powerful people the Spaniards were and how advisable it would be to
receive them kindly. This attended to, the converted Indian was to
rejoin the ship at La Navidad, where Columbus would richly reward him
for his services. Our simple Columbus, who loved Spain's civilization
and power, entertained great hopes of the Indian's mission, and never
suspected that this savage preferred his native island; and that, once
he set foot on it, he would never again risk himself in the presence of
white men!

The Admiral next stopped at the mouth of a stream where, on his previous
voyage, he had heard of gold. The party who went ashore to search for it
soon came back aghast. They had found, instead, two bodies lashed to a
stake in the form of a cross. The men were hardly recognizable, but the
scraps of clothing looked Spanish. The ominous news ran from ship to
ship and gloom began to settle over the entire expedition.

Columbus, much disturbed, hastened on to La Navidad. On approaching the
spot his crew fired a cannon and shouted, but no response came. They
landed; but it was to find the fortress a blackened ruin and the whole
settlement destroyed. Even the stout-hearted Admiral was now utterly
dejected.

After a spell of grieving came a ray of hope. Perhaps Diego de Arana and
his other friends were not all dead; perhaps the treacherous natives had
merely driven them off. He had told Diego to keep the gold they gathered
hidden in a well, so that, in case of attack, it would be safe; and off
Columbus started to hunt for the well. No amount of searching revealed
it; instead, another painful sight, a few dead Spaniards; that was all.

Inland, far away from his original abode, the king was found who had so