. Caonabo, Gwarionex, Behechio, Cotubanama, said, "Were these
or were these not gods, yet would they fight!"

The Admiral said, "The Future is the god. But there are burrs on his
skirt!"

Guacanagari at last would depart. He stood beside the bed and the
silver-haired great cacique from heaven. The Admiral put forth a lean,
knotted, powerful hand and laid it on the brown, slim, untoiled hand. "I
wish peace," he said. "My brother Bartholomew and I will do what we can
do to gain it. Good peace, true peace!"

Without the room, I asked the cacique about Guarin. He was gone, he
said, to the mountains. He would not stay with Guacanagari, and he would
not go to Caonabo or Gwarionex. "All old things and ways are broken,"
said Guacanagari. "All our life is broken. I do not know what we have
done. The women sit and weep. And I, too, sometimes I weep!"

The seventh day came in Alonso de Ojeda from St. Thomas.

The Viceroy and the Adelantado and Ojeda talked alone together in
the Viceroy's house. But next day was held a great council, all
our principal men attending. There it was determined to capture,
if possible, Caonabo, withdrawing him so from the confederacy. The
confederacy might then go to pieces. In the meantime use every effort
to detach from it Gwarionex who after Guacanagari was our nearest
great cacique. Send a well-guarded, placating embassy to him and to
Cotubanama. Try kindness, kindness everywhere, kind words and good
deeds!--And build another fort called Fort Concepcion.

Take Caonabo! That was a task for Alonso de Ojeda! He did it. Five days
after the council, the Viceroy being now recovered and bringing strength
to work that needed strength, the Adelantado vigorously helping,
Isabella in a good mood, the immediate forest all a gold and green
peacefulness, Don Alonso vanished, and with him fourteen picked men, all
mounted.

For six weeks it was as though he had dropped into the sea, or risen
into the blue sky above eyesight.

Then on a Sunday he and his fourteen rode into town. We had a great
church bell and it was ringing, loudly, sonorously. He rode in and at
once there arose a shout, "Don Alonso de Ojeda!" All his horsemen rode
with him, and rode also one who was not Castilian. On a gray steed a
bare, bronze figure--Caonabo!

The church bell swung, the church bell rang. Riding beneath the squat
tower, all our people pouring forth from our poor houses upon the
returned and his captive, the latter had e