ere ruled by their chiefs, whose authority was
patriarchal, who were like popes or bishops, rather than princes, but
who never abused their power."

Grandma Elsie paused as if she had finished her narration and Ned
exclaimed, "Oh, that isn't all, grandma, is it?"

"All of my part of the account, for the present at least," she said
with her sweet smile. Then turning to Lucilla:

"You will tell us the story of the Princess Xualla, will you not?"

"You could surely do it much better than I, Grandma Elsie," was the
modest rejoinder; "but if you wish it I will do my best."

"We do," replied several voices, and Lucilla, encouraged by a look and
smile from her father which seemed to speak confidence in her ability,
at once began.

"It seems that De Soto, not finding there the gold for which he had
come, and encouraged by the Indians, who wanted to be rid of him, to
think that it might be discovered in regions still remote, started
again upon his quest, taking a northerly or northwesterly direction.

"As they journeyed on they came to a part of Florida governed by a
female cacique--a beautiful young girl called the Princess Xualla. Her
country was a fine open one, well cultivated. They reached the
neighborhood of her capital--a town on the farther side of a
river--about an hour before nightfall. Here they encamped and were
about to seize some Indians to get from them information of the
country and people. But some others on the farther side of the stream
hastened over in a canoe to ask what was wanted.

"De Soto had had a chair of state placed on the margin of the stream
and placed himself in it. The Indians saluted him and asked whether he
was for peace or for war. He replied that he wished to be at peace and
hoped they would supply him with provisions for his army.

"They answered that they wished to be at peace, but the season had
been one of scarcity and they had barely enough food for themselves.
Their land, they said, was governed by a maiden lady and they would
report to her of the arrival of the strangers and what they demanded.

"They then returned to their canoe and paddled back to the town to
carry the news to the princess and chieftains. The Spaniards, watching
the canoe, saw those in it received by a crowd of their countrymen at
the landing place, and that their news seemed to cause some commotion.
But soon several canoes left the wharf and came toward the Spaniards.
The first was fitted up with a tastef