, animal or man. But now and again, even so early as this, he must
put out hand to check Pinzon's impetuous advice. His brows drew together
above gray eyes and eagle nose. But for the most part, on Gomera, they
were very friendly, and it was a sight to see Admiral and captains and
all the privileged of the expedition sit at wine with the commandant.

Juan Lepe had no quarrel with any of them. Jayme de Marchena swept this
voyage into the Great Voyage.

The _Pinta_ was nearly ready when there arrived a small ship from Ferro
bringing news that three large Portuguese ships had sailed by that
island. Said the commandant, "Spain and Portugal are at peace. They
would not dare to try to oust us!" He came to waterside to talk to the
Admiral. "Not to fight you," said the Admiral, "but me! King John wishes
to keep India, Cipango and Cathay still veiled. So he will get time
in which to have from the Holy Father another bull that will place the
Portuguese line west and west until he hath the whole!" He raised his
hand and let it fall. "I cannot sail to-morrow, but I will sail the day
after!"

We were put to hard labor for the rest of that day, and through much of
the moonlit night. By early morning again we labored. At mid-afternoon
all was done. The _Pinta_, right from stem to stern, rode the blue
water; the Nina had her great square sails. The Guanches stored for us
fresh provisions and rolled down and into ship our water casks. There
was a great moon, and we would stand off in the night. Nothing more had
been seen of the Portuguese ships, but we were ready to go and go we
should. All being done, and the sun two hours high, we mariners had
leave to rest ashore under trees who might not for very long again see
land or trees.

There was a grove that led to a stream and the waterfall where we had
filled the casks. I walked through this alone. The place lay utterly
still save for the murmuring of the water and the singing of a small
yellowish bird that abounds in these islands. At the end of an aisle of
trees shone the sea, blue and calm as a sapphire of heaven. I lay down
upon the earth by the water.

Finding of India and rounding the earth! We seemed poor, weak men, but
the thing was great, and I suppose the doers of a great thing are
great. East--west! Going west and yet east.--The Jew in me had come
from Palestine, and to Palestine perhaps from Arabia, and to Arabia--who
knew?--perhaps from that India! And much of the Spaniar