chiquel. The Quiche opposed
him in the open field, and he defeated them. Then they formally
surrendered, made peace, and invited him to visit them as a friend in
their pueblo of Utatlan. When the Spaniards were safely in the town and
surrounded, the Indians set fire to the houses and fell fiercely upon
their stifling guests. After a hard engagement Alvarado routed them, and
put the ringleaders to death. The other two tribes submitted, and in
about a year Alvarado and his little company had achieved the conquest
of Guatemala. His services were rewarded by making him governor and
adelantado of the province; and he founded his city of Guatemala, which
in his day probably became something like what Mexico then was,--a town
containing fifteen thousand to twenty thousand Indians and one thousand
Spaniards.

From this, his capital, Governor Alvarado was frequently absent. There
were many expeditions to be made up and down the wild New World. His
greatest journey was in 1534, when, building his own vessels as usual,
he sailed to Ecuador and made the difficult march inland to Quito, only
to find himself in Pizarro's territory. So he returned to Guatemala
fruitless.

During one of his absences occurred the frightful earthquake which
destroyed the city of Guatemala, and dealt Alvarado a personal blow from
which he never recovered. Above the city towered two great
volcanoes,--the Volcan del Agua and the Volcan del Fuego. The volcano of
water was extinct, and its crater was filled with a lake. The volcano of
fire was--and is still--active. In that memorable earthquake the lava
rim of the Volcan del Agua was rent asunder by the convulsion, and its
avalanche of waters tumbled headlong upon the doomed city. Thousands of
the people perished under falling walls and in the resistless flood; and
among the lost was Alvarado's wife, Dona Beatriz de la Cueva. Her death
broke the brave soldier's spirit, for he loved her very dearly.

In the troublous times which befell Mexico after Cortez had finished his
conquest, and began to be spoiled by prosperity and to make a very
unadmirable exhibition of himself, Alvarado's support was sought and
won by the great and good viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza,--one of the
foremost executive minds of all time. This was no treachery on
Alvarado's part toward his former commander; for Cortez had turned
traitor not only to the Crown, but also to his friends. The cause of
Mendoza was the cause of good government