we greatly admire the
heroism displayed by the assailants. The man who is carefully gloved
and masked can with impunity rob the bees of their honey. The wolf
does not need much courage to induce him to leap into the fold of the
lambs.

In the vicinity of this routed army there was a pagan temple; that is,
a temple dedicated to the Sun, the emblem of the God of the
Peruvians. It was in those days thought that the heathen and all their
possessions, rightly belonged to the Christians; that it was the just
desert of the pagans to be plundered and put to death. Even the mind
of De Soto was so far in accord with these infamous doctrines of a
benighted age, that he allowed his troopers to plunder the temple of
all its rich treasures of silver and of gold. A very large amount of
booty was thus obtained. One of the principal ornaments of this temple
was an artificial sun, of large size, composed of pure and solid gold.

Mr. Wilmer, speaking of this event, judiciously remarks:

"De Soto, finding his path once more unobstructed, pushed
forward, evidently disposed to open the way to Cuzco without
the assistance of his tardy and irresolute commander. It is
a remarkable fact, and one which admits of no denial, that
every important military movement of the Spaniards in Peru,
until the final subjugation of the empire by the capture of
the metropolis, was conducted by De Soto. Up to the time to
which our narrative now refers, Pizarro had never fought a
single battle which deserved the name. The bloody tragedy of
Caxamarca, it will be remembered, was only massacre; the
contrivance and execution of which required no military
skill and no soldier-like courage. Pizarro acquired the
mastery of Peru by the act of a malefactor. And he was, in
fact, a thief and not a conqueror. The _heroic_ element of
this conquest is represented by the actions of De Soto."

CHAPTER VIII.

_De Soto Returns to Spain._

Dreadful Fate of Chalcukima.--His Fortitude.--Ignominy of
Pizarro.--De Soto's Advance upon Cuzco.--The Peruvian
Highway.--Battle in the Defile.--De Soto takes the
Responsibility.--Capture of the Capital and its
Conflagration.--De Soto's Return to Spain.--His Reception
there.--Preparations for the Conquest of Florida.

Considering the relations which existed between De Soto and Pizarro,
it is not improbable that each was glad t