od in the mountainous region of Cibao, the reputed land of
gold of the island. Its site lay within the territory of Caonabo, who
ruled over a great district, his capital town or village being on the
southern slope of the Cibao Mountains.

The first conflict between the Spaniards and the natives, after the
massacre of the garrison of La Navidad, was in the district of the Vega,
where a fierce fight took place in the spring of 1495, the natives
suffering a severe defeat. The next was at Fort Santo Tomas, which was
commanded by Alonso de Ojeda, a young man who had come out with Columbus
in his second voyage. He was a man of great courage and unusual daring,
one of the chief among those dauntless spirits who had to do with the
conquest of the New World.

A man of his spirit was needed to command this isolated fort in the
mountains, for the cacique, Caonabo, was not pleased with this invasion of
his territory, and soon marched upon the fort with a strong force of his
warlike race. Santo Tomas was closely invested and fiercely attacked,
Ojeda being reduced to such an extremity that he owed his escape only to a
rescuing force sent by Columbus from Fort Isabella, on the coast. Driven
off by the superior arms of his foes, Caonabo withdrew sullenly to his
stronghold in the mountains. But he was quickly back again, with a larger
force than before. He had never met his equal among the Indians, but the
fire-spouting tubes of the Spaniards proved too much even for his courage,
and he was a second time forced to withdraw.

It was evident, however, that Ojeda was perilously situated, surrounded as
he was by warlike enemies, led by so bold and persistent a chief. In the
face of this peril he adopted an expedient as daring as any of those shown
by Cortez, Pizarro, or any other of the Spanish caballeros of that age of
conquest, and one whose ingenuity equalled its daring. It is this striking
adventure which it is our purpose to describe.

Choosing from his men a few of the bravest and most trusty, Ojeda set out
on horseback over the mountains, following paths never before traversed by
the Spaniards, until they came to the Carib town of Maguana, where he
found Caonabo surrounded by a throng of armed warriors. The Spaniards had
bearded the lion in his den, and were in a position of extreme peril
should the cacique prove hostile. But Ojeda was a past-master in
craftiness, and by professions of friendship and other arts of duplicity
he per