ghly polished as to appear
as if finely enamelled. At his shoulder hung a quiver full of arrows.
With a light and elastic step and an animated and gallant air his
whole appearance was that of an ambassador, worthy of the young and
beautiful princess whom he served."

The morning was somewhat advanced, ere they left the village. It was a
beautiful day in a lovely clime. Their route led down the banks of the
river through luxuriant and enchanting scenery. After a pleasant walk
of ten or twelve miles, they rested in the shade of a grove, for their
noonday meal. Their young guide had been very social all the way,
entertaining them with information of the region through which they
were passing, and of the people. As they were partaking of their
refreshments, suddenly the aspect of their young companion became
greatly altered. He was silent, thoughtful and apparently deeply
depressed. At length he quietly took the quiver from his shoulder, and
slowly and seemingly lost in deep reflection, drew out the arrows one
by one. They were very beautiful, of the highest possible finish,
keenly pointed, and triangularly feathered.

The Spaniards took them up, admired them greatly, and passed them from
hand to hand. At length he drew out an arrow barbed with flint, long,
and sharp, and shaped like a dagger. Casting an anxious glance around,
and seeing the attention of the Spaniards engrossed in examining his
weapons, he plunged the keen pointed arrow down his throat, severing
an artery, and almost immediately fell dead. The soldiers were shocked
and bewildered, not being able to conceive of any reason for the
dreadful occurrence. There were several Indian attendants in the
company, who seemed to be overwhelmed with distress, uttering loud
cries of grief over the corpse.

It subsequently appeared, that the young guide was a great favorite
with the queen mother; that he knew that she was very unwilling to
have any acquaintance with the Spaniards, and he apprehended that it
was their object to seize her and carry her off by violence. The
thought that he was guiding them to her retreat overwhelmed him. He
could not endure the idea of meeting her, and perhaps of being
reproached as her betrayer.

On the other hand, the queen, whom he revered and loved, had
commissioned him to conduct the Spaniards to her mother's abode. He
did not dare to disobey her commands. Either alternative was more to
be dreaded by him than death. The ingenuous you