was unaware of the real sympathies of the two confessors, and
fearing his superior was unwittingly making a blunder, he tugged at his
vestments saying: "Let your lordship rather die than do this."

Immediately those present broke forth into imprecations on Fray Vicente
and all but maltreated him, in the midst of which uproar, the Mercedarian
friars, who had heard of the Bishop's return, appeared in the church to
welcome him. The disturbance was somewhat quelled by their arrival, and
they managed to conduct the Bishop and the offending Fray Vicente in
safety to their own convent.

The fatigue of the journey and the excitement of these disturbing scenes
through which he had passed left the aged Bishop exhausted, but his trials
had in reality only just begun, and hardly had he seated himself in the
cell the friars provided for him, to take a little bread and wine, when a
fearful uproar was heard outside, which proved to be caused by an immense
crowd of armed people who had surrounded the convent. Some of these men
forced their way into his presence, but so great was the noise and clamour
that the friars, who sought to learn the cause of this hostile
demonstration, could neither hear nor make themselves heard. Finally it
appeared that this fresh outburst was occasioned by the discovery that the
Bishop had captured and bound their Indian sentinels as prisoners. Las
Casas at once assumed the entire blame, explaining exactly how he had
surprised them and why he had bound them. A storm of vituperation greeted
his explanation--all semblance of respect, either for his age or office,
was abandoned--and one taunted the protector of the Indians with himself
tying them up and draging them three leagues.(64) Amidst all these
reproaches and insults Las Casas replied to one of his tormentors saying:
"I do not wish, sir, to answer you, so as not to take from God the task of
punishing you, for the insult you offer is not to me but to God."

While this scene of violence was proceeding inside the Bishop's cell, his
negro servant Juanillo was being baited in the courtyard where some one
who accused him of tying the Indians, gave him a thrust with his pike,
which laid him, wounded, on the ground. The friars rushed to the rescue
of the unfortunate negro and two of the younger monks finally succeeded in
getting all the armed men out of their convent.

All these riotous happenings had taken place between dawn and nine
o'clock, and so tru