They had been in that town
after the hurricane. It had uprooted the great tree before
the Governor's house and thrown down a part of the church.
"Had the fleet sailed?"
Yes, it seemed. The day before the storm. But these
men knew nothing of its fortunes. He kept the Indians
with us until we sailed, so as not to spread news of where
we were, then gave them presents and let them go.
But on the day we set to sail we did not sail, for along
the coast and into our bay came a small caravel, going with
men to our fort in Xaragua. The captain--Ruy Lopez it
was--met us as a wonder, San Domingo having held that
the hurricane must have sunk us, the sea swallowed us up.
He anchored, took his boat and came to the Admiral upon
the _Consolacion_.
"senor, I am glad to see you living!"
"Yes, I live, senor. Are you well in San Domingo?"
"Well in body, but sick at heart because of the fleet."
"Because of the fleet?"
"The fleet, senor, was a day away when the hurricane
burst. Half the ships were split, lost, sunken! The others,
broken, returned to us. One only went on to Spain. The
gold ships are lost. Only, they say, the gold that pertains to
you, goes on safely on that one to Cadiz. Gwarionex the
Indian is drowned, and Bobadilla and Roldan are drowned."
CHAPTER XL
THE Indians called it Guanaja, but the Admiral, the
Isle of Pines.
Pages:
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372