ves. The captain was the infamous Valenzuela, who, as agent of
Don Pedro, had tortured M. Codro to death.

De Soto had no knowledge, as we have mentioned, of the dreadful doom
which had befallen his friend. One day the fiendlike captain was
amusing his crew with a recital of his past deeds of villany. He told
the story of the murder of Codro.

"He was," he said, "an old wizard whom Don Pedro, the governor of
Panama, commissioned me to torture and to put to death, in consequence
of some treachery of which he had been guilty while on a mission to
Spain."

The words caught the ear of De Soto. He joined the group, and listened
with breathless attention and a throbbing heart, to the statement of
Valenzuela.

"I chained the old fellow," said the captain, "to the mainmast, and
the sailors amused themselves by drenching him with buckets of cold
water, till he was almost drowned. After several days, he became so
sick and exhausted, that we saw that our sport would soon be at an
end. For two days he was speechless. He then suddenly recovered the
use of his voice, and endeavored to frighten me by saying:

"'Captain, your treatment has caused my death. I now call upon you to
hear the words of a dying man. Within a year from this time, I summon
you to meet me before the judgment seat of God.'"

Here the captain burst into a derisive and scornful laugh. He then
added:

"Come comrades, we'll have a hamper of wine, and drink to the repose
of M. Codro's soul."

De Soto stepped forward, and repressing all external exhibition of the
rage which consumed his soul, said calmly to the captain,

"You say that the astrologer prophesied that you should die within the
year. When will that year expire?"

"In about two weeks," the captain replied. "But I have no fear but
that the prophet will prove to be a liar."

"He shall not," De Soto added. And drawing from his scabbard his keen,
glittering sword, with one blow from his sinewy arm, severed the
captain's head from his body. The ghastly trophy rolled gushing with
blood upon the deck. These wild and savage men were accustomed to such
scenes. They admired the courage of De Soto, and the marvellous skill
with which, at one blow, he had struck off the head of the captain. De
Soto then turned to the crowd and said:

"Gentlemen, if any of you are disposed to hold me accountable for what
I have just done, I am ready to answer you according to your desires.
But I consider myself bound, in