ent his time in Spain to good advantage.
In various ways and through various methods, not altogether dissociated
from the golden treasure which he carried thither from the mines of
Cuba, he ingratiated himself with a number of influential courtiers, and
through them with the royal court itself. Before long he was able to
secure a revision of the sentence which Vadillo had passed upon him, and
a reversal of its most harsh decrees and a mitigation of others. Thus he
was largely vindicated, and was enabled to plume himself upon having
received the royal favor. At the same time he conducted, through his
faithful retainers, a campaign of intrigue in Hispaniola, with the
result that the Admiral, or Vicereine, the widow of Diego Columbus,
appointed him back to his old place as governor of Cuba. The appointment
was not to be effective, however, until ratified by the King, and such
ratification the King for some time delayed to grant.

Guzman was confident, however, of receiving the royal ratification, and
so, without waiting for it, he proceeded to Cuba as governor-elect, and
began elaborate preparations for resuming office. That was in the
midsummer of 1534, more than a year before Rojas was permitted to
retire. Indeed, we may well believe that it was the presence and conduct
of Guzman that made the island intolerable to Rojas. For Guzman
established himself in a fine house, with a retinue of servants, and
attracted to himself most of the practical politicians of Cuba,
especially those who were inclined to "welcome the coming, speed the
parting, guest." They all knew that Rojas was to retire, and that Guzman
was to succeed him; wherefore they paid all possible deference to the
former and treated the latter with neglect if not with contempt.

The actual change came, as we have already seen, in October, 1535. Rojas
relinquished the governorship, and Guzman resumed it; and a most
grievous decline of Cuba began. Guzman promptly set about serving his
own personal interests, rewarding his friends, and punishing all of his
opponents who were still within reach. Few of them were within reach,
however; all who could do so having fled the island, for Jamaica or
elsewhere. Cuba was thus deprived of some of its most useful citizens,
while its important public offices were filled with self-seeking
politicians.

Happily, this unworthy and detrimental administration was short lived;
and it was ended through what was nothing less than a pea