ture good conduct. This cacique, named _Vitacucho_, was
about thirty-five years of age, strong limbed, and of a fierce aspect.
Next day the Spanish army entered Vitacucho's town in martial order. It
consisted of about two hundred houses or cabins, besides a great many
others scattered all over the country. All the towns in this country
have no other names except those of the caciques to which they
respectively belong. After remaining two days in this town making merry,
the two younger caciques asked permission of Soto to return to their own
districts, which was granted, and having received some presents from
Soto, they went away well pleased.

Vitacucho continued slily for some time to behave respectfully to Soto
and the Spaniards, yet contriving how best to destroy them. For this
purpose he concerted with all his neighbours, whom he persuaded that it
was proper and necessary to destroy these wicked vagabonds who had come
into their country to reduce them to servitude. He imparted his design
to four Indians who attended Soto in quality of interpreters, whom he
informed that he had ten thousand well armed Indians in readiness to aid
him in the execution of this enterprise, and that he proposed to roast
some of the Spaniards, to boil others, to hang up another part on the
loftiest tress, and to poison all the rest in such a manner as to pine
and rot away for a long time before they died. Being desired to keep the
secret and to give their opinion of this design, they answered that they
approved it highly, as an exploit worthy of his wisdom and valour, and
that nothing could be better contrived. Vitacucho thus encouraged,
determined to persevere, and sent notice to his confederates to hold
themselves in readiness; but the four Indians, satisfied of the
impracticability of the design, owing to the excellent discipline and
vigilance of the Spaniards, made a discovery of the whole plot to Juan
Ortiz, who communicated it without delay to Soto. In a council of the
officers held to consult how to act in this emergency, it was thought
best to take no immediate notice of the matter, except standing
vigilantly on their guard as if ignorant of the treacherous intention of
the cacique, but to contrive to make him fall into his own snare.

When the day concerted between Vitacucho and his confederates for
putting their enterprise into execution was come, the crafty cacique
requested Soto to go with him out of the town to see his subject