r forward. Still Columbus pushed
steadily on, and his men's terror and angry discontent deepened until
they were on the verge of mutiny; various plots were hatched and it was
evident that affairs would soon reach a crisis.

One can guess the Admiral's thoughts as he paced the poop of his ship on
that last night, pausing from time to time to strain his eyes into the
darkness. Picture him to yourself--a tall and imposing figure, clad in
that gray habit of the Franciscan missionary he liked to wear; the face
stern and lined with care, the eyes gray and piercing, the high nose and
long chin telling of a mighty will, the cheeks ruddy and freckled from
life in the open, the white hair falling about his shoulders. Picture
him standing there, a memorable figure, whose hour of triumph was at
hand. He knew the desperate condition of things--none better; he knew
that his men were for the most part criminals and cowards; at any
moment they might rise and make him prisoner or throw him overboard.
Well, until that moment, he would hold his ship's prow to the west! For
twenty years he had labored to get this chance; he would rather die than
fail.

And then, suddenly, far ahead, he saw a light moving low along the
horizon. It disappeared, reappeared, and then vanished altogether. The
lookout had also seen it, and soon after, as the moon rose, a gun from
the Pinta, which was in the lead, announced that land had been sighted.
It was soon plainly visible to everyone, a low beach gleaming white in
the moonlight, and the ships hove-to until daybreak.

In the early dawn of the twelfth day of October, 1492, the boats were
lowered, and Columbus and a large part of his company went ashore, wild
with exultation. They found themselves on a small island, and Columbus
named it San Salvador. It was one of the Bahamas, but which one is not
certainly known. Columbus, of course, believed himself near the coast of
Asia, and spent two months in searching for Japan, discovering a number
of islands, but no trace of the land of gold and spices which he sought.
One of his ships was wrecked and the captain of the third sailed away to
search for gold on his own account, so that it was in the little Nina
alone that Columbus at last set sail for Spain.

[Illustration: COLUMBUS]

It was no longer a summer sea through which the tiny vessel ploughed her
way, but a sea swept by savage hurricanes. More than once it seemed
that the ship must founder, but by some