Up the river came a long boat, and we found it
to hold Diego Tristan and eight men sent by the Admiral
with a forgotten word for the Adelantado. Much we rejoiced
that the ships were not clean gone!
Diego Tristan took our news. The Adelantado--his hurt
was slight--wrote again to the Admiral. Again we said
farewell to Diego Tristan. The long boat passed a turn
in the Bethlehem; out of our sight. Once we thought we
heard a faint and distant shouting, but there was no telling.
But in five hours there staggered into fort Juan de Noya
who alone lived of that boatful, set upon by Quibian. Diego
Tristan dead, and seven men.
All that night we heard in the wood those throbbing Indian
drums and wild-blowing shells.
They were Caribs, now we were sure, and Quibian lived
and preached a holy war. Though we had driven them off,
we heard them mustering again. If we could not get food
--perhaps not water?
Sixty of ours came to the Adelantado. In truth, all might
have come, for massacre, slow or swift, was certain if we
stayed in Veragua. I read that the Adelantado, who was
never accused of cowardice or fickleness, was himself determined.
The settlement below the golden mines of golden
Veragua must wait a little.
We took our wounded and with the Adelantado, turned
Mars in these three days, came down to the Bethlehem, to
a pebbly shore from which the water had shrunken.
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