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 OF PE 
 
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 THE CONQUERORS 
 OF PERU
 
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 He led his men forward
 
 THE CONQUERORS 
 OF PERU 
 
 RETOLD FROM 
 PRESCOTT'S "CONQUEST OF PERU" 
 
 BY 
 
 HENRY GILBERT 
 
 WITH SIXTEEN FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS BY 
 
 THOMAS MAYBANK 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY 
 
 PUBLISHERS
 
 THE RIVERSIDE PRESS LIMITED, EDINBURGH
 
 
 Contents 
 
 Introduction ..... 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 I. Rumours of the Land of Gold 
 II. At " Famine Port " . 
 
 III. The Faithful Thirteen 
 
 IV. Marooned .... 
 V. At the Door of the Land of Gold 
 
 VI. A Desperate Venture 
 VII. The Cowards are Weeded Out 
 VIII. A Meeting with the Inca 
 IX. A Deed of Carnage . 
 X. The Inca's Ransom 
 XI. A Deed of Dishonour 
 XII. The Death of the Inca 
 
 XIII. In the City of Gold . 
 
 XIV. The Rebellion of the Indians 
 
 XV. The Quarrel of Almagro and Pizarro 
 XVI. The Battle at the Salt Pahs 
 XVII. The Vengeance of the Men of Chili 
 XVIII. The Last of the Men of Chili 
 
 13 
 
 21 
 
 32 
 
 49 
 
 • 67 
 
 81 
 
 97 
 
 1 10 
 
 128 
 
 146 
 
 167 
 
 . 181 
 
 196 
 
 211 
 
 227 
 
 244 
 
 • 257 
 
 271
 
 Illustrations 
 
 He led his men forward . . . Frontispiece 
 
 Peals of thunder made the vessel tremble . 22 
 
 Eyes flashed; hands leapt to sword-hilts . . 42 
 
 He . . . traced a line on the sand . . .46 
 
 Depression and despair settled upon Pizarro . 68 
 
 Out of the wood . . . poured an excited crowd 
 
 of warriors. . . . . .78 
 
 " Lead us forward ! Advance ! Advance ! " . . 100 
 
 The horseman would have to . . . lead his horse iio 
 
 Atahualpa maintained the same marble indiffer- 
 ence . . . . . . .124 
 
 The litter . . . swayed to and fro . . . 142 
 
 The body of Perez hung from the branch of a 
 
 tall tree . . . . . .170 
 
 The body was allowed to remain tied to the stake 192 
 
 The Spaniards began to seize what could be 
 
 carried away ..... 206 
 
 Whole quarters of the city were soon in flames 224 
 
 "Your words have come true" . . . 246 
 
 A point of steel was in his throat . . . 268 
 
 7
 
 Introduction 
 
 WILLIAM HICKLING PRESCOTT, the writer 
 of The Conquest oj Peru, of which the present 
 volume is a paraphrase, was an American 
 author who Hved in the first half of the nineteenth century. 
 He was chiefly interested in Spanish history, and besides 
 the work above mentioned, he wrote The Conquest of 
 Mexico, The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and 
 Isabella, and an unfinished work on Philip the Second. 
 
 The story of the conquest of Peru by the Spaniards is 
 one of the most romantic in human history. It is only 
 rivalled by that of the conquest of Mexico, an event which, 
 earlier in time and hardly less enthralling in interest, 
 formed the example followed in some measure by the 
 conqueror of Peru. 
 
 The tale indeed is one almost as incredible as any 
 mediseval legend of Christian knight -errant overthrowing 
 hordes of Paynims single-handed. It tells of a Spanish 
 soldier who, against the jealousies of higher authorities, 
 and in spite of repulses and disasters, of famine, tempests 
 and mutinies, still pushed on with a handful of men and 
 conquered a country, the reigning king of which possessed 
 the unquestioning reverence and obedience of a vast 
 population, from which he could draw an army of many 
 thousands of men.
 
 Introduction 
 
 The civilization which the Spaniards destroyed in their 
 conquest of the Peruvians was a strangely fascinating one. 
 It was a form of despotic socialism. At the head of the 
 State was the king or Inca, '* the descendant of the Sun," 
 regarded as divine and worshipped by his subjects. His 
 rule no one could question, but it was not tyrarmical. 
 On the contrary, it was mild, and the country, when the 
 Spaniard entered it, was prosperous. Personal freedom, 
 however, was unknown. Every one who was able-bodied 
 was obliged to work ; each man, woman and child was 
 numbered, and none could remove from the place where he 
 was bom, or work at any other task than that imposed by 
 authority. Every hundred families formed a unit, with 
 the village officer or headman as the chief over them, who 
 was responsible for their labour on the crops and for the 
 payment of their taxes. Ten such units formed a clan, 
 each controHed by an official ; and over every four clans 
 was an imperial overseer who controlled the acts of the 
 clan officials. The people, male and female, were divided 
 into ten classes ; children up to eight years were exempt 
 from work, and from eight to sixteen were required to do 
 light employment. Between the ages of fifty and sixty 
 a man was classed as "half old," and was required to do 
 easy tasks only ; at sixty he ceased from labour. 
 
 Under these conditions no one could be rich, but none 
 could be poor. Everyone lived in frugal comfort ; and 
 those that were sick or crippled were supported by the 
 State. The spirit of the people, under generations of this 
 paternal rule, had become gentle and submissive ; great 
 crimes were almost unknown, and even petty thefts were 
 rare. " So little desire have these people, both men and 
 women, to commit offences," wrote Leguisamo, the last 
 of the rough soldiers of the Conquest, in the testament 
 
 10
 
 Introduction 
 
 which he drew up to ease his conscience, " that the Indian 
 who had a hundred thousand pesos of gold and silver in 
 his house left his door open, placing only a light rod or a 
 broom across the threshold, as a sign that the owner was 
 not at home, and seeing that sign, no one would enter." 
 
 Mild and submissive as these Peruvians were, they had 
 nevertheless attained a perfection in many arts little if at 
 all inferior to that of the European who brought ruin into 
 the fair fabric of their civilization. Their great roads, 
 stretching from end to end and from side to side of the 
 kingdom, may yet be seen, not indeed with the clear-cut 
 edges and even surface as the Spaniard found them, but 
 broken now and often overgrown with vegetation. Besides 
 these there are remains of temples, palaces and fortresses, 
 mountain-sides terraced into fields, aqueducts, irrigating 
 canals and rest-houses, the ruins of all of which point with 
 reproach to the neglect into which the conquerors have 
 allowed them to fall. 
 
 The story of Pizarro's romantic achievement will always 
 be one of peculiar fascination for readers both young and 
 old. Among the comp my of heroic explorers which stride 
 across the pages of the early history of the Americas — 
 Columbus, de Balboa, de Soto, La Salle, Cort6s — the figure 
 of Francisco Pizarro will take high rank. He was a born 
 leader in a generation of men made for desperate enter- 
 prises. He would laugh with his soldiers in their good 
 humours, cajole them in their rebellious moods, and in 
 turn, as the occasion required, be their comrade, their 
 protector or their stem commander. Brave and deter- 
 mined, of inflexible constancy of mind and full of resource, 
 he allowed nothing to bend him from his purpose. No 
 scruples stood in his way; the capture of Atahualpa and 
 the terrible carnage which accompanied it, the treacherous 
 
 II
 
 Introduction 
 
 execution of the Inea when his further captivity became 
 irksome, and the perfidious treatment of Ahnagro showed 
 the lengths to which he could i^o. 
 
 Other defects of his character were shown when, with 
 a rich and fertile province in his charge, he delivered a race 
 into tyrannical slavery, gave up towns to pillage, destroyed 
 immense flocks, squandered the stores accumulated in the 
 granaries of the Inca, and allowed the system of irrigation 
 founded by the Peruvians, together with fhie roads and 
 bridges, to fall into ruin and neglect. 
 
 It must be borne in mind, however, that Pizarro had 
 been reared in a hard school. An outcast in his childhood, 
 he had known only the rough schooling and brutal manners 
 of a camp, among a soldiery who knew no law but the 
 sword, and whose minds had no respect for the civiliza- 
 tion which they ruined nor sense of pity for the wretched 
 Indians they conquered and oppressed. 
 
 The object in retelling Prescott's history has been to 
 make it acceptable io young people who may be dis- 
 couraged by the solid pages of the original work. For 
 this purpose, therefore, the historical style has been 
 avoided ; a good deal of dialogue has been employed, and, 
 as far as practicable, an endeavour has been made to create 
 an atmosphere of vivid reality and moving adventure. In 
 short, the aim has been to make young readers believe 
 that they are not reading history so much as " a story." 
 
 Henry Gilbert 
 
 12
 
 The 
 
 Conquerors of Peru 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 Rumours of the Land of Gold 
 
 IT was in the year 1522 when, one day in late autumn, 
 four men stood talking together on the little wooden 
 wharf at Panama, a young city then, but three 
 years old. 
 
 Behind them was a broad open space or plaza, and 
 beyond that the stone-built house of the governor, with 
 the flag of Spain on the top, the church, also of stone, and 
 beside this a fort. Then there were houses of adobe or 
 sun-baked mud, rising here and there among the rank 
 growth of the forest which pressed right up to the doors. 
 
 Out at sea, riding at anchor in the roadstead, a little 
 distance from where the men stood, were three caravels, 
 with high poops and carved prows, rising and falling to 
 the waves. 
 
 One of the men seemed to hold the attention of the 
 other three. He was more richly dressed, and his air of 
 high breeding distinguished him from at least two of 
 them. He was Don Pascual de Andagoya, who but a 
 week before had returned from a voyage, which he had 
 hardly begun, into the unknown sea which stretched for 
 infinite leagues to the south. He said he had returned 
 
 13
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 because he had been all but drowned in the upsetting of 
 a boat, and that the accident had injured his health. 
 
 He was not so hardy a soldier as others of the httle com- 
 munity which now formed the outpost of Panama. Many 
 smiled behind his back and said that Don Pascual was 
 more fitted for the luxury of a Court than for fierce 
 battling with caimibal Caribs and semi -starvation in the 
 black swamps. 
 
 " What learnt you over there, seiior ? " asked one of the 
 men, who was tall and spare and in the dress of a priest. 
 He was Don Luque, the vicar or head priest of the church 
 at Panama. " Is there in truth a rich kingdom beyond 
 the terrible mountains ? " 
 
 " Ay," replied Don Pascual, " there are kingdoms and 
 riches in plenty if one could but win through the tem- 
 pestuous seas, penetrate the horrible swamps, and scale 
 the icy mountains, covered with dense forests and swarm- 
 ing with fierce beasts." 
 
 "The men who told you these things, noble senor," 
 went on the priest, " were they worthy of credence ? " 
 
 " Not from one man alone did I learn them," replied 
 Don Pascual, " but from many. Some were chiefs and 
 head men, and others were traders who, with their packs 
 of merchandise, travel far through the dense jungles and 
 forests and reach many peoples and distant kingdoms." 
 
 " And what told they of this wondrous land Ijeyond the 
 mountains ? How many days' journey is its capital ? " 
 
 " Many weeks' journey, they said," replied Don Pascual. 
 " And they aflftrm that the chief king of that land is not 
 to be equalled by any king on the earth for his wealth 
 and his majesty. He has a thousand slaves, and his 
 treasure no man may estimate. The buildings of his 
 chief city are wondrous fair and majestic, the rivers run 
 
 14
 
 Rumours of the Land of Gold 
 
 with gold throughout the land, and the common people 
 wear gold as we wear iron or bronze." 
 
 The eyes of his three listeners gleamed. But whereas 
 the priest lowered his looks, as if he did not care that 
 others should see the light of greed in his eyes, the others 
 came still nearer to the speaker, and one of them, a tall 
 man, with pale, stern face and hard eyes, said, in a low 
 voice : 
 
 " Did they tell aught of the way one should go to reach 
 this chief city ? To the south-east, beyond the Gulf of 
 St Michael, or to the west ? " 
 
 " I was told that the city of that king lies far up above 
 the clouds at the summit of a high mountain, and it is 
 many leagues from the sea. He who would reach it must 
 risk death from many causes — from the poison of dragons 
 and serpents, the ambush of savages, the claws of fierce 
 beasts, the trembling and cracking of the earth, and the 
 deadly cold upon the mountains, where snow for ever 
 lies." 
 
 " They said there were dragons in the swamps of 
 Dobayba," said the other, who had not yet spoken, " but 
 I never saw aught but ugly, lurking savages and foul 
 water and moving banks of mud." 
 
 He laughed with a bluff, reckless air. He was short, 
 with a red face, and his look of command was mingled 
 with a bearing of good -nature and rough humour. He 
 was Don Diego de Almagro, famed for his bravery in 
 many an expedition through the swamps and forests of 
 Tierra Ferme, as Central America was then called. 
 
 " Ay, there are dragons there," said Don Pascual. 
 They told me that a dragon with scales of gold guards 
 a secret place in the mountains whence the king of the 
 land procures his purest gold. The precious metal lies 
 
 15 
 
 ((
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 in the rock bare to the sun, and one has but to cut it out 
 with a hatchet." 
 
 " Truly," laughed Almagro, " a land made for brave 
 Spanish cavaliers to conquer, as Cortes has conquered 
 Mexico and its barbarous king, and brought them and 
 their gold to our good Emperor Charles." 
 
 " Further," went on Don Pascual, " they told me that 
 the walls of their temples were made of solid gold, and 
 that their gods and goddesses are figured in pure gold and 
 sit in rows along the walls, and before each is a shrine of 
 pure silver. The riches of that kingdom no man may 
 estimate. Some told me of men who, whether for pride 
 or from the idolatrous nature of their religion, roll them- 
 selves in oil and afterwards in heaps of gold dust, and then 
 receive as gods the worship of the ignorant people. Be- 
 sides, there are great palaces, rich in every kind of luxury, 
 the like of which no one has seen elsewhere, and there are 
 vast herds and great storehouses which are bursting with 
 long-stored wealth." 
 
 " By Our Lady," cried Don Diego, " it makes a poor 
 soldier's mouth water to hear such tales. Here are we, 
 frayed and ragged and hopeless after thirty years of 
 battle and toil, with but a few swampy acres and a dozen 
 or two of lazy Indians as all the reward for the hard 
 knocks and the wounds which we have suffered for Spain. 
 By my faith, I would risk something to gain lordship over 
 a land only half so rich as that you speak of." 
 
 The stern, dark soldier said nothing for a while, but one 
 could see by the fire in his eyes how the tale of wealth 
 had stirred him. Then he spoke, but it was in restrained 
 tones. 
 
 " You say truth, Almagro," he said. " You and I have 
 fought side by side for years, and found how great a 
 
 i6
 
 Rumours of the Land of Gold 
 
 lottery is this New World that we have conquered for our 
 emperor, whom Gkxi exalt. The great prizes are indeed 
 so few that it is heavy odds against us gaining any, 
 hazarding, as we do, our health, our fortune and our 
 lives." 
 
 " Give me your hand, Pizarro," said Almagro, and he 
 held out a great brown hand toward his friend. " What 
 do you say ? Shall we not swear to go and seek this 
 Land of Gold of which Andagoya brings such news ? " 
 
 Pizarro grasped the hand of his friend, and his pale 
 face flushed as he spoke. 
 
 " I doubt we are fools," he said, " for our fortunes 
 are but meagre. Yet if the governor will aid us with 
 ships, and volunteers will come with us in sufficient force, 
 I will cast in my lot — life and fortune and all — in this 
 one throw of the dice." 
 
 The men grasped hands fervently. 
 
 " Doubtless, gentlemen," said the gallant Andagoya, 
 with a sneer, " you have a wish to emulate Hernando 
 Cortes, and to seize as mighty a kingdom and riot in its 
 treasures." 
 
 " Ay, why not ? " demanded Almagro, his face flushing 
 at the sneer. " If courage is wanted — courage that will 
 not falter at a wetting — think you we lack it ? " 
 
 " Courage would, of course, be needed," said the priest, 
 laying a restraining hand on Almagro's arm, " and your 
 fame as a soldier would make you a powerful helper in 
 any further expedition to the south, Don Diego ; but — 
 tell me, Don Pascual," he went on, turning to the other, 
 " do you propose to make another journey southward ? " 
 
 " Nay, I think not," was the reply. " If any of you 
 gentlemen have it in your minds to risk all your resources 
 in such an attempt " — he smiled as he glanced for an 
 
 B 17
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 instant at the frayed garments of the two soldiers — " the 
 way is open for you, so far as I am concerned." 
 
 Saying wliich, Don Pascual bowed and walked from 
 them across the plaza toward the stone house of the 
 governor, over whose flat roof waved the flag of Castile. 
 
 Left alone, the three men stood for some time in silence. 
 Don Diego, quick and impatient of mood, looked from one 
 to the other of his companions, as if longing to hear them 
 speak. At length the priest turned to the tall man, who 
 had said little during the talk with Don Pascual. 
 
 " You believe the truth of these tales, then, Don 
 Francisco ? " he asked. 
 
 " I know they are true," answered Pizarro, and now he 
 spoke with fire and gesture, where before he had spoken 
 in low, constrained tones. " When with that brave young 
 captain, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, we fought our way 
 over these interminable mountains and were the first 
 white men whose feet trod this earth, what, think you, 
 was the goal that was before our eyes ? Were we blunder- 
 ing like blind kittens in the dark, knowing not whither 
 we went ? Nay, young Balboa had an aim in all he did. 
 His object was the Land of Gold away there to the south. 
 One day, in the town of Nombre de Dios, which he founded 
 on the other side of the isthmus, I was with him when he 
 weighed some gold which we had got from an Indian 
 village. An old chief stood with us, and he struck the 
 scales with his fist, scattering the gold about us. ' Is 
 this what you prize, you white men ? ' he cried. ' Is it 
 for this you are willing to leave your homes across the 
 wide ocean to suffer hunger and thirst and risk your lives ? 
 I can tell you of a land where they eat and arink from 
 gulden vessels, and where gold to them is as cheap as 
 iron is to you.' By that, and by what the barbarian 
 
 i8
 
 Rumours of the Land of Gold 
 
 told us, Balboa was guided when he scaled the mountain 
 rampart of the isthmus, and when he pushed his caravel 
 twenty leagues south of the gulf here." 
 
 " Then, if such faith is in you and Almagro here," went 
 on Don Luque, the priest, " I think we should not despair 
 of getting such aid from the governor and from others as 
 will fit two such leaders as you for a journey to this Land 
 of Gold, and if heaven so wills that it is to be brought 
 under the sway of his most Catholic Majesty for the glory 
 of the Church and the saving of the benighted heathens, 
 I doubt not your success." 
 
 " I would that we could do this without the aid of 
 the governor," said Pizarro, and his face was dark. " I 
 love him not, for he was jealous of the deeds of my 
 captain, Balboa, and caused him to be executed. Balboa 
 was a man he could not hope to emulate, and he knew it 
 and laid his plots to slay him." 
 
 " I fear that a vessel could not leave the port unless he 
 gave us leave, my son," said the priest. 
 
 " It will be as much as we may hope," said Almagro, 
 with a gesture of anger, " if we do not have to pay for his 
 consent, while he will not put down a doubloon towards 
 the expenses, mean-hearted that he is." 
 
 " We must needs suffer him, then," said Pizarro. 
 " But I trust we may never need to ask him for a peso. 
 What say you, Almagro," he went on ; "think you that 
 Balboa's caravel, that has lain dismantled out there in 
 the harbour these five years, since his brave head fell on 
 the block — think you it could be made sound to take us 
 on our expedition toward the Land of Gold ? He made 
 his attempt in it, and I think we shall have good fortune 
 if we too go in the same vessel." 
 
 " With little cost it could be made taut and trim," 
 
 19
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 replied Almagro. " But we should need another. And 
 where shall we find the money ? I doubt we two could 
 muster but a few poor thousand eastellanos, friend 
 Pizarro ? " 
 
 " I think you need have no care for that," said the 
 priest. "I have a friend who, I think, would lik? to 
 have a share in this venture." 
 
 " Well, father, he is welcome," said Almagro, with a 
 great laugh, " providing he wishes not to command it. 
 For I doubt not our friend Pizarro will be the best leader, 
 and I will be second in command." 
 
 " That will be well," said the priest ; " you have con- 
 quered side by side up and down these savage lands for 
 many years, and in this also I think you will succeed 
 together to your o\^^l good fame and fortune, and the glory 
 of our sovereign the emperor." 
 
 Almagro doffed his hat with a hearty laugh. "May 
 your good wishes come true, father," he said cheerily. 
 
 Pizarro said nothing. His cold eyes were looking out 
 at sea, and his face was sombre and stem. It seemed as 
 if the tragedy that was to end the friendship of these 
 two men had already thrown its cold shadow upon him 
 that was to be the conqueror of Peru. 
 
 20
 
 CHAPTER II 
 At '' Famine Port " 
 
 IT was on a gloomy day in the middle of November, 
 in the year 1524, that Pizarro, having embraced 
 Almagro and his other friends, and taken leave of 
 Pedrarias, the governor, descended the wooden steps of 
 the little wharf at Panama, and was rowed out to the 
 caravel which was straining at its anchor in the harbour. 
 
 It had been arranged that Pizarro, with about a hundred 
 men, should set out at once, and Almagro was to follow 
 with another caravel as soon as it could be fitted out. 
 Weary months had been spent in getting money together 
 and enlisting volunteers, for men had been afraid of 
 going into the unknown to a land which, though reported 
 to be full of treasure, would probably only be won through 
 much toil, misery and pain. But at length the combined 
 persuasive powers of Pizarro and Almagro, who had told 
 tales of the great wealth there was to be gained by valiant 
 soldiers, had prevailed over fears, and now the cheers of 
 the folk on shore sounded across the water, as the anchor 
 was heaved up, the sails were stretched to the wind, and 
 the little caravel began to move through the waves on her 
 fateful journey. 
 
 The first few days passed uneventfully. Pizarro, having 
 issued from the Gulf of St Michael, steered almost due 
 south for the Port of Pines, a headland beside the river 
 Biru, or Piru. Already the Spaniards had begun to 
 
 21
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 apply the name of this stream to the whole of the shadowy 
 kingdom of gold, which, as report said, lay somewhere to 
 the south. 
 
 Doubling the headland, Pizarro sailed up the river for 
 some leagues. Rank vegetation clothed the land to the 
 very edge of the water, but at a place where, on the south 
 bank, a space lay among the great trees and giant creepers, 
 the anchor was let down, and Pizarro landed with all his 
 soldiers. 
 
 None doubted that at any moment they might come 
 upon some rich town or village, which, filled with treasure, 
 and guarded only by timid natives, might easily fall a 
 prize to a few brave freebooters. They therefore set off 
 with laughter and cheerful talk, cutting their way through 
 the matted undergrowth of the pathless jungle. 
 
 But from the first their hopes were doomed, for they 
 found that the land was a noisome swamp, stretching 
 for miles with oozy mud -banks, pools of stagnant water, 
 and drenched woods fringing dismal morasses. Doggedly 
 they persevered, cheered by their leader with tales of the 
 miseries which other of their countrymen had suffered 
 to gain golden prizes which had made them rich for life. 
 At length, emerging from the swamps, they mounted on 
 higher ground ; but so rough and rocky were the hills they 
 had to climb that their feet were cut to the bone, and 
 the weary soldiers, encumbered with heavy headpieces, 
 quilted doublets of cotton or coats of mail, almost sank 
 beneath the toil. 
 
 Often when the sun overhead was pouring his heat down 
 upon the bare, rocky soil, men sank with exhaustion, 
 vowing they would not move another step ; or even threw 
 their arms away to rid themselves of a burden. 
 
 At the end of some days, finding that the iron land 
 
 22
 
 Peals of thunder made the vessel tremble
 
 At Famine Port 
 
 promised nothing but toilsome trave , Pizarro determined 
 to return. The resolve was hailed with delight ; the men's 
 spirits rose instantly, and in a few days they were over- 
 joyed at the sight of the river with the caravel lying 
 quietly in midstream. 
 
 They dropped down the river, and, turning south, 
 coasted along the shore for two leagues. Then, casting 
 anchor off a clearing in the thick shore woods, Pizarro 
 landed to take in water. Afterwards he directed the 
 pilot to steer the vessel due south into the open sea. But 
 when the boat had got some leagues out at sea, a tempest 
 struck them. For days they struggled against the fierce 
 head -winds which seemed determined to beat them back. 
 
 Tempest succeeded tempest ; peals of thunder made the 
 vessel tremble as it mounted each great wave and sank 
 sickeningly into the next trough. The men huddled 
 miserably in the cabins below, or lay sick in their bunks ; 
 and murmured against their ill luck. 
 
 " It is the fiend," they said, " who will not suffer us to 
 enter seas where no white man has ever been before. 
 Our chief cannot hope to prevail ; any one of these moun- 
 tainous waves may swamp and send us to the bottom." 
 
 For ten days, however, Pizarro held his dogged way in 
 the teeth of the furious storms, until, one morning, the 
 ship's master came to him and told him that the vessel's 
 seams had opened in several places and she was leaking 
 badly. 
 
 The face of Pizarro went dark ; he was enraged, for 
 it went hard against his stubborn heart to own defeat. 
 But his clear brain told him that now was no time for 
 recklessness, for at any moment they might be in danger 
 of foundering. 
 
 " Then do you and your mates go find the leaks and 
 
 23
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 mend them," he said to the shipmaster. " I will see that 
 my men bale the ship ; and we will go back to the place 
 where we took in water." 
 
 It was done, but only just in time. For days on the 
 return journey their efforts to keep the ship afloat often 
 seemed desperate ; and only by incessant baling, day and 
 night, did they keep her from foundering. In all work 
 Pizarro took his part, cheering the men with his grave 
 humour and encouraging talk, now sympathizing with 
 this man's sickness and laughing good-humouredly at 
 another's woeful lamentations. 
 
 Then it was found that their food and water were running 
 low ; the meat was wholly consumed, and at length each 
 man was allowed but two ears of Indian corn per day. 
 
 When at length they reached the place where they had 
 watered, they thought that their sufferings would be over. 
 Eagerly the men landed and sought the firm land and the 
 shelter of the trees, for now, though the tempests had 
 moderated, the rain fell with tropical violence. 
 
 But both firm land and shelter were denied them. 
 All about them, as they painfully cut their way through 
 the giant creepers and matted undergrowth, they found 
 swampy land, with oozing mud and stagnant pools. The 
 rain never ceased, and so saturated was the ground, and 
 so strewn with wet leaves, that as men struck with their 
 axes to cut away the trailing vines and binding lianas, 
 their own movements caused them to slip down upon the 
 soil. 
 
 Desolation reigned for miles ; no birds or beasts could 
 be found, as the famished soldiers slipped and crept 
 through the dense growth beneath the giant trees, where 
 an eternal green twilight reigned. But there were 
 myriads of mosquitoes and other biting insects that made 
 
 24
 
 At Famine Port 
 
 life a misery both by day and night. The silence of death 
 seemed to rest upon the forest, and when the soldier ceased 
 his walk and listened, he could hear only the splash of the 
 raindrops on the leaves, the low whir of insects round his 
 head, or the groans of a comrade. 
 
 At length one morning, after a night wretched with pangs 
 of hunger or pain, the men crawled from the rough shelters 
 of leaves which they had made, and stood in muttering 
 groups. Soon a band of more daring spirits approached 
 where Pizarro stood talking to his secretary, the pilot 
 Ruiz, and his lieutenant, Montenegro. 
 
 " Captain," said the foremost soldier, " a pretty pass 
 have you brought us to. Here is no food but the poisonous 
 berries on the trees, and the only things that thrive are the 
 flies that suck our life's blood from us. Why do we stay 
 here ? Take us back to Panama, or in a little while we 
 shall leave but our bones here." 
 
 " You promised us a land of gold," said another, " but 
 'twas a fairy tale you told us. Never a glint of gold have 
 we seen, but only black swamps ; and the farther we go 
 the worse we suffer." 
 
 " Fate is against us," said a third. " It seems that we 
 are not meant to break through these green walls of trees 
 and creepers. Better take our chance, while yet we have 
 life, of getting back to Panama ; or else we shall all die 
 of hunger." 
 
 " What ? " laughed Pizarro ; " are you brave lads so 
 moved because you have missed a meal or two ? Would 
 you go back like the carpet knight, Andagoya, before you 
 have got upon the road ? Have you never heard of the 
 golden hoards of Tubanama, and how Vasco Nuriez gained 
 them ? He and his men, did they not suffer worse than 
 this ? They, too, were famished they, too, wallowed in 
 
 25
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 swamps, the prey of biting insects, sweltering in the heats, 
 subject to sudden onfall by unseen barbarians, but was 
 there word of retreating ? You, Casco ; you, de Vega ! " 
 he said, pointing to men here and there ; " you, too, 
 Gonzalez, Garcia, de Ojeda — you know if I tell the truth, 
 for you were there. And did you not share in the gold 
 hoards of the cacique ? I tell you what you already know 
 — ^what Comagre the chief, and Tumaco told Vasco Nuiiez 
 — ^that the treasure to be found in the kingdom which lies 
 southward beyond these forests are to the treasures which 
 have hitherto been found in Darien as the ocean is to 
 a village pond. What is wanted to gain those treasures ? 
 I will tell you. It is courage, the stout heart that will not 
 falter before hunger, toil or pain — the virtues that Spanish 
 soldiers have ever shown they possess. Surely ye have 
 not lost those virtues in so short a time ? " 
 
 Some were moved by his speech and said they would 
 stand by him in whatever course he desired to take ; but 
 others still clamoured to return to Panama. At length 
 Pizarro spoke : 
 
 " Look you, lads," he said, " I will have none with me 
 but those who have good hearts for any danger. Those 
 that desire may go back to Panama. I will send back the 
 caravel to the Isle of Pearls, where a fresh stock of pro- 
 visions may be laid in. The distance is not great ; in a 
 few days the vessel will return, and then with greater 
 heart we will be able to go forward in our venture." 
 
 This was done. That very day, under the command of 
 Montenegro, the vessel was put about, and, with some forty 
 of the total band, set sail for the Isle of Pearls, which was 
 a few miles south of Panama, where stores could be pro- 
 cured. 
 
 Those who were left behind began to count the days 
 
 26
 
 At Famine Port 
 
 that passed, and meanwhile, to stay the pangs of hunger, 
 ate the shellfish which they picked up on the shore, or 
 devoured the bitter buds of the palm-tree or unsavoury 
 herbs rooted up in the forest. Some died of poison, while, 
 as the weeks went by, others crept away into corners and 
 starved to death. 
 
 Yet always Pizarro strove to keep up the drooping 
 spirits of his men, shared his provisions with them, gave 
 them such rough doctoring as he could, and by his ready 
 sympathy gained the devotion of all that survived. 
 
 Then one morning his secretary came to him and said 
 that, wandering with a comrade the previous night in a 
 distant part of the forest, they had seen a light through 
 an opening in the trees. When the men heard the news 
 they forgot their gnawing pangs, each snatched up his 
 weapons and asked to be led to where perhaps was food. 
 
 Pizarro eagerly led the way, and after penetrating a belt 
 of dense undergrowth, they found themselves in a clearing, 
 and saw before them the leaf-made roofs of huts. At sight 
 of the strangers, men, women and children dashed with 
 terrified cries into the green deeps behind the huts, and 
 the famished Spaniards, rushing forward, seized the maize 
 and cocoa-nuts which they found and devoured them 
 ravenously. 
 
 This was the first of several visits to the Indian village, 
 and soon they were friendly with the natives, from whom 
 the men of Pizarro obtained rough ornaments of gold, 
 besides articles of food. By the aid of the smattering of 
 the Indian tongue which he had learned during his years 
 of service, Pizarro asked the cacique or chief whether a 
 rich land lay to the southward. 
 
 " Yes," replied the Indian ; " at the distance of ten 
 days' march beyond the snowy mountains there lies a rich 
 
 27
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 and pleasant land, ruled by a great king whose treasure 
 in gold no man may count. He is called the Child of the 
 Sun, and he has conquered, in dreadful battles, a mighty 
 prince whose kingdom lies among the mountains. Great 
 are their armies, and no people can withstand the great 
 king, who came down from the Sun to reign on earth." 
 
 A few days later Montenegro returned with a great 
 store of food. He had been kept back by head -winds and 
 tempestuous seas, and his horror was great to find his 
 comrades so reduced in number and so wasted and haggard 
 from hunger and disease. 
 
 Refreshed and satisfied with food, the freebooters in a 
 few days' time begged to be led farther on their way to 
 the south ; and putting to sea, Pizarro and his men left the 
 place where they had suffered so much. In derision, the 
 men had already given it the name of " Famine Port." 
 
 After they had gone some leagues south, they landed at 
 an open part of the shore, and fell in with a village, where 
 the inhabitants fled, leaving the Spaniards free to take 
 much food, together with gold ornaments of considerable 
 value. The village was on a hill and well defended by 
 palisades, and it occurred to Pizarro that it might be well 
 to take up his quarters there. 
 
 Already it had become clear that his little vessel had 
 suffered considerable strain in the tempestuous seas she 
 had traversed, and that it would be necessary to send 
 her back with a few men to Panama to be repaired and 
 refitted. Meanwhile he would remain behind and explore 
 the country. 
 
 But first he despatched Montenegro with half their 
 forces to try to get in touch with the natives. As soon 
 as the lieutenant and his men had become entangled in a 
 defile of the hills, out of the green walls about them came 
 
 28
 
 At Famine Port 
 
 a shower of arrows that darkened the air, and blood- 
 curdling war-whoops startled the unsuspecting Spaniards. 
 But, quickly recovering, the white men charged the hordes 
 of painted, naked savages and caused them to flee. 
 
 Montenegro commenced to return, leaving three dead 
 upon the field ; but the savages, knowing the shorter ways, 
 reached the village long before him, and poured upon 
 Pizarro and his men a cloud of arrows, many of which found 
 a way through the joints of the soldiers' armour or the 
 quilted mail. Pizarro, skilful in Indian warfare, led his 
 men into the open and fiercely charged the natives, who 
 gave way for a time, but rallying, they pressed Pizarro, 
 whom they wounded in seven places. He fought like a 
 lion, and thus encouraged his men, so that the enemy 
 faltered somewhat. 
 
 Just at that moment Montenegro caught them in their 
 rear. The carnage was great, for the Indians fled in dis- 
 order ; but the victorj^ was dearly bought by the loss of 
 five Spaniards, besides a long list of wounded. 
 
 In this juncture of affairs Pizarro called a council of war. 
 
 " I think," said Ruiz the pilot, " you cannot stay here, 
 captain. The Indians have given us but a foretaste, and 
 to our sixty men they could bring six thousand, for the 
 rumour of our invasion will spread far and wide, and that 
 quickly." 
 
 " Moreover," said Montenegro, " I doubt whether it will 
 be wise to proceed farther in our ship. It made much 
 water coming from the Isle of Pearls, and I doubt the first 
 tempest would open all her seams." 
 
 "He speaks truth," said Ruiz. 
 
 Pizarro listened in silence and sat brooding for some 
 time. It went to his proud heart to think that he was 
 returning without having done the task which he had set 
 
 29
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 out to do. Certainly, he would not face the governor and 
 his friends, Almagro and Luque, empty-handed : the gold 
 they had obtained was of considerable value. But the mag- 
 nificent hopes of the adventurers had not been realized. 
 Yet he thought that enough had been done and learned to 
 prove that their dreams of the Land of Gk)ld were not 
 baseless. 
 
 Nevertheless when, some weeks later, the little vessel 
 sailed into the Gulf of St Michael, Pizarro decided that he 
 would not meet Governor Pedrarias at once. He therefore 
 landed "with the greater part of his men at Chicama, a village 
 some miles west of Panama, on the mainland . From there 
 he sent the ship with his treasurer, Nicolas de Ribera, 
 in order that the latter might give Pedrarias an account of 
 the expedition and display the gold they had got together. 
 
 Some time passed, when one day news came to Pizarro 
 that a vessel was sailing toward the land. Running down 
 to the seashore, Pizarro recognized it as the little caravel 
 which his lieutenant Almagro had remained behind to fit 
 out. In a little while he saw his friend, who wore a bandage 
 round his head, descend the side of the ship into a boat, 
 and as soon as Almagro stepped on shore the two friends 
 embraced and greeted each other. 
 
 " I have but just returned from following in your track," 
 said Almagro, when they were seated in Pizarro 's hut. " As 
 was arranged between us, I fitted out the little caravel, 
 but a plaguy task it was to get volunteers to come with me. 
 But at length I got some sixty of the roughest scoundrels in 
 Panama and set out. I found each place where you landed, 
 by the notches on the trees, and at the last place where I 
 found your marks I also found the graves of the men whom 
 doubtless you lost in battle with the Indians. Hardly 
 had we found the wooden crosses on their graves when 
 
 30
 
 At Famine Port 
 
 we in our turn were assailed by the savages from the 
 palisaded village on the hill. So enraged was I that I carried 
 the wretched place by assault, and there I received this 
 wound," pointing to his head, " which is like to lose me an 
 eye. But I got much gold in that village, and also at other 
 villages farther south where I touched. I found a river 
 there, with cultivated fields and villages along its borders. 
 My mind was filled with fear for you, my dear Pizarro, 
 and I wondered whether you had foundered. Finally, I 
 resolved to return to Panama in case you had also returned 
 and we had passed each other at night or during a mist. I 
 touched at the Isle of Pearls and heard that you were 
 staying here. And now, comrade, how have you sped ? 
 Of a truth, you and these brave fellows about us look 
 haggard and thin, as if you have seen misfortune." 
 
 Long sat the two friends recounting their journeys, ex- 
 ploits and escapes. It appeared that the gold collected by 
 Almagro was even greater than that obtained by Pizarro. 
 Moreover, the information Pizarro had gained was also con- 
 firmed by his friend, for at several places Almagro had 
 heard from friendly Indians of a great and opulent empire 
 lying many days' journey over the mountains. 
 
 " Friend," said Pizarro, at length, " what you have 
 learned and what I have learned confirms me in my con- 
 fidence that great wealth and fame will be ours if we but 
 persevere m this venture. As for me," he went on, stand- 
 ing up and lifting in his hand the black ivory cross that 
 hung by a silver chain about his neck, " I swear here and 
 now that I will rather die than abandon this enterprise." 
 
 " And I also pledge myself to that," said Almagro, rising 
 and seizing Pizarro's hand. " By the cross, I will not cease 
 my efforts until we stand in the midst of that land of Peru 
 and know that we are its conquerors." 
 
 31
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 The Faithful Thirteen 
 
 IT was arranged between Pizarro and Almagro that the 
 latter should proceed to the governor and request per- 
 mission to raise volunteers for a larger expedition, and 
 generally try to gain his good will. But when, a few days 
 after his meeting with Pizarro, Almagro presented himself 
 before Pedrarias the governor, he was received with black 
 looks and scornful laughter. The governor demanded an 
 account of the lives which had been lost by Pizarro in the 
 fights with the Indians, mocked Almagro's tales of the 
 magnificent country of which he had learned particulars, 
 and at length said that he would not consent to any 
 further expedition. 
 
 Almagro went away very crestfallen ; and going to 
 Father Luque, he told him all his tale. 
 
 " Be of good cheer, my son," said the priest, when he 
 had heard all ; " I will do all in my power to gain his 
 assent, for I have heard all that Pizarro has done, and 
 what you now tell me of your adventures confirms me more 
 strongly than ever in the belief that there is a rich Indian 
 empire to the south, which will repay the trouble of 
 conquering it as Mexico repaid the daring of Hernando 
 Cortes." 
 
 The priest was as good as his word. His wisdom and 
 learning gave him great weight in the councils of the settle- 
 ment of Panama, and Pedrarias at length gave a reluctant 
 
 32
 
 The Faithful Thirteen 
 
 consent to the expedition being put forward a second 
 time. 
 
 " But," he said, " I mistrust that fellow Pizarro. He 
 shall not command this venture alone ; Almagro shall be 
 equal in command, so that the other shall not lord it as he 
 wishes." 
 
 Almagro, when this was told him, was pleased at being 
 given equal rank with Pizarro ; but the latter's proud mind 
 was deeply wounded, not only at the degradation, but by 
 the suspicion which it aroused that Almagro had sought 
 to injure him and had urged the governor to give him 
 equal power. 
 
 Though Pizarro and Almagro were outwardly almost 
 as friendly as before, the seeds of distrust were sown in 
 Pizarro's suspicious mind, to grow and ripen as time went 
 on into tragic results. 
 
 Once having obtained the governor's consent to a 
 second expedition, Pizarro and Almagro set about getting 
 further ships and stores. But most people in Panama 
 thought they were madmen, to venture on such a 
 hazardous and distant journey, full of frightful dangers 
 as it might be, and quite ignorant of the strength of the 
 Indians in the land they hoped to conquer. 
 
 Father Luque was very zealous in his endeavours on 
 behalf of the two captains, and obtained from a rich 
 merchant of Panama, named Espinosa, who looked favour- 
 ably on the venture, the loan of twenty thousand pesos, 
 equivalent to about twelve thousand pounds of English 
 money ; with which sum two large vessels were purchased, 
 and a great quantity of stores was bought. 
 
 Then Pizarro and Almagro entered into a binding agree- 
 ment with Father Luque, to pay him, on behalf of the 
 merchant, a third of all the gold and precious things which 
 
 c 33
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 they might win in their venture. So solemn a thing was 
 this compact thought, that, in the presence of many of 
 the inhabitants, after the signing of the agreement, Father 
 Luque administered the sacrament to the parties to it, 
 dividing the consecrated wafer into three portions, of 
 which he and the two leaders took equal parts. 
 
 Those that stood by thought they were looking upon two 
 brave men who were undoubtedly devoting themselves to 
 an insane venture which would end in disaster and death, 
 and many were moved to tears. 
 
 " I tell you," said one, as the onlookers separated, " our 
 friends Pizarro and Almagro will be turning on spits before 
 a fire to grace a feast of savage Indians before a year is out." 
 
 " And as to Father Luque," returned a friend, " who 
 aids and abets them in all their madness, he should change 
 his name and be called Father Loco " (madman). 
 
 After this ceremony the two leaders rapidly completed 
 their arrangements, and when provisions, ammunition and 
 some horses had been purchased, they made proclamation 
 through the town that they were about to lead an ex- 
 pedition to Peru, and desired volunteers. 
 
 But recruits were hard to get. Most people scoffed at 
 the whole thing, as a venture of desperate and ignorant men. 
 Nevertheless, as time went on, volunteers came forward. 
 Most of the survivors of the former cruise enrolled them- 
 selves, and other men were found whose fortunes were so 
 desperate that they welcomed any change, or chance of 
 bettering them. 
 
 When, therefore, in the summer of 1527, Pizarro and 
 Almagro, each in his vessel, set sail from Panama, the 
 united crews numbered about one hundred and sixty men, 
 a small army indeed with which to conquer a rich and 
 powerful kingdom. 
 
 34
 
 The Faithful Thirteen 
 
 PizaiTo decided not to touch at any of the intervening 
 places on the coast, and therefore directed Ruiz the pilot 
 to steer straightway for the point reached by Almagro. 
 This was the river named by that leader the Rio de San 
 Juan, on the banks of which he had seen many Indian 
 cottages and cultivated fields. So fair was the weather 
 that the vessels reached the mouth of the river only a few 
 days after leaving Panama. 
 
 They cast anchor in the river and saw that the banks 
 had many Indian houses standing in the midst of fields. 
 Pizarro landed at the head of a party of men, and, creeping 
 through the trees, surprised a village, out of which they 
 took a large store of gold ornaments, besides several 
 prisoners. 
 
 So pleased were the leaders at their success, and the 
 promise which the gold gave of a still richer conquest, that 
 it was arranged between them that Almagro should return 
 to Panama with the treasure, so that, by showing it to 
 the soldiers and relating how easily it had been obtained, 
 a stronger body of volunteers could be got together. 
 Meanwhile, with the other vessel Ruiz the pilot was to sail 
 still farther south along the coast, to view out the land. 
 
 Pizarro was to remain on shore with the rest of the men, 
 and form a camp in an open piece of country which, as he 
 was assured by the prisoners, lay a little way back from 
 the river. 
 
 Ruiz the pilot, issuing from the mouth of the river in his 
 little vessel, sailed southward along the shore as far as a 
 large bay, which they named St Matthew. At every step of 
 the way the country seemed more densely populated ; the 
 fields were larger and better cultivated, and crowds of 
 natives stood on shore looking at the strange thing moving 
 along the face of the sea. 
 
 35
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 A little later the Spaniards were astonished to see in the 
 distance what looked like a caravel of huge size. Believing 
 that they were the first European navigators who had 
 ever entered these seas, some consternation was created by 
 the sight until, as the great vessel came nearer, they made 
 out that it was a large raft, rigged with a great sail, 
 by which the vessel was carried sluggishly over the water. 
 
 Several Indians were on board, wearing rich ornaments 
 of silver and gold, and they also carried articles skilfully 
 worked in the same material for the purpose of trading 
 along the coast. The dress of the Indians was made of 
 cloth of a fine texture, dyed in brilliant colours, and em- 
 broidered with birds and flowers. There were also on the 
 raft a pair of scales for weighing precious metals. 
 
 All these evidences of ingenuity and refinement were so 
 different from anything they had hitherto seen among the 
 native Indians that the Spaniards were astonished at 
 them ; and their admiration was increased by what the 
 Indians told them. They gave the Spaniards to under- 
 stand that they came from a rich town some miles to the 
 south, named Tumbez, that in the neighbourhood of that 
 place there were great flocks of animals from whose hair 
 their robes were spun, and that in the palaces of their 
 king, gold and silver were as common as wood. 
 
 Ruiz the pilot half doubted their wonderful talk, and 
 therefore he kept some of the Indians on board, but let 
 the others proceed on their journey. A little while after 
 this the pilot tacked about, and, standing away to the 
 north, regained the river where he had left Pizarro, after 
 an absence of some weeks. 
 
 Meanwhile Pizarro and his band had suffered from the 
 privations which they had undergone. When the two 
 ships had left them Pizarro had started out to find the open 
 
 36
 
 The Faithful Thirteen 
 
 country which had been spoken of by the Indians. But 
 day had followed day on the difficult march, and the forest 
 had seemed to become denser and darker, the trees higher, 
 and the clinging vines and creepers more difficult to cut 
 through. 
 
 Moreover, they found themselves lost in a succession of 
 high hills and deep and noisome ravines, where, through 
 the matted trees, the light of the tropical sun hardly pene- 
 trated to guide their way. There were brilliant flowers, 
 and birds of lovely plumage ; but there was also the giant 
 boa constrictor, coiling closely round the trees, his folds 
 so like the lights and shadows as to be quite indistinguish- 
 able until his deathly grip was about his victim ; and in the 
 pools and rivers which they skirted were alligators lying, 
 the shape and size of tree trunks, to seize the unfortunate 
 man who came unwarily to the water's edge. 
 
 Added to these dangers was the perpetual watch of the 
 Indians, who dogged the steps of the adventurers as if they 
 were their shadows, unseen themselves in the sombre 
 twilight of the forest, their presence only known when some 
 unfortunate man, straggling wearily behind the main body, 
 shrieked in his death agony. 
 
 Then famine came. They were reduced to searching 
 for the potato, which was to be found sometimes growing 
 wild in the hills, or the berries growing on the bushes, or 
 the cocoa-nut. They made haste to return to the place 
 whence they had started from the river bank, suffering 
 more and more from the pangs of hunger. 
 
 Along the seashore they were in worse state, for in the 
 swampy thickets of the mangrove they were tortured by 
 clouds of mosquitoes, which compelled them to bury their 
 bodies up to their very faces in the sand and mud. 
 
 So desperate had most of the little band become that 
 
 37
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 now, with the exception of Pizarro and a few strong spirits, 
 all desired nothing but to return at once to Panama, to 
 food and comfort. 
 
 Then one day rang a wild cry of delight through the 
 dark mangrove swamps. " Ruiz is coming ! Ruiz is 
 coming ! " some cried, and pointed out to sea, where the 
 caravel rode the waves, with all her sails bellying before 
 the favouring breeze. With what eagerness they shared 
 the stores of food in the ship, and, as strength and hope 
 returned, listened to his tale of brilliant hopes ! 
 
 A few days later Almagro also sailed into port, with a 
 large store of fresh provisions on board, and a band of 
 eighty adventurers, eager to share in the conquest and 
 plunder of a kingdom. 
 
 Strengthened by plentiful food and encouraged by their 
 increase of numbers, Pizarro's adventurers straightway 
 forgot their sufferings and clamoured to be led forthwith 
 towards the Land of Gold. 
 
 Accordingly they set sail, keeping near to the shore. 
 But by this time the summer season was past ; the tropical 
 sun had given place to grey clouds and storms of rain ; a 
 wind blew perpetually against them, and the very currents, 
 setting northwards, seemed to press them back. It was 
 not long before many of the soldiers, suffering from the 
 eternal jostling of the sea, began to wish themselves 
 on shore again ; but it was not deemed wise to risk a 
 landing. 
 
 As the ships pushed farther south, the country looked 
 more smiling ; the impenetrable and savage woods, lined 
 with tortuous mangrove swamps to the very brink of the 
 sea, now gave way to many stretches of open country, 
 which could be seen to be well cultivated with maize, 
 potatoes and cocoa ; and instead of wild solitudes, towns 
 
 38
 
 The Faithful Thirteen 
 
 and villages began to be revealed in greater number with 
 the passing of every headland. 
 
 But while the country thus promised wealth and plenty, 
 the natives became more threatening. Crowds of warriors 
 stood on the shore as the ships went past, flourishing their 
 weapons and shouting their war-cries, as if daring the 
 strangers to land. 
 
 At length, casting anchor before a large and populous 
 port, which their prisoners said was called Tacamez, 
 Pizarro determined to land and try to arrange for a 
 friendly conference with the natives, who were standing 
 in hundreds on the beach. He therefore went ashore, 
 taking some of the horses which they had brought with 
 them in this expedition. 
 
 With the aid of his captives, Pizarro endeavoured to 
 make overtures of peace to the natives, who, however, 
 would not listen, but pressed about the Spaniards with 
 every appearance of hostility. Some of the adventurers 
 resented the fierce bearing of the natives, and blows began 
 to be given on both sides. 
 
 For a few moments it looked as if the Spaniards, sur- 
 rounded by hundreds of fierce warriors, would be wiped 
 out of existence ; but a strange accident saved them. 
 During the struggle one of the cavaliers happened to fall 
 from his horse. This so startled the Indians, who had 
 believed that man and beast were one, that, filled with 
 fear, they retreated with cries of terror. The Spanish 
 leader, seizing the opportunity, commanded his men to 
 retreat, and all reached the vessels safely. 
 
 Having withdrawn the ships from the shore, Pizarro 
 called a council of war, to decide what should be done : 
 whether they should go farther, or return to Panama to 
 obtain more men. 
 
 39
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " I think 'twere foolish to go farther," said one ; " it 
 is evident that with our small force we could never make 
 head against so fierce and warlike a nation as these Indians. 
 The land seems thickly populated, and we should be over- 
 whelmed in an attempt to conquer it. Better go back, 
 for the enterprise is beyond our strength." 
 
 There were cries of assent to this proposal from many 
 others, men of a faint heart, who loved not dangers and 
 discomforts. 
 
 " No, by Our Lady," burst out Almagro, in a rage ; 
 " that is the counsel of a chicken heart. To go home now 
 with nothing done would be ruin, as well as disgrace. 
 Most of us here have left creditors at Panama. Would 
 they welcome us empty-handed ? Are they not looking 
 to see us come back to pay them with the golden gains 
 of this conquest ? If you go back now, you go back poor. 
 You will have to beg for alms, or be thrown into prison 
 by your enraged creditors. As for me, I would rather 
 roam a freeman here than lie and rot in fetters in the 
 prisons of Panama." 
 
 " What is your counsel, then, Almagro ? " said Pizarro. 
 
 " I advise this," replied the other leader : " that you 
 seek out some commodious place where you could remain 
 with a part of the force, while I go back to Panama 
 for recruits." 
 
 " Fine advice, truly," returned Pizarro, with a scornful 
 laugh. " In spite of your brave boasts, you choose the 
 pleasanter post for yourself. You wish to cruise to and 
 fro in your vessel, never very far from the fleshpots of 
 Panama ; while and I others stay behind to await your 
 pleasure, dying in the wilderness from hunger and disease." 
 
 Almagro, enraged at his friend's scornful words, cried : 
 " Then you go to Panama ! I am willing tot ake my 
 
 40
 
 The Faithful Thirteen 
 
 part ill any toil. You shall not charge me with a coward's 
 part." 
 
 But Pizarro was not to be appeased. He knew that 
 Almagro's advice was the best ; but he hated to have to 
 give up the expedition. Their words became more and 
 more heated ; eyes flashed ; hands leapt to sword-hilts, 
 and it seemed that a few more moments would have seen 
 them at each other's throats. 
 
 Fortunately, cooler heads were by ; and Ribera the 
 treasurer, and the old sea-dog, Ruiz, succeeded in pacify- 
 ing them. 
 
 "Have done, senores," they said. "How fine a story 
 would it be to tell those who have sneered at you in 
 Panama that you, the two leaders of this expedition, ended 
 it by cutting each other's throats ? " 
 
 Pizarro and Almagro were reconciled, at least to outward 
 seeming ; and, after some further talk, the latter's plan 
 was decided upon. 
 
 When, however, this decision was made known to the 
 men, they broke out in complaints, especially those who 
 were told they were to stay behind with Pizarro, on an 
 island which the leaders had decided upon. 
 
 " So," cried one, "this is to be the end of us. After 
 being deceived and cheated into taking part in this ex- 
 pedition, where we were to find gold as easily as stones, 
 we are to be marooned on a desolate island, to starve or 
 die of disease." 
 
 " While Almagro and the others go back to Panama," 
 said a second, " to tell more lies and thus entice other 
 fools out to this hare-brained venture." 
 
 " Look at our treasures 1 " sneered a third, holding forth 
 some native bows and arrows. " This is what we have 
 gained of all the wealth that was promised us." 
 
 41
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 *' And now," said the first speaker, " we shall leave our 
 bones on a savage island with not so much as a handful 
 of consecrated earth to cover them." 
 
 So bitterly disappointed were they that they decided 
 to write to their friends in Panama, telling them how they 
 had been defrauded and were now kept back by force, 
 to be sacrificed to the mad cupidity of their leaders. 
 These letters they gave into the keeping of some of the 
 soldiers who were going back to Panama. 
 
 But Pizarro and Almagro had got wind of the discontent, 
 and when the ship was about to set sail, Almagro ordered 
 all letters to be given up to him. This got to the ears of 
 Pizarro's men and exasperated them beyond measure, 
 for they saw themselves again outwitted, and they cursed 
 Almagro heartily for his high-handed action. 
 
 One of their number, however, a man named Juan de 
 Sarabia, suggested that there was still time to remedy the 
 check placed upon them. He hurriedly wrote another 
 letter, got several of the men to sign it, and then, seizing 
 a quantity of native cotton, he wound the threads round 
 and round the letter. 
 
 Just when Almagro 's vessel was about to heave the 
 anchor, and all except his own men were ordered to leave, 
 Sarabia walked up to Almagro as he stood giving orders 
 on the deck, and, presenting the roll of cotton to him, 
 said : 
 
 " Seiior Almagro, the lady of the governor would, I 
 am sure, be pleased to see what these poor heathens make 
 their garments of. I therefore suggest that you present 
 this specimen to her." 
 
 " Good," said Almagro ; " go quickly and place it in my 
 cabin with the other specimens." 
 
 Sarabia did as he was ordered, then gravely left the 
 
 42
 
 -^wM^jAtTBAM.^ 
 
 Eyes flashed; hands leapt to sword-hilts 
 
 42
 
 The Faithful Thirteen 
 
 ship, being the last man to go over the side, after a pro- 
 found and ironical bow to Almagro. 
 
 When the vessel arrived at Panama, Almagro went to the 
 governor, and, having made his report, showed the various 
 items of gold and silver, stuffs and cloths which they had 
 collected from the Indians. These were not very valuable, 
 but Almagro made up for this by the glowing colours with 
 which he painted the wealth and fertility of the regions 
 which they, of all Europeans, had been the first to dis- 
 cover. The governor was impressed, as were others who 
 stood by him ; and Almagro went from the interview 
 convinced that he had gained the governor's good will for 
 the further and larger force which Pizarro and he wished 
 to raise. 
 
 Almagro and Luque, after a long talk together, were in 
 the highest spirits, being confident now that the wealthy 
 regions of the Land of Gold were almost within their 
 reach. 
 
 Next day they went together to the house of the 
 governor, desiring to press their claims while the good 
 impression of Almagro 's report was still fresh. As they 
 entered the ante-chamber they marvelled at the looks 
 which were fixed on them by those standing about. Some 
 sneered, others laughed, and there were still others who 
 looked blackly at them. 
 
 They were instantly admitted to the governor, and the 
 men in the ante -room crowded behind them into the great 
 chamber. 
 
 The governor, a tall man of a military, high-bred air, 
 was walking up and down with impatient steps, and as 
 they entered he turned upon them, his eyes flashing, his 
 face dark with a scowl. 
 
 " What is this you have told me ? " he cried, looking at 
 
 43
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Almagro. " You come with your romantic tales, you 
 tell me of riches, of fertile lands, of vessels of gold and 
 silver finely wrought, of rich garments and delicately spun 
 stuffs. But what have you to say of the lives of the men 
 you have lost by your mad lust for gold ? What have 
 you to tell me of the miseries suffered by those you have 
 left behind — of their slow death by starvation, by poison- 
 ous insects and fierce beasts ? Tell me the truth, or by 
 our sovereign lord the emperor, you shall rot in jail as a 
 common fraud and cheat." 
 
 For a moment Almagro was taken aback by the sudden 
 and unexpected storm of the governor's wrath. Then, 
 recovering, he said : 
 
 " I know not what your Highness means, or who has 
 lied to you. It is not I." 
 
 " No ? " replied Don Pedro, with a laugh. " Then 
 perhaps you have only suppressed a great part of the 
 truth. See here ! This letter was found rolled up in a 
 bundle of cotton which you brought for my lady, and in 
 it you and your fellow-madman, Pizarro, are painted in 
 your true colours. You are the drover, sent by the butcher 
 to collect more poor, foolish sheep, to be taken out into 
 that wilderness of swamps and terrible forests to be 
 slaughtered or starved." 
 
 " By my head ! " cried Almagro, his anger leaping forth 
 at seeing how the malcontents had outwitted him, after 
 he had confiscated their letters, "" I will hang that rascal 
 who disobeyed my orders to the highest tree when I lay 
 my hand on him." 
 
 " Have a care what you say," said Don Pedro, in a hard 
 voice. " The power of life and death lies with me alone. 
 And on behalf of his Majesty I demand an account of you 
 and of Pizarro, for your high-handed treatment of my 
 
 44
 
 The Faithful Thirteen 
 
 soldiers, fellow-subjects of his Catholic Majesty. Listen 
 to this." 
 
 Whereupon Don Pedro read the letter which Juan de 
 Sarabia had hidden in the roll of cotton. In this were 
 related the miseries which the writers had suffered when 
 left alone with Pizarro on the mainland, and it was stated 
 that it was the cold-blooded greed of Pizarro which now 
 forced them against their wills to stay marooned upon an 
 island, where, unless the governor in the kindness of his 
 heart sent a vessel at once to take them away, they would 
 undoubtedly succumb to their miseries. At the end of the 
 letter Sarabia had written a doggerel verse, which ran as 
 
 follows : — 
 
 " Look out, Seiior Governor, 
 For the drover while he's near : 
 Since he goes home to get the sheep, 
 For the Butcher who stays here." 
 
 " Now," asked the governor, " what is the truth ? 
 Did those men desire to stay with Pizarro, or did they 
 not ? " 
 
 To this Almagro could give but one answer, in spite of 
 his angry denunciations of the malcontents. 
 
 " You are judged from your own mouth," said Don 
 Pedro. " I will listen no more to you nor to Don Luque, 
 who, I think, in spite of his usual wisdom, is in this matter 
 more than a little mad. And this is my command." 
 
 He looked around at the men standing near and 
 beckoned one to him. 
 
 " Don Tafur," he said, " I bid you to take two vessels, 
 store them with provisions and go quickly to this island 
 of Gallo, mentioned in this letter, and bring back every 
 Spaniard that you fuid alive when you get there, (io at 
 once, and set about the work." 
 
 45
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Don Tafur saluted and walked from the room. Almagro 
 and Don Luque, knowing that in his present incensed 
 state of mind the governor would not Hsten to them, also 
 took their leave, feeling deeply mortified as they saw the 
 sneering faces and heard the bitter laughter of those about 
 them. 
 
 JMeanwhile Pizarro, on the island of Gallo, had sent 
 back the other vessel to Panama, under the pretext that 
 it required to be repaired. The reason of his doing this 
 was that he feared lest the more mutinous of the men with 
 him might seize the vessel secretly and thus deprive him 
 of all his band. Therefore he forestalled them by putting 
 aboard all the more unruly men, retaining only those 
 whom he knew were either of a like spirit with himself or 
 were not deeply disaffected. 
 
 When the vessel had gone, the little band left with him, 
 together with a few Indians whom they had retained, 
 found it hard to provide food for themselves. They had 
 no fear of the natives of the island, for these had fled to 
 the mainland when the Spaniards had taken possession ; 
 but the island was very bare of shelter ; and, it being in 
 the midst of the rainy season, storms of thunder and 
 lightning, with driving wind and drenching rain, over- 
 whelmed them daily. 
 
 Thus exposed to the miseries caused by the elements, 
 and pinched by famine, all except the stoutest-hearted 
 among them pined for the comforts of Panama, and cursed 
 the madness that had made them volunteer for the 
 venture. 
 
 At length one day, through the rain that veiled the 
 distant sea, their hearts leaped to see two vessels beating 
 down toward them from the north. In a little while the 
 vessels cast anchor in the lee of the island, and boats put 
 
 4fi
 
 He traced a line on the sand 
 
 46
 
 The Faithful Thirteen 
 
 forth and ran ashore, laden with provisions, which the 
 famished men eagerly bore up from the beach. ^Vhen 
 their hunger was appeased, most of them clamoured to go 
 on board at once and leave the detested island. 
 
 But PizaiTO, with three of his intimates, stood apart, 
 reading a letter which had been handed to him by Don 
 Tafur, together with an epistle from the governor, order- 
 ing him to return at once to Panama. Near by stood Don 
 Tafur, waiting in silence for Pizarro to annomice his sub- 
 mission to the governor's commands. 
 
 At length Pizarro turned to his three friends, whose 
 names were Bartholomew Ruiz, the brave pilot, Pedro de 
 Candia, a Greek, and Nicolas de Ribera, his treasurer. 
 
 " Friends," he said, in a low voice, " I have letters from 
 Almagro and Don Luque. They tell me to stay here, and 
 they engage that in a little while they will furnish me 
 ■with ships and men to go on with our venture. To return 
 now, they say, would ruin the expedition for ever ; to 
 despair now would seal us as cowards." 
 
 The three looked at Pizarro : they saw the glow in his 
 eyes, the indefinable stiffening in his carriage, the bold 
 look in his stem face. Then they looked at one another 
 and read their decision in each other's eyes. 
 
 By this time the whole of the forty or fifty men who 
 had stayed behind with Pizarro were ranged in a crowd 
 behind the governor's messenger ; their questioning looks 
 were directed towards Pizarro, and they waited. 
 
 Suddenly Pizarro advanced a few paces and stood before 
 the assembled men. He drew his sword and traced a line 
 on the sand, still wet from the tide. The line ran from 
 east to west. 
 
 " Friends and comrades," he said, and lifted his head, 
 and the men wondered at the ringing sound of his voice. 
 
 47
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " On that side," he said, pointing to the southern side of 
 the line, " are toil, hunger, nakedness, the drenching 
 storm, desertion and death ; on this other side is ease, 
 plenty and pleasure. There lies Peru and its riches, here 
 are Panama and its poverty. Choose, each of you, what 
 best becomes a good Castilian." 
 
 Saying these words, he stepped over the line and faced 
 the south. To his side came instantly the pilot, Ruiz, 
 Pedro de Candia and de Ribera. Then, from the crowd 
 about Don Tafur, ten men stepped and ranged them- 
 selves beside the four. 
 
 Thus, whilst the others looked on in wonder and dismay, 
 these fourteen brave men, without food and half clothed, 
 vowed themselves to a daring venture against a powerful 
 kingdom, devoting themselves, as their leader had truly 
 said, to labours unspeakable, terrible hunger, nakedness, 
 desertion and death. 
 
 " But, sefiores, this is madness ! " burst out Don Tafur, 
 striding forward, " madness and rank disobedience to the 
 commands of his Highness." 
 
 " Nevertheless, it is our Avill," said Pizarro quietly, 
 " and we will abide the issue." 
 
 48
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 Marooned 
 
 FOR some time Don Tafur tried all manner of argu- 
 ments to dissuade Pizarro and his companions 
 from their resolution ; but it was in vain. He 
 angrily refused Pizarro 's request that he should leave one 
 of his vessels so that they could continue their voyage, and 
 only with great reluctance did he consent to leave some of 
 his stores with them for their use. 
 
 When at length the others had embarked on board the 
 ships, Don Tafur, the last to step into the boat, turned 
 and addressed Pizarro and the men with him. 
 
 " For the last time, sefiores, will you come with me and 
 leave this mad enterprise ? " 
 
 " We will not," said Pizarro, and the others echoed his 
 words. 
 
 " Think you," went on Don Tafur, with a sneer, " that 
 you are now doing that which will hand your names down 
 to fame — as the faithful thirteen who would not forsake 
 this expedition of mad visionaries ? " 
 
 " It may be," said Pizarro, " or it may not be. But for 
 myself I know that never could I be happy again in life if 
 at this time I turned back from the course I have proposed 
 to myself. Whatever comes, be it starvation, miseries or 
 death in battle, I keep that which is worth all the pleasures 
 of Panama — the knowledge that I do not despise myself 
 for a coward." 
 
 D 49
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " The captain speaks the minds of all of us," said Pedro 
 de Candia. " We think he has a great destiny, even as 
 he has shown he has a great purpose and a stout heart. 
 We will share his destiny, whatever it bring." 
 
 Silently Don Tafur doffed his hat and bowed, then 
 turned and entered the boat, and in a little while the 
 group on the seashore heard the clank of the rising anchor 
 chains, saw the sails climb bellying upon the masts, heard 
 the shouts of farewell, and looked with intent gaze as the 
 ships heeled before the favouring winds and rushed over 
 the white-flecked seas. Soon they were lost to view, and 
 then the companions in constancy turned their eyes upon 
 their barren island, and began to think in what mamier 
 they should spend the waiting time. 
 
 Ruiz the pilot had gone back with Don Tafur in order 
 to aid the efforts of Don Luque and Almagro in obtaining 
 further help for the expedition, and as Pizarro knew that 
 some time must elapse before assistance could come to 
 them, he began to set about trying to better their con- 
 ditions in the inhospitable spot. 
 
 It was found, however, that the island was so exposed 
 to wind and storm that it was impossible to make it 
 habitable. Moreover, it was thought that the natives 
 who had forsaken it might get wind of the fact that the 
 number of Spaniards was now but small, and they might 
 therefore return in overwhelming numbers to regain 
 possession. 
 
 In these circumstances Pizarro thought of an island, 
 named by the natives Gorgona, which they had touched 
 at, and which lay some twenty-five leagues to the north of 
 them. He remembered that this was more wooded than 
 their present abode, and therefore offered more shelter. 
 He determined to remove thither, and having acquainted 
 
 50
 
 Marooned 
 
 his companions with his decision, he got them, with the aid 
 of the Indians who still stayed with them, to construct a 
 raft from the few trees which grew on the island. When 
 this was completed the whole of the little company was 
 removed, with their few stores and provisions, to the 
 island of Gorgona. 
 
 They found that this stood higher out of the water, and 
 was partially covered with wood, in the undergrowth of 
 which lived pheasants and rabbits. The island was quite 
 uninhabited, and lay about five leagues from the mainland. 
 
 There were also numerous streams, and as the Spaniards 
 had crossbows with them with which to shoot the game, 
 they found themselves in much better circumstances than 
 in the island they had left. 
 
 To protect themselves from the drenching storms of 
 rain they made rude huts on the edges of the wood ; but 
 though these sheltered them from the elements, they 
 also sheltered hordes of venomous flies and insects which 
 preyed upon the Europeans. 
 
 Week succeeded week in a dreary world where there was 
 nothing to occupy men's minds, except the eternal watch 
 which they kept upon the vacant seas to the north, looking 
 and longing for the ship that was to come. But Pizarro, 
 knowing that if he were to keep his men in a sound con- 
 dition he must give them something higher and better than 
 themselves to think about, made it the practice to omit no 
 service which the Church enjoined upon religious Catholics. 
 
 Every morning and evening, therefore, they gathered 
 together, and he said the appropriate prayers ; Fridays and 
 Sundays were strictly observed, and the greater Church 
 festivals were made the occasion of more elaborate prayers, 
 and, if possible, food a little more in quantity was supplied 
 to commemorate the event. Thus was created in the 
 
 51
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 simple and rough minds of the soldiers a sense of confidence 
 in the protection of Heaven. 
 
 Months passed. Each man got to know every inch of 
 their narrow island prison by reason of the infinite times 
 which they had traversed it from end to end. Looking to 
 the north, the west and the south, only the illimitable 
 fields of tumbling waters met their eye, merging distantly 
 into the sky. If they turned to the east they saw the 
 line of forest-fringed coast, and behind the green masses 
 of trees, the terrors of whose sombre depths they had 
 learned, rose like a giant jagged saw the line of the Andes, 
 their frozen summits glooming to the rainclouds, or 
 flashing pure and white to the splendour of the tropic sun. 
 
 The wretchedness of the rainy season passed, giving 
 place to the sweltering heats of summer, when men pined 
 for cool shadow to shelter them from the fierce rays of the 
 vertical sun. But still the tumbling waste of water to the 
 north was unbroken by the sight of a friendly sail. 
 
 So keen and constant was their watch that every speck 
 upon the sea was noted, so that often, as one strained his 
 eyes and saw a piece of drifting timber lift above the wave, 
 or a mass of seaweed swing high on a crest of foam, he 
 would cry out : "A ship 1 a ship ! " Then when others 
 ran to him, he would point to where he had seen what he 
 thought was a lifting sail, until the truth would at length 
 be forced upon them that again they had been deceived. 
 Successive disappointments such as these, and the tension 
 of long waiting, bore heavily on all. It seemed at times 
 as if they were utterly deserted and forgotten ; as if they 
 would stay there for all the years of their lives, and leave 
 their bones at length upon the sands of their prison island. 
 
 When Don Tafur had reached Panama and reported to 
 the governor the inflexible resolution of Pi2:arro and his 
 
 52
 
 Marooned 
 
 friends, Don Pedro de los Rios was enraged at what he 
 termed " wilful suicide " ; and to the appeals of Don Luque 
 he at first replied that never again would he assist men 
 so obstinately bent upon their own destruction. 
 
 Almost daily, however, Don Luque had an interview 
 with the governor, and so tactful was the priest that 
 gradually he made an impression on the stubborn heart 
 of Don Pedro. He showed him that even if Pizarro and 
 his friends were rash, it was ultimately in the service of 
 the emperor and for the glory of Spanish conquest and 
 power. Further, he reminded the governor that, on 
 taking over the government, he had been expressly 
 instructed to aid Pizarro in his enterprise of discovery 
 towards the south. To desert him now would not only 
 be disobeying the orders of the State, but it would ruin 
 the last chance of success and cause the deaths of Pizarro 
 and his faithful adherents. 
 
 For many weeks the stubborn mind of the governor 
 would not be moved ; but at length he gave a reluctant 
 consent that a vessel might be despatched to the island, 
 but with no more than a sufficiency of hands to work her, 
 and with positive instructions to Pizarro that he should 
 return and report to the governor within six months. 
 
 Once having gained this consent, Don Luque and 
 Almagro lost no time in purchasing a small vessel ; but 
 still there were weeks of delay while necessary stores and 
 provisions had to be brought over the rough mountains 
 from Nombre de Dios on the other side of the isthmus. 
 It was not, therefore, until six months had passed since 
 Almagro's return that he was ready again to get to sea 
 with succour for his friend. 
 
 When the sails of the caravel rose over the waste of 
 waters before the eyes of the watchers on the little island, 
 
 53
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Pizarro and his comrades could hardly believe that after 
 all they had not been forgotten. Swiftly the ship sailed 
 to the land, a boat was put off, and joyful greetings were 
 exchanged. 
 
 Pizarro was disappointed to learn from Almagro that 
 he brought no recruits for the expedition ; but nevertheless 
 he determined to go forward. Two of his band were too 
 ill to be moved, and they were left in the care of some of 
 the friendly Indians. Taking the rest of his followers and 
 the remainder of the Indians, he embarked, and weighing 
 anchor, bade farewell to the place which had seen so many 
 months of wretchedness and despair. 
 
 Following the directions of the natives with them, Ruiz 
 put the bows of the vessel straight towards the port of 
 Tumbez, where, said the Indians, they would be almost 
 at the heart of the Land of Gold, of which they had so long 
 been in quest. 
 
 Narrowly they held on this course, touching at no place 
 on the way. Both the currents and the winds were against 
 them, but the weather was not severe, and though slow, 
 their voyage was not uncomfortable. 
 
 After passing the point reached by the old pilot on his 
 voyage of discovery they found that the coast lost its 
 bold and rugged aspect, and now sloped gently down, 
 opening out into sandy plains with well-cultivated fields 
 here and there. The white dwellings of the natives shone 
 in the sunlight, and smoke rose over the distant landscape 
 from hidden towns and villages. 
 
 At length, rounding a point of wooded land, a sight of 
 majesty and beauty burst on their view. The ship glided 
 smoothly into the quiet waters of a great gulf. The shore 
 that met the sea was a narrow strip of emerald green, 
 studded with little towns and villages ; and behind them, 
 
 54
 
 Marooned 
 
 rising sharply from the fertile plain, the great cordilleras 
 lay, their sides clothed here and there with rugged woods, 
 but in places smiling with terraced fields of Indian maize 
 or potatoes. 
 
 Still farther beyond rose the titanic flanks of the Andes, 
 lifting far into the blue of the sky, the steep and jagged 
 sides bare with dark rock, or flashing now and then as the 
 sun caught the ice of the glaciers that crept down the sides. 
 Higher still above the ridge of the mountain range rose 
 two great giants — Chimborazo, with its broad, round 
 summit, and Cotopaxi, with its dazzling cone of silvery 
 white. 
 
 At length, following the directions of the Indians, the 
 Spaniards came to anchor off an uninhabited island, which 
 lay at the mouth of the bay of Tumbez. 
 
 Next morning they sailed across the bay for the city. 
 As they drew near, they beheld a town of large size, with 
 many buildings of stone and plaster. It stood amidst 
 leafy trees, and round about it was meadowland, rich 
 with crops and herbage. 
 
 Several large native rafts, filled with men, were sailing 
 out of the harbour ; and the Indians who were with the 
 Spaniards hailed them. They learned that they were 
 warriors who were setting out to attack an island near by. 
 Pizarro, through his interpreters, invited some of the chiefs 
 to come aboard. The Peruvians looked with wonder on 
 everything which met their gaze in the ship ; and especially 
 did they marvel at finding some of their countrymen with 
 the white strangers. 
 
 The Spanish leader persuaded the Peruvian chiefs to 
 return to the town and report what they had learned. 
 This they did, and as the Spaniards let go their anchor, 
 and prepared to lie at their moorings, they saw the people 
 
 55
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 flocking to the waterside in crowds, as the news of the 
 arrival of the wonderful strangers spread through the town. 
 
 In a little while a huge native raft, or balsa, set off from 
 the shore and approached the ship. It was laden with 
 bananas, plantains, yucca, Indian com, sweet potatoes, 
 pineapples, cocoa-nuts and other rich products of the land ; 
 together with game and fish, and several llamas, a strange 
 beast from which the Peruvians procured their fabrics for 
 clothing, and which the Spaniards had heard of but had 
 never before seen. 
 
 With these there also came a man in rich clothes, with 
 heavy gold ornaments in his ears, whom the other natives 
 treated with great deference. He was an Inca noble, one 
 of the royal and sacred family of the kings, and Pizarro 
 received him with great distinction. The noble was shown 
 all over the vessel, and his numerous questions concerning 
 the uses of the various things he saw were answered as 
 well as they could be, through the Indian interpreters. 
 
 When the Inca chief had gone over the whole of the 
 ship, he asked : 
 
 " Why is it, seeing that the white men are so rich and 
 so abundantly provided with all things for their comfort — 
 why is it that they have come to the land of the Incas ? " 
 
 " Because," replied Pizarro, " my master is a great 
 prince, the greatest and most powerful in all the world, 
 and I have come hither to discover new lands for him, so 
 that he may assert his supremacy over all regions which 
 have hitherto been unknown. Moreover, it is my prince's 
 desire," went on Pizarro, " to bring a knowledge of the 
 true religion to those people who are sunk in heathenism. 
 I will tell them of the true and only God, in whom to 
 believe will save their immortal souls from eternal per- 
 dition." 
 
 56
 
 Marooned 
 
 The Inca chieftain Hstened with deep attention, but it 
 is to be doubted whether he understood much of what was 
 said. He bowed and replied nothing. When, after he had 
 eaten dinner with the Spaniards, he took his leave, he 
 invited Pizarro to come on shore and see the town when 
 he chose. The Spanish leader gave him several presents, 
 among them being an iron hatchet, which the Inca chief 
 had greatly admired, for iron was unknown to the 
 Peruvians, their weapons being of bronze. 
 
 Next day Pizarro sent one of his comrades ashore, 
 Alonso de Molina, together with a negro, one of the crew. 
 They took with them a present of live swine and poultry 
 for the chief magistrate of the city, whom the Peruvians 
 called a curaca. When, in the evening, Molina returned 
 with more fruit and vegetables, all the Spaniards gathered 
 around him, and his tale was wondrous to hear. 
 
 " When I landed," said the Spanish cavalier, " the 
 Indians crowded about me, all very friendly, but seemingly 
 astonished. They touched my face, felt my beard, and 
 handled my dress. But I think they were still more 
 astonished at Pedro here," pointing to the negro, whose 
 black face shone with good humour, " for one of them 
 rubbed his face with a hand and looked to see if the black 
 came off. And when the black grinned at them, they 
 jumped about him with merriment. Then suddenly the 
 cock which Pedro had put on the ground in its cage began 
 to crow. All the chatter of the natives suddenly ceased, 
 and some jumped away. Then they clapped their hands 
 with glee and asked what the bird was saying." 
 
 " Yes, yes," said one of his comrades, " but what saw you 
 of the town, Alonso ? Saw you aught of treasure or fine 
 raiment ? " 
 
 " Wait and I will tell you," replied Molina. " When 
 
 57
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 they had got over their first surprise, the natives con- 
 ducted me to the dwelling of their chief man or curaca. 
 His house is made of stone ; porters stand at his doors, his 
 floors are covered with rich carpets, and the dishes and 
 cups upon his table are of gold and silver, for when I was 
 taken to him he was at dinner. He asked me to dine with 
 him, and very delicate was the food we had. Afterwards 
 he took me through the city, where I saw many fme houses, 
 and a fortress built very strongly of stone. It was wide 
 and big and of very fine work, and was made by the Incas, 
 who are kings of Cuzco, a golden city far inland, and 
 lords of all Peru. Near by this is a temple, where they 
 took me ; and never saw I so much gold and silver in one 
 place before, nor have I ever dreamed that so much could 
 be in one place. There were figures of pure gold, as of 
 gods, and altars of silver before each ; the walls are of 
 sheets of gold, and a rich cornice runs round the chief 
 chamber, of solid gold, richly worked." 
 
 " Of a truth," said one, with a laugh, " you say naught 
 of the wine they make, of which you must have drunk 
 deep to tell us such tales." 
 
 " But I speak naught but the truth," said Molina, " of 
 things I saw with my own eyes." 
 
 In spite of his assertions most of his fellows doubted his 
 tale, which seemed no more than a dream of extravagant 
 fancies. 
 
 Next day, therefore, Pizarro sent Pedro de Candia, the 
 Greek cavalier, to visit the curaca and to see if Molina's 
 tale were true. Candia was dressed in complete mail, and 
 bore his sword by his side and his harquebus on his 
 shoulder. As the sun flashed from his armour and dazzled 
 from the headpiece, the simple Indians looked upon him 
 almost as a god. 
 
 58
 
 Marooned 
 
 They begged him to " let his harquebus speak," for 
 they had heard wondrous tales of it from their country- 
 men who had come with the Spaniards, and Candia, setting 
 up a wooden board as a target, fired his musket, splintering 
 the board to pieces. The flash of the powder, the loud 
 report, and the inability to see what had caused the board 
 to break filled the natives with awe. Some fled, others 
 fell to the ground, covering their faces with their hands, 
 while others approached him with humble gestures of 
 awe. Only when the cavalier smiled did the Peruvians 
 recover their spirits. 
 
 Then they showed him about the town. The fortress, 
 he found, was protected by triple rows of walls, and was 
 strongly garrisoned. The temple, also, with its interior 
 walls hung with plates of gold and silver, and its idols 
 made of gold, was exactly as Molina had described. He 
 saw also a kind of convent beside the temple, where, he was 
 told, the Virgins of the Sun were lodged. He was not 
 permitted to enter this, but in the gardens of the convent 
 he saw many figures of fniits and vegetables, which were 
 made of gold and silver, beautifully worked. 
 
 When Candia returned to the ship and corroborated 
 all that Molina had said, the Spaniards were jubilant. 
 It seemed that now indeed all their dreams were to be 
 realized, and those who had mocked them as visionaries 
 would now be mocked in their turn. 
 
 " I give thanks to Heaven," said Pizarro, " that now our 
 constancy and our faith are to be rewarded ; but bitterly 
 do I lament the timidity of our enemies who have de- 
 prived me of followers sufficient in number to enable us 
 to conquer these lands and their wealth for the glory of 
 our master the emperor." 
 
 Pizarro saw that it was idle to attempt anything in the 
 
 59
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 way of conquest with the insignificant force at his dis- 
 posal ; and therefore, having learnt all he could, be pre- 
 pared to depart. He promised the natives of Tumbez 
 that he would return before long, and then, weighing 
 anchor, he turned his prow towards the south. 
 
 Pursuing his way along the coast, he touched at various 
 places, and at each he was received with hospitality by 
 the natives, who seemed milder and more gentle than 
 those of the north, whom the Spaniards had met with in 
 their former expeditions. 
 
 At every stopping-place he heard the same accounts of 
 a rich and powerful monarch, lord of all these lands, who 
 lived inland beyond the mountains in a city whose treasures 
 of gold and silver were incalculable ; but in no place did 
 they find such evidences of wealth as in Tumbez. 
 
 At length Pizarro reached the mouth of a broad and 
 beautiful stream flowing through a country which was 
 covered with arid sands. Having landed, the Spaniards 
 found that for miles the land was nothing but a great 
 cemetery, where mummies were buried in clefts and holes 
 in the hills, and the soil was covered with the scattered 
 bones of ancient dead. 
 
 When they had reached this point his followers besought 
 Pizarro not to go farther into the unknown seas. 
 
 " Surely," said they, " we have learned enough and 
 more than enough to prove not only the existence, but to 
 prepare a map of the actual position of this great and 
 wealthy empire. As it is, however, we have no power to 
 profit by our discovery. Would it not be wise, therefore, 
 to return and report the success of our expedition ? " 
 
 After discussion with his chief associates, Pizarro agreed 
 that it was reasonable that they should return, " seeing 
 that now," he said, " we, who departed under a cloud, the 
 
 60
 
 Marooned 
 
 scorn and mock of every timid fool, can now return in 
 triumph." 
 
 Instantly, therefore, the ship put about and stood for the 
 north, after having sailed into a sea which had never before 
 been entered by a European ship. Favouring breezes 
 followed all the way back to Tumbez, where they again 
 cast anchor. 
 
 The friendly intercourse with the natives was resumed, 
 and the town wore so comfortable an air, and the in- 
 habitants seemed so kindly that Alonso de Molina, who 
 had landed on the previous visit, went to Pizarro and begged 
 that he might be left behind, to live with the Peruvians. 
 
 " I have no wish," he said, " to go back to Panama, 
 where duns and creditors will harass the life out of my 
 body. Let me stay here, captain. The natives are kindly 
 people, and until you return I can learn their language 
 and their ways, and so be of great use to you when you 
 come with force enough to conquer the land." 
 
 " Let me also stay with Molina," said another cavalier, 
 a close friend of MoHna's. " Together we could do much 
 to prepare your way when you shall return." 
 
 " Your lives will be in your own hands, my men," said 
 Pizarro. " If you stay, you must be wary, lest you excite 
 suspicions. Be not over bold or insolent, learn their 
 tongue and their ways, and when we return, you will be 
 useful to us." 
 
 In great glee the two men hastily collected their meagre 
 baggage and put off in the boat and were rowed ashore, 
 where they were made hugely welcome by the delighted 
 and simple natives. 
 
 By the aid of his own Indians, Pizarro had got the chief 
 or curaca of the place to permit him to take on board two 
 intelligent young natives of Tumbez, on promising to 
 
 6i
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 bring them back safely. This was done in order that they 
 should see the cities and learn the power of the white men, 
 so as to report on these matters when they returned. One 
 of these natives of Tumbezwas a youth whom the Spaniards 
 called Felipillo, or little Philip, who quickly adapted him- 
 self to the ways of bis European friends, and learned to 
 speak Castilian. The other was named Martinillo, or 
 little Martin, and was almost equally quick. 
 
 From Tumbez, Pizarro sailed direct to Panama, only 
 touching at the island of Gorgona, to pick up the sur- 
 vivor of the two men whom he had left there in ill-health. 
 After an absence of eighteen months, the little band of 
 hardy adventurers again saw the familiar plaza of Panama, 
 with the lions of Castile on the silken banner which waved 
 over the governor's quarters ; and as soon as loungers on 
 the waterside caught sight of the vessel, the cheer that 
 arose gave Pizarro and his men a foretaste of the triumph 
 they were to enjoy now that they had come home again. 
 
 There is little need to describe the wonder, the joy and 
 the admiration of their friends as, leaping ashore, they 
 clasped the hands held out to them and tried to answer 
 the eager questions which came to them. It was with 
 proud satisfaction that the band of ten adventurers 
 walked toward the town, surrounded by friends and by 
 those who, having previously laughed at them, now con- 
 gratulated them. 
 
 " Every tale that we have ever told ye," said Almagro, 
 hearty and generous as was his wont, "we now repeat to 
 you. We have seen the length of the golden land — our 
 own eyes have looked at the gold and the silver in its 
 temples, and have seen the golden vessels out of which 
 their lords eat. Now, ye doubting Thomases, never mock 
 us again. You thought we dreamed vain dreams, or, 
 
 62
 
 Marooned 
 
 worse, that we were cheats and cozeners, and when we 
 staked our lives upon our ventures, you called us madmen. 
 This is our hour, my friends — the hour of our slow, hardly 
 earned triumph." 
 
 Next day, full of the conviction that now, after seeing 
 the proofs of the truth of their magnificent discoveries, 
 the governor would give every aid to their further efforts, 
 Pizarro, Almagro and Don Luque craved audience of Don 
 Pedro de los Rios, who instantly received them. 
 
 Pizarro gave an account of their voyage, and in proof of 
 what he related, he produced gold and silver ornaments 
 which he had bartered from the natives, and brought 
 forward the llamas, or native Peruvian sheep, from whose 
 hairy covering the Indians of Peru manufactured their 
 beautiful and delicate garments. He also showed the 
 governor the Indians whom he had brought with him 
 from Tumbez, and related all that they had told him of the 
 riches of the king who dwelt at an inland city of Peru 
 and was called the " Child of the Sun." 
 
 When Pizarro had finished, Don Luque began an appeal 
 for the governor's patronage and assistance in carrying 
 on a venture which was too great a one for their own un- 
 aided resources. 
 
 "I make this appeal to your Excellency," said the priest, 
 " with every confidence that you will grant us the favour 
 of your protection and grace. The reality and vastness of 
 the riches, both in treasure and territory, which we have 
 in view to gain for the glory of Spain, have been proved 
 to your Highness. May we hope, sefior, that you will 
 make it publicly known that in our endeavours to enlist 
 aid and to enrol volunteers, we have your favour ? " 
 
 The governor had listened throughout with a cold face, 
 and now, with a gloomy brow, he replied : 
 
 63
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " I see no reason why I should give you what you desire. 
 You must do what you may without me. Do you think I 
 have any desire to build up other states by the depopula- 
 tion of my own ? Why should I be so great a fool ? 
 Furthermore, I will not allow you to throw away any 
 more lives. More than enough have already been sacri- 
 ficed to gain this cheap display of gold and silver, and to 
 capture a few Indian sheep 1 " 
 
 Saying these words, the governor rose and left the 
 chamber, thus cutting short all attempts at further appeal. 
 
 The three associates looked at each other in consterna- 
 tion. Then Almagro, with a bitter oath, turned and strode 
 from the apartment, followed by Pizarro and Don Luque. 
 They went to the latter's lodging, and as soon as their 
 anger, perplexity and astonishment could allow them, 
 they began to consider what they could do, by their own 
 unaided efforts, to make up an expedition. 
 
 " Ah, the jealous, petty soul ! " cried Almagro. " It 
 was spite that made him speak so. To find that those he 
 had branded as madmen or cheats had made their words 
 good — to find that they who had been penniless had 
 returned with a key to treasures of gold that he could never 
 touch — that it was which made his mean heart turn 
 against us ! " 
 
 " It is idle to rail, Almagro," said Pizarro, his pale face 
 more pallid still, his eyes hard and full of gloom. " What 
 we must do now is to think out a way to circumvent 
 him, to use him against his will, work upon his love of 
 power or of gold in some way." 
 
 " Not I," said Almagro ; " never more will I make part 
 in begging of that womanish soul." 
 
 " But it must be done," returned Pizarro. " In no other 
 way can we get the loan of a peso, enlist a volunteer or 
 
 64
 
 Marooned 
 
 move a ship. We are at the very grasp of all we ever 
 hoped to find ; to stop now would be to abandon, for 
 someone else's gain, the rich land of treasure which 
 our own constancy and perseverance have discovered. 
 Would you leave open to others the wealth which is 
 yours ? " 
 
 " But, man, what's to be done ? " cried Almagro, in- 
 dignant and perplexed. " Must we spend weary months 
 trying to persuade the governor ? " 
 
 " Listen, my children," interrupted the priest, who, 
 walking moodily up and down the room, had said nothing 
 hitherto ; " there is but one authority which will favour 
 us — ^which must favour us. It is the Crown itself. It is 
 for our emperor that the discovery has been made, and 
 for him again and his glory will you conquer what you 
 have discovered. We must go, one of us, to Spain, and 
 lay this matter before his Gracious Majesty, the Emperor 
 Charles ! " 
 
 " By my faith, but the priest hits it ! " cried Almagro, 
 and struck the table with a great blow of his fist. " And 
 who do you suggest should go ? " he demanded. " 'Tis a 
 delicate matter, yet one that needs a man." 
 
 " The Licentiate Corral, a prudent and wise lawyer, is 
 about to go to Spain," said Luque. " In his hands " 
 
 " A lawyer ! " cried Almagro in disgust. " No ; a 
 thousand times no. He has not the matter at his heart. 
 There is the man to go — Francisco Pizarro. He has been 
 through all that he will have to tell, he is cool and cautious, 
 prudent yet bold. Pizarro, you are the man to do this. 
 Your head will not be turned by the splendours of Court, 
 nor your heart moved by the crooked words of courtiers 
 and other functionaries. You must go, lad, or we are all 
 lost. " 
 
 E 65
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Tlie pale face of Pizarro flushed faintly and his dark 
 eyes glowed. 
 
 " I will go," he said, " if that is the wish of you both. 
 But, by the Virgin, I would rather face the miseries of the 
 wilderness ! " 
 
 " You must go," reiterated Almagro. " No one could 
 do our business so well." 
 
 " Wliat do you say, father ? " asked Pizarro of the 
 priest. 
 
 " God grant, my children," said the priest, " that one of 
 you does not cheat the other of his benefits. I should be 
 more at ease if you went together." 
 
 '■ Not I ! " cried Almagro. " I should be like a boar in 
 a hen-roost. And Pizarro will be true to us all, I doubt 
 not." 
 
 '' I think," said Pizarro coldly, " that as I have never 
 tried to cheat either of you hitherto, I shall not defraud 
 you in this." 
 
 It was settled, therefore, that Pizarro should go to 
 Spain to beseech the favour and assistance of the Court 
 itself. 
 
 Wlien all preparations were ready, he bade adieu to 
 Panama, and, accompanied by Pedro de Candia, the Greek 
 cavalier, took the road over the mountains to Nombre de 
 Dios, where he would take ship to Spain. With him, also, 
 as proofs of the wonderful story he had to tell, he took 
 some of the Peruvian natives, two or three llamas, various 
 delicate fabrics of cloth, and many ornaments and vases of 
 gold and silver. 
 
 66
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 At the Door of the Land of Gold 
 
 THE news that Pizarro, the man who had discovered 
 another kingdom, richer even than the land of the 
 Aztecs, was coming to Spain had preceded the 
 adventurer by vessels that had sailed from Nombre de 
 Dios before he set out. The soldier felt certain that he 
 would be welcomed for the sake of his news, and that the 
 aid which he and his associates desired would be granted 
 by the government. 
 
 It was, therefore, with some emotion that, as the vessel 
 sailed into the harbour of Seville, he looked again upon 
 the land which he had not seen for twenty years, when he 
 left the country a poor, obscure soldier. 
 
 As he stepped upon the quay, where many had gathered 
 at the news of his approach, his mind glowed with warm 
 feelings for his country. Suddenly a man in official 
 garb stepped forth from the crowd, and stood before 
 Pizarro. 
 
 " Are you Francisco Pizarro ? " he asked. 
 
 " I am," replied the soldier. 
 
 " Then I arrest you in the name of the law," was the 
 reply, and at a gesture from the stranger two armed men 
 placed themselves beside Pizarro. 
 
 The soldier's face went pale. This, then, was the open- 
 ing of those brilliant fortunes for which he had had such 
 hopes from his native land. 
 
 67
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " At whose command and for what reason am I 
 arrested ? " asked Pizarro. 
 
 " You are a citizen of Panama," was the reply. " The 
 Bachelor Enciso has a claim against that city for money 
 advanced, and you are to be held in durance until his claim 
 is paid." 
 
 At the injustice of this proceeding some of the citizens 
 assembled there began to murmur. 
 
 " You may be right in law, Master Sheriff," said one 
 man, a richly dressed merchant ; " but this Senor 
 Pizarro comes hither on a great mission, and I doubt 
 but your master, Enciso, will smart for this high-handed 
 proceeding." 
 
 " Seiior," said the officer haughtily, " my master does 
 but what the law allows, and desires no countenance from 
 you!" 
 
 Depression and despair settled upon Pizarro when, a 
 few hours later, he found himself caged between the four 
 dark walls of a prison cell. He had no hope that anyone 
 would move in his behalf, seeing that he knew no person in 
 authority, and that it was to nobody's interest that he 
 should be released. 
 
 Nevertheless, his comrade, Candia, was not idle, and 
 stirred up the indignation of the citizens of Seville, which 
 was already aroused. The result was that some of the 
 chief men sent word of Pizarro's imprisonment to the 
 Court at Toledo. No sooner did the high officials there 
 learn of Pizarro's mission than orders went out at once 
 for the release of the soldier, together with the command 
 that he should proceed to the emperor at once. 
 
 A few days, therefore, found Pizarro in the brilliant 
 surroundings of the Court of that great monarch, Charles 
 the Fifth, conqueror of France, Emperor of Germany, the 
 
 68
 
 Depression and despair settled upon Pizarro 
 
 68
 
 At the Door of the Land of Gold 
 
 man in whose hands rested at that time the destinies of 
 every European kingdom except Great Britain. 
 
 Far from being embarrassed by the magnificence he saw 
 around him, Pizarro kept his usual self-possession, and 
 showed a dignity which was native to the Castilian with 
 good blood in his veins. The emperor received him 
 among his chief statesmen, and examined with great 
 interest the things which Pizarro had brought, asking 
 many questions as he did so. 
 
 When Pizarro began, at the emperor's command, the 
 narration of his adventures by sea and land, in peril by 
 storm, by Lidians and by starvation, all who heard him 
 were moved by his earnestness and eloquence. All 
 realized that this man had really gone through the toil and 
 suffering he described ; and finally, when he described 
 his lonely condition on Gorgona, abandoned by the 
 government at Panama, deserted by all save a small 
 band of faithful men, watching the sea every hour for 
 the aid they almost despaired of, the emperor, a man 
 who was rarely moved, was affected to tears. 
 
 " Truly," said the emperor, when the tale was told, 
 " you have shown the unconquerable spirit which is only 
 whetted the more by the difficulties which oppose it. 
 You deserve well of me, and I will commend you and 
 your affairs, so that all you desire shall be granted to 
 you." 
 
 Notwithstanding the emperor's recommendation, Pizarro 
 found that his affairs made but slow progress. It was not 
 until a year later, indeed, that the document which granted 
 him certain powers and privileges in the country which he 
 was to conquer was granted to him. By this instrument 
 he was to receive the titles and rank of Governor and 
 Captain-General, Adelantado and Alguacil Mayor of the 
 
 69
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 province, and to have a salary of seven hundred and 
 twenty-five thousand maravedis. 
 
 By the same document Almagro was declared to be 
 commander of the fortress of Tumbez, with the rank of 
 hidalgo, and an annual salary of three hundred thousand 
 maravedis. Ruiz, the pilot, was created Grand Pilot of the 
 Southern Ocean ; Candia was named Chief of Artillery, and 
 Don Luque was named Bishop of Timibez. The survivors 
 of the companions on the desolate island were also granted 
 certain titles. 
 
 These, however, were all empty honours until the land 
 had been conquered, and the government, while claiming 
 a fifth of all treasures and revenues of the Land of Gold, 
 contributed nothing toward the costs of the expedition, 
 except a little money towards the purchase of artillery and 
 military stores. 
 
 Pizarro went to his native town of Truxillo in Estre- 
 madura, where his boyhood and youth had been spent, 
 and endeavoured to get volunteers for his venture. But 
 the response was meagre. Four of his brothers, however, 
 volunteered, all of them poor, and all proud ; but all were 
 eager to share Pizarro 's fortunes now that there was 
 prospect of gain. 
 
 With the aid of Hernando Cortes, the conqueror of 
 Mexico, and others interested in the venture, Pizarro got 
 together three ships and some soldiers, and with his 
 brothers sailed from Spain in January 1530, having spent 
 nearly two years on his mission. 
 
 News of the success of his efforts had preceded him, and 
 when he cast anchor in the harbour of Nombre de Dios, 
 Don Luque and Almagro were on shore to meet him. 
 When Almagro heard from his confederate how all the 
 highest ranks and titles had been given to Pizarro, he was 
 
 70
 
 At the Door of the Land of Gold 
 
 filled with anger, for he had asked his friend to procure 
 for him the office of Adelantado. Almagro reproached 
 him with his perfidy, seeing that Pizarro had promised 
 to provide for his comrade's interests as faithfully as for 
 his own. Pizarro excused himself by saying that, in spite 
 of his efforts, the authorities had refused to give the title 
 of Adelantado to another person, because civil war had 
 lately occurred in a colony owing to the rivalries of officers 
 of nearly equal rank. 
 
 It looked almost as if a final rupture would take place 
 between Pizarro and Almagro ; but their friends patched 
 up the quarrel, and, returning to Panama, the two leaders 
 set about preparing for their expedition to the south. 
 
 The number of Pizarro's force did not exceed a hundred 
 and eighty men, with twenty-seven horses for the cavalry. 
 Five priests also accompanied the little band, and after a 
 solemn service held in the church of Panama, the men 
 went on board three vessels which had been obtained, 
 and early in January 1531 the squadron set sail for the 
 conquest of Peru. Almagro, however, was to remain 
 behind for the present, to order to beat up reinforcements 
 with which he was to follow later. 
 
 Pizarro intended to steer direct for Tumbez, which he 
 considered to be the door to the empire of the Incas. But 
 head- winds and contrary currents opposed him, so that after 
 a run of thirteen days Pizarro came to anchor at a point 
 about one degree north, and here determined to land and 
 to make his way along the coast to Tumbez, while the 
 vessels held a course parallel with the land. 
 
 After some miles of an exhausting march through forests 
 soaked with the winter rains, and over streams swollen 
 to torrents, they at length came upon a large Indian village, 
 which they rushed, the natives flying before them into 
 
 71
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 the forest, too terrified to attempt to hide any of their 
 valuables. 
 
 Tlie Spaniards in their hungry condition made it their 
 first business to seek for food, of which they found an 
 abundance ; and then they searched for gold, and found 
 a rich treasure in the huts. There was a large quantity of 
 gold and silver worked into clumsy ornaments, besides 
 a quantity of precious stones, especially emeralds. 
 
 The wealth thus rifled from the houses of the natives 
 was brought to a heap, from which a fifth was deducted 
 for the CroAMi, and Pizarro then distributed the remainder 
 in due proportion among the officers and men who were 
 with him. 
 
 This was the method used throughout the conquest. 
 Every man brought whatever he had obtained and placed 
 it in a common heap, to be divided by the leader according 
 to the rank and services of the men taking part in the 
 expedition. If anyone were found hiding treasure of 
 any sort, so as to obtain more than his due share, he was 
 condemned and slain. Rarely was it necessary to have 
 recourse to this penalty. 
 
 " Now, my lads," said Pizarro, after their gains had 
 been shared, " the treasure we have found here is only 
 a foretaste of what we shall obtain. But we must have 
 more men to aid us in our task, and therefore I shall send 
 back by the ships the share of the Crown and the shares 
 of any of you who desire to place them in security. When 
 so much treasure is shown in Panama, I doubt not that it 
 will settle the doubts of the waverers, and decide many to 
 come out and join our banner." 
 
 The suggestion was voted a good one, and, thereupon, a 
 move was made to the seashore. A trumpet call brought 
 the vessels inshore, and gold was transferred to them to 
 
 72
 
 At the Door of the Land of Gold 
 
 the value of twenty thousand castellanos. The captains 
 were then instructed by Pizano to make all haste back 
 to Panama, and to enlist as many more recruits as could 
 be induced to volunteer. 
 
 Having rested and refreshed themselves that night in 
 the huts of the Indian village, the band of conquerors set 
 off next morning southwards on their way to Tumbez. 
 
 They now traversed land which was covered with wastes 
 of sand, which, driven about by the wind, blinded the 
 soldiers ; and so shifting was the ground that men and 
 beasts often fell. Added to this, the soldiers found that 
 their thick quilted doublets of cotton, or their cuirasses 
 of iron mail, were sources of great pain, for as the men 
 struggled on mile after mile in the sultry sun, they almost 
 swooned in suffocation. Moreover, the glare of the sun on 
 their eyes was unbearable. 
 
 Then a strange plague broke out amongst them. It 
 came in the form of great ulcers or warts, which almost 
 covered the body. If by chance one were broken, the man 
 died from loss of blood, and several men were lost in this 
 way and were buried by the wayside. They came upon 
 one or two poor villages, where they found that the plague 
 had arrived before them, for the huts were filled with sick 
 or dying natives, who looked upon the strange iron-clad 
 warriors with lack-lustre eyes. 
 
 ^The natives of other villages fled without attempting 
 to make any resistance, leaving their homes to be rifled 
 byjthe freebooters. These, finding little or no gold in any 
 of them, began to grumble ; and many, worn out by their 
 travels and weakened by disease, cursed themselves and 
 their leaders, bewailing their foolishness in ever having 
 left their pleasant quarters in Panama, and the luxuries 
 of civilization. 
 
 73
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 They had now reached a spot where the sea had made 
 a kind of harbour, where afterwards a town was reared, 
 named Puerto Viejo. Here they rested several days, and 
 one morning their eyes were gladdened by the sight of a 
 caravel which, on anchoring inshore, landed some thirty 
 men under the command of a captain named Belalcazar. 
 
 Here many of Pizarro's followers, weary of marching and 
 of their sickness, desired that their leader should found a 
 colony ; but as yet the chief had no ideas of aught but 
 conquest. To their proposals he returned a decided 
 negative. 
 
 " Nay," said he ; " it would be madness to stay upon our 
 road now. The key to the treasures of the inland kingdom 
 lies at Tumbez. Let us first get possession of that town, 
 and the whole empire of Peru will lie at our feet." 
 
 They continued their march, therefore, along the shores 
 of what is now called the Gulf of Guayaquil, until they 
 came opposite an island which the Tumbez natives with 
 them said was called Puna, and lay at a little distance 
 from the town of Tumbez itself. To this island Pizarro 
 decided to transport his men, thinking that it would be 
 the most convenient camping-place from which to descend 
 upon the Indian city. 
 
 Hardly had he come to this resolution, when some of the 
 broad, raft -like balsas were seen coming from the island 
 toward them. They were filled with natives, who, with 
 their chief or cacique at their head, welcomed the 
 Spaniards, bringing with them fresh provisions for the 
 use of the white men. 
 
 Pizarro informed them, through his interpreters, that he 
 desired to make his camp on their island, and asked 
 whether they would transfer himself and his men in their 
 craft ; to which the Peruvians agreed with every look of 
 
 74
 
 At the Door of the Land of Gold 
 
 friendliness, and instantly began to prepare their balsas 
 for ferryinjT across the men and horses of the Spaniards. 
 
 While the latter also made their preparations, Felipillo, 
 one of the natives of Tiimbez whom Pizarro had taken 
 with him to Spain in order to learn Castilian, that they 
 might act as interpreters and spies on the expedition, came 
 to him and said : 
 
 " Senor, there is treachery in the hearts of the Puna 
 men. Ever have they been kno\Mi as false dogs by the 
 braves of Tumbez. Thej'' conspire to destroy you and 
 your men, by cutting the ropes which bind the planks of 
 the balsas, so that you with your horses and men will be 
 droAvned in the sea." 
 
 Instantly Pizarro ordered the chiefs of the Puna men to 
 come to him, and charged them with this treacherous 
 scheme. But they indignantly denied that any deceit 
 was in their hearts. 
 
 " What should we gain from such a deed," they asked, 
 " when your wealth would be sunk in the deep sea beyond 
 our reach ? And well we know that even if we caused the 
 deaths of all of you, there would soon be others coming from 
 your land to avenge you and stamp us and our people out." 
 
 It seemed to Pizarro that they spoke the truth, and 
 that they had not meditated any evil against him. He 
 questioned Felipillo and the other men of Tumbez narrowly, 
 and learned that the Puna men had always been their 
 enemies. Long and sanguinary wars had been waged 
 between them ; the Puna men had withstood the power of 
 the men of the mainland for a long time, and even when 
 they had at last been subdued, they bore their subjection 
 with a restless mien and broke into rebellion at the least 
 excuse. 
 
 The suspicion of the Tumbez men, therefore, seemed to 
 
 75
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 be explained by the enmity which they bore to the Punas, 
 and Pizarro decided to trust himself to the balsas. Nor 
 was his confidence in the brave islanders misplaced, for 
 they transported him and his men across to the island 
 Avithout the loss of a single article. 
 
 The Spaniards were shoAvn to comfortable quarters on 
 the island, and so pleasant was the place and friendly the 
 natives that Pizarro decided to occupy it until the rainy 
 season, which wasdrawingto a close, was ended. Moreover, 
 by that time he expected Almagro would have arrived with 
 sufficient reinforcements of men and horses to justify his 
 marching into the lands of the Incas with every hope of 
 success. 
 
 No sooner did the people of Tumbez hear of the return 
 of the Spaniards than, trusting to the friendly relations 
 which had existed between them on the former occasion, 
 many of them came across in their balsas to the island of 
 Puna, to welcome Pizarro and his men. There were others 
 in the iovnn of Tmnbez, however, who, having heard from 
 fleeing natives of the ravages committed by the Spaniards 
 on the march along the coast, advised that no approaches 
 should be made to the foreigners ; but these cautious folk 
 were, for the time, overborne. 
 
 The Puna men bitterly resented the presence of the 
 Tumbez men on their island, and disliked to see how they 
 fawned on the Spaniards. Black looks were therefore 
 exchanged between the rival tribes. When some time had 
 elapsed, the presence of so large a body of Spaniards be- 
 came burdensome to the Puna people, as their supplies 
 of food were too quickly exhausted ; moreover, the Spanish 
 soldiers were often overbearing and exacting to the natives. 
 In a little while, though the Puna men still seemed friendly 
 on the whole, there happened a few incidents which showed 
 
 76
 
 At the Door of the Land of Gold 
 
 that their feelings to the Spaniards were becoming changed . 
 At length Pizarro's two chief interpreters canie to him 
 and told him that the Puna men were conspiring to fall 
 upon him and slay all his people. He bade the Tumbez 
 men watch the others and let him know what took place. 
 
 A few days later Felipillo came to Pizarro in the hut, 
 and said : 
 
 " Senor, even now the traitor chiefs are gathered to- 
 gether to plot your slaying this night." 
 
 Pizarro questioned the boy, and then, rising, he ordered 
 thirty picked soldiers to assemble quietly together, fully 
 armed. With these, and led by Felipillo, he marched to 
 a clearing in the wood near by, where ten or twelve chiefs 
 were assembled, and, having stealthily surrounded them, 
 he made them prisoners. 
 
 By this time numbers of the people of Tumbez had 
 gathered around, gloating over the discomfiture of their' 
 hated enemies. 
 
 Sternly Pizarro charged the captured chiefs with con- 
 spiring to slay him and his soldiers treacherously. The 
 Puna men looked at him with fury in their eyes ; and to his 
 repeated questions they returned nothing but silence and 
 glances of baffled rage. They neither excused themselves 
 nor confessed their guilt. 
 
 Pizarro hesitated but a moment. Already men from 
 the Puna village were gathering, and he foresaw that it 
 might be difficult to retire to his main force if he delayed 
 longer. It was evident to him that the chiefs had 
 meditated rising against him ; and, experienced by twenty 
 years of Indian fighting, he knew that to let them go un- 
 punished would result disastrously to himself and his 
 little band. 
 
 Meanwhile the warriors of Tumbez, their eyes gleaming 
 
 77
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 with the kist of revenge, clamoured about him. They 
 demanded to be allowed to be his executioners. 
 
 A few short words of command, and the Spanish soldiers 
 had formed ready for marching. The Tumbez men, strain- 
 ing like fierce hounds in leash, saw their enemies an easy 
 prey, and waited for a look, a gesture, from the Spanish 
 leader. The Puna natives, gathering thicker and thicker, 
 already formed an obstacle to his return to quarters. 
 
 Pizarro raised his hand and thrust it down towards the 
 captive Puna men. Instantly the Tumbez warriors hurled 
 themselves upon the chiefs of their enemies, and, with 
 yells of exultation, massacred the whole of them. Mean- 
 while, Pizarro had given an order, and in close marching 
 order his men had quickly pushed through the enraged 
 Puna natives and soon reached their quarters. 
 
 Not long had the Spaniards to wait for the result of 
 the slaying of the chieftains. Tliey heard from the direc- 
 tion of the Puna village the sound of men in fury, lashing 
 themselves into rage. Soon a party of the Tumbez men 
 who had joined in the massacre of the chieftains dashed 
 up, and reported that they had had to fight their way 
 through the Punas, leaving half their number dead 
 behind them. 
 
 Next moment, out of the wood which separated the 
 Spanish quarters from the town of the Punas, poured an 
 excited crowd of warriors, yelling their war-cries, and 
 flourishing their spears or long knives. Madly they hurled 
 themselves upon the mail-clad Spaniards, who coolly 
 received them on their long pikes, or mowed them down 
 by the volleys of their musketry. 
 
 The half -naked bodies of the Indians had no protection 
 against the weapons of the Spaniards, and time after time 
 their devoted attacks were checked or repelled by the 
 
 78
 
 Out of the wood poured an excited crowd of warriors 78
 
 At the Door of the Land of Gold 
 
 pitiless rain of bullets or the keen strokes of the long 
 swords. 
 
 Suddenly, from the midst of the lines of the Spaniards 
 dashed a band of steel-clad horsemen, with Pizarro's 
 brother, Hernando, at their head. These, each in flashing 
 cuirass and headpiece, charged boldly into the thickest 
 mass of the Indians, and so sudden was their onslaught, so 
 stern their pursuit, that, panic-stricken, the natives turned 
 and scattered, rushing back into the forest, pursued by 
 the soldiery. 
 
 Hundreds of Indians were slain in this battle, whereas 
 only three or four of the Spaniards were killed, though 
 many were wounded, among them being Hernando Pizarro, 
 who was thrust through the leg by a javelin. 
 
 But as the days passed it was found that the war had 
 assumed another form . No Spaniard could go any distance 
 from his quarters without running a risk of being cut off, 
 and eveiy night brought a sudden burst of fiendish yells and 
 an attack in some part of the camp. Under such circum- 
 stances it was difficult to keep the party supplied with 
 provisions ; and the Spaniards lived in a perpetual state 
 of anxiety and alarm. 
 
 After some weeks of this harassing existence, one day a 
 soldier, looking toward the open sea, descried two caravels. 
 Instantly the camp was in joyful commotion, trumpets 
 were sounded as a signal to the ships, which quickly replied. 
 In a little while the vessels lay anchored off the island and 
 boats were passing to and fro, disembarking a hundred 
 recruits from Panama, who were welcomed boister- 
 ously into the camp. 
 
 At the head of this accession to his forces was a famous 
 captain, Don Hernando de Soto, whom Pizarro gravely 
 but cordially welcomed when he landed. De Soto was well 
 
 79
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 known to him, for both had fought together during years 
 of Indian warfare. De Soto was not to owe his greatest 
 fame to Peru, but in later years he was to wander far to the 
 north amid the wild places and wilder people of North 
 America, and to be the first European whose eyes gazed 
 upon the majestic waters of the Mississippi, in whose 
 depths he was to find his burial-place. 
 
 " With the reinforcements you have brought me," said 
 Pizarro, after each had told his news, " I will now pass 
 over to the mainland, for I learn that the country is torn 
 between two opposing rivals for the throne, and the time 
 is ripe for us to strike." 
 
 80
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 A Desperate Venture 
 
 WHEN the soldiers knew that they were to 
 advance to the conquest of the mainland, 
 they set about their preparations with great 
 good will. Numbering only about three hundred, they 
 were to attempt to conquer a rich and populous country, 
 ruled, as some had heard, by a powerful and warlike 
 monarch ; but the immense odds did not terrify them. 
 Had not Cortes conquered the kingdom of the Aztecs 
 with a mere handful of the daring fighters of Castile ? 
 Had not every kingdom in the Indies over which now 
 waved the flag of the emperor been wrested from the 
 fierce savages by small bands of hardy cavaliers ? 
 Therefore Pizarro and his men went forward confident 
 in the power of their arms, believing also, as all of them 
 did most earnestly, that Gk)d and His saints fought for 
 them, to the end that the land of the benighted heathen 
 should come under the rule of Christendom. 
 
 Pizarro determined to transport his army to Tumbez, 
 which was but a few miles distant, and therefore the soldiers 
 were embarked on the caravels, and the baggage and 
 stores were loaded on Indian balsas. 
 
 Slowly the little fleet crossed the sea and approached 
 on easy landing-place on the mainland, not far from the 
 city of Tumbez. The men in the ships prepared to dis- 
 embark, and no great watch was being kept, because, as 
 
 F 8i
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 the natives of Tumbez had always been friendly, the 
 Spaniards supposed that their feelings had not lately 
 changed. 
 
 Suddenly cries of terror and anger arose, and, looking 
 forth, men saw that one of the balsas which had touched 
 the shore was being attacked by Peruvians. There were 
 three soldiers on the raft, and these were overpowered, 
 dragged off the raft and butchered before the eyes of their 
 comrades. 
 
 Leaving the corpses of the Spanish soldiers, the Indians 
 then ran to another balsa, and boarded it. There, how- 
 ever, they met with a stout resistance ; but it would have 
 gone ill with the Spaniards if their cries had not been 
 heard by Hernando Pizarro, who, at the head of some 
 cavalry, had landed near the place. 
 
 Spurring their horses through the soft mud of the fore- 
 shore, the cavaliers were quickly near the balsa ; but at 
 sight of them the Indians hurriedly ceased their attack 
 and scattered into the forests, which were at this point 
 impenetrable to horsemen. 
 
 Pizarro and his men were considerably surprised at this 
 hostile reception on the very borders of the town of 
 Tumbez, which had hitherto been so friendly. Quickly 
 landing his men, he led them along the shore, re- 
 solved to demand some satisfaction for the unprovoked 
 
 The soldiers were in high glee, especially the raw recruits. 
 These had heard the tales of the wondrous treasures seen at 
 Tumbez, and they promised themselves wealth which had 
 only to be taken from the walls of the temple or demanded 
 from simple natives. 
 
 The men, therefore, marched along, laughing and jesting, 
 while every eager face turned at each bend of the shore, 
 
 82
 
 A Desperate Venture 
 
 expecting to see the houses of the wonderful city of gold 
 before them. 
 
 Presently they came to the open beach before the town, 
 and then a strange sight met their eyes. The shore, which 
 had been busy when last they saw it with natives in many- 
 coloured robes, and the waters lively with balsas and 
 canoes, was now utterly deserted ; and looking farther, 
 to where the town had stood, they saw ruined walls, roofless 
 huts, and roads choked with rubbish. 
 
 Everywhere was silence and desolation. The Spaniards 
 stood still, open-mouthed with wonder and consternation. 
 Then, in a body, they ran among the ruins, searching for 
 anything of value. Butnothing was to be found. Pizarro 
 rode through the town and found that, with the exception 
 of four or five of the more substantial private buildings, 
 the great temple and the fortress, all of which were 
 stripped of their interior decorations, nothing was left of 
 the town but ruins, and nothing remained of its former 
 splendour. 
 
 The Spanish soldiers left their vain searching and 
 gathered together again in the wide space before the town. 
 They gazed at the scene of desolation before them, and 
 dismay and consternation filled their minds. Here, at the 
 very beginning of their venture, they had expected to put 
 their hands on a rich prize, which should be only the 
 beginning of a conquest of incalculable wealth. But, 
 instead, ruin and destruction met their eyes ; the gold 
 they had thought within their grasp had vanished even 
 as they attempted to touch it. 
 
 As they gazed gloomily about the place, suddenly, from 
 a piece of forest near one end of the town, came two or three 
 natives, running. They recognized them as some of their 
 own Indians who had been with Pizarro to Spain. 
 
 83
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Headed by the lad Felipillo, these came breathlessly to 
 Pizarro and said : 
 
 " Senor, we guessed that our people could not be far off. 
 Do you send some of your riders quickly through the 
 forest, and catch them before they all escape." 
 
 At once Pizarro bade his brother Hernando take a body 
 of cavalry and follow the friendly Indians. The Spaniards 
 rode away swiftly, while Pizarro ordered that a camp 
 should be made amidst the ruins of the to"VNTi. 
 
 Toward evening the horsemen were seen returning 
 through the trees, with several Indian captives among 
 them. These were brought before Pizarro, who questioned 
 them as to their reasons for destroying the town and 
 running away. 
 
 One of the captives stepped forward, whom Candia 
 instantly recognized as the chief magistrate or curaca 
 whom he had seen on his previous visit. 
 
 " It is not we, great lord," said the man, " who have 
 destroyed our town, but the men of Puna, who have 
 long waged war with us and, just before you came, 
 succeeded in rushing the place and driving us into the 
 forest." 
 
 Pizarro knew that this was not the truth ; but that the 
 Peruvians had dismantled the towTi and hidden all their 
 treasure so as to save them from falling into the hands of 
 the invaders. Tlie Spanish leader, however, did not show 
 his disbelief, but went on to demand why his men were 
 attacked when they attempted to land. 
 
 " I gave no orders for any evil dealing," said the curaca, 
 " and those that slew your men were lawless and wild men 
 who dwelt not in the town but in the forests, I have 
 nothing but friendly thoughts for you, my white brothers," 
 went on the wily Peruvian, " and I will give orders that 
 
 84
 
 A Desperate Venture 
 
 those men be sought out and captured, and dehvered over 
 to you for punishment." 
 
 " Do that," said Pizarro, " and swear to me that hence- 
 forth you and your people will aid and assist us in all we 
 do, and I will take no further notice of the attack upon 
 
 me." 
 
 " I swear to be obedient to you, my lord, in all your 
 desires and commands," replied the curaca, "and my 
 people will likewise obey you." 
 
 After this, the people of the town gradually came back 
 from their hiding-places in the forest and the mountains, 
 and began to rebuild their houses and to enter the camp 
 of the Spaniards in all friendliness. 
 
 It was clear to Pizarro that, if he would succeed in his 
 conquest, he must rely more on stratagem than on the 
 force of his arms. He must gain the good ^vill of the 
 people, seeing that the odds against him in numbers and 
 power were tremendous. He felt that he had done wrong 
 in allowing his men to commit robbery and act high- 
 handedly in the march along the coast ; and that such 
 conduct had shaken the confidence of the Tumbez people 
 and incited them to demolish their town and to attack him 
 when he attempted to land. 
 
 One day the Greek cavalier Candia asked the curaca, 
 through Felipillo, what had become of Molina and the 
 other Spaniard, his friend, who had been left at Tumbez 
 on the last voyage. 
 
 Both, replied the curaca, had died a few months 
 before of a strange disorder, which had also killed others 
 at the same time. 
 
 A little later Felipillo came to Candia, where he stood 
 talking with other Spaniards, and said : 
 
 " Sefior, I think the curaca told not the truth concerning 
 
 S5
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 the two Spanish gentlemen who stayed behind. I have 
 asked others, and all tell different tales. Some say the 
 Puna warriors slew them in battle, and others that they 
 attempted to take some gold and were slain, after slaying 
 many Indians." 
 
 " I thought so," said Candia, with a laugh. " The wily 
 old curaca spoke the truth in a way, only the disorder 
 which slew them and others at the same time was not so 
 strange, after all." 
 
 The news of the death of the two Spaniards got abroad 
 among the soldiers, and it moved them to gloomy thoughts. 
 Their comrades had trusted themselves among these 
 strange Indians in this fertile and beautiful land, but 
 they had soon met death. Would they themselves fare 
 any better, surrounded by hordes of Indians, treacherous, 
 probably, in spite of their appearance of friendliness ? 
 
 One day an Indian came to Pizarro, and, producing a 
 piece of paper from his robe, handed it to the commander. 
 Pizarro took it and found on it a few Spanish words written 
 in a rough hand, as follows : — " Know, whoever you be 
 that may chance to set foot in this countiy, that it contains 
 more gold and silver than there is iron in Biscay." 
 
 " Wliere got you this ? " asked Pizarro of the Indian. 
 
 " Senor, I got it of my master, one of the Spaniards who 
 lived here," was the reply. " He gave it to me one day, 
 and said that he doubted if he should live to see his friends' 
 return. But if they did return I was to give this paper 
 to their leader and he would reward me." 
 
 Pizarro gave the man a present and dismissed him. 
 The story of the piece of writing got about the Spanish 
 camp ; but the soldiers grimly ridiculed the tale. 
 
 " Our general is a wily man," said they. " He knows 
 we have a big task before us, and that some of us fear for 
 
 86
 
 A Desperate Venture 
 
 our skins already, and he played that trick by the aid of 
 some Indian to give us heart." 
 
 But Felipillo and the other interpreters began to tell 
 them tales of the wealthy city where the king held his 
 Court leagues away in the mountains ; and spoke of the 
 gold to be found in the temples and in the houses of the 
 rich. 
 
 " And there is a lake among the mountains," they went 
 on, "so deep that none has ever plumbed it. And at the 
 bottom thereof dwells the god of that country. Every 
 year he claims the sacrifice of a man, and the victim must 
 leap or be thrown into the lake, so that he sinks down to 
 the god, who devours him. Each victim is first rolled in 
 thick oil, and then he is rolled in gold dust, so that it lies 
 upon his body to the thickness of a thumb. And then, 
 with many prayers and songs, the man ascends a high place 
 over the lake, and when the priest gives the word the 
 victim is thrust over. He is called the Golden Man, and 
 in that country gold can be picked from the rivers like 
 pebbles and from the rocks like stones." 
 
 Many of the Spaniards pretended to disbelieve the tales 
 told by the Indians, and affected to think that they were 
 all parts of a trick which Pizarro was working in order to 
 keep up their spirit and to encourage them to go forward. 
 Nevertheless, many believed the tales, especially the one 
 of the Golden Man, or El Dorado, as the Spaniards trans- 
 lated it, and hoped that they might find that land with 
 its almost incredible wealth of gold. 
 
 The gloom and despondency among the men had not 
 been unobserved by Pizarro and his chief men, his brother 
 Hernando and de Soto. 
 
 The three men sat one night in the hut set apart for 
 Pizarro, and each was sunk in his own thoughts. On the 
 
 87
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 table between them was a Peruvian lamp made of clay, 
 filled with oil from which a lighted reed projected, the 
 meagre flame just making the faces of the three men visible 
 to each other, while at their back the darkness was im- 
 penetrable. 
 
 From the camp outside came the voices of men, some 
 gambling by the light of similar lamps or of torches, others 
 sleeping or preparing food at the fires, 
 
 " Marquis," said de Soto, addressing Pizarro by the 
 title conferred upon him by the Emperor Charles, " you 
 spoke yesterday of making a settlement in a commodious 
 place near the coast. Do you not think this should be 
 soon put in hand ? For the men seem tired of inaction." 
 
 " I know it," said Pizarro, " and I know, too, that 
 unless they have change or are set to do something, some 
 of those who are for ever croaking of disaster will wish to 
 seize the ships and scuttle back to Panama." 
 
 " A tree and a rope for the worst of such croakers would 
 discourage the others," said Hernando Pizarro, with a 
 cruel laugh. 
 
 He was plain of face, almost ugly ; and the pitilessness 
 and arrogance which formed the main part of his character 
 were discernible in the cold, hard eyes, the scornful lip and 
 the brutal jaw. 
 
 Pizarro ignored his brother's remark, and said gravely : 
 
 "It is necessary that I learn more of the real position 
 of affairs in this country before I decide when and where 
 I make my advance. To-morrow, therefore, we will go 
 southward along the coast to find some suitable place to 
 form a base, whence we can send to Panama, and whence 
 we may make expeditions into the country. You, de 
 Soto, shall go with a small party of cavalry farther east- 
 ward, and explore the country along the skirts of the 
 
 88
 
 A Desperate Venture 
 
 Sierras. Take an interpreter with you and glean all the 
 news you can." 
 
 Next day, therefore, Pizarro, leaving at Tumbez a few 
 of his men who were sickly, set out with the rest along the 
 coast. A small detachment under de Soto was sent off 
 as he had decided. 
 
 On this expedition Pizarro's policy in his treatment of 
 the natives was quite different from that which he had 
 pursued earlier. He commanded his men, under pain of 
 penalties, to offer no violence or discourtesy to any of the 
 Peruvians. When the inhabitants of a village offered 
 resistance he quickly reduced them, and when they begged 
 for peace, he granted their appeal with all friendliness. 
 As he went farther into the land, the fame of his mildness 
 preceded him, and the natives received him and his men 
 with open arms, providing good quarters and loading them 
 with fresh provisions. They found the country thickly 
 occupied by prosperous hamlets, and the land cultivated 
 to a high degree. 
 
 When he entered a village, Pizarro caused the head-man 
 to be brought before him, and through the mouth of 
 Felipillo he made the following proclamation ; — 
 
 " Know ye that I, Francisco de Pizarro, Governor and 
 Captain -General of this Province of New Castile, Adelan- 
 tado and Alguacil Mayor, have come hither in the name of 
 the Holy Vicar of God, Pope Clement the Seventh, and 
 by the command of my most excellent, high and puissant 
 master, Emperor Charles the Fifth of Spain, in order that ye 
 maybe drawn into the knowledge of ourholy Catholic faith; 
 and therefore I require you in peace and amity to obey 
 the Church and apostle of Rome, and in things temporal 
 to yield obedience to his Majesty the emperor and to the 
 kings his successors in the kingdoms of Castile and Leon." 
 
 89
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Meanwhile, the notary or lawyer who accompanied the 
 Spaniards had drawn out parchment and inkhorn, and, 
 resting these on the bent back of one of the soldiers, 
 gravely entered the name of the village on the scroll, 
 with a note of the proclamation having been made. 
 
 Then, when, as always happened, the simple Indians, 
 understanding not a word of what had been said, made no 
 objection, the commander would say solemnly : 
 
 " I receive your homage and allegiance as vassals of 
 his Majesty. See that ye keep the laws and fulfil your 
 dues and obligations as befits obedient subjects." 
 
 The notary would thereupon record in his parchment 
 the fact that another hamlet was added to his Majesty's 
 dominions and its inhabitants had rendered their homage. 
 
 Some three or four weeks after leaving Tumbez the 
 Spaniards came to a rich valley called Tangarala, where 
 a navigable stream flowed into the ocean. Here Pizarro 
 resolved to make a town, and the men at Tumbez were 
 ordered to bring the vessels round to the mouth of the 
 river. Wlien they arrived the barren land quickly 
 assumed the appearance of a busy hive. Timber was cut, 
 stones were quarried, and gradually houses and public 
 buildings arose. 
 
 Among these were a church, a magazine for public stores, 
 a hall of justice and a fortress. The adjacent land was 
 parcelled out among the soldiers, and each colonist was 
 given a certain number of Indians to work for him on 
 his land. The town was named by the Spaniards, San 
 Miguel. 
 
 One of the chief duties of Pizarro 's secretary was to gain 
 information, through the interpreters, of the condition of 
 affairs among the Peruvians, and during their march from 
 Tumbez, the secretary had questioned all the chiefs of 
 
 90
 
 A Desperate Venture 
 
 villages with whom he could get in touch, and had written 
 down what he had been told. 
 
 In the leisure which was obtainable while the town 
 was being built, Pizarro called his secretary to him from 
 time to time and bade him read all that he had been able 
 to learn. 
 
 First of all the Spanish leader bade his secretary tell 
 him what he had learned concerning the army of the 
 King of Peru. 
 
 " Every Peruvian who has reached the age of eighteen," 
 said the secretary, referring to his scroll of parchment, " is 
 required to take part in the drills which are held in every 
 town and hamlet two or three times a month. I have been 
 told that the king can bring into the field an army of two 
 hundred thousand men." 
 
 "That is a marvellous great number," said Pizarro. 
 " Have you learned whether such an army has ever been 
 called together at one time ? " 
 
 " Of a truth I was told that in the recent civil war 
 between two rivals for the throne," replied the secretary, 
 " quite that number of soldiers was in the field on one or 
 other side. You must know, Marquis, that the present 
 king of this land is not the king by right of descent. 
 Seven years ago there reigned in this land an Inca, or 
 king, called Huayna Capac, who had two sons. The elder 
 of these, named Huascar, was, according to the custom of 
 the land, the rightful heir to the throne. But the Inca 
 preferred Huascar's half-brother, named Atahualpa, a 
 young man of a bold and reckless spirit, Huascar being 
 mild and gentle. Wlien the king died, he divided his 
 kingdom. To Atahualpa he gave Quito, the northern 
 part, and to Huascar he gave Cuzco, the southern part, 
 bidding them live in peace and broth erliness together. 
 
 91
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 For five years, indeed, they lived in peace ; but the daring 
 and ambition of Atahualpa at length created discord 
 between them. The king of the north invaded the land 
 of his half-brother at the head of a vast army. Several 
 battles and great carnage took place, the king of the south 
 fighting bravely. But in a day-long battle in the south, 
 at a place where now, I am told, one may still see the bones 
 of the dead bleaching in heaps over the wide battlefield, 
 Atahualpa defeated his brother and took him prisoner. 
 This, your Highness, hath but lately happened, as I under- 
 stand from those who told me these things, and I think 
 but a few months can separate us from the time when the 
 present king of this country assumed the crown, and took 
 possession of the treasures which he has thus gained by 
 conquest at the cost of several sanguinary battles and the 
 loss of many thousands of brave warriors." 
 
 For some time Pizarro remained silent, his cold, grave 
 eyes looking straight before him. Then he said : 
 
 " You tell me things, Sefior Secretary, which are not for 
 the ears of everyone. Have you said aught of this to any 
 man ? " 
 
 " Nay, Marquis," was the reply. " You warned me 
 while we sailed hither, and I have told naught." 
 
 " Continue, then, to keep silent," said Pizarro, " for 
 some might lose heart, hearing of the great power, opul- 
 ence and military strength of these heathens. As for me, 
 I know that God and His saints fight for us, and therefore 
 I go forward with a light heart, confident that He hath 
 made us His instrument to bring this nation to a know- 
 ledge of the holy Catholic faith." 
 
 " Amen," said the secretary, and withdrew. 
 
 A braver man than Pizarro might feel staggered at the 
 tremendous odds against him. He had with him less 
 
 92
 
 A Desperate Venture 
 
 than three hundred men ; and arrayed against him was 
 a monarch powerful in the possession of an army flushed 
 with the success of a great conquest ! But the old Spanish 
 soldiers of that time, however reckless and cruel they were, 
 had a steadfastness of faith that amounted to a fanaticism 
 almost equal to that of the Moors, whose blood ran in the 
 veins of many of them ; and they sincerely believed that 
 in conquering the heathen, subjugating his land, and 
 preaching to him the Catholic faith, they were doing the 
 will of God, and received therefore divine assistance in 
 every way. 
 
 Sometimes they believed that, amid their ranks as they 
 fought, they saw cavaliers whose faces shone with a divine 
 light, and whose swords dealt death without showing 
 wounds. These were saints who, taking on the semblance 
 of men, fought for the true sons of the Church. Again, 
 they thought they saw a ghostly host above them in the 
 sky, from whose hands leapt unseen death among their 
 foes, who were certain to be vanquished, however stubborn 
 was the battle. And at other times, evil or weak counsel 
 was placed in the minds of their enemies by the saintly 
 helpers, so that they should easily fall before the divinely 
 aided warriors of Spain. 
 
 Nevertheless, even the iron heart of Pizarro seems to 
 have faltered when he thought over the gigantic task he 
 had set before himself. Certainly, he had an example of 
 what daring, subtlety and stratagem could achieve in the 
 exploits of Cortes ; but, with every belief in himself and 
 the justice of his mission, as men thought in those days, 
 the attempt at conquering so powerful a monarch as the 
 Inca was one fraught with risks of great disaster. 
 
 For a few weeks after the building of the town had been 
 completed, Pizarro waited in case Almagro, who had been 
 
 93
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 left at Panama, might come with more reinforcements. 
 But week followed week and no sail broke the line of sea 
 and sky to the north. 
 
 The Spanish leader knew that if he kept his men in 
 idleness much longer they would lose their adventurous 
 ardour, and that their strength and energy would be 
 sapped by the conditions of the tropical climate. 
 
 He therefore decided to march into the interior at the 
 head of the larger portion of his forces, leaving only a few 
 score to guard the town. 
 
 When all was ready, and the little army, consisting of 
 a hundred and seventy-seven men and three priests, stood 
 in the plaza of the town, Pizarro, from his horse, addressed 
 those who were to be left behind. 
 
 " I leave you," he said, " to guard this place in the 
 name of our Gracious Majesty. You are a little bright 
 spot of Christendom in a land dark with heathenism. I 
 charge you to bear yourselves like Christian men. Treat 
 your Indian vassals with justice and mercy ; and the 
 caciques and head-men of the tribes about you, bear your- 
 selves to them with all friendliness and good will. Not only 
 should you do this because you are Christians, but your 
 own existence, the safety of myself, the army, and the 
 success of our venture depend upon your keeping the good 
 friendship of the Peruvians." 
 
 Then, saying farewell to the officers of the Crown left 
 in command of the town, Pizarro put himself at the head 
 of his little band, and departed, amid the shouts of those 
 left behind. 
 
 The course taken by the Spanish leader would lead 
 directly into the heart of the country, where he had learned 
 that the town of the Inca lay. As they pressed farther 
 inland over the level country which lay between the sea- 
 
 94
 
 A Desperate Venture 
 
 coast and the Cordilleras, they found that everywliere the 
 surface was broken up into little sequestered valleys of 
 surpassing loveliness, the bottoms and sides of which were 
 clothed with orchards and fields of yellow grain. Rivers 
 ran everywhere, or, where they were wanting, canals and 
 aqueducts were seen crossing the country in all directions, 
 spreading fertility broadcast. 
 
 Here, indeed, remembering the savage forests and 
 gloomy mangrove swamps of the north, the Spaniards 
 thought that at length they had reached the land whose 
 richness and fertility had formed the subject of romantic 
 rumours the truth of which they had never quite beheved. 
 
 Everywhere, too, the people seemed as pleasant and 
 as kindly as their surroundings. They welcomed the 
 Spaniards with simple hospitality, and gave them all that 
 they desired. Pizarro had impressed upon his men the 
 necessity of treating the natives with every courtesy 
 and good will, and the Peruvians answered in the like 
 spirit. 
 
 In eveiy hamlet of any size the Spaniards found a 
 fortress, or a large hall which was built for the use of the 
 Inca in his royal progress from time to time through his 
 dominions. In these the Spaniards were housed, so that 
 the invaders were given quarters along their line of con- 
 quest at the expense of that very king whom they had 
 come to dispossess. 
 
 One afternoon, five days after leaving San Miguel, 
 Pizarro halted in a lovely place in one of the valleys 
 previously described, and bade his men make a camp for 
 the night. The men marvelled at their leader's command, 
 for usually he halted in an Indian village, and then only 
 toward the end of the day. 
 
 But Pizarro, foreseeing the tremendous difficulties and 
 
 95
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 dangers of the venture he had set before himself, had 
 decided on a drastic measure which would ensure that 
 only those men should advance farther with him who were 
 willing to lay down their lives with dauntless courage 
 and unflinching obedience. 
 
 96
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 The Cowards are Weeded Out 
 
 THE night passed in quiet. Roused by bugle call 
 in the morning, the men set about their meal. 
 Afterwards, word was received that the marquis 
 was about to inspect them, and the men began to furbish 
 their clothes and to clean their armour and weapons. 
 Then, at another call on the bugle, the little band formed 
 on parade, and soon Pizarro rode up, and with his brother 
 Hernando, de Soto and the three priests, passed slowly- 
 down the line of men, his keen eye marking each man 
 narrowly. Quickly he noted the high, bold looks of this 
 one, but as closely he saw where some gloomed as his eye 
 rested on them, and their mouths were sullen with dis- 
 content. 
 
 In front of his little army were ranged the three har- 
 quebusiers which he possessed, and beside them stood 
 seventeen crossbowmen. Behind these were the infantry, 
 each with long pike and sword. Of these men there were 
 ninety. In the third line were the cavalry, numbering 
 sixty-seven men. Thus, the total of his fighting force 
 was one hundred and seventy-seven, with which he pro- 
 posed to attempt the conquest of a country which could 
 muster two hundred thousand fighting men ! 
 
 At length Pizarro reined up his horse in front of his 
 men, and in grave yet persuasive tones addressed them. 
 
 " Comrades," he said, " we have arrived at a crisis in 
 
 G 97
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 our affairs, and it behoves every man therefore to summon 
 up all his courage to meet that crisis. Li this expedition 
 which we have set out upon, no man should take part 
 unless he can do it with his whole heart and with no mis- 
 giving as to its success. I have none myself, and I want 
 all who go with me to feel as I do — that we are going to 
 carry this venture through and crown it with success. 
 But if any there be of you who think otherwise, it is not 
 too late to turn back. I would not be sorry to know that 
 San Miguel, which I have had to leave but poorly garrisoned, 
 ^^dll have a few more to strengthen its defences. Those 
 who choose may return, and to them shall be assigned a 
 due portion of lands and Indian labourers. With those 
 who choose to remain with me, be they few or many, I will 
 pursue this high adventure to the end." 
 
 It required a brave and strong man to speak thus to his 
 handful of men. Pizarro had seen, from hints here and 
 there, that there was disaffection and half-heartedness in 
 the ranks ; but he was totally unaware to what extent 
 these feelings had spread. Nevertheless, he resolved that 
 he must have only willing hearts with him, and he knew 
 that if he did not in some way weed out the discontented 
 ones, they would sap the confidence of all his men and 
 bring ruin, disaster and death upon them all. 
 
 His bravery and daring consisted in this : that, when 
 those who were unwilling should accept his offer, he did 
 not know how wretchedly few the remnant of brave and 
 willing men might be. 
 
 Wlien he had finished speaking he looked gravely up 
 and down the ranks of the men before him. The eyes of 
 many of the men were angry as they looked at their leader's 
 face. Why did he doubt them like this ? Were they not 
 all true and valiant cavaliers of Spain ? What other sons 
 
 98
 
 The Cowards are Weeded Out 
 
 of the Holy Church had done, weak and few against hordes 
 of savage pagans up and down the western lands, were 
 they not also willing to do ? 
 
 Men looked at each other with puzzled, half -angry looks ; 
 some hung down their heads, others looked braggart and 
 impudent. For some moments there was a heavy silence ; 
 then, from the line of infantry, a high-pitched, stiff voice 
 rose : 
 
 " I think, captain, I will return. I think the odds are 
 too great." 
 
 " And I ! " said another, with an awkward laugh. 
 " There's like to be more spht skulls than full purses from 
 this venture." 
 
 Seven others said the same, in varying words, and in 
 varying ways of half-shamefacedness or uncouth humour, 
 amid the laughter and banter of their comrades. 
 
 Pizarro bade them stand aside together, and waited, his 
 grave face still bent upon the main body. 
 
 Suddenly there rose from the men who remained a shout 
 or two, which quickly spread until from the one hundred 
 and sixty-eight came a volley of hurrahs. Breaking rank, 
 they surged round Pizarro and the two other chiefs, 
 shouting : " Lead us forward ! Advance ! Advance ! " 
 
 The pale face of Pizarro flushed faintly as he looked on 
 the eager faces of those who thus devoted themselves to 
 him. 
 
 Raising his hand, he commanded silence, and then said : 
 
 " I thank you, lads. Never shall I doubt you again. 
 And now we will go forward." 
 
 A few commands to those who had elected to return 
 to San Miguel, and then, all being ready, the main body 
 went forward, leaving the nine to depart in gloomy silence 
 together, hall despising themselves and each other. 
 
 99
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 By this bold yet subtle stroke of leadership, Pizarro had 
 lost, in men, four of the infantry and five of the cavalry. 
 But in the hearts of those who remained with him he had 
 gained what compensated for that loss. Henceforth the 
 hundred and sixty-eight were knitted to him as their 
 leader with bonds of strictest trust and confidence, and in 
 them Pizarro knew that he had men whom he could 
 lead through any dangers, any risks, and none would 
 ever question him. 
 
 Two days later, Pizarro and his men found themselves 
 among the mountains. Every village they had passed 
 since they left San Miguel seemed to be populated by old 
 men, women and children. Asking the reason of this, 
 they had been told that the Inca had drained them of 
 their men to swell the army which he had led against his 
 half-brother Huascar. When they stopped one day at a 
 village to get their midday meal, Felipillo, the chief of their 
 interpreters, learned that there was a Peruvian garrison 
 stationed at a town called Caxas, lying among the hills at 
 no great distance. 
 
 Wlien Pizarro heard this, he called Hernando de Soto 
 to him and said : 
 
 " Take ten men with you, de Soto, and one of our Indian 
 interpreters, and a guide, and advance to the place they 
 speak of. Reconnoitre the ground, learn if possible whether 
 the garrison have any designs upon us, and come and 
 report to me at the next large town, Zaran, where I will 
 stay until your return. Already we have been longer 
 upon our journey to the camp of the Inca than we expected, 
 and I wish to know more of the route before we advance 
 farther." 
 
 Day followed day in great suspense, while Pizarro 
 awaited the return of de Soto at Zaran. A week passed, 
 
 loo
 
 •"^5 r^^MBAM' 
 
 "Lead us forward! Advance! Advance!"
 
 The Cowards are Weeded Out 
 
 and the Spanish leader was becoming seriously alarmed. 
 On the eighth morning, however, an Indian runner brought 
 news that the Spanish captain was returning, and soon 
 after de Soto entered the quarters of the white men, bring- 
 ing with him a richly dressed man on foot, who was followed 
 by five followers of apparently inferior rank, and several 
 Indians bearing burdens. 
 
 De Soto approached Pizarro, and said : 
 
 " They received me well at Caxas and bade me await 
 this envoy, who, they heard, was coming to meet us. He is 
 of high rank, and a kinsman of the king." 
 
 The Spanish soldiers looked with great interest on this 
 man. He was of medium height, clothed in robes of a 
 deep yellow, Avith a rich red sash about his waist, indicat- 
 ing his rank. In his ears were large ornaments of pure 
 gold, which hung down to his shoulders, and round his 
 forehead, when he uncovered, was a fillet. His feet were in 
 sandals. 
 
 The lighter colour of his skin, the milder and rounder 
 form of his features instantly struck the Spaniards ; and 
 they realized that some great racial difference separated 
 the royal family or tribe from the mass of the copper- 
 skinned, sharp-featured Indians over which they ruled. 
 
 Speaking in a sonorous and pleasant tone, the nobleman 
 addressed Pizarro, and was interpreted by Felipillo. 
 
 " My master," he said, " the Child of the Sun, king of 
 this land, and lord of its treasure, sends you greeting. He 
 welcomes you to his country, learning as he has that you 
 come in all peacefulness, and he invites you to press for- 
 ward without f^ar, and to visit him at his camp beyond 
 the mountains." 
 
 Pizarro guessed that this messenger was sent less on an 
 errand of courtesy than to find out the character of the 
 
 lOI
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Spaniards, their strength and the purpose of their visit. 
 Nevertheless, he rephetl courteously, saying that he looked 
 forward to seeing the Inca king, and would press on with 
 all speed to his camp beyond the movnitains. Then Pizarro 
 caused the Inca messenger to be entertained in the best 
 manner the camp could afford. 
 
 The Inca nobleman stayed in the camp all that day, and 
 the whole time was taken up in conversations between him 
 and Pizarro, through the medium of one of the interpreters. 
 He was full of curiosity concerning the strange beings 
 about him, and all that they used and possessed ; his 
 questions were endless, but Pizarro satisfied them all. 
 
 When the Inca noble departed, the Spanish leader 
 ]3resented him with a cap of crimson cloth, some showy 
 ornaments made of beads, and other toys brought for this 
 purpose from Castile. 
 
 " Tell your master," said Pizarro, " that we come from 
 a powerful and munificent prince who dwells far away 
 beyond the Great Waters. We have heard much of the 
 fame of Atahualpa, your king, and of his great and splendid 
 conquest, and we have come to pay our respects to him, 
 and to offer him our services in aiding him against his 
 enemies. Tell him, also, that we will hasten upon our 
 road, nor will we delay before presenting ourselves before 
 him." 
 
 When the Inca chief had departed with his suite, de 
 Soto gave Pizarro a full account of his expedition. 
 
 " At first," he said, " when we approached the town of 
 Caxas, the army there was put in hostile array, as if to 
 contest our advance. But I sent Pedrillo (an Indian 
 interpreter) forward with a peaceful jnessage, and per- 
 suaded them that I came with no intent of war. They 
 quickly laid aside their menacing attitude and received 
 
 102
 
 The Cowards are Weeded Out 
 
 us with all kindness, giving us good quarters and fresh 
 food in abundance. 
 
 " A high official of the king was in the town, who was 
 collecting the royal tribute. I had many conversations 
 with him, and he told me that Atahualpa, the king, is 
 staying with a great army at a camp on the other side of 
 these mountains, near a large town called Caxamalca. 
 There he is taking the warm baths which burst from the 
 ground there. Many things also have I learned of the 
 government of these people, and of the marvellous order 
 of the state, which I will tell you more fully afterwards. 
 
 " From Caxas we passed to a town near by named 
 Guancabamba, and that is excellently well built. It is 
 much larger, more populous and richer than Caxas. The 
 houses are not made, as are most of those we have seen, 
 of clay baked in the sun, but of solid stone, each piece 
 of an exceeding bigness, and so smoothly wrought and so 
 delicately put together that one cannot see where the join 
 lies between them. A river passes through the town, and 
 over it is a bridge as fine as any you could find in Spain. 
 On our way to this city we came upon a road that is a 
 marvel to see, and is most like those great roads of the 
 mighty Romans which still remain to us in many parts 
 of Spain. 
 
 " It is raised over boggy places like a causeway, is paved 
 with heavy stone flags and bordered by trees, while in 
 channels beside the way are streams of water at which 
 travellers may drink. Here and there, at distances of a 
 day's journey, are rest-houses where wayfarers may stay 
 at night. We were told that such roads as these extend 
 from the north to the south of this land, and from the 
 east to the west ; so that hardly Spain itself has such 
 roads and such convenience for travelling. 
 
 103
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " In one place we came upon a great building, and on 
 inquiring its use, we were told that it held many sacks of 
 grain and much cloth, for the supply of the army ; and 
 it was said that such stores or magazines are scattered 
 everywhere over the country. 
 
 " At the entrance to the city of Guancabamba we came 
 upon a stone house at the gate, and in it was an officer of 
 the Inca, and his duty was to collect the tolls or duties on 
 the various commodities brought into the place. Such 
 tolls are paid not in coin, of which this country possesses 
 none, but by part of the goods. And this custom I was 
 told is very ancient. 
 
 " But the most marvellous thing of all of which we were 
 told was concerning a vast palace which we saw in Guanca- 
 bamba, in the midst of which was a great plaza or square. 
 No one lived in that palace : we were told it had been 
 shut up for four generations, and it contained gold and 
 many treasures, and fine cloth, and furniture, and apparel. 
 This was the palace of one of their long-dead kings, and 
 such deserted palaces, filled with their treasures, are to be 
 found here and there all over the land. When a king 
 dies, all his palaces are shut up, together vnth his treasure, 
 except such as is buried with him. For they believe that 
 in time to come, the soul will return again to earth, and 
 it will reanimate the body, and live again in the places it 
 knew." 
 
 Many other things did de Soto tell of what he had learned . 
 All his accounts showed the power and civilization of the 
 Incas, and Pizarro and those who heard de Soto's account 
 were filled with wonder. Yet their hearts were not shaken ; 
 but they felt confident that, in some way, they would be 
 able to overcome the great might of this heathen kingdom. 
 
 Having learned the best route to take to reach Caxa- 
 
 104
 
 The Cowards are Weeded Out 
 
 malca — ^now called Caxamarca — ^where the Inca king was 
 staying, Pizarro continued his advance. After some days 
 they reached a broad and deep river, with a rapid current, 
 which it was necessary they should cross. 
 
 Pizarro feared that the natives of a village they saw on 
 the opposite bank might contest their passage, and there- 
 fore he ordered his brother Hernando, with a detachment 
 of cavalry, to swim their horses across and secure a safe 
 landing for the rest of the troops. This was done at night, 
 and the cavaliers landed safely and encamped where the 
 main body would probably land on the morrow. 
 
 Next day Pizarro and his men made preparations for 
 their o\vn crossing. They hewed down trees in the forest 
 near by and made a huge raft, Pizarro himself working as 
 hard as any, being ever ready with a cheerful word in the 
 midst of the unusual toil. All day they worked, the task 
 being long and severe ; but before nightfall the whole 
 army was safely transported to the other side, the horses 
 swimming, their bridles being held by the cavaliers on the 
 raft. 
 
 Reaching the camp of his brother Hernando, Pizarro 
 received disquieting news. 
 
 " When we went to the village this morning," the elder 
 man reported, "instead of being received with courtesy, 
 as has been the case hitherto, the people seemed to look 
 upon us as things of terror, and, with cries of fear, fled from 
 their houses. One, however, we caught, but he would tell 
 us nothing until we put him to the torture. Tlien he said 
 that Atahualpa, the Inca monarch, is encamped with all 
 his army on the plains of Caxamalca ; that he knows the 
 smallness of our number, and is decoying us into his 
 power, so as completely to destroy us." 
 
 Pizarro hid his anxiety from his men, but next day gave 
 
 105
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 no orders to advance. He bade the friendly Indians with 
 him go into the forest whither the villagers had fled and 
 tell them how peaceable were the intentions of the white 
 men. The result was that soon a good many of the natives 
 came into the camp, and among them the head-man, or 
 curaca, of the village presented himself. 
 
 On being questioned as to where the Inca king was 
 stationed, he replied : 
 
 " His Majesty is lying at the strong town of Guama- 
 chucho, some twenty leagues south of Caxamalca, with an 
 army of some fifty thousand men. I have seen their 
 white tents with my own eyes, and their number is almost 
 as the stars by night." 
 
 Perplexed by these contradictory statements, Pizarro 
 proposed to one of the friendly Indians who had attached 
 himself to the Spaniards, that he should go to the camp 
 of Atahualpa. 
 
 " I will go for the white lord," said the Indian, " not as 
 a spy, but as his messenger to the king." 
 
 "■ Be it so," said Pizarro ; " assure the Inca that I am 
 advancing with all possible speed to meet him. Tell him 
 with what friendliness and courtesy we have ever been 
 received by his subjects, and assure him that we rely on 
 the same friendliness and kindness from him." 
 
 " This I will do," said the Indian, " and will faithfully 
 carry the seiior's words to the king." 
 
 " But further," went on Pizarro, " as you go on your 
 way keep your eyes clear, and observe if the strong passes 
 on the road are defended, or if in any way your master or 
 his servants prepare to make war upon us. Take three 
 runners with you, and send them back to me with any news 
 of these things." 
 
 " All this will I do," said the Indian ; and choosing three 
 
 io6
 
 The Cowards are Weeded Out 
 
 of his countrymen, the four red men, with their meagre 
 provisions in wallets at their waists, set off in a quiet trot 
 toward the mountains which, with their tops swathed in 
 purple mist, could be seen towering into the skies toward 
 the east. 
 
 Then Pizarro gave orders to advance upon their road. 
 For three days they marched through rising land, until at 
 length they saw before them the stupendous flanks of the 
 great Andes, which they must now cross. 
 
 The hearts of the soldiers almost failed at the thought 
 that they must scale those awful walls of rock, and as they 
 marched they scanned gloomily the towering limbs of the 
 mountains. At the foot were deep, dense forests, which 
 climbed the declivities, broken here and there by patches 
 of open land where the Peruvians, patient and wise, had 
 carved the rocky soil into terraces where maize and 
 potatoes grew, the cottages of the laborious farmers being 
 perched like swallows' nests beneath the eaves of frowning 
 cliff and hanging shelves of rock. 
 
 Above this belt of forest and field came dizzy slopes of 
 stunted trees, and higher still was the barren rock, where 
 nothing seemed to grow. Then, when the eyes of the 
 soldiers rose still farther, and noted where the sheets of 
 snow lay glistening in the sunlight, with here and there 
 the flash of ice from a glacier, their hearts sank, and they 
 thought that the labour and the toil required of them was 
 too much. 
 
 They spoke of it among themselves as they marched. 
 
 " We shall never gain the other side," said some de- 
 spondently. " Torrents will sweep us from our feet into 
 terrible chasms, the snow will engulf us or the icy cold will 
 freeze the blood in our veins, and we shall sleep and die." 
 
 " More likely," growled others in their beards, " we 
 
 107
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 shall be cooped up in some narrow pass, and the javelins 
 and rocks of the Peruvians will slay us to a man." 
 
 " Our bones will bleach to the sun after the carrion 
 birds have picked them clean," said others, " and that is 
 all we shall get for all these months of toil and dangers." 
 
 " Croakers, all of ye ! " cried men of brisker heart. 
 " Tell our brave captain all your fears, and he will send 
 you back to hoe onions at San Miguel. He only wants 
 men at his back." 
 
 Then suddenly the little army saw, stretching away to 
 right and left of them, a broad, smooth highway, flagged 
 and channelled, with great trees along its sides shading 
 it from the glare and heat of the tropical sun. 
 
 The men all tramped on to the hard surface and stopped, 
 looking this way and that along the green avenue, which 
 seemed to invite them to leave their daring and toilsome 
 attempt to cross the mountains, and to lure them along 
 its smooth surface away to more pleasant and easier 
 places. 
 
 " Let us go this way ! " cried some. " It will save our 
 strength and we shall find more treasure in the towns 
 along its sides than in the mountains." 
 
 Pizarro, with his officers and the cavalry, had already 
 passed across the road into the broken land dividing it 
 from the mountains ; but he turned back his horse at 
 the cries and rode to where the men were talking. They 
 told him what they desired, and why. 
 
 " Nay, lads," he said, with a frank laugh. " The road 
 has a pleasanter look, I grant you ; but our way lies 
 not along it. The road runs to Cuzco. Certainl}'- we shall 
 get there anon ; but now, hark ye, we have everywhere 
 proclaimed that we intend to visit the Inca in his camp. 
 The Inca himself has our message to that purport, and 
 
 io8
 
 The Cowards are Weeded Out 
 
 the meanest Indian bearer knows it. What will they say 
 if now we turn aside ? That we are cowards ! Why, the 
 very porters and scullions will scorn us, and the terror of 
 our name and of our arms will be naught against the 
 contempt of the whole nation. Nay, lads," he said, 
 seeing that already some had stepped out to join the fore- 
 most troops, while others still seemed to waver, " you 
 know in your hearts there is no other course for brave men 
 but to scale these sierras and visit the Inca, and thus show 
 him we fear him not nor his fifty thousand warriors." 
 
 The last man who had hesitated now hastened to cross 
 the road and join his fellows, and, turning to all his army, 
 Pizarro cried in ringing tones : 
 
 " Let every one of you take good heart, do as men ex- 
 pect of you, and bravely, as good Spaniards are wont to 
 do. Have no fear of the smallness of your numbers nor 
 of the multitude of the heathens. Think ye, that however 
 great is the power of the enemy, the power of God is much 
 greater ; and He is wont to aid his children in their need, 
 so that the pride of the heathen is put down." 
 
 The splendid sincerity in Pizarro's untutored words 
 awoke an answering thrill in every soldier. All felt that 
 in him spoke a heart that understood them, felt with their 
 sorrows, disappointments and weariness of toil ; but also 
 they knew that his simple words had shown them their 
 plain duty. 
 
 A great shout arose from them and echoed and re-echoed 
 in the clefts of the mountains beside them. 
 
 " Lead on ! " they cried. " We will go where you lead 
 us with a good will ! For God and the king, lead on ! " 
 
 Instantly Pizarro rode to the head of his army, and, led 
 by one of the friendly Indians, in a little while they were 
 threading the first narrow pass through the mountains. 
 
 109
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 A Meeting with the Inca 
 
 THAT night the band of Spaniards camped in an 
 open place on the side of the mountain. There 
 Pizarro, before they retired to rest, held a council 
 of his chief officers, and it was decided that he should lead 
 the advance, and, with forty horse and sixt}^ foot, should 
 reconnoitre the road. The rest of the company, under the 
 command of his brother Hernando, was to remain where 
 it was until Pizarro sent further instructions. 
 
 At break of day Pizarro and his men started, and now 
 the difficulties of the ascent began to show themselves. 
 They could not but confess that the path had been wisely 
 engmeered ; but so toilsome was it in many places that 
 even those of the soldiers who hailed from the mountainous 
 provinces of Spain alleged that never had they known 
 such steep ascents or perilous corners. 
 
 Often the path would wind on a ledge around the mighty 
 flank of a mountain, and so narrow was the way that the 
 horseman would have to dismount and, pressing closely 
 to the face of the rock, lead his horse by the bridle, the 
 cavalier praying to all the saints for sure foothold of man 
 and beast. The rugged path was often scarcely wide 
 enough for a naked Indian ; and the soldiers, encumbered 
 by their coats of mail or quilted cotton jerkins, had the 
 fear of a dreadful death constantly before their eyes. 
 Every step was made witli care ui these narrow places, for 
 
 no
 
 The horseman would have to lead his horse
 
 A Meeting with the Inca 
 
 a slipping foothold would have j)recipitated the unwary 
 man hundreds of feet down the dreadful abyss that yawned 
 beside the way, at the bottom of which roared a torrent, 
 strangled in a narrow fissure in the rocks. 
 
 When, as was frequently the case, they passed thus 
 toilsomely around a bend, they could see the narrow ledge 
 climbing ever upward far before them, until it disappeared 
 into a defile in the rocks. Then every heart beat the more 
 quickly as each step brought them nearer to the dark 
 mouth of the hollow way. 
 
 Every moment they expected to see a cloud of javelins 
 or arrows burst from the gloomy cleft, and to see one or 
 other of their comrades fall from the narrow path, and 
 turn and turn with spread limbs as he fell down into the 
 sickening deeps below. 
 
 A dozen warriors, stationed at any one of such places, 
 could have held the Spaniards at their mercy — could have 
 picked them off one by one as they pressed against the 
 wall of rock. The Spaniards knew this well, and breathed 
 more easily, and wondered greatly as each such perilous 
 point was reached and left behind. 
 
 Suddenly, as the line of men was winding its way up a 
 steep and gloomy gorge among the rocks, those in the rear 
 heard whispers from their comrades before them, and the 
 long file of men and horses checked for a moment. 
 
 " What is it ? " was the question which ran from mouth 
 to mouth. 
 
 Soon came the whispered words along the line : 
 
 " At the head of the gorge is a fortress. The marquis 
 bids us close up and go warily, with arms ready." 
 
 The pass opened a little at the top into a large space 
 between the rocky cliffs, and there, as the Spaniards 
 crowded up together, they saw strong walls of great dark 
 
 III
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 stones, the narrow track passing immediately beneath 
 the gloomy and silent window-like apertures in the 
 masonry. 
 
 As they watched, they expected every moment to see 
 the tops of the walls suddenly bristle with dusky figures, 
 and to see a cloud of javelins fiy toward them. But the 
 moments passed ; the line of sunlight moved a little way 
 along the rocky wall far up above the pass ; and silence 
 reigned. 
 
 " Advance with weapons ready and bucklers before you," 
 said Pizarro. 
 
 At the word of command the men formed in two lines 
 and advanced to the walls of the fortress. A great door 
 yawned at the side where the track ran, and, looking into 
 the dark interior, Pizarro and those beside him saw that 
 the place was empty. 
 
 Entering it, they found it consisted of one big room, 
 with sleeping-places in cavities formed in the walls ; and 
 in one comer a flight of stone steps led up to the top of the 
 fortress. Search was made narrowly, but not a living 
 creature was discovered, and it seemed long since it had 
 been occupied. 
 
 The Spaniards had advanced in gloomy silence ; but 
 now, as the men ran through the echoing place, laughter 
 and jests rang out among them. 
 
 " It seems," said one, " that the heathen king really 
 means well by us." 
 
 " Ay," said another grimly, " his gods have made him 
 mad, I think, or he would not have missed this chance of 
 scotching us before we bite him." 
 
 Others sneered at the last speaker for a croaker, and 
 commended the Inca king's fair dealing. 
 
 " 'Twould have been easy for a handful of his men to 
 
 112
 
 A Meeting with the Inca 
 
 have held us back at fifty places on the road, to say no- 
 thing of this place," said another. " But it seems that 
 he intends not to act the traitor to us." 
 
 This was the conviction of the Spaniards generally, and 
 their spirits rose in consequence. 
 
 Pizarro then ordered two of the friendly Indians to 
 return to the main body under Hernando and tell them to 
 follow him at once. When his men had partaken of their 
 midday meal, Pizarro continued his toilsome climbing 
 until, as a deeper twilight began to sink into the gorges 
 of the mountains, they reached an outstanding eminence, 
 on which was found another forsaken fortress. 
 
 This was larger and stronger than the first ; its lower 
 part was hewn from the living rock, the upper walls being 
 made of huge blocks of stone so cleverly joined that the 
 rN^ junction could scarcely be discovered. 
 
 ^ So well was this built that the officers, after examining 
 
 ^ it thoroughly, confessed that the best engineers of Spain 
 
 could not have done better. 
 
 In this Pizarro and his men took up their quarters for 
 the night ; and the gloomy walls knew the warmth and 
 light of fires again, and the cheerful voices of men. It 
 was bitterly cold, and the horses, which had already begun 
 to show signs of suffering from the changed climate during 
 the day, were brought in and tethered in one of the large 
 chambers of the fortress. 
 
 Next morning, without waiting for the rearguard, 
 Pizarro determined to push still farther on his way. 
 
 As they climbed still higher they found that vegetation 
 became scantier. The forests that clothed the lower 
 slopes with tropical magnificence had long since been 
 left behind, and they had now entered a region where they 
 met with no terraces such as they had seen below, carved 
 
 M 113 

 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 from the rock by the patient labour of the Indians, who 
 covered them with earth brought toilsomely from the 
 more fertile lower slopes. 
 
 As they pushed on, climbing mile after mile toward the 
 sky, the sombre forests of pine were left behind, and in their 
 place were stunted Alpine plants that rose but a little way 
 above the starved and rocky soil. Soon these gave place 
 to hungry moss and lichen, which clung to but did not 
 entirely cover the black surface. 
 
 The dreary solitudes seemed utterly devoid of life, both 
 human and brute. Occasionally, however, they saw on 
 some inaccessible pinnacle in the distance a creature like a 
 goat, the vicuiia ; and instead of the multitudinous life of 
 birds in glorious plumage which they were accustomed to 
 see flitting like living lights in the dark forests of the 
 plains, they saw now only the giant condor sailing high 
 in the blue above them on motionless pinions. From time 
 to time the great bird gave a doleful cry, and seemed to 
 follow them, as if already it scented the carnage that soon 
 would lie in the track of the conquerors. 
 
 At length they reached the topmost summit of the pass, 
 and emerged upon a bare bleak plateau, not so high as the 
 snow-level, which they saw lying on still higher peaks 
 towering into the frosty air, but yet sufficiently elevated 
 to be the meeting-place of every bitter wind that blew 
 from the fields of eternal snow. 
 
 In this place their feet struck the living rock of the 
 mountain unmasked by any vegetation, except a short, 
 stunted j^ellow grass which, as they could see, encircled 
 the base of the snow-covered peaks near by, looking, 
 where it lay lit up by the rays of the ardent sun, like a 
 setting of gold round pinnacles of dazzling white. 
 
 It was in the afternoon when they reached this point, 
 
 114
 
 A Meeting with the Inca 
 
 and setting up their cotton tents, they lit fires before the 
 openings and tried to warm themselves and to sleep. The 
 night was so severe that all averred that never was such 
 cold to be felt in the mountains of Spain even in winter. 
 
 While men thus tried to sleep, the sharp challenge of a 
 sentry was heard, and an Indian was seen approaching 
 the camp from the east. He was quickly recognized as 
 one of the ruimers who had gone with the Indian emissary 
 to Atahualpa. He was led before Pizarro and gave his 
 report. 
 
 " Sefior," he said, " the passes are clear to the foot of 
 the mountains, and the roads also even to the camp of the 
 Child of the Sun. As I came hither I passed an embassy 
 which the Inca sends, with his words of greeting unto 
 you." 
 
 Pizarro instantly gave order that two of the Indians 
 should go back to his brother Hernando, bidding him and 
 the main body to hasten, so as to receive the Inca's em- 
 bassy ; for Pizarro did not wish the king's messenger to 
 find him with so few followers. 
 
 The rest of the army was not far behind, and vei^y soon 
 reached the encampment. 
 
 Soon afterward the embassy from the Inca was seen 
 approaching, and when the party met Pizarro standing 
 before his men, who all stood with their arms displayed, 
 the astonishment of the Inca nobleman at the sight of the 
 European soldiers was evident. 
 
 By means of the interpreter Pedrillo, the Peruvian 
 noble delivered his message. His master, he said, wished 
 to know when the Spaniards would arrive at Caxamalca, 
 so that he might provide a fitting welcome and refresh- 
 ment for them. Pizarro replied, saying he would make 
 all speed, and would probably arrive in eight days. 
 
 115
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Pizarro and the Inca noble had a long conversation, in 
 the course of which Pizarro learnt where the Lica was now 
 encamped, and also obtained much information concerning 
 the late wars. 
 
 The Inca noble began to vaunt the military prowess 
 and exploits of his master, saying how many cities he had 
 sacked, what enemies he had slain, and recounting the 
 battles he had won . He also spoke boastingly of the power 
 of the Inca, the treasure he possessed, the army he com- 
 manded, and the famous generals who led his legions for 
 him. 
 
 Pizarro thought it wise to show that the recital of the 
 Inca noble had no power to overawe him. 
 
 " Doubtless," he replied, " your master is a wise and 
 brave chieftain, and his prowess has raised him high among 
 the names of Indian chiefs whom we have met. But," he 
 continued, " compared to the monarch who rules over the 
 land whence I come, he is as inferior as the jjettiest curaca 
 is to your Inca. My king is so potent in arms, and his 
 warriors are so wise in warcraft, that a few hundreds of 
 them have conquered many kingdoms throughout this 
 great continent. I have heard of the fame of your king, 
 and it has led me to come hither to offer my services 
 to him against his enemies." 
 
 The Inca lord seemed impressed by the high claims made 
 by Pizarro on behalf of his monarch, and said no more 
 concerning the Inca king. 
 
 Next day the Spaniards continued their advance, spend- 
 ing two days in travelling across the plateau. When they 
 were about to begin the descent of the mountains on 
 the eastern side, another embassy met them, whom they 
 recognized as the man who had seen them at Zaran, on 
 the western side. He came in greater state than before, 
 
 ii6
 
 A Meeting with the Inca 
 
 dressed in richer clothes and accompanied by a more 
 numeix)us retinue, and as he approached the camp of the 
 Spaniards he quaffed the wine of the country from goblets 
 of pure gold, which flashed in the sun, and at which the 
 eyes of the freebooters gleamed eagerly. 
 
 While he was speaking to Pizarro, the friendly Indian 
 whom Pizarro had sent as an embassy to the Inca came 
 into camp ; and as he looked at the ceremonious reception 
 granted to the Peruvian noble his fierce eyes flashed and 
 his face was twisted with rage. He dashed toward the 
 noble as if he would drive the axe in his hand into the brain 
 of the Inca's messenger. But some of the soldiers checked 
 and held him. 
 
 " Why, my white lords," he cried, " do you receive this 
 Peruvian dog with such courtesy, when I, who was your 
 embassy to the Inca, have nearly lost my life on my 
 mission ? " 
 
 They asked him what had happened, and when he was 
 a little recovered he reported the result of his journey. 
 
 " When I reached the camp of the Inca," he said, " I 
 was refused permission to approach him, for they said he 
 was keeping a fast and would see no strangers. I told 
 them I came as a special messenger from the white men, 
 but they cared not for that, and hardly would I have 
 escaped with my life if I had not said that if they slew me, 
 their own messengers would be slain by you. I doubt 
 not," he went on, " that Atahualpa has treachery in his 
 mind toward you, my white friends. He has fifty thousand 
 troops about him." 
 
 "What say you to this? " asked Pizarro of the Inca noble. 
 
 The aristocrat looked scornfully at the enraged Indian, 
 and said : 
 
 " This fool speaks according to his folly. Did he think 
 
 117
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 the guards of the Inca would take the mere assertion of 
 any base Indian slave that he was the envoy of the white 
 men, if he bore no sign from them to show the truth of his 
 words ? As to the fast which my master is observing, that 
 is true ; but if he had known there was a messenger from 
 the white men he might have seen him. As to the warriors 
 about him, my master has hardly completed a heavy war. 
 Is it not the merest wisdom that he should still keep a 
 large army in readiness for any outbreak of his enemies ? " 
 
 Pizarro did not wholly believe the words of the Inca 
 nobleman, and was not convinced of the honesty of 
 Atahualpa's intention ; but he wished to keep on friendly 
 terms with him, and therefore he made a pretence of 
 believing this explanation. 
 
 " Return to your master," he said, " and convey to him 
 my assurances that with every possible speed I will 
 present myself before him to offer my personal greetings 
 and services." 
 
 Next day Pizarro and his men liegan the descent of the 
 Andes on the eastern side. The wa}^ was not so steep, but 
 the difficulties were little less on the whole than those met 
 with in the ascent, and it occupied them seven days to 
 reach the lower slopes. 
 
 Then suddenly, one morning, as they turned a bend of 
 the pass, an immensity of lovely country burst upon their 
 sight. A wide, long valley, filled with green fields and 
 orchards lay below them, with gleaming rivers running 
 through the fertile land. 
 
 Villages nestled here and there, white houses peeped 
 between trees, and every rood of ground seemed carefully 
 cultivated between hedges in which lovely flowers bloomed. 
 
 Over all was the radiant sunlight of the tropical day. 
 
 Immediately below them in the valley lay the little city 
 
 u8
 
 A Meeting with the Inca 
 
 of Caxamalca, the white walls of its fortress and temple 
 rising proudly from among the lines of smaller houses 
 forming its streets. Here and there amidst the dwellings 
 were large open spaces, the courtyards of the houses of 
 the Inca noblemen. 
 
 Across the valley into which they looked, from between 
 a collection of walls, rose great columns of vapour con- 
 tinually billowing and disappearing into the sunlit air. 
 This, the Spaniards knew, marked the place of the natural 
 hot baths, where, as the envoys had told them, the Inca 
 king was staying. 
 
 Beyond the baths was a sight at which the faces of the 
 Spaniards became grave, for along the slope of the hills 
 rose a white cloud of tents, gleaming like snowflakes in the 
 sun, for the space, as it seemed, of some miles. 
 
 " Never have we seen Indians with so proud an array as 
 that ! " said Hernando de Soto, in a low voice, to Pizarro, 
 whose face, however, revealed nothing of what he thought. 
 
 " So many tents in such order were never seen before 
 in the Indies," said one of the older cavaliers. 
 
 Men looked from one to the other with swift glances. 
 All felt that something akin to fear had been created in the 
 hearts of each man at the knowledge of the overwhelming 
 force arrayed against them. 
 
 For that very reason, however, and simply because 
 things looked so hopeless, the Spaniards put on a brave 
 face. Tliey knew that if now they showed hesitation or 
 doubt in themselves, the very Indians who were marching 
 with them, and who, in common with all the natives who 
 had seen or heard of them, looked upon the white men as 
 creatures of godlike power — these would lose all fear of 
 them and would turn upon them. 
 
 Quietly Pizarro gave his orders, and the little band of 
 
 iiq
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 about one hundred and seventy men descended the short 
 interv^ening slope of the sierras and emerged into the valley. 
 At a leisurely pace the Spaniards marched toward the city, 
 the outskirts of which they reached when the afternoon 
 was already half spent. 
 
 As the soldier}'- tramped through the place, no faces 
 appeared at the doors, and no one walked the streets. The 
 to\vn was utterly deserted. It was of large size, Avith 
 numerous well-built houses, containing accommodation 
 for ten thousand inhabitants. They passed through 
 the principal square, on one side of which was reared an 
 imposing building with strange carvings on the great 
 stones forming its front. This, their interpreters told 
 them, was a convent in which lived the Virgins of the Sun. 
 
 Pizarro ordered a halt as soon as they arrived at the 
 outskirts of the town nearest the Inca camp. Here they 
 found a great triangular courtyard surrounded by low 
 buildings, which seemed designed for use as a barracks. 
 Checking his men in the parade ground, he called Hernando 
 de Soto to him and said : 
 
 " I am anxious to learn what is the disposition of the 
 Inca toward us. Go, choose fifteen of the best horsemen, 
 and with Felipillo, ride forward to the camp. Acquaint 
 the king with my arrival and invite him to visit me here 
 in the morning, when I design to offer my services to him. 
 Above all, treat the Inca and his men with courtesy and 
 dignity." 
 
 De Soto saluted, chose fifteen of the horsemen, and the 
 party trotted out of the courtyard. Those who remained 
 dismounted, and with the foot soldiers began to prepare 
 their quarters. The weather, which had been fair through - 
 out the day, now threatened a storm ; it became bitterly 
 cold, and rain and hail began to fall. 
 
 120
 
 A Meeting with the Inca 
 
 Pizarro remained seated on his horse for some minutes 
 after de Soto and his troop had gone. Suddenly he 
 summoned his brother Hernando to his side. 
 
 " Choose twenty troopers," he said . "I think the fifteen 
 with de Soto are two few, in case the Indians prove hostile. 
 Quick and follow him." 
 
 Instantly, at Hernando's call, twenty cavaliers drew 
 out their horses, and, vaulting on their backs, the troop 
 followed after de Soto, whom they caught up in a few 
 minutes. 
 
 They found that a well-built causeway connected the 
 city with the camp of the king. Along this the cavalry 
 galloped at a rapid pace, and after going some three miles, 
 they found themselves nearing the camp of the Peruvians 
 on the slope of the hills. They saw the lances of the Indian 
 warriors stuck in the ground before the openings of the 
 tents, while the men themselves came together in large 
 masses and watched the strange sight of the European 
 warriors in coats of armour, approaching them on strange 
 animals which went as swiftly as the wind, while, at the 
 same time, the blast of a trumpet and the clang of their 
 arms announced their approach. 
 
 Just before the camp of the Inca was a wide, shallow 
 stream, across which a wooden bridge was built. Dis- 
 trusting its strength, the two leaders preferred to take to 
 the water, and rode swiftly across, tossing up the water 
 as they passed through. 
 
 Reaching the bank, the Spaniards saw before them a 
 battalion of Indian warriors, dra%vn up under arms. They 
 stood motionless, and gave no sign of opposition as the 
 white men advanced. An officer stood before the ranks, 
 and Hernando Pizarro bade Felipillo ask him the way to 
 the quarters of the Inca. 
 
 121
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 The Inca officer courteously }X)intecl out the direction, 
 and the Spaniards went forward. 
 
 They soon found themselves in front of an imposing 
 body of some hundreds of richly dressed courtiers, who were 
 standing motionless about a mar^ seated on a low stool or 
 cushion. This was the Inca, of whose ability and keen- 
 ness of mind the Spaniards had heard so much. His face 
 was handsome, except for his eyes, which were bloodshot, 
 and his head was larger than usual. 
 
 His dress was simpler than that of any of those standing 
 about him ; but on his head was the sign of sovereignty in 
 the shape of a crimson fringe, w^hich encircled the head and 
 hung down as low as the eyebrows. He had worn this 
 sign of supreme power only since his defeat of his half- 
 brother, Huascar, a few months before. 
 
 The Spanish leaders ordered their followers to fall back, 
 and, choosing only two of them and the interpreter, Feli- 
 pillo, went forward, still on horseback, until they reined 
 up immediately in front of the Inca. They gazed on the 
 face of this man who, in the fierce battles of which they 
 had heard, had conquered the land from his own kinsman, 
 and in his features they tried to read what were his thoughts 
 concerning themselves. But on the Inca's face was a look 
 of apathy, mingled with an expression of authority and 
 command as befitted his great power. 
 
 Without dismounting, Hernando Pizarro made respect- 
 ful obeisance to the Inca, and then said : 
 
 " I come, your Majesty, as the ambassador of my brother, 
 Francisco Pizarro, the commander of the white men, to tell 
 you of our arrival in the city of Caxamalca. We are the 
 subjects of a great prince who dwells in vast kingdoms 
 across the ocean ; we have been drawn hither by the 
 reports which we have heard of your prowess and your 
 
 122
 
 A Meeting with the Inca 
 
 victories, and we would offer you our services and would 
 instruct you in the doctrines of the true faith. Lastly, 
 I bring to you an invitation from the general that you 
 visit him, if it is your pleasure, in our present quarters in 
 the town." 
 
 Sentence by sentence the words were translated in a 
 clear, ringing voice by the young man, Felipillo, while some 
 hundreds of curious eyes were directed upon every inch 
 of the bodies of the cavaliers and their champing and 
 restive war-horses. Wonder and even terror at the sight 
 of these strange visitors were depicted on every face, for 
 never had the Peruvians been prepared, by anything they 
 had ever heard, for the existence of such wonderful men, 
 riding on fierce animals and clothed in shining iron 
 garments. 
 
 But the Inca seemed unmoved. He remained silent, his 
 eyes bent to the ground, and did not show even by a gesture 
 or the flicking of an eyelid that he had heard a word of the 
 Spaniard's address. 
 
 The moments passed slowly in a heavy silence, while the 
 eyes of the Spaniards were fixed keenly on the Inca's im- 
 passive face. 
 
 At length the Inca noble standing nearest to the king 
 said : 
 
 " It is well." 
 
 The brows of the Spanish leaders darkened momentarily, 
 and they bit their lips. If this was all the answer the 
 Inca was intending to give them, they were as far from 
 knowing his intentions — whether evil or good — toward 
 them as if the stupendous mountains still lay between 
 them. 
 
 Very courteously Hernando Pizarro again addressed the 
 Inca. 
 
 123
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " Will you not speak to us yourself, your Majesty, and 
 tell us what is your pleasure ? " 
 
 The Inca raised his head, and his inscrutable face was 
 lit with a shadowy smile. Then the apathetic look again 
 returned as he replied : 
 
 " Tell your captain that I am keeping a fast, which will 
 end to-morrow morning, when I will come with some of my 
 chieftains to see him. Meanwhile let him occupy those 
 houses on the plaza, and go into no other until I come, 
 when I will order what shall be done." 
 
 When Atahualpa finished speaking he fixed his eyes on 
 the charger which de Soto rode. The horse was of the 
 purest breed, and of a high mettle, and stood impatiently 
 champing the bit, pawing the ground and tossing its 
 handsome head. 
 
 " The king perhaps would like to see the movements of 
 my horse," said de Soto, and reining back the animal he 
 dashed into the open plain before the Inca, wheeling round 
 and round, displaying all the beautiful movements of the 
 steed, as well as his own superb horsemanship. 
 
 Then, putting the horse at full speed, he rode furiously 
 straight towards the Inca, but checked the animal in full 
 career, bringing it almost on its haunches, so near the 
 person of the Inca that some of the foam from the horse's 
 muzzle was thrown on the garments of the king. 
 
 But Atahualpa maintained the same marble indifference, 
 and no flicker of interest gleamed in his eyes or stirred his 
 cheek, even when the animal seemed about to leap upon 
 him. Some of the Indians who stood by, however, were 
 not so stoical, and drew back in manifest terror. For this 
 evidence of fear before the strangers they were the same 
 evening put to death by order of the Inca . 
 
 Wine was brought by some of the women of the Court, 
 
 124
 
 Atahualpa maintained the same marble indifference 124
 
 A Meeting with the Inca 
 
 and offered to the two Spanish leaders in golden goblets 
 of great size. These they quaffed, and then respectfully 
 took their leave. 
 
 In gloomy silence the horsemen rode back to their com- 
 rades at Caxamalca. Their thoughts were filled with 
 wonder at the magnificence and richness of the Court of 
 the Inca, the strength of his army, and the order and dis- 
 cipline in their ranks. All these things seemed to speak of 
 a power, a solidity and a strength such as they had never 
 dreamed of in the earlier part of the expedition. 
 
 As they compared this power of the Peruvians with their 
 own small number, sunk as they were deep in the hostile 
 country and far from succour, they were filled with dread- 
 ful forebodings of disaster and death. 
 
 When they reached the camp Hernando Pizarro and 
 de Soto went into the chamber where their general was 
 lodged, and gave him a full report of all that had happened. 
 Meanwhile the rank and file gathered eagerly round those 
 who had visited the Inca camp, and learnt all that they 
 had seen and all they feared. 
 
 Despondency in a little while took possession of the 
 whole camp. Men sat about the fires, either looking in 
 blank silence into the leaping flames, or else murmuring 
 to each other in low, querulous monotones, discussing the 
 dark future, or cursing themselves for having ventured on 
 so mad a quest. 
 
 When night fell, men issued from the rooms opening on 
 the plaza, and went where the sentinels were set, and stood 
 watching the fires of the Indian camp on the slopes of the 
 hills across the valley. 
 
 " Look at the multitude of them," said one ; " as thick 
 as the stars in heaven on a summer's night, and round each 
 must be a dozen men." 
 
 125
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " What of that ? " came a clear voice behmd the speaker. 
 " What if for every Spanish cavalier there are a thousand 
 Indians ? " 
 
 Instantly the men turned, for all knew the voice to be 
 that of Pizarro. Tliey saw his pale face in the half light, 
 and that its usual gravity was lit up with a smile. 
 
 " Well, general," said one cavalier, " no man can but 
 deny that we are outnumbered almost to the degree you 
 say." 
 
 " Yes ; and what has that to do with you, who are 
 all brave men ? " came the reply. 
 
 " We may be brave as lions, but we are but men," 
 returned the man. 
 
 " And though," said another, " it would seem that the 
 natives here reckon us almost as demigods, and stand in 
 great fear of what they deem are our wonderful powers, 
 yet, general, were the Inca king but to take it into his 
 head to i-ush us, we should be stamped out." 
 
 " Lads," said Pizarro, and there was almost a careless 
 laugh in his voice, " you are all as full of fears as children 
 frightened of the dark. Now, I beseech you," he went on, 
 and his voice became earnest, " not to show each other 
 a faint heart. I do not hide from you that we are at a 
 crisis in our fortunes. But we have been coming to this 
 for these past several months — ^we are now facing the foe 
 whom we have been seeking ever since, at Tumbez, our 
 feet touched this soil. We have gone through many 
 dangers unharmed, and we will pass through this likewise. 
 But you must rely on yourselves — on your own brave 
 hearts, and on the aid of that providence which has carried 
 us through so many fearful trials. It will not desert us 
 now, for we are fighting the fight of the true faith. If 
 numbers, however great, ai-e on the side of the heathen, 
 
 126
 
 A , Meeting with the Inca 
 
 does that matter at all while the arm of Heaven is on 
 
 ours ? " 
 
 Pizarro's words rang with sincerity and confidence, and 
 found instant echo in the hearts of the soldiers about him, 
 whose numbers had increased when word had gone through 
 the camp that he was speaking, until now nearly all the 
 band were listening. 
 
 A shout arose from them. " The general speaks truly," 
 men cried. "Heaven and its saints will fight for us, as 
 they have fought for us till now, and we shall prevail." 
 
 Quickly the report of Pizarro's heartening words went 
 through the whole camp ; men's faces brightened as they 
 sought their fires again, or prepared their sleeping-places ; 
 rough jests passed in place of gloomy forebodings, and 
 many expressed their admiration for their leader and their 
 reliance upon him. 
 
 127
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 A Deed of Carnage 
 
 MEANWHILE, Pizarro had summoned a council 
 of his chief officers to determine what was to be 
 done. Each of them entered the room where 
 Pizarro was lodged, with looks of gravity or even of gloom. 
 Their number comprised men who bore some of the oldest 
 names in Spain, men of tried prowess in battle, wise in war 
 and subtle in counsel. 
 
 Among them were Hernando and Gonzalo, brothers of 
 Pizarro ; Hernando de Soto, polished courtier and famous 
 warrior ; Garcilasso de la Vega, a man of noble rank, who 
 numbered English families among his kinsfolk by mar- 
 riage ; Mancio Serra de Leguisamo, Antonio Altimorono, 
 Spanish gentlemen who made up for the poverty which had 
 driven them to this venture by the length of their pedi- 
 grees ; and, lastly, Fray Vicente de Valverde, a Dominican 
 friar, who was Pizarro's chaplain, and charged with the 
 ecclesiastical duties of the expedition. There was also 
 Pizarro's secretary, a gentleman named Pedro Sancho, 
 who has left a history of the conquest. 
 
 " Gentlemen," said Pizarro, " I have summoned you so 
 that we may take counsel together as to what is best to be 
 done. Let each say what is in his mind." 
 
 There was silence. Men looked at each other, found no 
 eagerness, no fire, in any of the eyes which met theirs, 
 and dropped their gaze upon the ground. Pizarro's grave 
 
 128
 
 A Deed of Carnage 
 
 glance swept about them, and then, as no one seemed 
 wishful to speak, he said : 
 
 " I will put the position before you. We are one 
 hundred and seventy men ; a league beyond these walls 
 are perhaps one hundred thousand Indians. We have 
 toiled for many months — I, indeed, have toiled many 
 years — to get here, to face the foe who now lies so near us, 
 and to conquer his land for the glory of our emperor, and 
 our Holy Faith, and the enrichment of ourselves. We are 
 now where we desired to be, but — our position is desperate. 
 Whichever way we turn, we are menaced by appalling 
 dangers — nay, death seems certain. 
 
 "To fly now is too late. Whither could we go ? At 
 the first sign of retreat the whole army of the Inca, whose 
 spies are doubtless beneath our very walls, would rise 
 and rush upon us. If we reached the sierras, and strove 
 to retreat the way we came, our enemies, who know every 
 track upon those desolate mountains, would hem us in 
 where they chose, and mete out to us such a death as 
 should satisfy their savage instincts. 
 
 " To stay where we are — inactive, neither advancing 
 nor retreating," went on Pizarro, in the same quiet voice, 
 " is that the better course? Do we know that the Inca 
 bears friendly feelings toward us ? Gentlemen, you all 
 know the coldness of his reception of my embassy to him 
 not three hours ago. Even supposing that his coldness was 
 assumed, and that he has friendly feelings for us, could we 
 rely upon his continuing in amity? 
 
 " The heathens think that we have supernatural powers, 
 but if we remain inactive among them, will not habit and 
 custom soon cause them to know that we are but men as 
 they are ? Will they not get to despise us for our few- 
 ness of numbers ? And when they thought thus, would 
 I 129
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 not our arms, our horses and our accoutrements constantly 
 excite the Inca to fall upon us and possess the things we 
 have ? 
 
 " From all that I have learned of him, the Inca is a 
 crafty and unscrupulous prince. You think, perhaps, 
 that his messages to us asking us to hasten to him were 
 meant kindly ? (Gentleman, on the contrary, I knew that 
 always they were only intended to decoy us across the 
 mountains. He did not oppose us in the sierras, where, 
 at fifty places, he could have checked and slain us. No, 
 he did not ; he wished to see us closely, to learn who we 
 are, what manner of men we are, and when he cares, he 
 hopes to stretch out his hand, crush us utterly and take 
 what we possess for his own barbaric adornment." 
 
 They were all brave men who, seated round the fire in 
 the centre of the room, listened to Pizarro's words ; but 
 the brutal plainness with which he described their appar- 
 ently hopeless plight caused the heart of more than one 
 to contract with a chill fear. They could only hope that 
 their general, who seldom told them all that was in his 
 mind, was by thus showing them all that was against 
 them, only leading up to some way out of their desperate 
 condition. But their hopes of any solution were small. 
 
 " What shall we do, then ? " went on Pizarro, his grave 
 eyes bent on the burning billets of wood before him, the 
 flames from which ruddied his cheek, which no rays of the 
 tropic sun had power to tan. " Shall we try our forces 
 against those of the Inca ? Shall we try a sudden assault, 
 take them by surprise at some opportune moment ? Or 
 shall we wait until reinforcements reach us, and with larger 
 numbers essay a pitched battle ? I think not. We may 
 have a hundred and fifty or two hundred more cavaliers 
 who may reach us under Almagro, within the next few 
 
 130
 
 A Deed of Carnage 
 
 weeks. But before then, the victorious legions of the 
 Inca will have returned from the north, from their con- 
 quests which have brought the whole of this rich land in 
 fealty to Atahualpa. What would four or five hundred 
 Spanish cavaliers, unsurpassed as they may be man to 
 man — ^what could these do against a hundred and fifty 
 thousand ? 
 
 " I lay these things before you thus clearly," he went 
 on, " because I wish to convince you that being, as we 
 are, in desperate straits, only a desperate remedy can 
 release us. I have a plan, gentlemen. It is a desperate 
 one, but it is one which, I think, will achieve success. It 
 is one which will turn the Inca's treacherous arts against 
 himself, to take him, if possible, in his own snare, to repay 
 his treachery, or strategy, with strategy as subtle and as 
 bold. 
 
 " The Lica himself has suggested this plan to me. He 
 has promised to visit us here to-morrow. Gentlemen, we 
 must lay an ambush for the Inca, and though in face of 
 his whole army, we must take him prisoner ! " 
 
 Men looked at him with astonishment. The daring, 
 the desperation of the plan struck them dumb for the 
 moment. Then cried de la Vega : 
 
 " By the blessed Virgin, 'tis a master-stroke ! General, 
 I congratulate you on your project. 'Tis our only hope, 
 and I see no reason why it should not succeed." 
 
 Others gave expression to their admiration of the bold- 
 ness of the plan, and all began discussing how it should be 
 carried into execution. When this had been finally settled, 
 the priest, Valverde, said : 
 
 "Truly, Heaven hath given our leader the wisdom which 
 shall fight for us and confound our enemies, and his name 
 shall go down to posterity as a brilliant and worthy son of 
 
 131
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 the Holy Church with that other noble ornament who 
 gave Mexico to the true faith, Hernando Cortes. And now, 
 my children, I go, and with my two brother priests I will 
 spend the night in prayers for your success, giving our- 
 selves to tears and flagellation." 
 
 The council separated, not one voice having been raised 
 in timid objection or fear. All clearly saw that if the 
 sacred person of the Inca were once secured, his followers, 
 astounded by so great a catastrophe, would be struck 
 powerless with consternation. If, later, they recovered 
 and attempted to attack the Spaniards, Pizarro could 
 threaten to slay the Inca before their very eyes. Thus, 
 with the Inca in his power, he would have the best 
 guarantee for the safety of the Spaniards. 
 
 Pizarro went round the camp, giving orders for its due 
 security during the night. There was a low tower at the 
 end of the plaza, toward the Inca camp, and on the summit 
 thereof Pizarro placed sentinels, so that they could watch 
 the camp of the Lica and give warning of any menacing 
 movements. 
 
 Then all retired to their quarters to sleep. But few 
 slept. Their brains were too busy with thoughts of the 
 morrow, which was to be the crisis of their fate — ^to see 
 them whelmed in carnage and ruin, or to see them masters 
 of the Land of Gold ! 
 
 Wlien day broke, the loud call of the tiiimpet awoke 
 the Spanish soldiers, who quickly set about preparing the 
 morning meal. The sun was shining in glory through the 
 valley, and though many cast anxious looks to where 
 the Indian tents arose, most of them felt, in the freshness 
 of the morning, that somehow an escape from the des- 
 perate state of their affairs would soon be found. 
 
 After the morning meal, the soldiers were gathered 
 
 132
 
 A Deed of Carnage 
 
 together, and very briefly Pizarro told them what. he had 
 resolved to do. Then he set about making the necessary 
 dispositions. 
 
 As already mentioned, the plaza was surrounded on 
 three sides by low ranges of buildings, with wide halls 
 opening into the square. In these, on opposite sides, 
 Pizarro placed the cavalry, under the command of his 
 brother Hernando and of de Soto. In the fortress, which 
 closed the narrow end of the plaza, Pedro de Candia, the 
 Greek artillery officer, was stationed with a few soldiers, 
 and the two small pieces of cannon which had been brought 
 with the expedition. 
 
 Mass was performed with great solemnity by the priests, 
 prayers were offered, and the soldiers were enjoined to enter 
 bravely into the conflict which was almost upon them, 
 since they were fighting to extend the empire of the Cross, 
 and to bring heathens into the fold of the Church. After- 
 wards, all joined with enthusiasm in the chant, "" Exsurge 
 Domine, et judica causam tuam." The solemn hymn, sung 
 by a hundred and seventy deep voices, rose and fell through 
 the sunlit air, and heartened every soldier, filling him with 
 the glow of enthusiasm, so that he felt that in all that he 
 proposed to do, whatever deed of carnage he was to per- 
 petrate, he was a true soldier of the Cross, and all he did 
 was done in the name of Holy Church . 
 
 Late in the morning an Inca noble, with several attend- 
 ants, was seen coming across the causeway, and, on being 
 brought to Pizarro, he delivered a message, saying that 
 his master was preparing to set forth on his promised 
 visit, and that he would come with all his warriors fully 
 armed, " even as the white warriors had come into his 
 camp the evening before." 
 
 The general replied straightway : " Say to your master 
 
 133
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 that, come when and how he chooses, he shall be 
 welcome." 
 
 An hour passed and then, when the sun stood high over- 
 head, a watcher from the tower descended, and told the 
 general that the Indian procession had started from the 
 Inca's camp, and was already on the causeway. Pizarro 
 mounted to the tower, and saw that the retinue of the 
 Inca stretched for a long distance along the road. 
 
 In front came a large body of attendants, who, with long, 
 soft brooms, swept the path free of all dust and rubbish. 
 Behind them, pacing slowly, came, rank upon rank, a 
 dense body of men in uniforms of various colours, and 
 behind these, raised high above the throng, was an open 
 litter in which sat the Inca himself. Behind him and 
 beside him marched other officers and servants. 
 
 As they moved in the bright rays of the sunshine, the 
 light flashed from the rich ornaments on their persons, and 
 so dazzling was the sight that, as one of the men M'ho stood 
 beside Pizarro exclaimed, " they blazed like the sun." 
 
 But the most disturbing sight to the Spaniards, watching 
 with grim faces and the slow breathing of suspense, was 
 the enormous multitude of soldiers, some of whom lined 
 the road in single file, while others moved slowly in solid 
 ranks over the green fields on either side. 
 
 Suddenly, when the head of the procession had arrived 
 at the distance of half-a-mile from the gateway beside the 
 fortress, and Pizarro was about to descend the tower, the 
 Inca's bodyguard stopped, and to the surprise of the 
 Spaniards they saw white tents were being brought out 
 and pitched upon the meadows beside the causeway. 
 The Inca was going to encamp just outside the ambush 
 prepared for him ! 
 
 Then another Inca noble, with attendants, was seen 
 
 134
 
 A Deed of Carnage 
 
 approaching the city, and Pizarro, having descended to 
 receive him, was informed that the Inca would occupy 
 his present station for the night, and make his visit to the 
 Spaniards in the morning. 
 
 This information was very disturbing to Pizarro. For 
 many hours since dayhght the Spaniards had been under 
 arms, the cavalry mounted in the great halls beside the 
 plaza, and the foot soldiers ranked in their lines. The 
 heat of the tropical sun had beaten down all day in the 
 glaring plaza, and no sound was in the deserted city 
 except the call, every now and then, from the summit of 
 the tower, where the Spanish watcher announced from 
 time to time the movements of the Inca's army. 
 
 Nothing would be so trying, so nerve-racking, as pro- 
 longed suspense in a critical position like the present, and 
 Pizarro feared lest the ardour of his soldiers might weaken 
 if they were kept longer in suspense. 
 
 " Tell your master," he said to the messenger, " that I 
 hope he will come immediately, as he at first proposed, for 
 I have waited for him all day, and am anxious to see him." 
 
 When the envoy reached the Inca, the Spanish watchers 
 saw with gladness that the Inca's tents were folded up 
 again, and that the procession continued its progress 
 toward the town, with the exception of the Indian soldiers 
 who were now left behind. 
 
 At the same time a band of officers of the Court came, 
 and a message was delivered to the Spaniards, saying that 
 Atahualpa intended to pass the night in the towTi, and 
 that they were come to prepare lodgings for himself and 
 his retinue. 
 
 A little before sunset the head of the procession entered 
 the gate of the plaza. First came some hundred or more 
 menials, clearing the road from rubbish, and singing songs 
 
 135
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 of praise to the Inca. Then followed, marching in ranks, 
 officers dressed in various liveries. Some wore clothes 
 with patterns in squares of red and white, like a chess- 
 board, while others were dressed in pure white, and bore 
 on their shoulders maces of silver or copper. 
 
 The guards immediately about the king were dis- 
 tinguished above all others by the deep blue of their 
 livery, by the rich ornaments about their necks, and by 
 the heavy pendants of gold which hung at their ears, 
 which marked them out as being of the royal race of the 
 Incas. 
 
 High above his vassals came the Inca, seated on a throne 
 of pure gold which rested on an open litter, the poles of 
 which were borne on the shoulders of eighty of the Inca 
 nobles. The litter, or palanquin, shone in the sunlight 
 with shining plates of gold and silver, and from the 
 person of the Inca seated within, the light dazzled and 
 glittered. 
 
 Round his neck was a collar of emeralds of unusual 
 size and brilliancy. His short hair was covered with orna- 
 ments of gold, and the Peruvian crown, or borla, made of 
 red fringe, encircled his forehead. 
 
 As the leading ranks of the procession entered the square, 
 they opened, and allowed the bearers of the Inca to pass 
 through. There was no sign of the Spaniards, and in 
 silence and slow order the bodyguard of the Inca bore 
 him to the other end of the vast plaza. Behind them 
 came a multitude of the retinue to the number of five 
 thousand, so that the great space was almost filled. 
 
 Then, commanding his bearers to halt, Atahualpa stood 
 up and looked back. 
 
 " Wliere are they ? " he demanded, referring to the 
 Spaniards, not a sign of whom was to be seen. 
 
 136
 
 A Deed of Carnage 
 
 " I think, lord," said one of the Inca chiefs, " that they 
 hide for fear of thee." 
 
 At that moment, from one of the halls opening on the 
 plaza, the priest Valverde came, accompanied by a soldier 
 named Aldana, and by Martinillo, one of the Indian inter- 
 preters. In one hand the priest bore a Bible, and in the 
 other a crucifix, and, approaching the Inca, he said : 
 
 " I come by order of my general to expound to you the 
 doctrines of the true faith, for which purpose we have come 
 many thousand leagues." 
 
 Thereupon the priest began to explain shortly the whole 
 Christian doctrine : how man was created, fell into sin, 
 was redeemed by Jesus Christ, who was crucified ; how, 
 ascending into heaven, Jesus had left Peter to be his 
 vicegerent upon earth, and how the power of the Son of 
 God had been handed down to the popes, the successors of 
 Peter, who had thereby authority over all the kings and 
 principalities of the world. 
 
 "The successor of that great Apostle," went on the 
 friar, every sentence of whose discourse was interpreted 
 as he went on by the Indian beside him, " who now sits 
 in his place at Rome, hath given authority to our master, 
 the Emperor Charles, one of the most magnificent monarchs 
 whom the world hath ever seen, to conquer and convert 
 the natives of this western continent. The general, my 
 master, hath his Majesty's commands to execute this 
 important work in thy country. 
 
 " Therefore," went on the friar, " I do beseech thee to 
 receive the envoy of his Majesty in all kindness, to renounce 
 the errors of thine own idolatrous and heathen religion, 
 and to embrace the truths of that faith which I bring to 
 thee, the only true faith in the world, and the only one 
 whereby thou mayst receive eternal life. 
 
 137
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " If ye do these things, nnd acknowledge thyself a 
 vassal of his most excellent IMajesty the Emperor Charles, 
 thou shalt be received into the family of kings and princes 
 who sit in peace under the shadow of his power, and thou 
 shalt receive all aid and protection from thy great over- 
 lord." 
 
 The Incahad listened patiently, only half understanding 
 the first part of the discourse, but at the latter part, which 
 he well understood, his face flushed and his eyes glittered. 
 
 " I will be no man's vassal ! " he cried. " I am greater 
 than any prince on earth. Your emperor is also a great 
 prince — he must be so, seeing that he hath sent you so far 
 across the world. I will hold him as a brother, but no 
 more than that. As for the great priest you speak of, he 
 must be mad to talk of giving away kingdoms he does not 
 possess. And the god that I worship hath never died, 
 hath never been slain by those who should have wor- 
 shipped him. My god," he said, pointing to the west, 
 where the sun lay low in the skies, throwing a red glory 
 across the world and tingeing the upraised faces of the 
 multitude of Indians in the square as if already they were 
 bathed in blood, "my god still lives in the heavens and 
 looks down on his children ! " 
 
 Turning to the friar, he said, " By what authority do 
 you say these things ? " 
 
 The friar pointed to the Bible which he held in his hand, 
 and the Inca held out his hand for it. The priest gave it 
 to him, and Atahualpa turned it this way and that. He 
 did not know how to open the clumsy book, and with a 
 gesture of impatience he threw it do^\Ti to the ground, 
 saying in a loud voice : 
 
 " Tell your people that they shall give me an account of 
 their evil doings in my land. They are all robbers, and 
 
 138
 
 A Deed of Carnage 
 
 they shall be slain. I will have satisfaction for all they 
 have done ! " 
 
 When these words had been swiftly interpreted by the 
 young Indian beside him, the priest, with angry eyes and 
 flushed face, picked up the volume and hastened, almost 
 running, back to the place where Pizarro was waiting. 
 Coming to the general, who stood with de Soto, he cried in 
 a passionate voice : 
 
 " Do you not see what is happening ? While we waste 
 our breath talking with this dog, full of pride as he is, 
 the square is filling with Indians ? Set on at once. I 
 absolve you ! " 
 
 The pale face of Pizarro did not move a muscle. He 
 stepped to the door of the hall and waved a white scarf. 
 Instantly from the fortress roared a cannon, ploughing 
 a shot through the dense mass of Indians. Cries of terror 
 arose among them, and they rushed this way and that. 
 Again came the crash of cannon, and a volley of musketry 
 scattered death and horror among them. 
 
 Then the sharp note of a trumpet rose clear and strong. 
 Every Spanish soldier, hiding in the dark halls, sprang to 
 arms, and from the wide doors poured the horsemen. The 
 old battle cry of " St Jago and at them ! " rang out in the 
 square, and was answered from every side as horse and 
 foot poured out and dashed into the midst of the Indians. 
 
 Terrified by the noise and smoke of the guns, horrified 
 to see their fellows struck do%Mi beside them by some 
 mysterious force, the Indians were taken entirely by 
 surprise. The echoes of the guns reverberated from the 
 empty halls beside them, and the sulphurous fumes of the 
 powder rolled in volumes among the natives. They 
 thought that horrible and powerful demons were let 
 loose among them, and in a deathly panic flew this way 
 
 139
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 and that, seeking escape. But their own numbers im- 
 peded them, and in the narrow space thousands jammed 
 together. 
 
 At the first fierce charge of the Spanish cavalry as 
 many were slain by the crowd, by being trampled, as by 
 the swords of the freebooters. Nobles and commoners 
 were mingled in the heaps of slain that now, like ghastly 
 mounds, rose up along the square amid the crowds of 
 panic-stricken creatures who dashed this way and that, 
 pursued by the relentless cavaliers of Spain. 
 
 This was an added terror — to see man and horse, like 
 some new creature of terror, springing mercilessly among 
 them ; and the flashing sword in the hand of the warrior 
 dealt death unsparingly to all. 
 
 The Indians made no resistance. Panic possessed them, 
 and, besides, they had no weapons. Their only thought 
 was to escape, but every avenue was closed to them. The 
 entrance of the square was closed by a mass of bodies of 
 those who had been crushed in the first mad rush to escape. 
 A piece of thick wall beside the gate was thrown down 
 by the terrible pressure of the crowd now remaining in the 
 square, and those behind, scrambling over the ruin and the 
 bodies of their agonized fellows, streamed in flying bands 
 into the country beyond, pursued by the horsemen who 
 hung on their rear, cutting down all they could reach. 
 
 At the other end of the square, where the band of Inca 
 nobles still supported the litter of their king, the massacre 
 was more fierce. It was the aim of Pizarro to seize the 
 person of the Inca unharmed, but the brave nobles, 
 weaponless as they were, could yet with their bodies resist 
 the ironclad warriors of Spain and offer a living barrier to 
 the hoofs of the horses. 
 
 Charge after charge was resisted ; the nobles clung to 
 
 140
 
 A Deed of Carnage 
 
 the horses and strove to wrest the cavalier from his saddle 
 or to wrench the sword from his hand, and as one fell dead 
 from such an encounter, another, equally as brave and 
 devoted to his king, leaped into his place. 
 
 The litter, with the Inca clutching its sides, swayed to 
 and fro as the band of heroic nobles was thrust to and fro. 
 He could do nothing to avert the doom which was inevit- 
 able, and, powerless, could do naught but look and note 
 how the living raft on which he was tossed was being 
 torn away, piece by piece, by the waves of fierce warriors 
 who surrounded him. 
 
 At length, weary with their vain efforts to take the 
 Inca alive, and afraid, now that the twilight was descend- 
 ing, that he might escape them, some of the Spaniards 
 made attempts to reach the Inca to slay hiin. But 
 Pizarro, who was nearest to him, called out with angry 
 voice : 
 
 " Let no one hurt the Inca under pain of death ! " 
 
 Stretching out his arm to shield him, Pizarro received 
 the only wound that any Spaniard suffered in that 
 massacre, one of his own men having wounded him on 
 the hand with his poniard. 
 
 At length, so bitter was the struggle about the Inca 
 that the palanquin reeled more than once, and several of 
 the nobles who supported it having been slain, it was over- 
 turned, and the Inca would have been thrown with violence 
 to the ground had he not been caught in the arms of 
 Pizarro and some of the cavaliers. 
 
 Closely guarded, he was removed to one of the chambers 
 in the square, and the remnant of Inca nobles now turned 
 and thought only of flight. The report of the disaster 
 spread with the speed of terror over the neighbouring fields 
 to the camp of the Inca — the divine person of their king 
 
 141
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 was in the hands of the strangers, thousands of his sub- 
 jects, including the flower of the royal clan, lay in dreadful 
 carnage in the square of Caxamalca. The end of the 
 world seemed to be upon those that still lived, and the 
 soldiers, numbering some thousands, were seized with 
 abject terror, and, leaving their weapons, fled in the gather- 
 ing gloom in all directions away from the vicinity of the 
 dreadful stranger warriors. 
 
 Then the clear note of a trumpet rose in the evening air. 
 It was the rallying call of the Spaniards, and the scattered 
 conquerors heard it from far away over the fertile fields. 
 Each checked his horse and turned, sated with bloodshed, 
 and made his way toward the town again, while the terri- 
 fied fugitives, almost spent with their fierce running, noted 
 with relief that they were no longer pursued, and throwing 
 themselves down on the grass, wondered what next 
 disaster would happen, and wept to think of the ruin which 
 had crushed upon their world. 
 
 From the time when the cannon thundered its signal for 
 the dreadful slaughter until the moment when Atahualpa 
 was thro\vn into the hands of the captors, no more than 
 half-an-hour had passed ; but in that time an ancient 
 kingdom had fallen into the hands of its invaders, and a 
 line of kings, whose persons were held to be sacred and of 
 divine origin, had come to an end. 
 
 That night the Inca supped with his cai)tor Pizarro, 
 and the chief Spanish officers. The destruction which had 
 befallen him did not seem greatly to have affected his 
 spirits, which was probably due to the fact that he had 
 succeeded to the throne by a very recent conquest, and 
 had not behind him the sense of a long and undisturbed 
 reign. 
 
 Felipillo stood behind Pizarro, and by his aid conversa- 
 
 142
 
 The litter swayed (to and fro 
 
 142
 
 A Deed of Carnage 
 
 tion was carried on between the Inca and his captors as 
 they continued the meal. 
 
 Closely seen, the Inca was found to be a man of about 
 thirty years of age, of a well-made frame, with a physique 
 more robust than was usual with his countrymen.. His 
 head was large, and his face would have been called hand- 
 some but for the bloodshot eyes, which gave a fierce look 
 to the face. 
 
 He was deliberate in speech, and grave, almost stern, 
 in manner, but he could be affable. 
 
 " I regret," said Pizarro, " that the resources of our 
 rough camp do not yield the delicacies which are your due. 
 But this can be remedied to-morrow, for I have every 
 desire to treat you with the courtesy and the deference 
 which are your due." 
 
 " I do not complain," said the Inca. " It is the fortune 
 of war that one shall conquer and another be conquered." 
 
 " Your words," said de Soto, " prove to be true what 
 we have already heard of you, that you are a brave 
 
 man." 
 
 I have ever loved war," replied the Inca, " but such 
 strategy as yours is more than I have ever known. You 
 have entrapped me — you with your fewTiess of numbers, in 
 the midst of ten thousand of my people." 
 
 He spoke without bitterness, and seemed really to 
 admire the adroit manner with which the Spaniards had 
 succeeded in their plan to seize him, in spite of the 
 tremendous odds against them. 
 
 " You thought we were a weaker enemy than we are ? " 
 asked Pizarro. 
 
 " I had heard that you numbered but two hundred, and 
 though your weapons were marvellous, and the animals 
 which you ride were terrifying — for such creatures we 
 
 143
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 have never seen before — I thought you could easily be 
 overcome when I chose to fall upon you." 
 
 " You see now that you did wrong to let us come so far 
 into your land," said de Soto. 
 
 " I had knowledge of all you did," replied the Inca, 
 " from the moment when you first landed, for news of all 
 the actions of the ' bearded men,' as you were called, 
 reached me from the chieftains of the villages near which 
 you passed." 
 
 " Why did you not fall upon us in the mountains ? " 
 asked Pizarro. " Almost hourly, until we found your 
 forts there solitary and deserted, we expected to be over- 
 whelmed by some ambush." 
 
 " I wished to see you with my own eyes," replied 
 Atahualpa, with a grave smile, " to see what manner of 
 men you were, and what weapons you carried. For 
 scarcely could I believe the tales which were told me, and 
 I thought my people lied." 
 
 " What would you have done to us had you overcome 
 us ? " asked de la Vega. 
 
 " Such of you as I thought might be useful to me to 
 describe to me your people and your country, to satisfy 
 my curiosity, I should have kept alive for a little while," 
 replied the Inca. " The rest I should have executed, and 
 taken their horses and arms for myself and my own 
 bodyguard." 
 
 As the evening passed, and the talk went on between the 
 captured Inca and his conquerors, it could be seen that 
 for all his brave air of calmness, gloomy thoughts were in 
 his mind. It could hardly be otherwise. 
 
 Pizarro, however, endeavoured to cheer him. 
 
 " Be not cast down by your reverses," he said. " Yours 
 has been the fate of every Indian king on this continent 
 
 144
 
 A Deed of Carnage 
 
 who has endeavoured to fight against the Soldiers of the 
 Cross. We fight for the only true rehgion in the world, 
 and our mission is to bring the knowledge of the one true 
 God to all the heathen." 
 
 It is to be feared that the Inca got little comfort from 
 Pizarro's words, and perhaps something of his dreadful 
 fate was vaguely foreseen by the captured king. 
 
 145
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 NEXT morning Pizarro paraded his men, and 
 finding that there were many prisoners in the 
 camp, he ordered that these should remove the 
 dead bodies of their countrymen that still lay in heaps 
 about the plaza, and give them decent burial. With 
 what heavy hearts must this task have been undertaken 
 by the captives, who, with the horror of the terrible 
 massacre still in their minds, had to carry the crushed or 
 hacked bodies of their own kinsmen and inter them in a 
 hastily dug grave ! 
 
 Then Pizarro detached de Soto, with some thirty 
 cavaliers, and bade him ride to the camp of the Inca at the 
 baths, disperse the remnant of the Peruvian forces which 
 might still hang about there, and seize possession of the 
 spoil. 
 
 Before noon de Soto rode into the plaza, followed by a 
 large body of Peruvians, men and women, and an enormous 
 quantity of spoil, all guarded by his thirty horsemen. 
 
 " We met with no resistance, general," de Soto reported, 
 " though a large number of the warriors, superior in num- 
 ber to ourselves, was still there. I have brought many 
 of them with me, and these, as you see, are young men. 
 I learn that the veterans of the army are in the north 
 of the country, with the two chief generals of the Inca. 
 I have seized all the weapons I could find in the camp." 
 
 146
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 Pizarro looked at the numbers of young, able-bodied 
 men who, each in a good uniform, and robust in body, 
 stood in dejected silence, gazing in awe at their con- 
 querors. 
 
 " Strange," said the Spanish general, " that these men 
 do not try to make head against us, seeing how great is 
 their number." 
 
 '■ They have no heart in them, general," replied de 
 Soto. " They are like sheep without a bell-wether. 
 Felipillo tells me that now that their king is captive 
 it is to them as if the sun has fallen out of the sky, and 
 they expect nothing less than the end of the world. They 
 can think of no other leader than their lord, whom they 
 call the Child of the Sun." 
 
 Some of the rougher and more brutal of the Spaniards 
 gazed with fear on the number of their captives. 
 
 " They are ten times our number," said they among 
 themselves. " If they chose to rise upon us while we slept 
 they could slay us all." 
 
 Some even went to Pizarro and made their complaints 
 to him, and suggested that they should kill all the young 
 warriors, " or at least," said some, " cut off their right 
 hands." 
 
 Pizarro smiled gravely at the speakers. 
 
 " If you do that," he said, " you would arm the very 
 women and children against you, and for every man you 
 slew, or whose hand you cut off, you would have an enemy 
 who would strike at you when you were most off your 
 guard. No, lads, you are too fearful. We have done 
 well at our first effort, and now our best policy is to treat 
 the people with humanity." 
 
 Then, through the medium of the interpreters, he told 
 the captive warriors to go to their homes, telling them that 
 
 147
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 the Spaniards would injure no one who did not take up 
 arms against them. When, according to this command, 
 the young warriors had left the town, a large number of 
 Indians still remained who had been employed about the 
 Court of the Inca in various menial offices. These were 
 retained to wait on the conquerors, and so well supplied 
 were the Spaniards with servants by this means, that the 
 roughest and poorest soldier had as many menials to do 
 him services as would have befitted a rich and noble 
 hidalgo of Spain. 
 
 The booty brought back by de Soto from the Inca's camp 
 at the baths consisted mainly of plate for the royal table. 
 It was in silver and gold, and the weight and richness of 
 design astonished the Spaniards. There were also some 
 very fine emeralds discovered among the spoil, and these, 
 together with the rich ornaments found on the bodies of 
 the nobles slain in the plaza, were placed in safe custody 
 with the plate, to be shared among the conquerors at some 
 future time. 
 
 Among the buildings in the deserted city, which the 
 soldiers now overran, were found great magazines stored 
 with goods, both cotton and woollen, of so fine a texture 
 that the men declared they had never seen such work 
 even in Spain. Every soldier took what he wanted from 
 this store, yet afterwards there remained several shiploads. 
 
 Meanwhile Pizarro sent a messenger back to San Miguel 
 to report his success and to learn whether any reinforce- 
 ments had yet arrived from Panama. He desired to push 
 on to Cuzco, the capital of the country, but he did not care 
 to do this with his present small forces. He would have 
 to keep a strong guard about the Inca, and thus reduce his 
 numbers should the natives seek to do battle with him on 
 his march. 
 
 148
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 In the meantime he employed the soldiers in making 
 Caxamalca a more fitting place of residence for himself 
 and his men. He took up his own quarters in a palace of 
 the Incas which was situated in the town, and there also, 
 in his own suite of apartments, Atahualpa was kept 
 imprisoned under a strong guard. Nevertheless, he was 
 allowed to have all his wives with him, and many of the 
 officers of his Court waited upon him, and he received 
 visits from various Inca chieftains daily. 
 
 Many were the conversations which, as the days passed, 
 the Spanish leaders had with the captive Inca. He had 
 learned of the booty they had seized at his pleasure palace 
 in the camp by the baths, and one day he smilingly told 
 Pizarro that he had seized treasure which, in comparison 
 with that which was stored at his capital, was almost 
 insignificant. 
 
 Afterwards the Spaniards got him to describe the 
 wonders of the rich city of Cuzco, and often, when the 
 monk Valverde came to speak to him of the Spaniards' 
 religion, his talk ended in questions on the same subject, 
 in which the others joined. 
 
 Very soon, therefore, the Inca realized that for all their 
 zeal to convert him and his subjects to the Christian faith, 
 they had a hunger for gold more powerful than either 
 religion or conquest. 
 
 This knowledge gave him the thought that he might 
 use their lust for gold for the purpose of gaining his own 
 freedom. There was one great reason for which he desired 
 his freedom, and that quickly. It was this. A few months 
 only separated him from the great battle in which he had 
 overcome the forces of his half-brother, Huascar, and 
 taken him prisoner. Ever since his defeat, Huascar had 
 been kept a close prisoner in a town at no great distance 
 
 149
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 from Caxamalca. Atahualpa feared, Avith good reason, as 
 it appeared, that Huascar would find it easy to corrupt 
 his guards, make his escape, and put himself at the head 
 of the empire with no one to deny him. 
 
 His resolution was quickly taken, and the next time 
 Pizarro visited him with some of the Spanish officers, 
 Atahualpa interrupted the conversation and said : 
 
 " Set me free, chieftain ! If you will do that, I will 
 cover the floor of this room with gold ! " 
 
 The Spaniards listened to Felipillo's translation of these 
 words with incredulous smiles, and gazed at the Inca half 
 in mockery. 
 
 Some looked around the chamber and roughly measured 
 its dimensions. It was about seventeen feet broad, by 
 t>venty-fwo feet long and some ten or eleven feet high. 
 
 The Inca, somewhat annoyed at the mockery in the 
 faces of the Spaniards, stamped his foot and said : 
 
 " You smile as if you think I lied. But I tell you that 
 not only will I cover the floor with gold, but, if you give me 
 my liberty, I will fill this room with gold as high as I can 
 reach — look, as high as this." 
 
 Striding to one side of the chamber, he reached up on 
 tiptoe, and with his finger made a mark high up the wall. 
 
 All stared with astonishment at the Inca's evident 
 earnestness, and marvelled at the thought that perhaps he 
 might be speaking truth. 
 
 " Is he mad, senores," said Hernando Pizarro, " or is 
 he trying to deceive us ? " 
 
 Some said he had lost his wits, others that there might 
 be some truth in what he spoke. 
 
 " Senores," said Pizarro, " there is no harm in taking 
 him at his word. We have heard many tales of the abund- 
 ant treasure in this land. Moreover, if we let the Inca 
 
 150
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 give orders for its collection, we shall obtain all there is, 
 whereas if we tried to get it ourselves, the Indians would 
 of a surety conceal or steal it." 
 
 " Tell the Inca," said Pizarro, turning to Felipillo, " that 
 I agree. Let him fill this room to the height at which he 
 points with gold. Get me some red paint and I will mark 
 
 the line." 
 
 The Inca's eyes shone with joy when he heard that the 
 Spaniards would agree to his terms, and paint having been 
 brought, Pizarro caused one of the Indians to draw a red 
 line on the walls of the room at the height of about nine 
 feet from the floor. 
 
 "Call Don Zerez, the notary," commanded Pizarro, 
 " and we will have this compact put on record." 
 
 When the man of inkhom and parchment had entered 
 and arranged his writing materials, Pizarro said : 
 
 " Write me down this, that the King Atahualpa agrees, 
 for the price of his liberty, to fill this room with gold from 
 the floor even up to the red mark which is drawn upon the 
 wafls. Say, Inca," he went on, speaking to his prisoner, 
 "shall this gold be melted down before it is brought 
 
 here ? " 
 
 " I think you wish not to make my task so hard," replied 
 the Inca. " Great will be the treasure, greater than ye 
 have ever seen in one room ; but it will be in goblets, 
 plates, salvers, and in sheets from the temple walls." 
 
 " Go on," said Pizarro to the notary. " The gold shall 
 be brought here in the forms into which it is made, so that 
 the Inca may have the benefit of the spaces between." 
 
 " I will also cause silver to be brought here," said the 
 Inca, who now that a definite task seemed to be set forth 
 as the price of his liberty, was moved quite beyond 
 himself. 
 
 151
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 He walked up and down, his eyes glowing with satis- 
 faction, a smile on his hitherto grave face. 
 
 " My subjects can bring silver as well as gold — so much 
 indeed," he went on, " that I will fill the robing chamber 
 which is beside this one twice full with nuggets and articles 
 of silver." 
 
 " Write it down, notary," said Pizarro, whose eyes, 
 together with those of his officers, gleamed at hearing 
 the possibility of such vast wealth coming within their 
 reach. 
 
 " And within what time will all this be done ? " asked 
 the notary. 
 
 The Inca hesitated a moment when this question was put 
 to him. The fevered light in his eye gloomed for a little 
 as he thought of the time that must elapse before he could 
 perform his task, regain his liberty, and thus make sure 
 of preventing his rival Huascar from escaping and laying 
 claim to the throne. But he would cause his servants to 
 work night and day to carry out his orders to bring the 
 gold and silver for his ransom. Two months was the least 
 time in which it might be done, though that would mean 
 incessant labour. Yet it must be done. 
 
 " In two months from now," he replied, " shall this 
 room be filled with gold and the lesser room shall be twice 
 filled with silver." 
 
 " Put it down," said Pizarro to the notary ; " and then 
 read it to us." 
 
 The notary did so, and when each sentence had been 
 translated to the Inca he said it was all as he had 
 agreed. 
 
 When this had been done the Inca called several of his 
 Indian servants and officers and bade them instantly depart 
 to Cuzco and other chief cities, with orders to bring from the 
 
 152
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 royal palaces, temples and other buildings the treasures 
 of gold and silver to be found there, and send them by 
 rapid carriers to Caxamalca. 
 
 One day, a little after this, word was brought to 
 Pizarro that a messenger from Huascar, the half-brother 
 of Atahualpa, desired to speak to him. On being brought 
 before him the Inca chieftain said : 
 
 " Lord, I come from my master, the rightful heir to this 
 kingdom, Huascar, son of the great king, Huayna Capac. 
 By the word of my mouth my master sends thee greeting 
 and this message. That he hath heard of the ransom 
 which Atahualpa hath offered to thee for his liberty, but 
 he, Huascar, says that he will give thee a much greater 
 ransom if thou wilt cause him to be released. Moreover, 
 it is only he, Huascar, who knows where all the wealth 
 of his great father, Huayna Capac, is kept. Atahualpa 
 the usurper knoweth it not. He hath never lived at 
 Cuzco, where is the chief palace of my master's father, and 
 knoweth not the secret places of the treasures. If, there- 
 fore, thou wilt release Huascar and aid him to regain the 
 throne of his fathers which Atahualpa hath wickedly 
 usurped, Huascar will give thee double the treasure 
 which the usurper hath promised thee, and will be thy 
 friend and protector always." 
 
 Pizarro listened eagerly to the message, though his grave 
 face showed nothing of the emotions in his brain. He saw 
 at once the importance of playing off the rivals one against 
 the other. The advantages to be gained were obvious. 
 By aiding with his own force the king whom he preferred, 
 he would make sure of that king's success ; and ever after- 
 wards the party who held the sovereignty of Peru would 
 be a ready servant to him. But it would not be wise to 
 show which he preferred at once, since, by keeping them 
 
 153
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 in suspense, he could see better which might serve his 
 purpose best. 
 
 " Tell your master," he said, " that I will consider his 
 message, but I must first learn the truth of the claims 
 which each of the rivals has to the throne of this country. 
 When I have learned that, I will make judgment and say 
 which of them has the best title to the sceptre of the Incas." 
 
 The messenger withdrew, and as secretly as possible 
 made his way back to Huascar, and reported the result 
 of his embassy. But there was treachery somewhere, 
 and someone, hoping to gain the favour of Atahualpa, 
 went to him and reported the message which had been sent 
 to the Spanish general on behalf of Huascar, and the result. 
 
 Atahualpa was full of rage when he heard that his half- 
 brother and rival had craved the help of Pizarro, and 
 considered what course he should now take. While he 
 reflected, Pizarro and some of the Spanish officers came to 
 him and began to ask questions of him concerning the war 
 which had been fought between himself and Huascar. 
 
 The Inca answered warily, and then by various questions 
 tried to learn what was Pizarro's resolve concerning 
 Huascar's proposal. But the Spanish general was not 
 to be drawn. Rising, Pizarro terminated the interview, 
 and with his final words gave the Inca even more than he 
 wished to know. 
 
 " I think," said the Spaniard, " that this matter of 
 dispute between you and your half-brother is one which 
 must be justly settled . I intend therefore to have Huascar 
 brought here, and when I have heard both your cases, I 
 will determine which has the truer claim to the throne." 
 
 Wlien the Inca was left alone he paced his apartment 
 with hasty strides, his hands clenched, his bloodshot eyes 
 looking fiercer than usual. At length, ceasing his walk, 
 
 154
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 he bade one of his women in the room call a certain 
 chieftain from those who waited in an outer chamber. 
 
 The officer, an Inca noble, entered the presence of the 
 Inca, with bare feet, and bowed ^dth a burden on his back, 
 as was the custom, in token of extreme humility. Having 
 come to the foot of the low throne on which the Inca sat, 
 the noble kneeled, and waited for the king to speak. Ata- 
 hualpa leaned forward and said a few words in a low tone 
 close to the ear of the chief. When he had finished speaking 
 the noble bowed still lower, then, rising, he shouldered his 
 burden again and retreated from the chamber backward. 
 
 Two days later, in the dawn of morning, young Huascar, 
 the rightful king of Peru, who had endeared himself to 
 his people by his gentle manners and kindly words, was 
 awakened early from his sleep. A guard of six armed 
 men entered his prison, and the leader of them bade him 
 rise and come with them. 
 
 They surrounded him and led him forth. To his 
 repeated inquiries what was their purpose with him they 
 made no reply. At length they came to the river which 
 ran by his prison and he was bidden to get into a boat 
 alone. He resisted, and they forced him into it. 
 
 He knew then what was their intention, and silently 
 permitted them to bind him to the boat. He preserved 
 a calm dignity when, having seated themselves in two 
 other boats, they drew him out into the middle of the 
 broad stream. Arrived there, they began to pull apart 
 some of the ropes that held the timbers of his boat together. 
 Water began to flow in and to swamp the little craft. 
 
 " I see ye will drown me," he said, in a quiet voice. 
 " This is my brother's will, but tell ye him that even as I 
 die a violent death, so too shall he, and that ere long. And 
 the white men will avenge my murder." 
 
 155
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Already he was sinking in the waters, and as his last 
 words were uttered the waves closed over him and his 
 calm, pale face sank downwards into the dark depths. 
 The murderers waited over the spot until the bubbles 
 ceased to rise and the agitation of the water had wholly 
 vanished, and then rowed slowly back to land. 
 
 A few days later Pizarro received a message saying that 
 the Inca desired to speak to him. Entering the chamber 
 of Atahualpa, he found him pacing the room as if in great 
 distress of mind. 
 
 " Senor," said the Inca, " a great calamity has fallen 
 upon my brother Huascar. His guards suspected that a 
 plot was on foot to try a rescue, and fearing he would 
 escape, they have slain him. My poor brother ! I cannot 
 tell you how deep is my sorrow for his untimely death." 
 
 For a moment Pizarro stared at the Inca with a stem 
 face, and in silence ; then he cried : 
 
 " I'll not believe it ! Why should his guards slay him 
 without command ? " 
 
 " I know not, seiior," was the reply. " They shall be 
 slain in their turn for their crime upon my poor brother." 
 
 " I tell you," replied Pizarro, " that if he indeed be 
 dead, you shall answer for his life." 
 
 Saying which the Spanish general strode in anger from 
 the room. He sent trusty messengers to learn the truth 
 as to the death of Huascar ; and the news was confirmed — 
 namely, that, fearful lest Huascar might escape, his guards 
 had taken it upon themselves to put an end to his life. 
 
 Pizarro said no more on the subject, but felt sure that 
 the Inca, fearing the effect of Pizarro 's inquiry into the 
 justice of the quarrel between the brothers, had given 
 secret orders to have Huascar slain. 
 
 As the weeks passed and the Indian carriers slowly 
 
 156
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 brought in the pieces of gold and silver from the many 
 distant towns whence the Inca had commanded that 
 treasure was to be brought, a rumour began to spread 
 among the Spaniards that Atahualpa was communicating 
 with his subjects all over the kingdom in order to plan a 
 universal rising, so that the small Spanish force could be 
 overwhelmed at one blow. 
 
 These suspicions were related to Pizarro. and even the 
 name of the city which rumour said was appointed to be 
 the rendezvous for the armies of the Indians was men- 
 tioned. It was Guamachucho, a city lying a few miles 
 distant from Caxamalca. 
 
 Pizarro immediately went to the Inca and bluntly told 
 him of the rumours. Atahualpa hardly heard his first 
 words before he broke out in repudiation of the charge. 
 
 " It is false ! " he cried. " None of my subjects would 
 dare to appear in arms or to raise his finger, without my 
 orders." 
 
 " Nevertheless," said Pizarro sternly, " some of your 
 subjects seem to have raised their hands against your 
 brother without your orders." 
 
 For a moment the Inca was nonplussed, but recovering 
 himself quickly, he said : 
 
 " I have given orders that those who slew him shall be 
 slain ; and as to the suspicions you have against me, I 
 am in your power. Is not my life at your disposal ? 
 What better security can you have for my fidelity ? " 
 
 Pizarro was not convinced, and left the Inca without 
 further parley. He then went to his brother Hernando, 
 and ordered him to take twenty horsemen and a small 
 body of infantry and go to the town of Guamachucho 
 to see whether there were any signs of preparation for a 
 rising among the people. 
 
 157
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Hernando immediately set out, and reaching the town 
 in a forced march he found everything quiet, and was 
 received with kindness by the natives. Before leaving the 
 place a inessenger arrived from Pizarro, ordering him to 
 continue his march and to visit the town of Pachacamac, 
 situated on the coast, at least a hundred leagues distant 
 from Caxamalca. There he was to seize the treasure of 
 the temple, which was said to be of incalculable value, as 
 it had accumulated for centuries. 
 
 It was an arduous journey that the conquerors had now 
 to take. For a time their route lay on fairly level ground, 
 but then the road ascended to the Cordilleras, along the 
 tableland of which they travelled. The journey would 
 have been much more difficult or painful, but soon they 
 struck the highroad from Pachacamac to Cuzco, which 
 past generations of kings had cut through the rocky soil 
 of the mountains. 
 
 As they tramped along this road the admiration of 
 Hernando Pizarro was excited for the work of men whom 
 the rougher Spaniards looked upon as inferior creatures. 
 
 " By my faith," he said, and has left his words in his 
 history of these events, " nothing in Christendom equals 
 this road across the sierra." 
 
 It was indeed a magnificent work, worthy, in the evi- 
 dence which it gave of power and civilization, to rank with 
 the great roads which the Romans built, and which can 
 still be seen, grass grown and neglected, driving their 
 arrow-like way across many a wide landscape in England. 
 
 For many miles the road over the mountains was 
 levelled from the living rock, in places which, for the most 
 part of the year, were covered with snow, while in other 
 parts the way was tunnelled out of the granite peaks which 
 reared up as if to stop the daring work of adze and hammer. 
 
 158
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 It was laid with heavy flags oi freestone, and in some places 
 covered with a cement, so that it was always level and 
 easy to march upon. 
 
 Here and there were cliffs which could not be pierced, 
 but with infinite labour they were cut into steps, protected 
 on their sides by parapets or balustrades of heavy stones. 
 These stairways were often so precipitous that the horses 
 had to be pulled up them by main force. 
 
 Whatever obstacle lay before it, the Spaniards found 
 that it had been surmounted, and that generally the road 
 kept its even width of twenty feet throughout its length. 
 Where a chasm yawned, as if by some titanic force the 
 mountain had been split asunder, the ravine was filled 
 with solid masonry, and the road was carried over the 
 bridge thus formed, while an abyss of hideous depth lay 
 on either hand of the travellers. In places, the torrent 
 at the bottom of these chasms had worn its way through 
 the base of the masonry, and, gradually eating away the 
 stones, left the upper part spanning the valley like an 
 arch. 
 
 Frequently the Spaniards heard the thunder of water 
 before them, and soon they would come to where a wide 
 torrent or a swift and powerful stream ploughed and drove 
 through the mountains. Some of these were crossed by 
 wooden bridges, but where the chasm was too wide for 
 this, the Spaniards found great swinging bridges made of 
 rope-like osiers. 
 
 When they came upon the first bridge of this kind, the 
 horsemen especially hesitated, looking upon the attempt 
 to pass themselves and their animals across the structure 
 as certain to end in death. 
 
 Examining the formation of the bridge, they found 
 it was composed of osiers woven into cables of the thick- 
 
 159
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 ness of a man's body. Several of these were bound together 
 side by side, and on the top planks were tied across, their 
 sides protected by a low railing of osier-rope. 
 
 The ends of the cables, which rested on the brink of the 
 abyss, were run through rings or holes which had been cut 
 in immense buttresses of stone, and then secured to heavy 
 pieces of timber. A gate was placed across the entrance 
 to the bridge, and beside it was a small house, in which 
 resided an Indian, whose duty it was to take toll of 
 travellers. 
 
 Having examined all this, Hernando Pizarro turned to 
 his men and said : 
 
 " This bridge is as marvellous as the road by which we 
 have come, and as safe." 
 
 He commanded the Indian tollkeeper to open the gate, 
 and this being done he led his horse forward on to the 
 bridge, followed by his men, who could not well show lack 
 of confidence in their leader by refusing to proceed. 
 
 As they approached the middle of the bridge, where it 
 dipped deeply down toward the torrent roaring beneath, 
 it began to sway with the movements of the men and 
 horses. Some of the Spaniards cast terrified glances at 
 the dark abyss of waters which could be seen through the 
 openings between the planks, foaming and coiling far 
 below. - Others pushed up close towards Hernando, as if 
 they wished to rush in a panic madly across the tottering 
 and trembling structure ; but they dared not pass their 
 leader, who did not hurry his step, but walked as quietly 
 and calmly as if he led his horse through a meadow path. 
 
 After they had had occasion to cross several of these 
 bridges the Spanish soldiers found that Hernando's words 
 were true, and that, however frail they looked, they were 
 strong enough to bear much greater weights than armed 
 
 1 60
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 men and horses, though they had been built only for the 
 passage of lightly-clad Indians and slender-limbed llamas. 
 
 As they passed along the road they frequently met with 
 gangs of Indians under the command of some official, 
 engaged in repairing the roads or bridges ; and in the 
 loneliest regions of the mountains they would see huge 
 flocks of whitey -brown llamas feeding on the stunted 
 herbage of these high altitudes, tended by shepherds in 
 gaudy blankets, the colour of the caps upon their head 
 indicating the district of which they were natives. The 
 Spaniards learned that these animals were carefully 
 tended, and their migrations from mountain to valley 
 pastures closely regulated, since the whole of the clothing 
 of the Peruvians was made from their wool. 
 
 Except in the highest parts of the sierras, the Spaniards 
 found hamlets and villages scattered everywhere, and 
 every rood of ground was cultivated. Where the moun- 
 tain declivities were too steep, they were cut into broad 
 terraces, and the bare and sterile rock covered with soil 
 brought from a distance. Water, also, by many channels 
 marvellously arranged, was conducted to each field, so 
 that where, at the turn of the road, the Spaniards often 
 expected to see desolate windy ridges of lichen-covered 
 rock, or wastes of sandy soil, they saw instead orchards 
 and gardens bright with blossom, or fields of Indian com, 
 from the green and tender ear in the upper regions, to 
 yellow ripeness in the lower lands, where the more genial 
 climate quickened the time of harvest. 
 
 At all these villages the Spaniards were well received 
 by the courteous people. Whether this was by reason of 
 the commands of the Inca, or by the awe of their deeds, 
 rejx>rt of which had spread with words of terror through 
 the land, the Spaniards did not know ; but lodgings were 
 L i6i
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 provided for them, with food and refreshments and all 
 things which they needed. 
 
 At length, having descended from the mountains and 
 traversed the few miles of level land which intervened be- 
 tween them and the coast, they approached the city of 
 Pachacamac. It was a town of large size, with narrow 
 streets, for the most part lined with houses of sun-dried 
 mud or adobe ; but the dwellings of the Inca lords and the 
 palace of the Inca were as usual built solidly of large 
 worked stones. 
 
 The town lay at the foot of a hill about whose conical 
 top was built a vast stone building, or several buildings, 
 dominated by two of equal height, one on each side of the 
 hill-top. 
 
 As Hernando Pizarro and his men approached the hill, 
 Martinillo, the interpreter, riding beside the Spanish leader, 
 told him of the origin of the town. 
 
 ' It takes its name from a god whose altars were found 
 here when the ancestors of the Incas first conquered this 
 land," he said, " So deeply was the worship of the god 
 implanted in the hearts of the natives that the Incas 
 deemed that they would not try to drive it out, but, 
 instead, they caused a temple and an altar to be raised 
 beside those to the native god. Thus have they stood 
 for hundreds of years." 
 
 " If the god has been so venerated," replied Hernando, 
 " the worshippers have surely brought much wealth in 
 offerings to the temple." 
 
 " Men say it is the wealthiest in the land," said Martin- 
 illo. " Pilgrims come to the holy place of the god from 
 every corner of the kingdom, and bring many gifts to 
 please the god. His wisdom is said to be greatest of all 
 the gods, and his words, spoken through the mouths of his 
 
 162
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 priests, are valued as much by the highest Inca lord as by 
 the poorest Indian bearer." 
 
 As the Spaniards approached the temple they saw people 
 running this way and that along the causeway which led 
 from the town to the temple. Some, in the dress of 
 priests, rushed into the gate of the temple, and soon the 
 causeway was deserted, except at the town end, where a 
 dark mass of people gathered in a crowd which every 
 moment became denser. These stood and watched with 
 great intentness the strange armed men, and did not 
 attempt to offer any opposition or show any hostility. 
 
 Hernando Pizarro reined his horse before the great 
 wooden door of the temple, which was closed, and, by the 
 mouth of Martinillo, demanded entrance in the name of 
 the Inca, at the same time holding forth a wristlet of 
 pure gold marked with the pattern worn only by the 
 Inca. 
 
 For a few moments there was silence, during which 
 Hernando and the other riders descended from their 
 horses. Then a wicket opened in the great door, and a 
 priest stood in the opening. He glanced at the mail-clad 
 figures before h m, and then at the gold wristlet held forth 
 by Martinillo. 
 
 " The priests of the holy Pachacamac cannot admit 
 into the sanctuary men with arms in their hands," said 
 the priest, and was about to shut the door. 
 
 Leaping forward, Hernando shouted, " I have conie too 
 far to be stayed by a priest." 
 
 With one blow he had beaten back the wicket and 
 dashed through into a dark tunnel, closely followed by his 
 men. Swiftly running forward, they found that the 
 tunnel opened into a stone gallery built in a spiral about 
 the hill. They raced round this, and at length emerged 
 
 163
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 on a jflat area upon the top of the mount, at one end of 
 which stood a square stone building. 
 
 Martinillo, who had followed them, now breathlessly 
 shouted : 
 
 " That is the sanctuary, the place of the god. Have a 
 care, for all dread to approach it." 
 
 Martinillo, since he had taken service with the Spanish, 
 professed himself a devout Catholic, but for all his pro- 
 testations he remained as much a pagan as ever, and 
 expected to see some dreadful death fall and blast the 
 desecrating Christians. 
 
 Priests stood on the open space before the door of 
 the sanctuaiy, and with loud voices besought the 
 Spaniards not to affront the god, Martinillo adding his 
 persuasions. 
 
 Suddenly, just as Hernando, with fierce looks, strode 
 forward to thrust an old white priest from before the door, 
 the ground shook, a muttering was heard beneath their 
 feet, and the walls of the temples on the hill -side below 
 them trembled and heaved. 
 
 With hands held before their faces, as if to shut out the 
 dreadful sight of the vengeance of the outraged god, the 
 priests fled, Martinillo running with them. 
 
 " Polluters and desecrators ! " they shrieked. " He 
 will engulf you ! He will blast you with his fire ! " 
 
 Hernando, with stern look, glanced round at his men. 
 
 ■' Courage, lads ! " he cried. " We fight the good fight 
 of the Cross and no demons may have power over us." 
 
 Then, approaching the door, he pushed it open and 
 entered, followed by his men. They had expected to find 
 the place blazing with gold and silver and precious jewels, 
 but instead was a small and dimly lit chamber, from the 
 floor and sides of which rose steam, which came from a 
 
 164
 
 The Inca's Ransom 
 
 hollow below the floor, where the victims were sacrificed to 
 the god. 
 
 A few pieces of gold and some emeralds gleamed in the 
 obscure light on the floor ; and then, as their eyes became 
 used to the half darkness, they saw in the farthest comer 
 of the room the figure of the god. 
 
 It was a roughly shaped log, black with age and 
 blood, with a head roughly shaped to resemble that of 
 a man. 
 
 This was Pachacamac, who granted the prayers of 
 worshippers, and who uttered oracles in response to the 
 petitions which the priests brought to him, bearing in their 
 hands the gifts of those who craved the god's aid. 
 
 Tearing the figure from the recess in which it stood, 
 Hernando threw it out among the feet of his men, who 
 instantly seized it, and with their poniards hewed it into 
 a hundred pieces. 
 
 Then, leaving the temple, the Spaniards regained their 
 horses and went into the town, where the natives, finding 
 that the powers of their god were less than those of the 
 Spaniards, came to them and tendered their homage to 
 the wonderful strangers, whom they now looked upon with 
 superstitious awe. 
 
 Hernando took advantage of their feelings to tell them 
 something of the religion of the Christians, and showed 
 them how helpless their god had been when the power of 
 the God of the Christians had been raised against it. They 
 should learn from this, he said, to turn to the true God 
 and worship Him, rather than the helpless demon they 
 had hitherto venerated. Lest, however, Pachacamac 
 should try to play any mean tricks upon them, or his 
 obstinate priests should endeavour to frighten them, he 
 showed them the sign of the Cross, and told them that no 
 
 165
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 devil or demon could stand before the power of that sign, 
 but would instantly fly in terror. 
 
 Hernando and his soldiers searched high and low for the 
 treasure which was said to have been stored in the temple ; 
 but no trace of it could be found. Finally, they had to 
 recognize that they had come too late ; that the priests 
 had got wind of their coming, and had made haste to seize 
 the gold and had hidden it. 
 
 Tlie sanctuary of the god Pachacamac was ordered by 
 Hernando to be purified, and then, before the door, he 
 had a great cross erected, made of stone and plaster. 
 When the Spaniards had departed again, no priests re- 
 turned to the temple from which the god had been hurled 
 and hacked in pieces, and no devout pilgrims thronged to 
 take part in the ritual of his worship. Instead, the simple 
 Indians came to look upon this giant cross, the sign of a 
 power which was mysterious and awful, before which their 
 own god, who had ruled their generations for many ages, 
 had gone down without a struggle. 
 
 i66
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 A Deed of Dishonour 
 
 MEANWHILE, at Caxamalca, into the camp of 
 the Spaniards, three white horsemen had ridden 
 one day in January, and, throwing themselves 
 from their horses at the challenge of the sentry, had been 
 received with shouts of welcome by their countrymen, 
 who crowded up. 
 
 They were messengers from San Miguel, and one, who 
 bore letters, was instantly conducted to Pizarro's apart- 
 ments. After a brief welcome, the man handed Pizarro 
 two letters, which, as he was unable to read, the general 
 handed to his secretary. The messenger was then directed 
 to mthdraw, and orders were given for refreshment and 
 rest for himself and his fellows. 
 
 Pizarro's secretary hurriedly scanned the letters, and his 
 swarthy face assumed a graver aspect than usual. 
 
 " This is news indeed, Marquis," he said. " Almagro 
 has reached San Miguel with one hundred and fifty men. 
 The governor of the town sends you word thereof." 
 
 " Read me his words," said Pizarro. 
 
 Zerez read the formal letter, giving briefly the narrative 
 of Almagro's voyage, the number of men brought with 
 him, and telling how affairs went with the townspeople. 
 
 " What is the other letter ? Read it." 
 
 " That, Marquis, is of still graver import. It is from 
 Perez, Almagro's secretary, and runs thus : ' With this 
 
 167
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 messenger, your Grace, you will receive news that your 
 old comrade in arms and partaker in this venture hath 
 arrived with three ships, a great quantity of stores and 
 good appointments for war, and near two hundred men. 
 Your Grace, in the pleasure of this hearing, might think 
 that these are for your common use and mutual help ; 
 but I would have your Grace to know that Don Diego de 
 Almagro hath no thought of working with thee again in 
 the great venture to which thou hast placed thy hand, 
 but hath in his privy mind a plan to work apart from thee 
 and to carve for himself a province in which he shall be 
 sole lord. I write thus for your particular and private 
 knowledge, your Grace, as I have ever had reverence for 
 your great gifts and ever prophesied the greatness of your 
 nature and the heights to which ' " 
 
 " Enough ! " cried Pizarro. " I will listen no more to 
 that serpent's hiss. Write at once to my friend Almagro, 
 with every expression of my esteem and friendship ; tell 
 him I am overjoyed to learn that he has returned, and 
 ask him to come to me here with his men at once, so 
 that together we may advance to the conquest of richer 
 treasures and the winning of the many heathen souls that 
 inhabit this land in darkness. Write it at once, so that 
 the messengers may return with it." 
 
 The secretary set about the writing of the letter, and by 
 the evening it was done to Pizarro's satisfaction, who set 
 his mark thereto, and gave orders for the messengers to 
 begin their return at dawn next day. 
 
 " Will your Grace take no notice of the letter of Perez 
 the secretary ? " 
 
 " Yes," said Pizarro, with a grim smile ; " take occasion 
 to speak of it to the couriers ere they go." 
 
 The secretary bowed, and understood that it was 
 
 i68
 
 A Deed of Dishonour 
 
 Pizarro's intention that the treachery of Perez should 
 return on his own head, for once it became the gossip of 
 the men of San Miguel, Almagro would not fail to hear of 
 it, and punish his deceitful servant accordingly. 
 
 When the couriers returned to San Miguel with the letter 
 from Pizarro, Almagro received and heard its contents 
 read to him with every sign of gladness. He received its 
 frank welcome in the spirit with which Pizarro had ex- 
 pressed it, for Almagro, though headstrong and quick of 
 temper, could not harbour enmity for long, and his frank 
 and careless nature was always eager to meet friendliness 
 half way. He gave orders, therefore, for all to be prepared, 
 and notified his men that they would set out for Caxamalca 
 in two days' time. 
 
 Perez the secretary, a close and secretive man, won- 
 dered at the tone of Pizarro's letter, thinking that its frank- 
 ness hid a secret purpose. He measured other people's 
 actions by his own crafty nature ; but he was rather at a 
 loss at not having received any letter from Pizarro in 
 reply to his own. 
 
 He wondered what was best to be done, and cast about 
 in his mind how further to sow dissension between the two 
 leaders whereby he could gain some profit. But he had 
 not long to hatch his crafty plots, for, suddenly, as he 
 sat at his table, the door was flung violently open, and 
 Almagro, his face flushed with passion, rushed in. 
 
 " What is this you do behind my back, traitor ? " he 
 cried, in a loud voice. " Would you stab me in the dark ? 
 Would you whisper treason about me to the marquis ? 
 Out, man, out, the rope's strung for you ! " 
 
 " But, sefior, serior," cried the secretary, his face white, 
 his lips dry, " what is it you charge me with ? Surely I 
 may answer any " 
 
 169
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Others had now come into the room, and Almagro 
 turned to them. 
 
 " Hark to the traitorous cur ! " he cried, almost beside 
 himself with fury. " If I give him time enough, his twisty 
 tongue will prove he never wrote to Pizarro saying I 
 planned to leave him in the lurch and to carve out a king- 
 dom for myself. Say, you dog," he shouted, striding to 
 the secretary, and shaking him by the breast of his doublet, 
 like a terrier shaking a rat, " did you not write it, eh ? eh ? 
 eh?" 
 
 Men gaped to see the little man, broad, short, one-eyed, 
 shaking the lean, tall secretary to and fro till his teeth 
 rattled. Suddenly Almagro released him, and, in a terrible 
 voice, cried : 
 
 " Make your peace with (Jod, for in five minutes you 
 shall die. Call a priest. Let him be shriven." 
 
 Tlie secretary made no appeal for mercy, but his dry, 
 pale lips moved in rapid whispers in response to the priest's 
 ministration. A few moments and two soldiers entered, 
 went up to the doomed man and pinioned him. Then 
 they led him from the room, the priest going with him, 
 holding a crucifix before the secretary's eyes. 
 
 In a little while the body of Perez hung, turning and 
 swaying, from the branch of a tall tree whose leaves gave 
 a pleasant shade in the plaza of the town. 
 
 Almagro and his troops left San Miguel next day, and 
 reached the camp of Pizarro in safety. They were met 
 outside the town of Caxamalca by the soldiers of the 
 marquis, who welcomed them most heartily. Pizarro 
 and Almagro embraced each other \\dth every friendly 
 greeting ; and whatever bitter feeling may have existed 
 between them formerly seemed now to be utterly forgotten. 
 
 As the fresh troops tramped into the town, Atahualpa 
 
 170
 
 The body of Perez hung from the branch of a tall tree 17c
 
 A Deed of Dishonour 
 
 stood and looked at them from one of the narrow windows 
 of his apartments. A gloom settled on his face as he looked 
 at the files of marching men, their headpieces gleaming in 
 the sun, the light of which also flashed from sword-belt, 
 pike-head and harquebus. With their dark faces and 
 brilliant, fierce eyes, and the swagger of their bearing, they 
 were marked out as being a race of sterner, crueller, and 
 more forceful mould than that of the mild -faced Indians 
 who looked with wonder on them as they marched by. 
 
 To the imprisoned Inca their light laughter sounded 
 like cries of triumph, and their numbers seemed to hem 
 him still closer about with prison walls and guards. He 
 turned away, heavy of mood. 
 
 Next day, as he walked with his guards in the garden 
 attached to his prison, some soldiers pointed to the skies, 
 where, at a distance from the sun, the fiery train of a 
 comet was to be seen, so bright and big that even the 
 radiance of the tropical sun did not quench it. 
 
 His face paled as he looked at it with fixed attention 
 for some moments. Then sadly he said : 
 
 " Such a sign as that was shown in the heavens when 
 my father, Huayna Capac, was about to die." 
 
 He would walk no more that day, and from that time a 
 settled sadness rested upon him. 
 
 When the Spaniards realized that their numbers were 
 now large enough to justify their advancing farther into 
 the country, so as to make their conquest more complete, 
 the rank and file of the soldiers began to clamour for the 
 treasure already collected to be divided among them. 
 
 The amount of gold, which was kept in the chamber 
 which had been the scene of the Inca's promise, was enor- 
 mous, but it still did not reach the red line along the wall. 
 Often and often the rougher soldiers would come and 
 
 171
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 gloat over the riches piled in confusion before them — vases 
 and goblets, jars and cups of marvellous workmanship, 
 richly wrought figures of flowers and fruit, and finely 
 chased ewers, salvers, ornaments and utensils, torn from 
 the temples and royal palaces throughout the land. 
 
 " If we share this not out now," said one, " we shall 
 never share it at all. If we wait longer, the Indians will 
 surely try to rob us of it. Besides, no man knows what 
 is his until it is shared out." 
 
 " As for me," said another, " when I get my share I 
 shall go home and settle do%vn in my native village, a rich 
 
 man." 
 
 " Pooh," said a third, " not I. Whatever we get from 
 this, why, man, there is plenty still in the land, to be got 
 if we stay. No, I'm for Cuzco and its treasures." 
 
 '" They say that though all this gold here is more than 
 has ever been collected together before," said one of Al- 
 magro's men, " the treasures at Cuzco and in the locked -up 
 palaces of the Incas all about the land are to this as the 
 ocean is to a village pond." 
 
 " I believe that," grumbled one of Pizarro's men, " and 
 while we waste our time here, the Indians will be hiding 
 it." 
 
 " That is true," said another, " for Felipillo told me 
 that at Cuzco some of the priests are already concealing 
 many of the treasures of the temples." 
 
 Great was the joy of all the Spaniards who had been with 
 Pizarro when the news got about that the gold in the 
 chamber was to be melted down so that the division might 
 be more easily made. Indian workmen were immediately 
 set to work to undo the beautiful work of their own people 
 by melting down the various articles of delicate or 
 magnificent workmanship. 
 
 172
 
 A Deed of Dishonour 
 
 PizaiTO determined, however, that a certain number of 
 the most beautiful things should be sent to the Emperor 
 Charles, and these were selected, to the value of a hundred 
 thousand ducats, out of the fifth part of the whole treasure 
 which was the share of the Spanish crown. 
 
 The man whom Pizarro chose to take these first-fruits 
 of conquest to the emjieror was Hernando, his brother, 
 who, when Almagro came into camp, had shown dislike 
 of him in so offensive a manner as to brmg upon him his 
 brother's sharp reproof. The general thought that the 
 best way of preventing a quarrel between Hernando 
 and Almagro was to send his brother to Spain, and this 
 was accordingly done, after the gold treasure had been 
 shared out. 
 
 The Indian smiths, toiling over their fires in the work 
 of melting down the precious spoil, always had, besides 
 a strong guard, a perpetual crowd of Spanish soldiers, 
 hungrily watching every step in the process. The Indians 
 were ordered to work day and night, but so enormous was 
 the amount of gold that it took a whole month to finish 
 the task. 
 
 Then the great day came, when the whole of the Spanish 
 camp was in a fever of excitement. The gold had been 
 made into bars of equal thickness so as to make division 
 easier, and the royal inspectors had already weighed the 
 whole of the treasure, and found that its value amounted 
 to what, in English money, at the present time, would be 
 equal to £3,500,000 ! 
 
 Truly the conquerors had succeeded in their quest ; 
 Gold had been the aim of all their efforts, the lure which 
 had made them struggle through destitution and miseries, 
 and even risk death itself. Here at last was gold beyond 
 the dreams of avarice — gold to an amount such as probably 
 
 173
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 had never been collected together as booty by so small a 
 band of conquerors smce the world began. 
 
 But this gold brought a curse to its new owners ! The 
 very magnitude of the quantity, and the swiftness with 
 which it had been obtained spoiled the Spanish conquerors 
 for any useful work in the land which they were so soon 
 to possess. Like poor men suddenly raised to wealth, they 
 lost their heads, despised the sober tasks whereby ordinary 
 citizens live and become prosperous, and became prodigals 
 and wasters. 
 
 When, however, the Spaniards had collected in the great 
 square which had seen the dreadful massacre of the Peru- 
 vians, and Pizarro's men, with eager eyes and jesting- 
 words, were guessing what treasure each would be given, 
 murmurs began to arise among the men who had come 
 with Almagro. 
 
 At length one of them came to a group of Pizarro's men 
 and said : 
 
 '' Comrades, we think we ought to share in this." 
 
 Loud cries of disagreement instantly arose from the 
 others, and an angry altercation instantly began between 
 the two bands. The soldiers of Almagro outnumbered 
 those of Pizarro, and the latter felt that if their comrades 
 were to share, the gains which each man had reckoned on 
 would be very greatly reduced. 
 
 " You have done nothing to earn any of that gold," said 
 they to their comrades. " You didn't seize the Inca, you 
 weren't at the massacre, and the Lica didn't make his 
 compact with you for his ransom." 
 
 " That's true enough," the others replied. " We don't 
 say we ought to have as much as you, but we ought to 
 have something. We take our turn in mounting guard 
 over him, we have also guarded your treasure, and if we 
 
 174
 
 A Deed of Dishonour 
 
 had not arrived you would not be able to go forward as 
 you are about to do and make further conquests in the 
 land." 
 
 By this time Pizarro and Almagro had come to the dis- 
 puting men, and the case was laid before them. Finally 
 it was settled that Almagro 's followers should have a 
 certain small sum given to them, but that for any great 
 gains they must look to further conquests. 
 
 Then, the troops having lined up round the square, 
 Pizarro prepared to divide the spoil. This was a delicate 
 task, for he had to distribute it according to what he 
 thought were the deserts of each soldier, and therefore he 
 risked offending many of them. 
 
 First of all he commanded that the fifth belonging to 
 the Crown should be weighed and set aside, and under the 
 brilliant sunlight, all looked on while the royal inspectors 
 weighed the bars of gold in a great pair of scales and placed 
 the amount aside. 
 
 Then his secretary read out from a paper which had been 
 prepared the names of all who were about to share, with 
 the amount which was to be given to them, after which 
 he called each man forward, and in his presence his share 
 was weighed out and given to him. 
 
 The men in the cavalry were called out first, one by one, 
 and to each was given bars of gold to the value of 8880 
 pesos of gold (in English money of to-day worth about 
 £23,000), which the men bore off to their quarters, some 
 with jests and others with serious looks, as if already 
 troubled by the possession of so much wealth. 
 
 The infantry, to the number of one hundred and five 
 men, were not paid equally. Some were thought not to 
 have done so much as others ; and as a whole, the foot 
 soldiers were not paid so much as the horsemen, because 
 
 175
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 it had been the latter who had been of most service in the 
 terrible massacre at tlie capture of the Inca. 
 
 A fifth of the infantry were allowed gold bars to the 
 value of about £12,000 each, and the remainder were given 
 about £8000 each ; some, however, had even less than that. 
 
 The amount which Pizarro kept for himself amounted 
 to 57,222 pesos of gold (about £150,000). Besides this he 
 had a large share of the silver which had been collected, 
 and the great chair or throne belonging to the Inca, which 
 was of solid gold and beautifully wrought. This alone 
 was reckoned to be worth about £52,000. 
 
 To Hernando, bars to the value of 31,080 pesos of gold 
 (£82,000) were given, while to Hernando de Soto, gold 
 to the value of 17,740 pesos was given (£37,000). 
 
 The silver which had been collected had not made 
 up the amount which the Inca had promised, but it was 
 still of considerable value, and every soldier received a 
 share. 
 
 To the men of Almagro was given £52,000 to share 
 between them, while for those who had remained behind 
 at San Miguel, including the nine who had given up the 
 venture at the beginning of the march, only £38,000 was 
 set aside. 
 
 The claims of the Church, however, in this division, were 
 not overlooked ; and the new Church of San Francisco 
 at San Miguel, the first Christian Church in Peru, was 
 endowed with about £6000. 
 
 When the public division had been completed, men 
 went to their quarters. Some secreted their wealth, others 
 let it lie about, as careless of it now that it was in their 
 possession as before they had been eager to obtain it. 
 
 That night, when, as was the invariable custom, the 
 conquerors played with dice or cards, there were higher 
 
 176
 
 A Deed of Dishonour 
 
 stakes to play for than ever any of them had hitherto 
 possessed since they had set foot in Peru. Far into the 
 night did the fever of play, mingled with laughter, anger 
 and reckless cries, rule in the camp of the Spaniards, and 
 by morning many a fortune had been doubled or trebled, 
 and many, having hazarded on the throw of the dice 
 the fortune which they had handled but a few hours, 
 looked with haggard eyes at the fresh light of the rising 
 sun as beggared as they had been when they were hiding 
 from their creditors in the alleys of Seville or Panama. 
 
 Two days after the division of the spoil, Hernando 
 Pizarro started on his journey to the coast, bearing with 
 him letters from his brother making report of all he had 
 done, and taking a large treasure for the Emperor Charles 
 the Fifth. With him also went several of the conquerors, 
 who, satisfied with their gains, were taking their wealth to 
 Spain, there to live in comfort for the rest of their lives. 
 
 There were also two friends of Almagro who promised 
 that they would remind the emperor of his services in the 
 conquest of this rich country. Almagro had sent these 
 men because he knew of Hernando's enmity towards 
 himself. 
 
 As the days passed at Caxamalca, after the division of 
 the spoil, men began to ask themselves why they did not 
 press forward to Cuzco, to further conquests and to still 
 richer gains. 
 
 "That's easily answered," was one soldier's reply. 
 " What's to be done with the Inca ? If we leave him here 
 under a guard, will any guard be strong enough to resist 
 the attempts which will be made to rescue him ? " 
 
 " Well, he has paid his ransom," said a generous man, 
 a scholar from Toledo, " such a ransom as never prince or 
 potentate has ever paid in the history of mankind. Why 
 M 177
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 not fulfil the terms of the compact with him and give him 
 his freedom ? " 
 
 "Hark you, Montillo," replied a grey old soldier, wise 
 with thirty years of Indian warfare, " you are too clean a 
 man for this work. Think you that our general ever 
 intended to carry out the terms of that compact with the 
 Inca ? Our marquis is a crafty man — ^no one knows his 
 mind ; he knows that if he lets the Inca go free he will let 
 loose our most powerful enemy. The whole nation would 
 rally to the Inca's help, and we should be fortunate if we 
 escaped with our lives." 
 
 " Then, at least, we might send him to Spain," replied 
 the scholar, " to be kept in honourable captivity there." 
 
 " That may be what is in the general's mind," said 
 another ; " but I doubt it. There is no way to the coast 
 except through those horrible passes in the mountains. 
 Think you that the Inca's people would let us go through 
 them in peace ? " 
 
 All through the camp men's minds were busied with 
 thinking what was going to be done. Meanwhile Pizarro, 
 silent and stern, kept to himself and gave no one his counsel. 
 Almagro did not trouble himself greatly with the question 
 as to what was to be done with the Inca ; but de Soto, a 
 man of generous instincts, who was on more intimate 
 terms with the Inca than anyone else, often asked Pizarro 
 what was to be his decision. But for reply he was told 
 that the general was still considering the matter. 
 
 Day after day Atahualpa urged that he should be set at 
 liberty, but evasive answers were returned to all his re- 
 quests. Pizarro never visited him no\V, but de Soto often 
 came to speak to the Inca, and it was to him that the latter 
 made his demands. 
 
 At length, to de Soto's repeated arguments, Pizarro so 
 
 178
 
 A Deed of Dishonour 
 
 far agreed that though the ransom collected by the Lica 
 had not been the full amount which he had promised, it was 
 large enough ; and the general bade his notary draw up 
 a document, by which it was declared that no further 
 ransom was expected from the Inca. The soldiers were 
 brought together by the call of a trumpet and the docu- 
 ment was publicly read out to them. For the moment 
 men thought that it meant that the Inca would shortly 
 be released ; but when the notary had folded up the 
 parchment he cried out ; 
 
 " It is the decision of the general, Marquis Pizarro, that 
 the safety of his I\Ia jesty's forces in this land demands that, 
 until further reinforcements arrive, the Inca be continued 
 in captivity." 
 
 The soldiers grumbled at this. To their restless spirits 
 inaction was not to be borne patiently, and to the more 
 mean and avaricious it was a cause of complaint that 
 while they sat rusting there, the enormous wealth of the 
 temples and palaces about the land was doubtless being 
 hidden by the Indians. 
 
 Frequently Felipillo, the chief interpreter, was 
 questioned by the more discontented, and at length was 
 asked what the native Peruvians thought of the Spaniards 
 staying fixed in one place and doing naught. 
 
 " What think they ? " he said, and a smile lit up his 
 mean and crafty face. " They think that it is well." 
 
 " What mean you by that ? " demanded his questioner, 
 a man named Spagno, a cruel and coarse man who had 
 lost his fortune of £23,000 in play the first night he received 
 it. " Tell me, you limb of Satan," he commanded fiercely, 
 " why should you slaves think it well that we do naught ? " 
 
 " It is not I who think so," replied Felipillo ; " but there 
 are rumours, senor, which of course are only rumours.' 
 
 179
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " \Vliat rumours are they ? " asked others who had now 
 strolled across the courtyard when they heard Spagno's 
 hectoring voice questioning the Indian. 
 
 " Well, seiiores," replied the interpreter, " it is rumoured 
 that an army is gathering in the land of Atahualpa's birth 
 — Quito, the land to the north — an army which numbers, 
 it is said, two hundred thousand men, and, besides that, 
 there are thirty thousand Caribs — the savages, your 
 honours will remember, who eat human flesh — ^who are 
 marching to join them, and who promise themselves — 
 so it is rumoured — a feast from the bones of the white 
 
 men." 
 
 The soldiers shuddered. They had ever looked on the 
 cannibal Caribs with peculiar fear and horror, and this 
 news disturbed them greatly. 
 
 " And is it the Inca who is secretly causing this army 
 to assemble ? " asked a soldier. " I always said he should 
 not be permitted to see whom he pleased — those gold- 
 eared ones [the noblemen] come and go as they please, 
 and I ever said that none knew what they were plotting. 
 And here is proof of it." 
 
 Felipillo would not say it was the Inca himself who was 
 plotting this rising ; but the rumours were as he had 
 stated. 
 
 Quickly this report spread among the soldiers, and 
 caused a great fever of excitement throughout the camp. 
 Many other Indians, in broken Spanish, supported the 
 rumours which Felipillo had described, and in the minds 
 of the soldiers it was soon established as a certainty that 
 a great army was marching south to massacre them, and 
 that Atahualpa was the prime mover of the whole plot. 
 
 i8o
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 The Death of the Inca 
 
 IF the Spaniards had not been in a state of great fear 
 they might have looked a Httle more coolly and critic- 
 ally into the rumours and their sources. Felipillo 
 himself was a mean and cowardly fellow, who never missed 
 an opportunity of currying favour with his white masters. 
 Since the capture of Atahualpa he had treated his own king 
 with petty insults and annoyances, and had never failed, 
 when it was possible, to twist the speeches of the Inca 
 which he had to interpret to the Spaniards in a way which 
 would cast suspicion or doubt upon the captive prince 
 
 Added to this, there were Indians in the camp who were 
 of the party of the murdered Huascar, and bitter enemies 
 of the Inca. These also never failed to speak or suggest 
 evil of him. 
 
 When the rumours were brought to the notice of Pizarro 
 he went at once, accompanied by his secretary and by 
 Almagro, and was ushered into the presence of Atahualpa. 
 
 " What is this I hear ? " demanded Pizarro of the Inca, 
 in cold, hard tones. " What treason is this that you 
 meditate against me ? " 
 
 " You jest with me ! " replied Atahualpa, a bitter 
 smile on his face ; " you are always jesting with me. 
 How could I or my people hope to conspire against the 
 Spaniards, who are so valiant, so strong, so victorious ? 
 Do not jest with me, I pray you." 
 
 i8i
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Pizarro, Almagro and the secretaiy looked darkly at the 
 smiling face of the Inca. The latter spoke in a most 
 composed and natural manner, and the Spaniards, believ- 
 ing he was guilty of that which they charged against him, 
 wondered that he could disguise his feelings so cunningly. 
 
 " It is you who jest," replied Pizarro. " You know the 
 smallness of our numbers, while you have a hundred 
 thousand warriors whom a word from you would bring 
 upon us." 
 
 " But I have not given that word," replied the Inca. 
 " Why should I ? What would it profit me, while I am 
 captive and in your power ? Were my people to rise I 
 should be the first victim of your anger. Believe me, 
 senor, I have given no word for any treason against you, 
 and until I do, no man of all my legions would raise his 
 weapon. You know that the very birds in my kingdom 
 hardly fly except according to my commands." 
 
 The Spaniards left him without further words. They 
 were still not convinced of his innocence, and when 
 Almagro, blustering and angry, repeated about the camp 
 the words of Atahualpa, the men twisted them this way 
 and that, until they seemed full of the most sinister 
 suggestions. 
 
 Fear grew in the heart of every soldier day by day, until 
 at length the word went through the camp, " The Inca's 
 troops are gathering at Guamachucho, a hundred miles 
 away, and any night may find us rushed by overwhelming 
 forces and utterly wiped out." 
 
 No one could say whence this news had sprung. One 
 said an Indian had told it to him, another said an Inca 
 woman had prophesied that the braves of Guamachucho 
 would soon pick their bones clean, while Felipillo said it 
 was the common rumour of all the Indians in the place. 
 
 182
 
 The Death of the Inca 
 
 Panic seized the camp, sentries were doubled, the horses 
 were kept saddled and bridled, men slept in their boots, 
 with swords beside them, and by night, at the least sound, 
 men turned out, buzzing like angry bees. 
 
 Restless by night, by day the men were full of menaces 
 and murmurs. 
 
 " This cannot go on," said one to Almagro ; " while the 
 Inca is here in our hands we shall be the mark for his 
 army." 
 
 " 'Tis I that have said that ever since I came," cried 
 Almagro angrily. " But Pizarro will not listen, or feigns 
 not to do so, and de Soto, forsooth, says there is naught 
 to fear from the Inca." 
 
 " It is he that is the cause of it all," cried another. 
 *' With him away we should be free of this fear and ready 
 to go forward to conquer the whole land and to gain 
 treasure. As it is, we who came with Don Diego are as 
 poor as if we had never left Panama, and it looks as if we 
 are to stop here till the Inca dies or we are all massacred 
 by night." 
 
 The advice of the more reckless was supported by those 
 higher in authority, such as the Royal Treasurer, and other 
 State officials. These had been left by Pizarro at San 
 Miguel, but they had come to Caxamalca with Almagro. 
 These, with Almagro, took an opportunity of seeking 
 Pizarro, and urged upon him that, to put an end to the 
 plots which were evidently being formed for setting the 
 Inca at liberty and massacring themselves, the Inca should 
 be executed. 
 
 " By my faith, Pizarro," said one reckless man, a noble 
 of the highest rank but of the most insolent bearing, 
 " one would think you loved the Inca as your own 
 brother. Wliat is it, man, that keeps you from letting 
 
 183
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 his life out ? Aii Indian more or less, what does it 
 matter ? " 
 
 " Let us get on to Cuzco," said another, equally insolent. 
 " Is it because you don't wish us who have come later to 
 share in the treasures of the Incas ? I'd have you know, 
 general, that I want my share, and as big a share as you've 
 got. But we shall get nothing by staying here." 
 
 To these and similar reckless speeches Pizarro turned, 
 or seemed to turn, an unwilling ear. 
 
 " It does not appear to me to be wise," he said, " to 
 proceed to extreme measures with the Inca." 
 
 " I agree with the marquis," said de Soto, and returned 
 the haughty and scornful looks of Almagro's reckless young 
 nobles with an eye as scornful and a look as proud. " I 
 think the Inca is innocent of any plot against us." 
 
 " Nevertheless," went on Pizarro, " I think it well to 
 send a small detachment to Guamachucho to see what 
 grounds there may be there for the constant rumours of 
 a rising in that town. De Soto, you shall go thither, with 
 thirty cavaliers." 
 
 De Soto set out that day, and as the distance of the town 
 was little more than a hundred miles, he was not expected 
 to be absent more than a few days. 
 
 Immediately on his departure the officers who desired 
 the Inca's death above all things set about inflaming the 
 minds of the others. They knew that de Soto was the 
 chief obstacle to the use of extreme measures, and there- 
 fore made every effort in his absence to bring about the 
 result they desired, for they did not believe that Pizarro 
 was sincere in his reluctance to execute the Inca. 
 
 So great did the agitation become among the soldiers, 
 inflamed and encouraged by more rumours which were put 
 about, that a great body of them went to the general's 
 
 184
 
 The Death of the Inca 
 
 quarters and requested that he should bring the Inca to 
 trial without delay. 
 
 " We fear for our lives day and night," said they ; 
 " and for the safety of us all we think that the many 
 rumours of plots demand that the truth concerning him 
 be sought out, and at once." 
 
 At length the general consented that the Inca should 
 be placed upon his trial. Immediately a council was 
 formed, consisting of Pizarro, Almagro, Riquelme the 
 Royal Treasurer, Valverde the priest, the notary, and one 
 or two others who had been loudest in demanding the 
 Inca's death. The result of their meeting was that they 
 drew up twelve charges which were to be made against 
 the Inca. 
 
 A court of justice was immediately set up, the judges 
 of which were Pizarro and Almagro. All things were done 
 in proper form, an attorney-general being named to pro- 
 secute for the Crown, and a counsel being appointed to 
 plead on behalf of the Inca. 
 
 When the court was set, such of the soldiers as were not 
 on sentry crowded round, and behind them was a wide 
 fringe of Indians. Then the Inca was brought in between 
 guards and accompanied by his favourite wife and by a 
 single member of his suite, an Inca noble of high rank. 
 The face of the Inca was calm as he looked on his judges 
 and the force of men about him. 
 
 Then the charges were read out and were interpreted by 
 Felipillo, who stood midway between the Inca and the 
 attorney-general. The most important of the crimes laid 
 against the Inca were, that he had usurped the cro\\Ti and 
 assassinated his brother Huascar, that he was guilty of 
 idolatry, and finally that he had plotted to make an 
 insurrection against the Spaniards. 
 
 185
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 At most of the charges the Inca smiled in a grave way, 
 but said nothing. When the hst had been read, a number 
 of Indian witnesses were examined, and their testimony- 
 was interpreted to the Spaniards by FeHpillo. Those 
 who knew a little Peruvian have left it on record that the 
 interpreter tried to make the most innocent piece of 
 evidence appear incriminating in order to excite the feelings 
 of the Spaniards still more against the Inca. 
 
 When the examination of the witnesses was finished — 
 and not much time was spent upon it — the Inca was taken 
 back to his prison, and the council of judges and the 
 officers of the army retired to consider their verdict. 
 We are told that the point discussed by the majority was 
 not — " Is the Inca guilty or not guilty of the charges made 
 against him ? " but " Will his death be to our advantage 
 or not ? " 
 
 The matter was warmly discussed. The great majority — 
 and they were ten to one — had made up their minds that 
 it was better for them that the Peruvian king should be 
 out of the way ; but there were a few of more generous 
 instincts who strongly urged that the evidence was not 
 sufficient to condemn the Inca. 
 
 The discussion became warm — it was a contest of 
 generous impulses against mean, covetous or bloodthirsty 
 instincts. 
 
 " Sefiores," cried one, " I do beseech you not to hurry 
 this matter — ^not to push this business to an end which 
 will cover us all with shame." 
 
 " We are accountable to no one," said one of the young 
 nobles of Almagro's party. " The general is leader and 
 he has decided with us to get rid of this encumbrance and 
 to push forward in the conquest of this land." 
 
 " But it will be a shameful deed," urged the other, with 
 
 i86
 
 The Death of the Inca 
 
 passionate voice and gesture. " Men will say we mur- 
 dered him if ye condemn him on the unreliable evidence 
 which those Indians gave and that false scoundrel 
 Felipillo interpreted. He gave a dark colour to every 
 innocent word, and is fit only to be beaten out of our 
 camp." 
 
 " Moreover," cried a friend of the last speaker, " I 
 deny that the general or any of you here have the right 
 to sit in judgment on the Inca. We have invaded his 
 land, and have no right to expect him to be aught but 
 hostile to us. He is a sovereign prince in his o^vn domin- 
 ions, and we as interlopers and invaders cannot judge 
 him. That should be left to our gracious master, the 
 emperor. He alone can judge him, and therefore the Inca 
 should be sent to Spain." 
 
 " Out upon such talk ! " cried those that wished for the 
 Inca's death. " You talk as if the Inca was a Spaniard 
 instead of a mere barbarian." 
 
 " Nay," said the others, " it is you who are barbarians 
 — dead to every spark of justice, lacking in the generous 
 instincts of gentlemen and cavaliers of Spain ! " 
 
 At this the interchange of words became so heated that 
 faces went red or pale, hands leaped to sword-hilts and 
 menacing looks were exchanged. For a time it looked as 
 if men's swords would be at each other's throats ; but 
 at length the minority, finding that they were howled 
 down, withdrew from the chamber in a body, refusing to 
 be parties any longer to this murderous plot. 
 
 Thereupon Pizarro and Almagro proceeded to pass judg- 
 ment upon the Inca. Speaking in stem tones, Pizarro 
 said : 
 
 " We have heard the evidence brought against the Inca, 
 and we deem that it has been established that the Inca is 
 
 187
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 guilty of the crimes charged against him. Tlierefore we 
 condemn him to be put to death by burning, and that the 
 execution be carried out this night, so that there may be 
 no time for his subjects to rise against us in order to 
 rescue him." They were not even to wait for the return 
 of de Soto, whose report would, of course, go far to estab- 
 lish the tmth or falsehood of the principal charge — ^that 
 of conspiracy. 
 
 The judgment was received with expressions of agree- 
 ment from those now present, and Riquelme, the chief 
 royal officer, spoke as follows : — 
 
 " I think," he said, " that all who are here now are con- 
 fident of the guilt of our prisoner, as indeed no true cavalier 
 of Spain could doubt who has heard the evidence. Further, 
 we are all ready to assume the responsibility of the exe- 
 cution. I propose that a full account of the proceedings 
 shall be sent to the Court of our gracious emperor, so 
 that he may be informed who are those who are loyal 
 servants of the CroAvn and of the Church, and who are 
 those whose quibbling, petty souls would place the in- 
 terests of our royal master and of this, his new colony, in 
 danger and risk of war." 
 
 Immediately the council had broken up, Pizarro, with 
 his secretary Felipillo, and a kinsman named Pedro 
 Pizarro, went to the quarters of the Inca to announce to 
 him the judgment of the court. 
 
 " Inca," said Pizarro's secretary, " the court has con- 
 sidered the charges which have been brought against you, 
 and it has sentenced you to death by burning. You will 
 be executed this night." 
 
 For a moment the Inca seemed stunned, and looked 
 from one to the other with wonder and pain in his eyes. 
 Then, turning to Pizarro, he said : 
 
 i88
 
 The Death of the Inca 
 
 " Wliat have I done, or my people, that I should meet 
 such a fate ? And from your hands, too — you who have 
 ever met with friendship and kind greeting from my people 
 wherever you have gone ! You have shared my treasures, 
 you have received nothing but benefits from my hands — 
 and you repay me with death." 
 
 The tears burst from his eyes, and stretching out his 
 hands in pleading to the Spanish leader he said, in piteous 
 tones : 
 
 " Do not slay me ! Spare my life ! I will be faithful 
 to you. You have conquered me and my people — ^what 
 more do you want ? Is it more gold you want ? Give 
 me time, and I will give you double the treasure which I 
 have already given in vain for my ransom. Let me live, 
 seiior ! Give me my life and I will give you my fealty for 
 the remainder of my days." 
 
 Pedro Pizarro looked at his kinsman and saw the stem 
 mouth twitch and the eyes suffuse with tears as he turned 
 his face away. Even the iron heart of Pizarro could not 
 bear the pleadings of the Inca. 
 
 " It is in vain that you plead," said Pizarro, in low 
 tones. " The army has decided that you must die, and 
 I have no power to alter that judgment." 
 
 The Inca drew himself up at those words ; a change 
 came over his looks and bearing. He resumed his proud 
 air, the tears dried from his eyes, his face resumed its 
 calm look, and he walked away to the other end of the 
 apartment, where his women sat with wide, soft eyes, 
 wondering what had moved their lord so deeply. 
 
 An hour later, at the sound of the trumpet, the army 
 gathered in the great square of Caxamalca, and then in 
 formal tones the doom of the Inca was proclaimed to them. 
 Those cavaliers who objected to the execution of the Inca 
 
 189
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 met together in a place apart, and drew up a written pro- 
 test against the whole of the proceedings which had been 
 put in force against the Inca. 
 
 When all had signed it, Montillo the scholar spoke in 
 bitter tones, and said : " Senores, we never have been 
 aught but freebooters since we set foot upon this venture, 
 Spanish gentlemen though we be ; but now we have bur- 
 dened ourselves with a greater crime, that of cold-blooded 
 murder ; and the names of the conquistadores [conquerors] 
 of Peru will be handed down through history stained with 
 this crime," 
 
 Two hours after sunset the Spanish soldiery assembled 
 in the great square at the sound of a tiTimpet. The night 
 was dark, and soldiers held torches to give light to the 
 scene, and their uncertain flicker shone on grim, hard 
 faces, and flashed from headpiece and breastplate as 
 the night wind moved the flames. On the verge of 
 the great square stood crowds of Indians, silent for the 
 most part, but with what bitterness and rage and 
 horror in their hearts one can only guess. For their 
 king, the representative of their gods, was to die by 
 a shameful death at the hands of these strange demi- 
 gods or demons. 
 
 There was a cleared space in the plaza, where a thick 
 stake had been sunk in the soil. Round about it were 
 scattered faggots of wood. 
 
 The word was given, and Atahualpa was led from a cell 
 beside the plaza, chained hand and foot. Beside him 
 walked the priest Valverde, who had willingly signed the 
 death warrant of the Inca, but who now strove to persuade 
 him to abjure the faith of his fathers and to embrace the 
 creed of the white men. But the Inca remained unmoved 
 by all the torrent of the priest's fanatical exliortations, 
 
 190
 
 The Death of the Inca 
 
 which the interpreter who walked beside them was 
 hardly permitted time to translate. 
 
 Soldiers bound Atahualpa to the stake, and the un- 
 certain light of the torches, shining upon his face, showed 
 him pale, with compressed lips, and calm, stem eyes 
 looking straight before him. 
 
 The Dominican friar made a last appeal. Holding up a 
 silver cross before the condemned king's eyes, he cried : 
 
 " Embrace the cross, abjure the idolatry of your evil 
 and false gods, and you shall escape the agony of death 
 by fire. A more merciful death shall be yours ! " 
 
 This was interpreted to Atahualpa by Felipillo, and the 
 Inca then bent his eyes upon Pizarro, who stood beside the 
 priest. 
 
 " Does the priest speak truly ? " he asked. " Will you 
 grant me that ? " 
 
 " It shall surely be done," repHed the Spanish leader. 
 " Your death will be painless." 
 
 " Then, I agree," replied the doomed man. 
 
 Speedily, while he stood pinioned to the stake, the rite of 
 baptism was performed upon the unhappy monarch, who, 
 repeating the words of the priest Valverde, abjured the 
 faith of his fathers and accepted that of his executioners. 
 He received the baptismal name of Juan de Atahualpa, 
 the name of Juan being given him in honour of John the 
 Baptist, on whose day the tragic baptism took place. 
 
 When this had been done, he spoke to the priest, saying : 
 
 " When I am dead, I would desire my body to be carried 
 to Quito, the place where I was bom, to be laid among the 
 dead of my mother's people." 
 
 Then, turning to Pizarro, he said, in a voice which 
 trembled with emotion : 
 
 " Senor, senor, have pity on my little children. Tliey 
 
 191
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 are still young — I pray you take them under your pro- 
 tection so that no evil befall them." 
 
 For a moment only, his lips twitched and his eyes 
 softened with tears ; then, recovering his calm bearing, 
 he held his head up proudly and submitted to the cord 
 which was thrown about his neck from behind. A few 
 moments, while the soldiers who looked on muttered 
 rapidly their prayers for the salvation of the passing soul, 
 then the head of the Inca bent forward — he was dead ! 
 
 The body was allowed to remain tied to the stake all 
 night ; but early next day it was carried into the Church of 
 San Francisco, where his obsequies were performed with 
 great solemnity. Afterwards, notwithstanding his request 
 that his remains should be taken to Quito, his body was 
 interred in the cemetery attached to the church. "When, 
 however, the Spaniards had left Caxamalca, some of his 
 faithful nobles caused his body to be raised, and it was 
 taken secretly to Quito. 
 
 Two days after this, while Pizarro and his officers were 
 parading their mourning for the man they had murdered, 
 Hernando de Soto and his men rode into the square. 
 
 One of those who had protested against the murder of 
 the Inca met de Soto as he rode forward. 
 
 " Well, de Soto," he asked bitterly, " found you the 
 armies of the Inca ? Are they on their way to overwhelm 
 us?" 
 
 " I found not one man with arms in his hands," said de 
 Soto ; " but instead was met with kindly welcome every- 
 where." 
 
 " 'Tis as I said," rejoined the other ; " one would almost 
 think they knew it would be so. De Soto, they have mur- 
 dered the Inca, and I think they sent you out of the way, 
 because they knew you would oppose it." 
 
 192
 
 The body was allowed to remain tied to the stake 
 
 192
 
 The Death of the Inca 
 
 De Soto's handsome face flushed and then darkened with 
 wrath. He swung himself off his horse. 
 
 " What ! " he said ; " they have executed him ? " 
 
 "He was strangled the night before last, and is 
 buried, while those that murdered him pretend to mourn 
 him." 
 
 De Soto turned without a word and strode to Pizarro's 
 quarters. The general was just issuing from his chamber, 
 in a black doublet, with a great black felt hat, as additional 
 mourning, slouched over his eyes. 
 
 " Pizarro," said de Soto, and there was anger and scorn 
 in his voice, " you have acted with strange haste. The 
 Inca has been basely slandered — there was no enemy at 
 Guamachucho — no rising among the natives. I have met 
 with nothing but courtesy and kindness, and all is quiet. 
 This is ill done, I say. If it was necessary to bring the 
 Inca to trial, he should have been taken to Castile and 
 judged by the emperor. I would have pledged myself to 
 see him safely on board." 
 
 For once Pizarro's keen eyes faltered ; he could not look 
 into the scornful face of de Soto. 
 
 " Perhaps," he murmured, " I have been hasty; but I 
 have been deceived. Riquelme, Valverde and the others — 
 they have pressed it upon me and deceived me." 
 
 De Soto turned away without a word. 
 
 Very soon it got to the ears of Riquelme and Valverde 
 that Pizarro had blamed them for the execution of the 
 Inca, and instantly, in fierce wrath, they buzzed about 
 Pizarro like hornets, vowing that he alone was responsible 
 for the deed, and as guilty as any of them. The quarrel 
 ran high, charges and countercharges, abuse and bad 
 names were exchanged with much heat, until, neither side 
 feeling they had got the better of the other, they mutually 
 N 193
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 withdrew, every man smarting under a sense of unworthi- 
 ness. 
 
 Now that the Inca was dead, the minds of the Spaniards 
 dwelt eagerly on the tales of the treasures of the city of 
 Cuzco, and all were eager to begin the journey to the City 
 of Gold. Preparations were accordingly made, and, more 
 reinforcements having arrived from San Miguel, it was 
 found that the forces of the Spaniards amounted to almosL 
 five hundred men, of whom a third were cavalry. 
 
 Meanwhile certain tidings came to the camp of strange 
 events in various parts of the country — of Indians rising 
 against their Inca lords, of their burning villages and 
 palaces and temples, which first they plundered, and the 
 gold and treasure from which they scattered or concealed. 
 It was said that whole provinces had revolted, captains 
 and chieftains were setting up kingdoms for themselves, 
 and that a commander, named Ruminavi, a general of the 
 dead Inca, had proclaimed that Quito would henceforth 
 be a kingdom apart from Peru, with himself as king. 
 
 The Spaniards thought little of these rumours. To them 
 they seemed of no more importance than tales about 
 " battles of kites and crows." They had always found 
 the Indians to be quiet, obedient and inoffensive, and 
 therefore did not credit the tales brought in by wandering 
 traders. 
 
 But, indeed, a great change had come upon the whole 
 land . The news of the death of the Lica — ^the last monarch 
 of a mighty line of kings that were almost gods — struck 
 horror at first into the minds of the natives. It seemed 
 unbelievable that the Child of the Sun had passed away 
 for ever, and that the king, whose merest word was law, 
 whose person was divine, whose presence thrilled each 
 beholder with awe, had been done to death shamefully by 
 
 194
 
 The Death of the Inca 
 
 the hands of the strange bearded men, half demons, gods 
 or monsters. 
 
 When, however, the more unruly of the natives had 
 grown accustomed to the thought that the dreaded power 
 of the Inca was at an end, they broke out into disorder, 
 they seized weapons, left the task that hitherto they had 
 been compelled by the law to perform, and, mad with 
 the unusual liberty, had gathered themselves into bands 
 of marauders and given themselves up to pillage and 
 bloodshed. 
 
 195
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 In the City of Gold 
 
 THE road taken by the Spaniards lay along the 
 great highway between Caxamalca and Cuzco. 
 This being levelled and paved made the march 
 a comparatively easy matter, except when it mounted 
 the crests of the Cordilleras, where, owing to the steep- 
 ness of the way and the icy air, both men and horses 
 suffered severely. 
 
 At one place a horde of Indians, whose neighbourhood 
 they had already guessed, by the burning villages and 
 broken bridges they passed, formed themselves on the 
 opposite bank of a river as if to contest the passage of the 
 Spaniards ; but the conquerors, without hesitation, dashed 
 boldly into the river, swimming their horses or wading, 
 and the Indians did not wait to receive them, but took 
 to flight. The cavaliers followed them, however, and 
 punished them severely for daring even to meditate 
 resistance. 
 
 Having arrived at Xauxa, a city built in a beautiful, 
 fertile valley, Pizarro decided to rest there and to found 
 a colony. Meanwhile, however, he sent de Soto forward 
 with sixty horsemen to reconnoitre the country in advance, 
 and, by the aid of Indian allies who were with them, to 
 repair the bridges where they had been broken down by 
 the natives who had revolted. 
 
 As he advanced, de Soto found the traces of the enemy 
 
 196
 
 In the City of Gold 
 
 more and more marked. Villages were burnt, bridges 
 destroyed, and heavy rocks and uprooted trees were lying 
 across the path to impede his advance. Late in the after- 
 noon of the same day he reached a spur of the Cordilleras 
 which lay between him and the valley in which Cuzco 
 lay ; and, wishing to cross the mountains before dark, he 
 entered the defiles, although his horses were wearied. 
 
 All seemed quiet, as the cavaliers urged their horses up 
 the steep slope of the pass. Suddenly, at a bend in the 
 narrow way, men's blood ran chill as the narrow gorge 
 resounded with horrible war-cries, and before they were 
 aware of what had happened, from every crevice and 
 thicket Indian warriors had risen like a cloud of hornets, 
 and with spears, knives and axes were among the soldiers 
 of Spain. 
 
 So taken by surprise were the Spaniards that, in the 
 first mad rush, many of the foremost men and horses were 
 dashed down and rolled over and over among the feet of 
 those behind, increasing the terror and confusion. 
 
 De Soto, who was leading, quickly recovering, ran his 
 sword through an Indian who leaped at him, and cried out 
 to his men : 
 
 " Steady, cavaliers. Form up — keep close and ad- 
 vance ! Advance ! " 
 
 He looked behind him. Some of the Indians had leaped 
 like mountain cats upon the horses and were locked in 
 terrible struggles with the horsemen ; others clung like 
 panthers to the legs of the horses. But there were others 
 of his men who, with swift sword -strokes to right and left, 
 had already cut down many of their assailants, and to 
 these he shouted the old soul-stirring battle-cry which 
 would make even a dying Spaniard strike yet another 
 stroke. 
 
 197
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " We must gain the level ground above us ! St Jago ! 
 St Jago ! " 
 
 Instantly the men responded. Putting spurs to their 
 exhausted and frightened animals, they pushed on, broke 
 through the cloud of dark warriors and, shaking them off, 
 at length reached the broad level just above them. Here 
 both parties paused, glaring at each other at a little dis- 
 tance, as if to take breath. A small stream ran through 
 the plain, at which the Spaniards watered their horses 
 and snatched a few moments to rest. 
 
 " Now, lads," said de Soto, " form up and at them again. 
 Advance ! " 
 
 Almost as if moved by one spur, the horses dashed across 
 the brook and into the mass of Indians. Most of the 
 Spaniards thought that the latter would scatter, but this 
 was not the case. The warriors, undaunted and fierce of 
 look, gave not an inch, but leaped at the cavaliers and gave 
 their blows with great bravery. Each horseman became 
 the centre of a group of crouching, leaping Indians ; as 
 soon as his sword passed through one and the warrior fell 
 dead, another took his place. So fierce were they that 
 several of the cavaliers were soon killed, and the Indians 
 then slew their horses. One tall Indian had a great 
 Peruvian axe, made of bronze, and this he sank into the 
 brain of the horse of one of the Spaniards, and when the 
 cavalier came to ground, with the next blow the Indian 
 had cleft him through the headpiece and brain to the 
 chin. 
 
 At length, in the darkness, nothing could be seen, and 
 the battling warriors separated. Each withdrew to the 
 farthest ends of the level space, but so near were they 
 that the voices of each could be heard distinctly in the 
 silent hours of the night. 
 
 198
 
 In the City of Gold 
 
 Full of gloomy thoughts were the minds of the Spaniards 
 as, huddling themselves in their cloaks beside their horses 
 for warmth, they nursed their aching wounds and waited, 
 almost in despair, for the dawn. Few of them believed that 
 victory would be theirs when the light should filter down 
 into the rocky hollow where they lay. They had never 
 expected such stern resistance from timid and servile 
 Indians, and therefore were greatly discouraged by this 
 first fierce check. 
 
 But de Soto, stout-hearted as ever, went among them, 
 trying to cheer them up. 
 
 " Keep heart, lads," he said ; " if we have been able to 
 beat off a superior number of the rascals when our horses 
 were spent and we ourselves were weary, how much easier 
 will it be to beat them after we have rested." 
 
 " It may be as you say," said one ; " but every one of 
 us is stiff and sore with a wound or two, and our beasts 
 have cuts and maims. And while help for us lies leagues 
 behind us, these Indian fiends are probably gathering in 
 great crowds through the mountains to cut us up at dawn." 
 
 " Nay, despair not," said de Soto ; " trust in the 
 Almighty, for I am assured that He will never desert His 
 faithful followers in this our extremity." 
 
 As if to mock him came a cry as of triumph from the 
 camp of the Indians, and voices in eager speech could be 
 heard. The Spaniards sank deeper into despair, and when 
 they slept their sleep was broken by fears of creeping foes 
 or by dreadful carnage. 
 
 Half way through the dark, suddenly the Spanish 
 sentries thought they heard far and faint the sound as of 
 a trumpet. Straining their ears, they listened, and soon 
 were certain that it was indeed the clear call of a bugle at 
 some distance far in the rear. Most of the men started 
 
 199
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 up from sleep at the sound, and one, seizing his bugle, 
 blew a note or two upon it, and then listened. In a few 
 moments the answer came clearer than before. It was 
 indeed the signal that some of their countrymen were on 
 their way to their aid . 
 
 " Truly," said one, " the captain said aright. Heaven 
 has not left us to the savages, but is sending us aid in our 
 greatest hour of need." 
 
 Some began to give thanks to Heaven already, while 
 others kept up the signals. In a little while they heard 
 the beat of horses' hoofs coming swiftly nearer and nearer 
 in the darkness, and soon the gruff voice of Almagro, sound- 
 ing like sweet music in their ears, cried : 
 
 " Are ye all alive still, lads ? " 
 
 Very joyful were the greetings which de Soto's men gave 
 to their rescuers, who, they learned, numbered almost all 
 the remaining cavalry of the Spanish force. It appears 
 that Pizarro had become afraid that the company under 
 de Soto might be insufficient to push through the increasing 
 clouds of hostile Indians, and had therefore sent Almagro 
 forward, who, good soldier that he was, had left nothing 
 to chance, but had come on by forced marches, not staying 
 even when night had come on. 
 
 When the morning light broke in the cleft of the 
 mountains, where Spaniard and Indian lay in opposite 
 camps, the Indians saw with dismay that the number of 
 their opponents had greatly increased during the night. 
 They could be seen to cluster in groups as if taking counsel 
 among themselves ; but it seemed that they were dis- 
 inclined to fight. 
 
 A thick fog began to draw over the slopes of the 
 mountains as the sun's light strengthened, and for the 
 moment the Spaniards feared the Indians might attack 
 
 200
 
 In the City of Gold 
 
 them under its cover, and therefore stood to arms. But 
 as the warmth of the sun increased and the rolHng mist 
 thinned and vanished, they saw that not an Indian re- 
 mained. 
 
 Almagro and de Soto thereupon advanced upon their 
 way, and found that the passes were entirely open. They 
 were no more molested, and when they had passed through 
 the sierra they made a camp in the valley and awaited the 
 arrival of Pizarro. 
 
 The Spanish leader was informed by an Indian runner 
 of the retreat of the insurgents, and after leaving a strong 
 force at Xauxa to found a settlement so as to hold the 
 district in subjection, he pushed on with his remaining force 
 and joined Almagro and de Soto. Tlie treasure of the 
 Spaniards was also left at Xauxa under the protection of 
 the garrison, as they feared that if they carried it about 
 with them it stood greater chance of being lost. 
 
 When Pizarro had joined forces with Almagro and de 
 Soto they rested for some days in a beautiful valley a few 
 miles from Cuzco, where, in the midst of gardens and 
 orchards, many houses belonging to the Inca nobles were 
 embosomed in the trees. These the soldiers looted, dis- 
 covering a considerable quantity of treasure. 
 
 While resting there, a great procession of splendidly 
 dressed Inca chiefs was seen coming up the road, at the 
 head of which, in a gorgeous litter, sat a young man, from 
 whose jewelled dress the light flashed as he moved. De- 
 scending from the litter, the young noble craved leave to 
 speak with Pizarro, and being admitted into the apart- 
 ment of the Spaniard, he said : 
 
 " Senor, I am Manco, brother to Huascar, whom 
 Atahualpa slew. I am the rightful heir to the throne 
 of Peru, and I crave your protection and your aid to 
 
 201
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 set me upon the throne of my lathers, the Children of the 
 Sun." 
 
 Pizarro heard the young prince with great satisfaction, 
 and received him with kindness. The Spanish general 
 thought that if he placed Manco upon the throne he would 
 be an instrument in his hand which he could use as he 
 pleased for the better subjugation of the whole land. He 
 therefore promised his protection to the young prince, 
 and when, a day or two later, Pizarro resumed his march 
 to Cuzco, Manco and his suite of Inca nobles accompanied 
 him. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon when the conquerors, 
 standing on a hill -side, saw the city of Cuzco in the valley 
 below them. The evening sun was streaming upon the 
 white walls of the famous city, at which the Spaniards 
 gazed with eager eyes. They could see the great square 
 in the midst of the town, and the low white-walled palaces 
 near it ; and down the long regular streets they could see 
 the people passing. In the gentle evening air all looked 
 quiet and peaceful in the city, as if it expected that the 
 dawn which would rise upon it on the morrow would be 
 no different from thousands of other dawns, which had 
 found it secure and at peace under the strong protection 
 of the Children of the Sun. 
 
 Behind the city rose a rocky hill, almost a mountain, on 
 the slopes of which rose three great towers beside each 
 other. A triple wall surrounded them, and the practised 
 eyes of the Spaniards told them that these dark towers, 
 built of immense stones, were of stupendous strength, 
 sufficient to resist even the art of European war. These 
 towers, frowning over the city, seemed to forbid the ap- 
 proach of the Spaniards, or to defy their power. 
 
 The night was falling so rapidly that Pizarro determined 
 
 202
 
 In the City of Gold 
 
 to encamp where he was, and after the evening meal, 
 sentries were set and the soldiers slept on their arms, lest 
 a sudden attack should be intended from the city. The 
 night, however, passed in quietness, and early next day 
 Pizarro formed his little army in an ordered array, and 
 continued his march towards the city. 
 
 The suburbs of the city, composed of narrow streets 
 lined by little one-storeyed huts of sun-baked mud, were 
 thronged with a countless multitude who had come forth 
 to see the approach of the strangers, whose terrible deeds 
 had sent a thrill of horror through the land. 
 
 The people gazed with wide eyes at the fair faces, the 
 flashing headpieces and the shining breastplates, and 
 looked in fear at the mettlesome chargers as they tossed 
 their heads and champed their bits. When the trumpeters 
 sent forth their long, challenging notes through the streets 
 of the city, the people seemed to shrink away, and the 
 tramp, tramp, tramp of the cavalry, which shook the 
 very earth beneath them, caused many to hide themselves 
 indoors. 
 
 Pizarro, at the head of his army, rode directly to the 
 great square, and, there halting, he turned to his men and 
 said : 
 
 " We have now reached this famed treasure city of the 
 Incas, and the capital of its kingdom. I charge you all 
 to bear yourselves to the inhabitants with all courtesy 
 and gentleness, to provoke no hostility and to do no deeds 
 of violence to any. I forbid any man to enter the house 
 of any dweller in this city, or to take anything from them 
 under pain of punishment. You will camp here in the 
 plaza with your horses picketed by your side, so that you 
 may be ready to repulse any attack." 
 
 As soon as Pizarro had finished speaking, the cavalry 
 
 203
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 dismounted and picketed their horses, and sentries -were 
 set at numerous points about the square. Then the main 
 part of the soldiers separated in bands about the city, 
 seeking for treasure in the palaces and temples, which, 
 not being private houses, were not covered bj^ Pizarro's 
 prohibition. 
 
 Those among the conquerors whose minds were not filled 
 with the greed for gold were struck by the air of refinement 
 and luxury which marked not only the dresses and bearing 
 of many of the people standing in the streets, or gazing 
 from their doors, but the interiors of the houses of which 
 they caught glimpses as they passed. 
 
 Then, also, the length and regularity of the streets were 
 remarkable. Certainly they were narrow, but most were 
 paved Avith small stones, and down the centre ran an open 
 gutter. They crossed each other at right angles, and from 
 the great square ran four principal streets connecting with 
 the four great highways running through the kingdom. 
 The square itself was paved with fine pebbles. 
 
 Through the heart of the city ran a river of pure water, 
 the banks or sides of which for a distance of sixty miles 
 through the valley were faced with stone. Across it, at 
 places here and there, were placed paved bridges. 
 
 The sight, however, which struck the coarsest soul among 
 the conquerors with wonder was that of the great Temple 
 of the Sun, which filled one side of the great square. With 
 its chapels, dormitories and other buildings, it covered a 
 large extent of ground, and was completely surrounded by 
 an immense wall, built of fine stones, beautifully polished, 
 and so large that many of the Spaniards wondered how 
 they had been placed in position. 
 
 A band of Spanish soldiers thundered with the handles 
 of their poniards at the great gate in the wall of this edifice, 
 
 204
 
 In the City of Gold 
 
 and quickly obtained admission. They dashed across 
 the courtyard to where the broad entrance of the temple 
 yawned open, and, running in, stood still at the wonderful 
 sight that dazzled their eyes. 
 
 The inside of the temple was literally a mine of pure 
 gold ! 
 
 The vast interior before them shone with the glory of 
 the western sun, the rays of which, striking through an 
 opening, were reflected in a blinding light from the ceiling 
 and every corner of the great chamber, for its rays rested 
 on nothing but pure gold and brilliant gems. 
 
 On the western wall was a massive plate of gold, with 
 a human face engraved upon it, and from its head long 
 rays stretched, also made of gold. Every part of the face 
 was thickly set with gems and precious stones. This was 
 the figure of the Sun, the god of the Peruvians ; and was 
 so placed that the dawning rays of the rising sun should 
 strike upon it in the first soft light of the day, lighting up 
 the temple with the dazzling presence as of the god himself. 
 
 Strangest sight of all, perhaps, were the effigies of dead 
 Incas which were ranged on opposite sides of the great 
 apartment. The mummies sat on chairs of gold, their 
 heads bent as if in thought, their hands clasped across 
 their bosoms, their hair, silver-grey or black, according to 
 the time of life at which they had died, dressed with the 
 sign of royal power. Rich clothing covered the dead limbs, 
 and so well preserved were the bodies that the hue of 
 each face seemed to say that this was the living form, 
 not one which had been the tenement of death for per- 
 haps ten generations. 
 
 On the floor of the great apartment stood golden censers, 
 in which sweet incenses were burning, ewers holding water, 
 and, most striking of all, twelve great vases of pure silver 
 
 305
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 holding the grain of Indian corn. Each vase or bin was 
 the height of a lance, and so large that two men with out- 
 stretched arms could hardly encompass them. 
 
 All about the chamber were other utensils, and on the 
 walls were great bosses or plates of massive gold, burnished 
 and dazzling. 
 
 The Spaniards ran through the temple and entered a 
 smaller chapel, which they found was full of silver light. 
 This was dedicated to the Moon, and her effigy was shown 
 on a vast plate of silver on one wall, and all the utensils and 
 decorations of the chamber were of the same metal. Other 
 chapels were found, dedicated, one, to the Stars, another 
 to the Thunder and the Lightning, and a third to the 
 Rainbow. All were adorned with the precious metals, 
 jewels and brilliants. 
 
 Some of the Spaniards began at once to seize what 
 could be carried away. The plates of gold were prised 
 from the walls of the temple, the ewers and vases were 
 emptied, and all were carried to a great hall opening out 
 of the plaza, to which other Spaniards were running up 
 with other treasures in their hands. These they deposited 
 in the common heap, and, their eyes shining, their faces 
 bedewed with perspiration, they stayed but to exchange 
 a jest and ran off again, filled with the lust of treasure- 
 hunting. 
 
 From every quarter of the great city, indeed, the soldiers 
 were dragging the riches which the piety or reverence of 
 generations of Peruvians had deposited. From temples, 
 where worshippers had brought offerings to their gods, and 
 from the silent and closed palaces of dead Incas, where all 
 their treasures had been sealed up for many generations — 
 all were rifled, and things beautiful and rich were piled up 
 pell-mell. 
 
 206
 
 The Spaniards began to seize what could be carried away 206
 
 In the City of Gold 
 
 Meanwhile the priests and guardians from whose care 
 these things were taken either fled away into hiding, or 
 looked on with impotent wrath in their eyes, calling down 
 the curses or instant wrath of their gods upon the pollu- 
 tors of the sanctuaries. But with a reckless laugh or a jest 
 at the dark, sour faces of the priests, the conquerors, their 
 hands full of the rifled riches, hurried past them unharmed, 
 their work of spoliation unchecked by any sudden death- 
 stroke. 
 
 Not only were there things of beauty and wealth within 
 the temples and palaces, but the gardens attached to them 
 sparkled with gold and silver, undimmed in the dry and 
 brilliant climate where rain rarely fell. Every form of fruit 
 and flower, vegetable and tree, was carved delicately in 
 gold or silver, and planted in the soil, knowing no decay 
 of the season ; while here and there were golden animals, 
 crouching or lying amid the rich artificial vegetation. 
 
 All these were torn up by the conquerors and deposited 
 on the great heap now rising higher and higher in the hall 
 of the plaza. Nor did they hesitate to plunder the royal 
 mummies, but overturning each, they dragged the golden 
 chairs away, and then, tearing the rich ornaments and 
 vestures from the bodies of the dead Incas, left them 
 lying as they had fallen. In some places they believed they 
 traced where other mummies had lately sat upon golden 
 thrones, and, seeking the priests, they charged them with 
 concealing some of their treasures. Some denied this, 
 while others scornfully smiled. Many of them were put 
 to the torture by the more rapacious Spaniards, in the 
 endeavour to extort from them the confession of their 
 hiding-places. 
 
 Not a corner was left imsearched by the bands of con- 
 querors that swarmed through the city. Every palace was 
 
 207
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 ransacked, even the sepulchres which honeycombed the 
 rocks and sands outside the city were broken open where 
 it seemed Hkely treasure might be buried, nor was this 
 narrow search always left unrewarded. In a cavern they 
 found a number of vases of pure gold, richly embossed 
 with the figures of serpents and locusts. Deeper in the 
 gloom of the cave they came upon four llamas made of 
 gold, and behind these were lying a dozen figures of women, 
 some of gold and others of silver. The figures were life- 
 size, but the gold was only a thin covering of the plaster 
 beneath it ; nevertheless the workmanship was very 
 delicate. Some of these were afterwards sent to Spain, 
 as part of the emperor's fifth share. 
 
 The various storehouses or magazines which were placed 
 here and there about the city were not left unsearched ; 
 but in these the looters found little to their liking in their 
 present lust for gold. There were richly tinted robes of 
 cotton and feather work, sandals and slippers adorned with 
 gold for women, and dresses composed entirely of beads 
 of gold. The more valuable of these they took ; but the 
 greater portion of the stores with which the magazines 
 were filled — maize and other articles of food — were held in 
 contempt by the freebooters and scattered or overturned. 
 
 Several days were spent in this search for plunder, and 
 every article discovered brought to the heap, which now 
 was of enormous proportions. A date was then pro- 
 claimed at which the general would distribute the treasure, 
 and on the day appointed, when most of the gold and 
 silver had been melted down into bars of equal weight 
 and size, the soldiers formed up in the great square, and 
 Pizarro then proceeded to divide the spoil. 
 
 The total value of the treasure was 580,200 pesos 'of 
 gold, worth in English money of the present time about 
 
 208
 
 In the City of Gold 
 
 £1,524,000. Four hundred and eighty men had to receive 
 a share of this, so that the amount received by each man 
 was comparatively small. The horsemen had larger 
 shares than the infantry. 
 
 Great disappointment was expressed by some at the 
 smallness of the total amount. It had been thought that, 
 once having reached the City of Gold itself, the treasure to 
 be found there would far exceed that collected by the Inca 
 for his ransom, which, it will be remembered, amounted 
 to 1,326,539 pesos of gold. Then tales were called to 
 mind which they had heard at Caxamalca when it had been 
 told them how priests of many of the temples at Cuzco 
 and elsewhere had disobeyed the commands of the Inca, 
 and had hidden away the choicest parts of the treasures 
 of the temples. Henceforth the conquerors were never 
 weary of seeking for the gold concealed at that time ; 
 every tomb was rifled, rivers were dragged and lakes were 
 drained in the endeavour to light upon the hidden treasure. 
 To the present day such tales are repeated, and to many 
 a lake and many a solitary place in Peru still clings the 
 legend of treasure hidden hurriedly by the priests or Indians 
 when they heard of the Inca's imprisonment, of his death, 
 or of the advance of the fierce conquerors. 
 
 The night after the division of the spoil was spent by 
 the Spaniards in the same reckless way as was the case 
 after the sim lar event at Caxamalca. They sat in the great 
 hall leading out of the square in which they had now taken 
 up their quarters, and gambled until the small hours. 
 Some won the fortunes of others and then lost that and 
 their own to a more fortunate gamester. Among them was 
 a cavalry officer, a reckless man, who could never keep 
 from the dice, and who had frequently, both in Spain and 
 the New World, gambled away his possessions down to the 
 o 209
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 very clothes in which he stood. His name was Mancio 
 Sierra Leguisamo, and to him had fallen the great image 
 of the Sun which, raised on a plate of massive gold, had 
 been fixed on the western wall of the temple. This was 
 his share of the booty, and by a single throw of the dice 
 he lost it, thus giving rise to a Spanish proverb which 
 describes a reckless spendthrift as one who would '' play 
 away the sun before sunrise." 
 
 A few there were, however, who, now that they had 
 secured that for which they had left their native land, 
 were content to tempt fate no further, and having given 
 their leader due notice, they set off with the treasure they 
 had gained and travelled back to the coast. There they 
 took ship to Spain, where, returning to their native places, 
 their riches gave them a sufficiency for the remainder of 
 their lives, while the fame of the manner in which they 
 had acquired their wealth excited others to enlist in the 
 expeditions which, when the news of Pizarro's success had 
 got abroad, issued from every port in Spain, to hurry 
 across the ocean to the Land of Gold. 
 
 After the division of the spoil, the chief men among 
 the Spaniards began to take possession of many of the 
 places surrounding the great square, which were formerly 
 owned by the Incas or their nobles. Many of them also 
 took as wives the daughters or other kinswomen of the 
 Inca nobles, and began to settle down in the place as if 
 they had no thought of ever again leaving it. 
 
 The young Inca, Manco, was presented to the people 
 by Pizarro as their future king, and was received with 
 great enthusiasm. His coronation took place at once, 
 at which both he and the Peruvian nobles performed 
 the ceremony of homage to the Crown of Castile, and thus 
 confessed I hat the conquest of their land was now complete. 
 
 210
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 The Rebellion of the Indians 
 
 WHEN all things had been settled, and the city 
 had been placed under the control of duly- 
 appointed municipal officers, Pizarro, who was 
 now called governor, set out towards the coast for the 
 purpose of founding a city which should be the capital 
 of the new colony of Spain. 
 
 After some time he decided to lay out the new town 
 some six miles from the broad mouth of a river which 
 lay some twelve degrees south of the line. He planned 
 the town with almost Roman regularity. Its streets were 
 wider than usual in Spanish towns, and perfectly straight, 
 crossing one another at right angles, and so far apart as to 
 afford ample space for gardens to the houses and for public 
 squares. The name of the city was to be the City of the 
 Kings, but this was soon changed for the native name of 
 Lima. 
 
 Indians were got together from villages many miles 
 around, and the soldiers, laying aside their weapons, took 
 building tools, plumb-lines, and measuring tapes, and the 
 whole area was soon a hive of industry. The plaza, -s^^ich 
 was an extensive place, was first laid out, and then the 
 foundations were laid of the buildings which were to 
 surround it — the cathedral, the to^vn hall and the palace 
 of the governor. So firmly were they built and so solidly, 
 that they have defied the shocks of many earthquakes 
 
 211
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 which have laid other parts of the town in i-uins, and a 
 great part of the palace of Pizarro still stands facing the 
 public square of Lima. 
 
 While these works were going on, Pizarro called Almagro 
 and bade him go back to Cuzco, to take command of that 
 capital, which had been left in the hands of a younger 
 brother of Pizarro, named Juan. He also desired Al- 
 magro to send an expedition, or to go himself, and en- 
 deavour to conquer the land which lay south of Cuzco, 
 which we still know by its native name of Chili. 
 
 The two commanders separated in all friendliness, and 
 no one, seeing them shake hands and bow in parting, 
 could have dreamed that within the next few months they 
 were to be opposed in deadly enmity. 
 
 Almagro made his way leisurely to Cuzco, accompanied 
 by a troop of cavaliers. Just as he was about to strike 
 his camp on the morning of the day he was to enter Cuzco, 
 shouts were heard behind, and, looking back, he and his 
 men saw a solitary horseman coming down the sloping 
 ground of the Cordilleras, waving his hand as if bidding 
 the others wait for him. 
 
 Almagro marvelled how the man came to be solitary in 
 that part, for he knew by the fact of his riding a horse 
 that he must be a Spaniard. Very soon the rider came 
 swiftly into camp, his horse blown and exhausted, and on 
 his garments was every sign of extreme haste. 
 
 " Who are you ? " demanded Almagro, "and why ride 
 you alone after me ? " 
 
 " Senor," replied the man, " I come from Sancho Aquil, 
 one of the two friends whom you sent with Hernando 
 Pizarro to Spain to give a due account of your services to 
 the emperor. I have pleasant news for you, seiior." 
 
 " Now, that is good, senor," rephed Almagro, pleased 
 
 212
 
 The Rebellion of the Indians 
 
 at the words. '^ Alight, for you seem wearied, and need 
 rest. You seem to have travelled fast, and were bold to 
 travel alone, seeing that there are insurgent Indians 
 swarming the country. Ho ! there, Pedro, Martin, get 
 our comrade some food and drink. We will rest here 
 a while longer. While they prepare food for you, tell me 
 your story." 
 
 '' Senor, I knew you would like to learn quickly what 
 had passed," went on the man, " and therefore I hastened 
 with the best speed I could from Nombre de Dios, so soon 
 as Hernando's fleet touched land. The emperor has 
 given you power and authority to conquer and rule the 
 land for a distance of two hundred leagues from the 
 southern limit of the governor's territory." 
 
 Almagro's face brightened ; he pushed out his chest, 
 straightened himself, curled his moustache, and began 
 to walk up and down with quick steps and an air of self- 
 importance upon him. 
 
 " Come, come," he said, " that is very good. So his 
 Majesty hath remembered me at last, and now — now I am 
 free of those envious Pizarros who have ever ousted me. 
 I imagine, my man, that Hernando put in no word for me 
 so that the emperor should grant me this government ? " 
 
 " Your friends, Don Rafael and Don Enrique, gave his 
 Majesty a full account of your services, senor," was the 
 reply ; " but Don Hernando mentioned not /our name." 
 
 " I knew it ! I knew it ! " cried Almagro, and his face 
 darkened with a scowl. " They never loved me, those 
 Pizarros, though Francisco and I have shared our beds 
 and our watches on many a perilous march. Well, I am 
 free of him now, and henceforth I will be lord in my own 
 marches and brook none of their insults and suspicions. 
 Two hundred leagues, you said ? What say you, Or- 
 
 213
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 gonez," said Alniagro, turning to his lieutenant, who 
 was standing beside him, " will not that give me Cuzco 
 itself ? " 
 
 The man he spoke to was tall of stature, well built and 
 of great strength. He was dressed in shining breastplate 
 and helmet, and grizzled eyebrows jutted over grim grey 
 eyes. His face was seamed and tanned, and every gesture 
 betrayed something of the stern training he had received 
 in the long years of war in Italy, where he had served. He 
 had taken part in the famous sack of Rome in 1527, and 
 was known to every general on the continent of Europe 
 as an excellent soldier, loyal to the last, prompt of action, 
 utterly fearless and unflinching in the execution of any 
 order. His opinion, therefore, was sought by Almagro 
 on every occasion. 
 
 " If it does," Orgofiez replied, with a grim smile, " we 
 shall see some pretty fighting ere long. Think you, 
 Pizarro will let go the brightest jewel in his marquis's 
 coronet ? " 
 
 " If it comes within my grant from the emperor," said 
 Almagro, Avith a threatening air, " he must needs lose it. 
 Where," he went on, turning to the messenger, " is the 
 document giving me this territoi-y ? " 
 
 " It is with Hernando Pizarro," replied the man, " whom 
 I left at Panama. I pushed on before him." 
 
 " The Pizarros will be slow to send it me, I doubt not," 
 said Almagro ; " but it matters not. Wliat I have I will 
 hold against any of them." 
 
 Almagro's good-nature had quickly won his soldiers to 
 be his devoted friends, and on the question as to whether 
 Cuzco did or did not fall within the territory granted to 
 him, all were confident that the rich city, which had been 
 the aim of all Pizarro's efforts, did indeed fall within the 
 
 214
 
 The Rebellion of the Indians 
 
 country now ceded to their chief. Full of elation, there- 
 fore, Almagro continued his journey, and, entering Cuzco, 
 was received with all respect by Juan and Gonzalo 
 Pizarro, who, in accordance with instructions sent them 
 by the marquis, instantly resigned the government of the 
 city into the hands of Almagro. 
 
 Meanwhile Pizarro at Lima had heard also of the rumours 
 as to Almagro's advancement. He had not received any 
 news from his brother Hernando, who was still at Panama ; 
 but the thought that Cuzco was to be given to his friend 
 and rival was a very disturbing one. 
 
 Without loss of time, therefore, he sent messengers with 
 letters to Almagro and to Juan and Gonzalo Pizarro. The 
 latter he instructed to take over again the government of 
 the city, and in his letter to Almagro he said that this course 
 was necessary because, when he should receive the royal 
 grant itself, it would be unbecoming to be already found 
 in possession of the post. He advised him, moreover, to 
 go forward without delay in his conquest of the land to 
 the south. 
 
 When the letter was read to him, Almagro, in a great 
 rage, said he would not give up his government, and his 
 friends supported him in this. Many of these, having felt 
 themselves secure under the easy and extravagant rule of 
 Almagro, had taken possession of several of the houses 
 of the well-to-do inhabitants, turning the people out into 
 the street, and using their goods, their treasures and their 
 servants as if the real o^vners were of no account whatever. 
 
 The dispute between Almagro and the two Pizarros rose 
 high. Daily there were wrangles between them, either in 
 Almagro's house, or in the street ; so that soon all the city 
 knew of the quarrel, and the municipal officers, the 
 soldiers, the Inca nobles, and the Indian population chose 
 
 215
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 sides, and wordy quarrels took place in nearly every street 
 in the town. 
 
 Soon, indeed, the dispute became so hot that it seemed 
 as though little more were wanting to plunge the whole 
 city in bloodshed. Suddenly, however, a clear trumpet 
 call was heard, and into the plaza rode Pizarro at the head 
 of a troop. He had received tidings of the pass to which 
 events were drifting and had posted in all haste to 
 Cuzco. 
 
 Pizarro's first interview was with Almagro, whom he 
 kissed in the Spanish fashion with great cordiality, and 
 without any show of ill-feeling inquired what was the 
 cause of the disagreement. Almagro, won over by 
 Pizarro's friendliness, grumblingly blamed the two 
 Pizarros, who, of course, retorted in the same spirit. 
 
 The final result of the discussion seemed to hang in the 
 balance for some time, but at last, with the aid of tem- 
 perate friends on both sides, a reconciliation was brought 
 about, and Almagro consented to give up the city until the 
 document containing the emperor's grant should arrive. 
 Meanwhile he was to make preparations for his conquest 
 of the land of Chili, lying to the south of Cuzco. 
 
 So popular had Almagro become, by reason of his open- 
 hearted manner and extravagant gifts, that as soon as he 
 raised his banner, numbers of soldiers volunteered to go 
 with him on his expedition, trusting as they did that Chili 
 would be found as rich in treasure as Peru, if not richer. 
 Two Peruvians, Paulo Topa, a brother of Manco, the Inca, 
 and Villac Uma, the high priest of the nation, were sent 
 forward with three Spaniards to prepare the people of 
 Chili for the advance of their conquerors. Then a detach- 
 ment of a hundred and fifty men followed, under the 
 command of an officer named Saavedra, and a little while 
 
 216
 
 The Rebellion of the Indians 
 
 after Almagro followed, leaving Orgonez to enlist more 
 forces and to follow as soon as possible. 
 
 When Almagro had gone, Pizarro, leaving Cuzco under 
 the control of his brother Juan, set out for his new city of 
 Lima, in the building and beautifying of which he took 
 the keenest pleasure. He also founded other cities along 
 the coast, chief of which was Truxillo, which he named 
 after his own birthplace in Spain. 
 
 All now seemed peaceful in Peru, and to promise a future 
 of undisturbed occupation. The Indians appeared to be 
 content with their change of masters, and the Inca nobles 
 to feel no resentment against the conquerors who, in the 
 course of a few months, had broken the power of the royal 
 clan of the Incas, and had put an end to a beneficent rule 
 under which many generations of Indians had lived peace- 
 ful and comfortable lives. 
 
 Indeed, in the minds of Pizarro and his brothers was a 
 sense of perfect security, and so much did the majority 
 of the Spaniards despise the Indians, or so confident were 
 they in the fear inspired by the Spanish arms, that many 
 of them, having obtained from Pizarro the grant of lands 
 which they coveted in various places, took their wives and 
 children and built farmhouses out in the country, away 
 from towns where the Spanish soldiers were in force. 
 Every Spanish colonist, besides the land granted to him, 
 had a certain number of Indians given to him as slaves, 
 who had to cultivate the soil for him in the same way as 
 English serfs worked for their lords in early English and 
 Norman times. 
 
 Thus, scattered in many solitary places, miles away 
 from the Spanish garrison towns, Spanish families dwelt, 
 surrounded by Indians whose language they hardly knew, 
 and who had been conquered but a few short months. 
 
 217
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Moreover, many of the Spanish masters were biTitally 
 harsh, and, finding their Indian slaves generally timid 
 and servile, they treated them very cruelly, and thus, as 
 is ever the effect of slavery, both master and serf became 
 worse men under its influence. This was foreseen by 
 many noble-minded Spaniards then dwelling in the land, 
 and one such has left on record his detestation of the 
 slavery which was then established, and which has lain 
 like a curse ever since upon the land and its development. 
 
 To the eyes of the Spaniards, therefore, the Indians and 
 the Inca nobles seemed cowed and broken-spirited, but 
 if they could have seen into the darkest room of many of 
 the dark houses in Cuzco at the time when Pizarro was 
 settling the quarrel with Almagro, they would have knovm 
 how deeply the shames and wrongs of defeat had entered 
 into the hearts of the people whom they despised. 
 
 The spirit of vengeance, indeed, was spreading silently, 
 but with the speed of wildfire, throughout the hearts of 
 the seemingly submissive Indians and Inca nobles. It 
 had flamed up one day when Manco the Inca returned to 
 his home from another vain interview with Pizarro. As 
 he had done many times before, he had asked the Spanish 
 leader to restore to him the real exercise of power as King 
 of Peru. The show, the title, had been given him ; but 
 it was but an empty name. 
 
 To this Pizarro had again given no direct refusal, but 
 had said that it should be considered later. The young 
 Inca had gone in deep depression to his owii house, and 
 there the high priest of his nation, a venerable and wise old 
 man, Villac Uma, had met him and had learnt the cause of 
 his prince's sadness. 
 
 " Inca," he had cried, while his eyes flashed, and the 
 usual calm face had paled, " the cup of our shame is over- 
 
 218
 
 The Rebellion of the Indians 
 
 full. We must rise against the white fiends, we must thrust 
 their hateful yoke from our necks, or we shall be for ever 
 sunk in shame and slavery. What have we done hither- 
 to ? We have struck not one blow for our freedom. We 
 have suffered the invasion of these strangers, we have seen 
 one monarch butchered, but nothing have we done. Now 
 you, Inca in name only, have been placed on the vacant 
 throne. Did you receive your crown from your high 
 priest, as was the ancient custom of your ancestors ? 
 No, you received it from the hands of your conqueror. 
 You are but his puppet, and we are all his slaves. We 
 have seen our temples polluted, our treasures torn from 
 sanctuaries and from our homes, our people made the 
 slaves of their soldiers, and last, but not least, many of 
 our noble Inca maidens have been forced to abjure their 
 ancient faith, to receive baptism, and then to become the 
 wives of these foreign demons. They respect nothing of 
 ours, and we, descended from the Sun, whose divinity 
 has never been questioned, are treated with contempt as 
 if we are no more than tillers of the soil. 'Tis for you, 
 Inca, to say the word — ^whether we shall try to thrust 
 them into the sea whence they came, or let them rivet the 
 chains of slavery still closer to our limbs." 
 
 The young Inca, a man with a noble spirit and a gener- 
 ous nature, had been stung to the quick by the picture 
 thus presented by his high priest. The word had gone 
 forth. Secretly, by wandering Indians whom passing 
 Spaniards had despised as beneath their notice, or whom 
 they had slashed with their riding-whips if they passed 
 too close to their horses — ^the news had passed through 
 the length and breadth of the land, lighting up the callous- 
 looking faces, straightening the backs of those bending 
 patiently beneath the overseer's whip over the furrowed 
 
 219
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 fields, and putting all, from noble to peasant, into remem- 
 brance of the happy days, but a short year or so ago, when, 
 under the benign despotism of the Inca, the land had 
 dwelt in peace, security and contentment. 
 
 Villac Uma himself had been appointed by the Inca to 
 go south with Almagro's company, so that he could spread 
 the word among the people in those parts, and this done, 
 he had secretly returned to Cuzco, to await the signal for 
 the rising that would at one blow — if the gods so pleased — 
 free their country from bondage. 
 
 Once, indeed, it seemed that all their hopes were doomed 
 to ruin, for the Spaniards became suspicious of the move- 
 ments of the young Lica, and therefore Juan Pizarro 
 arrested him one day and put him in prison. For a time 
 the Peruvians had to lament their ruined plans, but soon 
 accident or good fortune gave them a better chance. 
 
 This was brought about by the return of Hernando 
 Pizarro to Lima. His brother the governor then learned 
 for the first time that his province had been enlarged by 
 the emperor so that he was to govern the territory for 
 two hundred and seventy leagues south of the river 
 Santiago, which lay far north of Quito. This was seventy 
 leagues farther south than had before been granted to him, 
 and both Pizarro and his brother were now convinced that 
 Cuzco now lay within the newly extended limits of his 
 new territory. 
 
 To make sure of the city, however, Pizarro sent Hernando 
 to take command of it as governor, and the latter instantly 
 set forth and reached the place in safety. Hernando, 
 although his bearing toward his ovm countrymen was very 
 arrogant, had always behaved well to the Peruvians, and 
 had been a friend to Atahualpa. Indeed, it was said 
 that if Hernando had been in Peru at the time of the 
 
 220
 
 The Rebellion of the Indians 
 
 trial of the Inca, the latter would never have been 
 executed. 
 
 On reaching Cuzco, he found that the new Lica, Manco, 
 was a prisoner ; and after his first interview with him, 
 showed himself very friendly to the young prince and 
 liberated him. With his freedom the hopes of bringing 
 the rising to a successful finish revived in the breast of 
 the Inca. An opportunity for escape soon offered itself, 
 and he fled. 
 
 Hernando sent his brother Juan, at the head of some 
 cavalry, to recapture him, and believed that this would 
 be an easy matter. Three days passed, and then, early one 
 morning, Hernando was awakened hurriedly and told that 
 thousands of Indians were gathering to besiege the city. 
 Quickly dressing, he mounted his horse, and with his officers 
 he rode through the great street which led to the north. 
 As they passed along they saw that almost all the small, 
 mean houses of the suburbs were deserted. 
 
 " How is this ? " asked Hernando, of his lieutenant, de 
 Rojas, who rode at his side. " Yesterday these streets 
 and houses swarmed with Indians." 
 
 " It is all part of the plot," returned the cavalier. " Our 
 friendly Indians have learned that for weeks all the people 
 of Cuzco have been ready to rise, and the flight of the Inca 
 was the signal." 
 
 It was true. Save for a few families who were faithful 
 to the Spaniards, the whole population had stolen silently 
 away during the past two days. Many had hidden their 
 wealth, but left their other possessions in their houses, and 
 with their women and children had fled. 
 
 " You will find the men in their thousands outside the 
 city," said de Rojas. "The women and children are 
 doubtless hidden in the mountains." 
 
 221
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Arriving at the end of the long road, where the houses 
 ended and the country lay before them, Hernando saw 
 that the great plain was covered, at the distance of a few 
 hundred feet, with a mighty host which reached as far as 
 the eye could see. The dusky lines of the Indian battalions 
 stretched out to the very verge of the Cordilleras in the 
 distance ; while, all around could be seen, above their 
 heads, the crests and waving bamiers of chieftains. Long 
 lances and battle-axes edged with copper leaped up when 
 the cavaliers were perceived, and, amid cries and calls of 
 defiance, were tossed to and fro in confusion, fla,shing in 
 the light of the rising sun. 
 
 That evening Juan Pizarro returned from his vain 
 pursuit of the Inca. He had been opposed at the crossing 
 of a river by a great host of Indians, and, after fighting for 
 some hours, had been glad to rest, having made but little 
 headway against the enemy. Then a messenger from 
 Hernando had recalled him ; he had led the way back, 
 closely followed by the victorious Indians. Coming to the 
 besieging host encamped about the city he had been 
 allowed to pass through without attack, since the PeiTivians 
 knew that the greater the number of Spaniards cooped up 
 in the city, the sooner would they know the pangs of famine. 
 
 When all the Spanish forces were united, they did not 
 exceed two hundred, horse and foot, besides some Indians, 
 who had been their allies from the very beginning of the 
 conquest. These belonged to a northern tribe named 
 the Canyares, who had been only recently conquered by 
 the Incas, and therefore had welcomed the Spaniards as 
 allies. These men numbered about a thousand. 
 
 At night the fires of the besieging Indians were seen to 
 encircle the city like an infinite number of stars gleaming 
 along the plain, and far up on the slopes of the hills. Be- 
 
 222
 
 The Rebellion of the Indians 
 
 fore these fires had paled in the rising sun, the Spaniards 
 were awakened by the calls of their sentries and by the 
 hideous yells of the Indians who, rushing down the streets 
 of the suburbs, came near to the great square where the 
 Spaniards were encamped, and threw arrows and javelins 
 among them. These did little damage, but other missiles 
 did more serious execution. 
 
 They tied burning cotton to the heads of spears and 
 arrows, and shot these upon the roofs of the buildings, 
 which were all, without exception, merely thatched. In a 
 moment fire burst out upon the roofs, and on all sides of the 
 city the flames roared and leaped. The woodwork in the 
 interior of the houses soon caught, and there being a high 
 wind, whole quarters of the city were soon in flames, the 
 roar of the flames and the cracking and hissing of timbers 
 contributing to the horror of the situation. 
 
 In the face of such a far-spread conflagration the 
 Spaniards could do nothing. Standing as they were in 
 the centre of the great square, while most of the buildings 
 about them were in flames, they were protected from the 
 heat in a great measure by the space which surrounded 
 them on all sides. When, however, a gust of wind drove 
 the heat and smoke among them, they were almost suffo- 
 cated, and had much ado to quiet their horses, who were 
 driven half wild by the heat, the glare and the smoke. 
 
 At night it seemed to the Spaniards as if they stood in 
 a small space in the very midst of a blazing pit, and the 
 red light in the sky, piercing through great rolling volumes 
 of black smoke, only lit up the terror on each face and 
 showed the dry lips muttering prayers. 
 
 For three days the fire raged and roared, and when at 
 last the flames found nothing to devour, there remained 
 in the centre of the city little more than the lower stone 
 
 223
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 walls of the great palaces of the Infcas and their nobles in 
 the neighbourhood of the great square, besides the Temple 
 of the Sun and the Convent of the Virgins of the Sun. 
 Tliese latter buildings were isolated, and thus, as by a 
 miracle, escaped destruction. Of the nineteen thousand 
 houses of which the whole city was composed when the 
 conquerors entered it, there now remained but three or 
 four thousand, which owed their escape to the fact that the 
 wind did not blow the flames toward the quarter in which 
 they were situated. 
 
 The Spaniards, however, did not remain idle. Even 
 while the city was in flames they pushed their way through 
 some of the streets which were not swept by the flames, and, 
 bursting out upon the Indian host, killed hundreds of them 
 with lance, sword and harquebus. Again and again, as the 
 days went by, the Spaniards thus attacked them, but so 
 multitudinous were the hordes of the enemy that though 
 thousands were slain, thousands more came undauntedly 
 to the attack. 
 
 Sometimes, as the Spaniards rode among the ruins of 
 the still smoking streets, Lidians in ambush would leap 
 at them with horrible yells, and with bow and arrow, spear 
 and sling, would wound or slay. The lasso was employed 
 with great skill in the hands of the Peruvians, and many a 
 cavalier found the dreadful cord about his body, and before 
 he could cry for help, he would be dashed from his horse 
 and his head would be sheared from his shoulders. 
 
 Many weeks went by, yet the enemy did not weaken 
 in the stubborn siege, and the Spaniards wondered why 
 Pizarro at Lima did not send reinforcements. Then a 
 friendly Indian crept through the hordes of encircling 
 Peruvians, and told them that the rising was general 
 throughout the land, that Lima and Truxillo and the other 
 
 224
 
 Whole quarters of the city were soon in flames 
 
 224
 
 The Rebellion of the Indians 
 
 Spanish cities were also besieged, and must soon fall into 
 the hands of the enemy ; that the Indians were in posses- 
 sion of the passes, so that no relief could come to them, and 
 they must therefore vanquish their enemies themselves or 
 perish in the attempt. 
 
 Some believed this dismal story, others affected to think 
 that it was exaggerated ; but one morning, in the dull light, 
 the sentries in the plaza saw several dark objects rolling 
 toward them as if thrown from the direction of a street 
 opening. When they examined them, to their grief they 
 found that they were the heads of some of their fellow- 
 countrymen. They carried them to the camp, where their 
 comrades slept beside their horses, and some of the horri- 
 fied soldiers recognized the heads as those of men they had 
 known. This one was that of Alonzo de Rieda, who had 
 gone to live on a plantation which had been given to him, 
 another was that of Garcia Pomba, an old soldier, one 
 of the garrison at Xauxa, and so on. All were soon re- 
 cognized as those of Spaniards who had been massacred 
 either on their solitary farms or plantations, or slain at 
 the siege of some neighbouring garrison. 
 
 Week after week rolled by, bringing no relief to the 
 beleaguered Spaniards, who now began to feel the pinch 
 of famine. Water they could always get, from the river 
 running through the city ; but to obtain provisions they 
 had to send out a band of cavaliers, who had to cut their 
 way through the besieging hordes, and then, having 
 captured some llamas, or wrested supplies of grain from 
 a village, they had to fight their way back again. Every 
 such foray cost the lives of Spaniards, though a much 
 heavier loss was inflicted on the Indians. 
 
 The siege had lasted from February to August, and 
 daily the Spaniards, lessened in numbers by the losses 
 p 225
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 suffered in every attack on the Indians, and weak from 
 famine, feared that by a simultaneous attack on all sides, 
 they would be wiped out of existence by the sheer weight 
 of numbers. 
 
 Suddenly, one day, some of the friendly Indians came 
 running from their posts of observation in the ruins of 
 the suburbs, crying out that the Peruvians were going 
 away. It was indeed true. The forces of the Inca had 
 themselves been feeling the pinch of famine, and as the 
 season for planting had now approached, young Manco 
 saw that dire famine would stalk through the land unless 
 he disbanded most of his men and sent them to plant their 
 fields. He therefore ordered them to their homes, telling 
 them to return to resume the siege when their labours in 
 the field were finished. He kept a large body with him- 
 self, and others were left to keep observation on Cuzco and 
 to cut off supplies to the Spaniards. 
 
 The Spaniards, overjoyed to see their enemy melting 
 away, signalized the event by issuing forth on a foray, and 
 so successful were they that they captured, from the sur- 
 rounding Indian villages, two thousand head of sheep, which 
 they succeeded in driving into Cuzco, in spite of the 
 attempts of the enemy to cut them off 
 
 226
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 The Quarrel of Almagro and Pizarro 
 
 WHILE these events were taking place in Peru, 
 Almagro was pushing on toward the conquest 
 of Chili. During the first part of the way, he 
 travelled along the highway of the Incas which stretched 
 across the tableland on which they were marching. When 
 this ended, the road gave place to the almost tractless ways 
 of the mountains. Deep and rugged ravines broke across 
 his path, round whose sides his company had to travel by 
 a narrow sheep track which wound ever upward to a dizzy 
 height over the abysses of the mountain. Dark forests 
 of pine would encompass them at one place, then the wide 
 and rocky plateaus would open before them where, without 
 a bush or a shrub to shelter them, the icy blast from the 
 snowfields high above them would sweep about the shiver- 
 ing travellers. 
 
 So intense was the cold that many lost the nails of their 
 fingers from frost-bite, others lost the fingers themselves, 
 and one or two had to have their limbs amputated. 
 Others were blinded by the snow-glare. The Indian allies 
 especially suffered, for their thin clothing, made only for 
 the genial plains, was totally unfitted for these rigorous 
 altitudes. 
 
 Famine-stricken, the wretched Spaniards had finally to 
 have recourse to the flesh of their horses. Many of these 
 creatures, frozen to death during the night, were cut 
 
 227
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 up in the morning to afford meals to their famishing 
 masters. 
 
 Their own sufferings, however, did not soften the hearts 
 of the Spanish cavaHers, for their line of march in the 
 valleys was marked by burning villages, sorrowing natives 
 and desolated fields. Men and women were chained in 
 gangs of ten or twelve, and compelled to carry the baggage 
 of the conquerors until, in sheer exliaustion, they fell and 
 died upon the road. Almagro was not the stern disciplin- 
 arian that Pizarro was ; it was a saying among the con- 
 querors of Peru that not one of the latter general's men 
 would have dared pluck an ear of maize against his 
 command ; but though Almagro looked with displeasure 
 on the cruel treatment of the Indians by his own men, he 
 did not repress it. 
 
 At length the " men of Chili," as Almagro's band was 
 called, reached the genial valley of Coquimbo, where, after 
 their sufferings, they rested to refresh themselves. 
 Almagro then sent a detachment under one of his officers 
 to advance farther to the south, to report on the land and 
 the people there. Soon afterwards he himself was joined 
 by his lieutenant, Orgonez, who had been left behind at 
 Cuzco to beat up more recruits. 
 
 The lieutenant brought with him the royal warrant, 
 addressed to Almagro, giving him the rank of marshal and 
 granting him territories extending two hundred leagxies 
 south of those given to Pizarro. When he communicated 
 the terms of this document to his soldiers, they clamoured 
 to be led back to Peru. 
 
 " We don't need to wander in this icy wilderness," they 
 said, " when Cuzco is yours, as it undoubtedly is. Better 
 get back to comfortable quarters there than wander like 
 outcasts in these wastes where there is no gxjld." 
 
 228
 
 A Quarrel 
 
 His men thought of another argument to turn their 
 leader's mind in the direction of Cuzco. Almagro had an 
 only son, named Diego, of whom he was excessively fond. 
 This youth was still at Cuzco. 
 
 " It is only," they said, " by returning to Cuzco and 
 looking after your interests there that you will be able to 
 provide for your son, who at present has no future befitting 
 his rank." 
 
 When the officer who had been sent to the south re- 
 turned, saying that there were no rich towns there to make 
 the conquest worth their while, Almagro was quite willing 
 to fall in with the wishes of his soldiers. 
 
 To the Spaniards who had seen the golden treasures of 
 Peru, any other land which did not offer riches as great 
 and as easily obtainable was a country not worth regard. 
 The advance into Chili had been made over land which 
 bore in its rocks some of the richest minerals in the world ; 
 but the Spaniards, drunk with the lust for gold, were too 
 impatient or too ignorant to look closely. Having, as 
 they thought, journeyed very near to the end of the 
 world, and found nothing there but desolate rocks and 
 savage natives, they turned back from the uninviting 
 land. 
 
 It was resolved that the return should not be made by 
 the way they came, through the mountains, but, marching 
 to the coast, they turned north when they came to the sea, 
 and hoped to find an easy way back through green valleys. 
 They found, however, that, as they went northwards, they 
 marched deeper and deeper into a dreary desert, a waste 
 of sand, with hardly a green spot anywhere .to' rest the 
 wearied eye. 
 
 This was the desert of a Atacama, which stretched for 
 nearly a hundred leagues in a series of wide, sandy ridges, 
 
 229
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 encrusted with salt. Under their feet, unknown to them, 
 lay mineral wealth in the shape of silver, copper and 
 nitrate ; but as their weary steps carried them up the 
 slopes of successive ridges their aching eyes strained for- 
 ward for a sight of the green fields of Peru, and the sparkle 
 of clear streams. 
 
 Their sufferings in this terrible desolation were almost 
 as severe as those they had undergone on the southward 
 march through the mountains, but at length they reached 
 the town of Arequipa, situated about sixty leagues west 
 of Cuzco. Here Almagro learnt of the insurrection of the 
 Peruvians and of the result, and resolved to push on to 
 Cuzco and to insist on his claims to assume the govern- 
 ment and to thrust out Hernando Pizarro. 
 
 Having arrived, therefore, at a place named Urcos, some 
 six leagues from Cuzco, he sent officers to Cuzco with a 
 copy of his royal grant, which they were to submit to the 
 mayor and principal town officials, with the demand that 
 they should recognize him as the governor. The muni- 
 cipal officers replied that they would require time to con- 
 sider the matter, since there seemed to be some doubt 
 whether Cuzco did really come within the boundary laid 
 down by the royal grant to Almagro ; and, meanwhile, 
 they proposed that Almagro should agree to a truce and 
 should not come nearer to the town. 
 
 This was arranged between the parties ; but Almagro 
 had been but a few days in his quarters when one of his 
 soldiers rushed into his room, and said : 
 
 " Seiior, we are betrayed ! The truce they made with 
 you has been made to blind you. I have but just come 
 from Cuzco. Hernando Pizarro is fortifying the city, and 
 the marquis is sending from Lima a body of men under 
 Alvarado to strengthen the forces under Hernando ! " 
 
 230
 
 A Quarrel 
 
 ** Is this so ? " cried Almagro, starting up angrily. 
 " Then, by Saint Jago, I stay here not another hour." 
 
 He gave instant orders to prepare for marching, and as 
 soon as it was dark, he led his men on the road toward 
 Cuzco. It was in the winter season, and the rain fell in 
 a deluge as they rode along the track. It was late when 
 they reached the city, which they found was sunk in sleep. 
 Creeping quietly up one of the roads leading into the great 
 square, Almagro set strong parties of cavalry at the head 
 of each avenue, so as to prevent a surprise by the garrison. 
 
 Then, selecting a number of men, he bade Orgofiez, his 
 lieutenant, take these and force the dwelling of Hernando 
 Pizarro. 
 
 "Take him captive," he said, "and lodge him under 
 close guard. You will answer for his security."' 
 
 Thereupon Orgofiez went off in the darkness and the 
 rain across the plaza to one of the great halls of the Incas, 
 where Hernando Pizarro was lodging with his brother 
 Gonzalo. Immense wooden doors opened on the plaza, 
 and Orgofiez ordered his rAen to take up their positions 
 very quietly. With them they had a great baulk of timber 
 which they had snatched up from before a house which 
 was being rebuilt after the fire. 
 
 Poising this, at a quiet word from Orgofiez, the men 
 dashed it with all their might at the lock of the door, 
 which gave way before the crashing blow. Instantly 
 from the dark interior a torch flamed up from the embers 
 of a fire, and some twenty soldiers were found snatching 
 up their weapons. The men of Chili threw themselves 
 upon the men of the Pizarros, and a sharp hand-to-hand 
 struggle began. 
 
 The Cuzco men were stout fighters, and would not give 
 way. Already one or two on either side were killed or 
 
 231
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 wounded, and Orgonez, angry at the long resistance, picked 
 up a torch, and, leaping on a chair, he held the flame against 
 the thatch of the roof, which instantly began to bum. 
 Speedily the whole roof was on fire, and pieces of the 
 thatch and the rafters began to fall among the Pizarros 
 and their men at the far end of the room. 
 
 Outside the doorway stood Orgonez and his men, ready 
 to thrust their countrymen back into the flames should 
 they attempt to burst out. 
 
 " Surrender ! " cried the harsh voice of Orgonez, " or 
 you die like rats in a burning house." 
 
 The men could be heard urging the two Pizarros to 
 yield, while the burning rafters had already set the clothes 
 of some of them alight, and the wood of the walls was 
 burning beside them. 
 
 At length Hernando Pizarro stepped forward to the 
 doorway, and in silence threw do-vvn his sword at the feet 
 of Orgonez, his face dark with rage. Then, folding his 
 arms, he awaited the cords with which he was instantly 
 bound. Gonzalo, his brother, followed with the soldiers, 
 and all gave themselves up in unconditional surrender. 
 As the last man stepped from the building, the whole roof 
 fell in with a tremendous crash, dashing blazing wood in 
 the midst of the captors and the captives, and forcing 
 them to retreat from the terrible heat. 
 
 No further resistance anywhere was made to Almagro's 
 demands, and having placed the two Pizarros under a 
 strong guard he felt himself almost secure. There was, 
 however, still one other man to reckon with — Alvarado, 
 the commander whom Francisco Pizarro had sent. He 
 now lay with five hundred men at Xauxa, some thirteen 
 leagues from the capital. 
 
 Almagro at once sent three officers to him with a message 
 
 232
 
 A Quarrel 
 
 telling of his possession of the city, and requiring Alvarado 
 to come in and acknowledge him as the master of Cuzco. 
 The only reply which Alvarado gave was to put the 
 officers in irons as traitors to the governor, and to send 
 news of what had happened to the Marquis Pizarro 
 at Lima. 
 
 On hearing what had been done, Almagro called his 
 lieutenant to him and bade him prepare at once to march 
 against Alvarado. 
 
 " By the Virgin ! " he said wrathfully, " I will bring 
 this cavalier to reason." 
 
 " Ay," replied Orgoiiez, " you will do that easily. But 
 you leave behind you here enemies whom you ought to 
 deal with before you move a step farther." 
 
 " Enemies ? What mean you ? " 
 
 " I mean the two Pizarros," returned the grim soldier. 
 " What do you intend to do with them ? " 
 
 "They will be useful," said Almagro, "when I and 
 Francisco are dealing with each other. They are host- 
 ages." 
 
 " They are dangerous hostages," said Orgonez. " I 
 tell you, Almagro, you are mad to keep them alive. Your 
 own life will never be safe unless you strike off their heads. 
 Dead men never bite, but while they are alive they are 
 dangerous." 
 
 " Nay, nay," replied Almagro. " You are too hard, 
 Rodrigo. I hate Hernando, but he has done naught to 
 deserve that." 
 
 This was not the only reason which moved Almagro 
 not to proceed to the extremity advised by Orgoiiez. 
 Such a deed would for ever sever the ties of friendship 
 which, in spite of all that had happened, still existed 
 between himself and his old friend Francisco Pizarro. 
 
 233
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 '* Never fear," he went on ; " they shall be safely- 
 guarded. And now, we will set out to meet Alvarado." 
 
 Before Orgofiez could reply, a knock sounded at the 
 door and a soldier entered. 
 
 " Sefior," he said, addressing Almagro, " an Indian 
 desires to give you a letter." 
 
 The Indian was bidden to enter, and from the folds of 
 his voluminous blanket he produced a letter. Almagro 
 tore it open, and gave it to Orgonez to read, for he could 
 not read himself. Orgofiez glanced at it, and a smile 
 spread over his grim features. He dismissed the Indian 
 with a present, and then, turning to Almagro, said : 
 
 " It is from Pedro de Lerma. He has ever been jealous 
 that Alvarado should be set above him ; he desires us to 
 march against the commander, and he will send us word 
 how best to make our attack." 
 
 " Good ! " said Almagro, with a laugh. " I thought 
 I had friends with Alvarado's force." 
 
 Instantly the main force of Almagro's men prepared to 
 march, and the leader, putting himself at their head, 
 made rapid progress towards Xauxa. He reached the 
 river Abancay, a mile or two from the city, late in the 
 afternoon, and found that Alvarado had taken up his 
 position in front of a bridge, while a strong detachment 
 occupied a spot commanding a ford lower do-svn the river. 
 
 Already Almagro had received the promised letter from 
 de Lerma, and following that cavalier's advice, he took 
 up his position on the bank in front of Alvarado, as if 
 prepared to force a passage over the bridge. When 
 darkness set in, however, he detached a large body under 
 Orgonez to go lower down and pass the ford. This was 
 accordingly done. Orgofiez led his men across the river 
 in the darkness, though several of his men were carried 
 
 234
 
 A Quarrel 
 
 away by the swift current and drowned. As they gained 
 the opposite bank, the sentinels of the force posted there 
 gave warning, and the landing of Orgoriez was contested, 
 he himself being wounded in the mouth. Nothing 
 daunted, however, he cheered on his men, and fell furi- 
 ously upon the enemy. 
 
 The struggle did not last long, however, for de Lerma 
 and some of the men cried out that they were for Almagro, 
 thus casting their loyal comrades into complete confusion. 
 
 Hearing the noise of battle in this quarter, Alvarado 
 hastened to the spot with most of his men. As soon as he 
 left the bridge, Almagro rushed his owti force across it, 
 and, dispersing the small body of men left to defend it, 
 he hurried after Alvarado. That general, attacked in the 
 front by Orgonez and in the rear by Almagro, found him- 
 self hemmed in on all sides. He had nothing left to do 
 but to surrender. Having passed the night on the spot, 
 Almagro returned next day in triumph to Cuzco with an 
 array of prisoners which equalled his ovm forces in numbers. 
 
 When, in the course of a few days, Pizarro learned what 
 had happened, he hurriedly began to fortify Lima, fearing 
 that Almagro, flushed with his rapid successes, might 
 descend in force upon him. While making these warlike 
 preparations, however, Pizarro also tried the effects of 
 friendly negotiation, and therefore sent a man who was 
 known both to himself and Almagro to endeavour to 
 arrange a peace. 
 
 Owing to the death of the intermediary, however, soon 
 after his arrival at Cuzco, these attempts failed ; and 
 Almagro then determined to march to the sea -coast with 
 a sufficient number of his men to found a seaport there, 
 thus securing communication ^^^th Spain independently 
 of Lima. 
 
 235
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Before doing this, however, he sent Orgofiez with a 
 strong body of men, to disperse the forces of the Inca, 
 who still lay some distance from Cuzco, in a fortified camp. 
 By this time the Penivians had almost all deserted their 
 king, and, on the approach of Orgofiez, the Inca fled with 
 a few followers into the mountains. Orgofiez, however, 
 hotly pursued him, until the Inca, deserted by all his men, 
 was left alone with one of his wives, and, having fled to the 
 most inaccessible part of the Andes, bafiled all the attempts 
 of Orgofiez to discover him. 
 
 As, however, there was now little fear that the Peruvians 
 would attempt to rise against the city during his absence, 
 Almagro prepared to leave Cuzco and proceed to the coast. 
 In the council which he held with Orgofiez and his second 
 officer, a man named Diego de Alvarado, before beginning 
 his march, the question of what should be done with the 
 prisoners came up for decision. 
 
 " What are you going to do when you get to the coast ? " 
 asked Orgofiez. 
 
 " If Pizarro wishes to make terms with me," said Al- 
 magro, " he may come to me wherever I may be. I shall 
 not go to seek him." 
 
 " Do you think that by any treaty you may make with 
 Pizarro you will now escape his plotting for your ruin ? " 
 asked Orgofiez. 
 
 "There is plot and counterplot," replied Almagix) 
 blusteringly. " Think you I fear Pizarro and his 
 plots ? " 
 
 " I have no doubt," said Almagro 's second officer, who 
 sat with him, " that the marquis will honourably hold by 
 any treaty he may make." 
 
 Orgofiez looked at the speaker with a scornful smile. 
 He was perfectly aware of the noble qualities of his com- 
 
 236
 
 A Quarrel 
 
 rade, but he knew that in the rough world of the conquerors 
 the finer feelings which Don Diego expressed were mis- 
 understood . Don Diego, though of the same name, was no 
 relation to the Alonso de Alvarado whom Almagro now 
 held a prisoner. He was a cavalier of good birth, and with 
 the chivalrous instincts of a true knight. 
 
 " As for me," said Orgoiiez, in reply to the sentiment 
 of Don Diego, " I know that Pizarro will abide by a 
 treaty — but only if it is to his advantage. I tell you, 
 Almagro, you have stirred up the rage of a bitter man by 
 what you have already done. He wall not strike until he 
 is quite ready, and it is quite possible that, if he makes a 
 treaty with you, you will think that everything is forgotten 
 and that you are close friends once more. But I tell you 
 that you would do better to strike off the heads of Her- 
 nando and Gonzalo at once, and then march on Lima with 
 every man you can muster, and stake all on pulling down 
 Francisco." 
 
 " Out upon such counsel ! " cried Don Diego, his face 
 flushed with anger. " Think you, Don Rodrigo, that you 
 deal with savages ? I tell you that I would answer with 
 my life for the fidelity of the three Pizarros." 
 
 " Yes, yes," said Almagro, " I think you are too bitter 
 against them. You suspect too much. ' 
 
 " I don't suspect anything," said Orgonez grimly, " but 
 I know the Pizarros." 
 
 " But, senor, think I " cried Alvarado, turning to Al- 
 magro. " Such a deed would raise the country against 
 you. Every honourable man would turn from a party 
 which resorted to such a violent crime, and such indignation 
 would arise in the Court of Spain that your fortunes would 
 be utterly ruined." 
 
 " You say truth, Diego," replied Almagro. " 'Twould 
 
 237
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 be a death they have not merited, and the Court would of a 
 surety deprive me of everything." 
 
 " I tell you that you are too soft a man for Francisco 
 Pizarro," said Orgonez, his stern face flushed with annoy- 
 ance at finding his leader reject his counsel so completely. 
 " The day will come when you will repent your mistaken 
 softness. A Pizarro has never been known to forget an 
 injury ; and that which you have already done is too deep 
 a wrong to be forgiven. You will remember my words 
 when it is too late ! " 
 
 Saying these words, Orgoiiez arose and strode from the 
 room. In another hour Almagro, placing himself at the 
 head of his army, began his march to the coast. 
 
 He took Hernando Pizarro with him, closely guarded, 
 and left orders that the other prisoners should be kept in 
 strict confinement during his absence. 
 
 When he arrived at the coast, he selected a spot in the 
 pleasant valley of Chincha, where he busied himself in 
 laying out the plan of a town, which, in time, should rival 
 the size, beauty and importance of Lima, his rival's city. 
 He called it Almagro, after himself, and thus made it a 
 standing defiance to his competitor. 
 
 A few weeks were occupied in this way, and then a 
 messenger came from Cuzco with the news that Gonzalo 
 Pizarro and Alonso de Alvarado had escaped from prison, 
 and were now hastening with all speed to the cump of the 
 marquis. 
 
 In his first fury at this news it might have gone hard 
 with Hernando ; but while considering the best course 
 open to him, an embassy came from Francisco Pizarro 
 suggesting the terms of a peaceful arrangement between 
 them. 
 
 Almagro, who was not of a nature to keep his anger long, 
 
 238
 
 A Quarrel 
 
 was quite ready to resume negotiations. Finally, Pizarro 
 proposed that the dispute, which was mainly a question 
 of boundaries between their respective territories, should 
 be submitted to the arbitration of a learned priest whose 
 name was Francisco de Bovadilla. He was living at Lima, 
 and though a friend of Pizarro's, he had a wide reputation 
 for justice and honesty. 
 
 It was proposed, therefore, that all the parties should 
 meet at the little seaport town of Mala, north of Chincha, 
 that the priest should hear both sides, and should then 
 make his award between them. 
 
 The interview between Almagro and Pizarro took place 
 on the 13th November 1537. Almagro rode into the town 
 at the head of a few cavaliers, and, leaving them outside 
 the house of the chief of the village, where the meeting 
 was to be held, entered with but two officers. In a few 
 moments, from the opposite direction, came Pizarro and 
 his band. Their leader gravely acknowledged the salute 
 of Orgonez, who was at the head of Almagro 's supporters, 
 and then entered the apartment where Almagro was 
 waiting. 
 
 The latter, who was talking with several Spanish gentle- 
 men as Pizarro entered, doffed his bonnet and advanced 
 with a smile and an outstretched hand to meet his old 
 friend. But Pizarro, drawing himself up, hardly returned 
 his greeting, and would not give his hand. 
 
 " What madness," he said, looking with haughty glances 
 and cold eyes, " has led you to seize my city of Cuzco with 
 force and to imprison my brothers ? " 
 
 " Madness, indeed ! " cried Almagro, instantly fired 
 to anger by the other's manner. ' ' I maintain I did rightly, 
 and we are here, I take it, to discover the truth. Have you 
 already told the arbitrator what he shall decide ? " 
 
 239
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " What title had you to seize my city, I demand," went 
 on Pizarro. " Think you his Majesty would include in his 
 royal grant to you a city which you did nothing to gain ? 
 / had all the hazards and the dangers. / seized the Inca, 
 and thus gained the city and subdued the land. Think 
 you I won such a prize for you to take ? " 
 
 Almagro returned an angry answer, and the quarrel 
 became hot. Charges of treachery and want of faith were 
 exchanged, and there seemed little prospect of anything 
 in the nature of peaceful discussion ever being reached. 
 Meanwhile, the other Spanish gentlemen and officers of 
 both parties were standing together, listening or exchang- 
 ing whispered talk, while they watched the two angry 
 disputants. 
 
 Suddenly one of those who had come in with Pizarro 
 began whistling the air of a ballad which was often heard 
 in the camps of the Spanish soldiers. No one seemed to 
 take notice of what he was doing at first. Then he re- 
 peated the refrain, and Almagro seemed to be struck by it. 
 He turned his head and glanced keenly at the whistler, 
 who, with legs stretched wide nnd arms folded across his 
 breast, was looking up to llie beams of the roof as if 
 unconscious that he was whistling. 
 
 Now the words which went with the air which the 
 cavalier was whistling were these : 
 
 " Tiempo es el caballero, 
 Tiempo es de andar de aqui." 
 
 ('Tis time for the noble cavalier 
 
 To mount his steed and flee from here.) 
 
 Almagro broke off in the passionate speech which he was 
 making, and, after darting a black and suspicious look 
 at Pizarro, he suddenly turned and strode to the door, 
 
 240
 
 A Quarrel 
 
 followed by his two officers. He ran to his troop before 
 the house, and, vaulting on his horse, cried : 
 
 " The villain would betray us ! Back to quarters, as 
 fast as you can." 
 
 All struck spurs into their horses' flanks, and the whole 
 party dashed away out of the town towards where the 
 main part of their army lay at Chincha. 
 
 Next day a friendly Spaniard living at Mala was seen 
 by one of Almagro's officers, and on being asked whether 
 Pizarro had indeed meditated treachery against Almagro, 
 he replied : 
 
 " Some say yea and some say nay. Some say that 
 Gonzalo Pizarro lay with an ambush in the town, ready at 
 a sign from his brother to fall upon Almagro. Others say 
 he was but lying in readiness to aid his brother should 
 Almagro himself attempt any tricks against Pizarro. 
 Which is truth, I know not." 
 
 It was left in doubt, indeed, whether Francisco Pizarro 
 had really meditated treachery against Almagro ; but 
 the mere suspicion, coupled with Pizarro's haughty be- 
 haviour, rankled in the heart of the old captain. 
 
 In a few days a messenger came to Almagro, bearing 
 letters from the priest, who had been nominated to decide 
 between him and Pizarro. When the letter was read to 
 Almagro he burst forth in furious anger, denouncing the 
 injustice of the award. 
 
 " I said he was but the hireling of Pizarro," he said. 
 " A sentence so unjust has not been pronounced since the 
 time of Pontius Pilate. I will have none of it, and Pizarro 
 can think himself fortunate if he does not drive me to hack 
 off his brother's head in return for the affronts to which he 
 is continually putting me." 
 
 The decision of the priest was that a vessel, with a skilful 
 
 Q 241
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 pilot on board, should be sent to determine the exact 
 latitude of the river Santiago in the north of Peru, from 
 which, according to the royal grant, the territories of both 
 Pizarro and Almagro were to be measured. Meanwhile 
 Cuzco was to be delivered up by the latter, and Hernando 
 Pizarro was to be set at liberty and to leave for Spain in 
 six weeks. 
 
 The murmurs against this award among Almagro's men 
 were many and violent. 
 
 " We have been sold," they said, " if our general con- 
 sents to this. He is getting old, and may want peace at 
 any price. But we will not give up the comforts of Cuzco 
 for the barren lands of Chili without a fight." 
 
 Almagro caused it to be made known that he was as 
 bitterly opposed as any of his men, and would never 
 submit to the award. This being reported to Pizarro, 
 the latter began to offer various other solutions of the 
 dispute, and at length something more satisfactory was 
 proposed. 
 
 The terms of this were that until the arrival of some 
 definite instructions on the point from Castile, the city 
 of Cuzco, with its territory, should remain in the hands of 
 Almagro ; and that Hernando Pizarro should be set at 
 liberty on condition that he left the country within six 
 weeks. 
 
 " Well," said Almagro to Grgonez, when his secretary 
 had read out these terms to his master, " what think you of 
 this ? Is it not more reasonable ? Are they not such as 
 I can accept ? Pizarro has made concessions of some 
 moment to him, and I will meet him in the same spirit 
 and accept his terms." 
 
 " Concessions cost little to those who do not intend to 
 abide by them," was the bitter reply. " I tell you, you 
 
 242
 
 A Quarrel 
 
 know not whom you deal with when you talk thus of 
 Pizarro." 
 
 " Out, man ! " cried Almagro, in half-laughing reproach. 
 " How you hate this Francisco." 
 
 " Nay, I hate him not," said OrgoJaez, " but I know him 
 and I know you ! " 
 
 " Nevertheless, I will accept his terms and go myself 
 to release Hernando," said Almagro, rising from his seat. 
 
 Orgoiiez also raised his tall form from the chair on 
 which he sat, and, clutching his own beard with his left 
 hand, he thrust back his head and drew his hand across 
 his throat, as if cutting it. 
 
 " Orgonez, Orgofiez," he cried, " it is this you will get 
 for your friendship with Don Diego de Almagro ! " 
 
 343
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 The Battle at the Salt Pans 
 
 SECURE now in the sense that he was to be left 
 quietly in possession of Cuzco, Almagro did not 
 hasten to leave his present quarters in the lovely- 
 valley of Chincha. Moreover he was ill, and felt old age 
 creeping upon him, and dreamed of ending his days in 
 peace and comfort. 
 
 A month passed thus, and then the thunderbolt de- 
 scended. Three cavaliers rode into the camp one day and 
 delivered a letter into the hands of Almagro 's secretary. 
 Without waiting, the riders turned their horses' heads and, 
 laughing, rode out of the town again. 
 
 The secretary took the letter to his master, who was in 
 bed ; Orgoiiez was seated near him. 
 
 " Well, Espinall," asked Almagro kindly, " what have 
 you there ? " 
 
 " A letter, my lord, from the marquis." 
 
 Orgoiiez looked up, and met the gaze of Almagro. In 
 the eyes of the latter man was no suspicion, but a grim 
 light was in those of Orgoiiez. The secretary was bidden 
 to read the letter. 
 
 *' Excellent sir," he read, " know you by these that I 
 cannot forget the many wrongs and affronts which you 
 have done and caused to me. I give you therefore to know 
 that the treaty made lately between us is now at an end. 
 I bid you therefore not to seize my city of Cuzco, but to 
 
 244
 
 The Battle at the Salt Pans 
 
 retire into your own territory of Chili. If you do not 
 relinquish your pretensions to this city, the responsibility 
 of the consequences will lie upon your own head." 
 
 Almagro, his lined and heavy face flushed with rage, 
 looked round at his lieutenant. 
 
 " By the Virgin, Orgofiez ! " he said, in a thick voice, 
 " your words have come true ! You judged him better 
 than any of us. The perjured traitor ! What doth he 
 not still owe me of the treaty we made at Panama, and now 
 he treats me thus ! Well, this shall be the last tumble 
 between us. One of us shall lose his life in this, for never 
 more will I trust him ! But I am sick and old — Orgofiez, 
 to think this disease should sap my strength new when I 
 need it all to pull him down ! " 
 
 The sudden blow dealt by Pizarro's letter had indeed a 
 very weakening effect upon Almagro. His anger against 
 his sickness flamed up in great bursts of rage, but he was 
 impotent, and at length he had to tell Orgofiez that he 
 would have to conduct the war for him. 
 
 " I know," he said, taking the hand of the stem-faced 
 warrior, " that I can rely on your loyalty and courage. 
 We will beat him yet between us." 
 
 They held counsel together as to what was best to be 
 done, but Almagro's illness had clouded the mind that 
 was so keen in warcraft, and while he wondered what to 
 do, his enemy had forestalled him. 
 
 Thus he advised Orgofiez too late to seize the passes 
 through the mountains which hemmed in the valley in 
 which he now lay. Some were occupied just in time, but 
 from others his detachments were beaten back by the 
 troops of Pizarro, who, even before announcing the end 
 of the treaty to Almagro, had already planned and begun 
 his order of campaign. 
 
 245
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 When Almagro heard that this step had failed, he got 
 up from his bed and commanded a Htter to be prepared 
 for him, and in this, at the head of his army, he began 
 his march to Cuzco, which he wished to reach before his 
 enemy could arrive there. Meanwhile, friendly Indian 
 allies kept him informed of the movements of Pizarro. 
 
 In a few days Almagro arrived at the to"\vn of Bilcas, and 
 there he became so ill that he had to command a halt. 
 Hearing from his spies that Pizarro was intending to stay 
 in a valley some miles in his rear, in order to complete his 
 preparations and to gather a larger army, Almagro was 
 enabled to stay and rest for three weeks, before the re- 
 sumed activity of Pizarro forced him to proceed forward 
 upon his journey. 
 
 Almagro was further told by his spies that Francisco 
 Pizarro had returned to Lima, leaving his brother Hern- 
 ando to conduct the campaign, assisted by his younger 
 brother, Gk)nzalo. On hearing this Almagro bitterly 
 regretted his leniency to Hernando while the latter was 
 in his power 
 
 " When he left me," Almagro lamented, " he said 
 that he desired nothing better than to live in amity 
 with me, and pledged his honour as a knight that he 
 would faithfully fulfil the terms of the treaty between 
 
 us." 
 
 Having reached Cuzco, Almagro called a council of war 
 to decide what course to pursue. The advice varied with 
 nearly every man, and Almagro, old and ill, seemed to 
 have no spirit. 
 
 " I think," said Pedro de Lerma, " that we should fortify 
 and provision the town and await a siege." 
 
 Others thought the same, including Diego de Alvarado, 
 who wished to delay hostilities between the parties so as 
 
 246
 
 Your words have come true " 
 
 246
 
 The Battle at the Salt Pans 
 
 to allow for an opportunity of making peace between 
 them. 
 
 " Think you," said Almagro, " that there is any chance 
 of making terms with him ? " 
 
 *' What ? " cried Orgonez. " Do you wish to have 
 another lesson ? Do you still believe there is trust in the 
 word of a Pizarro ? " 
 
 Alvarado spoke in support of Almagro, but the latter 
 silenced him. All could see that he was suffering both in 
 mind and body. His face was leaden-hued, his flesh 
 flabby and bedewed with sweat. 
 
 " I am sick of war, senores," said the old man. " I 
 would I could live in peace for the little while left to me, 
 and see my son Diego settled on the road to prosperity 
 and power. Well, well, Orgoiiez, you are right. They 
 cannot be trusted, so we must fight them, since there 
 is no other course." 
 
 " Ay," replied Orgoiiez bluntly, " you must fight them 
 or be roped in like a bull to the slaughter. You have 
 liberated Hernando Pizarro— it is too late now to do aught 
 but fight ! " 
 
 This opinion ultimately prevailed, and it was decided to 
 march out of the city and meet Hernando in the field. As 
 Almagro was too ill to lead his army personally, he gave 
 the command to Orgoiiez, who mustered his forces and 
 marched out of the city, Almagro following in a litter to 
 watch the issue of the contest from a place near by. 
 
 Orgofiez took up his position at a place called the Salt 
 Pans, about three miles from the city and in the direct 
 line of Hernando's march upon the capital. A piece of 
 marshy ground was in front of them, and before that ran 
 a small river. Orgoiiez counted on the enemy getting en- 
 tangled either in the river or the marsh, but as the officers 
 
 247
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 who were with him pointed out, more than half of his own 
 forces consisted of cavalry, who would only flounder about 
 in attacking the enemy as they crossed the marsh. 
 
 Their leader, however, was obstinate, and would not 
 change his position, He arranged his infantry, who were 
 mostly armed with the long pike, in the middle of his array, 
 and placed the cavalry in equal parties on each side, to- 
 gether with six small cannon or falconets. 
 
 As the men rested on their arms, awaiting the approach 
 of their enemies, they had leisure to look about them. 
 Lifting their eyes to the mountain-slopes and rocky heights 
 surrounding the valley in which they stood, they were 
 amazed to see that thousands of Peruvians, in multi- 
 coloured blankets, stood watching them. The news of the 
 approaching battle had spread from mouth to mouth 
 among the Indians for many miles through Peru, and the 
 cowed natives smiled bitterly to think that now, having 
 beaten them to the dust, their conquerors were to leap at 
 each other's throats, like robbers who quarrel over the 
 division of booty. 
 
 On the hills toward Cuzco, however, those were standing 
 who looked with anxious eyes on the lines of the five 
 hundred soldiers ranked in the middle of the plain. Many 
 Spanish women had entered the country since the con- 
 quest, the wives or sweethearts of the soldiery, and these, 
 together with many children, waited with white lips and 
 beating hearts. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon before the cavaliers and 
 infantry of Hernando came into sight ; their burnished 
 breastplates and bright headpieces reflecting the rays of 
 the sinking sun. With steady step and in good order, 
 showing how fresh and unstrained they were, the army of 
 Hernando, numbering some seven hundred men, marched 
 
 248
 
 The Battle at the Salt Pans 
 
 across the plain and took up their position on the opposite 
 side of the little river. 
 
 The sun had set by the time they had taken up their 
 position, and here, facing each other at a distance of a 
 hundred feet, brothers and kindred, bent on shedding each 
 other's blood, prepared for slumber. 
 
 The night passed in silence, unbroken by any alarm. 
 The men slept about their camp fires, the sentinels passed 
 to and fro in each camp, and the thousands on the hills 
 about the plain watched the flames die down toward dawn. 
 
 Long before the beams of the sun shone along the valley 
 the trumpets of Hernando woke his men to arms. In- 
 stantly the morning meal was prepared, and after this was 
 taken he prepared the order of battle. In mounted troops 
 he was inferior to Almagro, but as compensation for this 
 his infantry was numerous, and contained a well-trained 
 corps of harquebusiers recently sent from St Domingo, 
 whose weapons were of the most recent form. They 
 were of large size, and threw double-headed shot, consist- 
 ing of two bullets linked together by an iron chain. 
 
 Hernando drew up his army in the same manner as 
 Orgonez had arranged his forces. On6 corps of the horse 
 he placed under the command of Alonso de Alvarado, 
 while the infantry was commanded by (k>nzalo Pizarro. 
 
 Mass was said by a priest whom they had with them, 
 and then Hernando, reining up his horse before the army, 
 addressed the men. 
 
 " Comrades," he said, " you know why we are here— to 
 avenge, first, the many injuries done by Almagro upon the 
 marquis and his kindred ; second, to teach him, and those 
 who hold with him, that where others have sown he must 
 not hope to reap, that where others, with risk and suffering, 
 have gained the prize, his hands shall not wrest that prize 
 
 249
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 from those whose rightly it is. From you, veterans of 
 Pizarro, has he seized Cuzco and its riches — .from the first 
 conquerors of Peru he has taken the brightest treasure of 
 all those which you have won." 
 
 He pointed with his sword to the distant city, whose 
 white walls were now sparkling in the morning sun. 
 
 " That is the prize of the victor ! " he cried. " Say, 
 will you win it from this Almpgro who claims to hold it, 
 or will you suffer yourselves to be defeated and led captive 
 within its walls ? " 
 
 Such a cry of rage went up from the throats of the seven 
 hundred men before him that it reverberated among the 
 clefts and hollows of the mountains, and struck on the 
 ears of the watching women and children with a mournful 
 sound as of coming disaster. Among them was Almagro, 
 who looked on with gloomy face. He had been assisted 
 to a horse, but looked shrunken, old and thin, with nothing 
 of the dashing air which had once distinguished him. 
 
 At a signal from Hernando his brother Gonzalo gave the 
 word, " Advance ! " and, heading his battalion of foot 
 soldiers, led it straight across the river. The water was 
 not deep, and soon they gained the other side, where, 
 in the marshy ground, the foremost files hesitated. In- 
 stantly the guns of Orgonez opened upon them, and the 
 shot, striking down this man and that, spread disorder 
 and dismay among the men. But only for a few moments. 
 (Jonzalo and his second in command, Pedro de Valdivia, 
 threw themselves among the soldiers, cheering this one, 
 threatening another, and putting such spirit into them that 
 they quickly recovered, and now jumping from hummock 
 to hummock, or floundering bravely through the bog, the 
 infantry soon gained the firm ground on which their enemy 
 stood ready to receive them. 
 
 250
 
 The Battle at the Salt Pans 
 
 The spearman of Orgonez advanced to attack, but, obey- 
 ing the quick orders of Gonzalo, the harquebusiers among 
 his men ran to a small hill beside the marsh, whence they 
 began to fire with deadly effect upon the army of Orgoiiez. 
 So heavy was their fire that his spearmen could not stand 
 before it, and the cavalry on the flanks were also thrown 
 into some disorder. 
 
 Meanwhile Hernando, while his harquebusiers kept 
 Orgoiiez in check, formed up his cavalry, and, crossing the 
 marsh, reached the firm ground. Orgoiiez had seen this 
 movement, and relying no longer on his broken infantry, 
 he ordered his cavalry to form into one body. 
 
 Placing himself at the head of these, he spurred at full 
 gallop against the advancing cavaliers of Pizarro. The 
 shock as they clanged together was terrific, and from the 
 throats of the watching Indians on the heights arose a 
 fiendish cry of exultation. It sounded high above the 
 din of battle, and struck terror into the hearts of the 
 watching women, for it meant delight in the carnage which 
 the conquerors were now meting out to one another. 
 
 The fighting between the two bands of cavaliers was 
 fierce and deadly. Lance shivered against armour, and 
 swords flashed and rose again tinged with a ruddy hue, 
 while above the press of biting, plunging horses and thrust- 
 ing cavaliers rang the opposing cries of " The king and 
 Almagro ! " and " The king and Pizarro ! " 
 
 Orgoiiez fought with the fierceness of despair. At the 
 first onset he singled out a knight whom, in error, he 
 thought to be Hernando Pizarro, and charging him in full 
 career, overthrew him. Another he ran through in like 
 manner, and then, his lance breaking, he drew out his 
 sword, and with a cry of " Victory ! " thrust another 
 knight through the body. 
 
 251
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Suddenly those on the hills saw him check in his gallop ; 
 he seemed to sway in his saddle, and next moment his 
 horse fell. A chain shot from a harquebus had struck 
 through the bars of his visor and bruised his forehead, 
 so that for some moments he was dazed. Then another 
 shot killed his horse, and he was down. Before he could 
 recover himself from the entangling stirrups he was 
 surrounded and outnumbered. 
 
 " Surrender 1 " was shouted to him. 
 
 " Never," he said, " unless it be to a knight of equal 
 rank ! " 
 
 " lam a knight 1 " cried one. " Give me your sword ! " 
 
 Orgonez did not know him, but believed the man was 
 speaking truth. He held out his sword and the other 
 dashed it from his hand. Then, drawing a poniard, the 
 wretch leaned from his horse and stabbed Orgonez to 
 the heart. 
 
 When Orgonez fell, the battle was lost for his party. 
 The infantry was already scattered by the terrible hail 
 of bullets, and now fled to shelter behind bushes, mounds 
 or broken walls which stood here and there near the field 
 of battle. The cavalry, also, outnumbered and leaderless, 
 gave way and fled, and conquered and conqueror began 
 a race to the city. 
 
 From the hills around them rose cries of lamentation 
 from the watching women, and from the Indians yells of 
 triumph. Almagro, who had watched the losing battle 
 in gloomy despair, seeing now that his faithful followers 
 were wholly lost, cried to his servants to help him into 
 safety. They turned his horse for him, and rode beside 
 him back to Cuzco. He seemed dazed and confused, and 
 did not know where to go, until one suggested that he 
 would find refuge in the fortress. Thither he rode, there- 
 
 252
 
 The Battle at the Salt Pans 
 
 fore, but hardly had he ahghted from his horse when the 
 thud of advancing hoofs was heard ; a cavaher thundered 
 at the gate and ordered it to be opened. 
 
 Almagro, seeing that resistance was useless, gave him- 
 self up, and he was taken in triumph through the city. 
 Having arrived at the square he was put in irons, and 
 was cast into the very prison in which he had confined 
 Hernando Pizarro. 
 
 Hernando gave the capital up to pillage, and the treasure 
 found by the conquerors was immense, especially in the 
 quarters of Almagro's officers, who, as a rule, had been 
 unbridled in their demands upon the natives in every town 
 through which they had passed. 
 
 When at length the pillage had been completed and the 
 town was quiet again, Hernando Pizarro set about the 
 drawing up of charges against Almagro. Everyone whom 
 the imprisoned general had ever offended was sought out, 
 and slowly a thousand petty accusations were piled up 
 against him, filling eventually no less than four thousand 
 pages. 
 
 Meanwhile the other partisans of Almagro were sent out 
 of the town, among them being his only son, Diego. The 
 young man, full of anxiety concerning the fate of his 
 father, was in charge of a strong escort, and was to be 
 taken to the governor at Lima. But when they reached 
 Xauxa they learned that the marquis was also there, on 
 his way to Cuzco. Young Diego sought an interview 
 with him at once, and, with tears in his eyes, said, after 
 he had greeted him : 
 
 " Marquis, I pray you hasten to Cuzco, and let not your 
 brother Hernando do any harm to my father. He is old 
 and ill and feeble, and is pining in prison." 
 
 The marquis, with kindness in his tones, said : " You 
 
 253
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 must take heart, my young friend. Believe me, no harm 
 shall come to your father. I trust indeed that the ancient 
 friendship between myself and your father will soon be 
 renewed." 
 
 Diego thanked the marquis with a full heart, and, much 
 cheered by the words, continued his way to the coast. 
 Bishop Valverde and cavaliers of high rrnk who were with 
 Pizarro, and who were old friends of Almagro, also begged 
 of the marquis that no ill should befall Almagro, and 
 to all of them Pizarro returned assuring though formal 
 answers. 
 
 Meanwhile in Cuzco, but forty miles away, Almagro still 
 lay in prison, pining under the combined effects of bodily 
 illness and distress of mind. Hernando, hearing he was 
 like to die, visited him in prison, and assured him that he 
 only awaited the governor's arrival lo se. him at liberty. 
 Cheered by this speedy prospect of freedom, the old man 
 mended in health and spirits. 
 
 Some weeks passed. Pizarro still delayed his advance 
 from Xauxa, and daily Almagro asked his guards when the 
 marquis would arrive to grant him freedom. But they 
 knew nothing. Buoyed up with hope, however, Almagro 
 felt that every day brought him nearer to release. 
 
 One day a friar was admitted into his room. The black- 
 robed figure paced slowly and solemnly to where Almagro 
 sat at the small window which let a meagre light into his 
 prison. Almagro rose, a little startled at the other's 
 mysterious entrance. 
 
 " Senor," said the priest, throwing back the hood which 
 shrouded his face, " I have a mournful duty to perform. 
 1 have to inform you that you are condemned to die." 
 
 For some moments Almagro was dazed by so sudden a 
 blow to all his hopes. 
 
 254
 
 The Battle at the Salt Pans 
 
 " It cannot be — ^it cannot be ! " he said. " Such a 
 wrong cannot be done — ^I will not believe it ! " 
 
 In spite of all the priest could say, Almagro refused to 
 credit the other's words, and demanded that Hernando 
 should come to him, and tell him the truth. 
 
 The interview was granted, but it is unnecessary to 
 dwell upon it. To all the old man's piteous entreaties 
 that life should be spared him — ^to his demand for some 
 return for having spared Hernando's life so recently when 
 Orgofiez had counselled his execution — 'to all that the old 
 leader could urge, the cold and callous heart of Hernando 
 returned one answer — that all his prayers were in vain, 
 and he must prepare to meet his doom. 
 
 The news of the sentence produced a feeling of deep 
 horror throughout Cuzco. Almagro had been generally 
 liked by the community, and all recalled some generous 
 or good-natured act of the old leader. Many high officers 
 waited on Hernando, among them Diego de Alvarado, and 
 besought mercy for him. But all was in vain. The only 
 effect was that Hernando Pizarro consented that the 
 execution of Almagro should not take place in the public 
 square, but within the walls of the prison. 
 
 On the day appointed, a strong corps of harquebusiers 
 were drawn up in the square to overawe any attempt on 
 the part of the populace to demonstrate against an act 
 which almost all denounced as the high-handed deed of a 
 tyrant and traitor. Guards were doubled over the houses 
 where dwelled the chief partisans of Almagro. At an 
 hour unknown to any but those immediately about Her- 
 nanr'o Pizarro, the executioner, attended by a priest, 
 stealthily entered the prison of Almagro, who, without a 
 word, submitted himself to death. He was strangled, his 
 corpse was borne to the square, where the head was 
 
 255
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 severed from the body. Then, huddled in the shroud, 
 the remains were hurried to the house of his friend, Heman 
 Ponce de Leon, and next day were laid with all solemnity 
 in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy. 
 
 Thus perished, at about the age of seventy, the hero of a 
 hundred battles. With all his faults, he was a man who 
 was generally liked. He was passionate, but not vindic- 
 tive ; and so unlike the average Spaniard was he, that 
 even the Indians, when they heard of his conviction, bore 
 testimony to the humanity and good-nature of the man 
 by saying that, if he were slain, they would be without 
 a friend among the white men. 
 
 256
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 The Vengeance of the Men of Chili 
 
 THREE years had passed since the execution of 
 Almagro, when one day, in an upper room of a 
 house in Lima, some twelve sat round a table. 
 They had evidently just dined, but their hungry looks 
 showed that their meal had been but a poor one. Indeed, 
 they seemed to be men who were almost destitute. Several 
 of them wore the Indian blanket, their legs had no hose, 
 and their shoes were holed and patched. Others still 
 had doublets, but the velvet was slashed in more 
 places than fashion demanded, besides being frayed 
 and shabby and soiled. The shirts beneath them were 
 in rags ; and generally in the haggard looks, unkempt 
 hair and careless manner, the whole party appeared 
 to be composed of men whose fortimes were at the 
 lowest ebb. 
 
 At the head of the table sat one in whose eyes fire 
 seemed still to smoulder as he sat with chin on hand in 
 thought. His hair was grey, his face had several old 
 wounds upon it, and the jutting white eyebrows, short, 
 stiff beard and hanging moustache gave him a grim, 
 fierce look. 
 
 These men were the " men of Chili," who, being parti- 
 sans of Almagro, had rejected with scorn the overtures 
 of Hernando Pizarro, and, refusing the gifts he offered 
 for their friendship, had chosen poverty in which to 
 R 257
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 nurse their lust for revenge upon the murderers of their 
 old leader. 
 
 " We are becoming old women ! " at length said the 
 grim man at the head of the table. " Soon, I think, we 
 shall go in our rags and beg for alms of the murderer 
 Pizarro, or of that dog, his secretary, Picado. For here 
 we sit and starve, and chafe up oui old wounds and our 
 old sorrows, cursing the day we were born, yet doing 
 nothing to alter our fate." 
 
 "It is hard to make head against such miseries as we 
 have suffered," said one, " and are still suffering." 
 
 " Juan Rada says truth," said another. " If we spoke 
 less of our sufferings and thought more of revenge we 
 should strike on some way to mend our fortunes." 
 
 " Yet we should take care," said Gomez Perez, a man 
 of a better dress than the others, " that we do not drag 
 young Almagro into our plots." 
 
 " Who wishes to do that ? " cried Rada,. and his eyes 
 shot a suspicious glance at the speaker. " We live in his 
 house, and partake of the little wealth which the murderer 
 in contempt has left to him. Whatever we do, the lad shall 
 not be drawn into it. What we do should be done for the 
 love we bear the memory of his father, and it will be for 
 his gain — to give him the lands and the lordship which are 
 his by right, and have been refted from him by that robber, 
 Pizarro, who despises us so much that he even disdains 
 to go about the city with a guard. We are but blind 
 puppies to him, he can kick us out of the way when he 
 likes, and in contempt he lets us live within a stone's 
 throw of his palace on sufferance." 
 
 This was so true, yet so bitter a truth, that for a time 
 men's looks were gloomily bent on the table and on the 
 fioor — -anywhere but in each other's faces. 
 
 258
 
 Vengeance of the Men of Chili 
 
 " When PizaiTo entered Cuzco after our brave old 
 leader — whom God keep in heaven — was murdered in his 
 prison," went on Rada, " I sought the good Espinall, who, 
 as you remember, was a secretary to my lord Almagro, 
 whom he loved and for whose sake he dared the wrath 
 of that stony-hearted wretch, Hernando Pizarro. I and 
 others thought at that time that the governor had naught 
 to do with the murder of Almagro, though we wondered 
 why he delayed so long at Xauxa, and did not enter the 
 city until the deed had been done. But Espinall, good 
 man, with flashing eyes and angry looks, told me that this 
 delay had been part of the plot which the callous-hearted 
 brothers had made between them. Traitor that he is ! 
 You know what kindly words Francisco spoke to young 
 Diego when, with tears, the boy besought him to save 
 his father ? Take heart, he said, for no harm should come 
 to his father. What, too, said he to the Bishop Valverde 
 and the other cavaliers who pressed him to save Almagro 
 from harm ? He had no other desire, he said, than to see 
 the land in peace, and as to Almagro, that very soon their 
 old friendship would be renewed. 
 
 " Senores," Rada went on, " the secretary Espinall said 
 that Francisco was in the plot, as he felt assured, but that 
 he had at that time no proof of it. But he would make it 
 his business to inquire of those that were about Pizarro 
 during those days at Xauxa. You know that Espinall had 
 to leave the countiy with others of those who loved Al- 
 magro — with some of us who, robbed of all we possessed, 
 were too poor to buy food or clothes, and, too i3roud to 
 appear in our rags before our countrymen, hid ourselves 
 in the mountains, living and dressing like the Indians. 
 Some of us died of hunger, others have lived through our 
 miseries and now sit about this table. 
 
 259
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 " The good Espinall was one of such wanderers. He 
 found his way to Panama, in dire poverty, 'tis true, but 
 still hoping for the proof he sought. Senores, I have a 
 letter from him. It came by the caravel which reached 
 Callao yesterday, and it hath the proof he sought. He 
 learnt it from the lips of one of the cavaliers who were 
 intimate with Pizarro during those days at Xauxa, and 
 who, on his way home to Spain, was seen by Espinall at 
 Panama and besought to tell him the truth. 
 
 " Now, seiioies," thundered Rada, his face dark with 
 passion, his great fist striking the table with a violent 
 blow, " the truth is this. When the trial of our master 
 was concluded in Cuzco, Hernando sent a trusty messenger 
 with the words : ' We have found him guilty. What shall 
 be done with him ? ' The reply which Pizarro gave with 
 his OAvn lips was : ' Deal with him so that he shall give us 
 no more trouble.' " 
 
 The listeners looked at each other as if they had heard 
 what they had almost expected to hear, yet as if the truth 
 were startling. 
 
 " It is borne out by what he hath ever been," said one ; 
 " a man who values no treaty, no friendship if it stands 
 in the way of his will. Yet 'tis well to know the truth." 
 
 " With what savagery did he strip us of our lands," said 
 another, " because we were Almagro's friends. He was 
 glad to know that Almagro was out of the way, and that 
 henceforth he was supreme in the land." 
 
 There was a step at the door ; it flew open and a cavalier 
 entered, flinging off his cloak as he came in. 
 
 " Comrades," he said, coming to the table, " there is 
 good news for us. The Court has looked into our matter, 
 so 'tis said, and the emperor is sending a Crown judge 
 to make inquiry into the government of Pizarro." 
 
 260
 
 Vengeance of the Men of Chili 
 
 " Where heard you that ? " asl^ed Rada, while the fares 
 of the others showed their satisfaction at the news. 
 
 " Letters came to Pizarro yesterday," was the reply. 
 " He is madly angry, but, as usual, he hides his 
 wrath with that cold mask of his. I had it from 
 one of the soldiers of his guard who is a kinsman of 
 
 mine." 
 
 The spirits of the men about the table were greatly 
 raised by this intelligence. They had already heard that 
 Hernando Pizarro, who, after the execution of Almagro, 
 had gone home to Spain with an immense treasure, had 
 been charged with tyranny and oppression by several of 
 Almagro's friends in Spain, and that he had been im- 
 prisoned. The news, therefore, that the Court of Spain 
 was sending its own agent to Peru to inquire into the con- 
 duct of the supreme governor, seemed to them to promise 
 redress of all their wrongs, and vengeance upon the prime 
 mover of Almagro's murder. 
 
 They discussed the best means of taking advantage of 
 this favourable turn in affairs, and at length it was de- 
 cided that, if the money necessary for the purpose could 
 be raised secretly among friends in the town, two of their 
 number should travel to Panama to await the arrival of 
 the government official, to lay their case before him 
 before he entered the territory of Pizarro. 
 
 Some weeks passed before they succeeded in obtaining 
 the money they required, and when it had been collected 
 they chose two of their number, and, clothing them in suits 
 of mourning, sent them by the next outgoing ship to 
 Panama, where they were to await the arrival of the Crown 
 judge. 
 
 News of this reached the ears of Pizarro, and it was 
 urged that he should do something to break up the com- 
 
 261
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 pany of Almagro's adherents who were dAvelhng together 
 in young Ahnagro's house. 
 
 " Poor devils ! " he said contemptuously, " let them 
 be. They have had bad luck enough, these men of Chili. 
 We will not trouble them." 
 
 Months passed and no news came concerning the arrival 
 of the Crown official, nor did word come from the two men 
 they had sent to meet him. Meanwhile, those who were 
 left behind were reduced to the direst poverty and dis- 
 tress. They had not even sufficient food, for all had been 
 stripped from them by Pizarro, and none of them now 
 filled any office or had employment of any kind, and they 
 were too proud to beg for any either from their friends or 
 from those who were partisans of Pizarro. 
 
 So ragged were they that, with the pride of Spanish 
 gentlemen, they would not venture abroad by day. They 
 could only muster one good cloak among the ten or twelve 
 who lived together, and when it was imperative that they 
 should go out, they wore this cloak in turn to hide their 
 rags. 
 
 At length news reached Lima that most of the squadron 
 which had accompanied the Crown official, Don Vaca 
 de Castro, had foundered in the heavy storms on the 
 coast, and that it was believed the commissioner himself 
 had been drowned with them. 
 
 This was grievous news to the men of Chili, who, having 
 waited month after month to hear some hopeful tidings, 
 now found all their hopes dashed to the ground. In the 
 words of one of their number, they felt that their miseries 
 were almost too grievous to be borne. So embittered 
 were the men that they became desperate, and if any of 
 them met the governor in the streets of Lima, they would 
 pass him with head erect and threatening, flashing eyes, 
 
 262
 
 Vengeance of the Men of Chili 
 
 keeping covered while eveiyone else in the street stood 
 with uncovered head as the marquis, with his shnking 
 secretary at his heels, stalked proudly by. 
 
 Once, early-rising citizens, walking past the public 
 gallows just outside the town, found three ropes suspended 
 from the cross-bar. A scrap of paper fluttered from the 
 end of each, and, curious of this strange sight, many went 
 up and read on one, " For the dog Picado," on the second, 
 " For the law-breaker. Judge Velasquez," and on the 
 third, attached to the strongest and thickest rope, "For 
 his Excellency." Many citizens went off after reading 
 these with a shrug of the shoulders and a smile, for few 
 loved the governor, whose pride and cold manner chilled 
 them ; but others, hoping to curry favour, ran quickly to 
 the governor's house and told Picado, his secretary, of 
 this outrage upon the dignity of the marquis, his great 
 friend and supporter, the chief judge, and his excellent 
 servant, Picado. 
 
 " Ah, the dogs ! " cried that worthy, when he was told ; 
 " one need only go across the square to put one's hand 
 on the dirty, ragged rascals who have done this shameful 
 thing. It shall be reported to his Excellency, and 
 I will advise his Excellencv to root them out — ^the 
 pack of snarling curs His Excellency is too lenient 
 with them. They will do him an injury if he be not 
 careful." 
 
 But the marquis, despising the disaffected men of Chili 
 too much to fear them, or to take annoyance at the jest, 
 laughed the matter off. Not so Picado, the secretary. 
 Two days later., as the men of Chili sat, hungry and 
 gloomy, over an almost bare table, the noise of hoofs 
 sounded on the stones before the house, as if someone had 
 reined up and prepared to dismount. Eagerly they ran to 
 
 263
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 the windows, thinking that at last news and perhaps 
 succour had come to them. 
 
 Instead, however, they saw Picado, dressed out in rich 
 clothes, with a gold chain upon a rich velvet coat, his hat 
 adorned with diamonds, his sword gold-hilted and his 
 white ruffles six inches deep. In his hat was a big paper 
 like a pennon, with the words thereon, " For the men of 
 Chili." Behind him was a man with a mule, with panniers 
 filled with provisions. 
 
 Picado looked up at the window, and, seeing the eager 
 faces, doffed his hat, his sleek face wreathed in a bitter 
 smile. Then, spurring his horse, he rode away with a 
 laugh, and the fellow with the mule followed him, the man 
 shouting some insult as he led the loaded animal away. 
 
 So the hungry, harassed days went by, and slowly, in 
 the desperate minds of the men of Chili, a dreadful thought 
 grew. In these days of their greatest gloom they rarely 
 spoke of their miseries, but all their thoughts were ex- 
 pressed in sudden looks, in restrained and desperate ges- 
 tures, or in a word thrown out in sudden passion. 
 
 At length Herrada, or Rada, as he was more often called, 
 took his fellows aside one by one and spoke to them. He 
 found that the purpose which had been forming slowly 
 in his own mind found its echo in the thoughts of most of 
 his friends. One or two of them there were who seemed to 
 start, shocked, at the thing he spoke of ; but all were 
 filled with the glow of revenge for their miseries, and at 
 Rada's words the glow quickened into flame and burned 
 high and fiercely. 
 
 " Above all," was ever his final word, " young Almagro 
 must not be told. It is to avenge the wrongs done to his 
 father and to us who loved our leader ; the lad shall profit 
 by our deed, but he shall not be a party to it." 
 
 264
 
 Vengeance of the Men of Chili 
 
 The house of young Ahnagro stood in the square of Lima 
 next to the cathedral, to which on holy days the governor 
 went regularly to hear mass. It was resolved that, on 
 the following Sunday, the chief conspirators, eighteen or 
 twenty in number, should assemble in Almagro's house, 
 and as Pizarro left the cathedral he should be set upon 
 and slain. 
 
 When all had been settled, and, almost in whispers, as 
 they sat close together about their table, the last words 
 had been said, one of them — ^but who is unknown — ^sud- 
 denly became fearful of doing the deed to which he had 
 set his hand. That day he confessed the intended crime 
 to his confessor, and the priest, hurrying from the con- 
 fessional box, went straightway to the house of Pizarro. 
 Picado saw him immediately, and was told the whole plot. 
 Instantly the secretary carried the news to Pizarro as he 
 sat at supper. 
 
 A scornful smile rose on the pale face of Pizarro. 
 
 " A fool's tale ! " was all he said. " 1 suppose the priest 
 wants a mitre." 
 
 Velasquez, the chief judge, was sitting with him, and 
 laughed boastfully. 
 
 " Have no fear, Picado," he said, " for no harm shall 
 come to his Excellency while the rod of justice is in my 
 hands." 
 
 Thus with scorn and boast the doomed governor treated 
 the plot of desperate men as of no moment. 
 
 Nevertheless, when Sunday came, by the repeated 
 advice of Picado, his master was persuaded to pretend 
 to be unwell and to stay away from mass. 
 
 Meanwhile, in the house next the cathedral, the con- 
 spirators sat in a lower room, with their swords ready 
 to their hand. Two of their number watched at the 
 
 265
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 windows from behind heavy curtains. They saw the 
 people come to the cathedral, but the governor, with his 
 two or three intimates, was not among them, and they 
 wondered. 
 
 " Doubtless," said some of those in the room, " he has 
 entered, but you missed him in the crowd. When folk 
 press together it is hard to distinguish one or two among 
 them. Wait till mass is done, and two or three of us will 
 then go out and mingle with the people." 
 
 Tliis was agreed upon, and when mass was over and the 
 people began to issue from the cathedral, three of the men 
 went out to watch. It was arranged that when Pizarro 
 came forth, one of their number should run back; to those 
 waiting in the house and tell them. 
 
 Mingling with a few townspeople who stood waiting for 
 friends to come from mass, one of the conspirators asked 
 if the governor were still in the church. 
 
 " He has not been to mass, senor," said a fat citizen ; 
 " they say he is unwell and has stayed in the house this 
 morning." 
 
 The man of Chili murmured his thanks, and then, going 
 to his two fellows, told them what he had learned. Con- 
 sternation was in the faces of all three. 
 
 " Our plot is discovered," said one. " He has kept 
 away to foil us, and unless we strike now we shall be 
 swinging on the gallows by to-night. Let us get back to 
 the others." 
 
 They reached the house and told their comrades. Then 
 arose a babel of contrary advice. Some cried that as their 
 plot was discovered they should scatter and hide, or they 
 would be immediately captured. 
 
 " Perhaps, after all," said others, " he does not know 
 of our plot. If we separate we shall be safe." 
 
 266
 
 Vengeance of the Men of Chili 
 
 " Out upon such cowards' talk,," said others, and these 
 were in the majority. "" We must do the deed for which 
 we have met. If we slay him not now, the noose vnW be 
 tight round our necks, and we shall not even have struck 
 a blow at the tyrant." 
 
 But some still cried out for abandoning all further 
 plotting, and said that now was their time to disband and 
 save themselves. 
 
 Suddenly, from the place where, since the news had 
 come, he had been sitting in gloomy silence, Rada started 
 up, and, rushing to the door of the house, he flung it 
 open. 
 
 " Now," he said, his eyes flaming, his face pale with 
 passion, "follow me all of ye, or I will shout the plot from 
 the housetops." 
 
 Those that had been ready now eagerly rose at his call, 
 and those who had counselled abandoning the plot, for 
 very shame and fear rose too and joined them. With 
 Rada at their head, all rushed into the square, shouting : 
 
 " Long live the King ! Death to the tyrant ! " 
 
 It was the hour of noon, and the streets and square were 
 deserted, for the town was at dinner. But at the cries, 
 people issued from their houses in the square to inquire 
 the cause. They listened to the repeated cries as the 
 conspirators, swords flashing in their hands, ran in a body 
 across the wide square. 
 
 " They are going to kill the marquis ! " said some, and 
 shrugged their shoulders. 
 
 " No," said others, " it must be Picado upon whom 
 they wish to have vengeance. He has really treated those 
 poor fellows of Chili very badly." 
 
 They stood in groups, chatting, with their eyes on the 
 gateway leading to the house of the governor. Tlie power 
 
 267
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 of Pizarro was not seated in the hearts of the people over 
 whom he ruled. 
 
 As the men of Chili rushed across the square, one of them, 
 Gomez Perez by name, made a circuit to avoid splashing 
 in a pool of water. 
 
 " What ! " cried Rada, checking for a moment in his 
 mad rush, " afraid of wetting your feet, when you go to 
 wade knee-deep in blood. Away and home with you ! " 
 
 The man slunk aside, and the others swept past him 
 into the outer courtyard of the governor's house. This 
 they found to be empty, and they rushed on into the inner 
 courtyard. Here two men-servants met them. One they 
 struck down, but the other one fled, shrieking, to the door 
 of the house, crying : 
 
 " Help ! Help ! The men of Chili are coming to murder 
 the marquis." 
 
 In an upper room sat Pizarro at his dinner, and with 
 him were fifteen or twenty of the principal men of the 
 town, who had come in after mass to ask after the health 
 of the governor. Hearing the uproar below, some of them 
 went out to a lower landing, and hearing plainly the words 
 cried by the man-servant, they ran to a verandah at the 
 back of the house, from which they let themselves down 
 into the garden and fled away. Among them was Velas- 
 quez the judge, who had with him his rod of justice, and 
 so that he should use his hands freely in chmbing down 
 he held the rod in his mouth. 
 
 Meanwhile, the men of Chili had entered the house and 
 were mounting the stairs, driving one of Pizarro's guests 
 before them. He, bursting into the room, told the 
 governor that men had come to murder him. Pizarro 
 instantly started up, and commanded one of his friends, 
 Francisco de Chaves, to secure the door of the ante-room 
 
 268
 
 A point of steel was in his throat 
 
 268
 
 Vengeance of the Men of Chili 
 
 leading to the stairs. Then Pizarro hastened, with a kins- 
 man named Alcantara, into an inner room, and together 
 they began hastily buckling on Pizarro's armour. 
 
 If Chaves had done as Pizarro had commanded him, the 
 conspirators would have been baffled, since the door was 
 stout, and Chaves and those with him could have kept 
 them at bay until the cavaliers who had fled could bring 
 aid. But Chaves half opened the door, and, glancing out, 
 saw Rada and his fellows just leaping up the last of the 
 stairs. In a moment they reached the door, and he cried 
 to them : 
 
 " How dare you enter the house of the " 
 
 Before he could finish his words, Rada thrust his sword 
 at him and ran it through his body. Tlien he and his men 
 dashed into the room, where Chaves' friends made play 
 with their weapons. But it was for a few moments only. 
 Soon they too were despatched, and then Rada and the 
 others ran across the apartment, crying : 
 
 " Where is the marquis ? Death to the tyrant ! " 
 As the hoarse voices rang out so near them, Alcantara 
 knew that the ante-room had not been secured. Leaving 
 Pizarro, therefore, who was still only half armed, he ran 
 toward the door of the room, with two young pages who 
 had been assisting, and two cavaliers who were also in the 
 chamber. 
 
 Before they could bar the half-open door it was dashed 
 open by the kicks of the conspirators, and instantly a 
 dreadful hand-to-hand struggle began. Swords flickered 
 and thrust, ground against resisting steel, or hit the wood 
 of the doorway. Several wounds were exchanged on 
 either side. Suddenly a man among the conspirators 
 shrieked, clutched his throat as his sword dropped from 
 his hand, and sank down among the feet of his fellows. 
 
 269
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Then another, with a groan, gave way and withdrew, 
 tottering across the i-oom, while a comrade tool^ his place. 
 Already the two young pages, after fighting gallantly, had 
 fallen, and Alcantara was wounded in many places. 
 
 Pizarro, in the room behind, was stniggling with the 
 buckles of his cuirass. At length, with a curse, he threw it 
 from him, then wrapping a cloak around his left arm he 
 seized his sword and sprang to the aid of his kinsman. 
 The latter was already exhausted from loss of blood, and 
 as Pizarro reached his side he fell. 
 
 With the fury of a lion the governor threw himself upon 
 the conspirators, and with such fierceness and force did he 
 attack them that two fell before his sword and the others 
 gave way. 
 
 " What, traitors ! " he cried, " would you kill me in my 
 own house ? " 
 
 Without a word the men of Chili dashed at him and the 
 two cavaliers who still fought beside him. So swift and 
 keen were his strokes, however, and so strong his guard, 
 that it seemed that age had no power to diminish his 
 force. For some moments the grinding and beat of steel 
 in the narrow doorway continued, until Rada, impatient 
 of the delay, cried : 
 
 " Why are we so long about it ? Down with the tyrant ! " 
 
 Saying this, he thrust one of his comrades toward Pizarro, 
 who ran the man through the body. Before he could 
 withdraw his swoixl, however, a point of steel was in his 
 throat. He reeled to the floor, and the swords of Rada 
 and several of the others were plunged into his body. 
 
 " Jesu ! " panted the dying man. With a finger as he 
 half reclined he traced a red cross on the floor, then bent 
 toward it to kiss the holy sign. But another blow was 
 given him, and he sank dead upon the floor. 
 
 270
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 The Last of the Men of Chili 
 
 NEARLY a year had passed since the assassination 
 of PizaiTO, and it was the early summer of 1542. 
 The great square of Cuzco was filled with ranks 
 of armed men, some of whom, in complete armour, were on 
 horseback, while the footmen, some with pikes and others 
 with harquebuses, formed long lines between the bodies 
 of cavalry. In front of the little army were a number of 
 cannon, of so fine an appearance and of such number that 
 never before had so many been seen together in the 
 kingdom of Peru. The cunning Greek, Pedro de Candia, 
 and his Levantine countrymen had made them. Sixteen 
 they were in number, and formed as good a showing as 
 merited a place in the finest citadel of Spain. 
 
 Presently a clear bugle call sounded, and into the square 
 rode a young man closely followed by two ofllicers. He 
 advanced until he reached a spot in front of the ranks of 
 men, and then, lifting his hand, he silenced the cheers that 
 rang out at his appearance. This was young Diego de 
 Almagro, who, with all the qualities of his father which 
 endeared him to every soldier, also excited their devotion 
 and sympathy by the forlorn position in which he was 
 placed. 
 
 All, indeed, were knitted together — soldiers and leader 
 — in a common cause which must be seen through to the 
 end. And success, if attained, would be almost as dreadful 
 
 271
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 as defeat. For they met together with intent to go forth 
 and fight the representative of the emperor himself, and 
 if victory attended their arms they would be deeper in 
 treason against the sovereign to whom all wished, as 
 good and devoted Spaniards, to be wholly loyal. 
 
 " Men of Chili ! " came the clear, young voice of their 
 leader. He was still a boy ; hardly twenty-two, yet 
 already he had proved himself equal to the sad necessities 
 of his fate, and in energy, forethought and self-reliance he 
 was the equal of men seasoned by years of warfare. 
 
 " You know what stern necessity has brought us to 
 this pass," he went on, " and I cannot see that we could 
 have done otherwise than we have done. You know the 
 tyranny which forced you to put an end to the governor 
 and to seize the province. Long and patiently did we 
 wait for the representative of the emperor to come, but 
 he delayed, and we could wait no longer. But after we 
 had risen against the man who caused our miseries and 
 scoffed at our wretchedness, the emperor's oflficer, Vaca 
 de Castro, comes to demand our submission, and will not 
 listen to our cause. He will not make peace with us ; 
 therefore he drives us to take arms against him. He will 
 not suffer us to retire to the territory granted to my father 
 by the emperor, so that we may live in peace ; therefore 
 we have no other appeal than to arms. Nevertheless I 
 declare here, before the face of Heaven, that in our hearts 
 there is no rebellion against our august master, the 
 emperor." 
 
 His voice was drowned in the passionate shout of assent 
 which rose from every throat. 
 
 " We are forced to this by the new governor himself. 
 Vaca de Castro has exceeded the authority granted to him 
 by his royal master, therefore the blood that may be spilled 
 
 272
 
 The Last of the Men of Chili 
 
 must be upon his head, and not on mine. In the assassina- 
 tion of the tyrant Pizarro, we took into our own hands 
 that justice which he denied us. In this contest with the 
 officer of his Majesty, we seek justice, but we are as true- 
 hearted and as loyal subjects of the emperor as is the 
 governor himself." 
 
 Loud and prolonged was the cheering which greeted 
 the ending of the young leader's speech. Then one of the 
 veterans of his father, standing forth, said : 
 
 " Don Diego, you have uttered the words which are in 
 all our hearts. We have now only to prove to you, what 
 we here assert, that one and all swear to brave every peril 
 and every disaster, and to remain true to you to the end." 
 
 Again a hoarse shout of passion rose in assent. Some- 
 one from the crowd standing about brought an altar, on 
 which was raised a cross, and this having been placed before 
 the men, they ran up eagerly, rank; after rank, and as each 
 man came to it he placed his hand on the cross, uttering 
 the words : " I swear ! " Many wept as they did this, and 
 all were greatly moved. 
 
 Then the word was given to depart, and with a flourish 
 of trumpets the little army, numbering some five hundred 
 men, tramped out of the square, the guns rumbling on 
 before them. 
 
 Much had happened since that day in the previous 
 summer when the men of Chili, after slaying the tyrant, 
 ran through the streets of Lima declaring their deed, and 
 calling their adherents to rally to them. For a time all 
 seemed to go well. Most of the to\ATis had submitted, 
 without resistance, to the demands of the Almagrians, who 
 had immediately ousted the officials of Pizarro and re- 
 placed them by sympathizers with their o^vn cause. 
 
 The first check had been from x\lonso de Alvarado, the 
 
 s 273
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 general who, it will be remembered, had been defeated by 
 old Almagro at the river of Abancay. On receiving news 
 of the slaying of Pizarro, he had instantly sent a messenger 
 to the emperor's officer, Vaca de Castro. This functionary 
 had landed in the north after a long and tempestuous 
 voyage from Spain, and being disgusted with the dangers 
 of the sea, he had resolved to reach Peai by land. 
 
 So slowly did he advance that it was some months before 
 he reached Quito, where he was met by Alvarado and the 
 captain, Belalcazar, both of whom brought troops with 
 them. Vaca de Castro produced his authority from the 
 emperor, under which he was empowered, in case of need, 
 to assume the office of governor, and he immediately sent 
 emissaries to the principal cities requiring their adherence 
 to him as the lawful representative of their monarch. 
 
 Meanwhile, however, the forces of Almagro had in- 
 creased ; supplies and arms and money were got together, 
 and the soldiers, many of whom had hitherto been half- 
 destitute, were every day assuming the appearance of good 
 fighting men. Much treasure of gold and silver was dis- 
 covered in the house of Pizarro, and the secretary, Picado, 
 was ordered to reveal the hiding-places of other wealth 
 which it was believed the marquis had possessed. This, 
 however, he would not or, more probably, could not do, 
 and was therefore taken to the public square and beheaded 
 without further ado in front of the house where he had 
 flaunted his wealth before the starving conspirators a few 
 short weeks before. 
 
 Demand had been sent to Cuzco requiring Holguin, the 
 commanding officer there, to hand over the city to one 
 of young Almagro's friends ; but Holguin refused, and 
 instantly set forth with some two himdred men to join 
 Alvarado in the north. This was quickly reported to 
 
 274
 
 The Last of the Men of Chili 
 
 Aliuagro, and Rada, his chief officer, advised that he should 
 be prevented from doing this. After some delay, pursuit 
 was made, but the expedition failed, and Holguin joined 
 Alvarado. 
 
 Almagro then marched south, intending to occupy 
 Cuzco, which he considered to he within the territory 
 granted to his father by the emperor. On the way, Juan 
 de Rada, who was a man advanced in years, fell into a 
 fever and died, thus depriving the young leader of the one 
 man in whose knowledge of military matters he could 
 wholly depend . Much grieving for this great loss, Almagro 
 continued his journey to Cuzco, whence he sent an embassy 
 to the new governor, who by that time had reached Lima . 
 
 In his letter to Vaca de Castro he said that he had no 
 desire to take arms against the officer of the Crown, but 
 that he must secure the possession of the territory which 
 belonged to him as the heir of his father. He proposed, 
 therefore, that each party should remain in their own terri- 
 tory until the Court of Castile had decided between them. 
 
 As no reply was sent in answer to this respectful de- 
 mand, but instead news came that Vaca de Castro was 
 actively preparing an army, Almagro saw no other course 
 open save an appeal to arms, and therefore set forth with 
 his men to meet the army of the royal governor. 
 
 It was the middle of September, late in the day, before 
 the two hostile armies faced each other, on the plains of 
 Chupas. De Castro, though only a man of law and no 
 soldier, drew up his army with skill. He had little artillery, 
 and these he placed with his infantry in the centre of his 
 army, the flanks being occupied by cavalry. On the right 
 wing was Alvarado, who had the royal standard with him, 
 while on the left was Holguin. De Castro himself was at 
 the head of a reserve of forty cavalry, which he designed 
 
 275
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 to use in whichever part of the field he saw support was 
 wanted. 
 
 After a short address to his soldiers, he gave the order 
 to advance. Almagro's forces were drawn up on rising 
 ground about a mile distant, and their disposition was 
 similar to that of the royal army. ^Vhen the royalists 
 came -within range, Almagro ordered the guns to open 
 upon them. The effect upon the enemy was great. They 
 wavered and seemed confused. But soon they were seen 
 to take a route which wound below the rising ground, so 
 that for most part of the way they were hidden. 
 
 Wlien they appeared again, quite near the Almagrians, 
 their array made an excellent mark for the artillery, and 
 the young leader gave orders to Pedro de Candia to fire 
 the whole of the cannon at the approaching enemy. The 
 effect of the first volley was tremendous ; gaps appeared 
 in the ranks of the pikemen and harquebusiers, while 
 riderless horses started from among the cavalry and 
 nished away. 
 
 Again the order was given to fire, but this time the shots 
 passed harmlessly over the heads of the still advancing foe. 
 
 " Aim lower," shouted Almagro to de Candia, who stood 
 ordering the gunners. De Candia muttered something in 
 a sullen manner, and gave again the order to fire. But a 
 second time the shot hurtled over the heads of de Castro's 
 army. 
 
 " What means this ? " cried Almagro, dashing his horse 
 to the side of the artillery officer. " Are you a traitor ? 
 Has de Castro been tampering with you that you will not 
 aim at his troops ? " 
 
 The other's sullen lace fell before the flashing eyes of 
 young Almagro, 
 
 " I want no rebel boy to teach me what to do," he said. 
 
 276
 
 The Last of the Men of Chili 
 
 Like a flash the sword of Almagro whipped through the 
 air and sank in the breast of the treacherous Greek, who, 
 clutching at the air with his hands, sank dead to the 
 ground. 
 
 " The traitor ! " cried Almagro. " He could not forget 
 he was one of Pizarro's faithful thirteen, I suppose." 
 
 Leaping from his horse, he ordered the nearest gun to be 
 charged again, and aiming it himself, he saw his shot 
 plough with deadly effect through the cavalry, killing 
 some six horsemen and wounding others. 
 
 The next volley swept away a whole rank of the royal 
 infantry, and the Almagrians could see the officers driving 
 the halting men forward to take the place where their 
 comrades had fallen. The royalists tried to bring their 
 own cannons into play, but the fire from Almagro's guns 
 made it impossible. The clumsy pieces were left behind 
 on the field, and Alvarado gave the order to charge. The 
 trumpets sounded, cries of " Saint Jago and the King ! " 
 arose, and, striking spurs into their horses, the cavaliers 
 dashed up the sloping ground towards the foe. 
 
 Then Almagro made his fatal error. If he had stayed 
 M'here he was and coolly used his artillery against the 
 advancing enemj-, only a few of them would have reached 
 his line. But, from a false sense of knightly honour, he 
 felt it a shameful act passively to await the attack of the 
 foe. He therefore gave orders to advance, and placing 
 himself at the head of his cavalry, he met the royal 
 cavaliers half way down the slope. 
 
 Almost all the lances shivered as the opposing forces 
 met, horses and riders reeled away in death, and for a 
 moment the horsemen that were left recoiled with the 
 force of the crash. Next moment, drawing their swords, 
 maces and battle-axes, the cavaliers threw themselves 
 
 277
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 upon each other with furious hatred — the more bitter 
 since many of them were brothers, cousins or friends, 
 alienated by the quarrel between their old leaders. 
 
 The artillery on Almagro's side continued to pour 
 volleys of shot upon the advancing infantry, but the 
 latter, under the command of their brave leader, Francisco 
 de Carbajal, pressed gallantly forward, and reaching the 
 guns they cut down the gunners, who were now unsup- 
 ported by the cavalry, and thus gained command of the 
 artillery. 
 
 The battle between the cavalry was hard and bitter, 
 but the Almagrians were outnumbered. Nevertheless, so 
 bravely did they fight that for a long time, in the gathering 
 gloom of the evening, it was doubtful which side would 
 have the victory. 
 
 The right flank of the Almagrians just held its own 
 against the opponents, but on the left wing, commanded 
 by young Almagro in person, the enemy, at the head of 
 which was Alvarado, worse mounted and worse armed, 
 was borne back again and again by the charges made by 
 the impetuous young leader. Already he had taken the 
 royal banner, and, generous in the sense of victory, 
 shouted, " Take, but kill not ! " 
 
 Details of the progress of the fight were carried con- 
 tinuously to de Castro in the rear, and at this moment 
 he decided to advance with the forty horsemen held in 
 reserve. He dashed forward in relief of Alvarado, whose 
 men, cheered by the timely support, gained heart, raised 
 deafening cheers, and charged the Almagrians with great 
 spirit. The men of Chili made one more desperate effort, 
 thirteen of de Castro's fresh men reeled dead from their 
 saddles ; but the Almagrians could do no more. 
 
 Outnumbered and spent with battle, they gave waj'' and 
 
 278
 
 The Last of the Men of Chili 
 
 began to flee in all directions. Young Almagro used every 
 effort to stay them, but in vain. Soon the dark battle- 
 field was deserted, except by the dead and the dying, and 
 streaming over the country were flying and pursuing horse- 
 men. Here and there one with a red scarf on his arm came 
 up with one who bore a white scarf, and ruthlessly cut him 
 down. 
 
 Young Almagro, borne from the field with his men, rode 
 into Cuzco, and, sick with defeat, made no resistance when 
 the magistrates, meeting him, ordered him to be arrested. 
 He was lodged in prison, indifferent to his fate. 
 
 Next day, such was the severity with which de Castro 
 dealt with the prisoners he had taken, forty of them were 
 executed on the spot and thirty others were banished. The 
 governor then proceeded to Cuzco, which he entered with 
 all the pomp and military display of a conqueror. 
 
 Almost immediately he called a council of war to decide 
 the fate of young Almagro. Some were for sparing him, 
 on account of his youth, and the injustice which had 
 forced him into rebellion ; but the majority decided that 
 mercy could not be shown to the leader of this treasonable 
 rising. 
 
 Being led out to execution in the great square of Cuzco, 
 young Almagro showed a dauntless bearing. When, how- 
 ever, the herald proclaimed the reason of his being doomed 
 to death, he cried : 
 
 " I am no traitor ! I am as devoutly loyal to my king 
 as any man here, but the injustice under which I suffered 
 forced me to do what I have done. I make no appeal for 
 mercy to any ; all I ask is that my bones may be laid 
 beside those of my father, as unjustly done to death as I 
 am. 
 
 He refused to have his eyes bandaged, and having 
 
 279
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 kissed the cross, he quietly placed his head upon the 
 block, and suffered the stroke of death with calmness. 
 
 With him the name of Almagro became extinct, and the 
 men of Chili, so long a menace to the land, passed away 
 for ever. 
 
 The history of the chief actors in the conquest of Peru 
 ends with the death of young Almagro, the son of Pizarro's 
 chief companion in the daring and tragic venture which, 
 in spite of the contemptuous disbelief of many and in face 
 of almost insuperable difficulties, the two Spanish soldiers 
 of fortune had brought to a successful conclusion. 
 
 The later history of the dominion of the Spanish in 
 Peru has little of the romance and heroism which forms 
 part of the conquest. The cmel treatment of the Indians, 
 exciting the pity of noble-hearted men like Las Casas, 
 forced the government to endeavour to impose laws upon 
 the colonists, which the latter bitterly resented. Rebel- 
 lion broke out, and was only crushed after much blood- 
 shed, and Gonzalo Pizarro, who had led the revolt, suffered 
 execution on the field of battle. 
 
 The two viceroys who ruled the country for the Spanish 
 crown from 1551 to 1580 did something to limit the almost 
 despotic power of the colonists over their Indian slaves, 
 but transgression of the laws caused misery and depopula- 
 tion for some two hundred years. The Indians themselves 
 rose against their masters in 1780, and under the leader- 
 ship of a descendant of the Incas strove to put an end to 
 all their wrongs. The revolt was crushed, but the seeds of 
 hberty were not wholly destroyed, and in 1821, with the 
 assistance of our own Lord Dundonald, the independence 
 of Peru was proclaimed, and the grasping and inhuman 
 rule of Spain was at an end. 
 
 280 ^
 
 INDEX
 
 Ind 
 
 ex 
 
 Abancay, river, 234, 274 
 
 Adelantado, 69, 71, 89 
 
 Alcantara, Office of, 269, 270 
 
 Aldana, 137 
 
 Alifuacil, Mayor, 69, 89 
 
 Almagro, Don Diego de, I. — 16, 17, 
 19, 20, 21, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 38, 
 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 50, 53, 54, 
 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 70, 76, 130, 
 167, 168, 169, 170, 172, 173, 174, 
 175, 176, 177, 182, 183, 184, 185, 
 186, 187, 191, 200, 201, 212, 213, 
 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 220, 227, 
 228, 229, 230, 232, 233, 234, 235, 
 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 
 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 249, 250, 
 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 259, 
 260,261,262,274; 11.-253,254, 
 258, 259, 262, 264, 265, 271, 272, 
 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 
 280 
 
 Alonzo de Rieda, 225 
 
 Altimorono, Antonio, 128 
 
 Alvarado, Alonso de, 230, 232, 233, 
 234, 235, 237, 238, 249, 273, 274, 
 275, 277, 278 
 
 Alvarado, Diego de, 236, 237, 246, 
 247. 255 
 
 America, 15 
 
 Andagoya, Don Pascual de, 17, 25 
 
 Andes, the, 107, 118, 236 
 
 Arequipa, 230 
 
 Atacama, desert, 229 
 
 Atahualpa, Inca King, 91, 92, 102, 
 103, 105, 106, 115, 117, 118, 124, 
 131, 136, 138, 142, 144, 149, 150, 
 
 151. 153. 154. 156- 157. 170, 178, 
 
 180, 181, 182, 190, 191 
 Atahualpa, Juan de, 191 
 Aztecs, the, 67, 81 
 
 Balboa, Vasco Nunez de, 18, 19, 25, 
 
 26 
 Belalcazar, Captain, 74, 274 
 Bilcas, 246 
 Biru, river, 21 
 
 Callao, 260 
 
 Candia, Pedro de, 47, 48, 50, 58, 
 
 59, 66, 68, 70, 84, 85, 86, 133, 
 
 271, 276 
 Capac, Huasma, 91, 171 
 Carbajal, Francisco de, 27S 
 Caribs, the, 14 
 Casco, 26 
 
 Castile, 18, 81, 89, 193, 210, 242, 275 
 Castro, Don Vaca de, 262, 272, 274, 
 
 275, 276, 278, 279 
 Caxamalca, 103, 104, 105, 106, 115, 
 
 119, 125, 142, 149, 150, 153, 157, 
 
 158, 167, 170, 177, 183, 196, 209 
 Caxamarca. See Caxamalca 
 Caxas, loo, loi, 102, 103 
 Charles, Emperor, 16, 65, 68, 88, 
 
 89, 137, 13S, 177 
 Chaves, Francisco de, 268, 269 
 Chicama, 30 
 
 Child of the Sun, 6^, 194 
 Chili, 212, 216, 227, 22S, 229, 231, 
 
 242, 245, 257, 262, 263, 264, 266, 
 
 267, 268, 270, 278, 280 
 Chimborazo, 55 
 Chincha, 238, 239, 241, 244 
 Chupas, Plains of, 275 
 Comagre, Chief, 26 
 Coquimbo, 228 
 Cordilleras, the, 95, 158, 196, 197, 
 
 212, 222 
 Corral, the Licentiate, 65 
 Cort6s, Hernando, 16, 17, 32, 70, 81, 
 
 93. 132 
 
 283
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Cotopazi, 55 
 
 Cuzco, City of, 58, 91, 108, 148, 149, 
 152, 158, 172, 177, 184, 194, 196, 
 197, 201, 202, 209, 212, 214, 215, 
 216, 218, 220, 221, 226, 228, 229, 
 230, 231, 233, 235, 236, 238, 239, 
 242, 244, 246, 248, 252, 253, 254, 
 255. 259, 260, 271, 273, 274, 275, 
 279 
 
 Darien, 26 
 
 Diego de Alvarado, 236, 237, 246, 
 
 247, 255 
 Dios, Nombre de, 53 
 Dobayba, 15 
 
 DonDiego de Almagro. See Almagro 
 Don Enrique, 213 
 Don Francisco, 18 
 Don Luque, 14, 19, 43, 45, 50, 53, 
 
 63 
 Don Pascual de Andagoya, 13, 14, 
 
 16, 17, 18 
 Don Pedro de los Rios, 44, 45, 53, 63 
 Don Rafael, 213 
 Don Tafur, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 
 
 52, 97 
 Don Vaca de Castro, 262, 272, 274, 
 
 275, 276, 278, 279 
 Don Zerez, 151 
 Dundonald, Lord, 2S0 
 
 El Dorado, 87 
 England, 158 
 Enrique, Don, 213 
 Espinall, 244, 259, 260 
 Espinosa, 33 
 Enciso, Bachelor, 68 
 Europe, 214 
 
 Felippo, an interpreter, 62, 75, 84, 
 85, 86, 87, 89, 100, loi, 120, 121, 
 123, 142, 147, 150, 151, 172, 179, 
 180, 182, 185, i85, 187, 188, 191 
 France, 68 
 Francisco, 213, 259 
 Francisco de Carbajal, 278 
 Francisco de Chaves. 268, 269 
 Fray Vincente de Valverde, 128, 
 131, 137, 149, 185, 190, 191, 193, 
 254.- 259 
 
 Gallo, Island, 45, 46 
 
 Garcia, 26 
 
 Garcilasso de la Vega, 128 
 
 Germany, 68 
 
 Golden Man, the (El Dorado), 87 
 
 Gonzalo, 215 
 
 Gonzalez, 26 
 
 Gorgona, 50, 51, 62, 69 
 
 Guacabamba, 103, 104 
 
 Guamachucho, 157, 182, 184, 193 
 
 Guayaquil, gulf, 74 
 
 Herrada, 264 
 
 Holguin, 274, 275 
 
 Huascar Capac, 91, 100, 122, 149, 
 
 150. 153. 154. i55> 156, 181, 185, 
 201 
 
 Huayna Capac, 91, 171 
 
 Indies, the, 81 
 Italy, 214 
 
 John the Baptist, 191 
 
 Juan, 212, 215 
 
 Juan Rada, 258, 261, 264, 268, 269, 
 
 270, 275 
 Juan, Rio de San, 35 
 
 Las Casas, 280 
 
 Leguisamo, Mancio Serra de, 12S 
 
 Leon, 89 
 
 Leon, Hernan, Ponce de, 256 
 
 Lerma, Pedro de, 234, 235, 246 
 
 Lima, 211, 212, 215, 217, 220, 224, 
 
 230, 233, 235, 237, 238, 239, 246, 
 
 253- 257, 262, 265, 273 
 Loco, Father, 34 
 Luque, Father, 30, 32, 33, 34, 43, 
 
 45. 46, 47, 50, 53> 63, 64, 65, 70 
 
 Mala, 239, 241 
 
 Mancio, Sierra Leguisamo, 210 
 
 Manco, 201, 202, 210, 216, 218, 221, 
 
 226 
 Martin, 213 
 Martinillo, an interpreter, 62, 137, 
 
 162, 163, 164 
 Mercy, Church of our Lady of, 256 
 Mexico, 16, 32, 132 
 Mississippi, the, 80 
 
 284
 
 Ind 
 
 ex 
 
 Molina, Alonso de, 57, 58, 59 
 Montenegro, 25, 26, 28, 29 
 Montillo, 178, 190 
 
 Nomljre de Dies, 18, 53, 66, 70, 213 
 
 OJeda, de, 26 
 
 Orgonez, 214, 217, 228, 231, 232, 
 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 
 242, 243, 244, 245, 247, 250, 251, 
 252 
 
 Pachacamac, 158, 163, 165, 166 
 Panama, 13, 14, 21, 25, 26, 28, 
 
 30. 31. 33. 34, 35, 3S, 39, 4°, 41, 
 42, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 52, 61, 62, 
 66, 68, 69, 72, 73, 79, 88, 94, 
 148, 177, 214, 215, 245, 260, 261 
 
 Pascual, Don de Andagoya, 13, 17, 25 
 
 Paulo Topa, 216 
 
 Pearls, Isle of, 26, 31 
 
 Pedrarias, 21, 30, 32 
 
 PedriUo, 102, 115 
 
 Pedro, 213 
 
 Pedro de Candia, 47, 48, 50, 58, 59, 
 66, 68, 70, 84, 85, 86, 133, 271, 
 276 
 
 Pedro de Valdivia, 250 
 
 Pedro, Don, 44, 45 
 
 Perez, 167, 168, 169, 170 
 
 Perez, Gomez, 258, 268 
 
 Peru, 20, 31, 34, 48, 58, 63, 74, 80, 
 
 91, 153, 155, 176, 177, 190, 194, 
 201, 216-218, 220, 227-230, 242, 
 248, 261, 271, 280 
 
 Ficado, 25S, 263, 264, 265, 267, 
 274 
 
 Pilate, Pontius, 241 
 
 Pines, Port of, 21 
 
 Piru, river, 21 
 
 Pizarro, Francisco, 17-95, 97, 99, 
 102, 104, 105, 107, 109, no, 112, 
 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 121, 122, 
 126-130, 132, 133, 134, 135, 139- 
 158, 167-170, 172-179, 181-189, 
 191-193, 196, 200, 218, 224, 228, 
 232, 233, 235, 237-243, 245, 250, 
 251, 254, 25s 
 
 Pizarro, Oonzalo, 128, 215,231, 232, 
 237, 238, 241, 246, 249, 250, 2S0 
 
 Pizarro, Hernando, 17, 79, 87, 90, 
 97, 105, no, nj, n5, 121, 122, 
 123, 125, 128, 133, 150, 157, 158, 
 160, 162, 163, 164, 166, 173, 176, 
 177, 212, 213, 214, 215, 220, 221, 
 222, 230, 231, 232, 237, 238, 242, 
 243, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 
 253, 254, 255 
 
 Pizarro, Juan, 215, 217, 220, 221, 
 222 
 
 Pizarro, Pedro, 188, 189 
 
 Pomba, Garcia, 225 
 
 Puerto Viejo, 74 
 
 Puna, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 84, 86 
 
 Quito, 91, 180, 191, 192, 194, 220, 
 
 274 
 
 Rada, Juan de, 258, 261, 264, 268, 
 
 269, 270, 275 
 Rafael, Don, 213 
 
 Sibera, Nicolas de, 30, 41, 47, 48 
 Rieda, Alonzo de, 225 
 Rio de San Juan, 35 
 Rios, Don Pedro le los, 53, 63 
 Riquelme, 185, 193 
 Rodrigo, 233 
 Rojas, de, 221 
 Rome, 89, 137, 214 
 Ruiz Bartholomew, 25, 29, 35, 38, 
 
 41, 47, 48, 54, 70 
 Ruminavi, 194 
 
 Saavedra, 216 
 
 Salt Pans, 247 
 
 Sancbo Aquil, 212 
 
 Sancho, Pedro, 128 
 
 San Francisco, 176, 192 
 
 San Miguel, 90, 95, 98, 99, 100, 108, 
 148, 167, 169, 170, 176, 183, 194 
 
 Santiago, river, 220, 242 
 
 Sarabia, Juan de, 42, 45 
 
 Seville, Harbour of, 67, 68, 177 
 
 Soto, de, 79, So, 87, 88, 100, loi, 
 104, ng, 120, 121, 124, 125, 128, 
 133, 139, 146, 147, 14S, 176, 178, 
 183, 184, 188, 192, 193, 196, 197, 
 198, 199, 200, 201 
 
 Spain, 13, 65, 66, 67, 70, 75, 83, 
 89, 93, 98, 103, 140, 148, 173, 
 
 285
 
 The Conquerors of Peru 
 
 Spain — continued 
 
 177. 178, 188, 197, 209, 210, 211, 
 217, 235, 237, 242, 261, 280 
 
 Spagno, 179, 180 
 
 St Domingo, 249 
 
 St Jago, 198, 231, 277 
 
 St Matthew, 35 
 
 St Michael, Gulf of, 15, 21, 30 
 
 Tacamez, 39 
 
 Tafur, Don, 45-50, 52 
 
 Tangarala, 90 
 
 Tierra Ferme, 15 
 
 Topa, Paulo, 216 
 
 Toledo, 68, 177 
 
 Truxillo, 217, 224 
 
 Tubanama, 25 
 
 Tumaco, 26 
 
 Tumtaez, bay, 36, 54, 55, 60,61, 62, 
 
 63, 70, 71, 73-78, 81, 82, 85, 89, 
 
 126 
 
 Tumbez, Bishop of, 70 
 
 Uma, Villac, 216, 218, 220 
 Urcos, 230 
 
 Valverde, Fray Vincente de, 128, 
 131, 137, 149, 185, 190, 191, 193, 
 254, 259 
 
 Valdivia, Pedro de, 250 
 
 Vasco Nunez de Balboa, iS, 19,25,26 
 
 Vega, de la, 26, 144 
 
 Vego, Garcilasso de la, 128 
 
 Velasquez, Judge, 263 
 
 Villac, Uma, 216, 218, 220 
 
 Xauxa, 196, 201, 225, 232, 234, 253, 
 
 254, 259, 260 
 Xerez, 167 
 
 Zaran, 100, 116 
 Zerez, Don, 151
 
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