s, 'Why doth not
some one put forth, bringing all the lands into one garland?' They look
to their east whence we come, and they may see in dream tonight these
three ships!" His voice rang. "I tell you these Three Ships shall be
known forever! Your grandchildren's grandchildren shall say, 'The _Santa
Maria_, the Pinta and the Nina--and one that was our ancestor sailed in
this one or in that one, to the glory and gain of the world, wherefore
we still make festival of his birthday!'"

At this they stirred, whether from Palos or Huelva or Fishertown. They
looked at him now as though indeed he were great mage, or even apostle.

That evening I heard Roderigo de Escobedo at an enumeration. He seemed
to have committed to memory some Venice list. "Mastic, aloes, pepper,
cloves, mace and cinnamon and nutmeg. Ivory and silk and most fine
cloth, diamonds, balasses, rubies, pearls, sapphires, jacinth and
emeralds. Silver in bulk and gold common as iron with us. Gold--gold!"

Pedro Gutierrez was speaking. "Gold to carry to Spain and pay my debts,
with enough left to go again to court--"

Said Escobedo, "The Admiral saith, 'No fraud nor violence, quarreling
nor oppression'!"

Gutierrez answered: "The Admiral also thinks to pay his debts! He may
think he will be strict as the Saints, but he will not!"

The Admiral was walking the deck. He stopped beside Juan Lepe who leaned
upon the rail and watched a strange, glistering sea. It was that shining
stuff we see at times at night in certain weather. But to-night Luis
Torres, passing, had said, "Strewn ducats!"

The Admiral and Juan Lepe watched. "Never a sail!" said I. "How strange
a thing is that! Great populous countries that trade among themselves,
and never a sail on this sea rim!"

He drummed upon the rail. "Do not think I have not thought of that! I
looked to meet first a ship or ships. But now I think that truly there
may be many outlying islands without ships. Or there may be a war
between princes, and all ships drawn in a fleet to north or south.
One beats one's brains--and time brings the solution, and we say, 'How
simple!'"

Turning his great figure, he mounted to our castle built up from deck,
whence he could see great distances. The wind had freshened; we were
standing to the west; it was behind us again and it pushed us like a
shuttle in a giant's hand. The night was violet dark and warm; then at
ten the moon rose. Men would not sleep while the ship sailed. A great