1492 Part 21

Halfway to level land he met Guarin coming up; the two met beneath a tree huge and spreading, curtained with a vine, starred with flowers.

"He has come!" cried the Indian. "They have come!" In his voice was marveling, awe, perturbation.

The sun in the sky shone, and in the bay hung that wonder of return, the many ships for the _Nina_. Juan Lepe and Guarin went on down through wood to a narrow silver beach, out upon which had cast itself an Indian village.

Guacanagari was not here. He waited within his house for the Admiral.

But his brother, and others of Guarico, saw me and there rose a clamor and excitement that for the moment took them from the ships. Guarin explained and Juan Lepe explained, but still this miraculous day dyed also for them my presence here. I had been slain, and had come to life to greet the Great Cacique! It grew to a legend. I met it so, long afterwards in Hispaniola.

CHAPTER XXVII

ONE by one were incoming, were folding wings, were anchoring, Spanish ships. Three were larger each than the _Santa Maria_ and the _Pinta_ together; the others caravels of varying size. Seventeen in all, a fleet, crowded with men, having cannon and banners and music. Europe was coming with strength into Asia! The Indians on the beach were moved as by an unresting wind. They had terror, they had delight, and some a mere stupidity of staring. The greatest ship, the first to anchor, carried the banner of Castile and Leon, and the Admiral's banner. Now a boat put off from her, boats also from the two ships next in grandeur.

As they came over the blue wave Juan Lepe stepped down sand to water edge. Not here, but somewhat to the west, before La Navidad would one look for this anchoring. He thought rightly that the Admiral came here from La Navidad, where he found only ruin, but also some straying Indian who could give news. So it was, for presently in the foremost boat I made out two Guarico men. They had told of Caonabo and of Guacanagari's fortunes, and of every Spaniard dead of that illness or slain by Caonabo. They would put Juan Lepe among these last, but here was Juan Lepe, one only left of that thirty-eight.

The boat approached. I saw the bared head, higher than any other, the white hair, the blue-gray eyes, the strong nose and lips, the whole majestic air of the man, as of a great one chosen. Master Christopherus--Don Cristoval--_el Almirante_! One of the rowers, and that was Sancho with whom I had walked on the Fishertown road, first saw me and gave a startled cry. All in the boat turned head. I heard the Admiral's voice, "Aye, it is! It is!"

Boat touched sand, there was landing. All sprang out. The Admiral took me in his arms. "You alone--one only?"

I answered, "One only. The most died in their duty."

He released me. "Senors, this is senor Juan Lepe, that good physician whom we left. Now tell--tell all--before we go among this folk!"

By water edge I told, thirty men of Spain around me. A woeful story, I made it short. These men listened, and when it was done fell a silence.

Christopherus Columbus broke it. "The wave sucks under and throws out again, but we sail the sea, have sailed it and will sail it!--Now were these Indians false or fair?"

I could tell how fair they had been--could praise Guarico and Guacanagari and Guarin. He listened with great satisfaction. "I would lay my head for that Indian!"

Talk with him could not be prolonged, for we were in a scene of the greatest business and commotion. When I sought for Guarin he was gone.

Nor was Guacanagari yet at hand. I looked at the swarming ships and ship boats, and the coming and coming upon the beach of more and more clothed men, and at the tall green palms and the feathered mountains. This host, it seemed to me, was not so artlessly amazed as had been we of the _Santa Maria_, the _Pinta_ and the _Nina_, when first we came to lands so strange to Europe. Presently I made out that they had seen others of these islands and sh.o.r.es. Coming from Spain they had sailed more southerly than we had done before them. They had made a great dip and had come north-by-west to Hispaniola. I heard names of islands given by the Admiral, Dominica, Marigalante, Guadaloupe, Santa Maria la Antigua, San Juan. They had anch.o.r.ed by these, set foot upon them, even fought with people who were Caribs, Caribals or Cannibals. They had a dozen Caribs, men and women, prisoners upon the _Marigalante_ that was the Admiral's ship.

This group about Juan Lepe, survivor of La Navidad, talked like seasoned finders and takers. For the most part they were young men and hidalgos, fighters against the Moors, released by the final conquest of those paynims, out now for further wild adventure and for gold with which to return, wealthy and still young, to Spanish country, Spanish cities, Spanish women! They had the virtue and the vice of their sort, courage, miraculous generosities and as miraculous weaknesses. Gold, valor, comradeship--and eyes resting appraisingly upon young Guarico women there upon the silver beach with Guarico men.

I heard one cry "Master Juan Lepe!" and turning found Luis Torres. We embraced, we were so glad each to see the other. My hidalgos were gone, but before I could question Luis or he me, there bore down upon us, coming together like birds, half a dozen friars. "We bring twelve--number of the Apostles!" said Luis. "Monks and priests. Father Bernardo Buil is their head. The Holy Father hath appointed him Vicar here. You won't find him a Fray Ignatio!"

A bull-necked, dark-browed, choleric looking man addressed me. His Benedictine dress became him ill. He should have been a Captain of Free Lances in whatever brisk war was waging. He said, "The survivor, Juan Lepe?--We stopped at your La Navidad and found ruin and emptiness. There must have been ill management--gross!"

"They are all dead," I answered. "None of us manage the towers so very well!"

He regarded me more attentively. "The physician, Juan Lepe. Where did you study?"

"In Poitiers and in Paris, Father."

"You have," he said, "the height and sinew and something of the eye and voice of a notable disappeared heretic, Jayme de Marchena, who slipped the Dominicans. I saw him once from a doorway. But that the Prior of La Rabida himself told me that he had accurate knowledge that the man was gone with the Jews to Fez, I could almost think--But of course it is not possible, and now I see the differences."

I answered him with some indifferent word, and we came to the Haytiens, and how many had Fray Ignatio made Christian? "I knew him," said the Benedictine. "A good man, but weak, weak!"

Juan Lepe asked of the Indians the Admiral had taken to Spain. "But six reached us alive. We instructed them and baptized them. A great event--the Grand Cardinal and the King and the Queen attending! Three died during the summer, but blessedly, being the first of all their people in all time to enter heaven. A great salvation!"

He looked at the forest and mountains, the sands, the Guaricos, as at a city he was besieging.

"Ha!" said Father Buil, and with his missionaries moved up the beach.

Luis and I began to talk. "No need to tell me that Spain gave you welcome!"'

"The royalest ever! First we came to Lisbon, driven in by storm, and had it there from King John, and then to Palos which, so to speak, went mad!

Then through Spain to Barcelona, where was the court, and all the bells in every town ringing and every door and window crowded, and here is the Faery Prince on a white charger, his Indians behind him and gold and parrots and his sailors! Processions and processions--alcalde and alcayde and don and friar and priest, and let us stop at the church and kneel before high altar, and vow again in seven years to free the Sepulchre! He hath walked and ridden, waked and slept, in a great, high vision! Most men have visions but he can sustain vision."

"Aye, he can!"

"So at last into Barcelona, where grandees meet us, and so on to the court, and music as though the world had turned music! And the King and Queen and great welcome, and, 'Sit beside us, Don Cristoval Colon!' and 'Tell and tell again', and 'Praise we Most High G.o.d!'"

"It is something for which to praise! Ends of the earth beginning to meet."

"Aye! So we write that very night to the Pope to be confirmed that the glory and profit under G.o.d are to Castile and Aragon. But the Queen thought most of the heathen brought to Christ. And the Admiral thinks of his sons and his brothers and his old father, and of the Holy Sepulchre and of the Prophecies, and he has the joy of the runner who touches the goal!--I would you could have seen the royalty with which he was treated--not one day nor week but a whole summer long--the flocking, the bowing and capping, the 'Do me the honor--', the 'I have a small pet.i.tion.' Nothing conquers like conquering!"

"He had long patience."

"Aye. Well, he is at height now. But he has got with him the old disastrous seeds.--Fifteen hundred men, and among them quite a plenty like Gutierrez and Escobedo! But there are good men, too, and a great lot of romantical daredevils. No pressing this time! We might have brought five thousand could the ships have held them. 'Come to the Indies and make your fortune!'--'Aye, that is my desire!'"

I said, "I am looking now at a romantical daredevil whom I have seen before, though I am sure that he never noticed me."

"Don Alonso de Ojeda? He is feather in cap, and sometimes cap, and even at stress head within the cap! Without moving you've beckoned him."

There approached a young man of whom I knew something, having had him pointed out by Enrique de Cerda in Santa Fe. I had before that heard his name and somewhat of his exploits. In our day, over all Spain, one might find or hear of cavaliers of this brand. War with the Moor had lasted somewhat longer than the old famed war with Troy. It had modeled youth; young men were old soldiers. When there came up a sprite like this one he drank war like wine. A slight young man, taut as a rope in a gale, with dark eyes and red lips and a swift, decisive step, up he came.

"Oh, you are the man who lived out of all your fort? How did you manage it?"

"I had a friend among these friendly Indians who rescued me."

"Yes! It is excellent warfare to have friends.--You have seen no knight nor men-at-arms, nor heard of such?"

"Not under those names."

"How far do you think we may be from true houses and cities, castles, fortresses?"

"I haven't the least idea. By the looks of it, pretty far."

"It seems to me that you speak truth," he answered. "Well, it isn't what we looked for, but it's something! Room yet to dare!" Off he went, half Mercury, half Mars, and a sprig of youth to draw the eyes.

"Was there nothing ever heard," I asked Luis, "of the _Pinta_ and Martin Pinzon?"

"He is dead."

"You saw the wreck?"

"No, not that way, though true it is that he wrecked himself! I forget that you know nothing. We met the _Pinta_ last January, not a day from here, with Monte Cristi there yet in sight. When he came aboard and sat in the great cabin I do not know what he said, except that it was of separation by that storm, and the feeling that two parties discovering would thereby discover the more, and the better serve their Majesties.

The Admiral made no quarrel with him. He had some gold and some news of coasts that we had not seen. And he did not seem to think it necessary to seem penitent or anything but just naturally Martin Pinzon. So on we sailed together, he on the _Pinta_ and the Admiral on the _Nina_. But that was a rough voyage home over Ocean-Sea! Had we had such weather coming, might have been mutiny and throat-cutting and putting back, Cathay and India being of no aid to dead men! Six times at least we thought we were drowned, and made vows, kneeling all together and the Admiral praying for us, Fray Ignatio not being there. Then came clear, but beyond Canaries a three days', three nights' weather that truly drove us apart, the _Pinta_ and the _Nina_. We lost each other in the darkness and never found again. We were beaten into the Tagus, the _Pinta_ on to Bayonne. Then, mid-March, we came to Palos, landed and the wonder began. And in three days who should come limping in but the _Pinta_? But she missed the triumph, and Martin Pinzon was sick, and there was some coldness shown. He went ash.o.r.e to his own house, and his illness growing worse he died there. Well, he had qualities."