1492 Part 29

So the ships sailed. Time pa.s.sed.

CHAPTER x.x.xV

UP and down went the great Roldan scission. Up and down went Indian revolt, repression, fresh revolt, fresh repression. On flowed time.

Ships came in, one bearing Don Diego; ships went out. Time pa.s.sed.

Alonso de Ojeda, who by now was no more than half his friend, returned to Spain and there proposed to the Sovereigns a voyage of his own to that Southern Continent that never had the Admiral chance to return to!

The Sovereigns now were giving such consent to this one and to that one, breaking their pact with Christopherus Columbus. In our world it was now impossible that that pact should be letter-kept, but the Genoese did not see it so. Ojeda sailed from Cadiz for Paria with four ships and a concourse of adventurers. With him went the pilot Juan de la Cosa, and a geographer of Florence, Messer Amerigo Vespucci.

It came to us in Hispaniola that Ojeda was gone. Now I saw the Admiral's heart begin to break. Yet Ojeda in his voyage did not find the Earthly Paradise, only went along that coast as we had done, gathered pearls, and returned.

Time pa.s.sed. Other wild and restless adventurers beside Roldan broke into insurrections less than Roldan's. The Viceroy hanged Moxica and seven with him, and threw into prison Guevara and Requelme. Roldan, having had his long fling--too powerful still to hang or to chain in some one of our forts--Roldan wrote and received permission, and came to San Domingo, and was reconciled.

Suddenly, after long time of turmoil, wild adventure and uncertainty, peace descended. Over all Hispaniola the Indians submitted. Henceforth they were our subjects; let us say our victims and our slaves! Quarrels between Castilians died over night. Miraculously the sky cleared.

Miraculously, or perhaps because of long, patient steering through storm. For three months we lived with an appearance of blossoming and prospering. It seemed that it might become a peaceful, even a happy island.

The Viceroy grew younger, the Adelantado grew younger, and Don Diego, and with them those who held by them through thick and thin. The Admiral began to talk Discovery. It was two years since there, far to the south, we had pa.s.sed in by the Mouth of the Serpent, and out by the Mouth of the Dragon.

The Viceroy, inspecting the now quiet Vega, rode to an Indian village, near Concepcion. He had twenty behind him, well-armed, but arms were not needed. The people came about him with an eagerness, a docility. They told their stories. He sat his horse and listened with a benignant face.

Certain harshnesses in times and amounts of their tribute he redressed.

Forever, when personal appeal came to him, he proved magnanimous, often tender, fatherly and brotherly. At a distance he could be severe. But when I think of the cruelties and high-handedness of others here, the Adelantado and the Viceroy shine mildly.

We rode back to Concepcion. I remember the jewel-like air that day, the flowers, the trees, the sky. Palms rustled above us, the brilliant small lizards darted around silver trunks. "The fairest day!" quoth the Admiral. "Ease at heart! I feel ease at heart."

This night, as I sat beside him, wiling him to sleep, for he always had trouble sleeping--a most wakeful man!--he talked to me about the Queen.

Toward this great woman he ever showed veneration, piety, and knightly regard. Of all in Spain she it was who best understood and shared that religious part in him that breathed upward, inspired, longed and strained toward worlds truly not on the earthly map. She, like him--or so took leave to think Juan Lepe--received at times too docilely word of authority, or that which they reckoned to be authority. Princes of the Church could bring her to go against her purer thought. The world as it is, dinging ever, "So important is wealth--so important is herald-n.o.bility--so important is father-care in these respects for sons!" could make him take a tortuous and complicated way, could make him bow and cap, could make him rule with an ear for world's advice when he should have had only his book and his ship and his dream and a cheering cry "Onward!" Or so thinks Juan Lepe. But Juan Lepe and all wait on full light.

He talked of her great nature, and her goodness to him. Of how she understood when the King would not. Of how she would never listen to his enemies, or at the worst not listen long.

He turned upon his bed in the warm Indian night. I asked him if I should read to him but he said, not yet. He had talked since the days of his first seeking with many a great lord, aye, and great lady. But the Queen was the one of them all who understood best how to trust a man!

Differences in mind arose within us all, and few could find the firm soul behind all that! She could, and she was great because she could.

He loved to talk with her. Her face lighted when he came in. When others were by she said "Don Cristoval", or "El Almirante", but with himself alone she still said "Master Christopherus" as in the old days.

At last he said, "Now, let us read." Each time he came from Spain to Hispaniola he brought books. And when ships came in there would be a packet for him. I read to him now from an old poet, printed in Venice.

He listened, then at last he slept. I put out the candle, stepped softly forth past Gonsalvo his servant, lying without door.

An hour after dawn a small cavalcade appeared before the fort. At first we thought it was the Adelantado from Xaragua. But no! it was Alonzo de Carvajal with news and a letter from San Domingo, and in the very statement ran a thrilling something that said, "Hark, now! I am Fortune that turns the wheel."

Carvajal said, "senor, I have news and a letter for your ear and eye alone!"

"From my brother at San Domingo?"

"Aye, and from another," said Carvajal. "Two ships have come in."

With that the Admiral and he went into Commandant's house.

The men at Concepcion made Carvajal's men welcome. "And what is it?"

"And what is it?" They had their orders evidently, but much wine leaked out of the cask. If one wished the Viceroy and his brothers ill, it was found to be heady wine; if the other way round, it seemed thin, chilly and bitter. Here at Concepcion were Admiral's friends.

After an hour he came again among us, behind him Carvajal.

Now, this man, Christopherus Columbus, always appeared most highly and n.o.bly Man, most everlasting and universal, in great personal trouble and danger. It was, I hold, because nothing was to him smally personal, but always pertained to great ma.s.ses, to worlds and to ages. Now, looking at him, I knew that trouble and danger had arrived. He said very little. If I remember, it was, "My friends, the Sovereigns whom we trust and obey, have sent a Commissioner, Don Francisco de Bobadilla, whom we must go meet. We ride from Concepcion at once to Bonao."

We rode, his company and Carvajal's company.

Don Francisco de Bobadilla! Jayme de Marchena had some a.s.sociation here.

It disentangled itself, came at last clear. A Commander of the Order of Calatrava--about the King in some capacity--able and honest, men said.

Able and honest, Jayme de Marchena had heard said, but also a pa.s.sionate man, and a vindictive, and with vanity enough for a legion of peac.o.c.ks.

We came to Bonao and rested here. I had a word that night from the Admiral. "Doctor, Doctor, a man must outlook storm! He grew man by that."

I asked if I might know what was the matter.

He answered, "I do not know myself. Don Diego says that great powers have been granted Don Francisco de Bobadilla. I have not seen those powers. But he has demanded in the name of the Sovereigns our prisoners, our ships and towns and forts, and has cited us to appear before him and answer charges--of I know not what! I well think it is a voice without true mind or power behind it--I go to San Domingo, but not just at his citation!"

Later, in the moonlight, one of our men told me that which a man of Carvajal had told him. All the Admiral's enemies, and none ever said they were few, had this fire-new commissioner's ear! A friend could not get within hail. Just or unjust, every complaint came and squatted in a ring around him. Maybe some were just--such as soldiers not being able to get their pay, for instance. There was never but one who lived without spot or blemish. But of course we knew that the old Admiral wasn't really a tyrant, cruel and a fool! Of course not. Carvajal's man was prepared to fight any man of his own cla.s.s who would say that to his face! He'd fight, too, for the Adelantado. Don Francisco de Bobadilla had no sooner landed than he began to talk and act as though they were all villains. Don Diego--whom it was laughable to call a villain--and all. He went to ma.s.s at once--Don Francisco de Bobadilla--and when it was over and all were out and all San Domingo there in the square, he had his letters loudly read. True enough! He is Governor, and everybody else must obey him! _Even the Admiral!_

At dawn Juan Lepe walked and thought. And then he saw coming the Franciscan, Juan de Trasiena and Francisco Velasquez the Treasurer. That which Juan de Trasiena and Francisco Velasquez brought were attested copies of the royal letters.

I saw them. "Wherefore we have named Don Francisco de Bobadilla Governor of these islands and of the main land, and we command you, cavaliers and all persons whatever, to give him that obedience which you do owe to us." And to him, the new Governor: "Whomsoever you find guilty, arrest their persons and take over their goods." And, "If you find it to our service that any cavaliers or other persons who are at present in these islands should leave them, and that they should come and present themselves before us, you may command it in our names and oblige it."

And, "Whomsoever you thus command, we hereby order that immediately they obey as though it were ourselves." "And if thus and thus is found to be the case, the said Admiral of the Ocean-Sea shall give into your hands, ships, fortresses, arms, houses and treasure, and he shall himself be obedient to your command."

The Admiral said, "If it be found thus and thus! But how shall he find it, seeing that it is not so?"

We rode to San Domingo, but not many rode. He would not have many. "No show of force, no gaud of office!"

He rode unarmored, on his gray horse. The banner that was always borne with him--"Yea, carry it still, until he demands it!"

We were a bare dozen, but when we entered San Domingo one might think that Don Francisco de Bobadilla feared an army, for he had all his soldiers drawn up to greet us! The rest of the population were in coigns, gazing. We saw friends--Juan Ponce de Leon and others--but they were helpless. For all the people in it, the place seemed to me dead quiet, hot, sunny, dead quiet.

The Admiral rode to the square. Here was his house, and the royal banner over it. He dismounted and spoke to men before the door. "Tell Don Francisco de Bobadilla that Don Cristoval Colon is here."

There came an officer with a sword, behind him a dozen men. "Senor, in the name of the Sovereigns, I arrest you!"

Christopherus Columbus gazed upon him. "For what, senor?"

The other, an arrogant, ill-tempered man, answered loudly so that all around could hear, "For ill-service to our lord the King and Queen, and to their subjects here in the Indies, and to G.o.d!"

"G.o.d knows, you hurt the truth!" said the Admiral. "Where is my brother, Don Diego?"

"Laid by the heels in the Santa Catarina," answered the graceless man; then to one of the soldiers, "Take the banner from behind him and rest it against the wall."

The Admiral said, "I would see Don Francisco de Bobadilla."

"That is as he desires and when he desires," the other replied. "Close around him, men!"