WRITE YOUR NAME IN Tttl.5 
 
 
 
 K IN -t-'JOK L^'O 
 
1' R I N T F. I > A N I ) 
 li N G RAVE D B Y 
 S U N S F. T PRESS 
 SAN FRANCISCO 
 
THE 
 
 Stories of El Dorado 
 
 BY 
 
 FRONA EUNICE WAfff' 
 
 Happiness is found only in El Dorado, which no 
 one yet has been able to reach. 
 
 Spanish Proverb 
 
 Copyrighted 1904, by Frona Eunice Wait 
 San Francisco, California 
 
This book is dedicated to dear little Jack 
 
 Morgan Gillespie, with the most affectionate 
 
 and sincere regards of his devoted friend, 
 
 FRONA EUNICE WAIT 
 
Bancroft Library 
 
 Preface 
 
 "It has only recently been recognized as a 
 
 fact," says Prof. A. F. Bandelier, "that on the 
 
 whole American continent, the mode of life of the 
 
 Q primitive inhabitants was formed on one socio- 
 
 ^ logical principle, and consequently the culture of 
 
 2 these peoples has varied, locally, only in degree, 
 
 not in kind. The religious principles were funda- 
 
 O mentally the same among the Sioux and the Bra- 
 
 D zilians, and physical causes more than anything 
 
 < else have been at the bottom of the local differ- 
 ences." Such has been my own experience in 
 
 Q studying the stories of El Dorado which form the 
 subject of this book, and in presenting a man a 
 culture hero who came by sea from the East, I am 
 justified by a more complete set of records than is 
 known to the superficial student. As this man's 
 
 - principles of life were the same, we are forced to 
 the conclusion that all the heroes were one concep- 
 tion, handed down by oral tradition, but widely 
 separated as to locality, by the lapse of time, by 
 migrations and commercial relations of the dif- 
 ferent tribes. 
 
 As to where these myths originated, or how 
 old they are, I have nothing to suggest, since in 
 presenting these simple variants, it is no concern of 
 mine. It is sufficient for my purpose to know that 
 they exist. To me they lend a dignity to our coun- 
 try by investing it with a misty past, replete with 
 a mythology as rich and sublime as that of any of 
 the races of antiquity. Not only will the study of 
 
6 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 them inspire patriotism and make us better 
 acquainted with the inner lives of the red men, but 
 it will tend to create an interest in our sister 
 republics which cannot fail to be of lasting practical 
 benefit. We know much more of Europeans than 
 we do of the peoples of this continent. 
 
 If mythology is to be taught in the schools at 
 all, surely our own should have consideration, and 
 in familiarizing ourselves with the traditions of 
 El Dorado, we shall have one more incentive for 
 higher living. We shall learn that the great souls 
 of the races that have preceded us, in the Americas, 
 have faced the same problems of life, which are 
 the heritage of our common humanity ; that within 
 its dark shadows they too have struggled, hoped, 
 and prayed. 
 
 No words incorporated into the English lan- 
 guage have been fraught with such stupendous con- 
 sequences as El Dorado. When the padres 
 attempted to tell the story of the Christ, the natives 
 exclaimed "El Dorado, " or what the imperfect 
 translations have made El Dorado the golden. 
 As the ignorant sailors and adventurers had been 
 kept from mutiny by Columbus' promise of gold, 
 it is no wonder that they seized upon the literal 
 meaning instead of the spiritual one. 
 
 The time, being that of Don Quixote and of 
 the Inquisition, accounts for the childish credulity 
 on one side and the unparalleled ferocity on the 
 other. The search for El Dorado, whether it was 
 believed to be a fabulous country of gold, or an 
 
PREFACE 7 
 
 inaccessible mountain, or a lake, or a city, or a 
 priest who anointed himself with a fragrant oil 
 and sprinkled his body with fine gold dust, must 
 always remain one of the blackest pages in the 
 history of the white race. The great heart of 
 humanity will ever ache with sympathy for the mel- 
 ancholy and pitiful end of the natives, who at the 
 time of the conquest of Mexico were confidently 
 expecting the return of the mild and gentle Quet- 
 zalcoatl, the Mexican variant of this universal 
 myth. None of the cruelties attributed to the 
 Indian had its origin in resistance to the acceptance 
 of a new faith. On the contrary he fought solely 
 in defense of his home, and from Patagonia to 
 Alaska was always willing to listen to the Christian 
 ideas of God and the hereafter. 
 
 I have devoted the first seven variants to the 
 original myth, while the others pertain to the tran- 
 sitions to, and misconceptions of, the name El 
 Dorado. A lust for gold acquired by conquest was 
 the underlying motive of the discoveries and explo- 
 rations made in the western hemisphere, and is the 
 beginning of all American history. We have uncon- 
 sciously added some variants to it in California, 
 where the mythical kingdom of Quivera became the 
 land of gold of the '49 eppch. El Dorado has long 
 been a household word for anything rich and 
 golden. 
 
 I begin by bringing the Golden Hearted from 
 an island in the east, the Tlapalla, from whence he 
 came, and to which he returned in the legend. In 
 
8 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 all variants he gave a distinct promise of return. 
 This accounts for the awe inspired by Europeans 
 in the minds of the natives, causing them every- 
 where to fall easy victims to the unscrupulous 
 adventurers swarming into their country. That 
 there should have been confusion seems unavoid- 
 able under the circumstances, but certainly Fate 
 never played a more cruel prank than to have one 
 race of men speak and act constantly from the 
 standpoint of tradition and religious belief, while 
 the other thought solely of material gain. 
 
 Only in Hiawatha and the Pueblo Montezuma 
 have I taken liberty with the original. The former 
 is based on the recent researches into Algonquin 
 and Chippewa myths of Michabo, the great White 
 Hare. In the Pueblo Montezuma I have followed 
 Prof. Bandelier as to the latest conceptions of the 
 Wrathy Chieftain. My authority for making the 
 Amazon Queens degenerate priestesses of the sun, 
 is J. A. Von Heuvel, the defender of Sir Walter 
 Raleigh's connection with the South American 
 version of the El Dorado legend. To Hubert Howe 
 Bancroft's abridgement of Father Sahagan's 
 translation of the Popol Vuh am I much indebted. 
 
 In all accessories I have utilized the products 
 or characteristics of localities visited by the myth- 
 ical hero, but have avoided investing him with a 
 religious character or surrounding him with 
 supernatural phenomena. It will be wise to make a 
 distinction between the purely mythical, and that 
 which led to history. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 THE HAPPY ISLAND 11 
 
 ZAMNA, THE EYE OF THE SUN 18 
 
 VOTAN, THE PEOPLE'S HEART 31 
 
 LOUD OF THE SACRED TUNKEL 39 
 
 THE STARS' BALL 45 
 
 THE NATIONAL BOOK 52 
 
 MANCO-CAPAC, THE POWERFUL ONE 61 
 
 BOCIITCA AND THE ZlPA 71 
 
 THE SONG OF HIAWATHA 78 
 
 MICH ABO, THE GREAT WHITE HARE 80 
 
 THE BIRTH OF CORN 90 
 
 THE WRATHY CHIEFTAIN 99 
 
 QUETZALCOATL, THE PLUMED SERPENT 109 
 
 CHOLULA, THE SACRED CITY 117 
 
 TULLA, THE HIDING NOOK OF THE SNAKE 125 
 
 DEPARTURE OF THE GOLDEN HEARTED 132 
 
 EL DORADO, THE GOLDEN 140 
 
 BIMINI, THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH 151 
 
 MONTEZUMA AND THE 1 J ABA 161 
 
 THE CHILD OF THE SUN 176 
 
 THE GILDED MAN 189 
 
 THE WHITE SEA OF THE MANOAS 197 
 
 THE MOUNTAIN OF GOLD 207 
 
 THE AMAZON QUEENS 219 
 
 THE SEVEN CITIES OF CIBOLA 228 
 
 THE KINGDOM OF QUIVERA 240 
 
 THE LAND OF GOLD 250 
 
 THE NEW EL DORADO 262 
 
 APPENDIX . 271 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 LEAVING THE HAPPY ISLAND (Drawing by Xavier Martinez) 17 
 "EACH STITCH MUST BE COUNTED" (Painting, The Weaver, 
 
 by Amadee Joullin) 21 
 
 THE BALL PLAYER (Drawing, Xavier Martinez) 30 
 
 "WHO ART THOU?" (Painting, Alexander Para, Mexico City) 35 
 "AN OLD-FASHIONED ALMANAC" (Photograph, Calendar 
 
 Stone, Mexico City) 48 
 
 "BEHOLD THE FIRST WORD" (Painting, The Hieroglyph 
 
 Maker, A. Joullin) 55 
 
 THE TAPIR (Tail-piece) 60 
 
 A SUSPENSION BRIDGE (Drawing by Xavier Martinez).... 64 
 "THE PEOPLE SHOUTED 'HAILLE'!" (Painting, The Sun 
 
 Worshippers, E. Narjot) 69 
 
 "THE FLOWER-LADEN BALSA" (Tail-piece) 77 
 
 "THE HOUSE OF WUNZII" (Tail-piece) 89 
 
 THE WRESTLING MATCH (Tail-piece) 93 
 
 "THE WRATHY CHIEFTAIN" (Painting by J. W. Clawson) .. 104 
 
 THE POTTERY MAKER (Drawing, X. Martinez) 107 
 
 "THE HUMMING-BIRD ALIGHTED" (Drawing, X. Martinez) .. Ill 
 
 "THE SNAKESKIN CANOE" (Drawing, X. Martinez) 124 
 
 "HERE Is MEDICINE FOR You" (Drawing, X. Martinez).. 129 
 
 "A SONG OF FAREWELL" (Drawing, X. Martinez) 137 
 
 THE TORCH BEARERS (Tail-piece) (Drawing, X. Martinez) 139 
 
 "ON, AND ON THE CARAVELS SAILED" (Official photograph) 147 
 
 "LAND! LAND AHEAD!" (Official photograph) 148 
 
 "THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH" (Drawing, X. Martinez).... 159 
 "THEIR NAKED BODIES HACKED TO PIECES" (Drawing, X. 
 
 Martinez) 185 
 
 DRYING INDIA RUBBER 201 
 
 "THE OLD WITCH, MONELLA 214 
 
 "A FLOWER OFFERING" (Sketch by X. Martinez) 224 
 
 "ONE OF THE SEVEN CITIES" (Sketch by X. Martinez) 235 
 
 "FRAY MARCOS" 239 
 
 "AN OLD COMMUNITY HOUSE" 249 
 
 "DISCOVERY OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY" (Painting, Arthur 
 
 Matthews, by courtesy of S. F. Art Association) 253 
 
 "A PRAIRIE SCHOONER" 261 
 
The Happy Island 
 
 LONG time ago there was a 
 beautiful island close by the 
 place in the east where the sun 
 rises. The sea was all around 
 it, and at noonday the sun in 
 the sky seemed to slant just 
 above it. Being near the equa- 
 tor and in a tropic clime the 
 winds were soft and warm and 
 full of the odor of sweet flowers. 
 Sometimes the sea was smooth 
 and clear as glass and then the 
 goldfish and sea mosses floated 
 near the surface and glittered in the sunlight. 
 
 At night the moon came out big and round like 
 a silver ball and the stars shone very clear because 
 there was no smoke nor fog in the air. In the moon- 
 light the queer little flying fish would jump up out 
 of the water and dart forth and back in the fun- 
 niest way as if they were playing some kind of 
 game. Their tiny wet wings glistened like silver 
 gauze, and, when everything else was still, made a 
 peculiar whirring sound by all flapping at once. 
 
 The beach was strewn with quantities of conch 
 and abalone shells, also other species of all shapes 
 and sizes and they were as dainty in color as it is 
 possible to imagine. The children of the Happy 
 Island often held the larger ones to their ears to 
 listen to the murmurs and complaints of the 
 insects and other forms of life living inside them. 
 This was only a fancy, but many sea shells do have 
 a soft musical cadence if we care to hear it. Some 
 
13 THE STORIES OE EL DOKADO 
 
 poets believe that they were the first musical 
 instruments, and that the inhabitants of the sea 
 send messages ashore in this manner. 
 
 The ferns grew almost as tall as the trees and 
 there were hundreds of birds skimming through 
 the air, or flitting through the branches singing 
 and chattering and having a very happy time. They 
 were not afraid because no one threw stones at 
 them or tried to frighten them. Everybody was 
 glad to see them put up their little bills and ruffle 
 up their throats in singing, or else spread out their 
 wings and splash water all over their backs while 
 they stood on a pebble or twig taking a morning 
 bath. The people said that when the birds were 
 twittering and chirping they were talking to each 
 other. When they were singing they were telling 
 God how thankful they were for the warm sunshine 
 and plenty to eat. 
 
 There was a wonderful city in the center of the 
 island named the City of the Golden Gates 
 because it was surrounded by a high wall of very 
 thick stones, with a great number of gates of gold 
 through which the animals and people passed in 
 and out. Here lived the Old Man of the Sea, as 
 the king was called, and his son was a beautiful 
 youth known as the Golden Hearted because he 
 was so gentle and kind. He was a swift runner and 
 could shoot well with a bow and arrow and was 
 strong enough to wrestle with a big man, but he 
 preferred to make gold ornaments and vessels for 
 his father and was often permitted to go into the 
 king's treasure house to watch the workmen polish 
 
THE HAPPY ISLAND 13 
 
 the precious gems which they found in great 
 abundance by digging into the mountains near the 
 city. 
 
 The people knew all about white and black 
 pearls and how to get them from the bed of the 
 ocean. In full sight of the island was a large reef 
 of pink and white coral and the young prince went 
 there many times to see the curious little insects 
 building their graceful, airy houses over some rock 
 hidden by the water. He sometimes imagined that 
 he heard the mermaids calling to him. What he 
 really did hear was the wind dashing the waves 
 in and out of the coral chambers as if it were deter- 
 mined to wash them away. The reef was an excel- 
 lent place to fish, and the Golden Hearted and 
 his companions had many a fine day's sport there 
 while the divers were searching for the pearl oys- 
 ters. He fished with a drag-net made by himself, 
 and he could let it out and haul it in again like a 
 regular sailor. He never killed any of the fish, and 
 the divers would not give him the pearls they found 
 because they were compelled to kill the oysters to 
 get them, and this they said made the pearls 
 unlucky and was the reason why they are round and 
 shining like tear drops. The miners brought him 
 all the emeralds they could find, because this was 
 the happiness-bringing stone. Its color is like 
 the soft grass in the springtime, and they wanted 
 him to be always young and have everything his 
 heart desired. 
 
 The royal gardens were his special care and 
 in them he was allowed to cultivate any kind of 
 
14 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 tree or plant or grain. Then from them he must 
 learn the names and habits of the trees producing 
 the best wood for building houses, what plants 
 were good to heal the sick, and all about the grains 
 useful for food either for man or animals. Every 
 flower that had a perfume grew in a separate part 
 of the garden, and those shedding their fragrance 
 at night only were in a bed by themselves. He was 
 required to know the difference between single and 
 double species and why there is such a difference 
 in the same family of plants. 
 
 Honey bees, big-winged butterflies, crickets 
 and beetles hid in the flowers or flew above them, 
 and these all taught a lesson to the young prince 
 who had no other books. The honey bee was an 
 industrious little fellow continually building a 
 piece of comb or else filling it with honey. The 
 butterfly, on the other hand, did not work at all but 
 changed from an ugly grub into a caterpillar and 
 finally into a gorgeous butterfly with spotted wings 
 and bright eyes. The king told his son that the 
 butterfly was like a soul the immortal part of 
 ourselves and he wished him to be as busy as the 
 bee, and to do no more harm to other creatures 
 than does the pretty butterfly. 
 
 The cricket was a cheerful, merry chap, usu- 
 ally singing at the top of his voice, and the beetle- 
 tried to push all of the dirt out of the garden. If 
 he found anything he did not like he would roll 
 and tumble with it, even if it were much bigger than 
 himself. This amused the Golden Hearted very 
 much, and when he grew tired of his own 
 
THE HAPPY ISLAND 15 
 
 occupations he would run out into the garden and 
 watch the beetles. 
 
 One day he went into the splendid throne- 
 room where his father was giving audience to some 
 wise old men who were foretelling what was 
 going to happen to the king and the people of the 
 Happy Island. They urged the king to send some 
 member of his household to the strange land over 
 the sea, toward the setting sun, where the people 
 were in barbarism. 
 
 The Golden Hearted was much interested and 
 thought here was an opportunity to do some good 
 for the weak and helpless. Springing forward he 
 said: 
 
 ' * Dear father, let me go. I am able to sail the 
 seas and am willing to devote my life to teaching 
 these poor people how to live like brothers. " 
 
 The king felt proud of the young prince, but 
 he loved him so dearly that it was hard to let him 
 go, and also hard to refuse such a noble, manly 
 request. 
 
 "Do you know, my son, this will entail a great 
 deal of hardship and self-denial?" he asked. 
 
 "Yes, father, but God intends us to earn all 
 the good things in life ; He will not give them to us 
 for nothing. That is His good law, which makes 
 us healthy, happy and wise three of the most 
 precious possessions in the world." 
 
 "Go, my Golden Heart, and may God bless 
 and keep you always," said the king. "Take a 
 green-throated humming-bird for your guide, and 
 when you find the land, journey on until you come 
 
16 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 to a place where a cactus grows at the base of a 
 rock and there is a golden eagle soaring in the air 
 above it. Halt there and found a city, and name 
 it in honor of the sun." 
 
 Then all the wise men begged to go with him, 
 and for days after there were great prepara- 
 tions made for the departure of the king 's son. At 
 daybreak one morning he set sail in a snake-skin 
 boat, and all the inhabitants came with the king to 
 throw flowers and emeralds into the sea because 
 they wished to show respect to the Golden Hearted. 
 It was their method of blessing him and wishing 
 him good luck. The whole shore line, as far as he 
 could see, was lighted up by bonfires where the 
 people burned resin and perfume to commemorate 
 his going. 
 
 At the water's edge stood the old sea king with 
 his long white hair and beard blowing in the wind. 
 By his side was a cream-white horse with three 
 plumes in the top of its bridle reins and a square, 
 red blanket edged with deep fringe on its back. 
 Crowns and moons and stars of gold and silver 
 were scattered over the blanket to show that the 
 horse belonged to the royal prince. Back of the 
 king was a long line of young warrior priests 
 mounted on white horses, with red blankets, and 
 carrying reversed spears in their hands. They 
 bowed their heads when the poor old father leaned 
 over on the horse's neck and cried as if his heart 
 would break as the boat with his only son in it 
 pushed off from the shore. Snatching a torch from 
 the hand of an attendant, the Golden Hearted 
 
THE HAPPY ISLAND 
 
 17 
 
 waved it on high. Fire with them was a symbol of 
 wisdom, and when the king saw it, he answered 
 the signal by waving a torch, and the warrior 
 priests flashed their spears in the bright sunlight, 
 and the people sent up a deafening shout. 
 
 This meant that they were willing to sacrifice 
 their future king for the good of a strange race of 
 men who needed a teacher to show them how to 
 cultivate the land and how to build cities and live 
 civilized. The people of the Happy Island would 
 not send a common man for a teacher. No, indeed ; 
 they gave the best they had their dearly loved 
 prince with the golden heart to help their less 
 fortunate neighbors. And he gave up all luxury 
 and comfort because he would rather be useful, 
 than live in ease as a king. The name of the island 
 was Atlantis, and the new country was our own 
 America. 
 
 LEAVING THE HAPPY ISLAND 
 
Zamna, the Eye of the Sun 
 
 THERE ! Who comes to us in 
 a canoe ! ' ' cried the people in the 
 strange land when the Golden 
 Hearted and the wise men 
 arrived from the Happy Island. 
 Many of the natives ran away 
 and others hid in the bushes 
 because they were afraid they 
 were going to be killed. None 
 of them were ever so badly frightened in their 
 lives, and none had ever seen white men before. 
 ' * Do you come to fight us ? Are you warriors ? ' ' 
 they asked. 
 
 "I am your friend, not your foe," answered 
 the young prince kindly, and holding a white flag 
 high over his head. "To be a warrior is to have 
 been in many battles, and I never marched a day 
 under the banner of the king, my father. I come 
 wholly in peace." 
 
 "He is only a lad. Surely we need not fear 
 him," said the people coming back to crowd 
 around him on shore and to examine his boat and 
 clothes with much curiosity. "Why, then, are you 
 here?" they finally asked. 
 
ZAMNA, THE EYE OF THE SUN 19 
 
 * ' I am sent by my father to teach you the Good 
 Law." 
 
 "We already know how to shoot an arrow 
 through the heart of an eagle. We have taken many 
 captives in battle, and are a scourge to our ene- 
 mies, ' ' they answered proudly. They were still sus- 
 picious of their visitors. 
 
 "You crush a worm without mercy, never 
 thinking it has the same right to live as you have, 
 and that in itself it is more wonderful than all these 
 things," said the Golden Hearted, reprovingly. 
 
 The natives were greatly astonished. Never 
 had they heard any one speak like this, and they 
 could not imagine what sort of young man he was. 
 If he did not like the chase, and was not a warrior, 
 and did not believe in killing things, they could 
 not understand him at all. 
 
 "What do you mean by the Good Law? What 
 is it anyhow?" 
 
 "It is to be gentle and kind to all creatures, 
 and to treat your neighbor as if he were your 
 brother. You must be just to the plant, to the bull, 
 to the horse and to the dog. The earth too has a 
 right to be cultivated. Neglect it, and it will curse 
 you; fertilize it, and it will show gratitude in a 
 thousand ways. May your fields bring forth all that 
 is good to eat, and may your countless villages 
 abound with prosperity. ' ' 
 
 The Golden Hearted was so modest and sin- 
 cere in speech and so well mannered that they were 
 pleased with him, and were beginning to feel quite 
 
20 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 friendly. The wise men also said many nice things 
 to them and did all they could to make the situation 
 pleasant. 
 
 To show appreciation and to welcome the 
 young prince, the natives gave him a handful of 
 fireflies, because light with them was a symbol of 
 order, peace and virtue. This was a delicate, 
 pretty compliment and so delighted the Golden 
 Hearted that he scattered them all over his head. 
 When they lit in his soft, wavy, yellow hair, their 
 bulging eyes and gauzy wings sparkled like dia- 
 monds and they did not try to fly away because 
 he sang to them : 
 
 "Firefly, firefly ! bright little thing, 
 Light me to bed and my song I will sing. 
 Give me your light as you fly o'er my head 
 That I may merrily go to my bed. 
 Give me your light o'er the grass as you creep 
 That I may joyfully go to my sleep. 
 Come little firefly, come little beast, 
 Come and I'll make you tomorrow a feast; 
 Come, little candle, that flies as I sing, 
 Bright little fairy bug Night's little king. 
 Come, and I'll dance as you guide me along, 
 Come, and I '11 pay you, my bug, with a song." 
 Each fly has four spots, one back of each eye 
 and under each wing w T hich it can make as bright 
 as candle light when it chooses. Its body is about 
 an inch and a half long. 
 
 When the prince put the fireflies in his hair, 
 the natives present touched the ground with their 
 
22 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 right hands and placed them over their hearts in 
 token of respect. He, in turn, gave them the white 
 flag he carried because it was an emblem of peace, 
 friendship, happiness and prosperity, as well as 
 purity and holiness, and he intended to bring them 
 all of these things. 
 
 "What is your wish!" asked the natives of 
 each of the wise men. 
 
 "We desire to bathe in the warm surf of these 
 shores and then to make a thank offering for our 
 safe arrival and your kindly greeting," they 
 answered. 
 
 Criers with shrill trumpets and drums ran 
 up and down the beach to call in the fishing boats. 
 
 "The men wearing skirts are coming into the 
 sea," they shouted, and the Golden Hearted and 
 his followers looked at each other with a smile 
 when they heard what the criers said. The natives 
 wore only breech clouts and feather and shell 
 ornaments, much like the Indians of today. Never 
 before had they seen men wearing long white robes, 
 beards and high-crowned hats without rims, and 
 having a square black cloth hanging over the 
 shoulders in the back like a veil. 
 
 "Is there something else needed to make you 
 more content and comfortable ? ' ' asked the criers 
 when the fishermen had all come ashore. 
 
 "We need wood and stones to build an altar 
 for our sacrifice," replied the Golden Hearted. 
 
 While the newcomers were splashing in the 
 surf, the porters brought arms full of wood, and 
 
ZAMA T A, THE EYE OF THE SUX 23 
 
 stones large and small and piled them near the 
 boat and waited to see what the visitors would do 
 with them. 
 
 "Why do you wear skirts like women?" they 
 next inquired, as the bathers were putting on their 
 robes after a long swim. 
 
 "Because we work for humanity," said the 
 young prince. "No man is really great who has not 
 developed a woman's tenderness in his heart, and 
 that our fellows may know that we have this qual- 
 ity, we wear skirts and robes." 
 
 This is why in our day the king and priest 
 and judge wear long gowns. The king rules men, 
 women and children alike; the judge administers 
 the law for all of them, and the minister prays for 
 the good as well as the bad. For this reason we 
 should respect their robes when we see them. 
 
 The natives did not know the name of the 
 young prince but when they saw him take a piece 
 of mica and hold it over a bit of cotton until the sun 
 set it on fire, they exclaimed * ' Zamna ! ' ' meaning 
 * ' Eye of the Sun, ' ' and this was what they called 
 him while he lived in that country. The wise men 
 had placed some copal on top of the altar they had 
 made of wood and stone and it was not long before 
 the cotton and copal began to burn. As it did so, 
 the Golden Hearted pointed with his finger to a ray 
 of the midday sun. First he and his followers held 
 their arms high overhead, then they sat in a squat- 
 ting position and recited all the incidents of their 
 journey. Finally they all prostrated themselves 
 
24 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 on the ground and returned thanks for their safety 
 and good health. Rising to their feet, the wise 
 men began to chant with bared heads and faces 
 > turned toward the east. 
 
 The natives thought this a very strange per- 
 formance and debated among themselves whether 
 it could be part of the Good Law they were soon 
 to learn. 
 
 "Do you come to destroy our old faiths, and 
 to bring us a new god!" they asked as the wood 
 on the altar burned low and the chanting ceased. 
 
 "To attack any form of worship is like fight- 
 ing darkness with a stick. The only way to over- 
 come the blackness of night dwelling in men's 
 hearts is to kindle a light and the light of the 
 world is love," responded the Golden Hearted as 
 he slipped his arm through that of the native who 
 had asked him the question. "I did not come to 
 quarrel with you. I want you to think of me as a 
 brother ready and willing to serve you always. In 
 my father's kingdom, the man who serves faithfully 
 in any capacity is the one most honored. Take this 
 cross to the chief of your village and say to him 
 that He who is the Dew of Heaven, Lord of the 
 Dawn, and of the Four Winds, sends his only son 
 with a message of peace and good will to all his 
 people. Show him the red hand painted in the 
 center and tell him that it is not meant to convey 
 strength, power and mastery, but that it is raised 
 thus as an act of supplication." 
 
 As the swiftest courier in the group was gird- 
 ing a red sash tightly around his waist making 
 
ZAMNA, THE EYE OF THE SUN 25 
 
 ready for a quick run, the fishermen came up from 
 their huts and invited the travelers to come and 
 share their humble noonday meal. The Golden 
 Hearted was glad to accept the extended hospital- 
 ity, not because he had no provisions of his own, 
 but because he valued their good opinion and was 
 ready to do whatever he thought would please 
 them. 
 
 They were a gentle, kindly folk, these simple 
 fishermen. Not only were they industrious, but 
 they were polite and reverential to their superiors 
 and as happy as a lot of children when they found 
 the strange prince under their roof. In all the 
 after years they would have been willing to die for 
 him. 
 
 The wise men of his company were so strict in 
 their habits that they refused to eat the flesh of any 
 animal, and their simple meal was soon finished. 
 But while every one else was at the table they per- 
 formed a sacred dance in a pompous and solemn 
 style, circling around the Golden Hearted who sat 
 by himself. They had green palms in their hands 
 and every once in a while they would bow to the 
 prince. In a peculiar sing-song way they chanted 
 a long poem telling about the history of the Happy 
 Island. 
 
 Imagine how funny they must have looked 
 whirling round and round with their long robes, 
 black veils and wide sleeves filled with the wind. 
 They kept on their high hats and with their long 
 beards and hair flying in every direction, it was no 
 
26 THE STORIES OE EL DOEADO 
 
 wonder that the fishermen and other people 
 laughed and thought it was some kind of game. 
 The dancers were not at all offended, and when 
 the natives asked if they know how to play ball, 
 they answered good naturedly: 
 
 "No, but we would like very much to learn. M 
 
 "Come out here into the alley and we will 
 teach you. By and by you may give us lessons in 
 many things, but we are go : ng to give you the 
 first one." 
 
 Then they all laughed, a^d so did the young 
 prince and the wise old men. 
 
 The alley where they played ball was one hun- 
 dred feet long and had smooth, white-washed walls 
 about twelve feet high in the center, but lower at 
 each end where there was a ^ectangular nook for 
 the players to rest. The walls were quite thick at 
 the base but tapered toward the top which was 
 finished with battlements and turrets. 
 
 Before the game began, the oldest player 
 among them threw the small, solid, India-rubber 
 ball four times around the alley muttering some 
 words to himself all the time. The owner of the 
 ground made the old man a trifling present, and 
 then the game began in good earnest. 
 
 The rule was to hit the ball only with the knee, 
 elbow or shoulder, not with the hands nor feet. The 
 wise men with their long gowns and veils had a 
 hard time keeping up with th< native players, who 
 wore very little clothing and were quick and sure 
 footed. Two on each side played at a time, and 
 
ZAMNA, THE EYE OF THE SUN 27 
 
 the great point was to send the ball against the 
 opposite wall or else over it is often as possible 
 without allowing it to touch the ground. There 
 were two referees; one being the Golden Hearted 
 and the other, the oldest player. 
 
 Everybody shouted and laughed at the clumsy 
 playing of the wise men who tried ever so hard to 
 imitate the things they saw tho others doing. It was 
 a great effort for them and they panted and blowed 
 as they ran. Very often the^ tumbled heels over 
 head by stepping on their skirts in front. Then 
 they would all go down together in a heap, one on 
 top of the other, and the refero^s would have much 
 to do before they could get them all straightened 
 out again. It was jolly good fun, but required con- 
 siderable time and patience even for an expert 
 player to send the ball over the wall with either his 
 elbow, knee or shoulder. 
 
 In the center of the wal 1 on each side was a 
 huge stone carved with images, having a hole in 
 the center barely big enough for the ball to go 
 through. Whoever was skilful enough to make a 
 drive through one of them, not only won the game 
 for his side, but was entitled to the cloaks of all 
 those present. Of course, this was a very difficult 
 feat to accomplish and made quite a hero of the 
 man who succeeded, so every player tried for the 
 honor. 
 
 This day the young native who first hailed the 
 Golden Hearted when he landed, by a lucky toss of 
 the elbow sent the ball flying through the hole on 
 
28 THE STORIES OF EL DOKADO 
 
 the wise men's side. In a moment the spectators 
 scrambled down from their seats and ran away as 
 fast as they could go. The wise men stood looking 
 after them in wide-eyed astonishment, and before 
 they had time to get out of the alley the victor 
 stripped them of their veils and then their tall hats 
 looked like a piece of stove pipe with a cover over 
 one end of it. 
 
 The Golden Hearted insisted that each man 
 should give back whatever he had won in a bet on 
 the game, and for each loss of this kind he gave 
 both winner and loser a present, and promised to 
 teach their sons and daughters how to weave cloth 
 having figures in it. In such a way he taught them 
 how to count, and to this day they have no other 
 method of reproducing a pattern perfectly. Each 
 stitch must be counted and only a certain number 
 of each color put in, and all this must be carried in 
 the head. The weavers are not allowed to write it 
 down. 
 
 At nightfall the runners came in breathless 
 with haste to say that the chief of the village was 
 sending a councilor and official guide to welcome 
 and escort the strange white men to his dwelling. 
 But the Golden Hearted was not in a hurry to leave 
 the fishermen and common people with whom he 
 had spent the day, except for a short visit. When 
 he returned he taught them how to make sun-dried 
 bricks with which to build houses, also to shape the 
 round water jars of brown pottery and how to 
 ornament them and the gourds they drank from. 
 
ZAMNA, THE EYE OF THE SUN 29 
 
 The wise men assisted him in all this, and in time, 
 the natives not only built comfortable houses for 
 themselves but learned how to fashion many pretty 
 designs of cornices and wall decorations out of 
 stucco which they tinted many colors. 
 
 The first thing he did when he went to the vil- 
 lage was to make the chief king, and then he 
 ordered some of the wise men who were architects 
 and engineers to lay out a splendid city and help 
 the natives to build it. Before he came there were 
 nothing but trails from one part of the country to 
 the other and the simple tradesmen did not know 
 how to exchange their wares. The Golden Hearted 
 became the patron of the builders and traders and 
 lived many years with the people of Aztlan. 
 
 While in that country, he occupied himself with 
 the building of a sacred temple dedicated to those 
 who served the Good Law. It had four beautiful 
 halls facing the four cardinal points of the com- 
 pass. That on the east was the Hall of Gold and 
 its walls were almost covered with plates of the 
 precious rretal having delicately-chased pictures 
 over its shining surface. To the west w T as the Hall 
 of Emeralds arid Turquoises where many gems 
 were studded into the plaster. Tho south hall was 
 finished in silver while the northern hall was made 
 of jasper stuck with colored shells in curious pat- 
 terns. In each room there was a tapestry of yellow, 
 blue, white and red feather mosaic that was as fine 
 as a painting and in some cases perfectly repre- 
 sented men and animals. In front of the main 
 
30 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 entrance for many years stood a winged lion cut out 
 of granite holding an image of the Golden Hearted 
 in his mouth. 
 
 The name of the city was Mayapan and the 
 king who had been merely a village chief was the 
 celebrated Cocomes of the olden times. 
 
 THE BALL PLAYER 
 
Votan, the People's Heart 
 
 NE evening the Golden Hearted 
 saw a ball of fire rise in the 
 East just about where the 
 Happy Island was located, 
 and it followed the course of 
 the sun. Then he knew it was 
 time for him to take some of 
 the wise men and go into a 
 new place, so he lay awake 
 long into the night and 
 thought how best to begin to get ready. He 
 knew the people loved him very much, but he 
 remembered his oath to his father, the king, and 
 though he was sad at heart, he determined to leave 
 the next day but one. He had not yet spoken to 
 anybody about his intention, but it must have been 
 right else it would not have happened that a whole 
 lot more wise men came to the city that very day. 
 ' * Now, ' ' he said to himself, ' ' I can leave these 
 wise men to help the poor natives, and I will take 
 seven of their families with me." 
 
 Seeing that it was daybreak and the sun about 
 to rise, the Golden Hearted sprang out of bed and 
 hastily washing his face and hands, threw the win- 
 dow wide open and lifting his arms high overhead 
 said: 
 
 "Hail! Beauty of the Day! Homage to thee 
 who riseth above the horizon. I come near to thee. 
 
32 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 Thou openest the gates of another day. Great 
 Illuminator out of the golden, place thyself as a 
 protector behind me. Guide and keep me safe on 
 the journey that 1 am about to undertake. 
 
 Then he dressed himself as quickly as possible 
 and went out to find the wise men and tell them 
 what he was going to do. They were willing to 
 go with him, but King Cocomes was greatly disap- 
 pointed, though he felt more contented when the 
 Golden Hearted promised to come back again. 
 
 "Quiet thy heart, great king, and trust in my 
 love," was what the young prince said to him. 
 
 The travelers had to pass through the country 
 of the Quinames who were a very wild people. They 
 went about naked with long matted hair hanging 
 over their shoulders, and they ate raw meat, fruits 
 and herbs. They knew nothing about cooking, but 
 could make pulque, a kind of beer, out of maguey 
 plant, a cousin of the cactus family. On this they 
 often got very drunk. Then they were fierce and 
 quarrelsome. At all times these people were proud 
 of their strength and cunning in battle and in 
 hunting the ferocious beasts roaming over the hills 
 and plains. The Quinames were really a dreadful 
 set of men, but the Golden Hearted was not afraid 
 of them. He heard all kinds of stories about their 
 cruelty and savage ways of living, but he went 
 quietly among them and parceled out the land and 
 showed them how to cultivate it. The Quinames 
 lived entirely by hunting and fishing and had no 
 houses. When one place did not suit them any 
 
VOTAN, THE PEOPLE'S HEART 33 
 
 longer, they moved to another, and would never 
 have learned how to live civilized except for the 
 coming of the prince and the wise men. 
 
 And what a terrible journey it was! It was 
 in a tropic country where there was so much warm 
 rain that everything grew rank and luxuriant. For 
 whole days the Golden Hearted marched in the 
 shadow of ferns as big as trees and the ground 
 was covered with briers and nettles. Sometimes 
 he had to go around muddy swamps or right 
 through bushes filled with snakes. Then, too, he 
 had to swim across wide rivers and climb steep, 
 rocky mountains. In the tangled leaves and vines 
 hundreds of parrots screamed and screeched at 
 them, while on all sides the monkeys threw sticks 
 from the branches of the trees. Gnats and other 
 poisonous insects stung his hands and face. 
 
 He traveled like this many days. Whenever 
 he went into camp, the Golden Hearted would 
 invite the Quinames to dine with him in order that 
 he might teach them how to eat cooked food out 
 of dishes. They could not understand the use of 
 cups and basins, because they drank out of cocoa- 
 nut shells and had never seen a napkin or table- 
 cloth. They had always been in the habit of taking 
 the food in their fingers and pulling it apart, and 
 were not very nice about keeping their hands clean 
 either. 
 
 Of course, all this was very disagreeable to the 
 Golden Hearted, but he was as patient and kind as 
 possible and those fierce Quinames would not have 
 
34 THE STOEIES OF EL DOKADO 
 
 harmed a hair in his head. When they asked him 
 where he was going he always answered, ' ' To seek 
 my brothers, the Culebra, of whom thou shalt know 
 more by and by. ' ' 
 
 "And from where contest thou!" 
 
 "From the mountain of Little Descent, and 
 where I tarry, there will I build Nachan, the city 
 of Serpents." 
 
 The ignorant barbarians did not know that 
 the word serpent meant wisdom in the language of 
 the Happy Island, but the wise men were much 
 pleased because they knew that this city was to be 
 a great seat of learning and that they would have 
 charge of the temples and schools when it was 
 completed. 
 
 "Who art thou and thy followers!" was often 
 asked of them on the way. 
 
 ' t We are Chanes and the sons of Chanes, ' ' but 
 this did not mean anything to the savages either, 
 because they did not know that "Chane" was the 
 name of the wise men in their own country. 
 
 One day a culprit was brought before the 
 Golden Hearted accused of stealing a curious look- 
 ing stick with yellow grains fastened all around it. 
 The Quinames said it was good food and they 
 pulled off its green wrappings and held it before 
 the fire until it was browned and then ate it. The 
 Golden Hearted and the wise men had never seen 
 this plant before and were very much interested in 
 their discovery. But they did not think it well to 
 say so. 
 
36 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "Dost thou say this man is a thief !" asked 
 the Golden Hearted. 
 
 1 i Yes, yes ; we knew where the bush grew, but 
 we were waiting until it should be more yellow 
 before giving it to thee, ' ' said the captors. 
 
 i i I will prove thee, ' ' said the Golden Hearted 
 to the accused. He took a piece of finely-polished 
 black stone from his breast pocket and held it up 
 before the prisoner saying, "Look into its shining 
 face and beholding thine own image, swear by the 
 Heart of Heaven to speak the truth. ' ' 
 
 The poor savage nearly died of fright when 
 he saw himself because he thought it was an omen 
 of instant death. He quaked and trembled and his 
 eyes were as big and round as walnuts. 
 
 < < From whence came this goodly seed ? ' ' asked 
 the Golden Hearted kindly. 
 
 "From the edge of the wood where a silver 
 band of water rots an old tree," answered the man, 
 still pallid with fear. 
 
 * ' Take thy share, and leave me what thy accus- 
 ers intended for me. ' ' 
 
 The prisoner stared at him stupidly for a 
 moment then his better nature spoke and he took 
 only one grain, and would have fled into the jungle 
 if the Golden Hearted had not caught him by the 
 mantle. 
 
 "Look again into the mirror of truth." 
 
 This time the savage was not so afraid and he 
 gazed curiously at the stone for some time. Its sur- 
 face was perfectly blank. 
 
VOTAN, THE PEOPLE'S HEAKT 37 
 
 "Tell me what thou seest?" 
 
 " Nothing hut its own dark face speaks to the 
 eye of thy servant," responded the accused. 
 
 ''Then know, my brothers," said the Golden 
 Hearted turning to the astonished Quinames, ' ' this 
 man is innocent and must go free." 
 
 ' ' Thou art welcome to my life, ' ' exclaimed the 
 accused joyfully ; ' ' thou hast saved it and it is thine 
 to command." 
 
 "Use it to perfect the growth of this strange 
 seed so that thy fellows and all grain-eating crea- 
 tures may profit hy thy labors. ' ' 
 
 The grain found in this manner is known to 
 the people of that country to-day as maize. We 
 call it Indian corn. 
 
 When the wise men heard about it, they beg- 
 ged the Golden Hearted to let them build a white 
 house where any one accused of crime would be 
 safe until the judges could decide whether they 
 were guilty or not. The prince thought it was a 
 very good plan and said : 
 
 i 1 1 will put the black stone in it and will make 
 a law that no man shall be called guilty if the sur- 
 face of the stone does not change when he is made 
 to look into it. And to commemorate our safe 
 passage through this wild country, I will order 
 several white houses built, and each one shall be 
 called Refuges Against Fear." 
 
 In those days no one seemed to think it was 
 wrong to kill a person who was said to be a 
 thief or had done anything his neighbors did not 
 
38 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 like, so it was very necessary for the Golden 
 Hearted to teach them to be just to each other. He 
 told the Quinames that they must be sure about a 
 thing before they acted harshly, and he cautioned 
 them to be careful about believing or repeat- 
 ing unkind remarks they heard. It was quite a long 
 time before the Quinames would even try to do this, 
 but finally they helped to build the houses and 
 were honorable enough not to harm any one once 
 inside the walls. Many a useful life was saved in 
 this manner, but sometimes a poor refugee was 
 overtaken and beaten to death with clubs before 
 reaching the house. 
 
 Because the Golden Hearted succeeded in per- 
 suading the warlike Quinames to live peaceably 
 with their neighbors and to treat each other well, 
 he was called in that and many other countries, 
 Votan, The People's Heart, to distinguish him 
 from the Heart of Heaven which was their name 
 for God. His was truly a great work because it 
 was done without a selfish motive and for no 
 reward except the good of his fellow men. 
 
Lord of the Sacred Tunkel 
 
 one living can tell how many 
 (years ago it was that the Golden 
 Hearted built Nachan, the city 
 of wise men, nor how many years 
 it took to do the work, but it has 
 always been said to be a very 
 beautiful place. Anyhow, it was 
 after he left the Quinames, and it was 
 in a country very much more civilized. 
 The Golden Hearted had many 
 happy days there. 
 
 Even if he was a grown man and a 
 great prince, he was very fond of 
 children and one day he visited the 
 Temple of the Sun where the pupils from 
 school were having a holiday. They all 
 had on their best clothes, and their faces 
 and hands were clean, but they were 
 shouting, and singing and playing games, very 
 much like the boys and girls we know. They 
 felt sure that the Golden Hearted was their good 
 friend and when they saw him coming they ran 
 out into the courtyard and crowded around him 
 as thick as flies. 
 
40 THE STOKIES OF EL DOKADO 
 
 ' ' A story ! a story ! ' ' they said ; ' * Please, good 
 Prince, tell us a story. " 
 
 "What shall it be about?" asked the Golden 
 Hearted with a pleasant smile. 
 
 ' ' Something very perfect and beautiful, ' ' they 
 said. 
 
 ' ' Let me think what we have in the world that 
 is both perfect and beautiful. Which would you 
 prefer, something man has made, or that God has 
 made?" 
 
 The children were very much puzzled to know 
 which to choose. They tried hard to think what 
 man had made that was without any faults and 
 could not be imitated or improved, either in 
 appearance or quality, but they were not satisfied 
 with anything. Then they began to think about 
 the trees, the flowers, the precious stones, the sky 
 and the sea, and were getting more and more con- 
 fused all the time when the Golden Hearted 
 laughed and said: 
 
 "I will tell you what we will do. We will 
 send for the wise men and ask them to choose. ' ' 
 
 The wise men thought it was great fun, so 
 they hurried as fast as they could and were quite 
 out of breath when they got near enough to speak 
 to the Golden Hearted. 
 
 "Tell me something you know in the world 
 that is both perfect and beautiful, ' ' he said to the 
 wise man who had charge of the Temple of the 
 Sun, and was first to arrive. 
 
 "The great, blazing, glorious sun, 77 he replied. 
 
LORD OF THE SACKED TUNKEL 41 
 
 "None but God could have made it, and we adore 
 it and sacrifice to it because it is the mask behind 
 which God hides His ever-smiling face." 
 
 Many of the children shaded their eyes with 
 their hands and took a quick look at the sun over- 
 head, and thought that was a good answer. 
 
 "What do you know in the world that is both 
 perfect and beautiful!" asked the prince of the 
 next comer, who was a man wise in the art of work- 
 ing metals. He had not heard the first answer, 
 but, without stopping a minute to think, said : 
 
 "Gold; because it is like the substance of the 
 sun and cannot be made by putting any metals 
 together nor by any mixture of chemicals." 
 
 The Golden Hearted knew that was a cor- 
 rect answer but he wanted the children to be sat- 
 isfied, and he was not sure that all of them under- 
 stood it. 
 
 "Do you know that way down in the earth 
 gold is created, and yet it is shining and bright 
 and yellow like the light of the sun! This accounts 
 for its beauty, and it is perfect because it is abso- 
 lutely pure in itself." 
 
 The next man that came along was wise, but he 
 looked like a farmer. 
 
 "What have you seen in your life that cannot 
 be improved or made prettier ! ' ' 
 
 "Wheat," was his quick reply, "because it 
 is not a blend of any of the grains or grasses but 
 grows out of the ground perfect. It is beautiful in 
 every phase of its life whether it waves in the wind 
 
42 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 like a sea of emeralds or ripens into great sheaves 
 of gold, or its plump grains tempt you to satisfy 
 hunger. It is the best friend man has,- and it would 
 be very hard for him to live without it. ' ' 
 
 That was such a sensible answer, that the 
 children all clapped their hands with delight 
 because they knew at once that it was correct. Just 
 then the Golden Hearted looked up and saw one 
 of his best perfumers in the group of wise men. 
 
 "Will you give us an answer to this ques- 
 tion!" he asked. 
 
 "I should differ from all the others" began 
 the man. 
 
 "Never mind, tell us what in your line is the 
 most perfect and beautiful thing you know." 
 
 "A jasmine blossom," replied the perfumer, 
 "because its delicate odor cannot be imitated no 
 matter what combination of oils or extracts we 
 make. I cannot say that of any other flower in the 
 world." 
 
 The children could have answered that ques- 
 tion themselves if they had only thought quickly 
 enough. They were quite familiar with the dainty 
 little white flowers and tender vine of the jasmine 
 as well as its sweet smell, because it grew wild in 
 their country. 
 
 While the perfumer was talking, the Golden 
 Hearted picked up a shining pebble near his feet. 
 
 "Now, children," he said, "in this small 
 rough stone I find something perfect and beautiful. 
 It is an opal, the only one of the precious gems I 
 
LORD OF THE SACRED TUNKEL 43 
 
 do not know how to counterfeit. Join hands, as 
 many of you as can, and dance around me while 
 I sing you a song about the birth of the opal. One 
 of the wise men gave him a Sacred Tunkel, a kind 
 of guitar which he brought from the Temple of 
 the Sun, and this was what he sang : 
 
 The Birth of the Opal 
 
 A dew drop came with a spark of flame 
 He had caught from the sun's last rays 
 
 To a violet's breast, where he lay at rest 
 Till the hours brought back the day. 
 
 The rose looked down with a blush and a frown 
 But she smiled all at once to view 
 
 Her own bright form with its coloring warm 
 Reflected back by the dew. 
 
 Then the stranger took a stolen look 
 
 At the sky so soft and blue, 
 And a leaflet green with its silver sheen 
 
 Was seen by the idler too. 
 
 A cold north wind, as he thus reclined, 
 
 Of a sudden raged around, 
 And a maiden fair, who was walking there 
 
 Next morning an opal found. 
 
 Some of the pupils were inclined to think that 
 the singing of the Golden Hearted was the most 
 perfect and beautiful they had ever heard and they 
 all liked to listen to the low plaintive notes of the 
 
44 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 Tunkel. Those that could not take part in the 
 dance gathered around their teachers and asked: 
 
 "What shall we do to honor the good prince 
 and show him how much we appreciate his efforts 
 to amuse and please us?" 
 
 "Ask him to allow you to answer your own 
 question/' they said, "and then tell him some- 
 thing about your feathered friends. Have you for- 
 gotten the hermit of the woods with its rainbow 
 plumes three feet long and its gay scarlet breast ? ' ' 
 
 The name of this bird is the Quetzal, and it 
 lives on the high mountain tops all alone and is 
 only about the size of a pigeon. 
 
 When the Golden Hearted finished singing 
 and the dancers were all standing still, a bright- 
 faced boy approached and said, ' * We have an 
 answer to our own question, good prince." 
 
 "Say on, my little man, I am listening to 
 you." 
 
 i l It is the Quetzal, the rarest bird in the world, 
 and the most perfect and beautiful of all feath- 
 ered creatures. With its brilliant luster plumes 
 I crown you Lord of the Sacred Tunkel, as a 
 reward for your sweet singing. May the children 
 of every land know and love you as we do." 
 
 The Golden Hearted was much surprised and 
 pleased with his new crown and ever after wore 
 the feathers of the Quetzal in his head dress. So 
 long as he remained in Nachan, he was called the 
 Lord of the Sacred Tunkel because he could play 
 so well upon this queerly-shaped guitar. 
 
The Stars' Ball 
 
 was not so very long after the 
 children had crowned him Lord 
 of the Sacred Tunkel until the 
 Golden Hearted planned to have 
 them all with him again. He 
 made up his mind to spend his 
 lifetime teaching because he 
 thought that was the most 
 useful thing he could do, but he was determined 
 to make the lessons for the children as pleasant 
 as possible. He and the wise men taught the 
 older people how to divide the days into weeks, 
 months and years, and how to make a calendar, and 
 all about the sun and the moon and the stars, but 
 this was too hard for the children. So he decided 
 to take them up on the roof of the Temple of the 
 Sun in the moonlight and tell them some simple 
 pretty story about the sky at night. 
 
 In that country, the houses were built with 
 flat roofs covered with red tiles, and there was 
 either a ladder or a winding staircase from the 
 ground, so it was not much trouble to get up on 
 the roof. In fact, many of the dwellings had 
 beautiful potted plants up there, and it was really 
 a pleasant place to go of a warm summer even- 
 ing. This night there was not a breath of air, and 
 the children did not need anything on their heads 
 
46 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 nor any wraps. Only around the lower edges of 
 the sky were there clouds and these were soft and 
 white like big piles of cotton. The whole heavens 
 looked like a bright blue veil thickly sprinkled 
 with diamonds. It was very still and quiet and 
 there were so many flowers in bloom that the very 
 atmosphere was fragrant with them. In the mill 
 pond close by the frogs croaked, and around the 
 eaves of the houses the crickets and katydids were 
 singing an evening hymn. 
 
 It was just a lovely night to go out and nearly 
 every one was in the street. The doors and win- 
 dows were wide open, and the people went about 
 bareheaded and laughed and chatted to their 
 heart's content. 
 
 "The goodness of this perfect night be upon 
 my little friends," said the prince, when he came 
 up on the roof of the Temple and found a lot of 
 children he knew. "I have invited you to witness 
 the stars ' ball to-night, but before we begin, I must 
 introduce you to the most prominent ones." 
 
 Then he pointed out the milky way with its 
 millions of stars that looked like little pin heads 
 in a band of light because they were so far away. 
 Below the handle of the big dipper, and off to one 
 side was the north star. Jupiter with his broad 
 dark bands and tiny moons was there, and so was 
 Saturn with his three rings. Over in another place 
 was Mars twinkling and batting his eyes as if he 
 wanted to fight something. The Dog Star was 
 still lower down and quite by himself. 
 
THE STARS' BALL 47 
 
 "I will first make you acquainted with the 
 big-faced, silver moon,' 7 said the prince. "She 
 is sailing along as if she were in a great hurry, 
 but there will be time enough for you to see the 
 man up there if you look sharp about it." 
 
 The children knew there was not a surely man 
 in the moon so they all laughed and clapped their 
 hands and then threw kisses at the beautiful queen 
 of the night. 
 
 "I cannot show you Mercury, the messenger 
 of the sun, because he is such a sleepy head he has 
 already gone to bed. He never stays up long after 
 the sun goes down, but he is an industrious little 
 fellow and often gets up first in the morning. " 
 
 The children thought that was a very funny 
 way to speak of a star, but they saw the prince was 
 in a good humor and they enjoyed listening to 
 what he said. 
 
 "Venus is our evening star," he continued, 
 pointing to the brightest object in the western sky, 
 "and she is winking and smiling at us. Look 
 closely now, and see if you can find her. ' ' 
 
 When all the children had seen her, the Golden 
 Hearted turned to another part of the heavens and 
 said, "Here is old Father Time, who frowns and 
 scowls, and finally grinds the life out of our 
 bodies." He was speaking about Saturn because 
 it rolls and tumbles one way while its three rings 
 whirl around the other way, and all the people in 
 olden times believed that the stars could give good 
 or bad luck and could make our lives long or short. 
 
AN OLD-FASHIONED ALMANAC 
 
THE STARS' BALL 49 
 
 There were a number of this kind of fortune tellers 
 among the wise men, so of course the prince knew 
 what they thought about the stars. The children 
 understood it too, and when he pointed out Saturn, 
 they said to each other in a whisper, "It is the 
 death star; let us hope it will not shine upon us nor 
 upon those we love. ' ' 
 
 ' * If we have need to fear the Master of Time, 
 we have every reason to love the broad-belted 
 planet with its sturdy little companions. It has 
 been rightly named 'The Beneficent,' ' said the 
 prince indicating the position of Jupiter among 
 the stars. "Its children pop in and out behind it 
 as if they were playing hide and seek. 1 ' 
 
 For ages people thought that Jupiter gave 
 them good luck and made them wise, tender and 
 kind. This is why the children said, "The big, 
 white, shining star has a heart like our prince." 
 
 Mars is the nearest planet to us, and he sput- 
 ters and fumes as if he really had as bad a temper 
 as these people credited him with. All the wars and 
 troubles they had came from him, they said, and 
 the children did not care to look at him very long. 
 He gives out a beautiful red light, while Jupiter 
 is bluish white, and the Dog Star has all colors 
 like the rainbow. 
 
 "Now," said the prince, "I will show you 
 the most important group in the sky. It is the 
 Pleiades, directly over our heads at this time. There 
 are seven of these sisters, and the pale, dim one is 
 the center of the whole system of stars because all 
 the rest of them circle around her." 
 
50 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 Then he explained to them how each star and 
 planet, as well as the earth, turns over and over of 
 its own accord, besides going around the sun in 
 a very wide circle. All the stars are wonderful 
 tumblers and they spin around just like tops, and 
 this whirling motion was what made the prince say 
 that they were having a ball. When they twinkled 
 and sparkled, he said they were dancing. 
 
 As soon as he sat down, one of the children 
 got the Sacred Tunkel, and then some took 
 hold of his hands, others held on to his mantle and 
 still others put their arms around his neck and 
 begged him to sing for them. He did not wish to 
 refuse them, but he did not know any song suitable 
 for the occasion so he made this up as he went 
 along : 
 
 Oh! the stars one and all 
 They had a great ball 
 
 One night way up in the sky ; 
 They invited the earth 
 To join in their mirth 
 
 But it feared to go up so high. 
 
 No fiddler had they 
 Their music to play, 
 
 And the stars were afraid 'twould fail ; 
 But the man in the moon 
 He whistled a tune 
 
 And the comet kept time with his tail. 
 
THE STABS' BALL 
 
 They danced and they danced, 
 
 And they pranced and they pranced, 
 
 Till the moon said 'twas all he desired, 
 For his lips were so sore 
 He could whistle no more, 
 
 And the comet began to get tired. 
 
 So they faded away 
 In the dim light of day 
 
 The moon and the stars from the ball. 
 But, sad to relate, 
 Next night they were late, 
 
 And came near not shining at all. 
 
 51 
 
The National Book 
 
 EC A USE it is possible for persons 
 to do both good and evil in their 
 lives, and to think good and bad 
 thoughts, the wise men and the 
 Golden Hearted studied how to 
 keep these ideas before the 
 people all the time. In those 
 days, the natives of that country 
 had no books and no way of 
 writing and it was necessary to select some 
 familiar object to represent the meaning of many 
 things. Whatever is used for such a purpose, is 
 called a symbol. 
 
 The hippopotamus, the crocodile and the tapir 
 are to this day said to be symbols of humanity 
 because they have two natures. They can live in the 
 water or on the land, and search for food either in 
 the day or night time. Of the three animals, the 
 wise men selected the tapir because it is a shy, inof- 
 fensive creature, not much larger than a sheep and 
 lives on green grasses and herbs. During the day 
 it sleeps quietly in the water or on the bank of a 
 stream and at night comes on land to get food. 
 When its coat is dry, it is of a dark brown color, 
 
THE NATIONAL BOOK 53 
 
 but when wet, it is black and shining. A tapir 
 looks very much like a fat donkey except that its 
 ears are not so long and its nose not quite so 
 stumpy. At Nachan the wise men raised great 
 herds of them as an example and illustration of 
 our good and bad self. 
 
 The Golden Hearted realized that he must do 
 more than found a large city and teach the chil- 
 dren, so he had a Dark House built away under 
 ground where he could store treasures and all the 
 records of his journey. This was a secret passage- 
 way, and in its halls and labyrinths he had quanti- 
 ties of statuary and pottery put for safe keeping. 
 While this was being done, he wrote a book called 
 in his language "The Popol Vuh" but we would 
 say it is a national book because it tells all about 
 the beginning of the world and is divided into 
 four parts. It is a most singular story, and has 
 been translated so we can read it for ourselves. It 
 is said to be the oldest book in America, and the 
 Golden Hearted kept an order of wise men in the 
 Dark House underground to guard it from one 
 generation to another. 
 
 The Popul Vuh 
 
 This is the beginning of the history of things 
 which came to pass long ago ; of the division of the 
 earth, the property of all; its origin and its foun- 
 dation, as well as the narrative of our life in the 
 land of shadows, and of how we saw the light. It 
 
54 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 is the first book written in the olden times, but its 
 view is hidden from him who sees and thinks. 
 
 Behold the first word and the first discourse. 
 There was as yet no man, nor any animal, nor 
 bird, nor fish, nor crawfish, nor any pit, nor any 
 ravine, nor green herb, nor any tree. 
 
 Nothing was but the firmament. 
 
 The face of the earth had not yet appeared 
 only the peaceful sea and all the space of heaven. 
 There was nothing yet joined together, nothing 
 that clung to anything else; nothing that balanced 
 itself, that made the least rustling, that made a 
 sound in the heaven. There was nothing that stood 
 up; nothing but silence and darkness and night 
 time. 
 
 Alone were those that engender, those that 
 give being ; they were upon the waters like a grow- 
 ing light. They consulted together and meditated ; 
 they mingled their words and their opinions. 
 
 ' ' Earth ! ' ' they said, and on the instant it was 
 formed ; like a cloud of fog was its beginning. 
 
 Then the mountains rose over the water like 
 great lobsters. In an instant the mountains and 
 plains were visible and the cypress and the pine 
 trees appeared. 
 
 The Heart of Heaven cried out and said: 
 
 "Blessed be thy coming. Our work and our 
 labor has accomplished its end." 
 
 The earth and its vegetation having appeared, 
 it was peopled with the various forms of animal 
 life. And the makers said to the animals, "Speak 
 
BEHOLD THE FIRST WORD See opposite page 
 
56 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 now our name. Honor Him who begets and Him 
 who gives being. Speak, call on us, salute us." 
 
 But the animals could not answer. They 
 could only cluck and croak, each murmuring after 
 its kind in a different manner. 
 
 This displeased the creators, and they said 
 to the animals: 
 
 "Inasmuch as ye cannot praise us, neither 
 call upon our names, your flesh shall be humiliated. 
 It shall be broken with teeth. Ye shall be killed 
 and eaten. ' ' 
 
 The first man was made of clay, but he was 
 watery, had no strength and could not turn his 
 head. His face looked one way all the time. He 
 was given a language, but he had no intelligence, 
 so he was consumed in water. 
 
 "Let us make an intelligent being who shall 
 adore and invoke us," said the Thunderbolt and 
 the Lightning Flash. 
 
 It was decided that a man should be made 
 of wood and a woman of a kind of pith. They were 
 made but the result was in no wise satisfactory. 
 They moved about perfectly well it is true; they 
 increased and multiplied and peopled the world 
 with little wooden manikins like themselves, but 
 the heart and intelligence were wanting. They had 
 no memory of their Maker; they lived like the 
 beasts and forgot' the Heart of Heaven. They had 
 neither blood nor substance, nor moisture nor fat. 
 Their cheeks were shriveled; their feet and hands 
 dried up. 
 
THE NATIONAL BOOK 57 
 
 Then was the Heart of Heaven very wroth, 
 and he sent ruin and destruction upon these 
 ingrates. He rained upon them night and day with 
 a thick resin and the earth was all dark. 
 
 The men went mad with terror. They tried 
 to mount up on the roofs, but the houses fell with 
 them. They tried to climb the trees, but the trees 
 shook them from their branches. They tried to 
 hide in the caves and dens of the earth, but these 
 closed against them. 
 
 Then their heads were cut off, and their bones 
 broken and bruised, and their eyes picked out by 
 the birds, and their flesh eaten by wild beasts. 
 
 Thus were they all devoted to chastisement 
 and destruction save only a few who were pre- 
 served as memorials of the wooden men. These 
 now exist in the forests as little apes. 
 
 In the night the gods counseled together again. 
 "Of what shall we make man!" they said. 
 
 Then the Creator made four perfect men out 
 of white and yellow corn. The name of the first 
 one was The Tiger With the Sweet Smile, the sec- 
 ond one was called The Tiger of the Night, the 
 third one was The Distinguished Name, and the 
 fourth was The Tiger of the Moon. They had 
 neither father nor mother, but their coming into 
 existence was a miracle wrought by the special 
 intervention of Him who is pre-eminently the 
 Creator. 
 
 At last were there found men worthy of their 
 origin and their destiny. Verily the gods looked 
 
58 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 on beings who could see with their eyes and handle 
 with their hands and understand with their hearts. 
 Grand of countenance and broad of limb, the four 
 sires of our race stood up under the white rays of 
 the morning star. 
 
 Their great, clear eyes swept rapidly over all. 
 They saw the woods, the rocks, the lakes and the 
 sea ; the mountains and the valleys, and they gazed 
 up into heaven not knowing what they had come so 
 far to do. Their hearts were filled with love, obe- 
 dience and fear. Lifting up their eyes, they returned 
 thanks saying: 
 
 "Hail! Creator, Thou that lovest and 
 understandest us ! We offer up our thanks. We 
 have been created abandon us not, forsake us not! 
 Give us descendants and a posterity as long as the 
 light endures. Give us to walk always in an open 
 wood in a path without snares; to lead quiet lives 
 free of all reproach.' 7 
 
 But the Gods were not wholly pleased with 
 this thing. Heaven, they thought, had overshot its 
 mark. These men were too perfect; knew, under- 
 stood and saw too much. 
 
 "What shall we do with man now?" they said. 
 "This that we see is not good. Let us contract 
 man's sight so he may see only a little of the sur- 
 face of the earth and be content." 
 
 Thereupon, the Heart of Heaven breathed a 
 cloud over the pupils of the eyes of the men, and 
 a veil came over each eye as when one breathes on 
 the face of a mirror. Thus was the globe of the 
 
THE NATIONAL BOOK 59 
 
 eye darkened, nor was that which was far off clear 
 to it any more. 
 
 Then they fell asleep and when they woke 
 up, the gods had brought each one of them a wife. 
 They lived tranquilly together for a long time 
 waiting for the rising of the sun, because they had 
 nothing but the morning star for a light. 
 
 But no sun came, and the four men and their 
 families grew uneasy. 
 
 "We have no one to watch over us, no one to 
 guard our symbols, " they said. So they all set 
 out for the Seven Caves. 
 
 Poor wanderers. They had a cruel way to go, 
 many forests to penetrate, many high mountains 
 to climb, and a long passage to make through the 
 sea. Much hail and cold rain fell on their heads, 
 and when their fires all went out they suffered from 
 hunger as well as cold. 
 
 At last they came to a mountain and here they 
 rested. While there they were told that the sun 
 was coming very soon. Then they shook their 
 incense pans and danced for very gladness. As the 
 sun commenced to advance, the animals, great and 
 small, were filled with delight. They raised them- 
 selves to the surface of the waters, they fluttered 
 in the ravines, and gathering at the edge of the 
 mountains, turned their heads together toward that 
 part from which the sun came. 
 
 The lion and the tiger roared, and the first 
 bird that sang was the Quetzal. All the animals 
 were beside themselves at the sight. The eagle and 
 
60 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 the kite beat their wings, and the men prostrated 
 themselves on the ground. 
 
 The sun and the moon and the stars were all 
 established. Yet was not the sun the same as now. 
 His heat wanted force, and he was but as a reflec- 
 tion in a mirror. Nevertheless he dried up and 
 warmed the surface of the earth and answered 
 many good ends. 
 
 There was another wonder when the sun rose. 
 The tribal gods who had punished these poor peo- 
 ple so were turned into stone. And so were all 
 the mammoth lions, tigers, vipers, and other fierce 
 and dangerous animals. 
 
Manco-Capac, the Powerful One 
 
 T is time for us to go away from 
 this place," said the wise men to 
 the Golden Hearted one day when 
 they were finishing the Dark House, 
 where they were going to leave the 
 National Book. 
 
 ' i Why do you think so ? " asked 
 the prince, laying down an axe made of copper and 
 tin which he was sharpening for one of the 
 workmen. 
 
 " Because we have yet to find the spot where 
 the gold wedge your father, the king, gave you will 
 sink into the earth of its own accord." 
 
 ' ' That is to be in the Place of Gold, and among 
 the Children of the Sun." 
 
 "Yes; and we are not far from the country 
 known as the "Four Quarters of the World" where 
 they live. We must go to them at once, and there 
 we will build Cuzco, and make it the navel or center 
 of all their possessions. Under the name of Manco- 
 Capac, the powerful one, you will be the first Inca 
 or ruler, and your banner will be a rainbow, to 
 show that you serve the Children of the Sun." 
 
 The Golden Hearted did not wish to become 
 a ruler but he did not see how he could refuse obe- 
 dience to the faithful old wise men, so he said: 
 ' i I will go with you and do as you say, but tell 
 
62 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 me how you intend to build this wonderful city of 
 Cuzco?" 
 
 "You must not feel that we compel you to 
 go, " said the wise men, looking ready to cry, 
 because they thought the young prince was not 
 pleased with them. "It was your father's com- 
 mand, and our promise to him. ' ' 
 
 "I know that," said the prince impatiently, 
 * * but how are you going to make Cuzco the center 
 of everything ? ' ' 
 
 ' ' By building the streets on the four points of 
 the compass, and by connecting it with royal road- 
 ways to the four corners of the kingdom. We shall 
 have no trouble doing so, for our reports say that 
 the natives are mild and gentle, and that there are 
 stones in that country as broad and long as a 
 room. ' ' 
 
 When he and the wise men started to make 
 the journey over the mountains, they put all of 
 their belongings on the backs of the llamas a kind 
 of little camel not much larger than a sheep and 
 which is used in that country to-day for pack 
 animals, instead of burros or mules. They put the 
 load on the llama's back without any girt or pack 
 saddle, and its long, bushy wool holds all the things 
 in place. It has a sharp-pointed, horny toe like a 
 hook, which it fastens in the steep rocks, and then 
 it can climb over rough places without much 
 trouble. When a llama gets angry he does not 
 spit like an ordinary camel, but lies down like a 
 stubborn mule. No matter what you do to him, he 
 
MANCO-CAPAC, THE POWERFUL ONE 63 
 
 will not budge an inch, and then the load has to be 
 taken off, and he must be coaxed and fed before he 
 will go any farther. 
 
 One day the wise men and the Golden Hearted 
 came to a wide rocky chasm in the side of the moun- 
 tain hundreds of feet deep, having a swift-running 
 river at the bottom. There were so many sharp rocks 
 sticking up and the water dashed over them so fast 
 that it was all in a white foam, and nothing could 
 have swam across it. The native servants and 
 workmen did not know what to do. 
 
 ' ' How are we to cross this deep canyon ? ' ' they 
 asked. 
 
 "We will help you make a suspension 
 bridge," said the wise men. 
 
 "But we have no tools" they began. 
 
 "You have your two hands and some copper 
 axes and that is sufficient." 
 
 "We can fell trees and bring stones, but there 
 are not enough to span such a dangerous place," 
 they said, still doubtful about the outcome. 
 
 "Take your axes and cut all the maguey you 
 can find, ' ' said the wise men. ' ' Bring it here and 
 pile it up ; then we will tell you what next to do. ' ' 
 
 The wise men and the Golden Hearted made 
 some heavy clubs out of the hard wood they 
 found growing near by. With these in a short time 
 they beat the maguey until its fibers fell apart 
 in coarse strands, which the sun dried. Then they 
 helped the natives braid it into heavy, thick ropes. 
 When they got enough of these made, they wove 
 
64 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 them together into a stout cable chain, long enough 
 to stretch across the river. 
 
 ' * What shall we do with the ends 1 ' ' asked the 
 natives. ' ' We cannot tie them to a tree. ' ' 
 
 "Certainly not, but you can gather big and 
 little stones for us," answered the wise men. 
 
 With these they built immense buttresses on 
 the bank of the river, wide at the bottom and nar- 
 row at the top so they would not tumble down nor 
 slip into the waters. Of course they had to leave 
 holes in the sides to fasten the cables into. It took 
 several strands to make the bridge wide enough, 
 
MANGO-CAP AC, THE POWERFUL ONE 65 
 
 and even then the natives were afraid they would 
 fall into the water. 
 
 ' ' We need a railing at each side, ' ' they said. 
 
 ' * Very well ; make one out of the ropes, ' ' said 
 the wise men. When this was done the natives 
 were still unwilling to try to go across. 
 
 "We cannot take a single step. Our feet get 
 tangled in the meshes of the cable. ' ' 
 
 * ' Overcome this by making some rough boards 
 and laying them all the way over. " 
 
 It was indeed a novel suspension bridge, for 
 when the planks were put onto the cable it sagged 
 in the middle and swayed forth and back in the 
 wind like a swing. Imagine how frightened the 
 natives must have been at first, but in that moun- 
 tainous country they never build any other kind of 
 bridges and they use them now all of the time. 
 
 "In this open stretch of valley and plain we 
 will plant sweet-smelling trees and shrubs by the 
 roadside so that travelers may be refreshed by the 
 shade and enjoy the perfume, and we will also 
 teach the Children of the Sun to build tambos or 
 post houses," said the Golden Hearted, when once 
 they were over the mountains. This they did at 
 every point where they stopped to rest, and at 
 each one they left a band of chasquis, or runners 
 in charge. The word chasqui means "one who 
 makes an exchange," and these men and boys not 
 only carried the news like our postmen and mes- 
 sengers, but they traded news with each other and 
 with every one else they met. Before allowing 
 any of the runners to go out the Golden Hearted 
 
66 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 said: "I will make you keepers of the Quippos, or 
 knotted cords. The red ones mean war, or other 
 bad news, while the white ones are for peace and 
 prosperity. In the springtime if the crops are good, 
 you must carry bands of green cords. If you wish 
 to spread the reports of gold and silver use that 
 kind of quippo, so that the people seeing you far 
 off may know the import of your message. Count 
 them always by tens and twenties, and use dili- 
 gence and care to be accurate and quick in your 
 calculations. " 
 
 This was a queer kind of arithmetic but it was 
 astonishing how soon the boys learned it. In after 
 years there were bands of strolling singers and 
 poets who went about the country, and they used 
 the quippos to recall the things they wanted to 
 remember, such as the brave deeds of their 
 ancestors and the names of their heroes. So long as 
 the inhabitants of this country were called Chil- 
 dren of the Sun, they had no other books and they 
 trained young men to be experts in reading them. 
 The language of the Quippos is said to be very 
 correct and elegant. 
 
 The first thing the Golden Hearted did when 
 he arrived at the end of his journey was to divide 
 the land into three parts one for the sun, one for 
 the king and one for the people. Then he 
 appointed beautiful young girls to be Virgins of 
 the Sun and placed them in charge of elderly 
 women, who taught them how to spin and weave the 
 fine hair of the vicuna into hangings for the Place 
 
MANGO-CAP AC, THE POWERFUL ONE 67 
 
 of Gold which the wise men had already commenced 
 to build. The girls knew how to embroider beau- 
 tifully, and it was a part of their duty to keep the 
 sacred fires always burning on the altar. The 
 Golden Hearted lighted the fire himself, and it 
 was kept burning night and day for hundreds of 
 years. In the Houses of the Virgins no man, not 
 even the king, could go, and if any one ever did, the 
 people not only killed him but tore down his house. 
 When they did anything of this kind they called 
 it "sowing the ground with stones," and ever 
 afterward his family and friends wore mourning 
 on account of the terrible disgrace. 
 
 The Place of Gold was a temple in the center 
 of Cuzco so named because the gold wedge sunk 
 immediately into the ground when it was tried, and 
 the wise men said it was appropriate because "gold 
 was the tears wept by the sun." It is said that no 
 building in the world was ever more beautiful than 
 this wonderful temple. The wise men and the 
 Golden Hearted did the best work they knew how, 
 and there was plenty of gold and precious stones 
 in the mountains, so they could use as much as they 
 liked. In front of the eastern entrance was a huge 
 sunburst made like a human face, with rays of 
 light starting out in every direction. Each ray was 
 thickly set with emeralds, and when the sun rose 
 in the morning, the reflection of the shining gold 
 and the sparkle of the emeralds lighted up the 
 whole temple. Besides this they had burnished 
 plates and cornices -and vases and animals and 
 
68 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 flowers of gold all around the walls, and the water 
 urns and incense pans were also of the bright yel- 
 low metal. 
 
 " We will celebrate a great festival of Eami; 
 the renewal time, when the sun is coaxing the earth 
 back to fertility; when the buds and leaves are 
 putting forth, and the birds are beginning to nest, ' ' 
 said the Golden Hearted, as soon as the temple 
 was completed. 
 
 ' ' Show the Children of the Sun that we honor 
 the soil by turning the first sod yourself, ' ' said the 
 wise men, when told about the coming celebration. 
 
 "I will," said the prince, who was now called 
 Manco-Capac, and was the ruler of the kingdom, 
 "and the Virgins of the Sun shall drop the seeds. 
 Let every one come in holiday clothes and with 
 songs and dancing and feasting we will commem- 
 orate the day." 
 
 The next morning all the people came together 
 to watch the sun rise. The Virgins were dressed 
 in white with wreaths of flowers on their heads 
 and every one wore ornaments and jewels and was 
 as blithe and gay as if he were going to a picnic. 
 
 Just as the sun peeped up over the edge of the 
 horizon and smiled "good morning" to them, the 
 Golden Hearted poured a libation on the ground 
 from a golden goblet, and the people all shouted 
 * ' Haille ! Haille ! ' ' meaning triumph. The prince, 
 the wise men and everybody faced the risen sun 
 with bared heads and bowed three times. Then the 
 prince said: 
 
THE PEOPLE SHOUTED HAILLE HAILLE 
 
 See opposite page 
 
70 THE STORIES OP EL DORADO 
 
 * ' Many think that the Sun is the Maker of all 
 things. But he who makes should abide by what 
 he has done. Now many things happen when the 
 sun is absent ; therefore he cannot be the universal 
 creator. And that he is alive at all is doubtful for 
 his trips do not tire him. Were he a living thing 
 he would grow weary like ourselves. Were he free 
 he would visit other parts of the heavens. He is 
 a tethered beast who makes a daily round under the 
 eye of the Master. He is like an arrow which must 
 go whither it is sent; not whither it wishes. I tell 
 you that he, our father and master, the Sun, must 
 have a lord more powerful than himself who con- 
 strains him to his daily circuit without pause or 
 rest." 
 
 The Golden Hearted spoke like this because 
 he did not wish the Children of the Sun to believe 
 it was really their father or God either. 
 
 All the assemblage took off their sandals and 
 went into the Place of Gold and prayed ; then came 
 out to the court yard and offered up sacrifice of 
 perfumes, fruits and flowers. When this was done 
 they hurried to the fields and after the Golden 
 Hearted turned the first sod every one else began 
 to Wprk. They had no plows, and those who did not 
 break the ground with a dull saber, dropped seeds 
 all day long. As the sun went down they laid aside 
 their toil, and marched home shouting and sing- 
 ing, because now they were going to have a feast, 
 with bonfires and dancing as late into the night as 
 they wished. 
 
Bochica and the Zipa 
 
 the Cinnamon country not far 
 from Cuzco lived the Muscas, a 
 rich and powerful nation who 
 were less civilized than the Chil- 
 dren of the Sun and were so quarrel- 
 some that they constantly disputed 
 among themselves. Finally the Zipa, 
 or king, died and then there was great 
 danger of war breaking out between 
 the different factions as to who should 
 be the new ruler. 
 
 At last the oldest son of the dead 
 Zipa came to Cuzco to ask the Golden 
 Hearted to decide who should inherit the kingdom. 
 1 i This is a matter of grave moment, ' ' said he, 
 4 'and I must warn you that my time of ruling the 
 Children of the Sun is near an end. Soon must I 
 go to build the temple of Guatavita, the Good Life, 
 and then must I leave this part of the world for 
 another clime where much work awaits me. ' ' 
 
72 THE STORIES OE EL DOKADO 
 
 "Come to us and build the temple of Good 
 Life, and I promise you that both I and my brave 
 Muscas shall be the guardians of your teachings. 
 You shall be a demi-god among us. ' ' 
 
 "I have no wish to be anything more than an 
 elder brother to you and your people, ' ' replied the 
 Golden Hearted. "I am come from my home to 
 serve humanity and must go with you if you need 
 me not because you wish to honor me." 
 
 The son of the Zipa then offered him many 
 presents of gold, rich cloth, and precious stones, but 
 the Golden Hearted refused to accept any of them. 
 Finally the young man said: 
 
 "I am greatly disappointed, good prince, and 
 have only this piece of bark and a strange kind of 
 fruit to offer you. The bark is royal in my country 
 because it cures the hated fever and is worthy your 
 best confidence. As to the fruit, taste it for your- 
 self." 
 
 To his surprise the Golden Hearted and the 
 wise men were much pleased with the bark which 
 we know to-day as Peruvian and from which 
 quinine is made , and the pineapple tastes as 
 sweet to us as it did to the Golden Hearted. 
 
 The son of the Zipa and his nobles conducted 
 the wise men and the Golden Hearted over one 
 elevated table-land after another until they came to 
 one of the highest lakes in the world, where people 
 can live, and its name is Gautavita. 
 
 "These terraced mountain sides show that 
 your example has been well profited by the Chil- 
 
BOCHICA AXD THE ZtPA 73 
 
 dren of the Sun, ' ' said the son of the Zipa, as they 
 trudged along the royal roadway leading from 
 Cuzco to the cinnamon country. "The instruction 
 of the wise men in building canals and aqueducts 
 has turned this into a garden spot even though 
 nature intended it to be barren. 7 ' 
 
 The Golden Hearted thought this would be 
 a good opportunity to let his new friend know that 
 he did not approve of war, and that the adherents 
 of the Good Law, must not fight among themselves, 
 so he said gently : 
 
 "All that you see before you is the working 
 out of a fixed principle. Universal kindness is the 
 secret of our success. Treat the earth gently and 
 with consideration and she blesses you seven fold. 
 Dig into her bosom and she yields her choicest 
 treasures, and the beasts and birds respond to your 
 affectionate touch. The heart of the man is the same, 
 my friend. The obedience and allegiance of your 
 subjects must come from the heart. If when I go 
 among them they tell me they wish you to be their 
 Zipa then will I go to your opponent and persuade 
 him to relinquish his claim in your favor." 
 
 "And if he does not consent" 
 
 "Then must you yield to him peaceably. I 
 will not allow any blood shed on either side." 
 
 The son of the Zipa knew by the firm tone of 
 the Golden Hearted that he meant what he said 
 and his face turned a bright red, because he 
 thought his own selfish purpose was known to his 
 guest. Down in his heart he was planning to go 
 
74 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 into the capital city with a grand flourish and pre- 
 tend that the Children of the Sun had sent their 
 ruler and wise men to help him capture the throne. 
 Now he knew very well he would not dare do 
 anything of the kind. 
 
 "But you do not know my people, good 
 prince/ 7 he said. "They will never obey a Zipa 
 they do not fear." 
 
 "I am not familiar with the faces of your 
 subjects, but I know the heart of all mankind, and 
 whether he be white or black, young or old, the 
 child of fortune or the opposite, he is amenable to 
 the law of love. Win his affection and he will serve 
 you as faithfully and obediently as a dog. ' ' 
 
 "I am afraid my turbulent warriors would 
 not respect such a policy," replied the son of the 
 Zipa, shaking his head. 
 
 "Remember in dealing with either man or 
 animal that fear degrades while love ennobles." 
 
 By this time they were coming in sight of the 
 calm peaceful waters of the lake stretched out like 
 a sheet of glass before them. 
 
 "Water," said the Golden Hearted, "is like 
 a pure mind limpid and clear. It permits us to 
 look into its depths for hidden treasures, or to see 
 our own image reflected back from its surface. Let 
 your heart and mind be such a mirror, and trust 
 your people to make the right selection. ' ' 
 
 With this he laid his hand upon the shoulder 
 of his young companion and as their eyes met, the 
 son of the Zipa felt certain that he had a loyal and 
 
BOCHICA AND THE ZIPA 75 
 
 disinterested friend who would help him in the 
 right way. 
 
 The next morning the prince and the wise 
 men called the nobles and warriors together, and 
 listened patiently to all they had to say for and 
 against the two candidates. As he came into the 
 audience chamber the strange one scowled and 
 frowned at the visitors, but to his surprise the 
 Golden Hearted took his hand and said: 
 
 * ' We have made a long, wearisome journey, my 
 brother, in order to serve your own and your 
 state's best interest. Speak freely that we may be 
 able to judge fairly between the two." 
 
 "There is nothing to tell that my warriors do 
 not already know," was the curt reply. "I am 
 able to crush opposition and to command respect 
 and obedience. I do not need your assistance, sir. ' ' 
 
 For a moment there was a look of pain on the 
 face of the Golden Hearted. Then he said gently: 
 
 "You, more than any one else need help, 
 because you are unable to govern yourself much 
 less a rich and prosperous nation." 
 
 When it became known that the representa- 
 tives of the Children of the Sun would not compel 
 the people to accept a Zipa they did not like, they 
 came out of their houses where they had been hid- 
 den all day for fear of violence, and marched up 
 and down the streets playing on shell trumpets, 
 gongs and kettle drums, and shouting the name of 
 the oldest son of the Zipa who was in due time 
 crowned as the rightful heir to the throne. 
 
76 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 His first official act was to pierce the upper 
 part of the ear of his subjects and put in gold 
 wheels of fine filigree work, as large around as an 
 orange. As he did so he said to each one : 
 
 ' ' Swear by Him who gives and sustains life in 
 the Universe, that you will faithfully keep the 
 Good Law brought to us from the sea, by Bochica, 
 our deliverer." 
 
 This was the name the Zipa gave the Golden 
 Hearted, and as each man passed by him he gave 
 them a little cake made of corn meal, and 
 continued : 
 
 "To-morrow our good friends leave us for 
 many days to come, but Bochica will return again, 
 and to show him that we will do his bidding will- 
 ingly let us take balsas or rafts with sails and go 
 out on the lake where he may see the intent of our 
 minds reflected in the water. Put wreaths of many 
 colored flowers on the balsas, and carry with you 
 gold and emeralds which we will cast into the lake 
 in token of our pledge to him. ' ' 
 
 For hundreds of years afterwards, the Mucas 
 and their descendants kept this holiday as an 
 anniversary of the departure of the prince and the 
 wise men. They knew that he was called the 
 Golden Hearted in the Happy Island, and every 
 year they selected a young priest from the temple 
 of Gautavita, to impersonate him. After his bath 
 the priest smeared himself all over with a fragrant 
 oil, and then his attendants blew gold dust through 
 reeds onto his body until he looked like a solid 
 
BOCH1CA AND THE ZIPA 
 
 77 
 
 statue. They put him in the center of the flower- 
 laden raft, and with chants and hymns rowed out 
 on the lake and threw emeralds and gold dust into 
 it. The young men wore white shirts with a red 
 cross on the breast, and tied a red sash around 
 their waists. On their heads were crowns of flow- 
 ers and evergreen leaves to show that their virtues 
 would continue as long as they lived, and that they 
 were followers of the teachings of the Golden 
 Hearted. They were always hoping and praying 
 for his return. 
 
 We shall hear more of this ceremony and what 
 came of it when we read the story of the Gilded 
 Man. 
 
Song of Hiawatha 
 
 who love the haunts of nature, 
 Love the sunshine of the meadow, 
 Love the shadow of the forest 
 Love the wind among the branches, 
 And the rain-shower and the snow-storm 
 And the rushing of great rivers 
 Through their palisades of pine trees, 
 And the thunder in the mountains 
 Whose innumerable echoes 
 Flap like eagles in their eyries; 
 Listen to these wild traditions, 
 To this song of Hiawatha ! 
 
 Ye who love a nation's legends, 
 Love the ballads of a people, 
 That like voices from a far off 
 Call to us to pause and listen, 
 Speak in tones so plain and child-like, 
 Scarcely can the ear distinguish 
 Whether they are sung or spoken 
 Listen to this Indian Legend, 
 To this song of Hiawatha! 
 
SONG OF HIAWATHA 79 
 
 Ye whose hearts are fresh and simple, 
 Who have faith in God and nature, 
 Who believe that in all ages 
 Every human heart is human, 
 That in even savage bosoms 
 There are longings, yearnings, strivings 
 For the good they comprehend not 
 That the feeble hands and helpless, 
 Groping blindly in the darkness, 
 Touch God 's right hand in the darkness 
 And are lifted up and strengthened 
 Listen to this simple story 
 To this song of Hiawatha! 
 
 Ye, who sometimes in your rambles 
 Through the green lanes of the country, 
 W^here the tangled barbary bushes 
 Hang their tufts of crimson berries 
 Over stone walls gray with mosses, 
 Pause by some neglected grave-yard 
 For a while to muse, and ponder 
 On a half -effaced inscription, 
 Written with little skill of song-craft, 
 Homely phrases, but each letter 
 Full of hope and yet of heart-break, 
 Full of all the tender pathos 
 Of the Here and the Hereafter 
 Stay and read this rude inscription, 
 Read this song of Hiawatha! 
 
 Henry W. Longfellow. 
 
Michabo, 
 the Great White Hare 
 
 NLESS you know what river 
 was called the "Father of 
 Waters" it will be a secret as 
 to where the Golden Hearted 
 and the wise men went when 
 they took leave of the Zipa. 
 There are many quaint stories told 
 about this river, and also about the 
 queer mounds and earthworks built by 
 a strange race of men who lived ages 
 ago in that part of our country. Their 
 descendants are not very civilized and 
 seem to have forgotten much that their ancestors 
 knew although they have some very pretty ideas. 
 For instance, they imagine that they hear voices 
 in the growing branches and whispering leaves 
 of the trees, and they see little vanishing men in 
 the cliffs everywhere. They say that the Great 
 Spirit makes the Indian summer by puffing smoke 
 out of his cheeks, from his great peace pipe. 
 
 Before the Golden Hearted came they built a 
 medicine lodge a kind of temple facing the sun- 
 rise, in a place called the ' ' Moon of Leaves. ' ' When 
 it was finished, Wunzh, a youth of noble char- 
 acter and tender heart, summoned the spirits of the 
 
MICHABO, THE GREAT WHITE HARE 81 
 
 four quarters of the world and the day maker to 
 come to his fire and disclose the hidden things of 
 the distance and future. 
 
 No one can tell why they named the Golden 
 Hearted, "Michabo, the Great White Hare," 
 unless it was because he came in the time of the year 
 represented in their calendar by a rabbit. They 
 kept a record of the seasons by crude pictures 
 drawn on the inside bark of trees, and with them 
 the months were called moons. 
 
 No one blames them for saying the wise men 
 were jossakeeds or prophets, because they really 
 did look peculiar in their long robes, beards and 
 tall black hats, especially to men who had on buf- 
 falo robes and feather head dresses. 
 
 Wunzh and his tribe received the Golden 
 Hearted with solemn faces and much respect when 
 they heard that he came from the Four Quarters 
 of the World, which we know was the land of the 
 Inca, very far south. 
 
 "Welcome, great white chief," they said, 
 "come and sit by our council fire. Our hearts have 
 long been weary waiting for you." 
 
 When they were all seated Wunzh handed the 
 Golden Hearted a peace pipe shaped like a toma- 
 hawk filled with tobacco and already lighted. Not 
 a word was spoken until every one present had 
 taken three whiffs out of the pipe. Then the 
 Golden Hearted said: 
 
 "I come to speak for my brothers, the fish, 
 the animals, the creeping things and the feathered 
 
82 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 messengers of the air. I often listen to their com- 
 plaints and they charge you with slaying them for 
 food when the grains and fruits would serve you 
 better. " 
 
 "We are not disdainful of the grapes and 
 berries concealed in our forests," replied Wunzh, 
 "but we have no grain save rice and this must be 
 carried on our backs for many days. Our snows and 
 chill winds kill the plant before its seeds appear." 
 
 "Whatever the reason may be you will never 
 do any real good in the world until you learn how 
 to fast days at a time and can live without eating 
 so much flesh. Even your vaunted skill with bow 
 and arrow is not genuine. I am a better shot. ' ' 
 
 The wise men were alarmed for a moment 
 fearing that Wunzh would be angry and that his 
 followers would be offended also. Besides they had 
 never heard the Golden Hearted speak boastfully 
 before, and they were puzzled to know what would 
 happen next. 
 
 * 1 1 am willing to try the bow with my friend, ' ' 
 said Wunzh, with a flash of the eye and a toss of 
 the head, which showed that he was vain and had 
 an uncertain temper. 
 
 "When will it suit you to make the contest," 
 quietly asked the Golden Hearted, as he arose and 
 turned to leave the council fire. 
 
 "To-morrow's sun," answered Wunzh, 
 haughtily, "and when it is so high," indicating a 
 space in the sky that would make it quite early in 
 the morning. 
 
MICHABO, THE GREAT WHITE HAKE 83 
 
 "Let it take place in the large square sur- 
 rounded by your lodges, ' ' said the Golden Hearted, 
 carelessly as he walked toward the one assigned for 
 his use. 
 
 To the wise men he said: 
 
 "Leave me for a little time, I wish to be 
 alone. ' ' 
 
 They wondered what he could mean by such 
 language and such actions. It was evident that he 
 did not intend to make any explanation to them, 
 so they could only wait to see what the outcome 
 would be. 
 
 Once inside the tent the Golden Hearted began 
 to work on a plaited disc of straw. As soon as it 
 was finished, he drew rings of red, blue, black and 
 white all around the big yellow center, and was 
 propping it up to dry when Wunzh appeared c.t 
 the door of the lodge. 
 
 "I have come to show you the center pole 
 where you may hang up the target, and we will 
 then step off the distance between the different 
 shooting stations," he said. "The rule requires 
 each of us to speed two dozen arrows from the 
 nearest point, twice that many from the middle 
 ground, and seventy-two from the outside post." 
 
 While in the Happy Island, the prince had 
 learned all about the use of the bow and arrow, 
 but this was the first time he had an opportunity 
 to show his skill, and the wise men were anxious 
 that he should not fail, because they knew that 
 
84 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 the friends of Wunzh would not have much 
 respect for him if he did. They could not under- 
 stand how he could be so smiling and unconcerned. 
 
 The fame of Wunzh as a bowman was known 
 far and wide and the descendants of the Mound 
 Builders were certain he would win. At daybreak 
 the next morning there was a solid line of warriors 
 around the ring where the trial was to be made, 
 and they were as motionless and stolid looking as 
 if they had been carved out of wood. No one could 
 tell by their faces what they were thinking and 
 they would not have turned their heads for any- 
 thing. Some of them made a kind of music on a 
 tom-tom or Indian drum and Wunzh and the 
 Golden Hearted marched in step like soldiers, and 
 smiled and bowed to everybody as they came into 
 the ring. The Golden Hearted knew all the time 
 that he was the doubtful one, and just for a 
 moment he glanced at the anxious faces of the wise 
 men. Though not sure in their hearts they nodded 
 encouragingly and before he had touched a bow 
 every eye in the crowd was upon him. 
 
 The keepers of the bows arid arrows were very 
 fair minded, and were careful to see there were 
 no knots or gnarls or cracks in the waxy brown 
 hunting bow made of straight grained mulberry 
 wood. The one to be used was six feet long and 
 its tips were of polished elk horn, and there was a 
 buckskin handhold in the center. The hickory 
 arrows were as smooth as glass with very sharp 
 saw-teeth edges on the flint heads. Around the 
 
MICHABO, THE GREAT WHITE HARE 85 
 
 notch end there were three vanes of eagle feathers. 
 
 The descendants of the Mound Builders were 
 courteous enough to give their guest the first shot. 
 As the Golden Hearted pulled a buckskin shield 
 over his right hand he looked up at the wise men, 
 and his eyes said: 
 
 " Trust me! I shall not fail." 
 
 Then he stooped quickly and raised the bow 
 from the ground and placed it against his knee 
 cap to get a good purchase. With an upward body 
 movement he drew the long bow as far as he could, 
 faced the painted disc target and let fly. Like the 
 arrow that sped so swiftly that it caught fire 
 as it flew, this one sang through the air and 
 imbedded itself in the blue ring where it rocked and 
 shook violently. 
 
 1 i The Great White Hare has won five points ! ' ' 
 shouted the tally keepers in the Judge's corner. 
 
 i i What skill!" said one pointing to the still 
 quivering arrow. "What strength!" said another, 
 while the wise men began to feel very proud indeed. 
 It was such hard work that the face of Golden 
 Hearted was flushed but he shut his teeth together 
 hard, and was determined to make a still better 
 effort. 
 
 His second shot sent the arrow into the red 
 ring nearly opposite the blue, and this scored him 
 seven points. 
 
 "There is fine aiming!" said the judges to 
 each other, while the other people leaned over in 
 their seats and watched intently. 
 
86 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 There was just a shadow of a smile on the lips 
 of the Golden Hearted, as he made ready for the 
 final shot from the first station. 
 
 "Ping!" and the third arrow fairly whistled 
 as it hit the exact center of the yellow spot. 
 
 Instantly the whole crowd were on their feet, 
 all talking at once and making so much noise that 
 the tally keepers could not be heard. 
 
 "Five seven nine are the points; twenty- 
 one for final score, ' ' they shouted. 
 
 The Golden Hearted flung down his bow and 
 stepped to one side to make room for Wunzh. He 
 stood wiping the perspiration off his forehead and 
 was pleased because he saw that every one felt 
 kindly toward him. 
 
 " Now the jossakeeds will learn how to shoot !" 
 exclaimed the men who had backed Wunzh. 
 
 "He will never equal the first score," said 
 others who were skillful with a bow and arrow 
 themselves and knew how hard it was to make 
 such fine shots. 
 
 Wunzh sent his first arrow with a vim and 
 energy that showed he had been in constant prac- 
 tice, but all three of his darts sped feebly and 
 barely indented the black ring. 
 
 "The jossakeeds hold the first station," 
 announced the judges. ' ' Move on to the next one. ' ' 
 
 Now came the real test of skill, and every man 
 was interested because they all made use of the 
 bow and arrow, in hunting and in war, and had no 
 other kind of weapon except a knife. Hundreds 
 
MICHABO, THE GREAT WHITE HARE 87 
 
 of the spectators left their seats and crowded 
 around the contestants. 
 
 The heavy hunting bow was laid aside now 
 and one made of elastic but tough yew was sub- 
 stituted. The arrows had finely-pointed obsidian 
 heads, matched and smooth but sharp as a needle. 
 
 The Golden Hearted was careful to see that 
 the yew was properly seasoned and when satisfied, 
 he placed the arrow on the left side of the bow 
 with its notch set on the string. He drew the 
 string back to just below the chin, aimed over the 
 arrow tip and let fly. 
 
 The spectators were quick to see that his aim, 
 draw, finish and loose was perfect even in speeding 
 the arrows so fast they could scarcely be seen. 
 When shooting three at a time he drove all of them 
 into the yellow center within a quarter of an inch 
 of each other! 
 
 The friends of Wunzh shouted and screamed : 
 
 * * It is not fair ! He uses too many arrows. Give 
 us justice!" until the judges were compelled to 
 order the warriors to drive the crowd back again 
 with the points of their spears. 
 
 In the noise, confusion and excitement 
 every one forgot the birds perched on a cross bar at 
 the top of the pole supporting the target. There 
 was a blue jay, a raven, a white dove and a green 
 parrot. Each had a string attached to one leg. Now 
 of course they remembered and crowded around 
 to hear what the judges would say. 
 
 "Will the prince of the jossakeeds take a shot 
 
88 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 at the birds before being crowned with the Yew 
 wreath of valor?" 
 
 As soon as the Golden Hearted could make 
 himself heard he said: 
 
 "I am willing to comply with your request, 
 but I hope I shall not hurt any of the birds. ' ' 
 
 "The parrot shall cry your aim, and must 
 remain unharmed. You may kill the blue or the 
 black bird, but you must release the peaceful dove 
 uninjured. Will you remember these conditions ? ' ' 
 
 The Golden Hearted came within range and 
 waited for a favorable opportunity. By a sudden 
 jerk of the cord coming down the side of the pole 
 the cross bar was set to whirling rapidly and this 
 frightened the birds until they tried to fly away. 
 The parrot was chained fast and to make the aim 
 more difficult, the other birds were fastened by 
 strings of different lengths. The marksman must 
 free each one of them and then hit it before it 
 could escape. The first liberated was the blue jay. 
 The Golden Hearted cut the cord neatly and 
 wounded the bird while it was still rising. The 
 arrow fell near the base of the pole bringing the 
 right wing with it. 
 
 This won him the wreath, and he now turned to 
 the wise men for a signal. They could demand the 
 last three shots. Would they do it! He inclined 
 his head toward them as one of the number picked 
 up a black flag and waved it. There was an 
 answering shout and a cheer, and the Golden 
 Hearted prepared to shoot again. This time he 
 
M1CHABO, THE GKEAT WHITE HAKE 89 
 
 aimed at the raven and cut the string near the pole. 
 Its weight caused the captive to fly in an oblique 
 line downward for a moment. Quick as a flash the 
 second arrow sped and the raven fell to the ground 
 pierced through the heart ! Without looking to see 
 what had happened the Golden Hearted shot at 
 the dove and as it flew up in a circle everybody 
 saw that it was unharmed. 
 
 Then they fought and struggled with each 
 other for the privilege of carrying the victor off 
 the grounds, but the Golden Hearted escaped 
 through a side door and ran away as fast as he 
 could. He did not wish to speak to any one nor 
 have them see how unhappy he felt. He really 
 was heartbroken because he had killed the raven. 
 
 THE HOUSE OF WUNZH 
 
The Birth of Corn 
 
 UNZH was greatly disturbed 
 and downcast over his defeat 
 because he thought the Great 
 Spirit had sent the Golden 
 Hearted in answer to his 
 supplications, and he now felt 
 certain that he was in disfavor. He 
 lay awake all night thinking what he 
 could do to win a token of good will 
 from the Great Spirit. He knew better 
 than to ask anything for himself, but begged 
 and implored that it should be something for the 
 benefit of his tribe. 
 
 "Michabo says I eat too much flesh, and that 
 I must learn to fast before any good will come to 
 me," he said over and over to himself. "He shall 
 see that I know how to obey even if my arrows do 
 go wide of the mark. ' ' There was a great lump in 
 his throat and to tell the truth there were a few 
 tears trickling down his cheeks, but he brushed 
 them away quickly as he rose to his feet and shook 
 out the buffalo robes which had answered for his 
 bed. 
 
THE BIRTH OF CORN 91 
 
 "I will go to a secret place in the forest and 
 build me a lodge, and there I will stay and fast 
 until the Great Spirit grants my wish." 
 
 He told no one of his intention and was gone 
 several days before he was missed at the council 
 fires where the wise men were instructing the med- 
 icine men in the use of a wampum belt made of 
 different colored beads. The colors were the same 
 as the Quippos and the counting with them was 
 done in the same manner. While the women were 
 weaving a very handsome wampum belt to be used 
 as a council brand of authority, the wise men 
 helped build a Long House in the center of the 
 confederation of tribes to put it in. Then they 
 ordered four other Long Houses built on the north, 
 east, south and west corners of the country, so that 
 the runners would have some place to stay when 
 they started with the wampum belt to let the out- 
 side tribes know the will of the council. 
 
 The Golden Hearted did not seem to take any 
 interest in this work at all, but went among the 
 people playing all kinds of pranks. Sometimes he 
 frightened them nearly to death, and then again he 
 would set them into roars of laughter by the funny 
 things he did. He invented so many tricks and was 
 so full of mischief that every one was on the look- 
 out and attributed all the happenings they could 
 not account for in any other way to him whether 
 he did them or not. 
 
 "What has become of Wunzh! Has anybody 
 seen him!" began to be constant queries, and his 
 
92 THE STOIUES OF EL DOftADO 
 
 family looked very sad indeed. The Golden 
 Hearted knew where he was and that he was fast- 
 ing, so he waited until nightfall and then dressed 
 himself in rich garments of green and yellow shad- 
 ing into light and dark tints. Putting on his crown 
 with the long green Quetzal plumes he slipped off 
 into the woods to find Wunzh. Approaching the 
 lodge he said: 
 
 "I am sent to you, my friend, by that Great 
 Spirit who made all things in the sky and on the 
 earth. He has seen and known your motives in the 
 fasting. He sees that it is from a kind and benev- 
 olent wish to do good to your people and to procure 
 a benefit for them and not for strength in war or 
 the praise of warriors. I come to show you how to 
 do your kindred good, but you must rise and 
 wrestle with me. ' ' 
 
 Wunzh knew that he was weak from fasting, 
 but felt his courage rising in his heart, and he got 
 up immediately determined to die rather than fail. 
 
 He instantly clinched with the Golden Hearted 
 and wrestled with him until nearly exhausted. 
 
 "My friend, this is enough for to-day. I will 
 come again to try you to-morrow at the same 
 hour. ' ' 
 
 The Golden Hearted came dressed in the same 
 fashion and wrestled with Wunzh for three suc- 
 cessive evenings. Each day the f aster's strength 
 grew less and less, but he was more determined 
 than ever. 
 
 ' ' To-morrow will be your last trial. Be strong, 
 
THE WRESTLING MATCH 
 
94 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 my friend, for this is the only way you can over- 
 come me and obtain the boon you seek." 
 
 The next day the poor youth exerted his 
 utmost power and after awhile the Golden 
 Hearted ceased wrestling. 
 
 "I am conquered," he said/and went into the 
 lodge and began to teach Wunzh. "You have 
 wrestled manfully and have fasted seven days. 
 Now you must strip off my clothing and throw me 
 down. Clean the earth of roots and reeds; make 
 it soft and bury these garments here. When you 
 have done this be careful never to let the grass grow 
 over the spot. Once a month cover it with fresh 
 earth. If you follow these instructions you will do 
 great good to your fellow creatures." 
 
 In the morning the father of Wunzh came 
 with some slight refreshments, saying: 
 
 "My son, you have fasted long enough. If the 
 Great Spirit intends to favor you he will do it now. 
 It is seven days since you tasted food and you 
 must not sacrifice your health. That the Master of 
 Life does not require of you." 
 
 ' ' Wait, father, until the sun goes down. I have 
 a particular reason for extending my fast until 
 that hour." 
 
 "Very well," said the father, kindly. "I will 
 wait until you feel inclined to eat. ' ' 
 
 Even though he was hungry the young man 
 felt strangely renewed and strengthened and when 
 it was night he was ready to wrestle with the 
 Golden Hearted again. When he thought he had 
 
THE BIRTH OF CORN" 95 
 
 killed the prince he took off his garments and 
 plumes and buried them as he had been told to do. 
 Afterwards he returned to his father's lodge and 
 partook sparingly of food, but he never for a 
 moment forgot the new-made grave. 
 
 Because he was so full of pranks and tricks, 
 the descendants of the Mound Builders saw some- 
 thing mysterious and strange in everything the 
 Golden Hearted did, and when he built a boat to 
 go down the great river in, they said it was a magic 
 canoe and expected almost anything to happen. 
 However before he and the wise men went away, 
 they made him the father and guardian of their 
 nation, and they have considered him as such ever 
 since. 
 
 Weeks went by and the summer was drawing 
 to a close when Wunzh returned after a long 
 absence in hunting. Going to his father he invited 
 him to come to the quiet lonesome spot where he 
 had fasted so long. There in a circle freed from 
 weeds stood a tall graceful plant with bright col- 
 ored silken hair surmounted by nodding plumes, 
 luxuriant green leaves and clusters of golden grain 
 on each side. 
 
 "It is my friend, and the friend of all man- 
 kind. It is Mondamin, the spirit of corn. We need 
 no longer rely on hunting alone for so long as 
 this gift is cherished and taken care of the ground 
 itself will give us a living. See, my father, ' ' said 
 Wunzh, pulling off an ear, "this is what I fasted 
 for. This is why Michabo put me through so many 
 
96 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 trials. But the Great Spirit has listened to my voice 
 and sent us something new. Our people need no 
 longer depend upon the chase and the water for 
 food." 
 
 Then he told his father how he had wrestled 
 with the Golden Hearted, and how he had torn off 
 his garments. 
 
 "He said I was to treat the ear in the same 
 manner, and when it was stripped I must hold it 
 to the fire until the outer skin becomes brown while 
 all the milk is retained in the grain/' 
 
 The whole family of Wunzh joined in a feast 
 on the roasted ears, and were very grateful for such 
 a rich blessing. And this is the way the Indians 
 say corn came into the world. 
 
 We learned its use from them, and also to hold 
 the old-fashioned husking bees where all the young 
 people got together and pulled off the husks after 
 the ripe ears of corn had been gathered into the 
 barn. It was always great fun, especially when 
 they found red ears, but let us see what the Indians 
 used to say about it : 
 
 Then Nokomis, the old woman, 
 
 Spake and said to Minnehaha: 
 
 " "Tis the moon when leaves are falling 
 
 All the wild rice has been gathered 
 
 And the maize is ripe and ready ; 
 
 Let us gather in the harvest, 
 
 Let us wrestle with Mondamin, 
 
 Strip him of his plumes and tassels, 
 
 Of his garments green and yellow." 
 
THE BIRTH OF CORN 97 
 
 And the merry Laughing Water 
 Went rejoicing from the wigwam, 
 With Nokomis old and wrinkled, 
 And they called the women round them, 
 Called the young men and the maidens, 
 To the harvest of the cornfields, 
 To the husking of the maize ear. 
 
 On the border of the forest, 
 Underneath the fragrant pine-trees, 
 Sat the old man and the warriors 
 Smoking in the pleasant shadow 
 In uninterrupted silence 
 Looked they at the gamesome labor 
 Of the young men and the women; 
 Listened to their noisy talking, 
 To their laughter and their singing 
 
 Heard them chattering like the magpies, 
 Heard them laughing like the blue- jays, 
 Heard them singing like the robins. 
 
 And whene'er some lucky maiden 
 Found a red ear in the husking 
 Found a maize-ear red as blood is, 
 "Nuska!" cried they all together, 
 "Nuska! you shall have a sweetheart, 
 You shall have a handsome husband ! ' ' 
 "Ugh!" the old men all responded 
 From their seats behind the pine-trees. 
 
 And whene'er a youth or maiden 
 Found a crooked ear in husking, 
 Found a maize-ear in the husking 
 Blighted, mildewed or misshapen, 
 
98 THE STOEIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 Then they laughed and sang together, 
 Crept and limped about the cornfields, 
 Mimicked in their gait and gestures 
 Some old man bent almost double, 
 Singing singly or together 
 Till the cornfields rang with laughter, 
 "Ugh!" the old men all responded, 
 From their seats behind the pine-trees. 
 
 The Indians have many pretty stories about 
 the birth of corn. When the two little slender green 
 leaves come up through the ground they say that 
 it is the long green plumes of the crown buried by 
 Wunzh and when it is ready for harvest they think 
 the green and gold of the leaves and grain are 
 the rest of the garments turned into a plant. They 
 say that if you stand near a cornfield in the moon- 
 light you can hear Mondamin, the corn spirit, mur- 
 muring and complaining of the way we treat him 
 to the wind, the stars, and the little insects hidden 
 in the glossy leaves and silken tassels. 
 
The Wrathy Chieftain 
 
 ter sailing down the great river 
 for many days the Golden 
 Hearted and the wise men came 
 into a trackless waste with no 
 means of finding their way out 
 except by watching where the 
 sun rose and shooting an arrow ahead of them. 
 This was very slow work and they all grew quite 
 discouraged over it. 
 
 "It is altogether too bad that for fear of get- 
 ting lost we must halt each time and speed another 
 arrow before we overtake the last one," said the 
 Golden Hearted one day when they were nearly 
 worn out with the heat and dust of a country not 
 much better than a desert. ' 1 1 have a feeling, ' ' he 
 continued, "that we will not be well treated by the 
 people we find here. I do so wish we might come to 
 the cactus and the rock with a serpent at its base 
 
100 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 where my father commanded me to found a city in 
 honor of the sun." 
 
 "We are going in the right direction, " 
 answered the wise men, ' ' but the end of our search 
 is not yet. ' ' 
 
 " And much as my heart yearns for the Happy 
 Island I will not return to my father until all his 
 wishes have been fulfilled/' 
 
 Through the murky gray clouds the stars did 
 not make much light, and there was only a thin 
 crescent moon, which gave a sense of utter lone- 
 liness to the Golden Hearted when he went to bed 
 that night. The coyotes all around him howled 
 and that made it worse, but he finally fell asleep. 
 By. and by he was awakened by a cold, wet nose 
 touching his hand, and when he raised up on his 
 elbow to see what it was, there stood a coyote. They 
 are not very dangerous animals but they are 
 sneaking and treacherous. Now we know that 
 the Golden Hearted was gentle and kind to all 
 creatures, and the coyote must have known it too, 
 for it rubbed its head on his hand and did not seem 
 in the least afraid. 
 
 "Come, my good fellow, let us be friends," 
 said the Golden Hearted. ' ' I will not hurt you, and 
 you can guide me to my brethren. I have never 
 seen their faces, but wish very much to find them. ' ' 
 
 The coyote wrinkled up his nose and made a 
 funny little sneezing sound as if he were talking, 
 and he wagged his tail as friendly as a dog. 
 Maybe he did not understand what was said to him, 
 
THE WRAT.HY CHIEFTAIN 101 
 
 but any how he felt safe enough to lie down close to 
 his new friend and go sound asleep. When the 
 wise men saw him the next morning, they said: 
 
 "It is a good omen and means that we shall 
 soon come to a stopping place where strange events 
 will happen. ' ' 
 
 This put the Golden Hearted into a better 
 humor because he felt less doubtful and discour- 
 aged and he was much interested in the antics of the 
 sagacious little companion that trudged by his side 
 all day long. The coyote was enterprising enough 
 to kill as many birds as it needed for food, without 
 going far out of the way and was not a whit of 
 trouble to anybody. There was not a tree nor a 
 shrub to hide the nakedness of the dusty plains, 
 nor was it possible to rest with any comfort until 
 after the sun went down. 
 
 All of a sudden the coyote stopped short, 
 pricked up its ears and listened intently. 
 
 "Yelp! yelp! yelp!" was what the Golden 
 Hearted heard, and it sounded as if there were hun- 
 dreds of young puppies everywhere. Looking 
 closely he discovered little heaps of earth with a 
 smooth-headed animal sitting on all fours beside 
 it and yelping a protest to being disturbed. They 
 were right in the midst of a village of prairie dogs, 
 which are about the size of a jack-rabbit, but not 
 nearly so destructive. 
 
 ' ' Come and see what I have found, ' ' called out 
 the Golden Hearted to the wise men who were com- 
 ing up behind him. At the sound of his voice the 
 
102 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 prairie dogs gave a quick, short yelp, their heels 
 twinkled in the air for a second, and they fairly 
 turned a somersault diving into their holes. By 
 the time the wise men were ready to look there was 
 not a whisker of an inhabitant to be seen. 
 
 "What is it?" they said, "Where! we do riot 
 see anything." 
 
 "Watch these fresh piles of dirt, and you will 
 see something come out of them, ' ' said the Golden 
 Hearted. 
 
 * * Yes ; ' ' said one, i i there are some rattle- 
 snakes. ' ' 
 
 "And here are some owls," said another. "Is 
 it possible that you have never seen these creatures 
 before?" and the wise men laughed at the Golden 
 Hearted and thought they had a good joke on him. 
 
 1 ' Let us keep quiet for a while. I tell you there 
 is something else in those burrows besides snakes 
 and owls," he insisted seriously. 
 
 Not hearing any more noise, one after another 
 of the little prairie dogs put its head up out of the 
 hole, and then stole forth cautiously to talk the 
 matter over with its next door neighbor. There 
 were regular beaten pathways or lanes from one 
 burrow to another and they were evidently on very 
 friendly footing with each other. 
 
 "These are indeed curious little animals," 
 said the wise men, now much interested. * l They not 
 only live in communities, but keep the peace with 
 their brothers, the snake and the owl. There is 
 certainly no greater source of knowledge than the 
 
THE WEATHY CHIEFTAIN 103 
 
 book of nature. Here God puts before us the thing 
 He wishes us to learn." 
 
 At the very first words of the wise men the 
 prairie dogs scampered back into their holes ; and 
 before they showed themselves again a party of 
 husbandmen came along on their way to a harvest 
 field which they said was a day's journey ahead. 
 
 "Why do you linger in this desert?" they 
 asked of the Golden Hearted. "There are habita^ 
 tions farther on where the earth is watered. ' ' 
 
 "We are seeking those who need our assist- 
 ance and must only tarry where we are welcome, ' ' 
 he answered. 
 
 * i Then come to our commune. We have no one 
 to show us how to heal the sick nor to coax fertil- 
 ity out of this barren soil," they said. "If you 
 will go, we will remain for the night and lead the 
 way." 
 
 So it was arranged and to everybody 's comfort 
 and joy it began to rain shortly after and then the 
 air was much more cool and pleasant. 
 
 The little prairie dogs were not so well pleased 
 with this arrangement. They stuck their noses up 
 into the moist air and whined and yelped half of 
 the night. There can be no doubt that they were 
 holding an indignation meeting, and were having 
 a noisy and windy debate. May be they were com- 
 paring notes about the tall hats and veils of the 
 wise men, or they may not have thought their long 
 beards becoming. Or who shall say that they were 
 not in their own peculiar fashion devising plans 
 
: . . " 
 
 THE WRATHY CHIEFTAIN 
 
THE WRATHY CHIEFTAIN 105 
 
 for safety, and to vindicate their offended dignity ! 
 They may have objected seriously to having 
 strange men intruding upon their privacy, and it 
 must not be considered a reflection on their courage 
 because they scampered out of sight at the sound of 
 a human voice. It was quite enough to frighten 
 inoffensive little animals like these. 
 
 It is said that Katzimo, the enchanted Mesa, 
 was the first stopping-place of the Golden Hearted, 
 and it is certain that the wise men taught the hus- 
 bandmen in that part of the world how to make 
 irrigating ditches and canals all through their 
 inhospitable country, because there are many 
 remains of these waterways still to be seen. Some 
 say, too, that these people got the idea of living in 
 pueblos or villages from studying the habits of the 
 prairie dogs and to this day the coyote is thought 
 to be a good friend by the descendants of these 
 ancient husbandmen. 
 
 ' ' The hunters are angry with you for teaching 
 the tillers of the soil how to make the land fertile 
 without making it easier for the men of the chase 
 to get food for themselves and families," said an 
 old woman to the Golden Hearted, one day as he 
 stood watching her make a water jar of clay. She 
 would not have spoken had he not shown her how 
 to make a pretty design and also how to orna- 
 ment it differently from anything she had seen 
 before. 
 
 ' ' I am willing to teach them to weave blankets 
 and baskets," he replied. "The Good Law spares 
 the life of every creature and forbids our eating its 
 
106 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 flesh for food. The hunters should give up the 
 chase and fighting. ' ' 
 
 "They say that only women should do these 
 things," said the old pottery maker, "and they 
 disdain to carry the rocks and mud to make our 
 dwellings. ' ' 
 
 "In this they are wrong," said the Golden 
 Hearted, kindly, as he turned to greet some of the 
 wise men. "We must hasten our task for already 
 is discontent showing itself among the tribes," he 
 said to them. 
 
 ' * We must kindle the sacred fires and build the 
 temple at once, ' ' they said. ' ' We have heard mur- 
 murings and complaints of late and know your 
 words are true. ' ' 
 
 As soon as possible they began the work of 
 construction of what is now known as the Casa 
 Grande long since in ruins, of which we shall hear 
 more in the story of the Kingdom of Quivera. The 
 wise men kindled and guarded the sacred fires, and 
 when leaving appointed warriors to take turns in 
 watching them. 
 
 "You must serve for two successive days and 
 live during that time without food, drink or sleep, ' ' 
 they said, and that mandate has been kept to this 
 day. In the meantime the Golden Hearted busied 
 himself with teaching them the use of herbs and 
 plants for medicine and had them go into estufas 
 or sweat houses when they were ill or wished to 
 purify themselves of a sin or fault. 
 
 Tradition says that the hunters lured the 
 
THE WKATHY CHIEFTAIN 107 
 
 Golden Hearted away from his comrades and tried 
 to kill him, and that they threw the wise men over 
 the edge of the cliff, but it has been so long ago 
 that no one can remember what it was they did that 
 wounded and hurt him. One day he planted a tree 
 upside down and calling all the people about him 
 said : 
 
 "Many, many years from now a strange 
 nation will oppress you, and there will be no more 
 rain. I charge you to guard the sacred fires well 
 until the tree I have planted falls. Then I will come 
 
 back and bring a white race that will overcome 
 your enemies. After that the rain will fall, and 
 the earth will be fertile again." 
 
 The simple, frugal husbandmen and weavers 
 are still looking for his return and they believe he 
 
108 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 will descend from the sky by the columns of smoke 
 they guard. It has been so long ago that they think 
 he lives in the sun now, and build their houses 
 with an opening to the east which is never closed. 
 
 "We do this that he may find a welcome when 
 he comes, ' ' they say. 
 
 Once every fifty years they put out all the 
 sacred fires and go up on the high mountain tops 
 just before dawn, and wail and mourn and break 
 pottery, imploring the shining orb to bring back 
 him 
 
 "Who dwelt up in the yellow sun 
 And sorrowing for man's despair 
 Slid by his trailing yellow hair 
 To earth to rule, by love and bring 
 The blessedness of peace." 
 
The Plumed Serpent, Quetzalcoatl 
 
 AR as the eye could reach 
 stretched the beautiful valley of 
 Anahuac, where the air was sweet 
 with the breath of flowers, and the 
 earth seemed to melt perfectly into 
 the sky. 
 
 ' * Oh ! that mine eyes should see 
 the splendor of this vision," said 
 Mexi, the oldest of the wise men 
 and the most learned, clasping his 
 hands in rapture. " Oh ! that I have 
 been spared to see the fruition of thy will, great 
 king and brother. Now may I go hence in peace. ' ' 
 As he ceased speaking he tottered and would 
 have fallen had not one of the tamanes or porters, 
 seated on mats under the shade of a giant oak, 
 hastily risen, and caught him as his head fell for- 
 ward on his bosom. 
 
 "The elements have undone thee, " cried the 
 Golden Hearted, kneeling hurriedly by his side 
 and supporting the drooping head on his knee. 
 "Thou art sadly in need of rest," he continued, 
 alarmed at the pallor overspreading Mexi's finely 
 wrinkled face. 
 
 The old man pushed the thin white locks of 
 hair off his forehead, let the mantle slip back from 
 his throat, and seemed to breathe easier. 
 
110 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 ' ' I am come to my final rest, ' ' he replied with 
 a feeble smile. "It is not given me to enter the 
 promised land." 
 
 . The tawny, broad-shouldered, half-clad 
 tamanes, laid down the thin cakes of ground corn 
 they were eating and came near to the stricken old 
 man, while the other wise men took off their hats 
 and listened with bowed heads to what their com- 
 rade and leader said. They had stopped to rest 
 and refresh themselves with food under the cool 
 inviting shade of the trees where they could listen 
 to the murmur of waterfalls, and feast, the eyes 
 on the landscape surrounding them. 
 
 "There!" said Mexi, attracted by the buzzing 
 of tiny wings, "is the green-throated humming- 
 bird thou wert to follow as thy guide to the spot 
 where a city is to be built in honor of the sun." 
 
 The Golden Hearted held up his hand with the 
 forefinger extended and in a moment the little 
 humming-bird lighted on it and looked at him 
 curiously, as though obeying the will of some one. 
 He did not touch it nor attempt to move for a few 
 moments. Then he said: 
 
 "Little brother, spend the remainder of thy 
 days with me. I need thee sorely, and have long 
 waited for thy guidance." 
 
 In the meantime the wise men had given Mexi 
 a cup of chocolate, not in a thin liquid like we 
 know it, but thick like a cold custard, and with 
 whipped goat's cream on top. 
 
 ' ' Thou art kind, ' ' he said growing weaker and 
 
THE HUMMING-BIRD ALIGHTED ON HIS FINGER" 
 
 See opposite page 
 
112 THE STOEIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 more faint all the time, "to try to prolong a life 
 already spent." Turning his eyes toward the 
 Golden Hearted he continued: "Lying next my 
 heart thou wilt find a bundle of mystery. Carry it 
 without opening until the time of thy departure 
 from this strange land is at hand. Open then and 
 thou wilt find directions for thy special work.' 7 
 
 He did not speak again and when they tried to 
 rouse him there was a smile of infinite peace on his 
 face, hut nothing save the lifeless hody was before 
 them. The gentle, sweet spirit of the old man had 
 gone back to God. 
 
 "We will neither weep nor mourn for him," 
 said the wise men to the Golden Hearted. "It 
 would not be his wish, and we will show our love by 
 obeying him." 
 
 And so they left him sleeping in a dell of ferns 
 and mosses, in sight of Anahuac, the land by the 
 side of water, as its name indicates, and continued 
 their journey southward. 
 
 On the way the wise men found a little 
 creature, looking like a black currant with neither 
 head, legs nor tail, so far as they could see. It is fat 
 and dark and round, but if you squeeze him his 
 blood is a brighter color than currant juice, and 
 much more valuable because we get cochineal red 
 of one, and currant jelly from the other. It was in 
 the valley of Anahuac that the cochineal bug was 
 first found, and it lives on the leaves of the prickly 
 pear, or tuna cactus the common kind with leaves 
 shaped like a ham, and covered with long sharp 
 needles. 
 
THE PLUMED SERPENT 113 
 
 The young cochineal bugs are so stupid that 
 they must be tied on the leaves of the prickly pear 
 to keep them from falling off and starving. In this 
 way, too, they keep dry and warm in winter, but 
 as soon as they are grown they are ruthlessly 
 shaken to death and dried in the sun. Then the 
 queer, shriveled dead bugs are put up in bags and 
 sold. 
 
 "In the hot lands far to the south, the woods 
 are full of rare orchids and other gems of the 
 flower kingdom," said the Golden Hearted one day 
 after a search for plants by the wayside, ' ' but the 
 vanilla bean is the only one fit for food. It will be 
 well worth our while to study this strange branch 
 of husbandry as soon as possible." 
 
 It was a long time before they came to a place 
 near the seashore where a number of women were 
 picking the ripe pods from vanilla vines which 
 overran the trees and shrubs completely. The 
 younger women had on bright-colored petticoats 
 and gay scarfs over their long black hair, and they 
 were storing the bean pods in wide-mouthed 
 baskets strapped across their foreheads. 
 
 "What next do you do with these pods!" he 
 asked of a young girl passing him with a full 
 basket. 
 
 "We carefully assort them and then plunge 
 the packages into hot water, before laying them 
 out on mats to drain. For a week the beans are 
 exposed to the heat of the sun, laid between woolen 
 blankets. After this we pack them in ollas and keep 
 
114 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 them warm so as to promote fermentation while 
 drying. This makes them soft, pliable, free from 
 moisture, and of a dark chocolate color thickly 
 frosted with needle-like crystals of acid." 
 
 And to this day if you buy vanilla beans they 
 come in packages wrapped in silver foil, and have 
 a delicious odor. 
 
 The bean is from six to nine inches long, and 
 must be ground fine before it can be used in mak- 
 ing the chocolate we are all so fond of, but it is 
 dried and packed in the same manner as that 
 described to the Golden Hearted. 
 
 It was not many days after leaving the wooded 
 plains, that the travelers came in sight of four 
 beautiful lakes with the frowning cliffs of Chapul- 
 tepec outlined against the sky. Always on the 
 alert for a sign the wise men said to each other 
 in awe-stricken whispers: 
 
 "We must be near the place." 
 
 "Do you not see the rock with the flowering 
 cactus ! ' ' 
 
 "And an eagle circling in the air with a ser- 
 pent in its claws ! ' ' 
 
 ' ' Oh ! thou seen and unseen powers ! search our 
 hearts that thou mayst know all our gratitude," 
 cried the Golden Hearted, falling on his knees and 
 then prostrating himself on the ground, as did all 
 the wise men. 
 
 "I am Guatamo, " said a voice, and when the 
 Golden Hearted looked up, a man old as Mexi stood 
 blessing him. "Rise and receive word from thy 
 
THE PLUMED SERPENT 115 
 
 father, the king from whom I am come. Fear me 
 not; these hands have guided thy baby footsteps. 
 Now must thou lend ear to my counsel. ' ' 
 
 The Golden Hearted was overjoyed to see some 
 one from his father's court, and also glad to know 
 that his wanderings in search of the place to honor 
 the sun was over. 
 
 "This is not a promising outlook," said Gua- 
 tamo, "but in the parchment scroll thou wilt find 
 ample instructions to drain and render this a gar- 
 den spot of exceeding loveliness. Hasten thy task 
 since thy father is no longer living, and thy native 
 land longs to see thee again." 
 
 Acting upon this advice the Golden Hearted 
 and the wise men set to work at once to build the 
 city, and to teach the willing natives to cultivate 
 the land, and to make handsome mosaics out of the 
 bright-colored feathers of the birds found in the 
 forests in such numbers. Of course the birds were 
 not killed to get their feathers, but in the royal 
 gardens there were thousands of them kept during 
 the moulting season, and then the feathers were 
 picked up and assorted for use. Not only could they 
 make perfect representations of birds and animals 
 with them, but whole landscape scenes, including 
 mountains, sea and sky. When finished it was nec- 
 essary to touch them to know that feathers instead 
 of paint had been used. 
 
 "The Nahuas have come from Aztlan, the 
 white country, and must be obeyed, ' ' was the word 
 carried from one tribe to the other by the runners, 
 
116 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 and the wise men could only smile when they heard 
 themselves called Nahuas, or wizards. The simple 
 natives thought them capable of performing mira- 
 cles because they were wise in the arts and knew 
 how to heal the sick. The name of the Golden 
 Hearted became Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent 
 in their language, but we must remember that he 
 wore the Quetzal plumes in his head-dress, the same 
 as a king wears a gold and jeweled crown, and that 
 a serpent in many of the languages of the ancient 
 people meant a very wise man. In English we 
 would say that the Golden Hearted was the wise 
 king, which was not only true but a very simple 
 name for him. The wonderful city he built was 
 called Tenochtitlan, which signified "in honor of 
 the sun, ' ' as his father had commanded him to do, 
 and on the spot where it stood is the City of Mexico 
 to-day. We shall hear very interesting things 
 about the teocalli, or temple he built in Tenochtit- 
 lan, when we come to the story of ' ' Montezuma and 
 the Paba, ' ' for this is one of the most famous places 
 in the new world, and no one can afford to be 
 ignorant of its traditions and history. 
 
Cholula, the Sacred City 
 
 T was in the Tonituah, or great 
 sun age, that the wise men and 
 the Golden Hearted built the 
 Memento for Generations, on 
 the plains of Puebla. It is not 
 so high, but is twice as long 
 as any other pyramid in the 
 world, and is truncated, that 
 is to say, it has four terraces which are reached 
 by long circular staircases. On top there is an acre 
 of ground on which once stood a wonderful teocalli 
 or temple, built by the wise men, and dedicated to 
 the Golden Hearted. Each generation added some- 
 thing to the beauties of the Sacred City, Cholula, 
 which sprang up near the pyramid, and for all time 
 it will be one of the most wonderful things ever 
 done by primitive men, who did not have our kind 
 of implements to work with. 
 
 The Golden Hearted lived in Cholula twenty 
 years, and during that time he taught so many men 
 how to make fine filigree work in gold and silver 
 that there were whole streets filled with them, and 
 the ornaments they made were famous for delicacy 
 of design and finish. 
 
 There was also a mountain of outcry, where 
 the laws enacted by him were proclaimed by run- 
 ners, but it is difficult to say whether this was 
 Orizaba, with her conical snow-capped head far to 
 the east, or whether it was huge Popocatepetl, or his 
 twin sister who stood like colossal sentinels to 
 guard the enchanted regions. 
 
118 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 4 'It is necessary to construct a calendar stone, 
 so that the people will know when to hold festivals, 
 and what ceremonies to perform/ 7 said the son of 
 Guatamo to the Golden Hearted, one day while the 
 long line of men were passing bricks by hand from 
 the lower to the upper terrace of the pyramid which 
 they were trying to finish. 
 
 "I have been thinking about it," he replied, 
 i ' and have decided to ask a certain old woman, and 
 her husband, to help select the signs." 
 
 "Be sure to make them plain to the people and 
 appropriate to the subject," said the son of 
 Guatamo, who had now become the chief adviser of 
 the Golden Hearted. All of the wise men were still 
 called Nahuas, or wizards, and the Golden Hearted 
 was their plumed serpent, or wise king. 
 
 In the evening of that day, the Golden Hearted 
 approached the hut of a famous soothsayer and 
 story-teller the old woman he wished to consult 
 about the calendar. Standing in front of the door 
 of the hut he said : 
 
 "A humble applicant claims thy assistance in 
 a matter of great import to thy fellows now and for 
 all time. Wilt thou kindly hear me?" 
 
 1 ' Since it is always for thy brothers and never 
 for thyself thou art constrained to invoke aid, I am 
 honored by thy confidence," she said. "I have 
 long been expecting thee." 
 
 "Then thou knowest that I wish to invent a 
 calendar which can be cut in enduring stone?" he 
 asked, considerably surprised that she should 
 already know his thoughts. 
 
CHOLTTLA, THE SACRED CITY 119 
 
 "Yes," she said, "and so well do I under- 
 stand thy wishes and needs that I have the first 
 sign ready for thee. ' ' Motioning him to follow her 
 into an inner room, she showed him a water-snake 
 she had painted on a piece of parchment, and 
 continued : 
 
 "Make it the sign of the serpent, the symbol 
 of wisdom, since thou art come to teach brother- 
 hood to all our tribes." 
 
 A queer hunchbacked old man sat huddled up 
 in a corner looking over a set of parchment leaves 
 lying on a table before him, and muttering to him- 
 self in a low tone. 
 
 "My husband must make the next selection," 
 said the old crone, going up to him and taking a 
 paper out of his hands. "He makes it two cones," 
 she continued, examining the design closely. 
 
 ' * Now it is my turn to choose, ' ' said the Golden 
 Hearted, "and I will select the three houses from 
 this pile, and make that the third sign." 
 
 They took turns about until twelve signs were 
 chosen, then the Golden Hearted said: 
 
 "] will make the last design myself, but not 
 until my time of departure is at hand." 
 
 "Before going, do not forget to inscribe the 
 face of the pyramid, and also to explain its import 
 fully," said the story-teller as the Golden Hearted 
 was leaving her hut. 
 
 "Thou art better able than I am to tell the 
 hidden significance of that wonderful pile," he 
 answered. 
 
120 THE STORIES OF EL DOEADO 
 
 "But it is thy duty; shirk it not/' she said 
 with decision. 
 
 Not long afterward he called all the workmen 
 and their families together and said : 
 
 1 * There has now come a time in my life when 
 I must live in seclusion away from the thoughts 
 and occupations of my associates. But before 
 going up on top of the pyramid to live alone until 
 the altars in its temples are ready to receive the 
 sacred fire, I will tell you why we have tarried so 
 long and made such a wonderful structure. It is 
 really a pillar of the Cosmos, or world, and is a 
 center of fire which is the essence of all life." 
 
 The name pyramid means a place of fire or a 
 volcano, and the Goddess Pele, of the native 
 Hawaiians, is the spirit of the volcano. 
 
 "A pyramid," continued the Golden Hearted, 
 "is the ideal form of the principle of stability 
 because it cannot be destroyed. An earthquake will 
 not shake it down, nor can it be set on fire. Being so 
 big at the bottom and so heavy it is secure from 
 floods of water, nor can the wind possibly blow it 
 over. Neither time nor the elements will have any 
 influence on this cunningly constructed pile, and 
 for this reason it is like a noble character, which 
 no adverse circumstance ever changes." 
 
 Approaching the front of the pyramid, he 
 pulled down a cloth hanging over the inscription 
 cut in symbols on the face of a huge piece of 
 granite. 
 
 BEFORE THE LIGHT WAS OBSCURED 
 THIS MEMENTO FOR GENERATIONS WAS 
 
CHOLULA, THE SACKED CITY 121 
 
 BUILT BY SERPENT KINGS. THEY WERE 
 SCATTERED OVER THE EARTH TO CAR- 
 RY TRUTH AND WISDOM. THEY WILL 
 COME AGAIN TO RECEIVE THE TREAS- 
 URES HIDDEN IN MY BOWELS. THEN ALL 
 MEN WILL SPEAK AND HEAR THE GREAT 
 IMPERISHABLE TRUTH. 
 
 The next morning the Golden Hearted called 
 his little band of wise men around him and said: 
 
 4 ' In the Bundle of Wonderful Things given me 
 by Guatamo, I find my father's final command. It 
 imposes seclusion upon me in this spot. The temple 
 requires a central spire and I shall build and cover 
 it with pure gold. Go thou to the valley and make 
 thy life apart from me. I love thee well, and shall 
 miss thee sadly, but I have need to be alone." 
 
 4 * What wilt thou have us do?" asked the son 
 of Guatamo. 
 
 "Go thou amongst thy fellows and teach them 
 the arts of peace. Show them how to coax fertility 
 anew out of the soil, and strengthen civil power 
 until I call thee." 
 
 It was several months before the spire was 
 finished, and then it required several days to make 
 a llama of beaten silver as an emblem of suffering 
 innocence to put on the altar. The llama seated 
 upon the back of an eagle was rescuing a rabbit 
 from the fangs of a- rattlesnake. 
 
 "This quaint symbol shall represent the une- 
 qual conflict between the good and bad things 
 in life, but the llama compelling the serpent to give 
 up its prey means that good shall finally triumph," 
 
122 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 said the Golden Hearted, to himself, as he put the 
 offering in place on the altar. 
 
 ' ' I have only a few days more in this beautiful 
 spot, then must I return to good King Cocomos, 
 my life-long friend and follower. Well indeed has 
 he kept his promise to me, and not only are his 
 subjects blessed with all the arts of civilization, but 
 they are a shining example to other less favored 
 races. I must offer a fitting sacrifice, " he contin- 
 ued, "on this newly erected altar before I go." 
 
 There were eight altars in the temple on top 
 of the pyramid, and at sunset on the last day of his 
 stay, the Golden Hearted placed the llama on the 
 one facing the east. At the same time the son of 
 Guatamo headed a procession of wise men at the 
 base of the pyramid, who slowly climbed to the top. 
 They performed sacrifice on each terrace as they 
 ascended, and did not reach the temple until 
 midnight. 
 
 The Golden Hearted was alone in the great 
 dark structure intently watching the constellation 
 of the Pleiades directly overhead. As Alcyone, the 
 dim star in the center of the group, approached the 
 zenith, he sprang forward with a glad cry and vig- 
 orously swinging a copper hammer made the 
 sparks fly from a piece of flint. The son of venera- 
 ble Guatamo held the bit of cotton over it and 
 carefully nursed the fire into a blaze. As the light 
 streamed up toward the heavens shouts of joy and 
 triumph burst forth: 
 
 "Once more the children of men receive a 
 
CHOLULA, THE SACRED CITY 123 
 
 direct ray from the spiritual sun ! Awake ! awake ! 
 and hear the glad tidings ! ' ' 
 
 Runners with torches lighted at the blazing 
 beacon sped in every direction carrying the cheer- 
 ing element to all parts of the country. Long before 
 sunrise it was brightening the altars and hearth- 
 stones in every house. The Golden Hearted prayed 
 before the eastern altar, and then took an affec- 
 tionate farewell of the young priest of the Order 
 of Quetzalcoatl left in charge, but before descend- 
 ing, he gazed long at the matchless scenery below. 
 Soft spring verdure lay on all sides, and he drew 
 courage and inspiration from that fact. At the 
 foot of the pyramid he said : 
 
 "Be of good cheer. A long era of peace and 
 prosperity is for thee and thine. Let this knowl- 
 edge be thy secret refuge lest thou be tempted to 
 depart from the way. Grieve not for me, in the full- 
 ness of time I will come again. " 
 
 Then he set out for the Kingdom of Tlapalla, 
 accompanied by four youths of noble birth. At the 
 water 's edge he took leave of them saying : 
 
 " Guard well the temple and the sacred fires, 
 for when I come again, I will bring disciples with 
 me who shall possess and rule the land." 
 
 When the four youths returned to Cholula and 
 told all their master had said to them, the people 
 divided their province into four principalities and 
 gave the government to the four young nobles. Ever 
 after, four of the descendants of these youths con- 
 tinued to rule as priests of the Order of Quetzal- 
 coatl in the sacred city until the Spaniards came, 
 
THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 which we will know all about when we read the 
 story of " El Dorado, the Golden." 
 
 One of the first things done by the noble youths 
 when they became rulers was to make a statue of 
 the Golden Hearted in a reclining position, because 
 they said that he had gone to sleep in the bosom 
 of the sun. When the wind blew they said he was 
 sweeping the roads, and that he was the god of fer- 
 tility. Not any place else in the new world was 
 there so much reverence and respect paid to a statue 
 as to this one of the Golden Hearted which was for 
 ages kept in the temple he built on the top of the 
 pyramid. For hundreds of miles around people 
 came to do reverence to it, and even if it did have 
 a black face, the ancient Aztecs always called him 
 their -"Fair God." And to this day the calendar 
 stone and many other wonderful things in Mexico 
 are said to have been made by him. 
 
Tulla, the Hiding Nook of the Snake 
 
 doubt you remember that the 
 wise men built a Dark House in 
 Nachan to hold the National Book, 
 and such other treasures as the Golden 
 Hearted did not wish to carry with 
 him. And you also remember that 
 he left a number of wise men in 
 charge, and that he promised to return. The 
 great pyramid at Cholula was not all finished, 
 but it was far enough along so he could leave 
 the son of Guatamo to go on with the work 
 while he paid a visit to his old friends in Nachan. 
 When he arrived there, he found a splendid 
 city having whole houses of silver, others of tur- 
 quoise, some of white and red shells and some of 
 rich feathers. Cotton grew there in all colors, so 
 it was not necessary to dye it, and the people were 
 rich and prosperous. A great and mighty king 
 ruled them, but he finally grew jealous because the 
 people seemed to think that all their good fortune 
 came from obeying the commands given them by 
 the Golden Hearted when he visited them as a 
 mere youth. 
 
126 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 They did everything in their power to honor 
 the good prince. When he promulgated a new 
 law, they ran to the mountain tops and proclaimed 
 it in a loud voice, and then the swift-footed cou- 
 riers dashed through the country with lighted 
 torches and repeated it to every one they met. One 
 day a young man came to him and said : 
 
 "Good prince, be on your guard. The king 
 no longer loves you." 
 
 "Why do you say this to me!" asked the 
 Golden Hearted. 
 
 "Because I know he plots to injure you. He. 
 is angry because you are helping the wise men 
 build Tulla. He calls it the Hiding Nook of the 
 Snake to show contempt for you." 
 
 "Again I ask why do you say such things to 
 me?" There was so much reproach in the tones 
 of the voice of the Golden Hearted that the young 
 man hung his head and stammered: 
 
 * ' Forgive me, but I wanted you to know there 
 is danger for you here, and I am ready to serve you 
 faithfully." 
 
 The Golden Hearted made no reply, but tak- 
 ing a thoroughly-dried cactus needle from a shelf, 
 stuck it through his ears and was beginning to 
 pierce his tongue when the young man sprang for- 
 ward and caught his hand. 
 
 "Why, good prince," he cried in a startled 
 voice, "do you maltreat your poor ears and tongue! 
 It is I who have spoken evil, not you." 
 
 * ' But I listened, and that is an offense against 
 
TULLA, HIDING NOOK OF THE SNAKE 127 
 
 the Good Law. Do you think I will not punish 
 myself for disobedience!" 
 
 * i Oh, ' ' said the young man, with tears stream- 
 ing down his face, "the sight of blood makes my 
 heart ache, and I, too, will be punished. ' ' And with 
 that he stuck cactus needles through his ears and 
 tongue. 
 
 "My friend," said the Golden Hearted, "I 
 thank you for your kind thought of me, but I must 
 beautify Tulla even if it does displease the king, 
 and he is right in calling it the Hiding Nook of the 
 Snake, because it will be a treasure-house of the 
 wisdom inherited from the philosophers and wise 
 men of your race. You should always bear in mind 
 that a serpent is a symbol of wisdom, and not a 
 thing to despise. The king compliments me, even 
 though he knows it not." 
 
 The young man went out of the room with the 
 thorns still sticking in his ears, .and when he spat 
 blood, his companions said : 
 
 "Why does your mouth bleed?" and he 
 answered : 
 
 "Because I have been speaking evil of some 
 one." 
 
 "Open your mouth and let us see," they said. 
 
 "It is only needful to examine the tongue. I 
 have pierced it with the sharp needle of the cactus. ' ' 
 
 i i Who gave you leave to do such a thing ? ' ' 
 
 "No one," he answered, "but when the Good 
 Prince inflicted that penalty on himself for merely 
 hearing what I said, I could do no less than follow 
 his example." 
 
128 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 ''And we will do likewise," they said, and in 
 after years, every devotee of the teachings of the 
 Golden Hearted punished himself in this manner 
 for evil speaking or listening to others saying 
 unkind things of a fellow creature. 
 
 Of course we know that the king really was 
 jealous of the Golden Hearted, and was determined 
 that he should not stay long in Tulla, which bade 
 fair to rival his own city with which it was connected 
 by the secret passageway containing the Dark 
 House. During the years of his absence, the wise 
 men left in Nachan had been at work on this won- 
 derful city, and it was very beautiful indeed, even 
 before the Golden Hearted saw it at all. When he 
 came the inhabitants received him with great 
 rejoicing, and then the king of Nachan began to be 
 afraid that he would have too great a following. 
 
 The king had no excuse to fight the Golden 
 Hearted, because he always put his fingers in his 
 ears when they talked of war in his presence, and 
 under no circumstances would he have been made 
 king himself. He only wanted to teach and help 
 the people in a peaceable and kind way. 
 
 The king knew all this, but he was uneasy and 
 wanted the Golden Hearted to go away. So he 
 hired a native wizard to play a cunning trick upon 
 the Golden Hearted. Disguising himself as one of 
 the wise men, the wizard went to his house and said 
 to his servant : 
 
 1 ' I wish to see and speak to your master. ' ' 
 
 "Go away, old man, you cannot see the prince 
 
TULLA, HIDING NOOK OF THE SNAKE 129 
 
 for he is sick. You will annoy him and cause him 
 heaviness. ' ' 
 
 ' l But I must see him, ' ' persisted the pretended 
 old man. 
 
 * ' Wait a moment and I will ask him, ' ' said the 
 servant, and he went and told the Golden Hearted 
 that a strange old man was determined to see him. 
 
 "Let him come in," said the sick man. 
 
 Tottering up to the bedside as if he were very 
 feeble, the intruder said with well-feigned 
 sympathy : 
 
 "How are you, my lord! Here is a medicine I 
 have brought for you." 
 
 HERE IS MEDICINE FOR YOU 
 
1HO THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 1 i You are welcome ; I have been expecting you 
 for many days," and the Golden Hearted held out 
 his hand in a friendly manner. 
 
 * ' How is your body, and how is your health f ' ' 
 again asked the visitor, seating himself by the 
 bedside. 
 
 "I am exceedingly sick. All my body is in 
 pain, and I cannot move my hands nor my feet." 
 
 "The medicine I have is good and wholesome. 
 If you will drink it you will be healed and eased at 
 heart." As he said this, the wizard held up a small 
 silver cup and put a white powder in it. "Drink 
 this and you will then have in mind the toils and 
 fatigues of death, and of your departure. ' ' 
 
 "Where have I to go!" cried his listener in 
 surprise. 
 
 "To Tlapalla (which was their name for the 
 Happy Island), where The Old Man of the Sea is 
 waiting for you. He has much to tell you, and when 
 you return you will be young and handsome. 
 Indeed you will be a mere boy again." Seeing that 
 the Golden Hearted merely stared at him, he said : 
 ' ' Sir, drink this medicine. ' ' 
 
 But the sick man did not wish to do so. 
 
 "Drink, my lord, or you will be sorry for it 
 hereafter," urged the wizard. 
 
 4 ' No, no ; I will not drink it. ' ' 
 
 "At least rub some on your brow and taste a 
 sip. ' ' So the Golden Hearted drank a little to try 
 it, saying: 
 
 "What is this? It seems to be a thing very 
 
TULLA, HIDING NOOK OF THE SNAKE 131 
 
 good and savory. Already I feel myself healed. I 
 am well." 
 
 i 'Drink some more, my lord, since it is good. 
 The more you drink, the better you will feel." 
 
 The sick man swallowed considerable more 
 and then he was drunk. It was not medicine at all 
 that the wizard gave him, but a white wine made 
 from the maguey plant and the powder he put in it 
 was to make the Golden Hearted believe that he 
 must go away. 
 
 For days after he was very sad and wept con- 
 tinuously, but he began to get ready to leave Tulla. 
 No matter what was said to dissuade him, he could 
 never get rid of the idea that he must take all of his 
 followers and go as quickly as possible. 
 
 The wise men, seeing that he was determined, 
 gathered up all the picture writings they had made 
 as a record of their journeys, and putting them into 
 an ark, carried it swung on a pole with them. 
 Before leaving, they called the people together and 
 said: 
 
 "Know that the Golden Hearted commands 
 you to remain here in these lands of which he makes 
 you master and gives you possession. He goes to 
 the place whence he and we came, but he will return 
 to visit you when it shall be time for the world to 
 come to an end. You must await him in these lands, 
 possessing them and all contained in them since for 
 this purpose came we hither. Remain, therefore, 
 for we go with the Golden Hearted." 
 
The Departure of the Golden 
 Hearted 
 
 e poisoned wine worked in the 
 brain of the Golden Hearted 
 and caused him to do many 
 singular things. For instance he 
 burned all the beautiful houses built 
 for him by the wise men and ordered 
 much of his treasure to be buried in 
 the mountains and ravines. When he 
 left Tulla, he took all the bright-plumaged singing 
 birds with him, and would only allow nineteen of 
 the wise men to go with him. 
 
 Two of these knew all about fishing, and two 
 knew about farming, and one was a weather prophet 
 who studied the clouds and winds, and could foretell 
 storms, while all the rest were priests who kindled 
 the sacred fires and taught the people the Good 
 Law. 
 
 As soon as the King of Tulla found he was 
 leaving, he took an army and followed after him, 
 laying the country waste and taking captive as 
 many of the people as he could find. 
 
THE DEPARTURE 133 
 
 ' * Good prince, why do you not let us make war 
 upon your and our enemy f" the warriors often 
 asked him, but he always put his fingers in his ears 
 and replied sadly: 
 
 "You do not understand the Good Law, my 
 friend. The only way to overcome hate is with 
 love. It is fully time for me to return to Tlapalla. ' ' 
 
 He traveled on until he came to a place where 
 there was a great tree, high and very thick. Here 
 he sat down to rest. 
 
 "Bring me a mirror," he said to his servant, 
 and when he saw his face reflected in it, he cried 
 out: 
 
 ' ' Take it away. I am already old. ' ' Then the 
 wise men knew that the drug in the wine was mak- 
 ing him mad again and they did not try to hinder 
 him when he began throwing stones at the tree. 
 
 "I will make these stones stick into your bark 
 until you look like a porcupine and the wind cannot 
 blow them out, ' ' he said, and for a long, long time, 
 the tree was pointed out to travelers as being 
 enchanted, because the god of wind had hurled his 
 wrathful breath upon it. From all accounts the 
 tree was full of sharp rocks from top to bottom and 
 must have looked very queer indeed. 
 
 The flute players tried to divert his attention 
 as they marched along the wood, but he was very 
 weary and finally sat down to rest on a stone by the 
 roadside. 
 
 "0, Thou of infinite mercy and compassion, 
 dry the hot tears that flood and burn my face, ' ' he 
 
134 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 said brokenly as he looked toward Tulla. People 
 now say that his tears marked and ate into the 
 stone, and that the print of his hands is still to be 
 found on it. 
 
 After he had reached a very wide river and 
 had commanded his followers to help build a bridge 
 across it, he was met by some men who tried to stop 
 him. 
 
 "Where are you going?" they asked, "and 
 why do you leave your city! To whose care will 
 you commend it, and who will do penance in it?" 
 The Golden Hearted answered them firmly: 
 
 t i You can in no w T ise hinder me, for I must go. ' ' 
 
 "But where are you going!" they insisted. 
 
 "To Tlapalla," he answered. 
 
 "For what purpose are you going!" 
 
 ' ' The sun calls me, ' ' he said. 
 
 "Go then," they replied, "but leave behind all 
 the mechanical arts, the melting of silver, the 
 working of precious stones and of masonry, 
 picture writing, feather work and other crafts." 
 And then they would have robbed him, but he 
 threw all his rich jewels into a fountain. Among 
 his tormentors was the pretended old wizard who 
 tried to induce him to drink more wine. 
 
 "No, I can not drink it. I can not even taste 
 it again," he said, and that night in his sleep he 
 turned his head from side to side and tore his hair 
 with his hands. 
 
 The next morning in passing between a vol- 
 cano and the snowy mountain tops, all his servants 
 
THE DEPARTURE 135 
 
 being hunchbacked, died of cold, and he had no way 
 to get down the steep mountain side except to slide 
 in a squatting position with his feet close together. 
 
 In one place he stopped and built a square 
 stone court for ball play, and taught the people how 
 to play the game. Now it is said that he drew a line 
 through the center of the court, and that made the 
 deep gash in the mountains still to be seen. 
 
 In another place he threw a dart at a tree and 
 pierced it in such a manner that it looked like a 
 cross, and after that a cross was called "The Tree 
 of Our Life, ' ' in memory of this event. Some say 
 that he built houses with certain underground 
 passageways where he hid picture writing and 
 records of his teachings, and just before arriving 
 at the water's edge, he set up and balanced a great 
 stone so that it could be moved with one's little 
 finger, but a whole multitude could not displace it. 
 
 No doubt you remember the village chief where 
 the Golden Hearted went when he first arrived from 
 the Happy Island, and also that he sent this chief 
 a cross with a hand in the center. Now that he 
 was going home again, the Golden Hearted thought 
 he would visit the chief and see how he and his 
 people were progressing. 
 
 Imagine his surprise in finding that they had 
 dedicated a temple to him, and that in the middle 
 of the square tower was a terra cotta statue of him- 
 self dressed as a warrior holding an arrow in his 
 hand, and because the statue was hollow they 
 thought it was an oracle. His name in their language 
 
1M THE STORIES OF ED DORADO 
 
 was Cukulcan, but the common people called 
 him "The Working Hand/ 7 and had great respect 
 for a huge stone cross erected in the turreted court- 
 yard in front of the temple, which had a big red 
 hand in the center. 
 
 When the Golden Hearted went among the peo- 
 ple, he found that they remembered everything he 
 had told them, and that on the anniversary of his 
 coming great crowds of people came on a pilgrim- 
 age to the oracle statue in the temple. It did no 
 good for him to tell them that he was simply an 
 elder brother and teacher come to give them aid in 
 a simple, kindly way. They believed he was sent 
 by God, and for ages after the people made pil- 
 grimages to this shrine, and held it in very great 
 esteem. 
 
 Realizing that it was time for him to go down 
 to the sea coast among the fishermen he had first 
 seen, he went to the temple service one morning, 
 and after praying before the altar, picked up a 
 sacred Tunkel and sang them a prophetic song of 
 farewell : 
 
 "Ye men of Itza hearken to the tidings 
 
 Listen to the forecast of this cycle's end, 
 
 Four have been the ages of the world's progressing 
 
 Now the fourth is ending and its end is near, 
 
 A mighty lord is coming, see you give him honor, 
 
 A potent lord approaches to whom all must bow 
 
 I, the prophet, warn you, keep in mind my boding, 
 
 Men of Itza mark it, and await your lord." 
 
l:*8 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "Waste not your time in idle repining," he 
 said in farewell, "I go for purification, but will 
 surely come again." 
 
 He only spent time enough on the seashore to 
 build and provision a balsa, or boat with sails, and 
 then he said "good bye" to the fisherfolk, and 
 sailed away toward the east with a few of the wise 
 men for companions. Just before he stepped into 
 the boat he turned to the wise men, who were to 
 remain and said : 
 
 "It wrings my heart to part from you, but 
 there is need for you to stay here in order to com- 
 plete the tasks already begun." As he embraced 
 and kissed each one on the cheek he named their 
 special duty, and had no fear that his orders would 
 not be fully carried out. 
 
 i i You must go 'to the son of Guatamo, and tell 
 him my work is finished." 
 
 To another he said : 
 
 "You must go about and teach in my stead. 
 I will come again, but at another time." 
 
 It was difficult for him to persuade the fisher- 
 man not to accompany him. 
 
 "Have no fear. Mine is a staunch bark capa- 
 ble of riding the storm and stress of the angry sea. 
 Farewell, beloved, I will return to you, when the 
 time and seasons are propitious." 
 
 The people on shore turned again and again 
 to throw kisses to him, while the fishermen in their 
 little boats put out to sea with him, and strained 
 their vision to catch a last glimpse of his flower- 
 laden balsa. 
 
THE DEPARTURE 139 
 
 The wise men and priests in the temples where- 
 ever he had been, began at once to guard the sacred 
 fires and to watch and pray for his safe return. 
 Lest they should forget his sayings they engraved 
 them on stone, and taught them to the people so 
 that his name was a household word for genera- 
 tions. His was the only civilization known in the 
 Americas before the advent of the white men. 
 
 THE SNAKE-SKIN CANOE ' 
 
El Dorado, the Golden 
 
 have read somewhere that "in 1492 
 Columbus sailed the waters blue, ' ' and we 
 know that the big Exposition held in Chi- 
 cago in 1893 was to commemorate the four hun- 
 dredth anniversary of the discovery of America, 
 but no one can possibly tell how long it was after 
 the Golden Hearted sailed away, until Columbus 
 came. 
 
 And nobody knows where the Golden Hearted 
 went. 
 
 He said he was going to Tlapalla, which we 
 know meant the Happy Island, but no one can find 
 it any more, and there are traditions which say that 
 the island, with all its inhabitants, sank in the 
 ocean. This may be why the Golden Hearted never 
 came back again. Of course the wise men and the 
 primitive people in the Americas believed that 
 he would return because he said he would, and 
 they watched and waited all the long years from 
 one generation to another. Many times bright and 
 promising young men, just out of the universities, 
 or fresh from victories on the battle fields, would 
 take the vows of a priest, and give up all their hopes 
 
EL DORADO, THE GOLDEN 141 
 
 and ambitions to serve in the temples erected in 
 honor of the Golden Hearted. They did not know 
 anything more about him than we do, but they had 
 faith in him. 
 
 They said: 
 
 "All the good we know comes from him, and 
 when he returns all wrongs will be righted and 
 every heart made to rejoice. He will give us every- 
 thing we wish for. ' ' 
 
 Several times during the year whole nations 
 would fast and do severe penance to induce him 
 to come quickly. Not one of them could be made 
 to believe that he was dead. 
 
 i i No, no, ' ' they said, ' ' he is asleep in the bosom 
 of the sun. He will surely come again; he prom- 
 ised us he would." 
 
 Then they would get the idea that he was 
 offended, and the kings would order great sacrifice 
 to be made to appease him. In some places I am 
 sorry to say they offered the quivering, bleeding 
 hearts of human beings by the hundreds, but still 
 he did not come. In other places they remembered 
 his gentleness and only laid fruit, flowers and per- 
 fumes on the sacred fire altars which they still kept 
 burning. There were many places where they care- 
 fully preserved his sayings by cutting them in sign 
 language on the stones of the temples, and every 
 child was taught to imitate his virtues and follow 
 his example. 
 
 For several years before Columbus arrived 
 the priests and wise men had been prophesying 
 
142 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 that the Golden Hearted was soon to return, that 
 the sun was bringing him back, accompanied by 
 companions like himself, who would rule over them. 
 Not even the great-great-grandfathers of the men 
 then living had seen the Golden Hearted, so they 
 did not know how he looked, but their traditions 
 said that he was a bearded white man, and we shall 
 see by and by what a curious mistake this led them 
 to make about the first white men who came to them 
 after the discovery of America. 
 
 Before we can understand how such things 
 could happen, we must remember that the people in 
 Europe did not know there was an America, and 
 that many of them had very queer ideas about the 
 shape of the earth. Some said it was four-cornered 
 and square like a dry goods box, and others thought 
 it was round and flat like a plate, surrounded by 
 water which finally changed into vapor and mist, 
 and that whoever ventured far out into the misty 
 clouds fell through and went heaven knows where ! 
 
 In the quaint old Italian city of Genoa was 
 born a little boy named Christopher Columbus, who 
 was to change all this, and be the innocent cause of 
 much suffering to the descendants of the races who 
 had been visited by the Golden Hearted. When a 
 mere lad at school, he was greatly interested in 
 boats, and he not only studied geography and his- 
 tory, but read all the books of travel he could find, 
 and dreamed night and day of a great long voyage 
 he was going to make on the ocean some time. He did 
 not waste his time fishing and playing on the beach 
 
EL DORADO, THE GOLDEN 143 
 
 like other boys, but picked up the chips that washed 
 ashore and examined them very carefully, because 
 he believed that if there was an unknown land some 
 vvhtre in the west, that the waves would bring some- 
 thing ashore from there. He was really quite an old 
 man before he found anything, but one day he 
 picked up some strange chips at Cadiz that had been 
 cut by hand, and then he knew he was right. 
 
 Sailors always do have wonderful tales to tell 
 about the sea, and in those days they were so super- 
 stitious that they w^ere sure that there were huge 
 li'onsters living in the distant waters just waiting 
 to eat up any sailor foolish enough to venture near 
 them. There was not one of them willing to listen 
 to Columbus, when he tried to explain that the 
 en 1 , th is round like an orange, and that we live on 
 the outside of it. He said to them repeatedly : 
 
 "If we sail west steadily, we shall in time 
 arrive back at the place from which we started." 
 Finally, riot only the sailors, but the people in the 
 streets pointed their fingers at him and said : 
 
 "There goes the crazy old man, who thinks the 
 world is as round as an apple/' 
 
 The more he talked and reasoned and argued 
 and even drew maps to prove that he was right, 
 the more everybody shook their heads and called 
 him crazy. 
 
 Columbus was about to give up in despair 
 because he was very poor, and there seemed to be 
 no way by which he could demonstrate that Ms 
 theory of the shape of the earth was correct. 
 
 And now comes a curious coincidence. 
 
144 THE STORIES OF EL DOliADO 
 
 He was a very devout Christian, and felt cer- 
 tain that the inhabitants of this strange country 
 in the west had never heard of our God nor of his 
 beloved son Jesus, and his heart was fired with zeal 
 to reach these poor heathens and tell them the story 
 of the Christ. 
 
 About this time some influential friend secured 
 <m audience for him with the King of Portugal, but 
 it did no jjrood to tell his story to the rich monarch, 
 who was neither of a scientific nor a religious turn of 
 mind, and he might as well have talked to the wind. 
 Utterly discouraged Columbus decided to go to 
 Spain, which is a near neighbor of Portugal, and 
 see if he could not induce the famous King Fer- 
 dinand and Isabella, the queen, to give him boats 
 to make his longed-for voyage. The queen espe- 
 cially was very pious and was much interested in 
 Columbus' story about the heathens, but the minis- 
 ters of her court laughed at Columbus and said : 
 
 "It is a foolish dream which can never be 
 carried out." 
 
 Almost heart-broken Columbus silently turned 
 his back on the Spanish capital and walked a long 
 way to a seaport called Palos, where there was a 
 queer old convent in which strangers were made 
 welcome by the kind monks living in it. Knocking 
 upon the gate, he said to the porter: 
 
 "Will you please give me a bit of bread and a 
 drink of water." 
 
 Fortunately, the prior, a learned man and an 
 intimate friend of Queen Isabella came along, and 
 
EL DOKADO, THE GOLDEN 145 
 
 was quick to see that Columbus was no common 
 beggar. He invited him in, and after listening qui- 
 etiy and thoughtfully to his visitor's plan of cross- 
 ing the ocean to convert the heathen to Christianity, 
 he borrowed a mule and rode miles across the 
 country to the castle where the Queen was staying 
 and persuaded her to help Columbus. 
 
 "It is your duty," he said. "God has given 
 you riches and many blessings that you may 
 assist your fellow men, and these strange people 
 know nothing of our God, and they need teachers 
 to help them find the right way of living." 
 
 Queen Isabella was so impressed with what 
 he said that she immediately petitioned the Royal 
 Treasurer to give Columbus money to make his 
 voyage of discovery. 
 
 "Your majesty, there is no money to spare," 
 was the polite answer of the Treasurer, who, like 
 all the rest of the court, thought Columbus was a 
 --Visionary dreamer if not crazy. 
 
 "Very well," she said. "I will pawn my 
 crown jewels, " and she did. This was a most noble 
 and courageous act on her part, for a queen in 
 those days was scarcely considered dignified or 
 respectable without splendid crown jewels to wear 
 on public occasions, but she was bent upon sending 
 the gospel of Christ to the heathen in America. Does 
 it not seem strange that the Golden Hearted and 
 the Queen of Spain should be credited with the 
 same desire to help the people of the Americas, 
 
146 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 and that they lived hundreds of years apart and 
 could never have known of each other, and that one 
 incident is a fact of history and the other only a 
 legend! 
 
 But as soon as Columbus secured the money 
 another difficulty arose. No sailor could be found 
 who would risk his life on an unknown sea with 
 such a crazy old man. Finally Queen Isabella had 
 to promise liberty and full pardon to the convicts 
 in the prisons before Columbus could get any one 
 to go with him. It was a terrible thing for him 
 but he had a brave heart, and the monks from the 
 convent at Palos sent some of their number with 
 him to teach the natives. 
 
 On and on, the three caravels, the Santa Maria, 
 the Pinta and Nina, sailed without finding land, 
 until their provisions were getting low and the 
 crews of convicts were about to mutiny and kill 
 Columbus. In order to keep them quiet he told them 
 wonderful stories of the riches of this land they 
 were trying to find. 
 
 "You can have all the gold, and silver, and 
 precious gems you can carry," he promised them. 
 In an instant you could see the cunning and greed 
 in their wicked faces. They did not care whether 
 the earth was round or flat, nor what became of the 
 natives, if they only had gold, and then they would 
 gather around Columbus and question him closely 
 about the size of the nuggets and precious stones. 
 Of course he could only guess at it, but he knew 
 that to save his life he must say something, so he 
 replied : 
 
I 
 
148 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 ' ' I firmly believe that there are immense pieces 
 of solid gold to be found there, and that it is 
 abundant. ' ' 
 
 Some thought they would find it in lumps as 
 big as a house, and they all expected to pick up 
 hands full of gems just anywhere. Columbus had 
 strained his eyes looking for the land until he was 
 nearly blind, but one night he imagined he saw a 
 glimmer of light ahead. Where there was light 
 there must be land, he thought. So he called one 
 of the sailors to him and asked him what he saw. 
 
 "A light! a light!" cried the sailor joyfully. 
 But it was not until nearly two o 'clock in the morn- 
 
 LAND! LAND AHEAD! 
 
EL DORADO, THE GOLDEN 149 
 
 ing that the commander of one of the other boats 
 started the cry : 
 
 "Land! Land ahead !" 
 
 You can imagine what excitement there was 
 on all the caravels, and how thankful Columbus 
 was. The padres gathered around him, and as he 
 sprang ashore, he dropped on his knees and stooped 
 and kissed the ground. Even the sailors forgot 
 about the gold while he and the padres prayed and 
 thanked God for giving mankind a new world. 
 
 Immediately the flag of Spain was planted and 
 the land claimed for King Ferdinand and Isabella, 
 but wonderful indeed were the things surrounding 
 them. Men and women of a bronze color crowded 
 around them and offered them strange, but deli- 
 cious fruits and flowers and brought them food and 
 water. In his first letter to Queen Isabella, Colum- 
 bus said of them : 
 
 "There is not in all the world a better people 
 nor a better land. Their converse is ever sweet 
 and gentle, and is accompanied by a smile. They 
 truly love their neighbor as themselves. ' ' 
 
 Finding them docile and kind the padres set 
 about teaching them, and the simple natives were 
 very willing listeners. It was quite a long time 
 before they could understand each other well, but 
 the padres told the story of the Christ the first time 
 they held a service, which was on a Sunday. 
 Remembering the precepts of the Golden Hearted, 
 the faces of the natives lighted up understandingly 
 when they heard the words of Jesus which bade 
 
150 
 
 THE STORIES 0$ EL DOEADO 
 
 them be loving and kind to each other, and they 
 nodded their heads and exclaimed: 
 
 1 ' El Dorado ! El Dorado ! ' ' 
 
 At least that is what the ignorant convict sail- 
 ors thought they said. The words "El Dorado " 
 in Spanish, which was their mother tongue, meant 
 < < The Golden, " or " The Gilded One. ' ' We know 
 they were eager and greedy to find gold and 
 that they had been told to help themselves freely 
 to all they could get, so they immediately began 
 to question the simple natives. 
 
 * * Yes, yes ; we have plenty of gold, ' ' the natives 
 said, in surprise, because they did not value it at 
 all, except for ornaments, and they ran to fetch 
 some for their visitors. When they saw how glad 
 it made the sailors, they were happy and content 
 as a lot of children, and they not only brought all 
 they had, but told where there was plenty more to 
 be found. 
 
Bimini, the Fountain of Youth" 
 
 |HEN Columbus sailed back to Spain and 
 told the story of his wonderful discov- 
 eries the people did not believe him at 
 first, but when he showed them the gold 
 and silver ornaments, and the strange 
 red men, they were so amazed that they forgot 
 even to ask questions. 
 
 The news was so startling that it simply took 
 their breath away and they stared at each other 
 stupidly. Then they said in awe-stricken whispers : 
 "How can such things be! Is the world com- 
 ing to an end! Are we going to die! Or are ice 
 crazy! Maybe our ears and eyes are fooling us." 
 But Columbus only smiled and said: 
 "My friends, you see I was right. The earth 
 is round, and I have not only found India witb its 
 untold riches, but I have brought some of its peo- 
 ple home with me." 
 
 And that is why today we call the red men 
 Indians. Columbus did not know that he had dis- 
 covered a new continent, so it was natural for him 
 to speak of the natives as Indians. And I am sure 
 you will pity him when I tell you that he died with- 
 out ever knowing the difference. 
 
152 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 All Europe was in a fever of excitement over 
 his voyage, and it was not long before he fitted out 
 other vessels and sailed across the ocean again to 
 find the northwest passage which he believed would 
 shorten the route to India. Rich men, and learned 
 ones, were ready to go with him, and the sailors 
 expected to find gold and precious stones scattered 
 all over the ground. Every word that the convicts 
 told them about El Dorado they thought meant 
 gold, and the wildest and most exaggerated stories 
 were soon in everybody's mouth. 
 
 The padres, too, were enthusiastic over the 
 prospect of converting the heathen, but nobody 
 took the trouble to find out what the Indians 
 believed about God. Every one misunderstood the 
 meaning of El Dorado and never dreamed that there 
 had been such a teacher as the Golden Hearted, 
 or that the Indians already knew how to be broth- 
 erly and kind. 
 
 Even the most learned men in those days were 
 ready to accept the existence of a mythical city 
 called Cathay as true. 
 
 They thought it was situated somewhere 
 between the island of Newfoundland and Florida, 
 where they expected to find the spice groves. 
 Another story very common in Europe said that 
 there was among the beautiful summer isles of the 
 west, one that conferred immortality and was spoken 
 of as the Island of Perpetual Youth. Among those 
 whose imagination was fired by this romance was a 
 brave knight named Ponce de Leon, who was 
 
"BIMINI, THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH" 153 
 
 Columbus' companion on his second voyage. He 
 did not care for the gold of the new world, for he 
 was already rich, but he was old, and he wanted 
 to renew his youth. King Ferdinand commissioned 
 him Governor of Porto Rico, but he soon tired of 
 it, and was determined to discover the magic 
 spring. 
 
 1 ' For what reason should I stay here and lord 
 it over these half-naked savages," he said to his 
 relatives and friends when they tried to dissuade 
 him from undertaking such a perilous search. ' i Let 
 us go where we can bathe in those enchanted waters 
 and be young once more. I need it and so will you 
 before very long." 
 
 ' * But how do you know there is such a place ! ' ' 
 they asked. 
 
 "By hearing the full particulars of an old 
 Indian who went there and washed himself and 
 drank from the spring until he was restored to 
 youth and vigor. Let us go and be like him. ' ' 
 
 To find this new marvel he set sail with three 
 brigantines, and the adventurers with him floated 
 over the summer sea, as men bent upon pleasure, 
 and to whom time was long and burdened with no 
 serious duties. They sailed from island to island 
 touching here and there as fancy led them. They 
 sought the safest and pleasantest coves, where the 
 shades were deepest in the noonday sun, and the 
 waters coolest; where the fruits were the sweetest, 
 the Indians most friendly and their women the 
 loveliest. At last they came to an inlet which led 
 
154 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 invitingly up among wooded banks and flowering 
 valleys. Here the old knight said : 
 
 "Let us disembark and strike inland. My 
 heart tells me that we have found the Fountain of 
 Youth." 
 
 "Nonsense," said his younger kinsman, "our 
 way lies by water." 
 
 "Then leave me here with my men," he 
 replied, and after an angry discussion five men, 
 long past middle age, and who had come with him 
 from Spain, were left on shore. The first thing 
 they did was to climb to the top of a hill and set up 
 a cross which they had brought with them. As soon 
 as it was in place they all removed their helmets 
 and prayed before it. One of the men said to him : 
 
 * < The ground is pawed up as if cattle ranged 
 here, and this path has been trod by human feet. ' ' 
 
 "You are right," said Ponce de Leon, "lead 
 the way and we will follow. ' ' 
 
 Taking the path they met about fifty Indian 
 bowmen, who seemed to their startled vision like a 
 whole company of giants, but, who proved to be of 
 a very friendly disposition. 
 
 The grizzled old knights were anxious to 
 inquire about the fabled Fountain, so they gave the 
 Indians strings of gay-colored beads, and some 
 little bells. In return they received an arrow, as a 
 token of good will. After a long parley the bowmen 
 turned back to their huts. l i We will bring you food 
 in the morning," they said, and at daybreak they 
 appeared again bringing plenty of fish, roots and 
 
"BIMINL THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH" 155 
 
 fruits. When they saw that the men were chilly 
 from the cold night air, they said to each other: 
 
 * i Let us carry our brothers to our homes where 
 they can get warm. 7 ' 
 
 "But they will suffer on the way," said the 
 chief. "Go before us and build big fires and we 
 will stop at each one to rest our weary arms." 
 
 The Spanish knights did not know what to make 
 of this kind of treatment, but they offered no resist- 
 ance when the stalwart warriors took them on their 
 backs and started through the woods. The Indians 
 carried them very carefully, and at last set them 
 down before the doors of their huts where the 
 women brought them food and drink. 
 
 "I wonder what they intend to do with us," 
 said the knights among themselves. On hearing 
 this remark Ponce de Leon replied: 
 
 "It is just possible that they will offer us 
 as a sacrifice, for it is quite plain that they think 
 we are supernatural beings. ' ' 
 
 "Let us get away from them as quickly as we 
 can," they said, fearing that something terrible 
 would happen. 
 
 "Before we go we must try to find out about 
 the magic spring we are seeking," replied Ponce 
 de Leon, unwilling to give up his project. It 
 required considerable time and patience to make 
 the Indians comprehend what he wanted, but they 
 stoutly maintained that they knew nothing about it. 
 
 ' * These redskins are cunning rascals, and will 
 not tell us where to find the Fountain of Youth," 
 
156 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 said Ponce de Leon, in explanation, after his fruit- 
 less talk with them, ' ' but God giving us strength we 
 will find it yet. " 
 
 So they went slowly and carefully over the 
 whole country, stopping at each spring to take off 
 their clothes and jump into it, then they would 
 drink as much of the water as they could, and sit 
 down and wait to see if it would make them young 
 again. As they went farther away from the coast 
 the Indians became more and more friendly, 
 because they thought the white men had come from 
 Heaven. 
 
 "We must bring them food, build houses for 
 them and bear all their burdens, ' ' they said among 
 themselves. Some went out on the hills and killed 
 deer with their bows and arrows, while others killed 
 rabbits by going in a big wide circuit and then 
 gradually closing in on the game. When near 
 enough they knocked the rabbit on the head with 
 a wooden club as it ran by them. 
 
 ' ' Breathe upon and bless our food, ' ' they said 
 to the knights, after giving them all they wanted for 
 themselves, ' ' so that we may feel sure in our hearts 
 that you are pleased with us." 
 
 At first only the men made these requests, but 
 finally the women brought wild fruits and berries, 
 which they wanted the visitors to see and touch 
 before they would eat. All this was very trouble- 
 some to the knights, but if they refused or acted as 
 if they were offended, the poor Indians were terri- 
 fied, and falling on their faces would cry out : 
 
i THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH" 157 
 
 "We shall die unless we have the favor of our 
 good and wise white brothers." 
 
 Farther on, the people did not venture to come 
 out in the paths and gather round them as the first 
 had done, but stayed meekly in their houses, sitting 
 with their faces turned to the wall, and with all 
 their property heaped up in the middle of the floor. 
 
 ' ' We could easily plunder and rob these simple 
 folk," said Ponce de Leon, "but I charge you on 
 your honor as knights to take nothing you do not 
 pay for." 
 
 In spite of this the natives loaded them with 
 valuable skins and other presents, and were eager 
 and willing to show all the springs and creeks in 
 their neighborhood. 
 
 1 i They pretend to know nothing of the miracu- 
 lous gifts of the Fountain of Youth, but their 
 own splendid endurance of heat and cold, and the 
 fatigues of travel show how perpetually young and 
 active they are. If their bodies were pierced 
 through with arrows they would soon recover. 
 They are trying to mislead us and conceal the 
 source of their strength, but we will soon find it," 
 the Spanish knights said, and Ponce de Leon, their 
 leader, heartily agreed with them. 
 
 Never in the Vorld had there been such a 
 strange journey undertaken by gray and careworn 
 men. On and on they went searching in the heart 
 of the woods for a fountain where they could renew 
 their youth. Yellow jasmine trailed in festoons 
 above their heads; wild roses grew at their feet; 
 
158 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 the air was sweet with the odor of pine, while long 
 gray moss hung from the branches of the live-oaks. 
 
 Finally they came to a spring which widened 
 into a natural basin and bubbled up in such a cool, 
 delicious manner, that Ponce de Leon plunged into 
 it with joy. Coming up on the bank to dress him- 
 self, he exclaimed: 
 
 ' ' It is enough. I have bathed in the Fountain 
 of Youth. See, I am young again." 
 
 His companions hastened to try it, and they 
 too said the same. 
 
 * ' Hurrah ! hurrah ! the Fountain of Youth has 
 been found! Let us make haste to tell the world 
 of your discovery." 
 
 But they were mistaken and had not counted 
 on what the Indians would do about it. When they 
 found that the white men wanted a boat to go down 
 the river they were eager to get it for them, but 
 when they understood that they were going away, 
 they wept bitterly, and tried every way to persuade 
 them to stay. 
 
 "No, we will not remain. This is Florida, the 
 land of flowers, and we are looking for Bimini, the 
 Fountain of Youth," said Ponce de Leon, firmly. 
 "Your people have misled us continually. Bimini 
 is an island and we are going to search until we 
 find it." 
 
 "And if you succeed will you return to us," 
 asked an Indian chief eagerly. "You have the 
 secret of life and death in your hands, and have 
 already saved my wife and child. Stay and we will 
 serve you faithfully." 
 
HURRAH! HURRAH! THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH 
 
 See opposite page 
 
160 THE STORIES OP EL DORADO 
 
 11 Oh ! my brothers, stay with us ! ' ' begged and 
 implored the Indians. Some of them clung to the 
 garments of the knights, and others were dragged 
 out of the boat by the determined natives. Finally 
 Ponce de Leon, grown tired of useless parley, said 
 angrily : 
 
 ' ' I am old and weary and must soon die if I do 
 not find the waters which will renew my youth and 
 vigor. Your thickets and swamps are filled with 
 alligators and poisonous water snakes ; the very air 
 is laden with deadly fevers, and never again will I 
 return to it." 
 
 As the canoe started down the river the Indians 
 wrung their hands and wailed loudly : 
 
 ' * Come back ! come back ! ' ' But Ponce de Leon 
 stood up in the boat and shook his head, and made 
 them understand by signs that he would not do as 
 they wished. This made them all the more frantic 
 and one of the warriors, snatching up a poisoned 
 arrow, sped it with deadly aim. It went through 
 the thigh of the gallant old knight where he stood, 
 and it was not long until death ended his search for 
 the Fountain of Youth. Since then no one has ever 
 tried to locate this wonder-working fountain, but 
 philosophers say that it is in our own hearts and 
 that we find it when we realize that the soul never 
 dies, and is perpetually young because of its 
 immortality. 
 
Montezuma and the Paba 
 
 OLUMBUS died 
 prison because 
 
 poor and in 
 nobody was 
 
 interested in his effort to find 
 a northwest passage to India, 
 or cared whether the earth was 
 round or liat. They wanted gold, and 
 the stories of El Dorado told by the 
 ignorant sailors had more influence on 
 the people than anything Columbus 
 said or did. 
 
 "I have merely opened the gates 
 for others to enter," he exclaimed 
 bitterly, when he found himself 
 thwarted in all his plans, but there is 
 more honor accorded his memory than 
 to any of the others who came after him, and made 
 immense fortunes. 
 
162 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 The same year that Queen Isabella died, a 
 young man, but nineteen years old, named Her- 
 nando Cortez, sailed from Spain for Cuba. Already 
 there was quite a Spanish settlement on the island, 
 and when the Governor offered him a large tract of 
 land with Indian slaves to cultivate it, he answered 
 angrily : 
 
 "I came to get gold, not to till the soil like a 
 peasant. ' ' 
 
 He expected to find untold wealth locked up 
 in the unexplored regions of the new world, and 
 had no patience with any of the slower methods of 
 gaining riches. Instead of working he meant to 
 fight for what he wanted and we shall find when 
 we know more about him that he broke his word 
 to his king, the governor of Cuba, to his wife, to his 
 soldiers, and to every friend who served him. Yet 
 he was born a gentleman, handsome and well man- 
 nered, but a greedy love of gold rendered him brutal 
 and treacherous to a degree. 
 
 In his company were gallant knights of chivalry, 
 servile retainers of the king, soldiers of fortune, 
 and bearded friars, who left behind them country, 
 home, family, friends and sweethearts, to seek El 
 Dorado, which to them meant simply gold. When 
 we study the history of the United States we shall 
 be surprised to find men like them in full armor 
 of steel, with lance, shield and helmet, mounted on 
 prancing steeds, caparisoned in gay colors, glitter- 
 ing through the untracked wilderness of Florida, 
 
MONTEZUMA AND THE PABA 163 
 
 Georgia, Alabama, and even as far west as Arizona, 
 always in search of El Dorado. And in every case 
 their greed for gold led to such bloodshed and vio- 
 lence, that it makes the heart ache to think about it. 
 Not many years after Cortez landed in Cuba, 
 the Governor sent for him and said : 
 
 "I have at last secured permission from the 
 king to explore the continent lying to the west, and 
 I desire you to take ships and soldiers and have 
 command of the expedition. ' ' 
 
 Something in Cortez' manner excited the sus- 
 picion of the Governor, but he said nothing until 
 he was ready to sail. Then he withdrew the com- 
 mission, and ordered Cortez to remain in Cuba. 
 Instead of obeying he stole away in the night, and 
 did not land until he came to the coast of Mexico, 
 close to the point from which the Golden Hearted 
 had sailed. His men were afraid to venture far 
 from shore, but he painted glowing pictures of the 
 gold they were to find, and said: 
 
 "I hold out to you a glorious prize, but it is 
 only to be won by incessant toil." 
 
 Then holding up a black velvet standard with 
 a red cross in the center, surrounded by flames of 
 blue and white, he continued: 
 
 "Comrades, let us follow the cross, and under 
 this sign if we have faith, we shall conquer." The 
 padres with them, who had come to minister to the 
 spiritual welfare of the cavaliers and soldiers, urged 
 them to go forward, saying : 
 
164 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "We are in honor bound to carry the gospel to 
 these poor, ignorant heathens, and God has given 
 you the privilege of helping in this work." 
 
 The Indians were friendly and when asked for 
 gold, answered: 
 
 "We on the sea coast have little, but in Tenoch- 
 titlan there is a rich and powerful king named 
 Montezuma, who has much gold and other 
 treasures. ' ' 
 
 Around them were parched and sandy plains, 
 but on the march they soon came to "the land of 
 bread," as the Tlascallan country was called, and 
 here they heard of Cholula, the sacred city. When 
 they came in sight of it they exclaimed : 
 
 " It is the promised land ! ' ' and were amazed at 
 the splendor of the city, as well as the surround- 
 ing country, where there were fields of maize, 
 vanilla, indigo, sugar cane, flowering cacao groves, 
 and banana trees in profusion. The streets of Cho- 
 lula were filled with a concourse of priests whom 
 Cortez mistook for beggars. They were holding a 
 religious festival in honor of Quetzalcoatl, which 
 was their name for the Golden Hearted, who had 
 now become the Pair God of tradition. Long had 
 they been expecting him to return to Cholula, and 
 because Cortez had a fair complexion, and was 
 accompanied by other white men they thought the 
 Golden Hearted had come at last. The people lined 
 the streets and roadways and not only wore gar- 
 lands of flowers on their heads, but tossed bouquets 
 to the soldiers, while the priests met them with 
 
MONTEZUMA AND THE PABA 165 
 
 music and swung incense up and down the cleanly- 
 swept streets they passed through. 
 
 ' ' What is the will of Quetzalcoatl ! ' ' they asked 
 eagerly of Cortez. 
 
 "Do you come from Tlapalla?" they inquired 
 of his followers. 
 
 "No, " they were answered, "but we have a 
 disease of the heart which only gold can cure." 
 
 Then the simple natives brought all the gold- 
 dust and little trinkets they could find and gave to 
 their visitors. Cortez thanked them, but said: 
 
 ' ' This is not enough. We must have very much 
 more. ' ' 
 
 "Then you w r ould better ask our friend and 
 ally, the great king, Montezuma. He has immense 
 stores of it. ' ' 
 
 "W 7 here is this great king, and this city of 
 Tenochtitlan?" 
 
 ' ' Farther to the west, ' ' they answered. 
 
 Shortly after this an embassy of nobles from 
 the court of Montezuma appeared with rich pres- 
 ents and an invitation to Cortez to visit the king. 
 None of them had ever seen a white man before, 
 and they did not for a moment doubt that Cortez 
 was the Golden Hearted, returned to claim his own, 
 and they were very anxious to please him. Touch- 
 ing his brass helmet one of them said timidly : 
 
 " It is very like that worn by Quetzalcoatl, and 
 I would like our king, Montezuma, to see it. ' ' 
 
 "Certainly," responded Cortez, "but bring it 
 back filled with gold." And they did. No one 
 
166 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 knows just why, but something made Cortez sus- 
 pect the gentle natives of treachery, and one morn- 
 ing at daybreak he fell upon them in the market 
 place, and slew thousands of people, and then set 
 fire to the city. His rude soldiers went up on the 
 pyramid and threw down the statue of the Golden 
 Hearted, and erected a cross in its place. History 
 says that the Aztecs had long been offering the 
 hearts of human beings in sacrifice to the Golden 
 Hearted in Cholula, while in Tenochtitlan they had 
 set up an image of a terrible war god, and were 
 worshiping that more than the gentle, inoffensive 
 Golden Hearted. It was this disobedience which 
 made Montezuma fear that he was returning to take 
 vengeance. 
 
 One morning early the king went to see the 
 Paba, who had charge of the sacred fires on the 
 altars built by the Golden Hearted himself. The 
 chamber in the temple was square, with the ceiling 
 covered by a lattice work of shining white and 
 yellow metal which, at the intersections, was carved 
 to represent flowers set with jewels. All around 
 the walls were sculptured pictures of men. As the 
 king approached the Paba said : 
 
 "The gloomy clouds hanging overhead are not 
 darker than is the mood of Quetzalcoatl, but to the 
 poor Paba the voice of the king is ever welcome. ' ' 
 
 "Why should the mood of Quetzalcoatl be 
 dark! A new teocalli holds his image, and they 
 say he is happy and that he comes from the place of 
 sunrise with a canoe filled with blessings." 
 
MONTEZUMA AND THE PABA 167 
 
 "Do you remember, king! that in some of 
 the underground chambers of this temple, besides 
 vast stores of wealth, there are prophecies to be 
 read?" 
 
 ' i I remember it well, ' ' said Montezuma. 
 
 * ' Give me leave, and I will show you the writ- 
 ing from Quetzalcoatl himself." 
 
 Groping their way through the great under- 
 ground cavern, but dimly lighted, the Paba said : 
 
 * ' Son of a king, is your heart strong ? The writ- 
 ing begins here and continues around the wall." 
 
 ' ' Read it, ' ' said Montezuma. 
 
 * ' The first is here on the north and represents 
 the ancient king on the march. You see him in the 
 midst of warriors who are dancing in honor of his 
 victories. Here we have the whole story of our 
 race. ' ' 
 
 "This was before the coming of Quetzalcoatl 
 and is of the remote past," said Montezuma, with a 
 frown. 
 
 "On the southern wall, opposite," replied the 
 Paba, "is what you seek. Observe the king stands 
 on a rock, and a priest points out to him an eagle 
 on a cactus holding a serpent in its claws. Beside 
 it the king reclines on a couch. Our city has been 
 founded. ' ' 
 
 Montezuma said not a word, but turned to 
 another panel. 
 
 "Look well to this, king! There is Quet- 
 zalcoatl before an altar offering a sacrifice of fruit 
 and flowers. His hands are free from blood!" 
 
168 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 Montezuma's face was deadly pale, because he 
 knew that many orders of priests in his kingdom 
 sacrificed human beings by cutting out their hearts, 
 and he was afraid that the coming of the strange 
 white men was on account of this forbidden 
 practice. 
 
 "See! Oli majesty! the fair god is departing 
 from our beloved Tenochtitlan. Saddest of all 
 days was that for us. " 
 
 "Show me a prophecy if you would have me 
 believe that this was written by Quetzal coatl. I 
 would know something of the future." 
 
 "Be wise, oh my master! Let the future 
 alone; it is sown with sorrows for all you love." 
 
 "Until I wrong the gods why should I fear 
 them? Have done, Paha, I, too, am a priest," 
 said Montezuma, earnestly. 
 
 "I, his true servant, tell you never again to 
 look for smile from Tlapalla. I will show you 
 from Quetzal coatl himself, that the end of your 
 empire is at hand. Every breeze from the east 
 is filled with woe for you and yours. The writing 
 is on the wall. Look again and closely." 
 
 i i I see nothing, ' ' cried the king. 
 
 "All that you have heard about the return 
 of Quetzalcoatl is true. He is coming to end the 
 days of the Aztecs forever. ' ' 
 
 "Forever! It cannot be. Read the next 
 panel." 
 
 "There is no other, this is the last," answered 
 the Paba sadly. 
 
MONTEZUMA AND THE PABA 169 
 
 Montezuma turned quickly to the north wall, 
 but found it without a single mark. Here indeed 
 was the end. 
 
 That night the Aztec king could neither eat nor 
 sleep. The prophecy was with him all the time. 
 When the morning came he called for his canoe. 
 From the battlements of Chapultepec, the palace 
 and tomb of his fathers, he would see the sun rise. 
 If Quetzalcoatl was angered and meant to wreak 
 vengeance, he naturally supposed the sun, his 
 dwelling place, would give some warning. 
 
 In all the heavens around there was not a 
 fleck when suddenly a cloud of smoke rushed 
 upward, and across the pathway of the sun, so that 
 when it crept over the mountain range, it looked 
 like a ball of blood! Montezuma drew the hood 
 over his face quickly, and his head dropped on his 
 breast. 
 
 The Paba had spoken the truth. Quetzalcoatl 
 was coming ! and next evening a runner sped hotly 
 over the causeway and up the street, stopping at 
 the gate of the royal palace. He was taken before 
 the king and shortly after the news went flying over 
 Tenochtitlan, that Quetzalcoatl had arrived in his 
 huge water-house with wings, and filled with 
 thunder and lightning! for that was what the 
 Aztecs called the ships and cannon brought by 
 Cortez. . 
 
 When Montezuma heard of the terrible mas- 
 sacre in Cholula, he called a council of wise old 
 men and said: 
 
170 THE STORIES OF EL DOEADO 
 
 "Of what use is it, uncles! The gods are 
 against us and resistance is of no avail. I mourn 
 most for the women and children, and the old and 
 infirm who are too feeble to fight or fly. For myself 
 and the brave men around me, we must bare our 
 breasts to the storm and meet it as we may." 
 
 As Cortez neared Tenochtitlan he was met by 
 so many chiefs and nobles under Montezuma, that 
 it took them an hour to pass before him, and make 
 their salutation which they did by touching the 
 ground with the right hand and then carrying it 
 to the forehead. The four nobles carrying Monte- 
 zuma on their shoulders, were preceded by three 
 officers of state bearing gold wands in their hands 
 to show that they came in peace. The royal palan- 
 quin, or chair, in which Montezuma was seated, 
 blazed with gold, jewels and gaudy feather-work, 
 while the nobles carrying it were barefooted. 
 They walked with slow measured steps and kept 
 their eyes bent on the ground. Finally the train 
 of warriors and nobles halted, and Montezuma 
 came forward to meet Cortez. 
 
 Imagine what their feelings must have been 
 as they looked at each other ! Montezuma thought 
 he was welcoming back the gentle, kind Quetzal- 
 coatl, whom we know as the Golden Hearted, while 
 Cortez knew he had found more gold and riches 
 than he ever dreamed existed anywhere. 
 
 The poor misled Aztec king approached the 
 Spanish adventurer and putting an exquisitely 
 wrought gold collar around his neck said: 
 
MONTEZTJMA AND THE PABA 171 
 
 "This was my father's palace but it belongs 
 to you and your brethren. Rest here after your 
 fatigues and in a little while I will visit you 
 again. ' ' 
 
 When he went out of the palace he sent slaves 
 to wait upon them, and he gave each one new 
 clothes, and a splendid feast. When they had 
 finished eating, the rude soldiers searched all 
 through the palace for hidden wealth, and finding 
 the treasure house of the king proceeded to help 
 themselves. When Montezuma heard of it he said: 
 
 "They are welcome to the gold and silver and 
 other articles, if they will but spare the things 
 belonging to the gods." 
 
 In the palace grounds where they were 
 quartered they found an aviary filled with beautiful 
 singing birds; a menagerie full of strange animals, 
 and snakes ; ten big tanks stocked with water-fowl 
 and fish ; fountains playing everywhere, and 
 wonderful floating gardens on the lakes, while all 
 around them lay a city filled with temples, market 
 places, and handsome houses. 
 
 True to his promise Montezuma returned 
 shortly and in speaking to Cortez said: 
 
 "I have been expecting you for many days. 
 The wonderful deeds attributed to you, your com- 
 plexion and the quarter from whence you come 
 show me that you are Quetzalcoatl. You and 
 your brethren shall share all things with me, ' ' and 
 with tears in his eyes he gave them as many costly 
 
172 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 presents as they could carry. The padres and 
 soldiers were constantly asked: 
 
 "Do you come from Tlapalla?" while Monte- 
 zuma did everything he could to please Cortez. 
 
 One day he went to the king's palace and after 
 accepting the usual presents of gold and silver, 
 Montezuma offered him one of his daughters for 
 a wife. Cortez declined, and seeing that the court- 
 yard was partly filled with his trusted men, he 
 approached Montezuma abruptly and said: 
 
 1 ' You have treated me treacherously, and have 
 allowed one of my officers to be killed on the sea 
 coast. ' ' 
 
 Montezuma turned very pale. No one else in 
 his kingdom would have dared speak to him in 
 such an insulting manner, and besides that he 
 knew nothing of the death of the officer before. In 
 reality the officer had been murdered while tortur- 
 ing the poor natives to make them give him more 
 gold. 
 
 "I demand that you send for the chief and all 
 the notable men in his council that I may punish 
 him for the death of my comrade," said Cortez, 
 trying to pick a quarrel with the king. 
 
 "Very well," said Montezuma, kindly. "I 
 will have them brought as you desire." 
 
 ' ' I believe in your promise, but you must come 
 to my quarters as hostage until the thing is done. ' ' 
 
 Poor Montezuma thinking it was a command 
 of God did not dare refuse, and in a short time 
 
MONTEZUMA AND THE PABA 173 
 
 afterward the chief and his council were brought 
 before him. He turned them over to Cortez for 
 punishment, and they were burned to death in the 
 public square, where Montezuma could see them 
 from his window. Cortez had the poor creatures 
 tortured to make them accuse Montezuma of telling 
 them to commit the murder, so that he would have 
 an excuse for what he intended to do to the king. 
 Pretending to believe the confessions, he went 
 before the king and ordered two common Spanish 
 soldiers to put him in irons. Poor Montezuma 
 moaned and groaned like his heart would break, 
 while his faithful attendants, weeping bitterly tried 
 to put their mantles under the irons so they would 
 not touch his flesh. 
 
 Cortez now demanded that he abdicate his 
 power, and pay tribute to Spain, so he compelled 
 the king to assemble all his chiefs, which he did 
 saying to them : 
 
 * t You are acquainted with the traditions which 
 say that the good Quetzalcoatl is to return and rule 
 over us. That time has come and we must obey 
 our new masters. You have been faithful vassals 
 of mine, and I expect you to show me this last act 
 of obedience by acknowledging the great king 
 across the water as your lord also." The tears 
 streamed down his face, and his haughty chiefs 
 were very sad at heart, but they were loyal as well 
 as brave men, and they answered : 
 
174 THE STOEIES OF EL DOEADO 
 
 "Your will is our law, and if you think the 
 king of the strangers is the ancient lord of our 
 country we are willing to acknowledge him as 
 such/' 
 
 As soon as this was done the grasping Span- 
 iards compelled Montezuma to send throughout 
 his kingdom for all the gold, silver, precious stones 
 and feather-work that could be found, in the name 
 of the king of Spain, but when they got it they 
 divided it among themselves, and then quarreled 
 fiercely over who should have the greater part. 
 
 Here indeed was their fabled El Dorado! 
 
 There was but one more humiliation awaiting 
 Montezuma, and that was to have his own people 
 revile him. The Spaniards had been so brutal and 
 cruel in their dealings with the Aztecs that some of 
 them began to doubt whether they could have come 
 from Tlapalla, and whether Cortez was the Golden 
 Hearted. Knowing this Cortez induced Monte- 
 zuma to dress himself in his royal robes, and 
 appear on the stone parapet of the palace where he 
 was confined, to quiet the mob and induce them to 
 go about their work peaceably. Cortez was begin- 
 ning to fear for his own safety, but the populace 
 were not to be tricked by him. They did not believe 
 it was Montezuma before them, and hurling a stone 
 at the royal palanquin accidentally hit the unhappy 
 king on the forehead. The blow was not sufficient 
 to kill him, but he took to his bed and refused to 
 eat until he final Iv died. History savs of him that 
 
MONTEZIJMA AND THE PABA 
 
 175 
 
 ' * his great heart was burst in twain by the sorrows 
 that oppressed his high courage." Certain it is 
 that he could not live when he found that both his 
 God and his people despised him. It has never 
 been known what became of his body, for a terrible 
 war followed his death. 
 
 Today we call his country and city Mexico. 
 
their country 
 had ever seen 
 to the ancient 
 
 The Child of the Sun 
 
 ONE of us have forgotten about 
 the Children of the Sun, and the 
 city of Cuzco founded by the 
 Golden Hearted, or of his ruling 
 over them as Manco-Capac, the 
 powerful one. He went into 
 which we call Peru before he 
 Mexico, but the Spaniards came 
 city of Tenochtitlan before they 
 knew anything about Cuzco. It was not long after 
 the death of Montezuma until the Spaniards heard 
 about the riches of the Children of the Sun, and 
 they were determined to find that country. 
 
 The Aztecs did not help them any because they 
 no longer looked upon them as sent from Heaven 
 but as ruthless destroyers borne along on the backs 
 of fierce animals swift as the wind, and carrying 
 weapons in their hands that scattered death and 
 destruction everywhere. The Aztecs learned to 
 hate the Spaniards bitterly, and when we came to 
 study their history we shall know why. Even their 
 own historians do not pretend to deny that they 
 
THE CHILD OF THE SUN" 177 
 
 fell upon the poor Aztecs sword in hand and robbed 
 them of all the treasures they had, besides taking 
 their lands away from them. 
 
 Some say that Francisco Pizarro was a cousin 
 of Hernando Cortez who conquered the Aztecs, 
 but all agree that he was an ignorant swineherd, 
 who could neither read nor write, and whose 
 parents were not respectable. While he was not 
 actually a convict he belonged to the low class, and 
 the men going with him to search for the new El 
 Dorado among the Children of the Sun, were 
 really no better. Cortez had some hidalgoes, caval- 
 liers and knights with him because men of good 
 family often came to the Americas on the first voy- 
 ages after Columbus, but Pizarro collected a band 
 of cut-throat adventurers who were just as greedy 
 and ignorant as he was. All the exploring they 
 did was simply to search for gold, and they did not 
 care what methods they used to get it. The simple 
 natives with their naked defenseless bodies, and 
 bows and arrows were no match for men covered 
 with steel armor, mounted on horseback and armed 
 with guns and cannon. Balboa had already found 
 the Pacific Ocean, and Pizarro knew that the 
 Children of the Sun lived in that direction, so he 
 rigged out a vessel and sailed along the coast trying 
 to find them. At the first place he landed the 
 natives said to him : 
 
 "Why do you not stay at home and till your 
 own land instead of roaming about to rob others 
 who have never harmed vou?" 
 
178 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 But the savages wore some heavy gold orna- 
 ments, and Pizarro asked eagerly: 
 
 "Have you more of this!" 
 
 "Yes, we have a little more," they said, and 
 as they were weighing some of the metal their chief 
 struck the scales with his fist, scattering the nuggets 
 all over the floor. 
 
 "If this is what you prize so much that you 
 are willing to risk your lives to attain it, I can tell 
 you of a land where they eat and drink out of 
 vessels of gold, and where there are great quantities 
 to be had for the asking. ' ' 
 
 "Where is this rich country!" 
 
 "It is ten days journey toward the south and 
 is ruled by the Child of the Sun." 
 
 The Spaniards were nearly mad with joy 
 because now they said: 
 
 "All our fond dreams are about to be real- 
 ized. ' ' They were in such a good humor that they 
 gave the natives some glass beads and some live 
 chickens. When they turned the rooster loose, 
 he crowed, and then the simple natives clapped 
 their hands in glee, and asked : 
 
 "What is it saying!" 
 
 It sounded as if the rooster said : 
 
 "How do you do, sir!" which the natives 
 thought was very funny indeed. Then they wanted 
 to know what the cannon said. One of the men 
 set up a target and fired at it shivering the board 
 into fine splinters. The loud noise, the flash of 
 smoke and powder, frightened the poor natives 
 
THE CHILD OF THE SUN 179 
 
 nearly to death. Some of them fell flat on their 
 faces, and others ran into the woods as fast as 
 they could go, screaming : 
 
 "Our good Manco-Capac is coming back to 
 us angry/' 
 
 That night the old men huddled the terrified 
 people together and said to them : 
 
 "Do you remember when the comet flamed 
 through the sky; when the earthquake shook the 
 land, and there was a rainbow around the moon!" 
 
 "I well remember," said one of the old men. 
 "that a thunderbolt fell on one of the Incas' royal 
 palaces setting it on fire, and I saw an eagle chased 
 by several hawks hovering in the air over Cuzco. 
 Our king saw it too, and while he looked at it the 
 eagle fell dead at his feet." 
 
 "It is no use to resist these strangers," said 
 an envoy from the Inca, who had arrived in time 
 to hear the last statement. ' t Seven years ago when 
 the father of our king died, he called his son to his 
 bedside and told him that white and bearded 
 strangers were coming to overturn the Empire. 
 And as you know, our great oracle has foretold the 
 return of Manco-Capac at the close of the twelfth 
 dynasty of the Incas. That day is at hand, so do 
 not quarrel with the strangers. ' ' 
 
 No one showed a disposition to disobey him, 
 and in a short time he stood before Pizarro saying : 
 
 ' 1 1 bring you greetings from the Inca, Child of 
 the Sun, who rules this land. He wishes me to ask 
 why you come, and from what country. ' ' 
 
180 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "Our home is far across the sea," responded 
 Pizarro, l i and we serve a rich and powerful prince 
 who has heard of the Child of the Sun, and sends 
 us to pay our respects to him. ' ' 
 
 This was not the truth for the King of Spain 
 knew nothing whatever of Pizarro 's wicked inten- 
 tions, nor did he know about Cortez either until 
 long after poor Montezuma was dead and his 
 country laid waste. But when men turn out to 
 be wholesale robbers they do not care whether they 
 tell the truth or not. 
 
 "Our Inca is at his favorite baths and wishes 
 to know when you will arrive, so that he may pro- 
 vide suitable refreshments for you." 
 
 "We will come at once," said Pizarro. 
 
 1 ' It would be better to wait a few days, ' ' said 
 the king's messenger. "Our Inca is keeping a 
 sacred fast, and we cannot disturb him until it is 
 finished." The Spaniards had no respect for the 
 king's wishes or his privacy, so they made ready to 
 follow the messenger. While they were dividing 
 the presents of llamas, sheep and gold goblets 
 among themselves some of the soldiers said: 
 
 "This dog of a king may have thousands of 
 followers. What can a handful of men like we 
 are, do against so many ! Suppose they should try 
 to fight us?" 
 
 Pizarro happened to overhear them and 
 replied : 
 
 1 i Let every one of you take heart, and go for- 
 ward like a good soldier. God ever protects his 
 
THE CHILD OF THE SUN 181 
 
 own, and will humble the pride of the heathen and 
 bring him to a knowledge of the true faith the 
 great end and object of this conquest." 
 
 It was the first time he had spoken of conquest, 
 but the soldiers remembered the complete success 
 of Cortez in Mexico and only needed to be told that 
 the natives were to be Christianized to make them 
 certain that the home authorities would not inter- 
 fere with them, so they shouted : 
 
 "Lead on! wherever you think best we will 
 follow with good will." 
 
 The few padres in the company were sincere 
 in their wish to teach the natives and so was the 
 King of Spain, but neither of them could control the 
 actions of such men as Pizarro and his adventurers, 
 now ready to pounce down on the mild and inoffen- 
 sive people like a band of hungry wolves. When 
 they got up on the top of the mountain and looked 
 down, the landscape had the appearance of a huge 
 checker-board cut into squares by canals and ever- 
 green hedges. A wide river rolled through the 
 meadows, like a narrow silver ribbon, while across 
 the valley were the famous hot baths with steam 
 and vapor rising from them in the clear air. Along 
 the slope of the hills a white cloud of tents covered 
 the ground for several miles, where the Child of the 
 Sun, and his court were encamped. 
 
 Pizarro with banners streaming and the 
 sparkle of armor glittering in the sun, galloped 
 into the city with blare of trumpets and lances 
 fixed. The Inca was in a camp near by, but the 
 
182 THE STOEIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 rude Spaniards broke in upon his fast, and a 
 brother of Pizarro almost rode him down with his 
 horse. Giving the bridle a sudden jerk he brought 
 the horse to his haunches, so close to the Inca, that 
 the horse snorted with fear, but the brave king did 
 not move a muscle, although he had never seen a 
 white man in armor nor a horse before in his life. 
 Seeing that he could not frighten him Pizarro 's 
 brother said haughtily : 
 
 ' ' What is your royal will ? My brother desires 
 that you visit him." 
 
 Without raising his eyes from the ground 
 where he had kept them as a mark of respect to his 
 visitor, the Inca smiled and said: 
 
 "Tell your captain, that I am keeping a fast, 
 which will end tomorrow morning. I will then 
 visit him with my chieftains. In the meantime let 
 him occupy the public buildings on the square till I 
 come, when I will order what is to be done. ' ' 
 
 Turning to his attendants he continued : 
 
 "Give our brothers food and drink, and have 
 their quarters made ready for them." 
 
 That night Pizarro put all his cannon in place 
 and boldly planned to take the Inca prisoner in 
 his own pleasure garden. He ordered his soldiers 
 to hide in the plaza, and wait until the Inca arrived. 
 As soon as he was in the great square they were 
 suddenly to spring out and put the natives to the 
 sword, and capture their king. 
 
 It was late in the day before the Inca got all 
 
THE CHILD OF THE SUN" 183 
 
 his court in splendid array, and then he sent word 
 to Pizarro that he was coming in state. 
 
 i i I am much pleased to hear it, ' ' said Pizarro. 
 "Let your king come anyway he will; he shall be 
 received as a friend and brother. Let him sup 
 with us and sleep in our quarters tonight." 
 
 When once in motion the Inca's retinue had 
 on so many gold ornaments that they blazed like 
 the sun. Some wore showy stuffs in white and red 
 with gold and silver embroidery, while others were 
 dressed in white and carried silver maces in their 
 hands. The Inca wore the royal borla, or crown 
 on his head, with the Quetzal feathers in the back 
 and the long red fringes across the forehead. Over 
 him was a canopy representing a rainbow, to show 
 that he was a Child of the Sun, and a follower of 
 Manco-Capac, who we know was the Golden 
 Hearted. He was seated on a gold throne which 
 was placed in a litter and carried by four noble 
 youths, in gorgeous liveries. Around his neck was 
 a splendid gold necklace set with large emeralds. 
 Looking around and not seeing any one the Inca 
 asked in surprise : 
 
 "Where are the strangers!" 
 
 At this moment a padre came forward and 
 demanded that he give up his power and become a 
 subject of Spain. He also told the king that he 
 must become a convert to Christianity. The eyes 
 of the Inca flashed fire as he replied : 
 
 "I will be no man's tributary. Your prince 
 may be great ; I do not doubt it when I see that he 
 
184 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 has sent his subjects so far across the waters. I 
 am willing to hold him as a brother. As for my 
 faith, I will not change it. My God still lives in 
 the heavens and looks down on his children. By 
 what authority do you make such demands upon 
 me?" 
 
 The padre handed the Inca a bible but as the 
 thought of the insult offered came over him, the 
 Inca threw it to the ground and said angrily: 
 
 "Tell your comrades that they shall give me 
 an account of their doings in my country. I will 
 not go from here until they have made me full 
 satisfaction for the wrongs they have committed." 
 
 A soldier turned to Pizarro and said : 
 
 ".Do you not see that while we stand here 
 wasting our breath in talking to this dog full of 
 obstinate pride that the fields are filling with 
 Indians. Let us set on at once." 
 
 Pizarro saw that the hour had come, and 
 waving a white scarf which was the appointed 
 signal he and his soldiers sprang into the square, 
 shouting the old war cry of Cortez : 
 
 1 i Santiago ! and at them ! ' ' 
 
 The poor natives in thir holiday dress and 
 line jewelry were wholly unarmed, because they 
 were coming to make a visit, and had no way to 
 defend themselves. When they tried to escape they 
 found they were hemmed in on all sides by the stone 
 buildings facing the plaza, and nobody knows how 
 many thousands of them were killed. They were 
 stunned by the roar of the cannon, choked by the 
 
THEIR NAKED BODIES HACKED TO PIECES WITH SWORDS 
 
 Sec next page 
 
186 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO . 
 
 smoke, trampled under the horses' feet, and their 
 naked bodies hacked to pieces with swords. 
 
 The Spaniards seemed bent upon killing the 
 Inca, but his loyal subjects caught hold of the horses ' 
 bridles and saddle blankets, and even the legs of 
 their riders to prevent them from hitting the Inca. 
 Some offered their own bodies to the lances any- 
 thing to save the king who was stunned and 
 bewildered. As the men who were carrying him 
 were killed, the litter lurched to one side and he 
 fell to the ground. Instantly the imperial borla, 
 or crown, was snatched from his head; his hands 
 were securely tied, and he was hustled, a prisoner, 
 into a building nearby. Then the soldiery robbed 
 and pillaged as much as they pleased, even carrying 
 off the plate from the Inca's table. 
 
 Realizing that it was gold that the Spaniards 
 wanted, the Tnca began at once to try to buy his 
 freedom. 
 
 "I will cover the floor of this room with gold 
 if you will release me, ' ' he said, to Pizarro. Seeing 
 that the soldiers smiled at this, he added : 
 
 "I will fill the room full, as high as I can 
 reach, ' ' standing on tip-toe and stretching his arm 
 against the wall. Pizarro agreed to accept that 
 amount of gold, but demanded double that amount 
 of silver, and would only allow the Inca two 
 months' time to collect it in. The Spaniards kept 
 close watch over him, and as soon as the amount 
 was all paid in, Pizarro accused the unhappy cap- 
 tive of trying to stir up an insurrection. The Inca 
 was surprised and indignant; saying: 
 
THE CHILD OF THE SUN 187 
 
 "You have me in your power. Is not my life 
 at your disposal? What better security have you 
 for my fidelity? It is very far to my capital at 
 Cuzco, but that you may be satisfied that I am pro- 
 ceeding in good faith, send some of your own people 
 there. " 
 
 The Spaniards sacked and pillaged Cuzco when 
 they got there, taking seven hundred plates of gold 
 from the walls of the temple dedicated to the 
 Golden Hearted. Besides this, there were heavy 
 cornices of gold, fountains, birds, fruit, vegetables, 
 tables, statues, slabs, basins and panels of pure 
 gold; which, when melted down made millions of 
 dollars. 
 
 Never before did anybody in the wide world 
 pay such a ransom. But Pizarro had no intention 
 of setting the Inca free. Pretending to be very sus- 
 picious, he suddenly appeared before the Inca, and 
 said: 
 
 ' ' What new treason is this you are meditating 
 against me? Me, who has been so brotherly and 
 kind to you!" 
 
 "Why do you mock me," replied the Inca. 
 "Am I not a captive in your hands? How could 
 I conceive such a design as you speak of when I 
 would be the first victim? You little know my 
 people, if you think they would attempt such a 
 thing against my will." 
 
 Pizarro was determined to get rid of him, so 
 he trumped up twelve charges against him, and, 
 after a mock trial, sentenced the helpless Inca to 
 be burned at the stake. 
 
188 THE STORIES OF EL DOEADO 
 
 When told of his fate, the poor king said to 
 Pizarro, with tears streaming down his face: 
 
 "What have I, or my children done, that I 
 should die like this? And from your hands you 
 who have received only benefit and kindness from 
 me and my people." 
 
 The doom of the Inca was sounded by trumpet 
 in the same square he had innocently entered to 
 visit his strange white brother, and two hours after 
 sunset he was led out by torch-light and burned 
 to death. 
 
 To make sure that there was no danger of an 
 uprising in the distant parts of the country, Pizarro 
 sent an officer to finish collecting the ransom and 
 find out the actual condition. While he was gone 
 Pizarro had the Inca executed. When the officer 
 returned, he said : 
 
 "I have met with nothing but kindness on the 
 way. There has never been any attempt at an 
 uprising. ' ' 
 
 And this was the truth. 
 
The Gilded Man 
 
 HEKE were none willing to say 
 "God forgive him/' is what 
 history tells us of the end of 
 Pizarro, whose throat was cut 
 by some of the men he quar- 
 reled with over the treasures 
 they had taken from the Child- 
 ren of the Sun, and I do not 
 believe that any one was ever sorry that he 
 perished like a wretched outcast. Of course, one 
 of his brothers had heard of El Dorado, and he 
 began to inquire closely of the Indians whether 
 tb ere really was such a person. 
 
 "Yes, there is," he was told, "and this chief 
 smears himself all over with a sweet-smelling gum 
 and sprinkles his body with fine gold-dust until 
 he looks like a shining statue." 
 "Where does this chief live?" 
 "Not far from here, and his people are very 
 rich in gold and emeralds." 
 
 This was what the Spaniards wanted to hear, 
 and the Children of the Sun hoped by this means 
 to get rid of their hated conquerors. We 
 remember the visit of the Golden Hearted to the 
 Zipa of the Muscas, and we see, by the unfriendly 
 feeling of their neighbors, that they were still 
 quarrelsome. 
 
190 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "We will go and find the Valley of the Gilded 
 Man," said the brother of Pizarro, to his soldiers, 
 who were getting tired of being idle. "I am told 
 that there are wealthy regions to the north, east, and 
 south of us, where the people go about covered with 
 gold-dust, and where there are no mountains or 
 woods." 
 
 This pleased the greedy adventurers very 
 much, and it was not long before there was quite 
 an army of them ready to start. But they did not 
 know that they were going into a country where 
 there were cannibals savages ready to kill and eat 
 every one of them, and that they fought with pois- 
 oned arrows. The Muscas were obliged to fight 
 these people, but they traded with them, because 
 there was no gold in their own land, and they 
 prized it highly as an offering in honor of the 
 Golden Hearted. They had quantities of salt which 
 they pressed into little round cakes, like sugar 
 loaves, and carried over beaten paths to market. 
 Besides this, they wove beautiful cotton cloth, and 
 managed to get large quantities of gold and silver 
 and emeralds by trading with the cannibals. 
 
 They had not forgotten what the Golden 
 Hearted taught them about hammering the gold, 
 or casting it into tasteful shapes, and they not only 
 wore it for ornaments, but used it to decorate the 
 outside and inside of their temples. It was near 
 the anniversary of his departure, and there were 
 many pilgrims from neighboring tribes who had 
 come to cast emeralds into the lake at Gautavita in 
 
THE GILDED MAN 191 
 
 his honor. On the mountain tops surrounding the 
 lake beacon lights were burning, and the sacred 
 fires on the altars in the temples had never been 
 allowed to go out. As each band of pilgrims came 
 into the city, the Zipa welcomed them, saying: 
 
 "Tomorrow, comrades, we will go in solemn 
 procession to the lake, and commemorate the depart- 
 ure of Bochica, and his purification afterward. 
 We have made his heart very sad by our misdeeds, 
 but from his home in the sun he can look down 
 upon us, and see that we still adore and worship 
 him." 
 
 The next day, at noon a solemn procession 
 approached the lake. In the lead walked bronze- 
 colored men, without any clothing, but whose bodies 
 were covered with red paint, as a sign of deep 
 mourning, and they wailed in a most sorrowful 
 manner. Behind them were warriors decorated 
 with gold and emeralds, wearing bright feathers 
 in their gold head-dresses, and carrying mantles 
 of jaguar skins over their arms. Some of them 
 were singing, while others shouted joyfully or blew 
 on horns and pipes, and conch shells. Close to 
 them were priests in black robes, with white crosses 
 on them, and tall black hats, like those worn by 
 the wise men. In the rear was the Zipa riding in 
 a kind of gilded wheelbarrow hung with disks of 
 gold. His naked body had been anointed with a 
 resinous gum, and covered all over with fine gold- 
 dust. 
 
 Arrived at the shore, the Gilded Man and his 
 
192 THE STOEIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 companions stepped upon a balsa gay with stream- 
 ers and loaded with flowers, and rowed out into 
 the middle of the lake. There the Zipa, who was 
 the Gilded Man, plunged into the water and washed 
 off all the gold-dust. While he was doing this his 
 companions, with music and singing, threw in the 
 gold and emeralds they had brought out on the lake 
 for that purpose. Coming back to the shore the 
 Zipa said: 
 
 "Do no more work for this day, but make 
 merry with singing, dancing and feasting, as if 
 the gentle, kind Bochica were with you again." 
 
 All this time Pizarro's brother, and his greedy 
 soldiers, were wandering around in the mountains 
 trying to find the Gilded Man. If they could have 
 seen him covered with gold at the festival, they 
 would probably have tried to skin him alive to get 
 the gold dust on his body. One of the padres, who 
 came to convert and teach the natives, writing to 
 the king of Spain, said: 
 
 "I do not believe that the men taking part in 
 the expeditions in search of the Gilded Man, would 
 have tried so hard to get into Paradise." 
 
 Further on in his letter the padre describes 
 the terrible hardships and suffering the men had to 
 undergo. After telling about their failure to find 
 El Dorado, he says : 
 
 "The men and officers returned to us nearly 
 naked. In the warm rain their clothes had 
 rotted on their backs, and were torn into shreds by 
 the thickets they had crawled through on their 
 
THE GILDED MAN 193 
 
 hands and knees. Their feet were bare and 
 wounded by the thorns and roots in the pathways, 
 and their swords were not only without sheaths, 
 but were eaten up with rust. Hunger compelled 
 them to kill and eat their horses and dogs." 
 
 While this had been going on in Peru, the 
 King of Spain was busy sending out men for the 
 same purpose. The story of the Gilded Man was 
 known over all Europe, and other nations, besides 
 Spain, were trying to find him. Some German 
 bankers had loaned the king large sums of money 
 for the privilege of searching for El Dorado, and 
 the first white men to visit Gautavita was a band of 
 Germans sent out by the banking house. They 
 wanted slaves as well as gold, and were just as 
 merciless and cruel as the Spaniards. In fact, any 
 man having money enough to buy boats, or to pro- 
 vision men, stole off into the woods and went in 
 search of the Gilded Man. The country was over- 
 run with armed bands of adventurers who were 
 ready to commit any kind of crime for the sake of 
 gain. Whoever offered resistance was killed, and 
 they were suspicious and jealous of each other, 
 as well as of the Indians. 
 
 After Pizarro 's brother made such a miserable 
 failure, and had to endure such bitter hardships 
 one would expect his friends and associates to be 
 careful about making another venture, but they 
 knew of the German invaders, and then it was a 
 race to see who would get hold of the Gilded Man 
 first. Either side would have killed him and burned 
 
194 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 and pillaged the city, so the Indians had learned to 
 distrust and hate all white men, and they made 
 war on both the Spaniards and Germans whenever 
 they had an opportunity. 
 
 A young Spanish lieutenant, named Quesada, 
 was the real conqueror of the Muscas, and, as might 
 have been expected, he murdered the Zipa and 
 robbed Gautavita, and every other village in the 
 kingdom. He was as hard-hearted with his men, 
 as he was with the Indians, and after five hundred 
 of them had died from exposure on the way, they 
 found themselves surrounded on all sides by over- 
 flowing rivers. Weeping and dejected they sought 
 Quesada, saying: 
 
 "We beseech you to send us back to Peru. 
 Instead of gold, only hunger, misery and death 
 await us here. The Gilded Man only exists in the 
 distorted fancy of those who believe the lying tales 
 of the Indians." 
 
 At this juncture they stumbled on to a path 
 with huts, at intervals, by the wayside, filled with 
 the white cakes of salt said to come from the home 
 of the Gilded Man, and they also found some cotton 
 cloth. 
 
 "We are on the right road at last," said 
 Quesada, to his dispirited soldiery. "Prove faith- 
 ful now, and we shall soon stand face to face with 
 El Dorado." With a significant nod of the head, 
 he added : * ' You know what that means to fearless 
 men, like yourselves, and you can trust to the gen- 
 erosity of your captain for a rich reward." 
 
THE GILDED MAN 195 
 
 The prospect of getting plenty of gold soon 
 caused the men to forget all about their troubles, 
 but the Zipa not only fought them stubbornly, but 
 when he was finally compelled to abandon Gauta- 
 vita, there was no treasure to be found. The 
 Muscas had either buried all their gold and emer- 
 alds, or thrown them into the lake. Great, indeed, 
 was the disappointment of the Spaniards, and for 
 his own safety Quesada soon planned another expe- 
 dition against a neighboring tribe of Indians. The 
 strange chief was surprised and captured in the 
 Council House, and with him perished all of the 
 notable men of the tribe. The soldiers found some 
 gold and some very fine emeralds, but when 
 they went to sack the Temple of the Sun, which 
 had a thatched roof, they carelessly set the dry 
 leaves on fire, and burned all the plate and other 
 treasures it contained. Bands of armed men rode 
 hither and yon looking for the Zipa, whom they now 
 believed to be the Gilded Man. He kept in very 
 close hiding, and no amount of torture, or promises 
 of reward could make his followers tell where he 
 was, or where the gold ornaments and vessels were 
 hidden. 
 
 "He is in the mountain fastnesses, where he 
 has a house made of gold," declared some irre- 
 sponsible Indians, glad to get rid of the cruel 
 Spaniards. 
 
 "Where is the house located?" Quesada asked, 
 eagerly. 
 
196 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "Some of the Indians say it is in the north, 
 some say the south, some say near by, and others 
 far away, ' ' answered his servant. 
 
 "Very well, we will search in all directions 
 until we find the miserable dog, and when we do 
 it shall go hard with him. ' ' 
 
 It took them several months to hunt him down, 
 and when they did find him he could not be induced 
 to tell anything about the treasures. 
 
 "I have a house of gold in the sun where my 
 master and lord, Bochica lives. I go to him, whom 
 I have faithfully served all my life." 
 
 After his death a new governor was sent from 
 Peru, and he undertook to drain the lake to get the 
 treasures of gold and emeralds which had been 
 thrown into it in honor of the Golden Hearted. The 
 Muscas were told that the new Governor would 
 be kind to them if they would tell where they had 
 hidden their wealth, but one of. their priests said : 
 
 "Do you think a river will run up hill?" 
 
 The new Governor, hearing the remark, turned 
 to him, and said: 
 
 "No, it is not possible for water to run up 
 hill. Why do you ask such a foolish question 1 ?" 
 
 ' ' How then, do you expect me to believe in the 
 existence of a white man who will be just to us? 
 One thing is quite as possible as the other. ' ' 
 
 And to this day no one knows what became of 
 the riches of the brave Muscas, but it is said that 
 they still remember the Golden Hearted, and in 
 secret, offer gold and emeralds in his honor. 
 
The White Sea of the Manoas 
 
 HE death of the Zipa and the complete 
 subjugation of the Muscas, did not cause 
 people to forget the story of El Dorado. 
 On the contrary other nations soon 
 began to fit out expeditions to search for him, and 
 they went into some dreadful places in South 
 America thinking they would find him. 
 
 "What ails that dog of an Indian !" asked 
 Aguirre, the tyrant, and the worst of all the Span- 
 ish adventurers looking for gold. 
 
 ' ' He has fainted from fatigue, ' ' answered one 
 of his men. 
 
 "Then cut off his head. We have no time to 
 waste on these slaves.' 7 
 
 "Let us unfasten the chain around his neck, 
 and then he can drop behind the rest of the gang, ' ' 
 pleaded some of the Indians, who were being used 
 to help the horses carry the baggage. 
 
198 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "It will take too long, and the whole chain- 
 gang of men would have to wait until we could 
 unfasten his neckband and put some one else in 
 his place. Chop off his head with this sword, and 
 go on. ' ' 
 
 The other officers tried to console the terrified 
 Indians by saying : 
 
 "If we were to leave him lying by the road- 
 side, some wild animal would come along and eat 
 him, so it is just as well for him as if we had done 
 as you wished." 
 
 Many people now say that Aguirre was insane, 
 and to this day the poor Christian Indians cross 
 themselves when they hear strange noises at night, 
 and exclaim : 
 
 "It is the soul of the tyrant Aguirre, who 
 plunged a dagger through the heart of his own 
 daughter when the King's officers came to arrest 
 and punish him for his cruelties. He is doomed 
 to wander over the swamps at night, and wail over 
 his terrible sins. His soul can never be at rest." 
 
 Like thistle-down scattered by the wind, were 
 the wonderful tales of El Dorado. No matter where 
 white men went they failed to find it, but the cun- 
 ning Indians always told them that it was still 
 farther away, because they wanted to get rid of 
 the unwelcome visitors, who tortured and enslaved, 
 as well as robbed them. 
 
 Finally Sir Walter Raleigh, who helped col- 
 onize the state of Virginia, and named it for Good 
 Queen Bess of England, heard about the city of 
 
THE WHITE SEA OF MANOAS 199 
 
 Omagua, and the White Sea of the Manoas, and 
 he determined to find them, because there, he 
 believed, was El Dorado. 
 
 Some English sailors under his command 
 traded some pieces of old iron to the Indians for 
 shields of gold. 
 
 "Where did you get this metal!" was asked 
 of the Indians. 
 
 "In Omagua, where the tiles on the roofs of 
 the houses are made from the same glittering sub- 
 stance, and where we hang crescents of it in front 
 of our doors to keep away evil spirits. ' ' 
 
 "What they say must be true, ' ' said the sailors 
 among themselves, "for they have gold crowns on 
 their heads, and breast-plates and earrings." 
 
 * l Where is this city of Omagua ? ' ' again asked 
 the men. 
 
 1 i It is very far south, and is on a lake of gold. 
 Our chief lives in the House of the Sun, and has 
 many green stones in his shield and on the walls 
 of the temples." 
 
 * ' What is the name of your chief ? ' ' 
 
 "El Dorado," answered the Indians, anxious 
 that the white men should know that they could 
 speak their language. 
 
 "It is all plain to me," said Sir Walter 
 Raleigh, when told of it. "Those Spanish adven- 
 turers have failed to find the real El Dorado. We 
 will search for it ourselves." 
 
 * * The Indians say there are whole streets filled 
 with workers in gold and precious stones, ' ' said one 
 
200 THE STORIES OE EL DORADO 
 
 of his officers, "and I dare say we shall make our 
 enterprise quite profitable." So they, too, were 
 looking for gold, only their methods were not so 
 barbarous and cruel as the others had been. 
 
 As they went farther into the country they 
 found a numerous band of Indians with flat heads, 
 and when they examined the babies carried on the 
 backs of their mothers it was seen that they had 
 tied a board across the forehead so that it would 
 sink in and leave the head pointed and flat in front. 
 
 "Why do you treat your heads in this man- 
 ner?" some one asked their chief. 
 
 "Because our fathers did so, and we think it 
 makes us beautiful, ' ' he answered. In that country 
 there are still plenty of flat-headed Indians. As the 
 men marched along they came to trees with holes 
 cut through the bark, and little earthen pots hang- 
 ing under them to catch the sticky-looking milk 
 that oozed out. 
 
 ' ' Can this be something good to eat ! ' ' the men 
 said. "Let us taste it and see." 
 
 "Ugh! it has a nasty, disagreeable, bitter 
 flavor," said the speaker, licking his finger after 
 he had stuck it down into the pot. "It smells so 
 badly that it makes me feel sick," he continued, 
 spitting it out quickly. 
 
 "Here comes an old woman with some nuts 
 from the palm tree she has been shaking in her 
 hands. Let us ask her what this stuff is good for. ' ' 
 
 But the old woman evidently did not have a 
 very good opinion of white men, and would not 
 speak to them at all. 
 
THE WHITE SEA OE MANOAS 
 
 201 
 
 "We can watch her," they said, "and see 
 whether she intends to eat it." 
 
 She paid no attention to them, but went on 
 making a fire out of the palm nuts and some dry 
 leaves, and as soon as they blazed brightly she set 
 the little pot near the fire and began stirring the 
 milk with a wooden paddle she carried in her hand. 
 As soon as the blaze smouldered, she held the 
 paddle over it until the milk began to get thick. 
 Then she dipped it back into the pot and repeated 
 the process until there was enough coating to scrape 
 off and make a flat cake. 
 
202 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "Will you please give me the biscuit!" 
 inquired one of the bystanders. Without a word the 
 old woman threw it at him, and when he caught it 
 in his hands, he exclaimed : 
 
 "It is India rubber! Now we can have a 
 game of ball!" As it was still warm he rounded 
 it into shape with his hands, and then he and his 
 companions amused themselves for quite a while 
 throwing the ball against the trees and catching it 
 as it bounded back. While they were engaged in 
 this sport the cooks were preparing them something 
 to eat, but the forest was full of monkeys swinging 
 themselves from one tree to another by their long 
 tails and seemingly very much interested in what 
 the men underneath them were doing. 
 
 Now, we all know that a monkey imitates every- 
 thing it sees, and so the whole band began to go 
 through the motion of throwing. As soon as they 
 found out there was something to eat they bobbed 
 their heads and screeched and chattered in great 
 excitement. Every time the cook's back was turned 
 they slid down a limb of the tree and grabbed a 
 dish and scampered back again. They had such 
 solemn little faces, and were so quick about it, 
 that the men shouted with laughter, but when they 
 sat down to eat, the monkeys jumped out of the 
 trees and rushed for the food. 
 
 The old Indian woman, comprehending the 
 situation, approached camp and said : 
 
 "Will the white chief let me cook something 
 for the monkevs!" 
 
THE WHITE SEA OF MANOAS 203 
 
 "What do you want to feed them?" 
 
 "A pot of rice," she answered, "such as I 
 know well how to prepare." 
 
 No one made any objection, and it was not 
 long before she had a big pan full of boiled rice, 
 which she had made almost red with pepper. 
 Taking a wide, green leaf, she laid it down and 
 poured the rice out to cool. No sooner had she 
 done so than the monkeys swarmed around the pile, 
 and squatting beside it began to eat by the handful. 
 Tears ran down their faces and water poured from 
 their mouths, but they kept on eating for a few 
 minutes. Then, suddenly seeming to suspect each 
 other of being to blame, they commenced fighting 
 with sticks and stones until they scattered the rice 
 all over the ground. By this time the pepper was 
 burning their mouths worse than ever, and not 
 knowing what was the matter they set up a doleful 
 howling, and ran pell-mell into the river quite a 
 distance from cam]). They tumbled into the water 
 and rolled and wallowed in it, but it was some 
 little time before their mouths quit smarting, and 
 they were very willing to let the men alone. 
 
 The dogs belonging to the party gave chase, 
 but the monkeys screamed so that they awoke the 
 alligators sleeping in the sun on the river bank, 
 and then the dogs had to run for their lives. One 
 or two of them barely escaped being caught in the 
 wide open mouths of these monsters. It was very 
 much cooler when the sun went down, but that 
 brought out the inosquitos, and the men were 
 
204 THE STOEIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 obliged to sit in the smoke to save themselves from 
 being bitten dreadfully. They kept the fire going 
 all night, because they were afraid of the jaguars 
 and panthers hidden in the woods during the day, 
 but ready to kill and eat anything they might find 
 in their night prowls. 
 
 It was considered safer out of doors than in 
 the tents, but it was impossible to sleep on account 
 of the hideous noises made by the animals, monkeys, 
 birds and snakes. 
 
 "Why do these creatures keep up such a ter- 
 rible din?" asked the men of their Indian guides. 
 
 "Because they are keeping the feast of the 
 full moon," they replied, and this appeared to be 
 a settled belief among them. 
 
 "Men put the jaguar out of humor," they 
 explained. "He is a very selfish beast, and if he 
 cannot rule alone he goes to his den and sulks. He 
 will follow a man all day through the woods and 
 will not spring upon him unless he tries to run or 
 moves his arms. If you think one is following you 
 do not look back and do not trust anything but 
 the sharp blade of your sword. The noise of a 
 gun only infuriates him. ' ' 
 
 As the men heard this they imagined they could 
 see the yellow eyes glaring at them in the dark- 
 ness, and some thought they smelled him. 
 
 "He is a ferocious, blood-thirsty beast," said 
 the Indians in conclusion, ' ' and you may well think 
 yourselves fortunate when you leave these tropic 
 forests and get out into the open plains. ' ' 
 
THE WHITE SEA OF MANOAS 205 
 
 The men would have agreed with him if it had 
 not been for the intense heat, and a terrible sand- 
 storm that almost blinded them for days when it 
 did not blow so hard that they could make no 
 headway against it. Finally, footsore, weary, and 
 almost discouraged, they came to a wide and deep 
 river, and here the Indian guides brought them 
 boats, which they called pirogues. 
 
 "We are not far from the lake of gold beside 
 the city of the Manoas, " they said, and when the 
 delighted soldiers inquired particularly, they 
 responded readily: 
 
 "We have these things from our fathers and 
 other men wise in the traditions and sayings of 
 our people, but we are afraid to go any further, 
 for the Manoans are a fierce and warlike race. ' ' 
 
 About this time Sir Walter Raleigh learned 
 that the Queen was not pleased with his efforts in 
 search of the El Dorado, and he decided to with- 
 draw his men and abandon the attempt. 
 
 But this did not hinder other men from trying 
 to solve the mystery. It was more than a hundred 
 years before the truth was finally known, and then 
 a scientist discovered that the location itself had 
 shifted and was nearly as much changed as the 
 ideas about El Dorado. He traced the legend to 
 Lake Parima, near the center of South America, 
 and said: 
 
 "This is really the White Sea of the Manoas, 
 which people have long believed was a lake of gold. 
 The reason the Indians thought so was because 
 
206 THE STOBIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 there is some fine gold-dust in the washings of the 
 sand, which has plenty of mica mixed with it. 
 Then there is a large quantity of salt dried on the 
 grass, and when the hot sun shines, it looks at a 
 distance as if it were a great sea of gold." 
 
 "Are the houses covered with gold tiles!" was 
 the next inquiry. 
 
 "No indeed: they are common huts with 
 thatched roofs on which the salt and mica glisten 
 and sparkle as they do in the grass and sand." 
 
 "Are the natives warlike! and do they eat 
 each other, as we have been told!" 
 
 "They are armed with javelins, wooden shields, 
 bows and arrows, and a short sword which they 
 make for themselves. We found them very friendly, 
 and as for their being cannibals that is all imagina- 
 tion, but it may have been true in olden times. ' ' 
 
 And this is really what people spent millions 
 of money trying to find, and for which hundreds of 
 lives were uselessly sacrificed. 
 
The Mountain of Gold 
 
 F EKY far to the north of Lake 
 Parima, is the celebrated Roraima, 
 the "Mountain of Gold," one of 
 the objects sought by the men who 
 were looking for El Dorado. 
 
 * * Let us set out on an expedition 
 to see if we cannot solve the 
 mystery of this mountain, that is 
 not only rich in gold and precious 
 stones, but grows the Plant of Life in abundance, 
 which keeps one alive for hundreds of years," 
 said some idle Cavaliers who had become reckless 
 in their eagerness to acquire sudden riches. 
 
 "But they say Roraima is inaccessible, so what 
 is the use of attempting the impossible?" said one 
 of the party, who had been out hunting. 
 
 "I believe that the flat top of the mountain is 
 inhabited, and that up there is the famous island 
 city of El Dorado," responded the first speaker. 
 "There is almost unlimited wealth to be had by 
 finding it, and these cowardly Indians are afraid to 
 go near it." 
 
 "It will be a long, tedious journey," said the 
 hunter, * l and I doubt if we can persuade the slaves 
 to accompany us. " 
 
 "They shall go," said the other, firmly, "and 
 if there is any sign of rebellion we have a remedy, " 
 
208 THE STOEIES OF EL DOEADO 
 
 he continued, pointing to his gun with a smile that 
 was not pleasant to see. 
 
 It was as the hunter feared. The Indian 
 porters and servants were nearly frantic at the idea 
 of being compelled to approach the dread mountain. 
 
 * t The whole place is weird and uncanny, ' ' they 
 declared, "and the demon mountain is surrounded 
 by haunted woods, filled with camoodis and 
 didis." 
 
 When asked what a camoodi was, they 
 explained that it was a gigantic snake with a hood 
 over its head, and whose breath killed whatever it 
 touched, while the didis were man apes, ferocious 
 and terrible to see. 
 
 "It is a foolish superstition," said the Span- 
 iards, in derision, "and we will not listen to such 
 idle tales." 
 
 "Roraima is an island, connected underground 
 with the other mountains, and the lights you see 
 on the tops are put there by the demons to lure 
 us on to destruction." 
 
 "If it is inaccessible, how do these demons 
 manage to get up there ! ' ' asked the Spaniards. 
 
 ' i There are huge white eagles, that fly so high 
 we cannot see them; but they have very fine eye- 
 sight, and many a poor brave has been seized by 
 them, and carried to the didis on the mountain." 
 
 ' i They must mean the big white birds we call 
 condors, found in the highest peaks of the Andes," 
 said the Spaniards, "but our good weapons are 
 proof against any bird, and we need have no fear." 
 
THE MOUNTAIN OF GOLD 209 
 
 * ' As soon as it is dark in those terrible woods, 
 blood-sucking vampires swoop down from the trees 
 and fasten their long red bills in your throat/' 
 said the Indians, with a shudder, but no attention 
 was paid to anything they told of the hardships to 
 be endured. 
 
 ' Mt is better for us to start at the beginning of 
 the dry season," said Carino, the Indian guide, 
 and in a short time the entire party was voyaging 
 on one of the splendid rivers that span that country. 
 In canoes they passed through untracked forests 
 and grassy savannahs following the course of the 
 river. Some places they were in great danger 
 from cataracts and rapids, but finally landed in a 
 place where there was a flock of red flamingos half 
 hidden by tall pampas grass, and where there were 
 hundreds of little wild ducks with tiny horns on 
 their wings. In the trees were some rare and 
 beautiful orchids, and when some of the party 
 climbed up to pick the big perfumed blossoms, they 
 were much surprised to find that what they thought 
 was a flower was a perfumed butterfly. 
 
 * ' We must be near the enchanted wood, ' ' said 
 the Spaniards, but just then they heard a sort of 
 combination of whistle, snort and hiss that 
 frightened them dreadfully: 
 
 "Carino! what is that?" they all said, hud- 
 dling up close together, and listening intently. 
 
 "It is the cry of the Lost Souls, who have 
 been slain by the camoodi," said Carino. "We 
 have already seen their strange shapes flitting 1 
 
210 THE STOEIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 through the deep shadows. They are in league 
 with the didi to guard this spot. ' ' As he spoke the 
 Indian porters and slaves began a curious chant 
 in a singsong tone : 
 
 Darkly from sunset to the rising sun, 
 A cry as of the pained heart of the wood, 
 The long despairing moan of solitude 
 And darkness and the absence of all good, 
 Startles the traveler with a sound so drear, 
 So full of hopeless agony and fear, 
 His heart stands still and listens with his ear, 
 The guide, as if he heard a death-bell toll, 
 Crosses himself and whispers "A Lost Soul." 
 
 The last words seemed to affect Carino deeply 
 and falling on his knees before the leader of the 
 expedition he said : 
 
 "My heart is heavy at the thought of your 
 undertaking to fight the demons of the mountain. 
 It is not good this thing you are about to do. 
 The didis may tempt you to enter these fatal woods, 
 but they will trap you by closing the trail and you 
 will never be seen again." 
 
 "We will encamp here for the night, and tomor- 
 row at sunrise we will have a look at Roraima, " 
 said the leader, not feeling very comfortable over 
 the doleful noise called the wail of a lost soul. 
 "It may be that these Indians are not so far 
 wrong," he said to himself when their backs were 
 turned. "At any rate, I do not fancy going into 
 the woods so near nightfall." 
 
THE MOUNTAIN OF GOLD 211 
 
 After a long parley Carino succeeded in per- 
 suading- the porters and servants to venture a short 
 distance to get some wood for cooking and other 
 purposes. They had not been gone long when the 
 Spaniards heard a loud roaring bark, almost like 
 a trumpet, quickly followed by several more in 
 the immediate vicinity. Soon the Indians came 
 flying into camp terror-stricken. 
 
 "The Warracaba cats!" they shouted, and 
 before the Spaniards could stop them, they had all 
 piled into the canoes and were rowing for the 
 middle of the river. The white men stood with 
 guns raided as four screaming tigers sprang out 
 of the woods in full pursuit of the Indians they had - 
 smelled, but not seen. Bang! bang! bang! went 
 the guns in rapid succession, and three of the four 
 tigers rolled on the ground dead or dying, while 
 the other one made off into the woods as fast as he 
 could go. 
 
 "That was a narrow escape, my masters," 
 said Carino, shaking as if he had ague, "and the 
 other Warracaba will come back and bring com- 
 panion?. These tigers hunt in packs like wolves, 
 and are not afraid of anything except deep water." 
 
 "What are we to do?" asked the leader, 
 gruffly, pale with fright. "Those dastardly slaves 
 have gone off and left us without a single boat. 
 Do you think you can call them back?" he asked 
 eagerly. 
 
 "I fear to answer that question," faltered 
 Carino. "I have warned you that my people fear 
 these woods, and are never willing to go into them. ' ' 
 
212 THE STOEIES OF EL DOKADO 
 
 Then the Cavaliers began very foolishly to 
 blame each other for coming to such a place, and 
 were soon in high words as if quarreling would 
 help them out of their difficulty. 
 
 "If you had not been so greedy for gold you 
 would never have undertaken such a journey, " 
 said one of them. 
 
 "And if you had been willing to work for an 
 honest living you would not have been so eager 
 to come with me," retorted the other angrily. 
 
 Carino realizing that something must be done 
 at once, interrupted the dispute by saying: 
 
 "There is an old Manoan witch named Mon- 
 ella, who has lived at the edge of this wood for 
 hundreds of years, and if you will follow me I will 
 conduct you to her hut. The pathway is hung with 
 bell-shaped flowers of many hues, and these give 
 a dim light when the sun goes down. If we make 
 haste we may reach it before dark." 
 
 Without a word the Spaniards picked up what 
 things they needed for the night, and carrying them 
 on their backs in separate bundles, moodily fol- 
 lowed Carino. None but an Indian could have 
 found the way through such a tangled mass of 
 undergrowth. Suddenly Carino stopped and called 
 out: 
 
 "Beware! here is one of the fierce lords of the 
 wood, mouth open and bent upon attack." Being 
 an agile, quick fellow, he jumped to one side barely 
 in time to miss the venomous snake as it rushed 
 toward him. The warning made the Spaniards 
 
THE MOUNTAIN OF GOLD '213 
 
 ready, and with unerring aim one of them shot 
 the reptile through the head. 
 
 " These are some of the guardians of Bora- 
 ima, " said Carino, solemnly. "They are not only 
 poisonous, but show fight, and will not run from 
 man. ' ' 
 
 By this time the Spaniards were beginning to 
 lose heart. 
 
 i i If the Holy Mother preserves me through this 
 night I will give up this search for El Dorado/ 7 
 said the leader, and the other men agreed with him. 
 
 "The witch Monella has strange tales to tell 
 of lioraima. She has been through the secret 
 cavern in the side of the mountain, and up to the 
 top, ' ' said Carino. 
 
 "Does she say that there is gold up there 1" 
 queried one of the Cavaliers. Before the guide 
 could answed, a large yellow puma stood in the 
 pathway, directly in front of them. A gun was 
 leveled to shoot at her, when Carino sprang forward 
 and said: 
 
 "Do not harm the puma. She belongs to Mon- 
 ella, and no red man ever kills one of these animals. 
 They are always our friends, and to injure one is 
 to bring bad luck on yourself and family." 
 
 They went forward eagerly now for the thought 
 of a human habitation near by inspired them with 
 courage, and they were soon rewarded by seeing 
 a thin column of smoke issuing from an opening 
 in the dense foliage. Nearing the hut they were 
 met by a queer looking old Indian woman, who 
 had no teeth, and whose face was so wrinkled that 
 
214 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 she could scarcely see out of her eyes. Carino 
 approached her and said: 
 
 "We have come, good mother, to ask shelter 
 and fo6d for the night. We are a band of travelers 
 who are left with no servants and must make our 
 wav the best we can." 
 
 ' * Your strange white masters come on a useless 
 errand, ' ' said the old crone, blinking at them and 
 grinning in a knowing way. * l You think to find the 
 hidden treasure of iloraima and to unearth its 
 buried secrets, but you will fail. No one living, 
 except myself, knows these things, and I will not 
 tell you more than is good for you." 
 
THE MOUNTAIN OF GOLD 215 
 
 "Do not quarrel with the old hag," said the 
 leader to Carino, "we need a place to sleep and 
 are very hungry, so give her some gold and tell 
 her we will do as she says. ' ' 
 
 "These are not Mellenda's men," said the 
 old crone to Carino, as she eyed them suspiciously. 
 "But the White Brotherhood would despise me if 
 I refused to shelter them from the dangers of the 
 forest at night. They are welcome to come and 
 sup with me." 
 
 When they had all been given something to eat, 
 and were sitting before the fire of pine knots, one 
 of the Cavaliers said : 
 
 "Tell us, good mother, how you have managed 
 to live so long. Carino says you are very old and 
 very wise." 
 
 "Since I was a little child I have drank a 
 tea made from the Plant of Life. Its juice is bitter- 
 sweet, and unless one has the Falloa, or Don't Care 
 Sickness, he can live always." 
 
 ' ' Where did you get this wonderful plant ? ' ' 
 
 "It was given me by Ulama, the beautiful 
 daughter of Mellenda, " answered the old woman, 
 proudly. ' ' This is like her smiling face, ' ' she con- 
 tinued, going back to a cupboard and getting a 
 curious old parchment roll from a shelf. As she 
 unwound the figure the astonished Spaniards saw 
 a fair representation of a yellow-haired girl with 
 a circlet of gold set with gems on her head. On 
 the breast of her flowing robe there was a golden 
 star, and around the waist there was a jeweled 
 girdle. 
 
216 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "Can you read this picture writing!" asked 
 one of the Spaniards. 
 
 "It is the language of my forefathers, and 
 as a child I could speak it well. Listen, and I will 
 tell you what it says. Long years ago there was 
 a rich and powerful white race living in these lands, 
 and they built a wonderful city on the Mountain 
 of Gold. But the Children of Darkness captured 
 the city, and they enticed people up there so 
 they could sacrifice them to the Devil-tree. There 
 is never any thunder or lightning on top of Rori- 
 ama, and its crest is a flat tableland edged with 
 a high forest and guarded by white eagles. The 
 mountains surrounding it were once islands in a 
 great lake, and Mellenda was the ancient king of 
 the Children of Light who lived there. The King 
 was a man of peace and very great wisdom, and he 
 had a wife and four beautiful children whom his 
 enemies, the Children of Darkness, sacrificed to 
 the Devil-tree while he was away in a distant part 
 of the kingdom. He had a great fleet and could 
 have punished the Children of Darkness." 
 
 The old crone ceased speaking, and seemed 
 lost in deep study. Finally Carino roused her by 
 asking : 
 
 "Did Mellenda do nothing for revenge!" 
 
 " No ; he went away, but he promised he would 
 come back again, and he will. Not long after his 
 departure came the great sinking of the waters, 
 and the lake of Parima has disappeared into 
 another region of our country. For centuries after 
 
THE MOUNTAIN OF GOLD 217 
 
 this the surrounding land was but a chaos of swamp 
 and mud. By degrees vegetation grew up, and in 
 time the trees became the thick tangled forest that 
 cannot now be penetrated." 
 
 "Did this Mellenda take with him all the gold 
 and silver ? ' ' asked a Cavalier, intent upon finding 
 something worth carrying away. 
 
 "In the city on top of the mountain is kept a 
 full suit of his gold armor, bright and ready, wait- 
 ing to receive him." 
 
 "We will get it and take it home with us," 
 said the Spaniards, now all eagerness. 
 
 "We, of Mellenda 's race, firmly believe that 
 he will come again, and none of us would dare 
 touch any of his belongings," said the crone, 
 earnestly. 
 
 "You need not touch it," began one of the 
 Cavaliers. "We will bring it down the trail our- 
 selves. ' ' 
 
 "There is no trail up the sides of Roraima. 
 The entrance to its hidden passageway is guarded 
 by a giant Devil-tree. ' ' 
 
 ' * Did you ever see this Devil-tree ? ' ' asked her 
 visitors. 
 
 ' * Yes ; a few years ago, I took my two pumas 
 and went to the cave for a certain purpose. As we 
 stood looking at the monstrous thing one of its 
 long, horny branches crept toward us, and one 
 of the pumas sprang forward to bite it. Instantly 
 it curled around the body of the poor creature, 
 dragging it until they came to the trunk of the 
 
218 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 tree. Here shorter and thicker limbs knotted 
 together over the struggling puma, and finally all 
 rose in the air and almost disappeared in the 
 hollow trunk." 
 
 "Did you make no effort to rescue your pet I ' ' 
 
 "I hacked the first branch with an axe until it 
 bled a dark, crimson liquid that smelled so badly 
 I was deathly sick. Every inch of the bark 
 is covered with small mouths that pierce the flesh 
 and suck the blood of its victims. I kept watch 
 until the moon came out, and then the knots of limbs 
 unrolled and out fell something. Each branch 
 tossed it before it reached the ground, when I saw 
 it was the crushed and lifeless puma. Out of a 
 slimy pool near by rushed huge alligators, and in 
 a few minutes they were eating what the Devil-tree 
 left of the puma." 
 
 "Let us go away from here/' said the Span- 
 iards among themselves. "Instead of being an 
 earthly paradise, this is an infernal region." 
 
 When they were bidding the old crone good- 
 bye the next morning, she looked at them sharply 
 and said: 
 
 "You came here searching for gold, and 
 expected to find it ready for your use. My friends, 
 the great blessings of life must be worked for and 
 earned. You cannot cheat your way into Heaven, 
 nor will you or your people ever find any more 
 hidden treasures belonging to other races. You 
 will earn all the fortunes you get after this 
 adventure. ' ' 
 
The Amazon Queens 
 
 should all get very tired I am 
 sure if we tried to follow the 
 Spaniards into every nook and 
 corner of the New World where they 
 went in search of El Dorado, but we are 
 interested in knowing that the name 
 Costa Rica means the rich coast, because 
 it was one of the El Dorado regions, and in 
 Panama, the little narrow strip of land which 
 unites North and South America, they expected 
 to find a Castle of Gold, while the Island of 
 Porto Rico is also one of the homes of El 
 Dorado. It made no difference to the Spaniards 
 whether the natives in these places had 
 heard of the Golden Hearted or not. They only 
 wanted to find the riches of the country, and would 
 not have listened to any teaching other than 
 that brought by the padres. So for years and 
 years they kept on making mistakes and under- 
 going the most terrible hardships trying to acquire 
 sudden wealth. 
 
220 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 One of the stories that is very queer was that 
 about the Amazon Queens. Columbus wrote of 
 them, and this is what he said: 
 
 "On the first island discovered on the voyage 
 from Spain to the Indies, no men are allowed to 
 live. The female warriors do not follow any 
 womanly occupations, but use bows and arrows of 
 cane, and cover as well as arm themselves with 
 brazen plates, of which they have many." 
 
 He says nothing of their having great wealth, 
 but Cortez also heard of them, and wrote to the 
 King of Spain that the island was ten days dis- 
 tance from a province in Mexico, and that many 
 persons had gone there and seen the women war- 
 riors. He concludes his letter by saying: 
 
 1 i I am told that these fighting women are rich 
 in pearls and gold." 
 
 This news was quite enough to start the Span- 
 iards on a search for the island, and, as usual, the 
 Indians gave them much contradictory informa- 
 tion about its location. Some said it was north 
 and some said it was south, so exploring parties 
 were sent in both directions. A man by the name 
 of Guzman came up into Mexico as far north as 
 Sinaloa, looking for this wonderful island, and his 
 march was one of devastation and murder. He not 
 only compelled the Indians to accompany him as 
 slaves to do all the drudgery, but tortured such 
 chiefs as he thought had gold, and in many cases 
 killed them because they either did not give it to 
 him quickly enough, or in as large quantities as 
 
THE AMAZON QUEENS 221 
 
 he wanted. The farther north he went the poorer 
 the natives were. 
 
 Instead of a rich island inhabited by soldierly 
 women," he exclaimed, in disgust, "I find a few 
 insignificant villages occupied by women and 
 children, because the men have all fled to the moun- 
 tains. In the whole country there is not a trace of 
 gold, pearls or treasures of any kind." 
 
 Along the way he found very scant supplies 
 of gold, and this made him furious, for he returned 
 to the city of Mexico poorer than when he left it. 
 
 Pizarro and his followers in Peru heard of the 
 Amazon Queens, and so did Sir Walter Raleigh 
 and the German adventurers, but their country 
 was said to be along the banks of a very wide river 
 in South America. The Indians called them the 
 Great Ladies, and the river has since been named 
 the Amazon in their honor. 
 
 1 ' If the Great Ladies do not invite you to visit 
 them, it is a very dangerous thing to attempt," 
 said the Indian guides to Orellanna, the man who 
 discovered the Amazon river, and was the first to 
 sajl its entire length. 
 
 "Why do you say that!" asked Orellana. 
 
 "Because they are tall, strong-limbed and fair, 
 and are great fighters. They wind their long hair 
 across their foreheads in thick bands, and defend 
 themselves well." 
 
 "What kind of weapons do they use?" queried 
 the Spanish soldiers, when they could stop laugh- 
 ing at the Indians for being afraid of a lot of 
 women. 
 
222 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "They shoot with blow-pipes, bows and 
 arrows, and have a war-club that they wield with 
 great vigor," answered the Indians, with serious 
 faces. 
 
 "Are they always so hostile to men!" 
 
 "Only the grandfathers of this generation 
 have seen them, and none save the Kings of the 
 Borderers ever venture near their habitation." 
 
 ' ' How are the Kings of the Borderers received 
 by these strange women!" 
 
 "They meet them at the frontier of their 
 possessions with bows and arrows in their hands, 
 but after an exchange of pledges the Great Ladies 
 invite the men to come and feast and dance with 
 them. Sometimes they stay a month, and then the 
 Queens escort them to the edge of their land, and 
 send them home loaded with presents." 
 
 "What kind of presents do they give!" asked 
 the Spaniards, suddenly taking a great interest in 
 what was being said. 
 
 "There are gold ornaments in plenty, and 
 emeralds and pearls, besides the grains of gold 
 carried in eagle quills. ' ' 
 
 "We will capture these Great Ladies," inter- 
 rupted the Spaniards, excitedly. "We will teach 
 them their proper places when we get hold of them. 
 Why do you Indians allow them to live in such a 
 er?" 
 
 Our forefathers have taught us to hold them 
 in great veneration, because they live in a Mansion 
 of the Sun. Long years ago they were Virgins of 
 
THE AMAZON QUEENS 223 
 
 the Sun, but in the wars between the different 
 tribes they were allowed to separate from the rest 
 and live in a community by themselves. ' ' 
 
 "Do they build houses?" 
 
 ' i They have temples, and keep the sacred fires 
 burning on the altars, as was done in olden times. ' ' 
 
 "Who rules them, and what do they do with 
 their boy babies?" 
 
 "They select their own queen, and the boy bab- 
 ies are given to the Kings of the Borderers ; they 
 only keep girl babies in their tribe, and when they 
 grow up they become either warriors or priestesses. 
 
 "How do they support themselves?" 
 
 "By hunting, fishing, weaving cloth and 
 trading with their neighbors." 
 
 "Where do they get their riches!" 
 
 "From the mountains of Parima, where they 
 have secret storehouses filled with treasures they 
 have been hoarding for ages." 
 
 This pleased the Spaniards very much, and 
 quite decided them to make a raid upon that 
 country. Even after they had talked the matter 
 over fully among themselves they recalled the 
 Indians and questioned them still further. 
 
 "Would you be afraid to undertake to fight 
 these strange women ? ' ' they asked, when they saw 
 that the guides were unwilling to accompany them. 
 
 "No, we are not afraid, but we are enjoined 
 to let them alone. None of us would ever think of 
 disturbing them. They are very fierce, and will 
 kill any man that they do not like." 
 
A FLOWER OFFERING 
 
THE AMAZON QUEENS 225 
 
 "But you could easily conquer women war- 
 riors," urged the Spaniards, now eager to com- 
 mence the journey. 
 
 i 'It would not be so easily done as you imag- 
 ine," said the guides, shaking their heads doubt- 
 fully. "The Great Ladies wear thick shields and 
 cover their clothes with metal discs which turn 
 away an arrow point." 
 
 "We can easily overcome that protection with 
 our guns, and we are not commanded to respect 
 them," replied the Spaniards. 
 
 "You will lind that they have deep under- 
 ground retreats to which they fly in times of 
 danger, and they are known to be excellent shots." 
 
 Just then a party of prospectors returned 
 from the mountains where they had been looking 
 for gold. Among the things they brought was a 
 number of thin, flat green stones with holes pierced 
 in each end, showing that they had been used for 
 ornaments. The Indian guides said at once they 
 were the same kind of emerald as that worn by the 
 Amazon Queens for an amulet against disease. 
 
 "How did you succeed in getting them ?" they 
 asked. 
 
 "From some Indian pedlars we met with 
 packs on their backs. They said the stones would 
 cure the spleen, and we have been wearing them 
 ever since." 
 
 "Did you have any difficulty in persuading 
 the pedlars to part with them?" 
 
 " No ; they said they got them from a tribe of 
 
226 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 women warriors many leagues to the south, but we 
 did not believe them." 
 
 "It is all true/' said the guides, "and these 
 Great Ladies have been in that land a very long 
 time. ' ' 
 
 "If we can find enough of these spleen stones 
 to make our trip profitable we do not care whether 
 we meet the Great Ladies or not," said the pros- 
 pectors, when told of the proposed trip in search 
 of the Amazon Queens. 
 
 As the party pushed forward into the tangled 
 thickets, they found cocoanuts, and plantains, ripe 
 and ready to eat, and they also found some very 
 juicy little canteloupes growing on a vine, but 
 none of the Indians living on, or near the Amazon 
 river, could tell them where to find the Queens. 
 They searched up and down the banks for a hidden 
 passageway which was said to guard the entrance 
 to their mountain home, but to all questions the 
 river made no answer. To the disappointed Span- 
 iards it looked angry, sullen and relentless in the 
 untamed might of its turbid waters. 
 
 "It seems to be always summer here," said 
 the weary soldiers, "but one would die of malarial 
 poisoning if compelled to stay long." 
 
 Some of the guides felt sorry for the sick men, 
 and went into the woods and brought them sarsapa- 
 rilla bark, and made them a tea of it. 
 
 "Drink this," they said, "because it will cure 
 your sickness which comes from the head. If 
 your heart was strong with love for your brothers 
 
THE AMAZON QUEENS 
 
 227 
 
 you would find blessings in this land. As it is 
 you seek to plunder and rob the Great Ladies, but 
 the Sun is their father, and he will make the 
 mountains, trees and rocks hide them and their 
 treasures." 
 
 "It is no use to look for these women any 
 longer. We shall all die before we can reach 
 them," said the leader, wearily. 
 
 And no one to this day knows just where the 
 Amazon Queens lived. 
 
The Seven Cities of Cibola 
 
 Nahuas in Mexico were really a 
 sect of wise men descended from 
 those that came with the Golden 
 Hearted. They believed that they originated in 
 Seven Caves, which were not locations at all, 
 but was only a way of saying that human 
 beings have seven wonderful qualities. They 
 might have thought so because we can see, 
 feel, taste, hear and smell, and have instinct 
 and are able to reason, or it may have been 
 something else. At any rate, it did not mean actual 
 caves, but was a symbol. In later times when 
 people were not so wise, they said it was seven 
 tribes instead of caves, and when the Spaniards 
 heard about it they managed to twist it into seven 
 cities, and immediately conceived the idea that 
 great riches and gold could be found in them. 
 When questioned on the subject the Indians said: 
 
THE SEVEN CITIES OE CIBOLA 229 
 
 "To the far north there are seven wonderful 
 cities where the people make arrow-heads of emer- 
 alds and take the sweat off their bodies with 
 scrapers of pure gold, and have jeweled gates, and 
 turquoise ornaments over their doors." 
 
 "Do these men know how to work precious 
 stones and metals?" asked the Spaniards eagerly. 
 
 "There are long streets filled with jewelers 
 who maks rings for the ears, nose and arms," they 
 said. "Forty days must you journey to reach this 
 land, and you must travel through a desert where 
 there is neither water nor food to be had." 
 
 The first Spaniard to attempt the search for 
 the Seven Cities was the cruel Guzman, who looked 
 north for the Amazons. He had with him quite an 
 army, and his men were so excited over the stories 
 they heard that they scarcely took time to eat or 
 sleep on the way. They hoped every day to find 
 the cities, but instead of this the country grew more 
 desolate, the road more difficult, and the cities still 
 farther to the north. Then the Spaniards began 
 to complain, and said : 
 
 "We have been deceived, and shall all die in 
 this bleak land. Let us return to Mexico." And 
 they did. For six years no one had the courage to 
 seek the Seven Cities. 
 
 Then something very strange happened. 
 
 Into a little seaport where Cortez had ordered 
 some ships built to explore the western coast, came 
 wandering four strange men. They were bare- 
 footed, and had no clothing except some old, dirty 
 
230 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 skins with the hair worn off in spots. Their heads 
 were a perfect mass of tangles, and their beards 
 reached almost to the knees. Falling flat on their 
 faces before the first white man they saw, they cried 
 out in a loud voice : 
 
 "Thank God! We are safe at last!" When 
 the astonished Spaniard turned to look at them, 
 they seized his hands and kissed them, and spring- 
 ing to their feet danced and shouted for joy. 
 
 * * These are escaped maniacs, ' ' said the people, 
 gathering around to look at them. "Whatever 
 shall we do with mad men?" 
 
 "No, no! You do not understand. We are 
 poor wanderers who have been lost for years among 
 the Indians." 
 
 "Let us take them to our Captain. There is 
 something very strange about this," said the 
 Spaniards, and they started at once. 
 
 "Wlio are you!" asked the Captain, rudely, 
 looking with disgust at their dirt and rags. 
 
 "I am a noble of Castile who came to help 
 conquer Florida, and my name is De Vaca," said 
 the oldest man. "The fleet was wrecked and all 
 were lost except my companions here, and me. 
 All the years since we have been with the Indians." 
 
 "I do not believe a word of it," said the 
 Captain. "Put these fellows in prison until we 
 find out about them. They may be criminals. ' ' 
 
 For three months they lay in prison, and then 
 the Alcalde came and released them. 
 
 "Tell me your story," he said. 
 
THE SEVEN CITIES OF CIBOLA 231 
 
 i i When the ships were lost," responded De 
 Vaca, "we swam to the mainland, and were cap- 
 tured by the Indians. They were a poor, starved 
 tribe who lived on roots and berries, and often 
 went days without a mouthful. We had with us 
 a rattle, and this, with our beards, made them 
 think we came from Heaven, and were great medi- 
 cine men. They fell on their faces before us and 
 gave us all they had. We asked them to take 
 us where the sun sets, but they refused, and we 
 pretended to be very angry, until they finally let 
 us go. After months of wandering we came to 
 a land of plenty, where the people were wealthy, 
 and wore beautiful plumes in their head-dresses. 
 They brought us five emeralds cut into arrow- 
 heads, and many fine turquoises, and beads made 
 of coral. When I asked where they got these 
 stones, they pointed to some lofty mountains 
 toward the north and told us the gems came from 
 there, and that near them were large cities, with 
 houses three or four stories high. I did not go 
 there because I heard that toward the sunset were 
 other men of my kind, and I longed once more to 
 look upon the face of a Spaniard. " 
 
 "Of course," said the people, as they talked 
 the matter over, * ' these are the same cities Guzman 
 tried to find. He did not go in the right direc- 
 tion, but we know where they are, ' ' and many were 
 eager to set out at once. But the Viceroy was a 
 quiet and careful man. 
 
 "There have been many lives lost already," 
 
232 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 he said, "and it will be best not to hurry. I shall 
 not send an army there until I am sure. ' ' 
 
 Then he thought of a padre, named Fray 
 Marcos, who had lived much among the Indians of 
 the north, and he sent for him, and said: 
 
 "Perhaps there lies to the north as rich a 
 nation as Mexico or Peru. If so it must be con- 
 quered for the Church and the King of Spain. 
 You know how to speak to the Indians, and it 
 might be that they would let you come among them 
 and learn the truth. Will you undertake to do so ? " 
 
 "God giving me strength I will," said Fray 
 Marcos, with enthusiasm. 
 
 "Very well. The negro Stephen, who was 
 with De Vaca is here, and is willing to be your 
 guide. If you come to any great city do not send 
 back word, but return yourself and tell me about 
 it. Make all your plans and set out as soon as 
 possible." 
 
 Fray Marcos did as he was told, but it was 
 several months before anything was heard of him. 
 One day a traveler, in a monk's gown, came walk- 
 ing into the same seaport that De Vaca had visited. 
 
 "It is Fray Marcos, who went in search of 
 the Seven Cities! Did you find them! Are they 
 full of wealth? Where is the negro Stephen?" 
 
 Fray Marcos would not answer their questions. 
 
 "I have much to tell, but my news is for the 
 Viceroy himself," said the padre, and he started 
 for the city of Mexico. When there he said to the 
 Viceroy : 
 
THE SEVEN CITIES OF CIBOLA '233 
 
 "The Indians came out to meet and welcome 
 me everywhere. They had food ready for me, 
 and where there were no houses, they built bowers 
 of trees and flowers that I might rest safe from the 
 sun. I spent four days journeying through a 
 desert, and then I found some Indians who mar- 
 veled much to see me. They thought, because I 
 was white and wore a gown, that I must have come 
 from Heaven. I asked them if they knew of any 
 great kingdom where there were seven large cities, 
 and they told me that farther on were high moun- 
 tains with wide plains at the foot where the people 
 lived in cities and clothed themselves in cotton. 
 I sent Stephen ahead three-score leagues, and 
 charged him to send back Indians to bring me 
 news of his success. If the country was poor and 
 mean, he was to send me a cross no longer than my 
 hand; if it were a goodly place the cross was to 
 be two lengths of a hand, and if he found what he 
 sought he was to send me a large cross. In four 
 days a messenger came from Stephen bearing a 
 cross as high as a man. He brought news of a 
 mighty province called Cibola, thirty days journey 
 northward from the town where Stephen was. In 
 this province there are seven great cities governed 
 by one Prince." 
 
 "You should have followed at once to make 
 sure that all these things were true," said the 
 Viceroy, now very much interested. 
 
 i i I did, ' ' responded Fray Marcos. i ' Each day 
 messengers came to me carrying large crosses and 
 
234 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 giving more particulars concerning Cibola. 
 Finally I entered a valley where there were many 
 people, and all of them had turquoises hanging 
 from their noses, and ears, and collars of the same 
 three or four times double around their necks. 
 Then I had to go through another desert, and was 
 beginning to get very tired when one day there 
 came running to me, an Indian in great fright 
 his body covered with sweat and dust, and his face 
 showing extreme sadness. He said that the day 
 before Stephen had reached Cibola, and had sent 
 guides into the city with presents for the chief, 
 and to let them know he came in peace. But the 
 great Lord of the City flew into a rage and dashed 
 the presents to the ground. He drove the mes- 
 sengers out in fury, and said he would kill them 
 if they came back again. He said, too, that he 
 would kill Stephen. But the negro was not afraid, 
 and went directly into the city. Instantly they 
 were seized and cast into a prison, where they were 
 kept all night without anything to eat or drink. 
 The next morning Stephen and his guides tried to 
 escape, but the people killed all of them except one 
 other and the messenger who came to me. These 
 two were struck down and left for dead, but were 
 only stunned, and when the angry people went 
 away they crept out in the night, and made their 
 escape. ' ' 
 
 "What did you do then, Fray Marcos?" asked 
 the Viceroy. 
 
 "So great was my grief that it seemed for a 
 
236 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 moment as if I should die, but when my guides 
 began to weep and lament I gave them the presents 
 T intended for the Lord of Cibola, and resolved 
 to go and see the city, even if I could not enter 
 it. I traveled one day and came to a round hill, 
 which 1 climbed. Looking down I saw the beauti- 
 ful city of Cibola." 
 
 i ' And the houses, were they as the Indians told 
 you?" 
 
 "Yes, my lord; they were built of stone four 
 stories high, and glistened in the bright sunshine. 
 The people were fair and dressed in white. Greatly 
 was I tempted to risk my life and go down to them, 
 but I contented myself with planting a cross and 
 hurrying here to tell you what I had done." 
 
 "That was right, Fray Marcos," said the 
 Viceroy, ' l and now it is time to send an army. ' ' 
 
 The first person the Viceroy thought of to 
 lead the soldiers was a brave nobleman, named 
 Ooronado, who sat by his side. He had been listen- 
 ing eagerly to all that Fray Marcos had to tell. 
 Turning to him the Viceroy said: 
 
 "It is my wish that you should command my 
 forces and conquer this Kingdom of Cibola. I 
 desire you to make ready at once." 
 
 "Fray Marcos simply confirms what Guzman 
 and De Vaca have already told us," replied Coro- 
 nado, "and I accept your commission with one 
 proviso. ' ' 
 
 "And what may that be?" asked the Viceroy, 
 with a smile. 
 
THE SEVEN CITIES OF CIBOLA 237 
 
 1 ' That you allow me to bear the expenses of the 
 entire expedition." 
 
 ''Very well, and when you find Cibola I will 
 make you its governor and give you all the 
 treasures you find except what justly belongs to 
 the King of Spain, and his representatives and 
 soldiers taking part in the enterprise." 
 
 So great was the excitement over Fray Marcos ' 
 story of the new El Dorado, that Coronado scarcely 
 knew what to do with the volunteers of all classes 
 who came flocking into camp determined to go 
 with him. He not only spent all his own money, 
 but borrowed all he could get and provided for 
 every one in splendid style. They marched out in 
 glittering armor, -on prancing horses with lances 
 gleaming in the sunshine and banners flying gayly. 
 They were all in high spirits because they expected 
 to return in a short time loaded with gold and 
 jewels. 
 
 But it was very different when they reached 
 the desert and mountains, for they did not know 
 how to bear the fatigue of such a journey, nor how 
 to care for their horses, cattle and sheep. The 
 animals died rapidly, and the soldiers got into 
 many fights with the Indians who resented being 
 robbed and badly treated. On they went through 
 what we now call Arizona, over almost the same 
 road that Fray Marcos had traveled, and found, 
 instead of the fine, glittering city they expected, 
 only a few houses of one of the Zuni Indian 
 villages. 
 
238 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 The hearts of the Spaniards sunk as they gazed 
 upon it. Calling some of the men, Coronado said : 
 
 "Go in to the people of the city, and say 
 that we come to defend and join with them in 
 friendship. ' ' 
 
 They went and delivered Coronado 's greeting, 
 but were received with scorn. 
 
 "We did riot ask you to come, and your chief 
 had no right to send you. This is our land, and we 
 can defend it. If you attempt to stay here we will 
 kill every one of you. " Even as the soldiers, 
 carrying the message, turned to go away the people 
 of Cibola began firing arrows at them. Coronado 
 quickly gave the command to attack, which the 
 Indians answered by a shower of arrows and stones 
 which they sent down from their high-walled 
 houses. They seemed bent upon killing Coronado ; 
 twice they felled him to the ground, but he recov- 
 ered and led the charge with an arrow sticking 
 through his foot. 
 
 "Santiago! and at them!" he shouted, as he 
 rode forward in the last assault. 
 
 "Santiago," echoed his soldiers, close at his 
 heels. When the Indians saw the horses coming 
 at full speed into their village, they threw down 
 their bows and arrows, and fled in every direction. 
 
 Then the Spaniards almost cried with anger 
 and disappointment. The houses were really made 
 of stone, but there were no jewels, no gold, no 
 treasures of any kind nothing, in fact, but a poor, 
 miserable Indian pueblo, or village, built upon a 
 
THE SEVEN CITIES OF CIBOLA 239 
 
 high ledge of rocks, miles away from the fields of 
 corn, beans and squashes, upon which they lived. 
 All the Indians in that part of the United States 
 built their houses in pueblos, or villages, but not 
 one of them had any treasures. They irrigated the 
 dry, sandy soil and tilled their fields, and were a 
 simple, kindly people, until the greedy Spanish 
 soldiers drove them into rebellion which has left 
 their country bare and desolate, even to this day. 
 
 FRAY MARCOS" 
 
The Kingdom of Quivera 
 
 HE air was full of the chill and 
 blast of winter, and with the first 
 snow-flakes great discontent broke 
 out in camp, and Coronado real- 
 ized that he must find a place to 
 make his men more comfortable. 
 
 " There are ten big community houses on top 
 of that spider-shaped rock," he said, one morning 
 to a squad of soldiers who had been drilling on 
 parade ground, "and I want possession of it for 
 the troops. Some one must go ahead first and 
 report the situation." 
 
 ''The rock is so high that our bullets scarcely 
 reach to the top, ' ' said the scout, who had galloped 
 over to the pueblo to spy out a way of doing what 
 Coronado commanded. "But there are four wind- 
 ing paths leading up the sides, and we can ascend 
 in single file." 
 
 "Have you tried it!" asked Coronado. 
 
THE KINGDOM OF QUIVEEA 241 
 
 ' ' Yes, and found it quite an easy task. I spent 
 last night there, and as the rays of the sun took 
 leave of the lofty Sierras, I felt forsaken, and as 
 if I were about to float away into the darkness." 
 
 "Did the Indians suspect your purpose in 
 coming ? ' ' 
 
 "Certainly not, and all my gloomy feelings 
 passed away as soon as the fires began to blaze on 
 the roofs at different heights of the same building. 
 Inside the houses laughing voices greeted me, and 
 I was glad to be the guest of such simple people." 
 
 "Do you think we would be safe from attacks 
 and surprises at night!" 
 
 "Perfectly. And when once up there it would 
 be almost impossible to come down at night. The 
 narrow paths are really unsafe except in daylight." 
 
 It was not long until the Spaniards had for- 
 cible possession of the village, and during the long, 
 dreary winter months they went about in rusty hel- 
 mets, battered cuirasses, ragged doublets and worn- 
 out boots, while the Indians wrapped themselves 
 in thick coverings made of rabbit skins. Every 
 morning the bell called them to mass, and then the 
 criers went up and down announcing the day's duty 
 to every one in the camp. On the plains below was 
 heard the neighing of horses, the lowing of cattle 
 and the bleating of sheep. 
 
 In the pueblos near by the Indians danced, 
 and gathered around the fires to listen to the old 
 men's stories of their past, and as the winter drew 
 to a close the Spaniards were no longer homesick 
 
242 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 and despondent, but ready and willing to test the 
 truth of some of the things the Indians had told 
 them of the Wrathy Chieftain and the Kingdom of 
 Quivera. 
 
 At Pecos the scouts were received with music 
 and presents of cotton cloth and handfuls of tur- 
 quoises, because the inhabitants were not sure but 
 that the white men came from the sun, and were 
 sent by the Golden Hearted, whom they revered 
 and honored as the Wrathy Chieftain. 
 
 In this village they met a strange-looking 
 Indian. 
 
 We will name this fellow the "Turk, " because 
 he looks so like one, and find out, if we can, where 
 he lives. "May be his people have gold," said 
 the soldiers, as soon as they arrived at Pecos. 
 
 "My home is very far to the east," said the 
 Turk, when questioned, "and we have plenty of 
 gold." 
 
 "What is the name of your country!" 
 
 "Quivera, and my king's name is Tatarax. 
 He wears a long beard, and worships a golden cross 
 and an image of the Queen of Heaven." 
 
 Had the Spaniards been at all cautious and 
 shrewd they would have taken pains to find out 
 how true this statement was, but they were so 
 tired of being in camp, that they were glad of an 
 opportunity to go on another expedition in search 
 of an El Dorado, which they always hoped to 
 find. 
 
 "The chiefs of the Pecos have taken a gold 
 
THE KINGDOM OF QUIVERA 243 
 
 arm band of mine, " said the Turk, wishing to make 
 trouble between them and the Spaniards. "No 
 matter what I say to them, they will not give it 
 back to me. 7 ' 
 
 He described the band as being so wide and 
 heavy that Coronado was induced to seize the 
 chiefs and carry them off to another pueblo in the 
 hope of compelling the Pecos Indians to pay a 
 big ransom for them. Ln addition the Spaniards 
 demanded cotton clothes and provisions for their 
 journey. The Indians refused, and fought two 
 weeks before Coronado became satisfied that the 
 Turk never had such a thing as an arm band, and 
 that there was no gold in the village. 
 
 "It is no use to waste time looking for 
 treasures in this part of the world," he finally told 
 his men, and they immediately began to question 
 the Turk. 
 
 "I know a country," he declared, "where 
 there is a very wide river that has fish in it as big 
 as a horse. The people tip their canoes with gold, 
 and sometimes there are forty rowers in a boat. 
 Every vessel they use is made of gold and silver." 
 
 All the time he was talking he watched the 
 faces of the soldiers with keen craftiness, and when 
 he saw how delighted they were, he made the story 
 just as big as he could. 
 
 "There are plenty of such places," he said, 
 with a toss of his head, ' ' but my country of Quivera 
 is the most important of them all, and I will take 
 you there first." 
 
2-14 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 When any one gets lost on the plains where 
 there are no hills or trees to mark the way, they 
 wander around in a circle, and finally get into a 
 perfect frenzy by coming back to the same place 
 over and over again. 
 
 This was what happened to the Spaniards 
 under Coronado. They returned in a wide bend 
 to Pecos, after marching for months on the desolate 
 plains. 
 
 "Led around in a circle/' he said, "as if by 
 some evil spirit. Everywhere we went we found 
 ourselves surrounded by herds of misshapen, 
 crinkly-wooled cows. Some of them had calves, 
 and the bulls had beards of sunburnt hair. Our 
 horses took fright and ran away, while some of 
 them plunged and threw their riders over their 
 heads." 
 
 "Were these woolly cows ferocious?" asked 
 the good padre, who had remained at Pecos to 
 teach the Indians, and had never seen a buffalo. 
 
 "They are very terrible when they stampede. 
 If they catch sight of a white man, they lower their 
 heads and with a quick, short bellow set off at full 
 tilt in a heavy, rolling gallop. On they come, like 
 a mad rush of waters, tails high in the air and 
 their big eyes gleaming with fright. We had much 
 ado to keep out of their way, for they would run 
 over and trample all to death. ' ' 
 
 "No wonder your horses ran away," said 
 the padre. "It was quite enough to frighten 
 anything. ' ' 
 
THE KINGDOM OF QUIVERA 245 
 
 "Finally we met some of the people who go 
 around the country with the cows. They make 
 tents of the hides and wear them for blankets, and 
 keep huge dogs to carry their food and baggage. 
 They were friendly to us, but knew nothing of 
 Quivera and its treasures." 
 
 But the feeling of helplessness and desolation 
 of the plains gradually left the Spaniards, and then 
 they were ready to follow the Turk's lead again. 
 This time they got lost in the desert, and many of 
 them wandered off and died from thirst, and their 
 bodies were eaten by wolves and coyotes. They 
 kept going round and round in a circle until their 
 tongues hung out of their mouths and they were 
 delirious. In the hot, quivering air they imagined 
 they saw cities, and lakes and springs of water, 
 and they laughed and cried, and sung and danced 
 in a raging fever. At last they began to suspect 
 the Turk. 
 
 "He is purposely leading us astray," they 
 said. "He is trying to lose us on these desolate 
 plains where we will starve to death. He intends 
 to desert and leave us here. ' ' 
 
 They put the Turk in chains, and then he con- 
 fessed that he had never seen the big stone houses 
 he said were in Quivera, but stoutly insisted that 
 the country was rich in gold and silver. 
 
 The Prairie Indians begged Coronado to turn 
 back. 
 
 "The land of Quivera is forty days' journey 
 toward the north they said, "and you will 
 
24(J THE STORIES OF EL DOKADO 
 
 suffer from hunger long before you reach other- 
 tribes." 
 
 But Coronado had spent all his money and was 
 in debt deeply, so he determined to take twenty-nine 
 picked horsemen and go forward. Leaving the 
 rest of the company to find their way back to Pecos, 
 he engaged some new guides among the Prairie 
 Indians and pushed on determined to find Quivera. 
 They rode directly north until they came to a place 
 in Kansas near where the city of Leavenworth is 
 now located. 
 
 In the meantime the Pecos Indians went on 
 the warpath and refused to receive or aid the 
 Spaniards who left Coronado arid went back to 
 them. He found them encamped before the pueblo 
 when he returned months after, weary, empty- 
 handed, and disappointed. 
 
 "I have found Quivera and explored it well," 
 he said, "but it has no permanent settlement, and 
 no gold and silver. I was expecting to see houses 
 several stories high, made of stone. Instead of that 
 they are simple huts and the inhabitants are per- 
 fectly savage." 
 
 The Turk tried to secure his freedom by saying 
 that the Pecos Indians had hired him to lose the 
 Spaniards on the plains, but no one paid any atten- 
 tion to him. In revenge he said to the people of 
 Quivera : 
 
 "Do not let one of these white men escape 
 alive. They will bring others of their kind and 
 
THE KINGDOM OF QUIVERA 247 
 
 rob you of all your possessions and ill treat your 
 women and children. They have already killed 
 many of the Pecos. ' ' 
 
 Son e one told Coronado what was being said, 
 and he ordered his soldiers to take the Turk out 
 and hang him to the first tree they found, which 
 they did. 
 
 Coronado spoke the truth about Quivera, but 
 even the men who went with him believed that 
 there was a land near by where they would find 
 great riches, and they kept repeating all the stories 
 about El Dorado until Coronado was obliged to 
 promise them that he would make another effort 
 to find it. 
 
 "If we go north again we can be certain of 
 good food for the soil is the best that can be found 
 for all kinds of crops. In Quivera we were given 
 plums, nuts, very fine grapes, mulberries and flax. 
 I really believe we shall make some important dis- 
 coveries very soon." 
 
 One day at Pecos after he had made friends 
 with the Indians, he was tilting with an officer in 
 his command when his saddle girth broke while 
 his horse was running at full speed. He fell on his 
 head and was run over and so badly hurt that for 
 days it w T as thought he would die. Before he got 
 well news came from Mexico that the Indians 
 behind him were on the warpath, and then he knew 
 he must retreat as quickly as possible. So instead 
 of going in quest of the roving band of Quivera 
 Indians, he was obliged to return to the city of 
 
248 THE STOEIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 Mexico. Here the Viceroy received him coldly and 
 upbraided him, saying: 
 
 "It is a source of keen disappointment and 
 regret to me, that you, my trusted friend and 
 favorite officer, should abandon the rich treasures 
 of the north. I wish you to go to your estate and 
 live in retirement for the remaining years of your 
 life. I will try to find some one more worthy of 
 my confidence for future work. " 
 
 Reduced to poverty, with many debts unpaid, 
 and disgraced by the Viceroy, the poor unfortunate 
 nobleman lived only a few years on his estate in 
 Mexico and died heartbroken over his failures. 
 
 Everybody in Mexico believed that he was mis- 
 taken, and several other expeditions set out to find 
 the Kingdom of Quivera. More than a century 
 afterward the legend settled around one of the 
 missions founded by the padres, and for years 
 people thought this was the Grand Quivera. Great 
 treasures were supposed to be buried there by the 
 missionaries when the insurrection of 1680 came. 
 That year all the Indians in the region of Arizona 
 and New Mexico organized a general uprising and 
 they not only killed all the whites they could find 
 but sacked and burned the missions. And that 
 is the last ever heard of the one known as the 
 Grand Quivera. No treasures were ever found in 
 or near its ruins. There are ten curious maps of 
 that time and each one locates the kingdom of 
 Quivera in a different place. One of them brings 
 
THE KINGDOM OF QUIVERA 249 
 
 it as far north as the Sacramento Valley in 
 California. 
 
 Really Quivera is a will-o'-the-wisp, and from 
 a roving band of Indians, has become a wandering 
 treasure city, and a land of vague and mysterious 
 proportions. 
 
 AN OLD COMMUNITY HOUSE 
 
The Land of Gold 
 
 i any of the boys and girls born 
 in the United States were asked 
 " Where is the land of gold?" 
 they would answer "It is Cali- 
 fornia," and if any of the children 
 born in California were asked 
 "What is El Dorado?" they would 
 say "Why, that means the land of 
 gold." 
 
 So it does and for two reasons. 
 Cortez named it California after the heroine of 
 a romance of chivalry he had read when he was in 
 Spain. The book said there was an island on the 
 right hand of the Indies very near the terrestrial 
 Paradise, peopled with black women, who were 
 Amazons, and wore gold ornaments in great pro- 
 fusion. Down in his heart Cortez cherished the 
 hope that he might find the northwest passage to 
 India, not because he cared very much for science, 
 but because he believed the most extravagant stories 
 about the silks, spices, sweet- smelling gums and 
 rare gems to be found there. His ill-gotten Mexican 
 
THE LAND OF GOLD 251 
 
 go]d did him very little good, and was soon all 
 expended, and he was anxious to find some other 
 country to conquer. The very next year after the 
 death of Montezuma, Cortez heard of the Land of 
 Gold, and came over to a cove on the Pacific Coast 
 of Mexico where he laid out a town and built some 
 ships for the purpose of finding the new wonder- 
 land. All he ever discovered was the peninsula of 
 Lower California, where the Indians already 
 knew about the pearl fisheries. This was what 
 he thought was an island, and what he named 
 California. 
 
 One of his officers sailed around the island 
 of St. Thomas, and on a Sunday morning he said 
 he saw a merman swimming close to his ship. 
 
 "It came alongside the vessel/ 7 he declared, 
 "and raised its head and looked at us two or 
 three times. It was as full of antics as a monkey. 
 Sometimes it would dive, and then raise up out of 
 the water and wash its face with its hands. Finally 
 a sea bird drove it away. 7 ' 
 
 Of course he was mistaken, for what he really 
 did see was either a walrus or a big seal as both 
 animals abound in the Pacific Ocean. 
 
 It was more than three hundred years after 
 Cabrillo sailed into the Gate of Palms at the 
 entrance to the bay of San Diego, before gold was 
 discovered in California. The country had been 
 settled by Spanish Cavaliers and padres and there 
 were missions for the teaching of the Indians. 
 Mexico had rebelled against the King of Spain and 
 
252 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 the United States had made war on Mexico and 
 won. Then a man by the name of Marshall found 
 some free gold. It was in the sand at the bottom 
 of a ditch he was digging to get water to run a 
 sawmill he was building. He knew at once that 
 the bright yellow pebbles he held in his hands were 
 gold, so he hurried to the men at work on the 
 watershed and said : 
 
 1 ' I have found it ! " and that is what the motto, 
 Eureka! on the state shield of California really 
 means. 
 
 "What is it you have found, Mr. Marshall? " 
 asked the men. 
 
 "Gold!" he exclaimed, excitedly. The men 
 threw down their tools and gathered about him to 
 examine the new find. 
 
 "No, no; you are mistaken," they said, when 
 they had turned the pebbles over, and held them 
 to the light, and hammered them with a stone. 
 
 "I am certain that it is," he stoutly main- 
 tained, but they only laughed at him. He paid no 
 attention to them but turned on the water the next 
 night. Then he picked up all the yellow lumps 
 he found in the sand, and putting them into a little 
 bag hastened to the man for whom he was building 
 the mill, and said: 
 
 "I have found gold at the sawmill, and want 
 you to come and see for yourself. ' ' 
 
 His employer tested and weighed the shining 
 mass carefully, and finally said: 
 
 "You are right. It is real gold. Go back to 
 
THE DISCOVERY OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY 
 
254 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 the mill, but say nothing until we get it finished. 
 If you do the men will quit work and we shall have 
 no one to take their places." 
 
 But the secret was too good to keep, and in 
 a few days the whole country raised the same 
 sordid cry of "gold, gold, gold," which had 
 brought the Spaniards to the coast. In less than a 
 year eighty thousand people came to California 
 looking for gold. From an independent republic, 
 California became a state and with its admission 
 into the Union the search for El Dorado passed 
 from Spanish into American hands. Both the 
 padres and Cavaliers in California as elsewhere 
 in the Americas enslaved the Indians in a system 
 of peonage which thinned out their ranks, and 
 led to many hostile outbreaks before they were 
 finally subdued. The gold seekers had to do some 
 of the fighting, but they did not rob and pillage 
 the country, nor were they allowed to be unnec- 
 essarily cruel. One of our great writers has said 
 of the Indian : 
 
 "The red man of America has something 
 peculiarly sensitive in his nature. He shrinks 
 instinctively from the rude touch of a foreign hand. 
 Like some of the dumb creatures he pines and dies 
 in captivity. If today we see them with their 
 energies broken we simply learn from that what a 
 terrible thing is slavery. In their faltering steps 
 and meek and melancholy aspect we read the sad 
 characteristics of a conquered race." 
 
 His faith in the traditions of his forefathers, 
 
THE LAND OF GOLD 255 
 
 the belief that the Golden Hearted would come 
 again to bring him all that his heart desired finally 
 enslaved and ruined him. 
 
 If we pity the Indian we must also feel sorry 
 for the miserable ending of all the Spanish leaders 
 who searched for El Dorado. Columbus spent the 
 last years of his life in prison ; Balboa, who dis- 
 covered the Pacific Ocean, was treacherously exe- 
 cuted and lies in an unknown grave near Panama; 
 Pizarro was assassinated and buried in Peru ; 
 Magellan was killed by the natives in the Philip- 
 pine Islands; Cortez was accused of strangling his 
 wife to death, and finally deprived of all honors 
 and wealth ; Guzman died in poverty and distress 
 while Coronado was said to be insane after his 
 return to Mexico. For the crime and violence done 
 by Spain in these expeditions she has not only lost 
 all the revenues, but no longer owns a foot of land 
 in any part of the new world. 
 
 Let us be thankful that the wisdom and liberty 
 of our own government has saved us from making 
 such terrible mistakes, and doing such grievous 
 wrongs in our attempts to find El Dorado. The 
 brave men and women who crossed the plains long 
 before we had a railroad were willing to work for 
 the riches they wanted. They did not come with 
 the idea of robbing anybody, and when they found 
 the gold they were generous and kind to less for- 
 tunate neighbors and friends. 
 
 "In this land of sunshine and flowers," they 
 said, "we find gold in the crops of the chickens we 
 
25f> THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 have for our Sunday dinners, and our children 
 buiJd doll-houses with the odd-shaped nuggets 
 given to them by the big-hearted miners." 
 
 It is hard to imagine the stirring times that 
 followed. Everybody had the gold fever, and in 
 crossing the plains they heard the name El Dorado 
 as soon as they came near where Ooronado had 
 been. Some of them made up a song about it, 
 which was for many years very popular among the 
 men in the mining camps. This is one verse of it: 
 
 We'll rock the cradle around Pike's Peak 
 In search of the gold dust that we seek, 
 The Indians ask us why we're here 
 We tell them we're born as free as the air, 
 
 And oh! 
 
 Boys ho ! 
 
 To the mountains we will go 
 For there is plenty of gold 
 Out West we are told 
 In the new El Dorado. 
 
 Many of the emigrants sickened and died on 
 the way; others were killed by the hostile Indians, 
 and all were subjected to a life of hardship and 
 toil, because they were the builders of a new com- 
 monwealth. Once in California they found many 
 trying situations, not the least of which was an 
 occasional fight with the huge grizzly bears that 
 roamed through the forests. Many times the men 
 were obliged to organize a hunt for the purpose 
 
THE LAXD OF GOLD 257 
 
 of ridding a district of a nest of grizzlies. Not 
 only would the bears fight ferociously, but they did 
 not hesitate to go into a corral and carry off calves, 
 hogs and sheep under the very eyes of the 
 owner. 
 
 "Never for a moment imagine that a grizzly 
 bear will run from you," said the leader of a 
 hunting party filling his powder horn and putting 
 a box of caps into his pocket. "Take good aim 
 at the center of his forehead. Otherwise one shot 
 will not kill him, and remember that he cannot 
 climb. If you get into close quarters, try to get 
 up a tree as fast as you can." 
 
 "We know his trail and we are going to send 
 our dogs in to start him out of his den. ' ' 
 
 "Unless your dogs know how to attack him it 
 is very unsafe to let them go near. One blow from 
 a grizzly's paw will kill any dog, and we cannot 
 afford to lose any of yours," said the leader, 
 doubtfully. 
 
 "My dogs know all about bear hunting. They 
 will keep well behind him, and after we have 
 crippled him, they will snap at his heels and worry 
 him so he cannot chase the last man who shoots 
 at him." 
 
 "Will a grizzly do that?" asked a man who 
 had never been in a bear hunt before. 
 
 ' * Indeed he will. If you watch closely you can 
 tell how many times he is hit for he will fall down, 
 roll over and slap himself wherever the bullet 
 strikes him." 
 
258 THE STORIES OF EL DOEADO 
 
 "I would not advise you to waste any time 
 trying to find out who fired the last shot, for the 
 bear will never make a mistake about it. He 
 knows, and is always after the last one." 
 
 "Separate into pairs," said the leader, when 
 he had finished examining the bear tracks in the 
 path they were following. "Take your stations 
 about a hundred yards apart, and when you hear 
 the grizzly coming, aim as I have already told you, 
 and then look out for trouble." 
 
 ' t Do you think we are likely to find him soon ? ' ' 
 asked the newcomer, nervously. 
 
 "He is in that thicket where the dogs are 
 keeping up such a loud barking. You will hear 
 him snapping and growling in a few minutes." 
 
 "The grass and underbrush are so high I am 
 afraid I will not be able to see him, " said the timid, 
 inexperienced hunter. 
 
 * ' You can tell by the way. the dogs bark when 
 he is coming, and you can easily hear the click of 
 his sharp claws before he gets too near for com- 
 fort," said the leader, with a smile. "Make sure 
 that the trigger of your gun is properly set, and 
 you will be all right. ' ' 
 
 He had stationed other men farther up the 
 ravine, and in a few minutes the dogs yelped 
 warningly, and the man at the upper station 
 shouted : 
 
 ' ' Look out ! here he comes ! ' ' 
 
 "Bang!" w^ent the gun, and then the dogs 
 rushed by in a solid pack with a huge she bear 
 at their heels. 
 
THE LAND OF GOLD 259 
 
 1 1 There are two of them, ' ' somebody said, and 
 in a moment everything was in the wildest 
 confusion. 
 
 "Man alive! don't you see that wounded 
 grizzly rolling in the grass. He is not badly hurt, 
 but he will be after you in a second. Give him 
 another dose, and run," said the leader excitedly, 
 to the new hunter who was standing stock still 
 and gazing around him helplessly. He did not 
 seem to hear what was said, and before he recovered 
 from his paralyzing fright, the bear grabbed 
 him. 
 
 "Help! help! help! For God's sake come 
 here ! I am being killed ! " he screamed. 
 
 "Lie perfectly still and pretend you are 
 dead," said the leader. "Make no sound when I 
 shoot, and crawl behind that big rock as soon as 
 you get up." 
 
 The knowing dogs barked and raged around 
 the bear until he could not tear the prostrate man. 
 They kept him turning round and round, and the 
 daring hunter coolly waited until his head was 
 away from the wounded man's, and then he shot 
 him through the fore leg. Down he fell and kicked 
 and scratched the fallen hunter, but true to his 
 instinct got up and gave chase to the leader, with 
 the dogs in full cry behind him. The wounded 
 man managed to reach the rock, and by scrambling 
 up on its jagged sides was comparatively safe. 
 From his height he could see what the other men 
 were doing. 
 
260 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 "I am all right," called the leader from a 
 neighboring tree, "but how is it with you?" 
 
 "My pow r der-horn is crushed and broken and 
 my arm is bitten through. There is blood running 
 down my face too, but I think that is only 
 scratches. ' ' 
 
 "Bang!" went a gun near by, and turning 
 to look both men saw one of the party standing 
 up in the saddle, on the horse brought along to 
 carry the game. 
 
 "Get out of that thicket! You will be killed 
 if you try to stay there," shouted the leader. 
 
 "My only chance is to shoot as I stand," 
 answered the man, busy loading his gun. "I can 
 not make this horse move. But for the Mexican 
 stiff-bit in his mouth and a vigorous use of my 
 big spurs he would lie down with me." 
 
 "I am coming to help you," said the leader, 
 sliding down the limb of the tree to the ground. 
 "I will ham-string the grizzly and then you can 
 finish him." 
 
 He was an excellent shot, and soon the bear 
 was dragging his hind quarters and showing signs 
 of weakness from loss of blood. The man in the 
 saddle deliberately aimed at his heart, and after 
 a few convulsive struggles the grizzly lay dead. 
 
 The barking of the dogs and the reports of 
 the guns brought the whole party together, and 
 after bandaging the wounds of their companion, 
 and sending him home on the horse the remaining 
 men went in search of the she bear. They had 
 
THE LAND OF GOLD 
 
 561 
 
 wounded her and it was not hard to track her to a 
 small stream, where they found her sitting on her 
 haunches and groaning like a human being. 
 
 "That sounds too much like a woman's 
 moans," said the men, "and we will slip away 
 without being seen and let her alone." 
 
 As they walked home they took turns in carry- 
 ing the skin of the grizzly they had killed. 
 
 "He would weigh two thousand pounds and 
 could jump fully twenty feet," they said. 
 
 A PRAIRIE-SCHOONER 
 
The New El Dorado 
 
 NE day long after the gold 
 excitement in California had 
 subsided, a strange craft sailed 
 into San Francisco bay flying a 
 flag different from any other 
 ship in the harbor. It was a 
 yellow satin banner showing 
 the imperial double eagles of 
 the Russian Czar, and the 
 guns at the forts fired a royal salute as the vessel 
 passed by on its way to the wharf. On board 
 was a man empowered by the Czar to sell Alaska 
 to the United States, and waiting on shore to greet 
 him was a Senator who was appointed to make 
 an offer for the territory. 
 
 1 1 You are very welcome, my friend, ' ' said the 
 Senator, grasping the hand of the Diplomat, as he 
 came ashore. "Your arrival gives my countrymen 
 much pleasure, and I earnestly hope that we may 
 be able to make the ties of friendship between your 
 people and mine very much stronger. ' ' 
 
 "His Majesty, the Czar, charged me to make 
 plain to you his sentiments of good will and his 
 desire to render your government a service.'' 
 
 The two men pushed their way through the 
 crowd and were soon being driven rapidly toward 
 the Senator 's residence. After dinner that evening, 
 while sitting by the fire the Diplomat said: 
 
THE XEW EL DORADO 263 
 
 "Do you know the Russian story of the dis- 
 covery of Alaska, the Great Land, as we called it?" 
 
 ' ' No, ' ' replied the Senator, " I do not. I only 
 know that it was a curious freak of fortune that 
 your people should be the ones to discover the 
 fabled 'Straits of Anian' so long sought by the 
 Spaniards, Portuguese and English navigators. 
 Bering's Sea is very far from India, but it is the 
 famous northwest passage, that separates Asia 
 from America." The Diplomat said: 
 
 "While Europe was exploring and settling the 
 Americas my countrymen were throwing off the 
 yoke that made them subjects of the Khans of 
 Tartary. Even at that time we had a great caravan 
 trade with China and Persia, but our merchants 
 suffered severely from the depredations of the Cos- 
 sack freebooters roaming over the steppes of 
 Siberia. These reckless horsemen would charge 
 down on a caravan and rob it of all its silks, spices, 
 teas and perfumes." 
 
 ' ' Then you can sympathize with the galleons of 
 Spain that were harassed by the buccaneers and 
 pirates infesting the high seas ready to scuttle and 
 sink any ship that fell into their hands," said the 
 Senator, greatly interested. Bancroft Library 
 
 * * Our merchants had no redress and they com- 
 plained bitterly to Peter the Great, who immedi- 
 ately undertook to chastise the unruly Cossacks. 
 They fled into Siberia, and it was not long before 
 they found rich silver mines on the Amoor river, 
 and began to traffic in the ivory and sable skins 
 which make that vicinity notable. As they 
 
2(U THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 advanced toward the Pacific Ocean they were able 
 to slaughter herds of musk oxen, and before many 
 years the fame of the ivory deposits brought hun- 
 dreds of adventurers into that barren region. Dili- 
 gent inquiry among the natives disclosed the fact 
 that there was a Great Land toward the North Pole 
 where remains of the hairy elephant were plentiful, 
 and its beautiful tusks were heaped up in huge 
 mounds. ' ' 
 
 "It was a desire for gold that brought the 
 first white men to California," said the Senator, 
 "and the building of the railroad across the con- 
 tinent is the result of having found it." 
 
 "Ivory and furs were the lure that nerved the 
 Russian freebooter to brave the frozen sea and six 
 months of night," said the Diplomat. "They went 
 to sea in open boats made of planks tied together 
 with rawhide straps and thongs. Their sails were 
 of soft dressed reindeer skins, and in place of rope 
 they used elk skin strips. The anchors were pieces 
 of wood weighted with stones. They had no beds, 
 and carried a wooden plate and spoon tied to the 
 sash around their waists." 
 
 "They must have suffered very much from 
 cold and hunger, ' ' said the Senator. 
 
 "They did; and many of them died with 
 scurvy. They were greatly hindered by glaciers 
 and icebergs, and would never have been able to 
 make the journey at all except for the sleds and 
 dogs furnished by the natives." 
 
 "Were the Eskimos and Aleuts always 
 
THE NEW EL DORADO 265 
 
 friendly?" asked the Senator. The Diplomat 
 hesitated for a moment, then said with a smile : 
 
 "The freebooters found it necessary to fight 
 after they had once ill-treated the natives. At first 
 the white men were supposed to be superior beings, 
 but they proved themselves unworthy of confidence 
 and then there was serious trouble." 
 
 "We have had a somewhat similar experience 
 in dealing with the Indians in this country, ' ' replied 
 the Senator. 
 
 "In one of the numerous attempts made by 
 the freebooters to reach the Great Land, they fell 
 in with some Japanese castaways who claimed to 
 have found gold and silver there in abundance. 
 When this was reported to Peter the Great he 
 organized a scientific and military expedition under 
 Bering to find Alaska, with the hope that it would 
 lead to commercial relations with America and 
 Japan. ' ' 
 
 "It seems a hard fate that Bering should die 
 of scurvy in the winter when all was dark as night 
 and exceedingly cold, ' ' said the Senator. 
 
 "Yes," answered the Diplomat, "especially 
 after he had survived the six weary years of hard- 
 ship and toil necessary to march across Siberia. 
 It is possible that he would have failed at last had 
 he not noted the flight of the land birds and known 
 that there must be a shore-line not far away." 
 
 "Did he or his family profit by the discoveries 
 he made?" 
 
 "Very little. It has been the fate of all the 
 Russian explorers in America to die poor," 
 
36(5 THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 responded the Diplomat. "It has cost my govern- 
 ment vast sums of money and more than two hun- 
 dred years have elapsed since the first efforts were 
 made. We have profited greatly by the seal fish- 
 eries and so will your people when once Alaska 
 becomes a territory of the United States. ' ' 
 
 "It has always been a puzzle to me why the 
 Czar recalled the Russian colonists living in peace 
 and prosperity in California under Spanish rule, ' ' 
 said the Senator, after a pause. 
 
 ' 'It was because he wished to maintain friendly 
 relations with the United States and he was far- 
 sighted enough to see that California would some 
 day come under the American flag. It is to increase 
 that feeling that he now offers to sell Alaska to you. 
 He does not wish to have any possessions on this 
 continent. The destiny of Russia lies in another 
 direction. ' ' 
 
 Both the Senator and Diplomat went to see the 
 President and it was not very long until the pur- 
 chase was made. When the Senator came back 
 from Washington he said : 
 
 "We have paid exactly two cents an acre for 
 Alaska, and its seal fisheries are well worth that 
 amount. We will not have to fight for its posses- 
 sion, and I am certain that we have made a good 
 bargain. ' ' 
 
 Since then many men have sailed into the 
 northern waters and come back with cargoes of 
 whale oil, or seal skins or canned salmon, but no 
 one paid any particular attention to them. A party 
 of scientific men explored the Yukon river which 
 
THE NEW EL DORADO 267 
 
 is as long and as wide as the Mississippi and made 
 the ascent of Mount St. Elias, one of the loftiest 
 peaks in North America, but nobody was interested 
 in Alaska except as a place where the sun shines 
 for six months and then leaves the whole country 
 in partial darkness for another six months. 
 
 Imagine the sun apparently traveling around 
 in a little circle all the time. There are no sunrises 
 and no sunsets, and no need of lights at night. Then 
 when it goes down, lamps or candles must be burned 
 all the time. When the extreme cold comes the 
 aurora boreal is sends out splendid rays of many 
 colored lights to burnish up the vault of heaven 
 and make a grand electrical display. 
 
 The Eskimos are a dwarfed race of men and 
 women with flat noses, and eyes wide apart, and 
 they dress themselves in heavy furs with the hair 
 turned next to the body. They live on fish and 
 whale blubber, and are experts in throwing a spear 
 or managing a skin canoe. In front of their homes 
 they have curious totem poles to show what tribes 
 they belong to, and they are quite ingenious in 
 weaving fish-nets, baskets, and in the carving of 
 silver and ivory. 
 
 For many years no news came from Alaska, 
 except by ship, and on a warm, sunny day in 
 autumn not long ago, some sailors set up the cry: 
 
 "Gold has been found in Alaska! It is the 
 new El Dorado ! It is richer than California!" 
 
 At first people did not believe them, but when 
 the experts passed upon the findings everybody 
 said: 
 
THE STORIES OF EL DORADO 
 
 ' ' Let us go to the Klondike ! We can get rich 
 in a few months. ' ' 
 
 The excitement was so great that it did no good 
 to point out the hardships and dangers of such 
 an undertaking. 
 
 "We will take the chances of freezing," they 
 said, carelessly. ' ' We can walk over the mountain 
 passes and we do not care about the discomforts." 
 
 "But only a few can find the gold. It was the 
 same in California. Not one in a thousand can 
 possibly bring away as much gold as he takes with 
 him to live on, for food will be very scarce and 
 high priced, ' ' urged the prudent ones. 
 
 "You will freeze," said others, "or will die 
 with scurvy, or be eaten by those terrible white 
 polar bears and wolves." 
 
 i i No matter what you say to us we are going, ' ' 
 was the reply, and every ship that could be found 
 was loaded with eager men, and some venturesome 
 women bent upon wresting the gold from the 
 frozen north. Many of them had never seen an 
 iceberg or a glacier, and had no idea what misery 
 awaited them. 
 
 ' ' Write us as soon as you can, ' ' said the wives 
 and mothers tearfully, as they stood on the wharf 
 in some seaport of the Pacific saying good by to 
 some loved one, going to seek a fortune. 
 
 "It will be six months before this ship can 
 return," said the captain of one of the first ships 
 that carried gold seekers to Alaska in answer to 
 an anxious inquiry as to how long it will be before 
 the promised letters could arrive. 
 
THE XEW EL DORADO 269 
 
 "Why will you be so long!" asks some little 
 boy or girl whose heart is sad at parting with 
 their beloved father. 
 
 "Because the great ice-floes will close in on 
 our vessel and we will not be able to move until 
 the weather moderates." 
 
 "Then will you bring my father back to me? 1 ' 
 asks the simple child. 
 
 1 ' I hope so, my dear, ' ' and then the kindly face 
 of the captain looks serious and he mutters to 
 himself, "God forbid that it should be a grave 
 instead of a fortune that awaits this child's father. ' ' 
 
 The first season many a brave man sailed away, 
 full of hope and expectancy, but the next year 
 returned haggard, worn and in some instances a 
 hopeless invalid. 
 
 "What do you think of the gold fields of 
 Alaska!" asks his old friends as they shake his 
 hand. 
 
 "It is a place to suffer and grow old in; a 
 place to lose the earnings of a lifetime, and your 
 health with them. In the long, dreary, dark nights 
 the stoutest heart loses courage, and next to longing 
 for home is the longing for death. ' ' 
 
 If he were one of the fortunate few who found 
 the grains of free gold deposited in the frozen 
 sands, he had a sobered, prematurely old look and 
 said: 
 
 "Yes, I have made money in the gold fields 
 of Alaska, but I hope I may never be obliged to 
 go back and live in the mines. ' ' 
 
270 THE STOEIES OF EL DOEADO 
 
 Strewn along the trail and over the Chilkoot 
 Pass are the bleaching bones of those who 
 sacrificed their lives in the effort to reach the new 
 El Dorado. The simple Eskimos looked on in 
 wonder at the frantic energy of their white 
 brothers, and were content in their own security. 
 
 The Ice Queen is their guardian and she pun- 
 ishes those who venture into her frigid realm to 
 unearth and carry away the hidden .treasures. In 
 Alaska, as everywhere else, one must work hard and 
 build up the country instead of robbing it, if money 
 is really to be made. The late comers have already 
 learned this lesson, by experience, and are begin- 
 ning to build railroads, good houses, schools and 
 churches in the warmest and most fertile part of 
 the country surrounding the seaports. 
 
 And we know at last that El Dorado exists 
 solely in the hearts and minds of men, and not in 
 the everlasting snows of Alaska. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 The following is a partial list of the books consulted by 
 the author in the preparation of the "Stories of El Dorado." 
 
 Aubrey, Frank 
 Baldwin, J. D. 
 Bandelier, A. F. 
 Bancroft. H. H. - 
 Bancroft, H. H. 
 Bancroft, H. H. - 
 Bancroft, H. H. 
 Brinton, D. G. 
 Brinton, D. G. - 
 Donnelly, Ignatius 
 Harrison. Elizabeth 
 Heuvel, J. A. Von 
 
 Higginson, T. W. 
 
 Hittell, T. H. - 
 Hood, Margaret G. 
 Longfellow, H. W. 
 Markham, C. R. 
 Payne, E. J. 
 
 Prescott, W. H. 
 Prescott, W. H. - 
 Plongeon, A. Le 
 
 Plongeon, A. Le - 
 Stephens, J. L. - 
 Stephens, J. L. 
 Simon, Pedro 
 
 Schoolcraft, H. R. 
 Wallace, Gen. Lew - 
 
 The Devil Tree of El Dorado. 
 
 - Ancient America. 
 The Gilded Man. 
 
 - History of the Central American States. 
 History of California. 
 
 - History of Alaska. 
 
 Native Races, Vols. Ill and V. 
 
 - Myths of the New World. 
 American Hero-Myths. 
 
 - Atlantis. 
 
 Story of Christopher Columbus. 
 
 - El Dorado, a narrative of a rich and 
 
 splendid city in South America. 
 Tales of the Enchanted Island of the 
 Atlantic. 
 
 - History of California. 
 
 Tales of Discovery on the Pacific Slope. 
 
 - The Song of Hiawatha. 
 History of Peru. 
 
 - History of the New World called 
 
 America. 
 
 - History of the Conquest of Mexico. 
 
 - History of the Conquest of Peru. 
 Sacred Mysteries of the Mayas and 
 
 Quiches. 
 
 - Queen Moo. 
 
 Incidents of Travel in Central America. 
 
 - Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, 2 Vols. 
 Expeditions in search of El Dorado and 
 
 Omagua. 
 
 - The Myth of Hiawatha. 
 
 - The Fair God.