1492

by Mary Johnston

  CHAPTER XXXVI

  THE caravel tossed in a heavy storm. Some of her mariners were oldin these waters, but others, coming out with Bobadilla, had littleknowledge of our breadths of Ocean-Sea. They had met naught like thisrain, this shaken air, these thunders and lightnings. There rose a crythat the ship would split. All was because they had chained the Admiral!

  Don Alonso de Villejo, the Captain taking Christopherus Columbus toSpain, called to him Juan Lepe. "Witness you, Doctor, I would have takenaway the irons so soon as we were out of harbor! I would have done it onmy own responsibility. But he would not have it!"

  "Yes, I witness. In chains in Hispaniola, he will come to Spain inchains."

  "If the ship goes down every man must save himself. He must be free. Ihave sent for the smith. Come you with me!"

  We went to that dusky cabin in the ship where he was prisoned. "It isa great storm, and we are in danger, senor!" said Villejo. "I will takeaway these irons so that if--"

  The Admiral's silver hair gleamed in the dusk. He moved and his gyvesstruck together. "Villejo!" he said, "if I lie to-night on the floor ofOcean-Sea, I will lie there in these chains! When the sea gives up itsdead, I will rise in them!"

  "I could force you, senor," said Villejo.

  The other answered, "Try it, and God will make your hands like ababe's!"

  Villejo and the smith did not try it. There was something around himlike an invisible guard. I knew the feel of it, and that it was his willemerged at height.

  "Remember then, senor, that I would have done it for you!" Villejotouched the door. The Admiral's voice came after. "My brother, DonBartholomew, he who was responsible to me and only through me to theSovereigns, free him, Villejo, and you have all my thanks!"

  We went to take the gyves from Don Bartholomew. It would have beencomfort to these brothers to be together in prison--but that theGovernor of Hispaniola straitly forbade. When Villejo had explained whathe would do, the Adelantado asked, "What of the Admiral?"

  "I wish to take them from him also. But he is obstinate in his pride andwill not!"

  "He will go as he is to the Queen and Spain and the world," said JuanLepe.

  "That is enough for me," answered the Adelantado. "I do not go downto-night a freed body while he goes down a chained.--Farewell, senor! Ithink I hear your sailors calling."

  Villejo hesitated. "Let them have their will, senor," said Juan Lepe."Their will is as good as ours."

  Don Bartholomew turned to me. "How fares my brother, Doctor? Is he ill?"

  "He is better. Because he was ill I was let to come with him. But now heis better."

  "Give him my enduring love and constancy," said the Adelantado. "Goodnight, Villejo!" and turned upon his side with a rattling of his chain.

  Returning to the Admiral, Juan Lepe sat beside him through the night.The tempest continuing, there were moments when we thought, It may bethe end of this life! We thought to hear the cry "She sinks!" and therush of feet.

  At times when there fell lulls we talked. He was calmly cheerful.

  "It seems to me that the storm lessens. I have been penning in my mind,lying here, a letter to one who will show it to the Queen. Writing so, Ican say with greater freedom that which should be said."

  "What do you say?"

  He told me with energy. His letter related past events in Hispaniola andthe arrival of Bobadilla and all that took place thereupon. He had aneloquence of the pen as of speech, and what he said to Dona Juana de laTorre moved. A high simplicity was his in such moment, an opening ofthe heart, such as only children and the very great attain. He told hiswrongs, and he prayed for just judgment, "not as a ruler of an orderedland where obtain old, known, long-followed laws, and where indeeddisorder might cry 'Weakness and Ill-doing!' But I should be judgedrather as a general sent to bring under government an enemy people,numerous, heathen, living in a most difficult, unknown and pathlesscountry. And to do this I had many good men, it is true, but also a hostthat was not good, but was factious, turbulent, sensual and idle.Yet have I brought these strange lands and naked peoples under theSovereigns, giving them the lordship of a new world. What say myaccusers? They say that I have taken great honors and wealth andnobility for myself and my house. Even they say, O my friend! that fromthe vast old-and-new and fairest land that I have lately found, I tookand kept the pearls that those natives brought me, not rendering them tothe Sovereigns. God judge me, it is not so! Spain becometh vastly rich,and the head of the world, and her Sovereigns, lest they should scanttheir own nobility, give nobility, place and wage to him who broughtthem Lordship here. It is all! And out of my gain am I not pledged togather an army and set it forth to gain the Sepulchre? Have I fallen,now and again, in all these years in my Government, into some error?How should I not do so, being human? But never hath an error been meant,never have I wished but to deal honestly and mercifully with all, withSpaniards and with Indians, to serve well the Sovereigns and to advancethe Cross. I call the saints to witness! All the way has been difficult,thorns of nature's and my enemies' planting, but God knoweth, I havetrodden it steadily. I have given much to the Sovereigns, how much it isfuture days brighter than these will show! I have been true servant tothem. If now, writing in chains, upon the caravel _Santa, Marta_, I cryto them for justice, it is because I do not fear justice!"

  He ceased to speak, then presently, "I would that all might see thelight that I see over the future!--Thou seest it, Juan Lepe."

  "Aye, I see light over the future."

  By littles the storm fell. Ere dawn we could say, "We shall outlive it!"He slept for an hour then waked. "I was dreaming of the Holy Land--butdo you know, Juan Lepe, it was seated here in the lands we found!"

  "Seated here and everywhere," I said. "As soon as we see it so and makeit so."

  "Aye, I know that the sea is holy, and so should be all the land! Theprophet sees it so--"

  The dawn came faintly in upon us. All was quieter, the footing overheadsteady, not hasting, frightened. Light strengthened. A boy broughthim breakfast. He ate with appetite. "You are better," I said, "andyounger."

  "It is a strange thing," he answered, "but so it had been from myboyhood. Is the danger close and drear, is the ship upon the reef, thensome one pours for me wine! Some one, do I say? I know Whom!"

  I began to speak of the Adelantado. "Aye, there he is the same!'Peril--darkness? Well, let's meet it!' We are alike, we three brothers,alike and different. Diego serves God best in a monastery, and I servebest in a ship with a book and a map to be followed and bettered.Bartholomew serves best where he has been, Adelantado and Alcayde. Heis powerful there, with judgment and action. But he is a sea master too,and he makes a good map.--I thank God who gave us good parents, and tous all three mind and a firm will! The inheritance passes to my sons.You have not seen them? They are youths of great promise! A family thatis able and at one, loving and aiding each the other, honoring its pastand providing for its future, becomes, I tell you, an Oak that cannot befelled--an Ark that rides the waters!"

  As he moved, his chains made again their dull noise. "Do they greatlygall you?"

  "Yes, they gall! Flesh and spirit. But I shall wear them until the Queensaith, 'Away with them!' But ever after I shall keep them by me! Theyshall hang in my house where forever men shall see them! In my son'shouse after me, and in his son's!"

  Alonso de Villejo visited him. "The tempest is over, senor. I take itfor good augury in your affair!"

  Juan Lepe upon the deck found beside him a man whom he knew. "What d'yethink? At the worst, in the middle night, there came to Don Alonso andthe master the old seamen and would have him freed so that he might saveus! They said that they had seen his double upon the poop, looking atthe sea and waving his arm. Then it vanished! They wanted the whole man,they wanted the Admiral! The master roared at them and sent them back,but if it had come to the worst--I don't know!"

  Cadiz--the _Santa Marta_ came to Cadiz. Before us had arrivedBobadilla's ships, one, two and three. What he found to sa
y through hismessengers of the Admiral and Viceroy was in the hands and eyes andears of all. He said at the height of his voice, across the ocean fromHispaniola, violent and villainous things.

  Cadiz--Spain. We crowded to look.. Down plunged anchor, down rattledsails, around us came the boats. The Admiral and the Adelantado restedin chains. The corregidor of Cadiz took them both thus ashore and to ahouse where they were kept, until the Sovereigns should say, "Bring thembefore us!"

  Juan Lepe the physician was let to go in the boat with him. JuanLepe--Jayme de Marchena. It was eight years since I had quitted Spain. Iwas older by that, grizzled, bearded and so bronzed by the Indies thatI needed no Moorish stain. I trusted God that Don Pedro and the HolyOffice had no longer claws for me.

  Cadiz, and all the people out, pointing and staring. I remembered whatI had been told of the return from his first voyage, and the secondvoyage. Then had been bells and trumpets, flowers, banners, grandeesdrawing him among them, shouts and shouts of welcome!

  He walked in gyves, he and the Adelantado, to the house of hisdetention. Once only a single voice was raised in a shout, "ElAlmirante!" We came to the house, not a prison, though a prison for him.In a good enough room the corregidor sought to have the chains removed.The Admiral would not, keeping back with voice and eye the men whowished to part them from him. When the Sovereigns knew, and when theSovereigns sent--then, but not before!

  Seven days in this house. Then word from the Sovereigns, and it was hereindignant, and here comforting. The best was the Queen's word; I do notknow if it was so wholly King Ferdinand's. There were letters to thealcalde and corregidor. Release the Admiral of the Ocean-Sea! DonFrancisco de Bobadilla had grossly misunderstood! Soothe the Admiral'shurt. Show him trust and gratitude in Cadiz that was become throughhim a greater city! Fulfill his needs and further him upon the wayto Granada. Put in his purse two thousand ducats. But the letter thatcounted most to Christopherus Columbus was one to himself from theQueen.

  Juan Lepe found him with it in his hand. From the wrist yet hung thechain. Tears were running down his cheeks. "You see--you see!" he said."I thank thee, Christ, who taketh care of us all!"

  They came and took away his chains. But he claimed them from thecorregidor and kept them to his death. Came hidalgos of Cadiz andentreated him away from this house to a better one. Outside the streetwas thronged. "The Admiral! The Admiral! Who gave to Spain the Indies!"

  Don Bartholomew was by him, freed like him. And there too moved aslender young man who had come from Granada with the Queen's letter, DonFernando, his eldest son. A light seemed around them. Juan Lepe thought,"Surely they who serve large purposes are cared for. Even though theyshould die in prison, yet are they cared for!"