove of trees, where a few of the bolder 
 remained. 
 
 The natives finding they were not pursued, six 
 of them, among whom was one female, young, 
 beautiful, and well formed, but perfectly naked, 
 advanced toward the Spaniards. After prostrat- 
 ing themselves several times, they came to the 
 admiral, whom they recognized, by his splendid 
 raiment and noble demeanor, to be chief in author- 
 ity. A few moments later, when they had some- 
 what overcome their astonishment and fear, they 
 
SEARCH FOR THE GRAND KHAN. 207 
 
 approached the Spaniards, touched their beards, 
 and examined their hands and faces, admiring 
 their whiteness. 
 
 Hernando went boldly to one of the oldest of 
 the natives, one who seemed to be in authority, 
 and asked : 
 
 " Can you tell me where my father is ? " 
 
 The savage gazed at him in wonder, but made 
 no answer.. 
 
 " Do you know where the white prisoner is?" 
 asked the lad, still answered only by a stare of 
 stupefied amazement. 
 
 "He doesn't understand you," said Columbus. 
 
 " Where will we find him ? He must be some- 
 where on the island." 
 
 " Be patient," returned the admiral. " All 
 things come to those who learn to wait. We are 
 on one of the extreme islands of the Indies, and 
 may find your father farther inland." 
 
 The hope and expectancy which had buoyed 
 Hernando up all through the long voyage now 
 began to give place to doubt, and he was almost 
 ready to despair. But there was excitement and 
 interest enough to keep his mind constantly 
 engaged. The Spaniards were disappointed in 
 not finding gold more abundant, but the admiral 
 assured them that they would find large quantities 
 farther inland, or on some other island. 
 
 The admiral distributed among the natives 
 
208 COLUMBIA. 
 
 colored caps, glass beads, hawks-bells, and other 
 such trifles as the Portuguese were accustomed to 
 trade with among the nations of the gold coast of 
 Africa. 
 
 In every manner possible, the anxious lad tried 
 to make his wishes known to the natives. The 
 young woman, who seemed possessed of a higher 
 degree of intelligence than the others, listened 
 attentively to his words, studied his pantomime 
 with care, yet comprehended nothing. She knew 
 the lad was in distress, and her simple, untutored 
 heart went out to him; she tried to console him, 
 but he was as ignorant of her intent as she was 
 of his language. 
 
 Next morning the shore was thronged with 
 natives, some even swimming off to the ship, or 
 paddling about in their canoes. They were all 
 eager to procure more toys and trinkets, not so 
 much for any intrinsic value which they thought 
 them to possess, as that they believed they came 
 from beings from another world. 
 
 The island where Columbus had thus first set 
 foot in the New "World was called by the natives 
 Guanahane. It still retains the name of San Sal- 
 vador, but it is sometimes called by the English 
 Cat Island. 
 
 " This is not the island of Cipango," said 
 Columbus to the Pinzons, after exploring San 
 Salvador. 
 
SEARCH FOR THE GRAND KEAN. 209 
 
 "No," answered Martin Alonzo Pinzon. 
 
 " Yet Cipango is not far away." 
 
 " I think not." 
 
 " We will continue our voyage westward, until 
 it is found." 
 
 " If we could understand the language of the 
 natives, admiral, they might tell us many things," 
 said Hernando. 
 
 ".I have thought of that, my lad, and have 
 determined to take with us seven of these natives, 
 to teach them the Spanish language. We will 
 leave San Salvador on to-morrow, and keep them 
 constantly with us as our guides in the New 
 World." 
 
 The admiral carried out his plans, taking seven 
 of the natives, among whom was the Indian girl 
 who had displayed a remarkable degree of intelli- 
 gence. They proved ready pupils, and in a few 
 days began to pick up various words in Spanish, 
 though they conversed more by signs. 
 
 They found a vast number of green islands, 
 level and fertile, all about them. The Indians on 
 board intimated that they were innumerable, well 
 peopled, and at war with each other. Columbus 
 spent much of his time teaching the Indians and 
 asking them, questions. They gave him the 
 names of over a hundred islands, and he turned 
 to Martin Pinzon, who was at his side, and said: 
 
 " There can no longer be a doubt that we are 
 14 
 
210 COLUMBIA. 
 
 among those islands described by Marco Polo as 
 studding the sea of China, and lying a great dis- 
 tance from the mainland." 
 
 At the various islands at which they touched, 
 they found the Indians peaceable, and, as soon as 
 they had overcome their timidity, perfectly will- 
 ing to come on board. They told Columbus of a 
 warlike tribe, called the Caribs, who made war on 
 others. 
 
 " Maybe the Caribs have my father a captive," 
 said the lad. 
 
 One day Hernando asked the girl again about 
 his father, and she gave him some signs of encour- 
 agement, which led him to believe that his father 
 was among the Caribs. 
 
 The Indian's food was cassava bread and fruit; 
 his drink, water. From island to island the ex- 
 plorers went, filled with new wonder, as the 
 islands grew larger, the mountains higher and 
 more imposing. 
 
 But the mischief -breeder was ever busy. Miguel, 
 in the employ of Garcia Estevan, determined to 
 even yet make the expedition a failure, or at least 
 to rob Columbus of any share in the glory. He 
 was a shrewd knave and a good judge of human 
 character. He had noted how Martin Alonzo 
 Pinzon seemed to chafe under the admiral's com- 
 mand, not that Columbus was harsh. 
 
 One day, while on board the Pinta, he asked 
 
SEARCH FOR THE GRAND KHAN. 211 
 
 to talk with the captain. Martin Alonzo was an 
 austere man, but the villain managed to approach 
 him on some pretence, and when they were alone 
 he said : 
 
 "WuiT I AM ABOUT TO SAT MAT COST JIE MT LlFE." 
 
 "Senor Captain Pinzon, why do you allow this 
 foreigner to win all the honors of this expedition ? " 
 " What do you mean ? " demanded Pinzon. 
 " Don't you understand me? " 
 "I do not." 
 
212 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " I was asking myself, senor captain, if I dared 
 make myself plain." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 " What I am about to say may cost me my 
 life, and you can comprehend why I am a little 
 wary of my speech." 
 
 Pinzon assured himself that no one was within 
 earshot, and answered : 
 
 "You and I are alone, and I can assure you 
 that I will in confidence receive every word you 
 may say." 
 
 " Nor be offended at my boldness ? " 
 
 "No." 
 
 "I was about to ask why you should allow 
 this foreigner, Christopher Columbus, to bear 
 off all the honors and emoluments of an expe- 
 dition for which you deserve more credit than 
 he." 
 
 " I — I don't see how I can help it." 
 
 "There is a way, captain." 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 "There is no need that this Genoese beggar 
 should come, and by your help, your money, 
 ships, and sailors, make discoveries that will place 
 him next to the throne. What would he have 
 been but for you ? " 
 
 "Nothing." 
 
 "Only a beggar," added the shrewd Miguel. 
 "For him you paid an eighth, while he paid 
 
SEARCH FOR THB GRAND KHAN. 213 
 
 nothing. He had nothing to risk but a miser- 
 able and precarious existence. You risked life 
 and fortune. Now, why should he reap all the 
 reward ? " 
 
 Shrewder argument could not have been offered, 
 and it made a deep impression on Pinzon, though 
 he was too shrewd to let the villain know it. 
 After a few moments' hesitation, he answered : 
 " I don't see how I can prevent it." 
 With a shrewd smile Miguel answered : 
 " If the captain will allow me, I will suggest, 
 that, should he put about some dark night, sail at 
 once for Spain, and make report of this great dis- 
 covery to the king and queen, he would be first 
 to gain their favor, and Columbus would be only 
 secondary." 
 
 Martin Alonzo Pinzon started at the suggestion 
 and fixed his great black eyes on the mutineer. 
 Surely a more devilish face never before greeted 
 the vision of man. It was full of evil, full of 
 cunning and malignance, while the eyes shone 
 with the fiendish light of a serpent. Martin 
 Alonzo did not decide at once to follow the base 
 suggestion ; in fact, at first he rejected it as dis- 
 honorable. But the matter kept weighing on his 
 mind from day to day, until the scheme, dishonor- 
 able as it was, had taken complete possession of 
 him, and eventually proved his ruin. 
 
 A few days after leaving San Salvador, Colum- 
 
214 COLUMBIA. 
 
 bus discovered Fernandina, a beautiful island, 
 which he left on the 19th of October. The natives 
 frequently spoke of a large island where gold and 
 diamonds were in abundance, pointing off to the 
 southwest as the locality where the riches were to 
 be found. Columbus understood them to speak 
 of some powerful monarch, whom he supposed to 
 be the Grand Khan. Next they discovered an 
 island, which they named Isabella after the queen 
 of Castile. 
 
 Here were large lakes of fresh water, with mar- 
 vellous groves about them, and everything as 
 green as Andalusia in April. The music of 
 birds filled the forests with sweetest melodies, 
 and fruits and flowers abounded in profusion. 
 But Columbus was disappointed in not discov-* 
 ering drugs and spices, which he had hoped to 
 find. 
 
 From island to island they wandered, finding 
 naked Indians and mute dogs, and but little gold. 
 But ever in the hope of reaching the Grand Khan 
 and delivering to him the letters from his sove- 
 reigns, Columbus continued his westward voyage, 
 until, on the 28th of October, they came in sight of 
 Cuba. The Spaniards were long in doubt whether 
 this was the island of Cipango or a continent 
 They were struck with awe as they approached 
 the noble island, with its lofty mountains, grand 
 harbors, and rivers. 
 
SEARCH FOR THE GRAND KHAN. 215 
 
 Columbus was in a mood to see everything 
 through a favoring medium. His heart was full 
 to overflowing, for he was enjoying the fulfilment 
 of his hopes, and the hard-earned but glorious 
 reward of his toils and perils. Cuba broke on him 
 like an elysium. 
 
 "It is the most beautiful island eye ever be- 
 held," exclaimed the enraptured explorer. He 
 found it full of excellent ports and deep rivers. 
 The natives, who were timid at first, afterward be- 
 came bolder, and, when they found the strangers 
 were kind, became friendly. Many expeditions 
 were made into the interior, up the rivers, and 
 into the forests. 
 
 The natives whom Columbus had undertaken 
 to instruct in Spanish were not yet proficient in 
 the language, and the misinterpretation of their 
 words caused many serious mistakes. Under- 
 standing from them that a powerful king lived 
 in the interior, and believing him to be the 
 Grand Khan, Columbus determined to send two 
 envoys, in company with Indian guides, across 
 the country in search for him. For the mis- 
 sion he chose two Spaniards, Eodrigo de Jerez 
 and Luis de Torres, the latter a converted Jew, 
 who knew Hebrew and Chaldic, and even some- 
 thing of Arabic, one or more of which Colum- 
 bus supposed might be known to this Oriental 
 prince. 
 
216 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " Can I go with them ? " asked Hernando, when 
 the embassy was ready to start on its march 
 through the wilderness. " They go to the interior, 
 and may discover my captive father." 
 
 The admiral consented, and, shouldering his 
 cross-bow, the lad accompanied the envoys. 
 
 The expedition proved a failure, for the Grand 
 Khan could not be found, and the ambassadors 
 were compelled to return with the report of only 
 a wilderness which seemed unending. On their 
 return Hernando saw the Indians going about 
 with fire-brands in their hands, and a certain dried 
 herb which they rolled up in a leaf, and lighting 
 one end, put the other in their mouths and ex- 
 haled and puffed smoke. 
 
 He asked an Indian what it was, and was 
 answered by the one word : 
 
 " Tobacco." 
 
 Filled with boyish curiosity, Hernando asked 
 one of the Indians for a roll, and on being given 
 one lighted it. So he was not only the first white 
 man to eat of the fruit of the New World, but first 
 to smoke a cigar. A few whiffs at it, and he be- 
 came deathly sick. His white companions became 
 very uneasy, but the Indians evinced no con- 
 cern. Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres sup- 
 posed that the lad was poisoned, and threatened 
 to kill the Indians ; but Hernando shortly re- 
 covered, and never again would he touch tobacco, 
 
SEARCH FOR THE GRAND KHAN. 217 
 
 although he lived to see the use of it growing 
 popular. 
 
 The islands of Babeque and Bohio were so often 
 mentioned by the natives that Columbus deter- 
 mined to go in search of them, on the return of 
 his ambassadoi-s. 
 
 On the 12th of November, Columbus turned 
 his course to the east southeast, to follow back 
 the direction of the coast ; and on the 19th again 
 the squadron put to sea, and for two days made 
 ineffectual attempts, against head-winds, to reach 
 an island directly east, about sixty miles dis- 
 tant, which he supposed to be Babeque. The 
 words breathed into the ears of Martin Alonzo 
 Pinzon by the mutineer, like all other evil, began 
 to grow and take possession of his soul, and he 
 who was the truest, trustiest friend of Columbus 
 in his darkest hours now became a cool, calculat- 
 ing, treacherous enemy. The wind continuing 
 obstinately adverse and the sea rough, Colum- 
 bus put his ship about toward evening of the 
 20th, making signals for the others to follow 
 him. 
 
 The Pinta, which was considerably to east- 
 ward, paid no attention to his signals. Colum- 
 bus repeated them, but they were still unat- 
 tended to. Night coming on, he shortened sail 
 and hoisted signal lights to the masthead, think- 
 ing Pinzon woii-d yet join him, which he could 
 
218 COLUMBIA. 
 
 easily do, having the wind astern; but when 
 morning dawned the Pinto, was no longer to be 
 seen. 
 
 " What does that mean ? " asked the amazed 
 admiral. 
 
 Miguel heard the question, and walked forward 
 to conceal his pleas ure. 
 
CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 FORT NATIVITY. 
 
 Columbus was greatly put out by the conduct 
 of Martin Alonzo Pinzon. He tried to believe 
 the Pinta would yet join them, but all the while 
 suffered no little uneasiness on account of the 
 missing ship. Some sudden swell of the sea might 
 have hurled her upon the breakers, and at that 
 very moment she might be a wreck among the 
 rocks on some of the islands. In order to find the 
 Pinta, he put back to Cuba, and hugged its coast 
 as closely as he dared, on account of the reefs of 
 rock and dangerous sandbars^ He explored many 
 rivers and harbors which to-day bear the names 
 he gave them. 
 
 But at last, under belief that he was going 
 to the golden island of Bohio, where, from the 
 imperfect account of the savages, gold was to be 
 found in abundance, he set sail from the coast of 
 Cuba, and reached the island of Hayti, which the 
 admiral named Hispaniola, because of the fancied 
 resemblance to the island to Spain. 
 
 In the transparent atmosphere of the tropics, 
 objects are descried at a great distance ; and the 
 purity of the air and serenity of the deep blue 
 
220 COLUMBIA. 
 
 . sky give a magical effect to the scenery. Under 
 these advantages, the beautiful island of Hayti 
 revealed itself to the eye as they approached it 
 Its mountains were higher and more rocky than 
 those of the other islands, and the stone cropped 
 out from among the densest and richest forests. 
 The mountains swept down into luxuriant plains 
 and green savannas ; while the appearance of culti- 
 vated fields', of numerous fires at night, and col- 
 umns of smoke by day, proved it to be populous. 
 
 It was evening, on the 6th of December, that 
 Columbus entered a fine harbor, which he called 
 St. Nicholas. On the next day they coasted along 
 the island, and entered a harbor which they called 
 Port Conception, now known as the Bay of 
 Moustique. 
 
 " We must find some means of communicating 
 with the natives," said Columbus. " As they fly 
 at our approach, I will send six armed men into 
 the interior." 
 
 Hernando, with faint hope of finding his father 
 in the interior,' begged to be one of the number, 
 and was granted the privilege. They found sev- 
 eral cultivated fields and traces of roads and 
 places where fires had been made, but the inhabi- 
 tants had fled iu terror to the mountains. 
 
 On the 12th Hernando and a sailor captured an 
 Indian girl, who wore an ornament of gold in her 
 nose, which gave hope of precious metal. She 
 
Port nativity. 221 
 
 was clothed and loaded with presents, and sent 
 with some Indian interpreters and sailors to assure 
 her people that the white strangers were friends. 
 
 Hernando made inquiry of the natives of Hayti 
 for his father, but, as before, was not understood. 
 He concluded that his father must be at Babeque, 
 or a captive among the warlike Caribs of whom 
 he heard such frequent mention. 
 
 On the 14th of December Columbus made an- 
 other attempt to find the island of Babeque, but 
 was once more baffled by adverse winds. He 
 landed at an island which, from the abundance of 
 turtles, he called Tortugas. This island in after 
 years became the headquarters of the famous buc- 
 caneers of the West Indies. 
 
 For several days the admiral continued beating 
 about the island of Hayti, unable, from contrary 
 winds and adverse tides, to make much headway. 
 On the 24th of December he' set sail from Port St. 
 Thomas, and steered to eastward with the inten- 
 tion of anchoring at the harbor of the cacique 
 Gruacanagari. The wind was from the land, but 
 so light as to scarce fill tbe sails. 
 
 Since Miguel's release from imprisonment, Co- 
 lumbus had had no reason to doubt his honor or 
 sincerity. The fellow was an expert seaman, and, 
 though be had been constantly setting traps to 
 encompass the ruin of Columbus, the over-confi- 
 dent admiral supposed that his enmity would end 
 
222 COLUMBIA. 
 
 with the discovery of laud. It was night, and 
 Columbus, worn out by long watching, placed the 
 helm in the hands of Miguel as the most skilful 
 mariner, and, ordering him to remain at his post, 
 went to his cabin to seek a little much- needed 
 sleep. 
 
 Hernando was still on deck, and no sooner had 
 Columbus retired than the steersman called to 
 him. 
 
 " Well ? " the lad answered. 
 
 " Come and take the helm." 
 
 "It is against orders," interposed Hernando. 
 "You are instructed to never intrust the helm to 
 one of the ship's boys." 
 
 " Come and take it, but for a moment" 
 
 " I must not." 
 
 "Then I will leave it." 
 
 Hernando was in a quandary, but, as the sailor 
 evinced a careless disposition in the matter, he 
 thought it better to have a boy at the helm than 
 no one, and consented to take it. The other 
 sailors took advantage of the absence of Colum- 
 bus, and in a little while the entire watch was 
 buried in slumber. In the mean time, the treach- 
 erous currents which run swiftly along this coast 
 carried the vessel forcibly upon a sand-bank. 
 The boy heard not the roar of breakers ahead, 
 until he felt the ship strike, aod then he shouted : 
 
 " Help ! quick, Miguel, or we'll be wrecked." 
 
FORT NATIVITY. 223 
 
 Columbus, whose cares never permitted him to 
 sleep profoundly, was first on deck. The master 
 of the ship, whose duty was to have been on 
 watch, next made his appearance, followed by 
 others of the crew only half-awake, and frightened 
 out of their wits. 
 
 " What is the meaning of this ? " demanded 
 Columbus. 
 
 " We are grounded, admiral," answered Her- 
 nando. 
 
 " Where is the helmsman ? " 
 
 "I was at the helm." 
 
 " You ! " 
 
 " Yes, admiral." 
 
 " Where is the sailor? Where is the watch? " 
 
 " All here," cried several voices about him, and 
 the deck was now covered with men. Columbus 
 knew it was time for action rather than reproof, 
 lie ordered the sailors to take the boat, carry 
 the anchor astern, and work the vessel off. The 
 master and sailors, among whom was Miguel, 
 sprang into the boat ; but confused, as men are 
 apt to be when suddenly awakened by an alarm, 
 instead of obeying the commands of Columbus 
 they rowed off to the Nina, about half a league to 
 windward. 
 
 Vincent Yanez Pinzon no sooner learned of the 
 base desertion of the admiral, than he manned 
 his own boat and hastened to the relief of Colum- 
 
224 COLVMBIA. 
 
 bus. But nothing could be done at that time for 
 the Santa Maria, though Columbus had her masts 
 cut away. She was deeply imbedded in the sand, 
 and her stern swinging around broad-side to the 
 breakers, she was forced by each succeeding wave 
 farther and farther upon the shore, until she fell 
 over on one side. Fortunately the weather con- 
 tinued calm, otherwise the ship must have gone to 
 pieces, and the entire crew might have perished 
 amid the currents and breakers. 
 
 Columbus and crew took refuge on board the 
 caravel. Diego de Arana, chief judge of the ar- 
 mament, and Pedro Gutierrez, the king's butler, 
 were immediately sent on shore as envoys to the 
 cacique Guacanagari, to inform him of the in- 
 tended visit and disastrous shipwreck. 
 
 The cacique lived about a league away, and 
 when he heard of the disastrous shipwreck of his 
 visitors he actually shed tears. All his people, 
 with all their canoes, were placed at the service 
 of the admiral, and the stranded vessel was soon 
 unloaded. The utmost kindness and greatest 
 hospitality were shown to the whites, and every- 
 thing in the power of the natives was done to make 
 them comfortable. 
 
 The day after Christmas, the cacique Guacana- 
 gari came on board the Nina to see Columbus. 
 He was much moved by the dejected behavior of 
 the admiral, and offered every consolation in his 
 
Port nativity. 226 
 
 power. Hernando saw some Indians coming in 
 canoes to the ship, holding up bits of gold of no 
 inconsiderable quantity, which they offered for 
 hawks-bells and trinkets. He hastened to the 
 admiral with the joyful news that gold abounded 
 on the island in abundance. 
 
 "Then are we repaid for all our suffering," 
 answered the admiral. 
 
 Guacanagari, observing the changed demeanor 
 of the admiral, through his interpreter asked the 
 cause. 
 
 " It is because gold is being brought to the 
 admiral," was the answer. 
 
 " Is the great admiral so fond of gold ? " the 
 cacique asked. 
 
 " He is," answered the interpreter. 
 
 "Not far off, among the mountains, gold is as 
 plentiful as stone." 
 
 "Where is it?" 
 
 "Cibao." 
 
 " Cibao," repeated Columbus, who had been 
 listening to the interpreter. " Ay, he means the 
 island of Cipango." 
 
 The cacique dined with Columbus on that day, 
 and his manner was both modest and princely. 
 His whole deportment, in the enthusiastic eyes 
 of Columbus, betokened the inborn grace and 
 dignity of lofty lineage. Next day Gruacanagari 
 entertained Columbus and his officers on shore, 
 15 
 
226 COLUMBIA. 
 
 and had a thousand natives to amuse his guests. 
 After the collation, he conducted the admiral 
 and his officials to the beautiful groves which 
 surrounded his residence. Here the cacique's 
 attendants performed several national games and 
 dances, which Guaeanagari had ordered to amuse 
 the melancholy of his guests. 
 
 "I think it well to give them an exhibition of 
 some of our skill in arms," said Columbus to 
 Vincent Yanez Pinzon, when the entertainment 
 given by the savages was ended. " Who is our 
 best archer ? " 
 
 Pinzon answered : 
 
 " Miguel, the mutineer, is by odds the best. He 
 served in the wars of Granada, and can handle the 
 Moorish bow and arrows." 
 
 " Send for him, a Moorish bow and quiver of 
 arrows, also for an arquebus and lombard ; we 
 must teach them some of the powers of gun- 
 powder." 
 
 Miguel came with the Moorish bow and a 
 quiver of arrows. A target was set up at a great 
 distance, and the mutineer began sending arrows 
 all around it, at last driving one centre. The 
 natives were amazed at the wonderful skill which 
 he displayed. The cacique then made Columbus 
 understand that the Caribs, who often made de- 
 scents upon his territory and carried off his sub- 
 jects, were likewise armed with bows and arrows. 
 
FORT NATIVITY. 227 
 
 Through his interpreter, Columbus answered: 
 
 " Have no more fears of the Caribs, for oar 
 Castiliaa monarchs can destroy them. We have 
 weapons still more powerful, as you shall see." 
 
 Hernando then took an arquebus, placed the 
 rest on the ground, aimed at a small tree some 
 distance away, and applying a slow-match, sent 
 the ball whizzing through the air, and shattering 
 the tender bark. A still greater surprise was in 
 store, when the lombard, or cannon, was fired. 
 
 On hearing the report the Indians fell to the 
 ground, as though they bad been struck by a thun- 
 der-bolt; and when they saw the effects of the 
 balls, rending and shivering the trees like a stroke 
 of lightning, they were filled with dismay. Being 
 assured, however, that the Spaniards would defend 
 them with these arms against their dreaded ene- 
 mies the Caribs, their alarm gave place to exulta- 
 tion, considering themselves under the protection 
 of the sons of Heaven, who had come from the 
 skies armed with thunder and lightning. 
 
 " They will always be our friends," said Colum- 
 bus to Pinzon. 
 
 After the entertainment was over all went to 
 examine the wreck, and on the admiral's asking 
 Pinzon his opinion in regard to it, he answered: 
 
 " I don't believe we can ever get it afloat." 
 
 " And the Pinta gone," said Columbus. " I fear 
 we could not carry back all in the Nina" 
 
228 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " It would great] j crowd her, admiral." 
 
 " I have thought that as the sailors are so favor- 
 ably impressed with the island and the natives, 
 we could build a fort and leave a garrison." 
 
 "Your plan is a wise one, admiral, for it will 
 form the germ of a future colony," said Vincent 
 Yanez. 
 
 "The wreck of the caravel will easily afford 
 materials to construct a fortress, which can be 
 defended by her guns, and supplied with her am- 
 munition ; while provisions enough can be spared 
 to maintain a small garrison for a year." 
 
 After a moment's reflection on the plan, which 
 seemed growing in Captain Pinzon's favor, he 
 added as a further argument : 
 
 " The people whom we leave can explore the 
 island, and make themselves acquainted with its 
 mines and other sources of wealth. They might 
 at the same time procure by traffic a large quan- 
 tity of gold from the natives ; could learn their 
 language and accustom themselves to their habits 
 and manners, so as to be of great use in future 
 intercourse." 
 
 They at once proceeded to put the plan in exe- 
 cution. The wreck was broken up and brought 
 piece-meal to shore; a site chosen, and prepara- 
 tions made for the erection of a tower. On being 
 informed that it was the intention of the admiral 
 to leave a part of his men for the defence of the 
 
FORT NATIVITY. 229 
 
 island against the Caribs, while he returned to his 
 country for more, Guacanagari was greatly over- 
 joyed. His subjects manifested equal delight at 
 retaining these wonderful people among them, and 
 at the prospect of the future arrival of the ad- 
 miral with ships freighted with hawks-bells and 
 other articles precious to them. 
 
 They eagerly lent their aid in the construction 
 of the fortress, little dreaming that they were 
 assisting in placing the galling yoke of perpetual 
 slavery and ruin on their own necks. 
 
 The second day after work had been commenced 
 on the fortress, some Indians arrived at the har- 
 bor from a distant part of the island. The inter- 
 preters, Columbus, Hernando, Miguel, and several 
 others went to learn what news they brought. 
 The interpreter, after conferring with them, said: 
 
 " They say a great vessel, like those of the 
 admiral, is anchored in a river at the eastern part 
 of the island." 
 
 "What vessel can it be?" asked Roderigo de 
 Escobedo. 
 
 " It's the Pinta ! " cried Columbus, his face light- 
 ing up with joy, for he feared that something 
 serious had happened to the Pinta. 
 
 " The fool ! why didn't he crowd all sail for 
 Spain?" Miguel hissed through his clinched teeth, 
 turning away to prevent his companions reading 
 his face. 
 
230 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Hernando was the only one near enough to hear 
 him. Hastening to his side, he asked : 
 
 " What mean you, sefior ? " 
 
 "It matters not to you." 
 
 " It does matter to me," the lad answered, while 
 a dangerous light appeared in his eyes. Wheel- 
 ing about, Miguel walked away into the dense 
 wood, and Hernando, determined to know what 
 his manner had to do with the strange desertion 
 of the Pinta, followed him. Drawing his sword, 
 the mutineer turned upon the lad and cried : 
 
 " Not a rod farther shall you dog my steps, or 
 I will impale you to the earth ! " 
 
 " Miguel, mutineer and thief, I know your black 
 heart far better than you think. I have watched 
 you, closely studied your every act, and know 
 you. You are the indirect cause of our troubles." 
 
 " Was I at the helm when the Santa Maria ran 
 aground ? " 
 
 " No ; but you yielded it up to an inexperi- 
 enced hand, when 3 r ou should have remained at 
 your post." 
 
 " I will not be taunted by you, you young dog! " 
 cried Miguel. He asked himself, "Why delay 
 longer, as I am to be rewarded for slaying the 
 lad ? He has followed me into the wood. I will 
 run him through and conceal the body." With 
 uplifted sword he leaped at the lad, crying : 
 
 "You shall die!" 
 
FORT NATIVITY. 231 
 
 Young as he was, Hernando's life had more 
 
 He was Forced backward down to his Knee. 
 
 than once depended on his sword, and he was not 
 taken off his guard. Snatching his own weapon 
 
232 COLUMBIA. 
 
 from its sheath he parried the blow, and met his 
 antagonist with a coolness and skill wonderful in 
 one so young. But what could a boy's sword, be 
 it ever so skilfully handled, do against such a man 
 as Miguel? He was forced backward, down to his 
 knee, and the heavy blows rained about him in a 
 thunder-shower, which threatened to disarm him. 
 
 Hernando was almost overcome, when suddenly 
 a tall, dark form leaped from the thicket at his 
 side, which he recognized as Guacanagari, the 
 cacique, who seized Miguel by the waist as if he 
 had been a child, and hurled him several feet 
 away, upon the ground. 
 
 The cacique uttered not a word, but his ges- 
 tures spoke volumes to the wretch who would 
 have slain the lad. 
 
 Hernando left him glaring at his would-be 
 assassin, and went back to the fort. There he 
 learned that Columbus had despatched a canoe, a 
 Spaniard, and several Indians to search for the 
 Pinta. 
 
 He did not tell the admiral of his well-nigh fatal 
 encounter with Miguel, and Columbus never knew 
 of the struggle in the wood. 
 
 After three days' absence, the canoe sent to 
 find the Pinia returned, stating that, though they 
 had pursued the coast for twenty leagues, they 
 had neither seen nor heard of the Pinta, and had 
 come to regard the report as false. 
 
FORT NATIVITY. 233 
 
 " Perhaps, after all, Martin Alonzo Pinzon has 
 had the good sense to sail for Spain, and tell 
 the monarchs of his discoveries," thought Miguel. 
 
 Since the shipwreck of the Santa Maria, the 
 desertion of the Pinta was a matter of great con- 
 sequence to Columbus. Should the Pinta be lost, 
 he would now have but one vessel to return to 
 Spain. Should the third vessel perish, every 
 record of this great discovery would be swallowed 
 up with it, and the name of Columbus be remem- 
 bered only as a mad adventurer, who, despising 
 the opinions of the learned and counsels of the 
 wise, had departed into the wilds of the ocean, 
 never to return. The obscurity and imagined 
 horrors of his fate might deter all future enter- 
 prises, and thus the New World remain, as hereto- 
 fore, unknown to civilized man. 
 
 Under these circumstances, Columbus deter- 
 mined to abandon all further prosecution of the 
 voyage, and for the present give up his purpose 
 of visiting the Grand Khan, return to Spain, and 
 report his marvellous discovery. 
 
 While the fort, which he named Fortress La 
 ISTavidad, was in course of construction, Guacana- 
 gari and five tributary caciques came and placed 
 a crown of gold on the head of Columbus. In 
 return, he took from his neck a collar of fine col- 
 ored beads, which he put about that of the cacique, 
 gave him his mantle and many trinkets. 
 
234 OOL UMBIA. 
 
 So great was the activity of the Spaniards in 
 the construction of their fortress, and so ample the 
 assistance rendered by the natives, that in ten 
 days it was sufficiently complete for service. A 
 large vault had been made, over which was erected 
 a strong wooden tower, and the whole surmounted 
 by a wide ditch. It was stored with ammunition 
 saved from the wreck, or that could be spared 
 from the caravel ; and, the guns being mounted, 
 the whole had a formidable aspect, sufficient to 
 overawe and repulse the natives. Columbus really 
 thought very little force necessary to hold the 
 Haytians in subjection. The fortress and gar- 
 rison were more a restriction on the Spaniards 
 themselves, to prevent their wandering about or 
 committing acts of licentiousness among the 
 natives, than for tbeir protection. 
 
 But if it sbould become a place of defence, Fort 
 La Navidad would be no inconsiderable garrison. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 DESERTED — THE STORM. 
 
 "Going home — going back to the Old World, 
 and my mission unaccomplished. Father still the 
 slave of some wild, barbarous people," sobbed 
 Hernando Estevan, on the seashore two nights 
 before the admiral was to set out on his return. 
 
 Notwithstanding it was the first of January, 
 the weather in this tropical clime was pleasant. 
 Columbus had been strolling on the beach, think- 
 ing how much he had to thank God for, when he 
 came upon his little friend bowed down in grief. 
 
 "What, in tears!" cried the admiral. "What 
 means this ? " 
 
 "My lord admiral, on the day after to-morrow 
 we sail for the Old World, and my father's fate is 
 unknown." 
 
 " My lad," said Columbus, solemnly, " I fear 
 this is all a delusion. I have no doubt that 
 your father has been dead — lo, these many years. 
 Give it up. You have done your duty as a good 
 son should, and you can do no more. Come, be 
 more cheerful." 
 
 It was like tearing his heart from his bosom to 
 give up the hope of finding his father. He paused 
 
236 COLUMBIA. 
 
 a moment, listening to the sobbing waves, and 
 thought he could hear his father's voice among 
 them, calling to him for help. But the admiral 
 assured him it was only his fertile imagination, 
 quickened by long dwelling on the subject, and 
 by the strongest reasoning and persuasion the lad 
 became partially reconciled. 
 
 Next day final arrangements were made for 
 the departure. Many volunteered to remain on 
 the island, from whom Columbus selected thirty- 
 nine of the most able and exemplary, and among 
 them a physician, ship-carpenter, caulker, cooper, 
 tailor, and gunner, all experts in their several 
 callings. The command was given to Diego de 
 Arana, a native of Cordova, and notary alquazil 
 to the armament, who was to retain all the powers 
 vested in him by the Catholic sovereigns. In 
 case of his death, Pedro Gutierrez was to com- 
 mand, and he dying, Roderigo de Bscobedo. 
 
 The boat of the wreck was left with them to be 
 used in fishing; a variety of seeds to sow, and a 
 large quantity of articles for traffic, that they 
 might procure as much gold as possible by the 
 time of the admiral's return. 
 
 Before leaving, Columbus gave the men to be 
 left behind some excellent advice, which, if taken, 
 might have averted the disaster that befell them. 
 
 " Is Miguel going to remain, admiral ? " asked 
 Hernando. 
 
DESERTED— THE STORM. 237 
 
 " No, he returns with. us. A man with such 
 vicious tendencies would be dangerous to the 
 colony." 
 
 On the 2d of January, 1493, Columbus landed 
 to take a farewell of the generous cacique and 
 his chieftains, intending next day to set sail. He 
 gave them a parting feast at the house devoted 
 to his use, and commended to their kindness the 
 men who were to remain, especially Diego de 
 Arana, Pedro Gutierrez, and Eoderigo de Esco- 
 bedo. 
 
 In order to fully impress the Indians with the 
 warlike prowess of the white men, Columbus 
 caused the crews to perform skirmishes and 
 sham battles with swords, bucklers, lances, cross- 
 bows, arquebuses, and cannon. The natives, as- 
 tounded at the accuracy and effect of the small 
 arms, were stricken with awe when the heavy 
 lombards were discharged from the fortress, wrap- 
 ping it in wreaths of smoke, shaking the forest 
 with their report, and shivering trees with the 
 heavy stone balls, used in artillery in those 
 days. 
 
 Although Columbus had intended to set sail 
 on the third day of January from Fort Nativity, 
 all arrangements were not completed nor anchor 
 weighed until the morning of the fourth. A 
 salute from the fort was answered by a salute from 
 the ship. The wind being light, it was necessary 
 
238 COLUMBIA. 
 
 to tow the caravel out of the harbor and clear of 
 the reefs. They sailed eastward toward a lofty 
 promontory, destitute of trees, but covered with 
 grass, and tent-like in shape, having at a distance 
 the appearance of a towering island, being con- 
 nected with Hispaniola by a low neck of land. 
 To this promontory Columbus gave the name of 
 Monte Christi, by which it is still known. They 
 remained near the promontory for two days, and 
 again set sail with a favoring breeze. After 
 weathering the cape, they had gone about ten 
 leagues when the wind again turned to blow 
 sharply from the east, and forced them to tack. 
 
 Hernando, who was at the masthead, suddenly 
 discovered a vessel standing around a point of 
 rocky headland. 
 
 " A sail, a sail ! " he cried. 
 
 " A sail — where away ? " asked the admiral, 
 who was anxiously pacing the forward deck. 
 Hernando pointed it out, and no sooner had the 
 eyes of Columbus rested on the vessel, than he 
 joyfully cried : 
 
 "It's the Pinta, the Pinlaf" The certainty of 
 the fact gladdened the heart of the admiral, and 
 had an animating effect throughout the ship ; for 
 it was a joyful event to the mariners once more 
 to meet with their comrades, and have a compan- 
 ion ship on their homeward voyage. 
 
 There was one, however, to whom the sight of 
 
DESERTED— THE STORM. 239 
 
 the Pinta was no joy. Miguel cast one glance at 
 the ship, and, recognizing her, walked aft, hissing 
 through his teeth : 
 
 " The fool ! Why did he loiter about the isl- 
 and when he should have been on his way to 
 Spain?" 
 
 Sweeping down toward them, directly before 
 the wind, came the Pinla. Martin Alonzo Pinzon 
 was not really a bad man at heart, and no doubt 
 had already repented his attempted desertion. 
 
 "I must speak with your brother," said Colum- 
 bus to Vincent Pinzon. 
 
 " We can't do it here, admiral, for the wind is 
 too adverse and obstinate. But there is a bay a 
 little west of Monte Christi, in which you can 
 anchor in safety." 
 
 " We will put back there, and signal the Pinta 
 to follow." 
 
 The signal was given, and the Pinta rounded to 
 and followed the Nina back to the little bay, whei-e 
 both vessels dropped anchor, and Martin Alonzo 
 Pinzon came aboard the Nina. He tried to look 
 composed, but the effort was a failure; his coun- 
 tenance fell, and the man, naturally great and good, 
 displayed his confusion. 
 
 " You demand an explanation of my abandon- 
 ment of the squadron, I suppose? " asked Pinzon, 
 blushing deeply. 
 
 " Yes. I suppose you have a good excuse" 
 
240 COLUMBIA. 
 
 "I have. I was compelled, from the severe 
 stress of weather, to part company, and have ever 
 since been seeking to find you." 
 
 Columbus listened passively but dubiously to his 
 apologies, and the suspicions he had entertained 
 were subsequently warranted by information given 
 him by one of the sailors. While Pinzon was en- 
 gaged with his brother, Columbus took the sailor 
 to his cabin and asked : 
 
 " Why did your captain desert us ? " 
 
 The sailor looked uneasily about, and, toying 
 with his cap, answered : 
 
 " He is my captain." 
 
 " But I am your admiral. Why did he part 
 company with us ? " 
 
 "One of the Indians aboard told him of large 
 quantities of gold in a region to eastward. And 
 his ship being the best sailor, he worked to wind- 
 ward when others were obliged to put back." 
 
 "Did he find the golden region?" 
 
 " No, admiral ; for ten days he was entangled 
 among some small islands, but was at last guided 
 to Hispaniola, where he remained three weeks 
 trading with the Indians." 
 
 " What was the traffic Y " 
 
 "Gold. He traded trinkets for gold, which he 
 got in large quantities. One-half he kept, and one- 
 half divided among the crew to secure their fidelity 
 and secrecy." 
 
DESERTED— THE STORM. 241 
 
 " And where was he going when sighted ? " 
 
 " I don't know, but T believe he intended to 
 return to Spain." 
 
 Cautioning the sailor not to mention the inter- 
 view, Columbus dismissed him. The admiral 
 repressed his indignation at the flagrant breach of 
 duty, and mentioned the matter to no one save 
 Hernando. It was policy, perhaps, to make no 
 open war upon Pinzon during the voyage, for he 
 had a powerful party of relatives and townsmen 
 aboard the armament. To such a degree was his 
 confidence in his confederates impaired, that Co- 
 lumbus resolved to return to Spain at once, while 
 under more favorable circumstances he might 
 have been tempted to explore the coast in the 
 hope of freighting his ship with treasure. 
 
 Martin Alonzo and his brother Vincent had 
 meanwhile been engaged in a long serious con- 
 versation in the forward .part of the ship. As 
 Martin Alonzo turned about to quit the deck, 
 some one touched his arm, and he recognized the 
 sailor Miguel at a glance. 
 
 "Well, what will you? " began Martin Alonzo. 
 
 " Captain — great captain, can you vouchsafe a 
 word with me ? " 
 
 Pinzon gave his tempter a steady gaze. Had 
 
 he possessed the power to say, " Get thee behind 
 
 me, Satan," it would have saved him from ruin, 
 
 disgrace, disappointment, and death ; but great as 
 
 16 
 
242 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Martin Alonzo Pinzon was, he had his weakness. 
 He listened. 
 
 " It's not too late yet," his evil genius whis- 
 pered. " Your ship is a superior sailor, and would 
 soon distance the admiral. Is it not right that 
 you should save your vessel and crew, and that 
 some one should live to give a report to the sov- 
 ereigns ? " 
 
 The devil speaks honeyed words with an oily 
 tongue, is charged with argument so plausible that 
 no one can dispute it, and but for the small voice 
 of conscience, reason would be swayed like a reed 
 in a wind-storm. 
 
 Columbus went with Pinzon back to the coast 
 where he had been trading, to which he gave 
 the name of Rio de Gracia. Hernando went on 
 shore with some interpreters to talk with the 
 Indians. On his return, he said: 
 
 " Admiral, the natives make complaint that 
 Captain Pinzon has carried off two girls and four 
 men, who are yet on his vessel." 
 
 " Can this be true ? " the admiral asked, hardly 
 prepared to believe that one in whom he had 
 reposed such great confidence could be guilty of 
 such an act. 
 
 " They say it, and we can easily ascertain." 
 
 " Yes — I will go aboard at once. Come with 
 me." 
 
 They went aboard the Pinta, and as soon as 
 
WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE DOING WITH THEM?" "TAKE THEM T. > 
 ASD SELL THEM AS SLAVES." 
 
DESERTED— THE STORM. 243 
 
 Columbus had gained the deck, he turned to 
 Martin Alonzo, and asked : 
 
 " Have you four men and two girl natives pris- 
 oners on board your ship ? " 
 
 " I have," was the answer. 
 
 " What do you propose doing with them ? " 
 
 " Take them to Spain and sell them as slaves." 
 
 " You cannot." 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 " I forbid it, and demand their release." 
 
 The dumfounded Pinzon muttered something 
 about their being prisoners of conquest, 
 
 "I will have no people forcibly taken from 
 the natives with whom we are on the most friendly 
 relations. They must be released." 
 
 " You have natives aboard your ship." 
 
 " I have, but they go willingly, and are not to 
 be sold as slaves." 
 
 After many high words, Columbus at last had 
 his way, and the prisoners were released, loaded 
 down with presents, and sent on shore. Again 
 they weighed anchor, and coasted the island until 
 they came to the high and beautiful headland to 
 which Columbus gave the name of Capo del 
 Enamorado, or Lovers' Cape, to-day known as 
 Cape Cabron. A little beyond this they came to 
 a gulf about ten miles wide, and extending far 
 inland. 
 
 " Let us land," said Hernando to the admiral. 
 
244 COLUMBIA. 
 
 I see people on shore, who are quite different 
 from any with whom we have heretofore met. 
 Perchance they may be the warlike Caribs, who 
 have my father a prisoner." 
 
 On landing, they found the natives the opposite 
 of the gentle and pacific people whom they had 
 heretofore met in the New World. They were 
 ferocious looking creatures, hideously painted, 
 with their long hair tied behind, and decorated 
 with the feathers of parrots and other birds of 
 gaudy plumage. Some were armed with war- 
 clubs, others had bows of the length of those used 
 by English archers, and slender reeds pointed with 
 hard wood, stone, bone, or the tooth of a fish for 
 arrows. Their swords were of palm-wood, as hard 
 and heavy as iron, and capable of cleaving the 
 skull at a single blow. 
 
 Hernando told the interpreter to ask them if 
 they had a white slave among them, but he was 
 either not understood, or these strange, wild peo- 
 ple cared not to answer, and the lad turned away 
 with a sigh. The Spaniards bought two of their 
 bows and some arrows to take to Spain, and one 
 warrior was even induced to go on ship-board. 
 
 Columbus believed these people were the Car- 
 ibs so often spoken of by the natives ; but when 
 asked if they were, the warrior pointed beyond to 
 the east, where lay the Caribbean, and mentioned 
 the island of Mantinino, 
 
DESERTED— TEE STORM. 245 
 
 " That is the island mentioned by Marco Polo,' 
 said Columbus. "The inhabitants are women, 
 the men living on another island, and once a year 
 visit the island of the Amazons. All male children 
 are sent to the island of men, and females kept by 
 the Amazons." 
 
 This myth was only another of the mistakes of 
 Columbus. Having regaled the warrior and made 
 him numerous presents, Columbus ordered him to 
 be put in the boat and taken ashore. 
 
 " His companions are already growing uneasy," 
 said Columbus, "and are watching us even now 
 from the woods. You had better go well armed." 
 
 Hernando sitting in the bow- of the boat, with 
 the warrior at his side, saw over fifty of the sav- 
 ages lurking in the woods, with bows, arrows, 
 war-clubs, and javelins. 
 
 "There's danger," he whispered to his com- 
 panions. 
 
 The warrior arose and spoke to his companions, 
 and they immediately laid down their weapons and 
 came to meet the Spaniards. Hernando had in- 
 structions to purchase a few more of their weap- 
 ons, and as soon as the Indians had gathered 
 about them, he proposed to trade for some. They 
 had parted with two bows, when suddenly one, 
 who seemed a chief, gave utterance to a war-cry. 
 In a moment every savage ran to his weapons. 
 
 "Look, look! they are going to fight!" cried 
 
246 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Hernando, placing his arquebus and aiming it 
 But having no slow-match light, and not having 
 time to get one, he seized his cross-bow and pro- 
 ceeded to wind it up with a double crank. The 
 savages returned with cords as if to bind the 
 Spaniards. 
 
 Hernando's companions were not one whit 
 behind him, and three or four cross-bows sent 
 bolts flying among the natives. The lad hit a 
 savage in the right shoulder, another was wounded 
 in the arm, and they all fled. 
 
 " Pursue them, cut them down ! " cried the angry 
 sailors, one of whom had been slightly bruised by 
 a javelin striking -his cuirass. 
 
 " Hold ! Don't pursue them ! " cried Hernando, 
 who commanded the boat. " We have wounded 
 two and put all to flight ; that is sufficient. We 
 will now return to the caravel." 
 
 This was the first encounter between the white 
 men of the Old World and savages of the New. 
 Columbus was grieved to see all his exertions to 
 maintain an amicable intercourse in vain. He 
 consoled himself, however, that if these were 
 Oaribs or frontier Indians of a warlike character, 
 they would be inspired with a dread of the force 
 and weapons of the white man, and deterred from 
 molesting the little garrison at Fort Nativity. 
 They were in fact a bold, hardy race, inhabiting 
 a mountainous district called Ciguay, extending 
 
DESERTED— THE STORM. 247 
 
 five and twenty leagues along the coast, and sev- 
 eral leagues into the interior. They differed in 
 language, look, and manner from the other natives 
 of the island, possessing the rude but independent 
 and vigorous character of mountaineers. 
 
 The day after the skirmish a multitude of the 
 natives appeared on the beach, and the admiral 
 sent a boat-load of well-armed sailors to meet 
 them, and learn if they still entertained feelings of 
 hostility. Their conduct was full of freedom and 
 confidence, evincing neither fear nor enmity. The 
 cacique who ruled over the neighboring country 
 was on shore ; he sent to the boat a string of 
 beads formed of small, hard shells, which Colum- 
 bus understood to be a token and assurance of 
 amity. The white men were not yet fully aware 
 of the meaning of this symbol — the wampum belt 
 — the pledge of peace, held sacred among all the 
 Indians of the New World. 
 
 Columbus named this gulf Gulfo de las Flechas, 
 or the Gulf of Arrows, it being the place where 
 the first encounter had occurred, and arrows being 
 the chief weapons used ; but the name has been 
 changed, and to-day it is known as the Gulf of 
 Samana An hour before daylight, on January 
 the 16th, 1493, taking advantage of a light and 
 favorable wind, the Spanish vessels took their 
 departure. 
 
 Columbus first steered to the northeast, in which 
 
248 COLUMBIA. 
 
 direction the young Indians with them assured 
 him he would find the island of the Caribs and 
 that of Mantinino, the abode of the Amazons; it 
 being the admiral's desire to take several of the 
 natives of each to present to the sovereigns of 
 Aragon and Castile. After sailing about sixteen 
 leagues, the Indian guides changed and pointed 
 southeast, toward Porto Eico, which was probably 
 known to the natives as the island of Carib. But 
 before they had gone two leagues on the new 
 course, a favorable breeze for the return to Spain 
 sprang up, and Columbus determined to take ad- 
 vantage of it, so he at once made sail for home. 
 
 "You must keep us company on our return," 
 was the order of Columbus to the commander of 
 the Pinta. 
 
 Though he assured him he would, the admiral 
 had begun to lose faith not only in him, but in 
 his brother and the pilots. Great profits and 
 honors were .to be reaped, and the Pinzons were 
 human ; they possessed their jealousies and envy, 
 and it was but natural that they should become 
 moody over the reflections that, but for their aid, 
 this man would never have earned his glory. 
 
 Columbus had so often found the Pinzons, the 
 pilots, and Miguel the mutineer, engaged in secret 
 whispered consultations, that he had come to fear 
 the worst. 
 
 The trade winds, which had been favorable on 
 
DESERTED— THE 8T0RM. 249 
 
 the voyage out, were equally adverse on their 
 return. The promising breeze soon died away, 
 and throughout the remainder of January light 
 winds from the east prevailed, which prevented 
 any very great progress. The foremast of, the 
 Pinta had been sprung, so she could carry but 
 little sail, which detained them. The weather 
 was mild and pleasant, and the sea so calm that 
 the Indians whom they were taking to Spain fre- 
 quently plunged into the water and swam about 
 the ships. They killed several tunny fish and one 
 large shark, the former adding considerable to 
 their low stock of provisions. 
 
 Besides keeping a careful reckoning, Columbus 
 was a vigilant and careful observer of those indi- 
 cations furnished by the sea, air, and sky. The 
 fate of himself, crew, and ships, in that unknown 
 region which he had traversed, often depended on 
 these observations. On the 10th of February, 
 Vincent Yanez Pinzon, and the pilots Euiz and 
 Bartolomeo Roldon, who were on board the 
 admiral's ship, examined the charts, and compared 
 the reckonings, to determine their situation, but 
 could come to no agreement. 
 
 " Let us confer with the admiral," said Pinzon. 
 
 The others assented, and Columbus was waited 
 upon. When he had their account of the reckon- 
 ing, he said to himself: 
 
 " Both are wrong. They think they are one 
 
250 COLUMBIA. 
 
 hundred and fifty leagues nearer Spain than they 
 are, and in the latitude of Madeira; whereas I 
 know we are nearly in the direction of the 
 Azores." 
 
 He listened to them, but gave them no informa- 
 tion calculated to enlighten them. When they 
 were gone from his cabin, he turned to Hernando 
 and said : 
 
 " They are five hundred miles off the true reck- 
 oning. The suppression of the true calculation 
 going out is of great advantage to us, my lad." 
 
 " Why did you not tell them all, and give them 
 the true reckoning ? " 
 
 "My lad, they would then be as wise as I, 
 while I prefer to leave them iu error, and would 
 rather add to their perplexity than clear the mat- 
 ter up for them." 
 
 " Why do thus, admiral ? " 
 
 " They will have but a confused idea of the 
 voyage, at best, and I doubt if any of them could 
 return. I alone will possess a clear knowledge of 
 the route. There is so much treachery in the 
 world, that I have learned it is best to keep my 
 own secrets." 
 
 This was a lesson of wisdom and sagacity which 
 Hernando never forgot. On the 12th of Febru- 
 ary, as they were flattering themselves that they 
 would soon reach the land, which many had al- 
 most given up all hope of ever beholding again, 
 
DESERTED— THE STORM. 251 
 
 the wind rose and the sea ran high, though they 
 still kept their eastward course. On the following 
 day, after sunset, the wind and swell increased, and 
 flashes of lightning to the northeast were to the 
 admiral signals of an approaching storm. 
 
 Hernando stood on deck by the side of Colum- 
 bus, trusting in him more as a father than his 
 superior officer. 
 
 "We are going to have a tempest which will try 
 our crazy vessels to their utmost," said the ad- 
 miral. " Be always prepared to die, for life requires 
 no preparation." 
 
 "I trust, admiral, that I am prepared for any 
 ordeal," the lad bravely answered, " and if death 
 comes, that I may not shrink from it. One favor 
 I crave." 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 "Let me stay at your side." 
 
 "It is granted." 
 
 " Then I am ready for storm and shipwreck." 
 
 The scene was grand and imposing — one calcu- 
 lated to strike the beholder with awe as well as 
 admiration. It was terrible. The black, darken- 
 ing heavens, the world of angry, leaping waters, 
 and air filled with shrieking wind. Every billow, 
 which gathered force and rose in its might in 
 their wake, came roaring on like some furious 
 monster determined on their destruction, until it 
 broke in crested splendor over the stern of their 
 
252 COLUMBIA. 
 
 frail craft, driving it on beam-ends. The whole 
 surface was a white sheet of foam, filled with deep, 
 yawning pits, and black, unfathomable chasms. 
 The innumerable white flakes driven horizontally 
 even to the very decks of the vessels looked like 
 snow issuing from the bosom of the ocean. The 
 appearance of the horizon portended a lasting 
 tempest; the sky and water seemed blended to- 
 gether. Thick masses of clouds of frightful shape 
 swept across the zenith with the swiftness of birds, 
 while others appeared motionless as columns of 
 stone. Not a single spot of blue sky could be dis- 
 cerned in the whole firmament, and a pale }'ellow 
 gleam lighted up all objects of the sea and the 
 skies. 
 
 On the morning of the 14th there was a tran- 
 sient lull, and they made a little sail ; but just as 
 hope began to once more enter the breast of the 
 despondent, the wind again rose from the south 
 with redoubled fury and raged throughout the day, 
 increasing in violence as night approached, while 
 the vessels rocked terribly in the cross-sea, the 
 broken waves of which threatened to overwhelm 
 them. 
 
 For three days they just kept sail enough to run 
 ahead of the waves, and prevent foundering ; but 
 the tempest still augmenting, they were obliged to 
 scud before the wind. In the darkness of night, 
 the Pinla was lost sight of, and the admiral kept 
 
DESERTED— THE STORM. 253 
 
 as much as possible to the northeast, to approach 
 the coast of Spain ; and made signal lights at the 
 masthead, for the Pinta to do the same, and keep 
 in company with him. From the weakness of her 
 foremast, Martin Alonzo claimed he was compelled 
 to scud before the wind, directly north. For some 
 time the Pinta answered the signals of Columbus, 
 bat anon her lights gleamed more and more dis- 
 tant, until they passed out in gloom and darkness. 
 Had she been swallowed up in the ocean, or was 
 the Pinta in reality deserting Columbus in his sore 
 distress? When clay dawned, Columbus, who had 
 passed a sleepless night, swept the frightful waste 
 of broken waves, lashed into a fury by the gale, in 
 vain, for the Pinta. 
 
 " I fear she has gone down," he sighed. His 
 words fell on the ears of Miguel at his side, and 
 the fiend, uttering a smothered curse, added under 
 his breath : 
 
 " It serves him right. Why didn't the fool go 
 to Spain weeks ago ? " 
 
 The sun rose and the wind and waves rose with 
 it, and through the dreary day the almost helpless 
 bark was driven along by the fury of the tem- 
 pest. As evening approached Columbus mus- 
 tered the crew in the forward part of the ship and 
 said: 
 
 " All human skill is baffled and confounded by 
 the warring elements, and there alone remains to 
 
254 COLUMBIA. 
 
 us to propitiate Heaven by solemn vows and acts 
 of penance. Take a number of beans, equal the 
 number of persons on board, and cut the cross on 
 one, and put them all in a cap ; and then let each 
 of the crew make a vow, that, should he draw the 
 marked bean, he will make a pilgrimage to the 
 shrine of Santa Maria de Guadalupe, bearing a 
 wax taper of five pounds weight." 
 
 The crew all assented, and each made the vow. 
 The admiral was first to put in his hand, and the 
 lot fell on him. Holding the marked bean in his 
 hand, he solemnly said: 
 
 " From this moment I shall consider myself a 
 pilgrim, bound to perform the vow." 
 
 As the storm still raged, a second lot was cast 
 in the same manner, for a pilgrimage to the chapel 
 of our Lady of Loretto, which fell upon a sailor 
 named Pedro de Villa, and Columbus at once 
 agreed to bear the expenses of the journey. A 
 third lot was also drawn for a pilgrimage to Santa 
 Clara de Moguer to perform a solemn mass, and 
 watch all night in the chapel, and this also fell on 
 Columbus. 
 
 Columbus feared that the Pinta had gone down, 
 more than be feared that he was deserted. Should 
 his own feeble bark perish, his great discoveries 
 would be lost, swallowed up in the ocean. The 
 storm raged still more furious than before. 
 
 " Why not write out your discoveries, put the 
 
DESERTED— THE STORM. 255 
 
 account in a cask and throw it overboard? It 
 may reach Spain," suggested Hernando. 
 
 It was a bare hope, but Columbus adopted the 
 boy's plan. He wrote an account of his voyage 
 and discoveries, and of his having taken posses- 
 sion of the newly found lands in the name of their 
 Catholic majesties. This lie sealed, and directed 
 to the king and queen; superscribing a promise 
 of a thousand ducats to whomsoever should de- 
 liver the packet unopened. He then wrapped it 
 in waxed cloth, which he placed in the centre of 
 a cake of wax, and, enclosing the whole in a large 
 barrel, threw it into the sea, pretending to his 
 crew that he was performing some religious vow. 
 Fearing that this memorial would never reach 
 the land, he enclosed a copy in a similar manner 
 and placed it on the poop, so that, should the 
 caravel be swallowed up by the waves, the barrel 
 might float off and survive. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE ASSASSIN FOILED. 
 
 It is an indication of the great unselfish nature 
 of Columbus, that even in the midst of personal 
 danger, with death staring him in the face, he 
 should think of his discoveries rather than him- 
 self. The measures he had taken to a slight 
 extent relieved his anxiety, but he was far more 
 relieved when, after heavy showers, there appeared 
 at sunset a streak of clear sky in the west, giving 
 hopes that the wind was about to shift These 
 hopes were confirmed, for a favorable breeze 
 sprang up, though the sea still ran so high that 
 there was great danger of being overwhelmed and 
 foundered by the waves. 
 
 On the morning of the 15th of February the 
 storm had considerably abated, and the sea, which 
 had been for days lashed into a fury, was growing 
 more and more calm every hour. At dawn of 
 day Columbus was on deck, with his young friend 
 as usual at his side. 
 
 " Let me go to the maintop, admiral ; my eyes 
 are sharp and accustomed to piercing long dis- 
 tances." 
 
 " The waves still run high." 
 
THE ASSASSIN FOILED 257 
 
 " Not so high as yesterday, and I was in the 
 foretop for hours then." 
 
 " Go, but have a care ; I would as soon lose my 
 own son." 
 
 The active boy ran quickly up the rigging, and 
 had scarce gained the position, when Rui Garcia, 
 a mariner, cried : 
 
 "Land— land, ho!" 
 
 The shout was taken up on deck, and the cry 
 of "Land, land! " rang out over the wild waters. 
 
 Poor, weary souls, worn out with long contin- 
 ued battling with the tempest, the sailors had 
 dropped down on deck to catch a moment's sleep, 
 but they now started up with transports of joy, 
 at once more gaining sight of the Old World. 
 
 As the sun rose in a cloudless sky, it revealed 
 the land lying east-northeast, directly over the 
 prow of the caravel, and the pilots at once began 
 to dispute as to what land it was. One said it 
 was the island of Madeira ; another, that it was the 
 rock of Cintra near Lisbon ; while Columbus, from 
 his private reckonings and observations, concluded 
 it to be one of the Azores. A nearer approach 
 proved it to be an island ; it was but five leagues 
 distant, and the voyagers were congratulating 
 themselves on the assurance of being speedily 
 in port, when the wind veered again to the east- 
 northeast, blowing directly from the land, while a 
 heavy swell kept rolling from the West. 
 17 
 
258 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " It is too bad to be near land, and unable to 
 reach it," sighed Columbus. For two days they 
 hovered about the island, always in sight but un- 
 able to get in port, either there, or to reach the other 
 island of which he caught occasional glimpses 
 through the mist and rack of tempest On the 
 evening of the 17th they approached near enough 
 the first island discovered to cast anchor, but part- 
 ing their cable had to again put to sea, where 
 they remained beating about until the following 
 morning, when they anchored under shelter of its 
 northern side. Columbus had been in such a state 
 of agitation for several days that he had scarce 
 taken food or sleep. Although suffering from 
 rheumatism, he had kept his post on deck, ex- 
 posed to the wintry cold, the pelting storm, and 
 drenching surges of the sea. On the night of 
 the 17th he fell asleep, more from exhaustion 
 of nature than tranquillity of mind. Had one- 
 tenth the perils and difficulties beset them on 
 their outward voyage that they encountered on 
 their return, his timid and factious crew would 
 have rebelled against the enterprise, thrown him 
 in the sea, and returned home. 
 
 The island they had made was St. Mary's, one. of 
 the southern Azores, and a possession of the crown 
 of Portugal. The admiral's trials were not yet 
 over. Miguel, one of the first to land, set off to 
 find Juan de Castaneda, the governor of St. Mary's, 
 
THE ASSASSIN FOILED. 259 
 
 and endeavored partly by truth, but mostly by 
 falsehood, to rouse him against Columbus. 
 
 On the following morning Columbus reminded 
 his people of their vow to perform a pious proces- 
 sion at the first place where they should land. 
 There was to be seen from the ship, at no great 
 distance from the sea, a small hermitage or chapel 
 dedicated to the Virgin, and arrangements were 
 immediately made for the performance of the rite. 
 Three messengers, returning to the village, sent a 
 priest to perform mass, and one-half of the crew, 
 landing, walked barefooted in their shirts to the 
 chapel ; while Columbus with the other half 
 awaited their return, to perform a like ceremony. 
 At this day, so long after the Reformation and 
 enlightenment of mankind, such a ceremony would 
 seem nonsensical and bring down the ridicule of 
 all Christendom, but at that day it was a solemn 
 and earnest ceremony. 
 
 The mariners entered the little chapel, but 
 had scarce begun their prayers and thanksgiving, 
 when the soldiers and citizens of the village, horse 
 and foot, headed by the governor, surrounded the 
 bermitage and made all prisoners. Miguel, who 
 had been the occasion of the trouble, kept out of 
 sight, and his comrades were in ignorance of his 
 guilt in the affair. History makes no mention of 
 him, and leaves the arrest shrouded in mystery, 
 without any cause whatever. Miguel's design was 
 
260 COLUMBIA. 
 
 the capture and destruction of the admiral and 
 Hernando. 
 
 Columbus was unable to see the hermitage from 
 the deck of the Nina, owing to an intervening point 
 of land, and growing uneasy at the long delay, 
 weighed anchor and stood in a little nearer, where 
 he could see the shore. The first object that met 
 his view was a number of armed horsemen dis- 
 mounting and entering a boat. 
 
 " They are coming to us," said the amazed Co- 
 lumbus. 
 
 " Yes, Admiral, they intend to fight." 
 
 The hostility of the Portuguese to his enterprise 
 at once aroused the suspicions of Columbus, and 
 he ordered his men to arm themselves, and keep 
 out of sight, though near at hand to either defend 
 the vessel or surprise the boat, as occasion might 
 require. As the boat drew nearer, he discovered 
 the governor in it. Coming within hailing dis- 
 tance, the governor called out to the admiral, and 
 asked : 
 
 " Can I come aboard ? " 
 
 ' You can," was the answer. 
 
 " Unmolested ? " 
 
 " Certainly, provided your visit is a peaceable 
 one." The boat still remained at a distance, and 
 Columbus, unable longer to retain himself, now 
 broke forth. 
 
 " Governor Castaneda, where are my men, whom 
 
THE ASSASSIN FOILED. 261 
 
 I sent ashore to do penance at your chapel ? Have 
 you made them prisoners, and not only wronged 
 the Spanish monarchs, but your own sovereigns? " 
 
 " Who are you ? " demanded the governor. 
 
 "Christopher Columbus, lord admiral of the 
 high seas, viceroy and governor-general of the new 
 countries I have discovered," and Columbus, dis- 
 played his letters patent sealed with the royal seal 
 of Castile. " If you don't release my people and 
 send them aboard, you can look for the vengeance 
 of Spain." 
 
 Castaneda replied in a vein of contempt : 
 
 " I have no fear of your sovereigns, my lord 
 admiral. They have had enough to do to drive 
 out the Moors. What I have done has been under 
 instructions of my king and sovereign." 
 
 " Then your conduct will provoke a war between 
 Spain and Portugal." 
 
 The boat with the governor returned to shore, 
 and Columbus, unable to decide on what course 
 to pursue, continued to beat around the island 
 without gaining any satisfactory information until 
 the 22d, when they returned to their anchorage at 
 St. Mary's. A boat bringing off two priests and 
 a notary now pulled to the ship. 
 
 "What do you want?" demanded Columbus, 
 when they came in hailing distance. 
 
 " We want to see your papers," the notary 
 answered. 
 
262 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " Come aboard and examine them." 
 
 " Will you harm us? " 
 
 "Certainly not." 
 
 With some degree of caution they came aboard 
 the caravel, and the notary said : 
 
 " Governor Castafieda is disposed to render you 
 every service he can, if you really sail in service 
 of the Spanish sovereigns." 
 
 " There are my papers/' answered Columbus, 
 and he showed them to the priests and notary, 
 who seemed satisfied. On the following day the 
 prisoners were liberated, and all, save Miguel, 
 came on board. He, no doubt fearing the punish- 
 ment he so richly merited, kept aloof from the 
 admiral, who was in ignorance of the mischief 
 be had accomplished. 
 
 For two days longer the admiral remained at 
 St. Mary's, endeavoring to take in wood and 
 ballast, but prevented by the heavy surf which 
 broke on the shore. On the 24th he again set 
 sail for Spain, and on the 27th, when within one 
 hundred and twenty-five leagues of Cape Vincent, 
 again encountered a furious gale. The nearer lie 
 approached home, the more boisterous grew the 
 sea, and he could not help feeling that be was 
 being repulsed, as it were, "from the very door 
 of the house." The poor, tempest-tossed admiral 
 one day said to his young friend : 
 
 "Well may the sacred theologians and sage 
 
THE ASSASSIN FOILED. 263 
 
 philosophers declare that the terrestrial paradise 
 is in the utmost extremity of the East, for it is 
 the most temperate of regions." 
 
 On the second of March the caravel was struck 
 by a squall of wind, which tore off her sails and 
 forced her to scud under bare poles. Again 
 were they threatened with destruction, and another 
 lot was cast for a pilgrimage, barefoot, to the 
 shrine of Santa Maria de la Cueva, in Huelva, 
 and, as usual, the lot fell on Columbus. 
 
 On the 4th of March, at daybreak, they found 
 themselves off the rock of Cintra, at the mouth of 
 the Tagus, and much as they had cause to mis- 
 trust the Portuguese, Columbus was forced to run 
 in for shelter. Accordingly, about three o'clock 
 in the afternoon, he anchored opposite to the 
 Eastello, to the great joy of the crew, who re- 
 turned thanks to God for their escape from so many 
 perils. 
 
 Immediately on his arrival, Columbus de- 
 spatched a courier to the king and queen of Spain, 
 with tidings of his discoveries, and also wrote to 
 the king of Portugal, then at Valparaiso, request- 
 ing permission to go with his vessel to Lisbon. 
 A report had got abroad that the Nina was laden 
 with gold, and he felt insecure at Rastello. 
 
 On the following day Columbus was summoned 
 on board a Portuguese man-of-war, but he asserted 
 his rank and refused to leave his vessel. The 
 
264 COLUMBIA. 
 
 captain then came on board the caravel and ten- 
 dered his services to Columbus. 
 
 "Admiral," said Hernando, when the captain 
 had departed, " I was on shore to-day, and while 
 there saw Miguel." 
 
 " What ! I thought him lost. I have not seen 
 him since we left St Mary's," answered Columbus. 
 
 " He is here ; and I have every reason to believe 
 that it is he who is making all these stories about 
 wealth aboard. He means us no good." 
 
 "Watch him, my lad." 
 
 " I will ; he is a villain of the deepest dye." 
 
 Columbus received permission to go to Lisbon ; 
 also a request to call upon King John. Much as 
 he mistrusted the Portuguese king, he dared not 
 refuse his royal request. His messenger had 
 already gone by an overland route to Spain, and 
 he soon hoped for fair weather, to bear his shat- 
 tered bark to Palos. He sailed to Lisbon and 
 prepared to set out for Valparaiso. 
 
 " Can I accompany you, Admiral ? " asked Her- 
 nando. The lad, on account of his ceaseless vigil 
 and constant watching, was almost broken down. 
 His eyes were sunken, his face pale, with a hec- 
 tic flush on his cheek that the admiral thought 
 alarming. 
 
 "No, Hernando, you must have rest. The 
 weather is rainy and you should not expose your- 
 self. I will have attendants," 
 
THE ASSASSIN FOILED. 265 
 
 On the second day after his arrival Columbus 
 set out for the king's royal residence, and was met 
 by the principal cavaliers of the monarch's house- 
 hold, who came out to meet him and conduct him 
 in great pomp to the palace. 
 
 He saw not a pair of evil eyes watching him, 
 nor did he recognize the evil face of Miguel Gan- 
 zola, the mutineer. 
 
 " I will slay him yet," Miguel hissed through his 
 teeth. "I began for reward. I will end for hate." 
 
 The admiral was right royally entertained by 
 King John, who made minute inquiries about the 
 soil, the land, the people and the gold. The king 
 was deeply chagrined at having, by his lack of 
 faith in Columbus, allowed his rivals to win so rich 
 a prize. Some historians claim that the Portu- 
 guese were so envious that they determined to put 
 Columbus to death. They have doubtless con- 
 fused the acts of Miguel, who, as the reader will 
 remember, was in the employ of Garcia Estevan 
 to assassinate both Columbus and Hernando, with 
 the designs of King John. 
 
 One historian says : 
 
 "Seeing the king much perturbed in spirit, 
 some even went so far as to propose, as a means 
 of impeding the prosecution of these enterprises, 
 that Columbus should be assassinated ; declaring 
 that he deserved death for attempting to deceive 
 and embroil the two nations by his pretended dig- 
 
266 COLUMBIA. 
 
 coveries. It was suggested that his assassination 
 might be accomplished without incurring any 
 odium. Advantage might be taken of his lofty 
 deportment to pique his pride, provoke him into 
 an altercation, and then despatch him, as if in 
 casual and honorable encounter." 
 
 Whether King John ever contemplated any 
 scheme as dark as the above-mentioned, is ques- 
 tionable, and as he has left a fair reputation for 
 honor, we will give him the benefit of a doubt. 
 Miguel, the hired assassin, may have ingratiated 
 himself into the good graces of people of all ranks, 
 poisoning their minds against the man he had 
 grown to hate, and it was no doubt Miguel's con- 
 duct which gave start to the current report, which 
 has been handed down in history. Columbus, 
 after leaving the king, visited the queen, and then 
 set out for Lisbon, hoping soon to return to Palos. 
 
 Hernando Estevan was not unlike Christopher 
 Columbus, inasmuch as he was often moved by 
 secret impulses. It was an age of superstition, 
 and one can not wonder that Hernando was 
 moved by his impressions, as well as the admiral. 
 Some small, still voice seemed whispering to him 
 that Columbus, the man whom he had come to 
 love almost as his father, was in danger. This 
 impression was caused, no doubt, bj the presence 
 of the mutineer in Portugal. Miguel had been 
 seen in Lisbon and Valparaiso, and it was thought 
 
THE ASSASSIN FOILED. 267 
 
 that his presence boded no good to the safety and 
 welfare of the admiral. 
 
 Columbus had already been detained two or 
 three days over the time he should have been gone, 
 and Hernando, stealing ashore at night, procured a 
 horse, and armed only with bis sword and dagger 
 set off to find him. Never sallied forth a knight- 
 errant with stouter heart or more trusty blade. 
 Though young in years, he was old in the science 
 of war. Setting out alone, without even a guide, 
 he rode over the rough and dangerous road be- 
 tween Lisbon and Valparaiso, although night had 
 set in before he began his journey. And a dark 
 night it was — not a single star was in the heavens 
 to give a lambent glow to the blackness. 
 
 Unacquainted with the road as he was, the lad 
 pushed boldly on, up hill and down, until he came 
 to where the road wended its way through a forest. 
 He was just thinking that this would be an excel- 
 lent spot for an assassin to waylay an unsuspect- 
 ing victim, when the sound of hoofs reached his 
 ears. The lad drew rein, when the approaching 
 horseman was but a few rods away. From the 
 clank of arms he at first supposed him to be a 
 soldier; but the awkwardness of the fellow as he 
 drew rein and dismounted, dragging his heavy 
 matchlock after him, convinced Hernando that 
 he was not an expert horseman. The lad rode 
 into the bushes, determined to know more of the 
 
268 COLUMBIA. 
 
 strange horseman. Having become accustomed to 
 the darkness, he was enabled to make out the out- 
 lines of a thick-set, stoop-shouldered man, whose 
 garb was that of a sailor. 
 
 " I know him," the youth thought. 
 
 Dismounting, Hernando made his horse fast to 
 a tree, and, drawing his long, keen dagger, he 
 crept a little nearer to watch the stranger. There 
 was a slight jingling of iron rods as if the stranger 
 was setting the rest of his arquebus to get it ready 
 for firing, and he saw the glow of a slow-match. 
 
 Then there came on the air the tramp of other 
 horses. Hernando at once surmised that the 
 stranger with the arquebus was an assassin lying 
 in wait for his victim, doubtless one of the ad- 
 vancing horsemen. Some of the party of horse- 
 men bore links which lighted up the road, but 
 failed to penetrate the dense wood in which Her- 
 nando was watching the man with the arquebus. 
 One of the approaching party was at this moment 
 heard to say : 
 
 " It can scarce be three leagues to the port, and 
 I am anxious, the wind being fair and God willing, 
 to sail to-morrow." 
 
 "It's the admiral, and this is an assassin sent 
 to slay him," thought the youth. 
 
 Dagger clutched in his hand, with all the ferocity 
 and cunning sagacity of a tiger expressed in his 
 manner, he crept nearer and nearer to this would- 
 
THE ASSASSIN FOILED. 269 
 
 be assassin. The man with the arquebus was 
 stooping low, and the glow of the slow-match 
 hidden behind his cap revealed his features to the 
 lad behind, but not to those in front. 
 
 " Miguel ! " 
 
 The hand that clutched the dagger behind tbe 
 would-be assassin trembled not, and the holder 
 crept nearer and nearer. Miguel aimed his gun 
 at Columbus, who rode nearest him, and applied 
 the match. 
 
 As the flash and report rang on the air some 
 one struck the arquebus, and the next instant a 
 hand grappled his throat, and a voice hissed in 
 his ear : 
 
 " Coward — murderer — die ! " 
 
 The ball from the arquebus glanced from the 
 breastplate of the admiral, producing a shock, but 
 no injury. 
 
 Knowing full well with whom he had to deal, 
 and having a score of long standing to settle, 
 Hernando did not hesitate. The advantage of 
 surprise quite overcame the disparagement of age 
 and strength. He was quick to strike, and struck 
 home. A yell of agony followed the blow, and 
 he struck again and again. 
 
 Columbus and his attendants were on their 
 return from Valparaiso when they were startled 
 by the shot from the forest, and heard the clash 
 of steel and sounds of a struggle within the wood. 
 
270 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " There is trouble here," cried the admiral, and, 
 with his attendants and link-bearers, he pressed 
 forward into the wood. All was over. There 
 was Hernando, with a blood-stained dagger in his 
 hand, standing over a dead body. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE RETURN TO PALOS. 
 
 " Hernando ! " cried the admiral, as the light 
 from the blazing torches fell full on the face of 
 the youth in the "wood by the dead body. 
 
 " It is all over." 
 
 " What have you done? " 
 
 " Slain your enemy, put out of the way the man 
 who would have assassinated you." 
 
 The overturned rest, the empty arquebus still 
 hot and smoking, the burning match, and naked 
 sword in the hand of the dead man, spoke vol- 
 umes, and supplied all broken links in the story. 
 
 " Who is he, Hernando? " 
 
 " Your bitterest enem}', Miguel. He came to 
 assassinate you, and I slew him." 
 
 " I forbade you leaving the ship," said the ad- 
 miral sternly. 
 
 " You did, admiral ; and now that I have saved 
 your life I am ready to endure any punishment 
 you may choose to inflict." 
 
 What could a man with a great heart like Co- 
 lumbus do under such circumstances ? Ere he 
 knew it he had the lad clasped in a warm embrace 
 — and he was forgiven. 
 
2*72 COLUMBIA. 
 
 King John had sent Don Martin de Norona 
 and a numerous train of cavaliers to escort Colum- 
 bus and his pilot. Don Martin had fallen a short 
 distance in the rear of the cavalcade, when the re- 
 port of the arquebus startled the sleeping echoes 
 of night, and clapping spurs to his horse, he 
 reached the spot just as Columbus clasped his 
 preserver to his breast. 
 
 " Helloa, admiral, what means this ? " cried Don 
 Martin. " Have some of the dogs of robbers dared 
 to attack you ? " 
 
 "It's an old enemy, Don Martin." 
 
 "Who is the lad?" 
 
 " My cabin-boy, the companion of many of my 
 severest dangers and trials, and the preserver of 
 my life." 
 
 " And the man slain ? " 
 
 Columbus then proceeded to explain that he 
 was an old enemy, who for some unknown cause 
 had sought to thwart his plans and take his life. 
 Though he allowed no such hint to escape his 
 lips, it was for a while a serious question in the 
 mind of Columbus whether the assassin had been 
 acting on his own account, or in the employ of King 
 John. After all, the Portuguese king might only 
 be pretending friendship in order to blind Colum- 
 bus and take him unawares. Fearing he might do 
 the Portuguese monarch wrong, he determined to 
 keep this adventure and his narrow escape a secret 
 
THE RETURN TO PALOS. 273 
 
 "It is a singular affair, and I shall report it to 
 the sovereign," said Don Martin. 
 
 " I pray you will do nothing of the kind, Don 
 Martin." 
 
 "Why not?" 
 
 " It will only aggravate the king without cause. 
 This is only an old enemy slain by my young 
 friend, and I pray that no mention ever be made 
 of it in Portugal or in Spain." Columbus had 
 his way and the affair was kept a secret. 
 
 " What shall we do with the body ? " asked Don 
 Martin. 
 
 "Leave it, and some of the peasants will find 
 it in the morning and give it Christian burial," 
 Columbus answered. 
 
 The finding of a dead body in the wood or 
 lonely mountain pass was a common occurrence in 
 those days, and occasioned but little comment. 
 The cavalcade went to Llandra, where Columbus 
 slept until morning, when a servant of the king 
 arrived to attend him to the frontier, if he pre- 
 ferred to return to Spain by land, and to provide 
 houses, lodgings, and everything he might stand 
 in need of at the royal expense. 
 
 Columbus was pleased with this marked atten- 
 tion of favor on the part of the king of Portugal, 
 but decided to return in his caravel. 
 
 " Inform your monarch that I am nattered with 
 his high degree of attention, but that I prefer, as 
 
274 COLUMBIA. 
 
 the wind is favorable, to return in one of the shat- 
 tered vessels in which I left last year." When the 
 royal messenger was gone, Columbus thought : " I 
 have done King John wrong to even suspect him." 
 
 " How soon will you put back into Palos ? " 
 Hernando asked, when they were once more on 
 the deck of the Nina. 
 
 " At once." 
 
 "Heaven be praised ! " 
 
 l: Are you so anxious to return, my lad ? " 
 
 " I am," the youth answered. " It seems that 
 we spent a lifetime in that new world. Doubtless 
 many stories have gone back to Palos ; and — and 
 I know that two are anxiously scanning the ocean 
 day by day, waiting, watching, and hoping for 
 my return. One is still young, though sad, and 
 the other has grown old with years and grief." 
 
 "We sail in the morning, and in two days, 
 Heaven willing it, we'll reach the port of Palos," 
 Columbus answered. 
 
 Next day was the 13th of March, 1493, and at 
 daybreak the Nina weighed anchor, unfurled her 
 sails to the breeze, and sailed away for Palos. At 
 early daylight Hernando was awake and on deck 
 at the side of the admiral, whose own great heart 
 was beating high with hope. When it became 
 known throughout the vessel that at last, after so 
 many delays, they had in reality set out on their 
 return to Palos, they broke forth in transports. 
 
THE RETURN TO PAL08. 275 
 
 The praises of the saints were sung, and such 
 joy was never known on shipboard. Standing at 
 the bow of the vessel, wrapped in solemn thought 
 and deep happiness as strong as the current of 
 a mighty river, was the youth whose fortunes 
 have been so strangely blended with the admiral. 
 Though young in years he is a man in thought. 
 
 Bending over, he watched the sharp prow cleav- 
 ing the water, and thanked Heaven for every 
 favorable breeze. The air was raw and sharp, 
 and the admiral expostulated with him and urged 
 him to go below and take some rest. 
 
 "I cannot rest, my lord, when every second 
 brings me nearer home. Are any landmarks 
 familiar along the way ? " he asked. 
 
 "Many; our pilots feel safe, and know every 
 inch of ground. They are at home in these 
 waters." 
 
 It was late at night when the admiral induced 
 Hernando to retire, but at daylight next morn- 
 ing he was again at his post, watching the sharp 
 prow cleave the waters and rejoicing that they 
 were rapidly nearing their harbor of safety. The 
 day was cloudy for most of the time and a heavy 
 fog prevailed, which, aided by contrary winds, 
 made the voyage difficult and perilous. 
 
 "Still at your post," said the admiral, joining 
 Hernando. 
 
 "Yes, admiral; I feel that I cannot leave it 
 
276 COLUMBIA 
 
 I must be first to see the port as I was last I left 
 them more than half a year ago standing there, 
 straining their tear-stained eyes to watch my de- 
 parture. Will I find them awaiting my return ? " 
 
 "I trust you may." 
 
 " And yet we may never reach Palos, for it 
 seems as if the fiends and furies of the tempest 
 contend with us at our very doors. All may yet 
 be lost." 
 
 " No; I have provided against that," Columbus 
 answered. "Even though my ship should sink 
 and we all go down with her, 1 have sent an 
 account of the voyage and my discoveries to the 
 king and queen of Spain, so that they will not be 
 lost." 
 
 How strange it seems to a student of history 
 that, despite all his precaution to prevent his 
 honors being stolen, Columbus should be robbed 
 of the honor of his glorious discovery by one then 
 practically unknown to the world, and that the 
 land which should have borne his name was to be 
 christened by a stranger. 
 
 The 15th of March dawned and found every 
 sailor on deck and wide-awake. The enthusiasm 
 and excitement of the return were scarce less thau 
 the morning of the first landing in the new world. 
 At sunrise they safely landed at the bar of Saltes, 
 and thundering cannon announced their return to 
 the little seaport town. 
 
THE RETURN TO PAL08. 277 
 
 The Nina found the wind contrary, yet by skilful 
 management they worked her gradually into port. 
 
 The triumphant return of Columbus was a pro- 
 digious event in the history of Palos, where every- 
 body was more or less interested in the fate of the 
 expedition. The most important and wealthy 
 sea-captains of the place had engaged in it, and 
 scarcely a family but had some relative or friend 
 among the navigators. The departure of the ships 
 on what appeared to be a chimerical and desperate 
 cruise had spread dismay and gloom over the 
 place; and the storms which had raged through- 
 out the winter had greatly heightened the public 
 despondency. The friends who had departed on 
 the voyage were mourned as lost, imaginatiou 
 lending mysterious horrors to their fate ; pictur- 
 ing them as driven about over wild and desert 
 wastes of shoreless water, or perishing amid 
 mountains of stone, whirlpools of treacherous 
 quick-sands, or a prey to those monsters of the 
 deep with which the credulity of the time peopled 
 every distant and unknown sea. Death under 
 any defined or ordinary form did not begin to 
 compare with such au awful fate. 
 
 Now, what means that thundering gun at sea? 
 and look, a sail approaches. Old sailors, whose 
 weather-beaten eyes had long grown accustomed 
 to scanning the ocean, seized glasses, and swept 
 the waters. 
 
278 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " It's the Nina, the Nina ! " cried an old sailor, 
 who had a son on board the vessel. The glad 
 cry was taken up from street to street, aDd shouts 
 of joy made the welkin ring. The whole com- 
 munity seemed wild. Bells were rung, cannon 
 and arquebus fired, shops closed, all business 
 suspended, and for a time there was nothing but 
 tumult and hurry. By chance, Granddame Se- 
 fiora Doria and Christina were in the village, 
 and hearing the tumult, rushed into the street to 
 inquire the cause. 
 
 " Joy, joy, joy ! " shouted a sailor hurrying by. 
 " The ship which was lost is returned. One of 
 the long missing Columbus caravels is in port." 
 
 " Granddame, granddame, he may be aboard ! " 
 cried the senorita, her eyes beaming with mild, 
 inexpressible hope and expectation. After weary 
 months of waiting, they had given up all hope of 
 ever seeing the youth again ; now that one of the 
 ships of the little fleet was returning, and they 
 felt a hope that he might be aboard, it seemed as 
 if they were about to receive a visit from the 
 dead. They went with the multitude down to 
 the quay, to watch the incoming vessel. 
 
 Standing erect on the cross-piece of the bowsprit, 
 leaning forward, trying to pierce the distance and 
 make out the features of those on shore, was Her- 
 nando Estevan. Could this be true, was it a real- 
 ity, or only a pleasant dream from which he would 
 
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 STANDING ON THE CROSS-PIECE OF THE BOWSPRIT, LEANING FORWARD 
 
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THE RETURN TO PALOS. 279 
 
 awake? Were they really gliding into the peace- 
 ful harbor of Palos, crowned with glory, or only 
 dreaming? Columbus was also moved by sensa- 
 tions as strange as Hernando. Had he really 
 found a new world, or was it only the fantasy of 
 a diseased brain, brought on by long dwelling on 
 the nxysterious subject? Columbus for the first 
 time begau to almost doubt his own sanity. 
 Never had his terrible task seemed so difficult and 
 impossible before. He was roused from his 
 strange reverie by hearing a shout : 
 
 "She's there, she's there! hurrah, hurrah!" 
 And leaning from the fore-rigging of the ship, 
 Hernando waved bis cap in the air. 
 
 A joyous shout came in response from land, a 
 sweet girlish voice reached his ears, and a bright 
 blue turban, such as was worn by the young An- 
 dalusian women of the period, was waved in the 
 air. 
 
 " Tell me, Christina, do you see him ? My 
 eyes are growing dim and I cannot see," said an 
 aged senora at the side of a beautiful senorita. 
 
 "Behold! some one mounts the fore-rigging; 
 see, he stops, he waves his cap. Tis he, 'tis he; 
 'tis Hernando, and he sees us ! " 
 
 Then the multitude crowded to the water's 
 edge to get a glimpse of the sailors on deck, and 
 there was a crowding forward of those on deck 
 to see those on shore. They almost pushed Her- 
 
280 COLUMBIA. 
 
 nando into the water. Friends, wives, parents, 
 and children were waiting to receive loved ones, 
 and equal anxiety was expressed by all. Every- 
 body was anxious to know the fate of a relative 
 01 a friend, and all eager to learn the full particu- 
 lars of such a wonderful voyage. 
 
 "Stand back, let me be first to land! "cried 
 Columbus, intending that the return should be as 
 imposing as the departure had been. But there 
 was one who heard him not. The Nina swept 
 into port, and, with anxious heart beating high, 
 Hernando was ready to leap ashore. Anchor was 
 dropped, boats lowered, and one of the first to 
 enter was Hernando. For once he was deaf to the 
 command of the admiral, and sprang on shore 
 before the boat touched the beach. While the 
 admiral was landing in imposing ceremony, the 
 youth was embracing his grand-dame and Chris- 
 tina. 
 
 " Have you come, oh, have you come at last? " 
 the coy little maiden cried, the proud blood leap- 
 ing to her noble brow. The joy of knowing he 
 was safe, of holding his hand once more, seemed 
 too great to be real. 
 
 When Columbus landed, the multitude thronged 
 to see and welcome him, and a grand procession 
 was formed to the principal church, to return 
 thanks to God for so signal a discovery made by 
 the people of that place, forgetting, in their exul- 
 
THE RETURN TO PALOS. 281 
 
 tation, the thousand obstacles they had thrown in 
 the way of the enterprise. 
 
 And Columbus, who a few months before was 
 derided as a beggar, a madman, and an adven- 
 turer, was now hailed with shouts and acclama- 
 tions everywhere he went. Joy and gladness 
 filled the quiet little village to overflowing. Never 
 in the history of the world has Palos known such 
 a day as the 15th of March, 1493, and the hero of 
 the hour was he who not long before had arrived 
 there a poor pedestrian, asking bread and water 
 for his child companion at the gate of a convent. 
 
 As soon as the ceremonies at the church were 
 over, Columbus asked the alcalde of Palos where 
 the court was. 
 
 "At Barcelona," was the answer. 
 
 " I believe I will sail for the city at once." 
 
 "I pray you, my lord, go by land ; it is surely 
 safer, and, after all you have suffered by an angry 
 sea, I would think you would be unwilling to 
 risk your life on the water until you have im- 
 parted your discoveries to the king and queen." 
 
 " A sailor's home is on the wave." 
 
 ''Not when his life is of such value to the 
 world as yours. After all the dangers and dis- 
 asters you have experienced on the seas, I trust 
 you will change your resolution and proceed by 
 land." 
 
 Hernando Estevan joined his entreaties to the 
 
282 COLUMBIA. 
 
 others, and the admiral was persuaded to make 
 the journey by land. He despatched a letter to 
 the king and queen, informing them of his arrival, 
 and made arrangements to depart next day for 
 Seville to await their orders. 
 
 No sooner were the first emotions of the meet- 
 ing between Hernando, Christina, and the grand- 
 dame over, than the senora asked : 
 
 "Did you find your father? " 
 
 "No," he answered, sadly. 
 
 "Nor learn his fate?" 
 
 " I learned nothing of him." Then he told how 
 they had found many tribes of strange, wild peo- 
 ple, but none knew aught of his father. "I fear 
 the ship in which he sailed went down with him." 
 
 Then the grand-dame became silent, and Chris- 
 tina stole to the side of her foster-brother, coyly 
 entwined an arm about his neck, and whispered: 
 
 " Don't be downcast, don't be disconsolate. I 
 have lost my parents, but so long as you are with 
 me I will not complain." 
 
 "Nor will I; we have each other." The right- 
 eous old grand-dame, who had been watching the 
 children, exclaimed : 
 
 " Heaven has decreed them for each other ; 
 God is kind, even when chastening." 
 
 In the midst of general rejoicing throughout 
 the village, a sailor went to Columbus and said: 
 
 " Admiral, behold, another comes. See, the 
 
THE RETURN TO PALOS. 283 
 
 Pinta, commanded by Martin Alonzo Pinzon, is 
 now entering the river." 
 
 Columbus left the public-house where he was 
 resting and hurried to the quay. 
 
 " The fellow is right," he said, as his eyes fell 
 on a ship dropping anchor in the harbor. " It is 
 the Pinta which I thought lost, but which basely 
 deserted me." Columbus ordered a boat for the 
 purpose of going to meet Pinzon, but he put 
 ashore further up the bay, and, filled with shame, 
 chagrin, and confusion, hid himself from Colum- 
 bus. 
 
 After separating from the Nina, the Pinta was 
 driven before the gale into the Bay of Biscay, and 
 made the port of Bayonne. Having been informed 
 by Miguel Gonzola that he would assassinate Co- 
 lumbus should he survive the storm, and suppos- 
 ing him out of his way, Pinzon wrote from this 
 port to the sovereigns, giving information of the 
 discoveries he had made, requesting permission to 
 come to court and communicate the particulars in 
 person. As soon as the weather had permitted, 
 he again set sail, anticipating a triumphant recep- 
 tion in his native port of Palos. On entering the 
 harbor he beheld the vessel of the admiral riding 
 at anchor, while the very skies, hills, and moun- 
 tains rang with enthusiasm. 
 
 "Miguel has failed — and — and — I am lost!" 
 gasped Martin Alonzo Pinzon. 
 
284 COLUMBIA. 
 
 His heart died within him. 
 
 It is said by some historians that Martin Alonzo 
 Pinzon feared to meet Columbus in this hour of 
 his triumph lest he should put him under arrest 
 for his desertion on the coast of Cuba, but he was 
 a man of too much resolution and courage to in- 
 dulge in any such fear. It is more probable that 
 consciousness of his misconduct at having become 
 a pliant tool in the hands of such a villain as 
 Miguel Gonzola made him unwilling to go before 
 the public in the midst of their enthusiasm for 
 Columbus, and he no doubt sickened at the hon- 
 ors heaped on a man whose superiority he had 
 been so unwilling to acknowledge. Therefore he 
 got in his boat, was privately landed, and kept out 
 of sight until he heard of the admiral's departure. 
 He then returned to his home, broken in health 
 and deeply dejected, considering all the honors 
 heaped on Columbus as so many reproaches upon 
 himself. He waited long and anxiously for the 
 answer from his sovereigns. When it came it 
 proved to be the last straw to crush his hopes, for 
 it was full of reproaches, and forbade him appear- 
 ing in court. The anguish of his feelings gave 
 virulence to his bodily malady, and in a few days 
 be died, a victim to deep chagrin. 
 
 Martin Alonzo Pinzon was, perhaps, a better 
 man than he will ever get credit for being. Like 
 many another great man, his ambition proved his 
 
TEE RETURN TO PALOS. 285 
 
 ruin. In considering him, let us charitably gaze 
 on the picture which represents the Martin Alonzo 
 Pinzon of years before, when life was full of 
 promise, and ambition in her golden car had not 
 swung down the path of time, dragging her own 
 shadow at the wheel. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 A LESSON FROM AN EGG. 
 
 Though urged to remain at Palos, where every 
 honor in the power of the people was tendered 
 him, the admiral was too anxious to present him- 
 self to the sovereigns to protract his stay. He 
 selected to take with him six of the natives brought 
 from the new world, and specimens of the multi- 
 farious products of the newly discovered regions. 
 
 Early next morning after his arrival Hernando 
 called on the admiral. He came early, and the 
 servant said Columbus was sleeping; so Hernando 
 was about to go away, when the admiral, from 
 his bed-chamber, called him : 
 
 " Hernando, my lad, don't go." 
 
 " Are you awake, admiral? " 
 
 " I awoke just this moment. Come in ; I wish 
 to converse with you." 
 
 Columbus was still in bed when Hernando en- 
 tered. The youth had grown more diffident, for 
 he realized, since he had been an eye-witness to 
 the honors, the greatness of the man. He stood 
 with his cap in his hand, and his face overwhelmed 
 with confusion. 
 
 '' To what am I indebted for this early morning 
 
A LESSON' FROM AN EGG. 287 
 
 call ? I know full well you would not have called 
 at this hour but that you had something to com- 
 municate." 
 
 " I have come to make a request, my lord," an- 
 swered Hernando. 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 " I learned that you will set out to-day for 
 Seville to await the summons to the court of the 
 king and queen at Barcelona." 
 
 " Such is my intention." 
 
 " Can I accompany you ? " 
 
 "Would you leave your friends so soon? " 
 
 " I do not wish to separate from them, but I — 
 I have been with you through your trials, I should 
 like to be a witness to your crowning triumph." 
 
 " Your wish shall be granted, and these poor 
 honors which I have won shall be shared with 
 every deserving follower." 
 
 " Do you start at an early hour? " 
 
 "We do." 
 
 He quitted the bed-chamber of the admiral, and 
 went to his grand-dame and Christina to acquaint 
 them with his intention to depart with the admiral 
 and make a few necessary preparations for the 
 journey. 
 
 Hernando's costume was scarce inferior to the 
 admiral's, and well suited for so grand an occasion. 
 Both were elegantly mounted with silver trappings, 
 and, accompanied by a guard of honor headed by a 
 
288 COLUMBIA. 
 
 sleek, good-natured monk, mounted on a sleek, fat 
 mule, set out for Seville. The native islanders 
 who accompanied them were arrayed in their 
 simple, barbaric costume, and in passing through 
 towns and villages, were decorated with gay 
 plumage, collars, bracelets, and other ornaments 
 of gold rudely fashioned ; he also exhibited con- 
 siderable quantities of the same metal in dust or 
 in crude masses, and numerous vegetable exotics 
 possessed of aromatic or medicinal virtues, and 
 several kinds of animals and birds unknown to 
 Europe ; the gaudy plumage of the latter giving a 
 brilliant effect to the pageant 
 
 No procession has ever created such intense 
 excitement. News of the return of the explorer, 
 and of his journey to Seville, from thence to Bar- 
 celona, spread like wild-fire, and men quitted their 
 ordinary pursuits and journeyed for miles to see 
 the wonders from another and an unknown world. 
 Women and children, too, hastened to throng the 
 roads, and gaze on the strange people from that 
 far-off land. The admiral's progress through the 
 the country was everywhere impeded by the mul- 
 titude thronging forth to gaze at the extraordi- 
 nary spectacle, and more than extraordinary man, 
 who, in the emphatic language of the time, which 
 from its familiarity has now lost its force, first 
 revealed the existence of a " new world." 
 
 It was nearly noon before they came in sight of 
 
A LJSSSON FROM AN EQG. 289 
 
 the busy and populous city of Seville. All morn- 
 ing the procession had been pushing its waj 
 through crowds of enthusiastic people, who 
 thronged even the country roads. 
 
 " Look, admiral, look ! " cried Hernando, pointing 
 toward the city, where a great concourse of people 
 was assembled. 
 
 " What crowds of people, what crowds of 
 people ! " cried the fat, jolly old monk who headed 
 the procession. "My lord admiral, methinks you 
 will find a goodly company to greet you." 
 
 Amid thundering cheers the procession moved 
 slowly forward to the city gate. As soon as the 
 guard at the towers caught sight of the banners of 
 Columbus, the signal was given, and the cannon 
 from the walls roared, and clouds of smoke rose 
 over the scene. Surely never was such a gala- 
 day known, even in Seville. 
 
 Slowly the procession moved forward, and re- 
 newed cries of " Long live Columbus, long live 
 my lord admiral ! " filled the air. 
 
 " How can we enter the city ? " asked Hernando, 
 as the procession stopped amid the shouts and 
 cries of the excited populace. 
 
 "We must wait until they have in a measure 
 recovered from their excitement." 
 
 The sleek monk, on his sleek mule, seemed com- 
 plete master of the situation. He pressed forward 
 in the throng, and pushing aside a halberdier, cried: 
 19 
 
290 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " In Heaven's name, sir, do you mean to keep 
 the admiral without the gate all day ? Give way, 
 give way — unless you idiots are made of stone. 
 Santa Maria ! you lubberly, overgrown swine, are 
 you going to stand in the way until the crack 
 o' doom? Can't you move? Hold that fractious 
 horse, sir knight — in God's name I pray you to 
 hold your horse, unless you would trample down 
 the admiral and his followers." 
 
 The monk carried a stout staff in his hand, and 
 losing his temper, he began laying about him 
 until he had cleared a passage to the gate, and the 
 admiral and his followers and attendants passed 
 through beneath the portals. 
 
 Inside the city the crush and excitement was 
 even greater. 
 
 " Heavens, what crowds of people I " cried the 
 monk. 
 
 As they passed down the street, every window, 
 balcony, and housetop was crowded with specta- 
 tors eager to catch a glimpse of the great man. 
 
 " Look at the Indians," cried Hernando. " See 
 how excited and astounded they are. This to 
 them is a new scene, and they are dumb with 
 amazement." 
 
 The poor creatures were bewildered and lost in 
 wonder. The waving banners, prancing steeds, 
 blasts of trumpets, strains of music, thunder of 
 cannon, and hordes of gaily costumed men, 
 
A LESSON FROM AN HOG. 291 
 
 women, and children, were too splendid and grand 
 for their simple minds to comprehend. They 
 almost believed they were in heaven, where death 
 never comes. 
 
 A house was set apart for Columbus and his 
 attendants. Wherever the admiral went the 
 youth accompanied him, and was frequently mis- 
 taken for his son Diego, a page in the royal house- 
 hold. 
 
 " How long will you halt in Seville ? " Hernando 
 asked the admiral. 
 
 " Until I hear from the sovereigns, and arrange- 
 ments can be made for pressing on in our 
 journey." 
 
 The sun was dipping behind the western moun- 
 tains four or five days after the arrival of Colum- 
 bus in Seville, when a courier from the royal 
 court arrived on a powerful black steed, with 
 foarn-whitened flanks. 
 
 "Whom do you want?" demanded the guard 
 at the door. 
 
 " I would see the lord admiral, Christopher 
 Columbus." 
 
 "Do you come from our good king and queen? " 
 asked the guard. 
 
 "I do." 
 
 Columbus was informed of the arrival of the 
 courier and sent for him at once. He received 
 the communication with joy, for it was all he could 
 
292 COLUMBIA. 
 
 desire. The king and queen expressed their de- 
 light, and requested him to repair at once to the 
 court to concert plans for a second and -more ex- 
 tensive expedition. As the summer, the time 
 favorable for a voyage, was approaching, they 
 desired him to make arrangements at Seville 
 or elsewhere, such as might hasten the voyage 
 with as little delay as possible, and to inform them 
 by return courier what was to be done on their 
 part. 
 
 The letter was addressed to him by the title of 
 "Don Christopher Columbus, an admiral of the 
 ocean, sea, and viceroy and governor-general of 
 the islands discovered in the Indies," and at the 
 conclusion promised him still greater rewards. 
 
 No one but Hernando was in the room when 
 the admiral read the letter. Having finished it, 
 he folded the document and sat for a long time 
 gazing at the superscription. Not a word escaped 
 his lips, but his eyes grew dimmer and dimmer 
 until the tears of joy which had been slowly rising 
 from the well-springs of the heart, overflowed and 
 trickled slowly down his cheeks, dropping on the 
 royal missive. Not understanding the strange 
 emotions which stirred the soul of the great man, 
 Hernando sprang to his side and cried : 
 
 " What has gone amiss, admiral ; have our 
 sovereigns denounced you? " 
 
 "No, no, brave youth ; these are tears of joy." 
 
A LESSON FROM AN EQO. 293 
 
 Pointing at the superscription, he added : " There 
 is the title for which I have struggled and prayed. 
 Here it is, acknowledged by the sovereigns them- 
 selves. I have waited and labored for a long, 
 anxious period for it, and now that I have won it, 
 oh, what an empty bauble it is ! " 
 
 ''Your work is not yet done, admiral.'' 
 " No." 
 
 " There is still a glorious work for you. Re- 
 member humanity " 
 
 " Aye, and God. The Holy Sepulchre is in 
 the possession of the unbeliever. I shall now be 
 able to raise a sufficient army and go to the rescue 
 of Palestine." 
 
 Columbus lost no time in complying with the 
 commands of the sovereigns. He sent a memo- 
 randum of the ships, men, and munitions of war 
 requisite, and, having made such disposition at 
 Seville as circumstances permitted, set out for 
 Barcelona, taking with him the six Indians and 
 the various curiosities and productions brought 
 from the new world. 
 
 By this time the fame of his wonderful dis- 
 covery had resounded throughout the nation. 
 Many still doubted it, while the more credulous 
 not only believed it, but also believed much 
 stranger and wilder stories. Imagination took 
 its wildest flight in enlarging on the wonderful 
 countries which had been discovered. The news 
 
294 COLUMBIA. 
 
 that the procession was to pass at a certain place 
 was sufficient to insure a vast crowd. The people 
 lined the country roads and thronged villages, so 
 much so that, good-natured as he usually was, the 
 monk almost lost his temper. 
 
 The streets, windows, and balconies of the 
 towns were filled with eager spectators, who rent 
 the air with their acclamations. His journey was 
 continually impeded by the multitude pressing to 
 gain a sight of Columbus and of the Indians, who 
 were regarded with as much astonishment as if 
 they had been natives of another planet. Their 
 progress was impeded to such an extent that it 
 was the middle of April before Columbus arrived 
 at Barcelona. 
 
 Every preparation had been made to give the 
 admiral and his faithful followers a solemn and 
 magnificent reception. The beauty and serenity 
 of the weather in that genial season and favored 
 clime contributed to give splendor to this memo- 
 rable ceremonj'. As he drew near, many of the 
 youthful courtiers and hidalgos, together with a 
 vast concourse of the populace, came forth to meet 
 and welcome him. The entrance of Columbus 
 into the noble city of Barcelona was equal to one 
 of the triumphs which the Romans were accus- 
 tomed to decree to conquerors. 
 
 Columbus arranged his procession with con- 
 summate skill to make it show off to the best ad- 
 
A LESSON FROM AN EGO. 295 
 
 vantage. The six Indians, painted according to 
 their wild, savage fashion, and decorated with 
 their national ornaments of gold, followed the 
 sleek little monk, who, mounted on his sleek little 
 mule, led the way. After these were some of the 
 various kinds of live parrots, together with stuffed 
 birds and animals of unknown species, and rare 
 plants supposed to be of precious qualities ; while 
 great care was taken to display the Indian coro- 
 nets, bracelets, and other decorations of gold that 
 a favorable impression of the richness of the newly 
 discovered regions might be formed. 
 
 After this procession followed Columbus, 
 mounted on a richly caparisoned horse, and at 
 his side, mounted on a beautiful spotted Andalu- 
 sian pony, was Hernando, as gorgeously dressed 
 as a young prince, both surrounded by a brilliant 
 cavalcade of chivalry. 
 
 " Behold, my lord, how the streets are crowded," 
 cried the boy. " The countless multitude make 
 them almost impassable." 
 
 " Our friend the monk will force a passage," the 
 admiral answered, with a smile. 
 
 " The windows and balconies are crowded with 
 women and children, and the very roofs are cov- 
 ered with spectators," the youth said. 
 
 Barcelona was never so thronged, before nor 
 since. It seemed as if the public eye could not 
 be sated with gazing on these trophies of an un- 
 
296 COLUMBIA. 
 
 known world ; on the remarkable man by whom 
 it was discovered. There was a sublimity in this 
 event that mingled a solemn feeling with the pub- 
 lic joy. It was looked upon as a vast and signal 
 dispensation of Providence, in reward for the 
 piety of the monarehs. And the majestic and 
 venerable appearance of the discoverer, in contra- 
 distinction to the general idea of the young and 
 reckless rover which had been formed of him, 
 seemed in harmony with the grandeur and dignity 
 of his achievements. 
 
 " Who is the youth at his side ? Is it his 
 son ? " was asked by many. 
 
 " Hernando Estevan, a youth who has been with 
 him through all his tribulations." 
 
 An armed, plumed, and helmeted knight heard 
 this and bit his lip with vexation. Turning his 
 horse about, Sir Garcia gave utterance to a curse, 
 not loud, but deep, at his ill-fortune. He knew not 
 how Miguel had failed him, but determined if the 
 rascal lived to punish him. Miguel was beyond 
 reacb of his punishment. 
 
 In order that the reception might be witnessed 
 by the public, and at the same time be with suit- 
 able pomp and distinction, the sovereigns ordered 
 their throne to be placed in public under a rich 
 canopy of brocade and gold, in a vast and splen- 
 did saloon. Here king and queen, seated in state, 
 with Prince Juan beside them, and many digni- 
 
A LESSOR FROM AN EGO. 297 
 
 taries gathered about, awaited the arrival of him 
 who at this time was the greatest man in Spain. 
 This is saying much, for in addition to the sover- 
 eigns, the principal nobility of Castile, Valentia, 
 Catalonia, and Arragon were present, all impa- 
 tience to behold the discoverer. 
 
 Columbus and Hernando entered the spacious 
 hall, surrounded by a brilliant crowd of cavaliers. 
 The admiral was conspicuous for his stately and 
 commanding person, which, with his countenance 
 rendered venerable by his white hair, gave him 
 the august appearance of a Roman senator. He 
 was greeted with applause, and a modest smile 
 lighted up his features, showing that he enjoyed 
 the state and glory in which he came. What could 
 be more deeply moving to a mind inflamed by 
 noble ambition, and conscious of having greatly 
 deserved, than these testimonials of admiration 
 and gratitude of a nation, or. rather of a world, 
 for the whole civilized world was at this moment 
 turning its eyes upon the humble Genoese sailor? 
 
 As Columbus approached the sovereigns, Her- 
 nando halted, for the admiral was about to take 
 his place among those too grand and august for 
 him. At his approach the sovereigns rose as if 
 receiving a person of the highest rank. Kneeling 
 before them upon the rich vermilion carpet, he 
 offered to kiss their hands, but there was some 
 hesitation on their part about permitting such an 
 
298 COL UMBIA. 
 
 act of homage. Taking his hand in her own, 
 Queen Isabella raised him to his feet, and in a 
 most gracious manner said: 
 
 " Pray, be seated, admiral, and narrate to us an 
 account of the striking events of your wonderful 
 voyage and discoveries, and give us a description 
 of the islands you have discovered." 
 
 To sit in the presence of the sovereigns was a 
 rare honor in this proud and punctilious court. 
 In a calm, collected manner he proceeded to give 
 a brief account of his wonderful discoveries, dis- 
 playing specimens of unknown birds and animals, 
 rare plants of medicinal and aromatic virtues; of 
 gold in dust, in crude masses, or labored in bar- 
 baric ornaments, and, above all, the native wild 
 people, who were objects of intense and inex- 
 haustible interest. The queen was delighted. She 
 took some of the smaller birds and animals in her 
 hands, fondled them, and gave' them to her page 
 to care for. She conversed with the young Indian 
 woman, who had learned a little Spanish and was 
 delighted with all she saw and heard. Columbus, 
 after pointing out all he had brought with him, 
 said: 
 
 " These are but the harbingers of greater dis- 
 coveries yet to be made, which will add realms 
 of incalculable wealth to the dominions of your 
 majesties, and whole nations of proselytes to the 
 true faith." 
 
A LESSON FROM AN EGO. 299 
 
 When he had finished, the sovereigns fell on 
 their knees, all present following their example, 
 and raised their clasped hands to Heaven, their 
 eyes rilled with tears, as they poured forth thanks 
 and praises to God for so great a providence. A 
 deep and solemn enthusiasm pervaded that splen- 
 did assembly, and prevented all common acclama- 
 tions of triumph. When Columbus retired from 
 the royal presence, a shout went up from the mul- 
 titude. Alone with Hernando, he broke down and 
 wept for joy. 
 
 "I shall this day make a vow," he declared. 
 " Great wealth must soon accrue to me, and I 
 shall give it all to my heavenly Master ; within 
 seven years I will furnish an army, consisting of 
 four thousand horse and fifty thousand foot, for 
 the rescue of the Holy Sepulchre, and a similar 
 force within five years following." 
 
 One pair of jealous, envious eyes watched 
 Columbus, and keenly felt a pang at every sound 
 of his praise. It was the guilty Sir Garcia. He 
 felt that the triumph of Columbus in some way 
 endangered his own prosperity ; and had Miguel 
 lived, or could he have found another equally as 
 faithful, no doubt the admiral would have been 
 assassinated. 
 
 Among the notables frequently with the great 
 discoverer and Hernando was Pedro Gonzalez de 
 Mendoza, the grand cardinal of Spain and first 
 
300 COLUMBIA. 
 
 subject of the realm ; a man whose elevated char- 
 acter for piety, learning, and high, prince-like 
 qualities gave signal value to his favors. Sir 
 Garcia Estevan, the scheming knight, had man- 
 aged, by his subtileness, to ingratiate himself into 
 the good graces of the cardinal. Pedro Gonzalez 
 de Mendoza invited Columbus and his youthful 
 companion, from whom he was almost inseparable, 
 to a banquet, where he assigned to the admiral 
 the most honorable place at the table, and had 
 him served with the ceremonials which in those 
 punctilious times were observed toward sover- 
 eigns. 
 
 That shallow courtier, Sir Garcia, was present, 
 and, impatient of the honors paid Columbus, whom 
 he hated because of his attachment to the son of 
 his wronged brother, and meanly jealous of him 
 as a foreigner, during the banquet asked : 
 
 " My lord admiral, don't you think, in case you 
 had not discovered the Indies, there are other men 
 in Spain who would have been capable of the en- 
 terprise ? " 
 
 Columbus was usually cool and good-natured, 
 but his brow lowered a little at this insulting 
 query, and taking an egg, he handed it to Sir 
 Garcia, saying : 
 
 " Sir knight, can you make that egg stand on 
 end?" 
 
 Wondering what that could have to do with 
 
A LESSON FROM AN EGO. 301 
 
 answering his question, Sir Garcia took the egg, 
 tried to stand it on end, but failed. Then each 
 and every one at the table, in turns, tried to stand 
 the egg on end, but all failed. When all had 
 given it up, Columbus took the egg, struck the 
 small end upon the table so as to slightly break 
 and flatten it, and left it standing on end. 
 
 "There, sir knight," he said, with a triumphant 
 smile, "you can do it now ; and when I have once 
 shown the way to the new world, nothing is easier 
 than to follow it" 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 FATHER AND SON. 
 
 During his sojourn at Barcelona, the sovereigns 
 took every occasion to bestow on Columbus per- 
 sonal marks of their consideration. He was ad- 
 mitted at all times to the royal presence, and the 
 queen delighted to converse with him on the 
 subject of his enterprises. Occasionally the king 
 appeared on horseback with Columbus riding on 
 one side and Prince Juan on the other. To per- 
 petuate in his family the glory of his achievement, 
 a coat of arms was assigned him, in which the 
 royal arms, the castle and lion, were quartered 
 with his proper bearings, which were a group of 
 islands surrounded by waves. To these arms 
 was afterward annexed the motto: 
 ' ' A Castilla y a, Leon, 
 Nuevo mundo dio Colon." * 
 
 One day, when the admiral was riding with the 
 king, Ferdinand asked : 
 
 " Who is that youth, admiral, to whom you are 
 so fondly attached ? " 
 
 " His name is Hernando Estevan, a son of Eod- 
 
 * " To Castile and Leon 
 
 Columbus gave a new world." 
 
FATHER AND SON. 303 
 
 erigo Estevan, whom your highness may re- 
 member.'' 
 
 "I do ; he was the elder brother of Sir Garcia 
 and formerly an heir to the estates since confis- 
 cated, but there were some charges of treason 
 against him." 
 
 " Made by Abdallah Ahmed, the Moor, and sub- 
 stantiated by his own brother, were they not, your 
 highness ? " 
 
 " You are right, admiral." 
 
 " Those charges were false, though in the civil 
 wars he was true to the house of Castile, while his 
 brother championed the cause of Arragon. I do 
 not censure your highness, but I believe you were 
 wrongly informed." 
 
 "What became of Roderigo?" 
 
 " His fate is unknown. He took passage in a 
 ship and sailed westward, and his vessel was never 
 heard from. His son maintains that his father 
 lives in slavery, and he hoped to find him among 
 the strange people on the islands we discovered. I 
 believe, however, that, if he lives at all, he is a 
 slave in some far-off Moorish or Arabian prov- 
 ince." 
 
 " What grounds have you for such belief ? " 
 
 " The reasons for it I have kept from the son, 
 as they might lead to an expedition that would 
 end in his death. On various occasions strange 
 hints have been dropped, both by the Moor and 
 
304 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Sir Garcia, which lead me to such a belief. I do 
 Dot recall the words, but putting this and that 
 together, I feel that I have as strong reasons for 
 this conclusion as I did in the existence of the 
 antipodes." 
 
 After a moment's reflection, the king said : 
 
 " A sailor just returned from Moorish captivity 
 has narrated to one of my courtiers a most re- 
 markable story." 
 
 " Have you heard his story ? " 
 
 " Not from his own lips, but from the knight to 
 whom it was told, and such an impression did it 
 make, that I intend sending for him and hear that 
 tale of woe o'er again." 
 
 " I trust your highness will, and that I may be 
 also a listener." 
 
 Consequently, arrangements were made for the 
 next day that the king and admiral might, from 
 the prisoner's own lips, hear the story of his cap- 
 tivity and bondage. Columbus was at hand ready 
 to hear the recital, and had not been long with the 
 monarch in the royal chamber when an old man, 
 with long, snow-white hair, beard, and bent form, 
 appeared before them. His pale, wrinkled face 
 seemed to have the dew of death and dungeon's 
 mould upon it, and spoke volumes of suffering. 
 He tottered forward, leaning heavily on his staff 
 as he approached the royal presence. The king 
 having great compassion for age and weakness, 
 
FATHER AND SON 305 
 
 bade him be seated, and urged him to tell his own 
 sad story. Being thus abjured by his monarch, 
 the sufferer said : 
 
 "My liege, this hair is white, but not with years 
 nor sickness ; this form is bowed, these limbs 
 bent, not with honest toil, but cramped and crooked 
 in a dungeon foul. How long did I lay in that 
 dungeon, my liege ? I know not. It was years, 
 many, oh ! so many ; but how many I have no 
 means of knowing. Day and night were one and 
 the same. The blessed Sabbath was unknown, and 
 went to make up only the accursed hours of agony 
 and suffering. 
 
 " I was a simple sailor, who loved my ocean home 
 and the sovereign under whose flag I sailed next 
 to the God I worshipped. One day we were a few 
 leagues off the Canaries, when, in the gray of morn- 
 ing, we were surprised by a Moorish rover, who 
 gave us chase. We crowded as much canvas as 
 our yards could spread and our masts carry, to get 
 clear, but the pursuer rapidly overhauled us, and 
 though we fought, we were carried by the board, 
 and, after losing two men killed and five wounded, 
 were made captives and carried to a Moorish port. 
 Whilst there, my liege, these eyes beheld much 
 misery, and these ears grew accustomed to groans 
 of agony and death ; but one man shall I always 
 remember so long as my faculties remain. No 
 braver, nobler, truer chevalier ever couched a lance 
 20 
 
306 COLUMBIA. 
 
 in Spain. He was tall, young, and handsome 
 when first brought, but oh, how soon he changed ! 
 The bloom faded from his cneek, and his hair, as 
 you see mine, became threads of streaming snow. 
 They chained him to a column of stone where he 
 could not move a single pace, and with the pale 
 light of the dungeon falling upon him, he withered 
 and grew old. Fettered hand and foot, he pined 
 away, listening to the hollow groans of his fellow- 
 prisoners near enough to be heard, but like himself 
 chained to pillars of stone and unable to move a 
 single pace. I was near, and often did I hear him 
 cry out : 
 
 '"Oh ! my wife and child ! Would not I give ' 
 each aching member of this racked, tortured body 
 to know they were free from the persecutions of 
 my wicked brother ? " 
 
 " Whom meant he by wicked brother? " asked 
 the king. 
 
 "I know not, my liege. He never spoke his 
 name, but once did make mention that he conspired 
 with another to poison the mind of the monarch 
 against him so that he was forced to fly. When 
 he was most despondent and did loudest bewail 
 his wretched fate, I sought to cheer him with 
 words from where I sat, or even venture a song, 
 but my own voice sounded so like a hollow mock- 
 ery that I at last desisted. One by one our 
 fellow-companions perished and were borne away, 
 
FATHER AND SON. 307 
 
 until we alone remained. How we did it, I know 
 not, but Heaven came at last to aid us, and the 
 very iron bands which encircled us became rusted, 
 brittle, and rotten, and one awful night we broke 
 from our dungeon and fled to the hills and moun- 
 tains. Many weary days did we wander, pursued 
 by men and beasts, going we knew not whither. 
 Reason totters at the recollection, and I hesitate, 
 my liege, to speak of our sufferings and dangers, 
 lest you grow incredulous and fail to believe my 
 story. One day we were sorely pressed by our 
 pursuers, and my companion was wounded by an 
 arrow, and unable to travel farther. I left him in 
 the hut of a kind Andalusian mountain shepherd, 
 on the frontier, who promised to take care of him. 
 I wept as a child at bidding him farewell, perhaps 
 forever, and after weeks of weary flight, broken 
 down in mind and body, I was picked up by some 
 knights and brought thither. This, my liege, is 
 my story." 
 
 "Do you know your companion's name? " 
 
 " I do, my liege, but at his request I have told 
 it to none ; yet, if your highness demands it " 
 
 " His life may depend on the revelation. What 
 is his name? " 
 
 11 Roderigo Estevan ! " 
 
 The admiral started from his seat with a glad 
 cry, and the king was in ecstacies at the denoue- 
 ment of the storv. The admiral afterward de- 
 
308 COLUMBIA. 
 
 clared that the joy of his own triumphs was ex- 
 celled by the hope of at last finding Hernando's 
 father. The sailor thought he could go to the hut 
 where he had left the wounded man, and the king 
 and admiral speedily and secretly fitted out an 
 expedition, to be led by a chevalier named Carpio, 
 to go in quest of the wounded man. 
 
 "I would like, to lead the expedition," said 
 Columbus. " I love this youth, and it is my 
 duty to find his father " 
 
 "We cannot think of it, admiral," Ferdinand 
 interposed. '" You are too valuable to the world 
 to risk your life among the brigands of the frontier. 
 Should you perish there will be no one to point out 
 the pathway to these newly acquired dominions, 
 and all may yet be lost. No, no, no ! Chevalier 
 Carpio has long been accustomed to such work, 
 and his familiarity with the frontier makes suc- 
 cess almost assured. We can trust him to go, and 
 you must stay." 
 
 When Hernando was informed that his father 
 was alive, among the mountains, his joy was 
 boundless. So earnest were his entreaties that 
 he was permitted to accompany the expedition, 
 which was kept a profound secret, for the king 
 and Columbus both doubted Sir Garcia. The 
 admiral thought he could even trace much of his 
 own failure and delay to the unworthy knight. 
 The expedition headed by Chevalier Carpio and 
 
FATHER AND SON. 309 
 
 Hernando set out at midnight, and ere dawn of day 
 was fully five leagues and a half from Barcelona. 
 
 The chevalier was as gallant a knight as ever 
 wore the golden spurs, or led a score of battle- 
 scarred veterans. He was as kind-hearted as he 
 was brave, and his soul was roused within him at 
 the story of the wrongs of Eoderigo Estevan, so 
 that he swore by the muss to rescue him if alive 
 and avenge him if dead. Hernando rode at his 
 side, and as the chevalier heard his sad story from 
 his own lips, he grew to love him as a brother. 
 
 " Yours has been a sad and stormy life," said 
 the chevalier, " but we believe that the worst is 
 over, and you are soon to realize your fondest 
 hopes, the rescue of your father." 
 
 " Heaven grant I may ; but I did not dream he 
 was among the Moors. I all along thought he 
 was a slave to some wild tribe across the ocean." 
 
 " The words of the Moor Abdallah should 
 have aroused your suspicion." 
 
 " I thought them but an idle boast, only uttered 
 to throw me off the course I was following." 
 
 " Abdallah has been a curse to your family." 
 
 " Should we meet my evil genius, I pray you to 
 spare him to my vengeance." 
 
 With a smile the chevalier answered : 
 
 " Surely, young as you are, you would not dare 
 cross blades with the war-hardened Moor." 
 
 " He has an ear less from having met me in 
 
310 COLUMBIA. 
 
 combat, sir chevalier, and should we meet again 
 my experience and skill will be more than a match 
 for his strength and size." 
 
 All night long the white-haired sailor led them 
 southward, and when morning dawned they were 
 at a little hamlet at the foot of the mountains. 
 The people were a mongrel class of Andalusians, 
 Moors, Ethiopians, and Arabs, who were not a 
 little alarmed at seeing a body of armed horse- 
 men enter their village. No doubt the villagers 
 were in league with the mountain robbers who 
 infested the frontier. Dismounting at the public- 
 house, Carpio ordered food for his men and horses. 
 
 " We will rest here for three or four hours," he 
 said to the impatient son, who was all anxiety to 
 press on up the mountains, without a halt, until 
 he had found his wounded father. 
 
 During the pause the proprietor of the public- 
 house made himself acquainted with the cheva- 
 lier, and plied him with questions, which Carpio 
 so skillfully parried as to leave him no wiser than 
 before. 
 
 " The sovereigns of Spain promised not to cross 
 the frontier without permission from the Moorish 
 king," the Andalusian finally said. 
 
 " We break no treaty," answered the shrewd 
 Carpio. 
 
 " Are you searching for brigands ? " 
 
 " Do you know if there are brigands in the 
 
FATHER AND SON. 311 
 
 mountains ? " the chevalier evasively asked. There 
 was nothing to be gained by questioning him, and 
 very much might be lost, so the Andalusian 
 abandoned his plan of asking questions, and grew 
 sullen and morose. He retired to where a small 
 party of his fellows were assembled, and tbey con- 
 versed in suspicious whispers, which portended no 
 good to our adventurers. 
 
 There is no season more delightful than an An- 
 dalusian May, the time of the expedition. Our 
 party, taking leave of the hamlet, advanced into a 
 region favored by the Most Holy Virgin, of which 
 they were on the southern extreme. They were 
 in the loveliest atmosphere in the world, while 
 there rose on every side vast ranges of serrated, 
 ruddy-peaked mountains, between which were the 
 most delightful valleys. A wild, ever-changing 
 panorama of beauty opened up before them — 
 mountains tipped with gold and bordered with 
 emerald, streams of crystal and vermilion, valleys 
 dotted with flowers of every hue pleasing to the 
 eye; birds by day and insects by night made a 
 constant round of melody. 
 
 Few men were to be seen, but occasionally they 
 caught a glimpse of a strange, dark-visaged An- 
 dalusian or Moor lurking in the wood. The 
 sound of clanking arms sometimes brought forth 
 from the mountain cottage a female, who shaded 
 her eyes with her hand while she gazed on the 
 
312 COLUMBIA. 
 
 glittering helmets and burnished lances of the 
 cavaliers. 
 
 In places the mountain path became so steep 
 they were forced to lead their horses up or down 
 the descent; or, again, following some winding 
 path that led along a narrow ledge on the moun- 
 tain side at a dizzy height, where a single misstep 
 would hurl them to certain destruction, hundreds 
 of feet below. 
 
 Thus the frontier was reached, and their guide, 
 who had silently led the expedition, informed them 
 that they were within a league of the mountain 
 cottage where he had left the wounded fugitive. 
 The sun had passed the meridian, but it was thought 
 that they could reach the mountain cottage before 
 night. Hernando's heart beat high with hope. 
 Was he ere the setting of another sun to meet that 
 father whom he had so longed to see? Was the 
 poor victim of many wrongs, groaning under the 
 captivity of years, to be restored to liberty and 
 friends? But there has been a miscalculation, 
 for nothing is more deceitful than distances in 
 a mountain country. In silence they journey 
 on, the hours glide by, and yet the cottage is 
 not reached. Is the guide at fault ; has he mis- 
 taken his way ? After all, is Hernando never 
 to gaze again on that loved face which he re- 
 members as beaming with kindness on him in his 
 infancy ? 
 
FATHER AND SON. 313 
 
 Sunset in Andalusia ! A grim, gray waste, 
 bordered by an unending chain of mountains, 
 looking vaster and drearier under the fast falling 
 shadows of night; a red glow far to the west falls 
 luridly across the darkening sky and ghostly 
 mountain peaks ; a dead, grim solitude, an im- 
 mense, crushing loneliness pervades the region 
 where life, save in gorgeous vegetable form, seems 
 not to exist ; the world seems young as if just 
 turned from the hands of the Creator. 
 
 Like a slender thread of silver the young moon 
 hangs in the ethereal vault, and the pale, lambent 
 glow of the evening star shoots athwart the path 
 of the departing day. Dimly outlined at the base 
 against the darkening sky, but with clear-cut 
 peak, rises a huge mountain before the little band. 
 The guide, with snow-white hair and form bent 
 from chains, points up the mountain side, and 
 whispers : 
 
 " Tis there ! " 
 
 But hark ! A sound like the martial tread of 
 armies falls on their ears, the clank of arms, 
 and a moment later three score dark-skinned bri- 
 gands ride out of the mountain pass. They are 
 Moorish bandits, and the dim, uncertain light re- 
 veals foe to foe. They are directly in the path- 
 way to the cottage where lies the wounded man, 
 and but one result can follow such a discov- 
 
314 COLUMBIA. 
 
 With visors down and lances couched, the 
 Spaniards, though inferior in numbers, charged 
 recklessly on the Moors, who were still pouring 
 in from the pass. There was a prolonged crash, 
 like a succession of thunderbolts ; lances flew into 
 splinters, and men and steeds rolled quivering in 
 the dust. The first onset was but the beginning 
 of carnage — swords flashed in the twilight and 
 arrows hummed through the air. There was no 
 time to use the matchlock, and but little to fit the 
 feathered points of the darts to the bowstring. 
 The sober gray of twilight gave place to a darker 
 hue, and the conflict still raged, although the faces 
 of the combatants were hardly discernible. But 
 the sharp eyes of hate were quick to pierce the 
 deepening gloom. At the first onset Hernando 
 received a frightful blow, which loosened his 
 casque, and sent it rolling upon the ground. He 
 was stunned by the shock, and his horse thrown 
 back upon its haunches, but the rider still retained 
 his seat. 
 
 " Hernando Estevan, Christian dog, I know 
 you ! " cried a voice which the youth recognized. 
 Then Abdallah the Moor, his hereditary enemy, 
 charged him with drawn cimeter. The lad's 
 trusty blade was in his hand, and he parried the 
 stroke aimed at his head ; and his horse regain- 
 ing its feet, Hernando pressed his antagonist with 
 blows and thrusts which required all the Moor's 
 
FATHER AND SON. 815 
 
 skill to parry. Some on foot and some on horse- 
 back, friend and foe mingled in one revolving 
 mass, difficult to tell which from which. A lance 
 pierced the Moor's horse and the animal fell ; in a 
 moment the youth was over his fallen enemy, and 
 as Abdallah Ahmed rolled from his steed Hernando 
 leaned forward in his saddle, and with a quick 
 thrust sent his long, keen blade into the Moor's 
 breast. Up, up, up, almost to the hilt, the blade 
 disappeared beneath the joints of armor, and with 
 a gasping sob the Moor fell by the side of his 
 wounded horse, never to rise again. Hernando 
 had avenged his father. 
 
 The Moors, though numbering three to one, 
 were taken at a disadvantage, and after a short, 
 stubborn resistance retreated back through the 
 pass, leaving four of their number slain and two 
 wounded in the hands of the Christians. From 
 one of the captives they learned that Abdallah 
 Ahmed, having gained information that day that 
 an escaped prisoner was hiding at the cottage of 
 a shepherd, was on his way to slay the fugi- 
 tive, when he met the Spanish cavalcade in the 
 pass. 
 
 " Let us hasten to the cottage," cried the anxious 
 son, and as soon as the wounded could be taken 
 care of, they followed the white-haired guide up 
 the mountain path to a small hut. 
 
 The simple-minded but honest-hearted shepherd 
 
316 COLUMBIA. 
 
 met them at the door. He had heard the sounds 
 of conflict in the valley below, and, being a timid 
 man, trembled as he asked : 
 
 "In God's name, men, what was the noise in 
 the valley ? Methought all the armies of the 
 earth were battling." 
 
 " All is over, and you are in no danger, sefior," 
 Carpio answered. " Is the fugitive who escaped 
 the Moorish prison and was wounded, here ? " 
 
 For a moment the mountaineer hesitated, and 
 then said : 
 
 "I cannot speak a lie, sefior; he is here, but I 
 trust you will do him no harm." 
 
 "We are his friends, come to save him." 
 
 They were then admitted to the cottage, where 
 Hernando saw a tall, grave man, with a broad, 
 high forehead, a deep, black eye, and hair of 
 snow, sitting on a chair, his wounded leg on a 
 stool. One glance at the fine, noble face, and de- 
 spite the changed, wasted features, he recognized 
 his father. The youth had a dim recollection of 
 that face, and, staggering forward, he cried : 
 
 " Father ! " 
 
 Then he fell on the neck of his astounded 
 parent, and when Eoderigo Estevan learned it 
 was his own son who had led the rescuing party 
 he exclaimed: 
 
 " My noble son, you have fully repaid me for 
 my years of suffering." 
 
THE YUl'TH HAD A DIM RECOLLECTION OP THAT FACE, AND, STAGGERING 
 FORWARD, HE CRIED, "FATHER!" 
 
FATHER AND SON. 317 
 
 They returned to Barcelona. The king granted 
 a general pardon to Roderigo, and, having ample 
 proof of the duplicity of Sir Garcia, ordered the 
 false knight to be arrested and thrown in prison, 
 which order was promptly obeyed. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 EMIGRATION. 
 
 The higher a man rises in social and political 
 power the greater will be his fall, should he fall, 
 and to a man with a vaulting ambition and 
 haughty pride, such as Sir Garcia Estevan pos- 
 sessed, the fall is crushing. From the moment the 
 herald announced the return of Christopher Co- 
 lumbus, he felt that his evil star had risen, and 
 his good fortune was forever gone. So cunningly 
 had bis manipulations with Miguel been planned, 
 that he felt secure from direct charge of assassina- 
 tion, perhaps from discovery. His hired assassin 
 had been slain without breathing a word of the 
 dark secret, and not dreaming that bis brother 
 lived, he felt himself tolerably secure. 
 
 His brother's sudden return to life was a shock 
 from which he never fully recovered. The story 
 of his wrongs had not time to go the rounds, and 
 touch the hearts of people, before the knight was 
 arrested and thrown in prison. 
 
 " Of what am I charged ? " he asked the officer 
 executing the king's warrant 
 
 " Of conspiracy." 
 
 " Against whom ? " 
 
EMIGRATION. 319 
 
 " A subject of the realm." 
 
 "Who? What is his name?" 
 
 "Sir Roderigo Estevan." 
 
 "I am undone," the prisoner groaned on being 
 locked up in his cell. " I hate Roderigo with all 
 the hatred of a devil, and the only consolation I 
 have is the knowledge that I have blasted his hap- 
 piness forever. I tore hini from his wife and child, 
 sending her to an early grave, and he to a Moorish 
 prison. Could I have completed all by slaying 
 the boy, I could bear my own humiliation." 
 
 On learning of Sir Garcia's arrest and impris- 
 onment, Roderigo hastened to the monarch and 
 plead for a royal pardon for his brother. The 
 king listened with an attentive ear, and when he 
 had ended, said : 
 
 " I cannot but admire your forgiving spirit, but 
 out of public necessity I must refuse your prayer. 
 Justice must be done though the heavens fall, 
 and justice demands that a crime against a subject, 
 as well as against the crown, must not go unpun- 
 ished." 
 
 All entreaty was in vain. 
 
 Next day Roderigo called on his brother Garcia, 
 who met him with a cold, sardonic smile on his 
 pale, yet handsome face. He was scrupulously 
 neat in his attire, cool and cynical as usual. He 
 had not much to say to his brother, and there was 
 no sign of penitence in his manner. Roderigo said : 
 
320 COLUMBIA. 
 
 " I know what a prison's life is, my brother, and 
 will do all in my power to liberate you." Sir Garcia 
 smiled, rubbed his hands together, and, with a 
 mocking sneer, thanked him. 
 
 " Has the king said aught of a pardon ? " he 
 asked. 
 
 "No, and I regret to say I can give 3'ou no 
 hope, brother." 
 
 The interview ended, and when Eoderigo left 
 his brother's cell, Sir Garcia bade him adieu with 
 that same cold, cynical smile on his handsome 
 face. It was a final adieu, for next morning the 
 jailor found Sir Garcia hanging by his neck from 
 a beam in his cell. With a piece of cord, which 
 he had in some unaccountable way obtained, he 
 had committed suicide. On his handsome feat- 
 ures that same cold, cynical smile so characteris- 
 tic of the man, was frozen even in death. 
 
 Shortly after the burial of Sir Garcia, the king 
 sent for Roderigo, and, accompanied by his son, he 
 hastened to his royal presenca The king greeted 
 both with a smile and said : 
 
 " Sefior Estevan, I wish in part, at least, to 
 make amends for some of the great wrongs you 
 have suffered at my hands." 
 
 " My liege, I make no complaint," Roderigo an- 
 swered. 
 
 " True, and the fact that you have made none 
 makes me more keenly feel the wrong I have done 
 
EMIGRATION. 321 
 
 you. I want to make amends. How can I in 
 any way right the wrong? No one save a con- 
 scientious monarch, knows the trials to which he 
 who wears the crown is subjected. We cannot 
 see all things ; we cannot give every matter a per- 
 sonal investigation, and, as was true in your case, 
 we are frequently misinformed by designing per- 
 sons. When we have made a mistake we are 
 anxious to make amends, and if you will tell me 
 how I can in any part remedy the wrongs you 
 have suffered, I shall be happier for the sugges- 
 tion." 
 
 For a few moments the noble Spaniard was 
 silent, and then in his calm, clear, solemn voice, 
 answered : 
 
 " By never mentioning the matter in which my 
 unhappy brother was engaged." 
 
 " Can I by restoring your ancient estate, or giv- 
 ing you a title — ? " 
 
 " My liege, those confiscated estates are held by 
 innocent purchasers, and to right me would be to 
 rob them. Two wrongs do not make a right, and 
 titles and honors not won are but empty baubles." 
 
 "Spoken like a philosopher," cried the delight- 
 ed king. " But surely you will let me do some- 
 thing to aid you. What are your intentions for 
 the future?" 
 
 " My plans are not yet formed, but my son, who 
 displays wisdom and courage far beyond his years, 
 
322 COLUMBIA. 
 
 has a plan which to me seems reasonable, and I 
 have consented to it with your highness's per- 
 mission." 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 " You have vast possessions beyond the sea. A 
 new world has been opened up to civilized man, 
 and with your grace's permission we will go there 
 and begin life anew." 
 
 After a brief silence the king with a sigh 
 answered : 
 
 " Perhaps 'tis best. In a new country there are 
 many possibilities, and to the vigorous and brave 
 the new world offers great inducements." 
 
 " We have considered everything, my liege, and 
 decided to go." 
 
 " Then I will issue a commission to you, with a 
 patent and grant to all the land you may require, 
 and you may locate it anywhere in our newly 
 acquired possessions." 
 
 Estevan thanked his sovereign, and assured him 
 that the land-grant would be worth much more 
 than an impoverished estate or an empty title. 
 They had a long interview with Christopher Co- 
 lumbus, agreeing to become members of the emi- 
 grant party, which was to leave Spain for the 
 new world, and then set out for Seville, thence to 
 Palos. A messenger had been sent in advance to 
 notify the good grand-dame of the return of Her- 
 nando's father. 
 
EM10RA TION. 323 
 
 Christina was as eager to see the lately released 
 captive as if he had been her own father. Was 
 he not already like a father? And when she be- 
 held the face so deeply furrowed with grief and 
 bleached with imprisonment, she fell on his neck 
 and wept for joy that he was restored to his 
 friends. 
 
 Once more Hernando and Christina roam hand 
 in hand by the seashore. Having overcome her 
 coyness, she is never more happy than when at 
 his side. Again their voices are heard prattling 
 among the dear old hills, and they sit and listen 
 to the dashing surf on the seashore. The waves 
 laugh and bubble with joy. Their crested foam 
 tells no tale of captivity, slavery and chains. The 
 birds join in their music from the groves behind 
 them and give their aid to the laughing sea to 
 make up one grand round of merriment. In the 
 fulness of her joy Christina says : 
 
 " We have every cause to be happy. Our 
 troubles have rolled away like a storm-cloud leav- 
 ing the sun brighter than before, and the future 
 bids fair to be a long summer day of quiet joy." 
 
 After a moment's silence, Hernando said : 
 
 " Christina, we have decided to go to the new 
 world." 
 
 "Who?" 
 
 " Father and I." 
 
 " Will you leave me so soon ? " 
 
324 COLUMBIA. 
 
 "No, we will take you and the good grand- 
 dame Sefiora Doria with us, and there in that 
 strange, new, bright world we will build us a 
 home that in magnificence will excel a king's pal- 
 ace. The king has issued a patent and grant to 
 us, and the future seems bright with hope." 
 
 Somehow the human mind is so constituted 
 that a change of life or of scenery is always ac- 
 ceptable, especially to the young. The poor or 
 oppressed welcome the thought of pushing out 
 into a new country, and building up a home for 
 themselves. Across the western ocean to the 
 country which from the very first was looked 
 upon as the land of the free and the oppressed, 
 the eyes of all Europe began to look with hope. 
 
 Christina and Hernando then repaired to the 
 little cottage, where the grand-dame was informed, 
 and all the little household assembled together to 
 rejoice. They went to the little monastery next 
 day where all confessed themselves, had mass, 
 and then father and son set out on their return to 
 Barcelona, where Columbus still tarried, pending 
 preparations for a more extensive visit to the 
 new world. 
 
 Some complications had arisen between Spain 
 and Portugal requiring the wisest statesmanship 
 and nicest diplomacy to prevent serious trouble. 
 But in the end all was adjusted satisfactorily, and 
 preparations for the second voyage resumed. 
 
EMIGRATION. 325 
 
 Pinelo, who acted as cashier to provide for the 
 expenses of the expedition, had two-thirds of the 
 church tithes placed at his disposition ; while 
 other funds were drawn from the jewels and other 
 valuables, the sequestrated property of the unfor- 
 tunate Jews banished from the kingdom according 
 to a bigoted edict of the preceding year. As these 
 resources were still inadequate, Pinelo was author- 
 ized to supply the deficiency by a loan. Requisi- 
 tions were likewise made for provisions of all 
 kinds, as well as for artillery, powder, muskets, 
 lances, horses, corselets, and cross-bows. Not- 
 withstanding the introduction of fire-arms, the 
 cross-bow was still preferred by many to the 
 arquebus, or match-lock ; not so much on account 
 of its being more destructive and effective, as on 
 account of the unwieldiness of the arquebus, 
 which had to be rested on an iron rack and fired 
 with a slow-match. The flint-lock which followed 
 the match-lock, had not yet come in use. The 
 military stores which had accumulated during the 
 war with the Moors of Granada furnished a great 
 part of these supplies. Almost all the preceding 
 orders had been issued by the 23d of May, 1493, 
 while Columbus was yet at Barcelona, and rarely 
 has there been witnessed such a scene of activity 
 in the dilatory offices of Spain. 
 
 Roderigo Estevan was still lame from the arrow 
 wound received at the time of his escape, and had 
 
326 COLUMBIA. 
 
 to walk by means of a staff. He was recuperat- 
 ing rapidly, and by the time he and his son re- 
 turned to Barcelona was restored to something 
 approximating his former self. Going to the 
 admiral be told him bis intention to emigrate to 
 tbe new world. 
 
 The conversion of tbe beathen being professedly 
 the grand object of these discoveries, twelve zeal- 
 ous and able ecclesiastics were chosen for tbat 
 purpose to accompany the expedition ; among 
 them was Bernardo Buyl or Boyle, a Benedictine 
 monk of talent and reputed sanctity, but at the 
 same time one of the subtlest politicians of thp 
 cloister, in a day when the state was almost wholly 
 controlled by the clergy. Before the sailing o! 
 the fleet he was appointed by the Pope his apos- 
 tolic vicar for the new world, and placed ap 
 superior over his ecclesiastical brethren. 
 
 By way of offering Heaven tbe first fruits of 
 these pagan nations, the six Indians whom Co- 
 lumbus had brought to Barcelona were baptized 
 with great state and ceremony, the king and 
 queen aud prince Juan officiating as sponsors. 
 Great hopes were entertained tbat, on their return 
 to their native country, they would facilitate the 
 introduction of Christianity among their country- 
 men. 
 
 Before the departure of Columbus from Barce- 
 lona, tbe provisional agreement made at Santa Fe 
 
EMIGRATION. 327 
 
 was confirmed, granting him titles, emoluments, 
 and prerogatives of Admiral, Viceroy, and Gov- 
 ernor of all the countries he had discovered or 
 might discover. He was also entrusted with the 
 royal seal, with authority to use the names of 
 their majesties in granting letters-patent and com- 
 missions within the bounds of his jurisdiction ; 
 with the right, also, in case of absence, to appoint 
 a person in his place, and to invest him for the 
 time with the same powers. 
 
 Roderigo Estevan declined an office tendered him, 
 saying he had done nothing worthy of official favor. 
 
 " You ought to accept a title that your son 
 might inherit it," Columbus replied. 
 
 "The greatest honors man can win are tin' 
 esteem of his fellow man. My son is too young 
 to be knighted, and the honor should not be con- 
 ferred on the father for what the son has done. 
 We ask no honors ; we are only humble citizens, 
 who go to make up the hardy people that are to 
 build a new empire." 
 
 " And you are most needed," answered the wise 
 admiral. " The hidalgos of high rank and Andalu- 
 sian cavaliers, schooled in arms, who enter on this 
 expedition hoping for military glory, wealth, and 
 renown, are not worth half so much to the expe- 
 dition as he who goes to make the wilderness 
 blossom as a rose, and the earth to yield her fruits 
 to man." 
 
328 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Cadiz was to be the scene of the second departure 
 of Columbus, and thither all stores and valuables 
 were sent. Thither flocked adventurers, statesmen, 
 and ecclesiastics, all anxious to enter upon a voy- 
 age from which everybody shrunk a few months 
 before. It was not a question of who could be 
 induced to go, but of who should be selected from 
 among the many applicants. Among the noted 
 personages who engaged in the expedition, was 
 the young cavalier, Don Alonzo de Ojeda, a rela- 
 tive of the grand inquisitor of Spain. This 
 young adventurer, being of one of the best fam- 
 ilies of Spain, was a great acquisition to the ex- 
 pedition. 
 
 Hernando and his father hastened to their little 
 cottage home to gather up their few effects and 
 prepare for the long voyage. Money had been 
 advanced them to buy cattle, horses, sheep, and 
 fowls, as well as provisions and implements for 
 working in forasts, mines, or fields, wherever their 
 lots might be cast. 
 
 " I can't part from this dear little cottage home 
 without feelings of regret," said the grand-dame. 
 
 " Many memories, pleasant as well as painful, 
 linger about the dear old home," answered Rod- 
 erigo. " Here I brought my sweet young wife in 
 her blushing womanhood, and here we lived the 
 few blissful hours of joy allotted to us. Here our 
 son was born, but, good mother, there has also 
 
EMIGRATION. 329 
 
 been much suffering here as well. From this cot 
 I fled for life, pursued by the avarice and hatred 
 of one who by nature should have defended me. 
 Here I embraced my wife for the last time, and 
 went forth to a living death. But withal, noble 
 mother, we will be happy in the new home "we 
 shall make in that new world. We go to build 
 up a new and powerful dynasty. Kings and lines 
 of kings yet unborn will live to bless the first 
 emigrants to the new world." 
 
 Gathering up a few precious relics and heir- 
 looms, they bade farewell forever to the little 
 mountain cottage, and set out for Cadiz. It was 
 not without feelings of deepest regret that they 
 tore themselves away from their little home, and 
 many times in other years, in far-off lands, did 
 they in their memories' vision see the pretty little 
 cot, which their eyes were no more to behold for- 
 ever. 
 
 The journey to Cadiz was through a country 
 wild with excitement. It seemed as if all South 
 Spain was anxious to migrate across the western 
 ocean to the unknown regions of the new world. 
 They found the admiral at Cadiz, superintending 
 the embarcation. Greeting them warmly, he took 
 the hand of Hernando, and said : 
 
 " Since you have found your father, I have lost 
 you. I wish I could have you with me as con- 
 stantly as you were on the other voyage, for to 
 
330 COLUMBIA. 
 
 your vigilant watchfulness the success of our 
 enterprise is largely due, but I cannot insist that 
 you abandon him and cleave to me." 
 
 " I shall always hold my admiral in the highest 
 esteem," the youth returned. 
 
 "Needless to say that — I know it, yet I would 
 rather always have you with me, for you bring 
 good luck wherever you go." 
 
 The departure of Columbus on his second 
 voyage of discovery presented a brilliant contrast 
 to his gloomy embarcation at Palos. At dawn of 
 day on the 25th of September, 1493, the bay of 
 Cadiz was whitened by his fleet. Three large 
 ships and fourteen caravels loitered and waited 
 with flapping sails the signal to get under way. 
 The harbor resounded with the well-known note 
 of the sailor hoisting sail or weighing anchor. A 
 motley crowd was hurrying on board, and taking 
 leave of friends in the confidence of a prosperous 
 voyage. Many anticipated an early return, others, 
 eager to escape the vengeance of a broken law, 
 were going to that strange, wild world, to begin a 
 new and they hoped a better life. 
 
 There was the high-spirited cavalier bound on 
 romantic enterprise; the hardy navigator, ambi- 
 tious of acquiring laurels in these unknown seas; 
 the roving adventurer, seeking novelty and excite- 
 ment ; the keen, calculating speculator, eager to 
 profit by the ignorance of savage tribes ; and the 
 
EMIORA TION. 331 
 
 pale missionary from the cloister, anxious to ex- 
 tend the dominion of the Church, or devoutly 
 zealous for the propagation of the faith. All 
 were full of animation and lively hope. Instead 
 of being regarded by the populace as deluded men, 
 bound upon a dark and desperate enterprise, they 
 were contemplated with envy, as favored mortals 
 bound to gold regions and happy climes, where 
 nothing but wealth, luxury, wonders, and delights 
 awaited them. Columbus, conspicuous for his 
 height and commanding appearance, was attended 
 by his two sons, Diego and Fernando — the eldest 
 but a stripling — who had come to Cadiz to witness 
 the departure of their illustrious father on his 
 second voyage into the unknown seas. Wher- 
 ever the admiral went, every eye followed him 
 and every tongue sounded his praises. 
 
 Standing on the high poop-deck of one of the 
 largest vessels was Eoderigo Estevan, the emigrant, 
 and his little family. Hand clasped in hand, 
 Hernando and Christina stood, with tear-dimmed 
 eyes, gazing at the shore. Anchor was weighed, 
 and, amid the wildest cheers, the thunder of can- 
 non, and waving of banners, the fleet set sail. 
 
 Long after the fleet had been under way Her- 
 nando and Christina stood gazing off at the lovely 
 hills of Spain, until the shores of the old world 
 faded away from their sight forever. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 A SEA vojage in the olden time, when naviga- 
 tion was in its infancy, was quite different from 
 the sea voyage of to-day — where one rides in a 
 floating palace, and many of the dangers and 
 inconveniences of storms and rough weather are 
 overcome. Months, instead of days, were occupied 
 in crossing the ocean. Hernando was the only 
 one of his father's family who was not seasick. 
 He had gained his sea-legs on the first voyage out, 
 and experienced no ills at present. 
 
 Though sailing in the admiral's ship, he was 
 with him but little of the time, as his seasick rela- 
 tives required his constant care. 
 
 Before sailing, Columbus had given the com- 
 mander of each vessel a sealed letter of instruc- 
 tions, in which was specified his route to the 
 harbor of Nativity, the residence of the cacique 
 Guacanagari. These instructions were only to 
 be opened in case of being separated by accident, 
 as he wished to make a mystery, as long as pos- 
 sible, of the exact route to the newly discovered 
 country, lest adventurers of other nations, and 
 
OONOL USION. 333 
 
 particularly the Portuguese, should follow in his 
 track and interfere with his enterprises. 
 
 "When in mid-ocean they were attacked at night 
 by a fearful rain-storm, during which they beheld 
 several of those lambent flames usually called St. 
 Elmo's fire, playing on the masts of the vessels. 
 
 They reached the island of Dominica, where 
 they made a short stay, and then continued west- 
 ward, discovering the Antilles; making the first 
 landing at Guadaloupe, where the savages were 
 so much frightened they ran away, and in their 
 terror and confusion left their children behind 
 them. 
 
 Hernando, who was one of the first to go ashore, 
 caressed one of the screaming infants, and bound 
 hawks-bells to its arms to amuse it. All the other 
 little fellows, anxious for some of the same kind 
 of toys, soon gathered about him, and were treated 
 in a like manner. 
 
 The Spaniards continued cruising about among 
 the islands, going farther southwest, and finding 
 among some of them what they thought to be evi- 
 dences of cannibalism. 
 
 On the 14th of November, owing to a stress of 
 weather, Columbus was forced to put in at one 
 of the Carib islands called by the Indians 
 " Ayay," but to which he gave the name of " Santa 
 Cruz." Hernando's father was sent on shore with 
 a well-manned boat, to get water and procure in- 
 
334 COL UMBIA. 
 
 formation. They found a village deserted by the 
 men, but secured a few women and boys, most of 
 them captives from the other islands. 
 
 Hernando, who bad been left to watch the coast, 
 now ran to his father, and cried : 
 
 " Father, I see a canoe coming round a point of 
 land; behold, it is in view of the ships." 
 
 " You are right, my son. Those fellows knew 
 nothing of our presence. See how the Indians 
 stop and gaze in mute wonder on the ships, and 
 now, while they are so absorbed, let us steal upon 
 and capture them." 
 
 The Spaniards leaped in their boat, and pulled 
 with all possible speed for the canoe, and were al- 
 most on it before discovered.' With a savage 
 yell, the Indians seized their paddles and tried to 
 escape, but could not, as the boat was between 
 them and the land, cutting off their retreat. 
 
 " They are going to fight," cried Hernando, as 
 the savages caught up their bows and arrows, 
 which they used with great vigor and rapidity. 
 Notwithstanding the Spaniards covered themselves 
 with their bucklers, two of them were wounded. 
 The women fought as desperately as the men, and 
 one of them sent an arrow with such force that it 
 passed through and through a buckler, wounding 
 the man who held it At Eoderigo's command, 
 they dashed their boat against the canoe, capsiz- 
 ing it 
 
OONCL USION. 335 
 
 But the trouble was not over, for some of the 
 savages got upon the sunken rocks, and others 
 discharged their arrows while swimming. 
 
 " Don't hurt them if you can avoid it," cried 
 Roderigo ; but Ruiz, a sailor, being hard pressed 
 by one fellow, transfixed him with a lance. One 
 by one they were overtaken and captured with the 
 greatest difficulty, and brought to shore, where 
 the man who had been run through with the lance, 
 died. One of the women, from the obedience and 
 deference paid her, appeared to be their queen. 
 She was accompanied by her son, a young man 
 strongly built, with a lion's face and scowling 
 brow. He had been wounded in the conflict, but 
 seemed wholly indifferent to pain or the blood 
 which trickled down his side and dropped on the 
 sand. The hair of these savages was long and 
 coarse; their eyes were encircled with paint so as 
 to give them a hideous expression, and bands of 
 cotton were firmly bound above and below the 
 muscular parts of the arms and legs, so as to cause 
 them to swell to a disproportioned size. The 
 Caribs were war-like and fierce, and refused to be 
 conciliated. In the skirmish they used poisoned 
 arrows, and one of the wounded Spaniards died in 
 a few days from the arrow sent through his buckler 
 into his flesh by the woman. 
 
 For several days the fleet continued to cruise 
 about among the Caribs, trying in vain to concil- 
 
336 COLUMBIA. 
 
 iate them, but day by day becoming more fully 
 impressed with their prowess and war-like natures. 
 Evidences of cannibalism became so plain that one 
 of the Spaniards, Peter Martyr, in his letter to 
 Pamponius Laetus, says : 
 
 " The stories of Lestrigonians and of Polyphe- 
 mus, who fed on human flesh, are no longer doubt- 
 ful ! Attend, but beware, lest thy hair bristle 
 with horror ! " 
 
 It was the 23d day of November, 1493, that the 
 fleet arrived off the eastern extremity of Hispan- 
 iola, or what is now known as the island of Hayti. 
 The greatest excitement prevailed throughout the 
 armada at the thought of soon arriving at the end 
 of their voyage. Memories of the pleasant days 
 passed among the delightful groves and gentle 
 natives haunted those who had been here on the 
 former voyage, and others looked forward with 
 eagerness to scenes painted to them in all the cap- 
 tivating illusions of the golden age. 
 
 Hernando and his father, with a dozen sailors, 
 were sent ashore to bury the Biscayan sailor, who 
 had died from the poisoned shot of the Carib 
 queen. Two light caravels hovered near the 
 shore to guard the boat's crew while the funeral 
 ceremony was performed on the beach under the 
 trees. Several natives came off to the ship with 
 a message to the admiral from the cacique of the 
 neighborhood, inviting him to land, and promis- 
 
CONCLUSION 337 
 
 ing him great quantities of gold ; but Columbus 
 was anxious to return to Fort Nativity, and giv- 
 ing the messengers presents, dismissed them. 
 
 On the 25th they anchored in the harbor of 
 Monte Ohristi ; where Columbus was anxious to 
 fix a place for a settlement in the neighborhood 
 of the stream to which in his first voyage he had 
 given the name of Rio del Oro, or the Golden 
 River. Among others who landed here were the 
 Estevans, father and son. While roaming about 
 the coast they were horrified to find on the green 
 and waste banks of the rivulet the bodies of a 
 man and boy, the former with a cord of Span- 
 ish grass about his neck, and his arms extended 
 and tied by the wrists to a stake in the form of a 
 cross. 
 
 " We cannot tell whether they are Spaniards 
 or Indians," the youth remarked, as he gazed at 
 the bodies before him. 
 
 "No, they are too much decomposed for one uo 
 determine," the father returned. 
 
 " Father, let us not make our home here." 
 
 " Why ? " 
 
 "These dead bodies make it repulsive." 
 
 This discovery changed all the plans of the 
 emigrants, and those who had contemplated land- 
 ing here decided to go on to Fort Nativity. 
 
 Sinister doubts and fears rose in the breast of 
 the admiral on learning of the discovery, and he 
 
338 COLUMBIA. 
 
 resolved to set sail at once for the harbor of 
 Nativity. 
 
 On the night of the 27th of Xovemlier they ar- 
 rived opposite the harbor they desired so much to 
 reach, and cast anchor about a league from land, 
 not daring to venture through those dangerous 
 reefs after dark. It was too late to distinguish 
 objects, and the admiral, anxious to let tbe 
 Spaniards in the port know of his arrival, fired 
 two cannon. 
 
 "There is no answer," Columbus sighed, after 
 listening to the echoes rolling along the shore. 
 '' Let every one watch for some gleam of a signal 
 light or sign of life." All did, but none was seen ; 
 all was darkness and a death-like silenca The 
 admiral paced his deck in the greatest anxiety, 
 and never did he more long for morning. 
 
 " I see a canoe, Admiral ! " said Hernando, 
 about midnight 
 
 "Where?" 
 
 " Coming toward us." 
 
 " Mavbe it is some of the Spaniards from the 
 fort," and the white, anxious face of the admiral 
 gleamed with hope as he spoke. 
 
 ''No; there are Indians in the boat," Her- 
 nando answered, when the boat came near enough 
 for him to make out the occupants. 
 
 " Bring Diego Colon to the deck," Columbus 
 commanded. The admiral was trembling with 
 
CONCLUSION. 339 
 
 anxiety, for somehow he felt strangely impressed 
 that all was not well with the little colony he had 
 left on the island. 
 
 Diego Colon was a young Lucayan, native of 
 the island of Guanahani, who had been baptized 
 at Barcelona and named after the admiral's 
 brother, Diego Colon. He continued always 
 faithf ul and devoted to the Spaniards to the day 
 of his death. 
 
 The canoe came up to within a cable's length 
 of one of the ships and paused, and the Indians 
 who were in it hailed one of the ships and called 
 for the admiral. They were at once directed to 
 his ship, where Columbus stood on the deck wait- 
 ing in the greatest anxiety. They drew near and 
 stopped. 
 
 "Tell them to come on board," said Columbus 
 to his interpreter, who stood at his side. 
 
 Then Diego Colon spoke to them, and asked 
 why they did not come aboard, and was answered 
 that they wanted to see the admiral before they 
 came on board. Columbus then went over to the 
 side of the ship, and lights were held up that his 
 features might be recognized; and the Indians, 
 being satisfied, came aboard the ship without fur- 
 ther hesitation. 
 
 One of them, a cousin of the cacique Guacan- 
 agari, brought a present from him of two masks 
 ornamented with gold 
 
340 COLUMBIA. 
 
 "Ask them about the Spaniards who remained 
 on the island," said Columbus to his interpreter. 
 Somehow the very manner of the Indians seemed 
 to increase the anxiety of the admiral, and he 
 instinctively felt that all had not gone well. 
 
 Diego Colon spoke to them, and for several 
 minutes they continued jabbering in what was 
 worse than Greek to the eager listening admiral 
 and officers. Then Diego turned to Columbus 
 and said : 
 
 "My language, the Lucayan, is very different 
 from that of Hayti, and I don't know that I 
 make it out plain ; but they seem to say that sev- 
 eral of the Spaniards fell sick and died, others 
 quarrelled among themselves, and others removed 
 to a different part of the island and have taken 
 to themselves wives. Gruacanagari has been as- 
 sailed by Caonabo, the fierce cacique of the 
 golden mountains of Ciabo, who wounded him in 
 battle and burned his village, so that he remains ill 
 of his wound in a, neighboring town, or he would 
 have come in person to welcome the admiral." 
 
 " What do you think of the story the Indians 
 tell, father? " Hernando asked, when the account 
 had been translated The Estevans were a short 
 distance from the admiral, yet near enough to 
 hear what the interpreter said. 
 
 "I don't believe it," answered the father. 
 
 " Nor I" 
 
CONCLUSION. 341 
 
 " I doubt if the admiral gives much credence 
 to it." 
 
 " He has great faith in the cacique." 
 
 The Indian visitors were treated to wine, of 
 which thej evinced a great fondness, and departed 
 considerably uuder the influence of liquor. Morn- 
 ing dawned and passed away, and the day ad- 
 vanced and began to decline without the promised 
 visit from the cacique. 
 
 " Why don't he come? " the admiral impatiently 
 asked himself again and again. Hernando, with 
 the freedom and familiarity which long association 
 might warrant, went to Columbus and suggested : 
 
 " The Indians may have been lost, admiral. 
 They left the ship drunk, and it is possible their 
 canoe capsized before they reached the shore." 
 
 There was a silence and an air of desertion 
 about the whole neighborhood, extremely sus- 
 picious. On their preceding visit to the harbor 
 they found it a scene of continual animation; 
 canoes gliding over the waters, Indians in groups 
 on the shores, or under the trees, or swimming off 
 to the caravel. Now, not a canoe was to be seen, 
 not an Indian hailed them from the land, nor was 
 there any smoke rising from among the groves, to 
 give a sign of habitation. 
 
 Hernando, his father, and twenty others were 
 sent on shore to reconnoitre. On landing they 
 hastened to the fortress, which they found in ruin; 
 
342 COLUMBIA. 
 
 the palisadoes were broken down, and the whole 
 presented the appearance of having been sacked, 
 burned, and destroyed. Here and there were 
 broken chests, spoiled provisions, and the ragged 
 remains of European garments. 
 
 " My son, this looks very suspicious," said Sefior 
 Estevan. 
 
 " There is something wrong here. Not an In- 
 dian approaches us, when on our former visit they 
 were friendly as brothers." 
 
 " That only confirms my suspicion that the gar- 
 rison has been murdered." 
 
 At this moment Hernando saw two or three 
 dark faces watching them at a distance among the 
 trees; and, calling his father's attention to them, 
 he said : 
 
 "Let's go to them. Perhaps they may tell us 
 something." 
 
 Accompanied by his- father and Diego Colon, 
 Hernando started toward them ; but the faces van- 
 ished at their approach, and when they reached 
 the spot where they had been seen, they could 
 find no trace of them. Meeting no one to explain 
 the melancholy situation, they returned with de- 
 jected hearts to the ships, and related their sad 
 discovery to the admiral. 
 
 Columbus was still loath to believe in the perfidy 
 of Guacanagari, and went ashore next day to look 
 for the village of the cacique, which he found to 
 
CONCLUSION. 343 
 
 be a heap of burnt ruins, showing that it had 
 been involved in the same disaster of the garrison. 
 
 The admiral determined not to leave matters in 
 doubt in this manner, and proceeded to take steps 
 for knowing as much as possible of the sad story. 
 He ordered Arana to clear out the well and make 
 every possible search for any evidence that might 
 go to throwing light on the matter, while he, with 
 Hernando, his father, and three boats loaded with 
 armed men, set out to look for a better situation 
 for a fortress. After proceeding about a league 
 they came upon a hamlet, the inhabitants of which 
 fled at their approach, taking whatever they could 
 with them, and hiding the rest in the grass. In 
 the houses were European articles which evidently 
 had not been procured by barter, such as stock- 
 ings, pieces of cloth, an anchor of the wrecked 
 caravel, and a beautiful Moorish robe, which evi- 
 dently had not been unfolded since brought from 
 Spain. Not a single European could be found, 
 and the admiral returned to Port Nativity, where 
 he learned that seven dead sailors had been found 
 buried. 
 
 The outlook was not very flattering to the emi- 
 grants, but they did not despair. Eoderigo Este- 
 van argued, though first attempts at building up a 
 new empire might fail, he had seen enough of 
 this new world to believe it was destined to be- 
 come one of the mighty nations of earth. 
 
344 COLUMBIA. 
 
 Columbus made no complaint of the Indians, 
 but as soon as possible called on the cacique, and 
 though the conduct of Guacanagari was such as 
 to cast suspicion on him, and has caused subse- 
 quent historians to implicate him with the death 
 of the Spaniards, yet Columbus did not upbraid 
 or reproach him. 
 
 It was many years before Hernando heard the 
 true story of the death of his former comrades. 
 No sooner was the admiral gone than the Span- 
 iards left at Fort Nativity gave way to their pas 
 sions to such an extent as to make the friendly 
 Indians their enemies. Dissensions grew up 
 among themselves, which finally resulted in open 
 brawls and fights, and they weakened their num- 
 bers to such an extent that they could make little 
 resistance to their enemies when roused. They 
 disobeyed Columbus in separating their forces, 
 and wandering away from the fort, and paid the 
 penalty with their lives. 
 
 The subsequent history of Columbus is a sad 
 page in the great book of humanity ; but 'tis ever 
 thus. He who does most for mankind, is by 
 mankind least appreciated. Even the Holy One, 
 who came to save the world from eternal death, 
 was by the world crucified. Columbus was not 
 only robbed of his discoveries, so that the western 
 hemisphere bears the name of another, but was 
 wrongfully accused, thrown into prison, and carried 
 
CONCLUSION. 345 
 
 back to Spain in chains. He died a disappointed 
 and heart-broken man. His pet plan of rescuing 
 the holy sepulchre was never fulfilled, and per- 
 chance it was God's wish it never should be, for the 
 ways of Providence are mysterious and inscru- 
 tabla We cannot but regret that so great and 
 good a man as Columbus, one who gave his life 
 to the discovery of the New World, should have 
 been neglected in his old age, maligned, misused, 
 and have died a heart-broken and disappointed 
 man. 
 
 Hernando and his father, after no little chang- 
 ing about, finally settled at San Domingo. On 
 Christina's sixteenth birthday, she and Hernando 
 were married at the little chapel which had been 
 erected on the island. They lived in Cuba for 
 many years, and there two of their children were 
 born. Their oldest son was named Christopher 
 Eoderigo Estevan. The grand-dame and Hernan- 
 do's father died and were buried on the island of 
 Hispaniola. Hernando Estevan not only became 
 one of the pioneer emigrants to the New World, 
 aiding in many of the subsequent explorations 
 and settlements, but became the father of a long 
 line of hardy frontiersmen, who have conspicu- 
 ously figured in American history from the dis- 
 covery of the western continent to the present 
 age. 
 
HISTORICAL INDEX. 
 
 Andalusia, Scenery of ... _ 28 
 
 Antilla _. _ 51 
 
 Archbishop of Toledo _ _ _ - 53 
 
 Alhambra, The 85 
 
 Arguments of Columbus . _ _ 102 
 
 Articles of agreement between Columbus, Ferdinand, 
 
 and Isabella . 135 
 
 Arrest of Columbus's men by Portuguese of St. Mary's 259 
 
 Arms of Columbus.- 303 
 
 Bridge of Pinos._ __ 126 
 
 Bar of Saltes 157 
 
 Birds discovered _ 173 
 
 Bush with berries discovered floating 194 
 
 Babeque and Bohio. 217 
 
 Bay of Moustique 220 
 
 Barcelona, Columbus entering _ _ 295 
 
 Cid, The 2 
 
 Castile 3 
 
 Columbus, Description of 24 
 
 Cathay, City of 49 
 
 Columbus at Salamanca 60 
 
 Columbus before the Junta 64 
 
 Cordova 74 
 
 Columbus before Queen Isabella 100 
 
 Columbus's plan rejected by Queen Isabella 110 
 
 Columbus overtaken by Queen's courier at Bridge of 
 
 Pinos 125 
 
 Columbus Diego made page to Prince Juan . _ 129 
 
 Columbus seeks aid of the Pinzons 150 
 
 ■ail 
 
348 HISTORICAL INDEX. 
 
 Canary Islands, Columbus reaches 160 
 
 Columbus's false reckoning 167 
 
 Compass, Variations of. _ 170 
 
 Conference of Columbus and Pinzon _ 190 
 
 Columbus changes course. - 192 
 
 Cipango.. 209 
 
 Caribs 210 
 
 Cuba _. 214 
 
 Columbus leaves Hayti 237 
 
 Ciguay. 246 
 
 Columbus throws barrel overboard containing account 
 
 of voyage __ 255 
 
 Castafiedo, Governor St. Mary's 260 
 
 Cintra, Rock of -. 263 
 
 Columbus summoned on board a Portuquese man-of- 
 war - 263 
 
 Columbus before Bang John 265 
 
 Columbus received by King and Queen of Spain 297 
 
 Coat of arms of Columbus 302 
 
 Cadiz, Scene of Columbus's second departure 328 
 
 Columbus sailing from Cadiz 330 
 
 Caribs fight with whites ._ _ - - -- 344 
 
 Columbus, Death of --- 345 
 
 Desertion of Martin Alonzo Pinzon - 217 
 
 Diego de Arana .- - 237 
 
 Departure on second voyage - 330 
 
 Dominica, Island of - -- 333 
 
 Enrique IV - - 3 
 
 Entertainment of Cacique 225 
 
 Escobedo, Eoderigo de 236 
 
 Encounter with savages - 245 
 
 Entering Seville.. _._ - - 288 
 
 Egg, The lesson of - 301 
 
 Ferdinand de Talavera _ 101 
 
 Ferdinand, the King, furnishes money for expeditions 122 
 Fernandina 214 
 
HISTORICAL INDEX. 349 
 
 Fortress La Navidad 233 
 
 Fire-arms of the time 335 
 
 Granada, Capture of - 90 
 
 Guacanagari _ _. 224 
 
 Gutierrez, Pedro 236 
 
 Gulf of Arrows 247 
 
 Guacanagari explains the disappearance of the whites 
 
 from Fort Nativity 343 
 
 Hayti, Island of. 219 
 
 Hispaniola ._ 219 
 
 Hispaniola, Return to _ 336 
 
 Isabella crowned Queen of Castile , 4 
 
 Isabella persuaded to reconsider Columbus's proposition 118 
 
 Isabella sends for Columbus _ i23 
 
 Juan, Don, of Aragon. ._ _ 2 
 
 Juan Perez goes to Queen _ 83 
 
 John, King, of Portugal 265 
 
 John, King, plans to destroy Columbus ._ 286 
 
 Journey from Palos to Seville 287, 288 
 
 Journey to Barcelona - . 294, 295 
 
 Kanbalu, City of, in Cathay 49 
 
 Khan, Grand, Palace of_ 96 
 
 Khan, Grand, Letters to .- 137 
 
 Light seen on shore 197 
 
 Landing of Columbus 203 
 
 Lombard - 227 
 
 Madman of Genoa 47 
 
 Mangi .-. 50 
 
 Medina Celi, Duke of 52 
 
 Marchena, Juan Perez de 78 
 
 Marchioness of Moya 83 
 
 Mutiny of crew 181 
 
 Monte Christi - - 239 
 
 Mantinmo - 344 
 
 Martin de Norona - 272 
 
 Natives 206 
 
350 HISTORICAL INDEX. 
 
 Nina comes to relief of Columbus 223 
 
 Nativity Eort 233 
 
 Nativity deserted 241 
 
 Old Antipodes 12 
 
 Palos, Columbus at 147 
 
 Palos, The trouble at... _ 149 
 
 Palos, Columbus sails from 150 
 
 Pinzon's mistake. 187 
 
 Prayer of Columbus 205 
 
 Port Conception 220 
 
 Plaza de Toros 15 
 
 Pinelo's, Cashier, second expedition _ 325 
 
 Pinzon, Martin Alonzo, Fate of ... 285 
 
 Palos, Return to _. ... 276,277 
 
 Porto Rico 248 
 
 Pinzons meet Columbus 80 
 
 Palos, Columbus reaches - __ _ 147 
 
 Pilots of Columbus 153 
 
 Pinta in distress __. 159 
 
 Pinta discovered - 238 
 
 Quinsai, Capital of Mangi ... 50 
 
 Quintilla, Alonzo de 53 
 
 Quarrel between Columbus and Martin Alonzo Pinzon 242 
 
 Rabida, Convent of - 78 
 
 Reckoning compared _ -- 249 
 
 Return to Spain 248 
 
 St. Brandon 52 
 
 St. Stephen, Convent of 60 
 
 Salamanca .. --.- 60 
 
 San Salvador — ..— 205 
 
 St. Nicholas - 220 
 
 St. Thomas - --- — 221 
 
 Storm at sea - - --- 251 
 
 Storm lulls - 256 
 
 St. Mary's Island... - 258 
 
 Toscannelli, Maps of 49 
 
HISTORICAL INDEX. 351 
 
 Triana, Rodrigo de 198 
 
 Tortugas 221 
 
 Vows of Columbus and crew 254 
 
 Villena 3 
 
 Valadolid 3 
 
 Vessels of Columbus 152 
 
 Variations of compass 170 
 
 Vincent Yanez Pinzon 82 
 
 Weeds seen floating 175 
 
 Waiting for dawn 200 
 
 Wreck of tlie Santa Maria 121 
 
CHRONOLOGY. 
 
 UNAUTHENTIC DISCOVERIES. 
 
 9th Century- Northmen at Iceland. 
 
 986. Eric the Red at Greenland. 
 
 Later. Biorn and Lief at Newfoundland. 
 
 lOOO. Vinland — supposed to be southeastern coast of New 
 
 England. 
 Note. — Historians differ in regard to the authenticity of 
 
 the above. 
 
 AUTHENTIC DISCOVERIES. 
 
 PERIOD I.— AGE OF DISCOVERY. 
 
 From a.d. 1435 to a.d. 1506. 
 
 1435. Christopher Columbus born in Genoa, Italy. 
 1449-50. Columbus snipped in the Genoese Marine un- 
 der his uncle. 
 
 1470. Columbus went to Lisbon to reside. 
 
 1471. Columbus married Felipa Monis de Palestrello. 
 
 1472. Columbus and wife resided at Porto Santo. His 
 
 son Diego born. 
 
 1473. Columbus met an old pilot, who told him of pick- 
 
 ing up a strangely carved paddle 450 leagues 
 west of Portugal. 
 
 1474. Toscanelli furnished Columbus with charts, — 
 
 June 25. 
 23 353 
 
354 CHRONOLOGY. 
 
 1477. Columbus made a voyage 100 leagues beyond Ice- 
 land. 
 
 1484. Bartolommeo Columbus set out for England. 
 Columbus and his little son Diego left Lisbon 
 
 for Spain. 
 (In autumn) Columbus met Juan Perez de Mar- 
 chena. 
 
 1485. Columbus' application rejected at Genoa. 
 
 1490. Columbus before the Commission, or Junta, at 
 
 Salamanca. 
 
 1491. Commission, oh Junta, reported Columbus' pro- 
 
 ject impossible. 
 
 1492. Columbus received patent from Ferdinand and Isa- 
 
 bella to discover countries, — April 17. 
 1492. Columbus set sail from Palos, — Aug. 3. 
 
 1492. Columbus discovered America, at San Salvador, 
 
 one of the Bahamas, — Oct. 12. 
 
 1493. Columbus discovered Jamaica and other islands. 
 
 1497. Cabots on second voyage, discovered the coast of 
 
 Labrador, — June 24. 
 
 1498. Columbus discovered South America at mouth of 
 
 Orinoco, — Aug. 1. 
 
 1499. Amerigo Vespucci, for whom America was named, 
 
 visited South America. 
 
 1500. Columbus arrested and sent to Spain in chains. 
 Cortereal, of Portugal, seeking India, explored 
 
 Labrador. 
 1502. Columbus explored coast in Gulf of Mexico ; Fourth 
 
 voyage. 
 1506. Christopher Columbus died at Valladolid, Spain, 
 
 —May 20. 
 
TH1 
 
 COLUMBIAN HISTORICAL NOVELS. 
 
 A Complete History of Our Country, from the Time of Columbus 
 down to the present Day, in the form of Twelve Complete 
 Stories. By John R. Musick. Uniform Size and 
 Style; 8vo, Half Morocco, and Cloth Bind- 
 ings, One Hundred Half-Tone Plates, 
 Maps of the Period, and numer- 
 ous Pen and Ink Drawings 
 by F. A. Carter. 
 
 Vol. 
 Vol. 
 
 I. 
 II. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 III. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 V. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 IX. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 X. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 XI. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 XII. 
 
 TITLES : 
 
 Columbia : A Story of the Discovery of America. 
 Estevan : A Story of the Spanish Conquests. 
 St. Augustine : A Story of the Huguenots. 
 Pocahontas : A Story of Virginia. 
 The Pilgrims : A Story of Massachusetts. 
 A Century Too Soon: A Story of Bacon's Rebellion. 
 The Witch of Salem ; or, Credulity Run Mad. 
 Braddock : A Story of the French and Indian Wars. 
 Independence : A Story of the American Revolution, 
 Sustained Honor: A Story of the War of 1812. 
 Humbled Pride : A Story of the Mexican War. 
 Union : A Story of the Great Rebellion and of Events 
 down to the Present Day. 
 
 The Historical Divisions are : 1st. Age of Discovery ; 2d 
 Conquest ; 3d. Bigotry ; 4th. Colonization ; 5th. Reason ; 6th 
 Tyranny ; 7th. Superstition ; 8th. Contention of Powers for 
 Supremacy ; 9th. Independence ; 10th. Liberty Established , 
 nth. Supremacy Abroad ; 12th. Union. 
 
 FUNK & WAGNALLS COHPANY, Publishers, 
 
 30 Lafayette Place, New York. 
 
 LONDON: TORONTO, CAN.: 
 
 44 Fleet Street. 11 Richmond St., W-