`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.
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