uis who brought us together. I gave him some wine in Doctor Juan Lepe's
small room and he told readily the charges against the Viceroy that
Bobadilla, seizing, made into a sheaf.

Already I knew what they were. I had heard them. One or two had, I
thought, faint justification, but the mass, no! Personal avarice,
personal greed, paynim luxury, arrogance, cruelty, deceit--it made one
sorrowfully laugh who knew the man! Here again clamored the old charge
of upstartness. A low-born Italian, son of a wool-comber, vindictive
toward the hidalgo, of Spain! But there were new charges. Three men
deposed that he neglected Indian salvation. And I heard for the first
time that so soon as he found the Grand Khan he meant to give over to
that Oriental all the islands and the main, and so betray the Sovereigns
and Christ and every Spaniard in these parts!

The Adelantado arrived in San Domingo. He came with only a score or two
of men, who could have raised many more. Don Francisco de Bobadilla
saw to it that he had word from his great brother, and that word was
"Obedience." The Adelantado gave his sword to Don Francisco. The latter
loaded the first with chains and put him aboard a caravel in the harbor.
He asked to be prisoned with his brother; but why ask any magnanimity
from an unmagnanimous soul?

Out in the open now were all the old insurgents. Guevara and Requelme
bowed to the earth when the Governor passed, and Roldan sat with him at
wine.

CHAPTER XXXVI

THE caravel tossed in a heavy storm. Some of her mariners were old
in these waters, but others, coming out with Bobadilla, had little
knowledge of our breadths of Ocean-Sea. They had met naught like this
rain, this shaken air, these thunders and lightnings. There rose a cry
that the ship would split. All was because they had chained the Admiral!

Don Alonso de Villejo, the Captain taking Christopherus Columbus to
Spain, called to him Juan Lepe. "Witness you, Doctor, I would have taken
away the irons so soon as we were out of harbor! I would have done it on
my own responsibility. But he would not have it!"

"Yes, I witness. In chains in Hispaniola, he will come to Spain in
chains."

"If the ship goes down every man must save himself. He must be free. I
have sent for the smith. Come you with me!"

We went to that dusky cabin in the ship where he was prisoned. "It is
a great storm, and we are in danger, senor!" said Villejo. "I will take
away these irons so that if--"