match the deeds of their brother-heroes of another tongue and another
age.

* * * * *

The walk of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, the first American traveller,
was surpassed by the achievement of the poor and forgotten soldier
Andres Docampo. Cabeza de Vaca tramped much more than ten thousand
miles, but Docampo much over _twenty_ thousand, and under as fearful
hardships. The explorations of Vaca were far more valuable to the world;
yet neither of them set out with the intention of exploring. But Docampo
did make a fearful walk voluntarily, and for a heroic purpose, which
resulted in his later enormous achievement; while Vaca's was merely the
heroism of a very uncommon man in escaping misfortune. Docampo's tramp
lasted nine years; and though he left behind no book to relate his
experiences, as did Vaca, the skeleton of his story as it remains to us
is extremely characteristic and suggestive of the times, and recounts
other heroism than that of the brave soldier.

When Coronado first came to New Mexico in 1540, he brought four
missionaries with his little army. Fray Marcos returned soon from Zuni
to Mexico, on account of his physical infirmities. Fray Juan de la Cruz
entered earnestly into mission-work among the Pueblos; and when Coronado
and his whole force abandoned the Territory, he insisted upon remaining
behind among his dusky wards at Tiguex (Bernalillo). He was a very old
man, and fully expected to give up his life as soon as his countrymen
should be gone; and so it was. He was murdered by the Indians about the
25th of November, 1542.

The lay-brother, Fray Luis Descalona, also a very old man, chose for his
parish the pueblo of Tshiquite (Pecos), and remained there after the
Spaniards had left the country. He built himself a little hut outside
the great fortified town of the savages, and there taught those who
would listen to him, and tended his little flock of sheep,--the remnants
of those Coronado had brought, which were the first that ever entered
the present United States. The people came to love him sincerely,--all
save the wizards, who hated him for his influence; and these finally
murdered him, and ate the sheep.

Fray Juan de Padilla, the youngest of the four missionaries, and the
first martyr on the soil of Kansas, was a native of Andalusia, Spain,
and a man of great energy both mentally and physically. He himself made
no mean record as a foot-traveller, and our professiona