1492

by Mary Johnston

  CHAPTER XXIV

  THE butio of this town had been absent for some reason in the great woodthose days of the shipwreck and the building of La Navidad. Now he wasagain here, and I consorted with him and chiefly from him learned theirlanguage. The Admiral had taken Diego Colon to Spain, and to Spain wasgone too Luis Torres, swearing that he would come again. To Spain wasgone Sancho, but Beltran the cook stayed with us. Pedro and Fernandoalso.

  Time passed. With the ending of January the heat increased. The butioknew all manner of simples; he was doctor and priest together. He hada very simple magic. He himself did not expect it to reach the GreatSpirit, but it might affect the innumerable _zemes_ or under andunder-under spirits. These barbarians, using other words for them, hadletter-notion of gnome, sylph, undine and salamander. All things livedand took offense or became propitious. Effort consisted in making thempropitious. If the effort was too great one of them killed you. Thenyou went to the shadowy caves. There was a paradise, too, beautiful andeasy. But the Great Spirit could not be hurt and had no wish to hurt anyone else, whether _zemes_ or men. To live with the Great Spirit, thatwas really the Heron wish, though the little herons could not always seeit.

  This butio--Guarin his name--was a young man with eyes that could burnand voice that fell naturally into a chant. He took me into the forestwith him to look for a very rare tree. When it was found I watched himgather plants from beneath it and scrape bits off its bark into a smallcalabash. I understood that it was good for fever, and later I borrowedfrom him and found that he had grounds for what he said.

  La Navidad and Guarico neighbored each other. The Indians came freely tothe fort, but Diego de Arana made a good _alcayde_ and he would nothave mere crowding within our wooden wall. Half of our thirty-eight,permitted at a time to wander, could not crowd Guarico. But in himselfeach Spaniard seemed a giant. At first a good giant, profoundlyinteresting. But I was to see pleased interest become a painfulinterest.

  Women. The first complaint arose about the gods or the giants and women.Guacanagari came to La Navidad with Guarin and several old men hiscouncilors. Diego de Arana received them and there was talk under thegreat tree within our gate. Then all the garrison was drawn up, and inthe presence of the cacique Arana gave rebuke and command, and the twothat had done the outrage had prison for a week. It was our first plainshowing in this world that heaven-people or Europeans could differ amongthemselves as to right and wrong, could quarrel, upbraid and punish. Buthere was evidently good and bad. And what might be the proportion? Asdays went by the question gathered in this people's bosom.

  It was not that their women stood aloof from our men. Many did not soin the least! But it was to be free will and actual fondness, and inmeasure.--But there were those among us who, finding in lonely places,took by force. These became hated.

  Diego de Arana was to collect the gold that was a royal monopoly.Trading for gold for one's self was forbidden. Assuredly taking it byforce--assuredly all robbery of that or anything else--was forbidden.But there came a robbery, and since it was resisted, murder followed.This was a league from Guarico and from La Navidad. The slain Indian'scompanion escaping, told.

  This time Diego de Arana went to Guarico and Guacanagari. He took withhim a rich present, and he showed how the guilty men were punished. "Youdo not slay them?" asked Guacanagari. Arana shook his head. He thoughtwe were too few in this land to be ridding of life the violent andlustful. But the Indians seemed to think that he said that he couldnot. They still doubted, I think, our mortality. As yet they had seen nomighty stranger bleed or die.

  Arana would have kept his garrison within the walls. But indeed itwas not healthful for them there, and at the very word of confinementfaction rose. There were now two parties in La Navidad, the Commandant'sparty and Escobedo's party.

  The heat increased. It was now March. An illness fell among us. I tookGuarin into counsel and gave in water the bitter inner bark of thattree shredded and beaten fine. Those who shook with cold and burned withfever recovered.

  Fray Ignatio was among those who sickened. He left after some days hishammock, but his strength did not come back to him. Yet, staff in hand,he went almost daily to Guarico. Then, like that! Fray Ignatio died. Hedied--his heart stopped--on the path between Guarico and La Navidad.He had been preaching, and then, Guarin told me, he put his hand to hisside, and said, "I will go home!" He started up the path, but at the bigtree he dropped. Men and women ran to him, but the butio was dead.

  We buried Fray Ignatio beneath the cross on the hilltop. The Indianswatched, and now they knew that we could die.

  The heat increased.

  At first Diego de Arana sent out at intervals exploring parties. We wereto learn, at least, Guacanagari's country. But the heat was great, andso many of those left at La Navidad only idle and sensual. They wouldpush on to a village--we found in Guacanagari's country many hamlets,but no other town like Guarico--and there they would stop, with newwomen, new talk, and the endless plenty to eat and sleep in theshade. When, at their own sweet will, they returned to La Navidad,the difficulties had been too great. They could not get to the highmountains where might or might not be the mines. But what they did wasto spread over the country scandalous news of scandalous gods.

  At last Arana sorted out those who could be trusted at least to strivefor knowledge and self-control and sent these. But that weakened him atLa Navidad, draining him of pure blood and leaving the infected, and bymid-April he ceased any effort at exploration. It must wait until theAdmiral returned, and he began to be hungry indeed for that return.

  Escobedo and Pedro Gutierrez were not hungry for it--not yet. Thesetwo became the head and front of ill, encouraging every insubordinate,infuriating all who suffered penalties, teaching insolence, self-willand license. They drew their own feather to them, promising evil knowswhat freedom for rapine.

  All the silver weather, golden weather, diamond weather since we hadleft Gomera in the Canaries--how many ages since!--now was changed. Wehad thought it would last always, but now we entered the long season ofgreat heat and daily rain. At first we thought these rains momentary,but day after day, week after week, with stifling heat, the cloudsgathered, broke, and came mighty rain that at last ceased to berefreshing, became only wearying and hateful. It did not cool us; welived in a sultry gloom. And the garrison of La Navidad became veryquarrelsome. La Navidad showed the Indians Europeans cursing oneanother, giving blows, only held back by those around from rushing ateach other, stabbing and cutting. Finally they saw Tomaso Passamontekill one Jacamo. Diego de Arana hung Tomaso Passamonte. But what werethe Indians to think? Not what they thought when first we came from thewinged canoes to their beaches.

  The last of April fell the second sickness and it was far worse thanthe first. Eleven men died, and we buried them. When it passed we weretwenty-five Spaniards in Hispaniola, and we liked not the Indians aswell as we had done, and they liked not us. Oh, the pity--pity--pity,the pity and the blame!

  Guacanagari came to visit the commandant, none with him but the butioGuarin, and desiring to speak with Arana out of the company. They talkedbeneath the big tree, that being the most comfortable and commodiouscouncil chamber. Don Diego was imperfect yet in the tongue of Guarico,and he called Juan Lepe to help him out.

  It was a story of Caonabo, cacique of Maguana that ran into the greatmountains of Cibao, that cacique of whom we had already heard as beinglike Caribs. Caonabo had sent quite secretly two of his brothers toGuacanagari. He had heard ill of the strangers and thought they weredemons, not gods! He advised the cacique of Guarico to surprise themwhile they slept and slay them. It was in his experience that all whoate and slept could be slain. If his brother Guacanagari needed help inthe adventure, Caonabo would give it. He would even come in person.

  Diego de Arana said, "What did you answer, O Cacique."

  Guacanagari spoke at some length of our Great Cacique and his longingthat he might return. Everything had gone well while he was here! "Hewill return," said Arana. "And
he has your word."

  Guacanagari stated that he meant to keep his word. He had returnedanswer to Caonabo that there had been misfortunes but that the mightystrangers were truly mighty, and almost wholly beneficent. At any rate,he was not prepared to slay them, did not wish to slay them.

  Arana spoke vigorously, pointing out to the cacique all the kindlinessthat had attended our first intercourse. The unhappinesses of February,March and April he attributed to real demons, not to our own fiend butto small powers at large, maleficent and alarmed, heathen powers inshort, jealous of the introduction of the Holy Catholic religion.Guacanagari seemed to understand about these powers. He looked relieved.But Guarin who was with him regarded the sea and I saw his lip curl.

  The commandant wished to know if there were any danger of Caonabo,alone, descending upon us from the mountains. But no! Maguana andGuarico were friends. They had not always been so, but now they werefriends. De Arana looked doubtfully, and I saw him determine tokeep watch and ward and to hold the men within or near to fort. ButGuacanagari sat serene. He repeated that there were always preliminariesbefore wars, and that for a long time there had only been peace betweenGuarico and Maguana. "Caonabo is Carib," said the young copper priest.The cacique answered, "Carib long ago. Not now."

  At sunset, the rain ceasing for a little, the earth smoking, the westa low, vaporous yellow, the swollen river sounding, Diego de Aranahad summoned by the drum every man in La Navidad. He stood beneath ourbanner and put his hand upon the staff and spoke earnestly to thosegathered before him, in their duty and out of their duty. He told ofCaonabo, and of his own sense that Guacanagari was too confident. Hetold of Guacanagari's fidelity to the Admiral, and he appealed to everyChristian there to be at least as faithful. We were few and far fromSpain, and we had perhaps more than we could conceive in trust. "Farfrom Spain, but no farther than we will from the blessed saints and thetrue Christ. Let us put less distance there, being few in this land andin danger!"

  He knew that he had a dozen with him, and looked straight at Escobedo.

  The latter said, "Live in the open and die there, if need be! To live inthis rat hole, breathing plague, is dying already! Caonabo is a fable!These people! Spaniards have but to lift voice and they flee!"

  He received from his following acquiescent sound. Spoke Pedro Gutierrez."Guacanagari wishes to bottle us here; that is the whole of it. Why playhis game? I never saw a safer land! Only La Navidad is not safe!"

  Those two had half and perhaps more than half of the garrison. Aranacried, "Don Roderigo de Escobedo and Don Pedro Gutierrez, you serve theQueen ill!"

  "You, Senor," answered Gutierrez, "serve my Lady Idle Fear and my LordIncapacity!"

  Whereupon Arana put him in arrest and he lay that night in prison. Thecloud was black over La Navidad.