an Domingo for an hour and himself present his
case?"

But no--but no--but no! Thrice that!

The Governor rose. Audience was over.

For the rest he was courteous--asked of the voyage--and of the Admiral's
notion of the Strait. "A great man!" he said. "A Thinker, a Seer." He
sent him messages of courtesy three-piled. And so we parted.

This was the Governor of whom one said long afterwards,

"He was a good governor for white men, but not for Indians."

As life and destiny would have it, in the place without the Governor's
house I met him who was to say it. Terreros and I with the same escort
were for the water side, the _Consolacion's_ long boat. The crowd kept
with us, but His Excellency's soldiers held it orderly. Yet there were
shouts and messages for the Admiral, and for this one and that one
aboard our ships. Then came a young man, said a word to the officer with
us, and put out his hand to mine. It was that Bartolome de Las Casas
with whom I had walked the white road, under moon, before the inn
between Seville and Cordova.

CHAPTER XXXIX

THE Admiral took it with some Italian words under breath. Then he
wheeled and left the cabin. A minute later I heard the master from the
_Consolacion_ hail the _Margarita_ that lay close by. "_Margarita_,
ahoy! Orders! Clap on sail and follow!" The trumpet cried to the Juana
and the _San Sebastian_, "Make ready and follow!"

Our mariners ran to make sail. But the long boat waited for some final
word that they said was going ashore. Terreros would take it. We were so
close that we saw the yet watching crowd, wharf and water side, and the
sun glinting upon Ovando's order-keeping soldiery. The Admiral called me
to him. I read the letter to the Governor, Terreros would deliver to
our old officer, probably waiting on the wharf to see us quite away. The
letter--there was naught in it but the sincerest, gravest warning that
a hurricane was at hand. A great one; he knew the signs. It might strike
this shore late to-morrow or the next day or the next. Wherefore he
begged his Excellency the Governor to tarry the fleet's sailing. Let it
wait at least three days and see if his words came not true! Else
there would be scattering of ships and destruction--and he rested his
Excellency's servant. _El Almirante_.

Terreros went, delivered that letter, and returned to the _Juana_. And
our sails were made and our anchors lifted, and it was sunset and clear
and smooth, and every palm