obtained from the Dominicans was an agreement that
Father Montesino should preach again the next Sunday and endeavor to
please his congregation _as far as his conscience would permit_.

The committee told everybody that the Father was going to retract, and
again the next Sunday the church was crowded to hear Montesino eat his
own words. But, instead of the humble apology that was expected, his
auditors received a more terrible rebuke than before, Montesino
threatening them with eternal torments if they continued to illtreat the
Indians, or engage in the slave trade.

Angry as the Spaniards were, they could do nothing, for the good
fathers minded their blustering and threats not at all. Las Casas was
partly in sympathy with the Dominicans, but he thought they went too
far. He believed the Indians should be treated kindly, but saw no harm
in slavery; for all that, however, he did not forget the sermon.

The next year Diego Columbus decided to conquer the island of Cuba, and
he appointed Diego Valasquez, one of the most respected colonists in San
Domingo, commander of the expedition. Valasquez was a warm friend of Las
Casas', and after a time sent for him to act as his chaplain.

This war against the helpless and innocent natives was as cruel as all
the others. They were chased and torn to pieces by bloodhounds; they
were burned alive; their hands and feet were cut off, and those that
were not killed were made slaves. Forced to work beyond their strength
in the gold mines, half starved and beaten, their lives were full of
misery, without a gleam of hope, and in despair numbers of
them,--sometimes whole villages at a time,--committed suicide. One story
is told that makes us smile, although it is so sad.

A whole village of Indians resolved to hang themselves and so escape
their sufferings. In some way their master learned of their intention
and came upon them just as they stood ready to carry it out.

"Go get me a rope, too," he said to them; "for I must hang myself with
you." He told them they were so useful to him that he must go where they
were going, so that they might still labor for him. They, believing that
they could not free themselves from him even in the future life, sadly
gave up their plan, and went to work again.

Las Casas did all he could to protect the Indians, and soon became known
as their friend, and won their entire trust. They called him "Behique,"
which was the name they gave their magicians, a