锘挎澀宸炴鎷跨綉绔?
l the Margarita. And yet, looking at all things, that exchange of ships should have been made. A Spaniard, wheresoever found, should have cried “Aye!” to it.
The Governor’s officer who still kept by us was not averse to talk. All those preparing ships in the harbor? 鏉窞鐢峰＋鍏ㄨ韩绮炬补鎸夋懇 Why, they were the returning fleet that brought Don Nicholas in. Sailing to-morrow鈥攈ence the hubbub on land and water. They had a lading now! He gazed a moment at us, and as we seemed sober folk, saw no reason why we should not have the public news. Forth it came like water out of bottle. Bobadilla 鏉窞妗戞嬁鎸夋懇浠蜂綅 was returning. “A prisoner?” “Why, hardly that! Roldan, too.” “A prisoner?” “Why, not precisely so.” Many of the old regime鈥擝obadilla’s regime鈥攚ere returning and Roldan men likewise. Invited to go, in fact, though with no other harsh treatment. One of the ships would be packed with Indian rebels, Gwarionex among them. Chained, all these. The notable thing about the fleet, after all that, was the gold that was going! A treasure fleet! Bobadilla had gathered gold for the crown. He was taking, they said, a sultan’s ransom. He had one piece 鏉窞瓒虫荡璁哄潧 that weighed, they said, five thousand castellanos. Roldan too had gold. And the Governor was sending no man knew how much. More than that鈥?He looked at us, then, being a kindly soul, quoth, “Why shouldn’t the Admiral know? Alonso de Carvajal has put
on board the Santa Clara for the Admiral’s agent in Cadiz five thousand pieces鈥攆ully due, as the Governor had allowed.”
Door was opened. “His Excellency the Governor will see you now.”
Why tarry over a short story? Don Nicholas de Ovando pleaded smoothly the Sovereign’s most strict command which in any to disobey were plain malfeasance! As he spoke he looked dreamily toward blue harbor and the Consolacion. And as to a ship! Every ship, except two or three, old and crippled and in the hands of the menders, no whit better it was certain than the Margarita, was laded and on the point of 鏉窞妗戞嬁娲楁荡浼氭墍 sailing. Literally he had none, absolutely not one! He understood that Jamaica was expressly named to the Admiral for resting and overhauling. Careen the Margarita there and rectify the wrong鈥攚hich he trusted was not great. If ships had been
idle and plentiful鈥攂ut he could not splinter any from the fleet that was sailing to-morrow. He was sorry鈥攁nd trusted that the Admiral was in health?
Terreros said, “His ship is worse off than you think, Excellency. He has great things to do, confided into his hands by the Sovereigns who treasure him who 鏉窞瓒充笣浼氭墍鎬庝箞鏍?found all. Here is emergency. May we carry to him invitation to enter San Domingo for an hour and himself present his case?”
But no鈥攂ut no鈥攂ut no! Thrice that!
The Governor rose. Audience was over.
For the rest he was courteous鈥攁sked of the voyage鈥攁nd of the Admiral’s notion of the Strait. 鏉窞涓嬪煄鍖轰笣琚滀細鎵€ “A great man!” he said. “A Thinker, a Seer.” He sent him messages of courtesy three-piled. And so we parted.
This was the Governor of whom one said long afterwards,
“He was a good governor for white men, but not for Indians.”
As life and destiny would have it, in the place